Trunks peered out of the window at the pre-dawn landscape. There was still about two hours left before sunrise. Pitch-black darkness seemed to consume the land. Trunks thought the scenery fit well with the mood.
Trunks turned to his mother, studying her outline as she concentrated on the task of guiding
the helicopter. It had been several minutes since they had lost sight of the earth
fighters. Trunks had sought out their kis, which wasn't very hard considering the
situation, and had directed Bulma in the right direction.
Trunks was brought out of his reverie by a surprised squeak from Chi Chi. He turned in time
to see Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz speed by on their way to Freeza's ship.
"Great," muttered Bulma, nodding towards the warriors. "All we need now if for
Mister-Mighty-Prince-of-the-Saiyans getting in the way."
Trunks frowned to himself, suppressing the urge to rebuke her. The last thing that would
help him is standing up for Vegeta.
The Saiyans soon disappeared from view, leaving the trio alone in the darkness once more.
Trunks fidgeted, feeling anxious. He wasn't used to traveling to a battle so slowly. It
was maddening.
Finally, they spotted the assembled warriors standing around a large, newly formed crater
where Freeza's ship had obviously touched down. Vegeta and company were standing off by
themselves, whispering feverishly. As Bulma brought the helicopter down, Yamcha approached
the vehicle.
"What do you think you're doing?" he shouted the moment Bulma swung the door open.
Bulma tossed her hair over her shoulder and glared at him indignantly.
"I figured you could use someone with brains," she hissed.
Yamcha opened his mouth to retort, but Krillian quickly stepped between the bickering
couple.
"We don't have time for this," he reprimanded them.
Everyone's attention returned to the still-smoking crater. Trunks rushed to Goten's side.
"I'm glad you're here, Trunks-kun," the younger boy stated, smiling at his companion.
"Do you really think I would let you face unbeatable odds alone?" joked Trunks.
The two boys exchanged a smile before turning serious.
"So, what now?" asked Yamcha, placing his hands on his hips and staring into the depths of
the crater.
"We wait," growled Piccolo.
The warriors settled down about a hundred yards from where the spacecraft rested. The last
thing they needed was to be within reach of the enemy. Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz discussed
battle tactics in hushed voices. Gohan went back and forth from sitting near Piccolo, who
was meditating, and keeping Goten and Trunks company. Tien, Yamcha, Choatzu, and Krillian
sat in a small semi-circle, not speaking often. Goku quietly instructed Chi Chi and Bulma
in what to do if things got bad.
The last hours before sunrise stretched out for eternity. The dark night was quiet; an
eerie, apprehensive silence had fallen across the desolate area.
As the sky began to brighten to a dull mix of gray and yellow, movement could be heard from
the space ship. The warriors, including Trunks, quickly scrambled to their feet. A firm
hand gripped the purple-haired boy's arm and pulled him backwards. Trunks looked up to see
Bulma.
"I don't think so mister," she stated, guiding him to where she and Chi Chi were going to
watch.
"But...."
A stern look cut him short. Trunks looked at the ground, feeling crestfallen.
"You aren't going to let him fight?" asked an incredulous Radditz.
"He's a kid. He'll get hurt," replied Yamcha icily.
"That kid is stronger than you'll ever be," replied Nappa.
Yamcha clenched his fist menacingly.
"Not now," advised Tien. "We'll get rid of them later."
The Saiyans and humans exchanged angry glares. The loud hiss of the ship being depressurized brought their attention back to the imminent problem.
Goten glanced worriedly at his father and brother. He was used to depending on them to help
him. But now he was the strongest warrior. As far as Goten knew, neither member of his
family, nor Vegeta, had been able to achieve Super Saiyan. And with Trunks hiding his
identity, Goten would be all alone. This was not promising.
A figure appeared in the shadows of the approaching dawn. Lord Freeza approached the group
slowly, surveying each individual, sizing them up. His eyes fell on Vegeta and his scowl
deepened.
"Prince Vegeta," sneered the white and purple alien.
Trunks noted that as he spoke, Freeza lazily twirled the chain of his necklace around his
fingers. On the chain hung a heavy medallion. The amulet must be the talisman of Nodimaet.
"I should have known better than to leave the task of securing this planet to a bunch of
worthless monkeys" continued Freeza. "I dare say your father would have disowned you if he knew what a pathetic creature you have become."
Radditz and Nappa restrained the enraged Prince. Freeza sneered and turned to the Earth
fighters.
"And this is the best the Earth has to offer? I'm disappointed. I was hoping for something
more challenging. Instead, I get a reject Namek, a dysfunctional Saiyan, a handful of weak
humans, and two children. Pathetic indeed."
"You shouldn't underestimate us, Freeza," warned Piccolo. "Also, you've miscounted. There are three Saiyans. The children are half-Saiyan, half-human."
Freeza snorted.
"Half-breeds? And I thought the Saiyan race couldn't get any worse than it already is."
Goten shifted into a fighting stance. Freeza chortled.
"So the little runt wants to play?" he asked.
Laughing maniacally, Freeza powered up a level. The earth warriors and Saiyans stumbled
backwards as the initial ki rush flared out. However, Goten held his ground.
"How...how can he be so powerful?" hissed Vegeta in a panicked voice.
The other fighters looking at each other worriedly. None of them were sure if they were
ready to face such a powerful opponent. Only Goten seemed unconcerned.
"Impressed?" asked Freeza mockingly as he gestured to himself. "Why don't you give up now?
Or do you all really want to die that bad?"
"Never!" shouted Goten.
With a yell, Goten jumped to the Super Saiyan level. Freeza stared at him with amazement.
"What? You're just a child! There's not way you can be so strong!" stammered the alien.
Vegeta smirked at Freeza's bewilderment.
"He's one of the legendary Super Saiyans," explained the Prince.
"That's impossible. There's no such thing," contradicted Freeza, his eyes never leaving the
small, golden-haired child.
"Seems like you're wrong," replied Piccolo coolly.
Freeza scowled viciously.
"I am never wrong!" he screamed.
Freeza flew towards Goten, determined to rip the small child to shreds. Goten dodged his
attack and took to the sky. Freeza spun sharply and followed after the boy.
"The ability to run away isn't a super power," Freeza called after Goten as he struggled to keep up with the half-Saiyan.
Goten came to an abrupt halt in mid-air. As he spun around towards Freeza, he collected a
ball of ki in his hand. As soon as he was facing his opponent, Goten let loose the gathered
energy. The attack struck Freeza, driving him backwards. The Z fighters scrambled away as
the energy ball slammed Freeza into the ground, creating another sizable crater. Goten
began to pelt the area with ki blasts. Dust began to rise from the crater and cover the
area. Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz rose into the air and began sending their own energy blasts
at the place where Freeza was pinned down. Piccolo and Goku joined them in their attack.
Tein, Choatzu, Yamcha and Krillian stood by, feeling a little out of their league.
After five solid minutes of assault, Goten and the others paused. Goten was gasping for
breath. He felt considerably drained from maintaining such a strong offensive. A morning
breeze picked up and carried away the dust clouds. In the bottom of the crater, Freeza was
struggling to his feet. He looked battered. And very pissed.
"You stupid tailless monkey," hissed the alien. "You are going to regret doing that."
Freeza rose into the air once more until he was level with Goten. With a scream, the alien
released a series of his own ki attacks. However, he didn't aim these at the small Super
Saiyan. Instead, the blasts pounded into Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz. All
five warriors were smashed into the ground. Painfully, they sat up.
"Stay out of this," Freeza ordered the wounded fighters. "This is between me and the
halfling."
The evil lord focused on Goten. Before, he had wanted to kill the boy. Now he wanted to
utterly destroy the small nuisance.
Freeza held his hand palm-out towards the golden warrior. Slowly, he gathered his ki into a
sphere. With a cry, he released the energy towards Goten. Unfortunately, Goten was no longer in front of him. Too late, Freeza turned to find the boy directly behind him. Goten landed a punch directly in Freeza's face. The alien's head snapped back from the force. Goten began punching and kicking furiously. It took a moment before Freeza was able to begin to block the continuous attacks. As he became more accustomed to the child's fighting style, it became easier for Freeza to defend himself.
Finally, the alien saw an opening in Goten's defense. He landed a punch directly in the
child's stomach. Goten gasped for breathe and began to fall from the air. With a loud thud, he landed on the ground. Freeza took the opportunity to bombard him with a series of ki attacks, pinning Goten to the ground.
"KamehameHA!"
A blast ripped into Freeza's side. The alien turned to see the other halfing prepare to
attack him once more.
"Brat!" he yelled at Gohan.
He fired a ki attack at the small boy. Piccolo lunged and knocked Gohan out of the way,
taking the blast for the child.
"Mr. Piccolo!" cried Gohan as he hurried to his master's side.
The Namek was clutching his side. The attack had left a deep gash in his green flesh.
"Don't worry about me, kid. It's just a scratch," stated Piccolo, reassuring his small
student.
Goten had once again risen to his face. Looking up at Freeza, he scowled.
"Leave my big brother alone!" he screamed.
Goten flew into the air straight towards Freeza. The alien barely managed to block the
flurry of punches and kicks that Goten aimed at him. Freeza fired a ki blast, but his aim was off due his desperate attempts to defend himself. The attack rushed past Goten. And flew straight towards Bulma.
"MOM!" shouted Trunks as the the ki blast sped towards the woman.
Bulma closed her eyes tightly and held up her arms protectively. She could feel the heat from the energy blast as it came ever closer. Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around her body. She felt a lurch as the person moved swiftly out of the line of fire. The sound of a shattering rock column told her that the attack had missed and struck elsewhere.
Shaking, Bulma risked opening her eyes. Looking up, she stared directly into deep black eyes. She gasped when she realized that she was being held by none other than Prince Vegeta.
"Woman, you shouldn't have come," he growled as he dropped her unceremoniously onto the ground.
Vegeta turned and marched back towards his companions, who were staring at him incredulously. Chi Chi and Trunks quickly hurried to Bulma's side.
"Are you OK?" asked Trunks.
"I'm fine," stammered Bulma.
The scientist tried to calm her racing heart. She couldn't get the thought of how stunning Vegeta's eyes were out of her mind.
While the fighters, including Vegeta, were trying to figure out why the Prince had saved Bulma, Goten had resumed his battle with Freeza. The alien was still struggling to fight off the swift Super Saiyan. A blow to the groin left Freeza gasping for breath.
"I've had enough!" he screamed.
Freeza clutched the talisman that hung around his neck. Concentrating, he channeled all of his ki into the medallion, which amplified his abilities. A powerful rush of energy was released as Freeza magnified his energy twenty-five times. Goten was knocked backwards. He crossed his arms in front of his face to prevent his eyes from being burned by the ki flash.
Smirking, Freeza began to counterattack. At first, Goten was able to efficently block Freeza's attacks. Slowly, the dark lord drove through his defenses. The alien began to pound ruthlessly into the small half-Saiyan. Goten grunted in pain. Blood began to trickle down his chin.
"Goten-kun!" screamed Trunks.
The purple-haired boy tried to run to his friend, but he felt Bulma's arms wrap around him.
"Let me go! I've got to help him!"
"No, Trunks. You'll only get in the way," cried Bulma, desperately holding onto her child.
The boy let out a weak cry and stopped struggling. He could hear Chi Chi begin to sob as
she watch Goten being beaten without mercy.
"KamehameHA!"
"Big Bang ATTACK!"
Gohan, Goku and Vegeta released their attacks simultaneously, attempting to force Freeza to
back off. The alien, however, never slowed down; as he continued to attack the Super
Saiyan, he created a ki shield. The warriors' attacks were not strong enough to penetrate
the sphere of energy.
A direct blow to the head caused Goten to begin to lose consciousness. As he once again fell to the ground, the golden aura around him flickered. His hair relaxed and returned to
black. His eyes faded from blue to onyx. Dust rose as the boy collided with the ground.
Weakly, Goten attempted to rise to his feet once more. Vainly, he tried to return to the Super Saiyan level. Gold ki flickered about him, but nothing happened.
"Defeated so quickly?" asked Freeza as he hovered above Goten. "I'm disappointed."
The alien released one of his strongest ki attacks. The energy tore into Goten, ripping the
flesh of his back. Goten screamed in agony and fell in a heap on the dirt.
"GOTEN!" screamed Trunks, pulling lose from Bulma's grip.
Trunks ran towards his fallen friend. Piccolo was already at Goten's side, kneeling beside
the small warrior. The Namek's hands ran gently over the child's mangled body.
"Is he OK?" asked Trunks, his voice shaking.
The other warriors stood off at a distance, looking in horror at Goten's crushed body. They
were all shaking slightly.
Ignoring Trunks' question, Piccolo turned to the other fighters.
"Someone needs to go to Korin's tower and get senzu beans. NOW!" demanded the Namek.
"I'll go," stammered Choatzu.
The small emperor hurriedly took to the air and sped off in the direction of Kami's
Look-Out. Freeza ignored the trivial warrior. He was too busy enjoying watching the
despairing fighters. With their strongest fighter so easily defeated they looked completely
helpless.
"Piccolo! Is Goten OK?" pleaded Trunks once more, tears welling up in his eyes.
Piccolo purposely turned away from the small child.
"If Choatzu doesn't return soon...."
Piccolo trailed off. Chi Chi collapsed and began to sob loudly. Bulma fell down next to
the housewife and embraced her distraught friend. Goku clenched his fist. All of the
warriors studied him nervously. Goku's ki was beginning to rise sharply. Golden light
flickered around him. Freeza gasped as he noticed the change in the Saiyan.
"Kakkarot," hissed Vegeta, watching as Goku hovered near Super Saiyan.
Goku screamed. Falling to his knees, he pounded the ground in frustration. His hair and
eyes were still their natural black. His energy had peaked and he was still short of Super
Saiyan.
Freeza chuckled at the disgruntled warrior.
"Face it. None of you are a threat to me," taunted the alien.
Freeza hovered above the warriors, laughing loudly. He had won. It had been too easy.
Trunks knelt beside Goten.
"Goten-kun," he whispered, taking his life-long friend into his arms.
Trunks cradled Goten. Tears fell from his face, splattering on his best friends face.
"Chibi. Please talk to me," he pleaded.
Goten lay motionless in his arms. The younger boy was pale. Blood was smeared on his face.
Trunks pulled Goten closer to himself.
"Please...."
The older boy buried his face in Goten's gi, sobbing helplessly. He should have stopped
that lousy bastard. This was his fault. Goten was hurt and it was all his fault.
Piccolo gasped and stood up suddenly. He stared bewildered at Trunks. The boy's energy was
rising sharply. As the Namek began to back away from the child, the others noticed the
change in Trunks' ki. Freeza stopped laughing and looked at the boy, puzzled by this new
development.
"Goten..." whispered Trunks, his voice hoarse from crying.
Trunks carefully smoothed jet-black hair out of Goten's face. Standing up, Trunks held his friend's limp body in his arms.
"I'm going to make YOU PAY!"
Trunks let out a scream of agony. Pure gold energy flowered around him, consuming his
body. His hair began to stiffen and to stand up straight. His eyes changed from their
normal icy blue to a deep turquoise. Purple locks became gold.
Trunks was now a Super Saiyan.
*******
And that's it for chapter twelve. And Trunks-kun is a Super Saiyan! Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. More to come soon. Happy New Year! ~ ladymoonlight
Trunks turned to his mother, studying her outline as she concentrated on the task of guiding
the helicopter. It had been several minutes since they had lost sight of the earth
fighters. Trunks had sought out their kis, which wasn't very hard considering the
situation, and had directed Bulma in the right direction.
Trunks was brought out of his reverie by a surprised squeak from Chi Chi. He turned in time
to see Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz speed by on their way to Freeza's ship.
"Great," muttered Bulma, nodding towards the warriors. "All we need now if for
Mister-Mighty-Prince-of-the-Saiyans getting in the way."
Trunks frowned to himself, suppressing the urge to rebuke her. The last thing that would
help him is standing up for Vegeta.
The Saiyans soon disappeared from view, leaving the trio alone in the darkness once more.
Trunks fidgeted, feeling anxious. He wasn't used to traveling to a battle so slowly. It
was maddening.
Finally, they spotted the assembled warriors standing around a large, newly formed crater
where Freeza's ship had obviously touched down. Vegeta and company were standing off by
themselves, whispering feverishly. As Bulma brought the helicopter down, Yamcha approached
the vehicle.
"What do you think you're doing?" he shouted the moment Bulma swung the door open.
Bulma tossed her hair over her shoulder and glared at him indignantly.
"I figured you could use someone with brains," she hissed.
Yamcha opened his mouth to retort, but Krillian quickly stepped between the bickering
couple.
"We don't have time for this," he reprimanded them.
Everyone's attention returned to the still-smoking crater. Trunks rushed to Goten's side.
"I'm glad you're here, Trunks-kun," the younger boy stated, smiling at his companion.
"Do you really think I would let you face unbeatable odds alone?" joked Trunks.
The two boys exchanged a smile before turning serious.
"So, what now?" asked Yamcha, placing his hands on his hips and staring into the depths of
the crater.
"We wait," growled Piccolo.
The warriors settled down about a hundred yards from where the spacecraft rested. The last
thing they needed was to be within reach of the enemy. Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz discussed
battle tactics in hushed voices. Gohan went back and forth from sitting near Piccolo, who
was meditating, and keeping Goten and Trunks company. Tien, Yamcha, Choatzu, and Krillian
sat in a small semi-circle, not speaking often. Goku quietly instructed Chi Chi and Bulma
in what to do if things got bad.
The last hours before sunrise stretched out for eternity. The dark night was quiet; an
eerie, apprehensive silence had fallen across the desolate area.
As the sky began to brighten to a dull mix of gray and yellow, movement could be heard from
the space ship. The warriors, including Trunks, quickly scrambled to their feet. A firm
hand gripped the purple-haired boy's arm and pulled him backwards. Trunks looked up to see
Bulma.
"I don't think so mister," she stated, guiding him to where she and Chi Chi were going to
watch.
"But...."
A stern look cut him short. Trunks looked at the ground, feeling crestfallen.
"You aren't going to let him fight?" asked an incredulous Radditz.
"He's a kid. He'll get hurt," replied Yamcha icily.
"That kid is stronger than you'll ever be," replied Nappa.
Yamcha clenched his fist menacingly.
"Not now," advised Tien. "We'll get rid of them later."
The Saiyans and humans exchanged angry glares. The loud hiss of the ship being depressurized brought their attention back to the imminent problem.
Goten glanced worriedly at his father and brother. He was used to depending on them to help
him. But now he was the strongest warrior. As far as Goten knew, neither member of his
family, nor Vegeta, had been able to achieve Super Saiyan. And with Trunks hiding his
identity, Goten would be all alone. This was not promising.
A figure appeared in the shadows of the approaching dawn. Lord Freeza approached the group
slowly, surveying each individual, sizing them up. His eyes fell on Vegeta and his scowl
deepened.
"Prince Vegeta," sneered the white and purple alien.
Trunks noted that as he spoke, Freeza lazily twirled the chain of his necklace around his
fingers. On the chain hung a heavy medallion. The amulet must be the talisman of Nodimaet.
"I should have known better than to leave the task of securing this planet to a bunch of
worthless monkeys" continued Freeza. "I dare say your father would have disowned you if he knew what a pathetic creature you have become."
Radditz and Nappa restrained the enraged Prince. Freeza sneered and turned to the Earth
fighters.
"And this is the best the Earth has to offer? I'm disappointed. I was hoping for something
more challenging. Instead, I get a reject Namek, a dysfunctional Saiyan, a handful of weak
humans, and two children. Pathetic indeed."
"You shouldn't underestimate us, Freeza," warned Piccolo. "Also, you've miscounted. There are three Saiyans. The children are half-Saiyan, half-human."
Freeza snorted.
"Half-breeds? And I thought the Saiyan race couldn't get any worse than it already is."
Goten shifted into a fighting stance. Freeza chortled.
"So the little runt wants to play?" he asked.
Laughing maniacally, Freeza powered up a level. The earth warriors and Saiyans stumbled
backwards as the initial ki rush flared out. However, Goten held his ground.
"How...how can he be so powerful?" hissed Vegeta in a panicked voice.
The other fighters looking at each other worriedly. None of them were sure if they were
ready to face such a powerful opponent. Only Goten seemed unconcerned.
"Impressed?" asked Freeza mockingly as he gestured to himself. "Why don't you give up now?
Or do you all really want to die that bad?"
"Never!" shouted Goten.
With a yell, Goten jumped to the Super Saiyan level. Freeza stared at him with amazement.
"What? You're just a child! There's not way you can be so strong!" stammered the alien.
Vegeta smirked at Freeza's bewilderment.
"He's one of the legendary Super Saiyans," explained the Prince.
"That's impossible. There's no such thing," contradicted Freeza, his eyes never leaving the
small, golden-haired child.
"Seems like you're wrong," replied Piccolo coolly.
Freeza scowled viciously.
"I am never wrong!" he screamed.
Freeza flew towards Goten, determined to rip the small child to shreds. Goten dodged his
attack and took to the sky. Freeza spun sharply and followed after the boy.
"The ability to run away isn't a super power," Freeza called after Goten as he struggled to keep up with the half-Saiyan.
Goten came to an abrupt halt in mid-air. As he spun around towards Freeza, he collected a
ball of ki in his hand. As soon as he was facing his opponent, Goten let loose the gathered
energy. The attack struck Freeza, driving him backwards. The Z fighters scrambled away as
the energy ball slammed Freeza into the ground, creating another sizable crater. Goten
began to pelt the area with ki blasts. Dust began to rise from the crater and cover the
area. Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz rose into the air and began sending their own energy blasts
at the place where Freeza was pinned down. Piccolo and Goku joined them in their attack.
Tein, Choatzu, Yamcha and Krillian stood by, feeling a little out of their league.
After five solid minutes of assault, Goten and the others paused. Goten was gasping for
breath. He felt considerably drained from maintaining such a strong offensive. A morning
breeze picked up and carried away the dust clouds. In the bottom of the crater, Freeza was
struggling to his feet. He looked battered. And very pissed.
"You stupid tailless monkey," hissed the alien. "You are going to regret doing that."
Freeza rose into the air once more until he was level with Goten. With a scream, the alien
released a series of his own ki attacks. However, he didn't aim these at the small Super
Saiyan. Instead, the blasts pounded into Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz. All
five warriors were smashed into the ground. Painfully, they sat up.
"Stay out of this," Freeza ordered the wounded fighters. "This is between me and the
halfling."
The evil lord focused on Goten. Before, he had wanted to kill the boy. Now he wanted to
utterly destroy the small nuisance.
Freeza held his hand palm-out towards the golden warrior. Slowly, he gathered his ki into a
sphere. With a cry, he released the energy towards Goten. Unfortunately, Goten was no longer in front of him. Too late, Freeza turned to find the boy directly behind him. Goten landed a punch directly in Freeza's face. The alien's head snapped back from the force. Goten began punching and kicking furiously. It took a moment before Freeza was able to begin to block the continuous attacks. As he became more accustomed to the child's fighting style, it became easier for Freeza to defend himself.
Finally, the alien saw an opening in Goten's defense. He landed a punch directly in the
child's stomach. Goten gasped for breathe and began to fall from the air. With a loud thud, he landed on the ground. Freeza took the opportunity to bombard him with a series of ki attacks, pinning Goten to the ground.
"KamehameHA!"
A blast ripped into Freeza's side. The alien turned to see the other halfing prepare to
attack him once more.
"Brat!" he yelled at Gohan.
He fired a ki attack at the small boy. Piccolo lunged and knocked Gohan out of the way,
taking the blast for the child.
"Mr. Piccolo!" cried Gohan as he hurried to his master's side.
The Namek was clutching his side. The attack had left a deep gash in his green flesh.
"Don't worry about me, kid. It's just a scratch," stated Piccolo, reassuring his small
student.
Goten had once again risen to his face. Looking up at Freeza, he scowled.
"Leave my big brother alone!" he screamed.
Goten flew into the air straight towards Freeza. The alien barely managed to block the
flurry of punches and kicks that Goten aimed at him. Freeza fired a ki blast, but his aim was off due his desperate attempts to defend himself. The attack rushed past Goten. And flew straight towards Bulma.
"MOM!" shouted Trunks as the the ki blast sped towards the woman.
Bulma closed her eyes tightly and held up her arms protectively. She could feel the heat from the energy blast as it came ever closer. Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around her body. She felt a lurch as the person moved swiftly out of the line of fire. The sound of a shattering rock column told her that the attack had missed and struck elsewhere.
Shaking, Bulma risked opening her eyes. Looking up, she stared directly into deep black eyes. She gasped when she realized that she was being held by none other than Prince Vegeta.
"Woman, you shouldn't have come," he growled as he dropped her unceremoniously onto the ground.
Vegeta turned and marched back towards his companions, who were staring at him incredulously. Chi Chi and Trunks quickly hurried to Bulma's side.
"Are you OK?" asked Trunks.
"I'm fine," stammered Bulma.
The scientist tried to calm her racing heart. She couldn't get the thought of how stunning Vegeta's eyes were out of her mind.
While the fighters, including Vegeta, were trying to figure out why the Prince had saved Bulma, Goten had resumed his battle with Freeza. The alien was still struggling to fight off the swift Super Saiyan. A blow to the groin left Freeza gasping for breath.
"I've had enough!" he screamed.
Freeza clutched the talisman that hung around his neck. Concentrating, he channeled all of his ki into the medallion, which amplified his abilities. A powerful rush of energy was released as Freeza magnified his energy twenty-five times. Goten was knocked backwards. He crossed his arms in front of his face to prevent his eyes from being burned by the ki flash.
Smirking, Freeza began to counterattack. At first, Goten was able to efficently block Freeza's attacks. Slowly, the dark lord drove through his defenses. The alien began to pound ruthlessly into the small half-Saiyan. Goten grunted in pain. Blood began to trickle down his chin.
"Goten-kun!" screamed Trunks.
The purple-haired boy tried to run to his friend, but he felt Bulma's arms wrap around him.
"Let me go! I've got to help him!"
"No, Trunks. You'll only get in the way," cried Bulma, desperately holding onto her child.
The boy let out a weak cry and stopped struggling. He could hear Chi Chi begin to sob as
she watch Goten being beaten without mercy.
"KamehameHA!"
"Big Bang ATTACK!"
Gohan, Goku and Vegeta released their attacks simultaneously, attempting to force Freeza to
back off. The alien, however, never slowed down; as he continued to attack the Super
Saiyan, he created a ki shield. The warriors' attacks were not strong enough to penetrate
the sphere of energy.
A direct blow to the head caused Goten to begin to lose consciousness. As he once again fell to the ground, the golden aura around him flickered. His hair relaxed and returned to
black. His eyes faded from blue to onyx. Dust rose as the boy collided with the ground.
Weakly, Goten attempted to rise to his feet once more. Vainly, he tried to return to the Super Saiyan level. Gold ki flickered about him, but nothing happened.
"Defeated so quickly?" asked Freeza as he hovered above Goten. "I'm disappointed."
The alien released one of his strongest ki attacks. The energy tore into Goten, ripping the
flesh of his back. Goten screamed in agony and fell in a heap on the dirt.
"GOTEN!" screamed Trunks, pulling lose from Bulma's grip.
Trunks ran towards his fallen friend. Piccolo was already at Goten's side, kneeling beside
the small warrior. The Namek's hands ran gently over the child's mangled body.
"Is he OK?" asked Trunks, his voice shaking.
The other warriors stood off at a distance, looking in horror at Goten's crushed body. They
were all shaking slightly.
Ignoring Trunks' question, Piccolo turned to the other fighters.
"Someone needs to go to Korin's tower and get senzu beans. NOW!" demanded the Namek.
"I'll go," stammered Choatzu.
The small emperor hurriedly took to the air and sped off in the direction of Kami's
Look-Out. Freeza ignored the trivial warrior. He was too busy enjoying watching the
despairing fighters. With their strongest fighter so easily defeated they looked completely
helpless.
"Piccolo! Is Goten OK?" pleaded Trunks once more, tears welling up in his eyes.
Piccolo purposely turned away from the small child.
"If Choatzu doesn't return soon...."
Piccolo trailed off. Chi Chi collapsed and began to sob loudly. Bulma fell down next to
the housewife and embraced her distraught friend. Goku clenched his fist. All of the
warriors studied him nervously. Goku's ki was beginning to rise sharply. Golden light
flickered around him. Freeza gasped as he noticed the change in the Saiyan.
"Kakkarot," hissed Vegeta, watching as Goku hovered near Super Saiyan.
Goku screamed. Falling to his knees, he pounded the ground in frustration. His hair and
eyes were still their natural black. His energy had peaked and he was still short of Super
Saiyan.
Freeza chuckled at the disgruntled warrior.
"Face it. None of you are a threat to me," taunted the alien.
Freeza hovered above the warriors, laughing loudly. He had won. It had been too easy.
Trunks knelt beside Goten.
"Goten-kun," he whispered, taking his life-long friend into his arms.
Trunks cradled Goten. Tears fell from his face, splattering on his best friends face.
"Chibi. Please talk to me," he pleaded.
Goten lay motionless in his arms. The younger boy was pale. Blood was smeared on his face.
Trunks pulled Goten closer to himself.
"Please...."
The older boy buried his face in Goten's gi, sobbing helplessly. He should have stopped
that lousy bastard. This was his fault. Goten was hurt and it was all his fault.
Piccolo gasped and stood up suddenly. He stared bewildered at Trunks. The boy's energy was
rising sharply. As the Namek began to back away from the child, the others noticed the
change in Trunks' ki. Freeza stopped laughing and looked at the boy, puzzled by this new
development.
"Goten..." whispered Trunks, his voice hoarse from crying.
Trunks carefully smoothed jet-black hair out of Goten's face. Standing up, Trunks held his friend's limp body in his arms.
"I'm going to make YOU PAY!"
Trunks let out a scream of agony. Pure gold energy flowered around him, consuming his
body. His hair began to stiffen and to stand up straight. His eyes changed from their
normal icy blue to a deep turquoise. Purple locks became gold.
Trunks was now a Super Saiyan.
*******
And that's it for chapter twelve. And Trunks-kun is a Super Saiyan! Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. More to come soon. Happy New Year! ~ ladymoonlight
