No Fight's Over Until I've Won-Ch 7 By Elbereth in April

"Stop him!" Vegeta yelled, and he and the others set out after him. Two- thirds of the way there, half a dozen lizard men intercepted them.

"Keep going, Vegeta," Nappa called. "We'll get rid of them and come join you."

Vegeta veered off as the others attacked the reptiles head on. By the time Vegeta made it to the ship, Frieza and his captive were nowhere in sight. But he had a pretty good idea where to find them.

He sped down the halls, praying that Frieza was arrogant enough that he would wait to kill Kakkarot until he had joined them. Frieza liked to see his enemy's face when he tortured them, after all.

Yes, there they were. Back in the room he had woken up in. Kakkarot was chained to the wall and drugged, just as he had been. Frieza was waiting for him, facing the door, eyes alight with anticipation. There were four other henchmen in the room, lined up against the far wall.

"Ah, there you are, Vegeta," Frieza said.

Vegeta didn't waste time on words. He powered up, staring at Frieza with pure hatred, trying to control his rage and fear enough to be able to fight.

"I don't know why you're even bothering with this charade. You can't beat me and you know it. Monkey."

Rage won out. Vegeta attacked. He aimed a punch at Frieza's face and one at his stomach. Both were blocked. Then Frieza's fist smashed into his face. He reeled, and tried to kick Frieza. Blocked. Then he spat in Frieza's face.

"Why you. . . "

While Frieza was distracted he kneed him in the stomach, then brought his hands slamming down into his back, then kicked him in the face.

Frieza rebounded off the wall, enraged. He slammed into Vegeta and grabbed him around the chest, pinning his arms and squeezing. Vegeta saw black and red spots but then he broke free. He shook his head to clear it.

Frieza was floating in front of him, grinning at him. Then his tail whipped around and smashed into his face again.

Vegeta picked himself up off the floor and looked up at Frieza. He was just waiting on him. 'He's playing with me. I can't touch him and he's just playing.'

Vegeta growled, then forced himself to focus. "Frieza. . ." He shot several ki blasts at him. Frieza dodged.

Kakkarot watched, helpless. He couldn't even reach his ki, because of the drug. Vegeta had to win. He just had to. Other than that first glance, where Vegeta had assessed him to make sure he wasn't too damaged, Vegeta had ignored him, concentrating on fighting Frieza. But Kakkarot wished now that he dared to speak to him. If his blood brother died before he could apologize and tell him how much he meant to him. . .but he didn't dare disturb Vegeta from the fight.

Meanwhile Frieza was laughing again. Vegeta had risen back up in the air to meet him.

"And you call yourself a prince. You know very well that I am your master in every way!"

Frieza threw himself at Vegeta head-first. Vegeta jerked back. Instead of being completely pierced by one of Frieza's horns, he just received a glancing scratch across his ribs. He recovered from that quickly enough that he landed a kick to Frieza's side and double-handed blow to his back.

Frieza fell back a bit. Vegeta fired blast after blast at him to no real effect. By now the ceiling was gone and there were holes in the walls. Frieza's henchmen were cowering on the floor.

Vegeta flew up above Frieza and let loose a huge energy ball. Frieza batted it away. It receded through the sky like a comet.

Vegeta turned pale. He running out of energy. He already felt wiped out. And Frieza had just swatted away a blast he'd put all his strength into, as if it was nothing.

Frieza streaked up towards Vegeta. He fired lasers from his eyes, striking Vegeta in the chest. Vegeta fell. Frieza followed him down, punching him from left to right. He kicked the prince back up into the air, hit him around a few more times, then grabbed hold of him and rocketed down to the earth with him. Vegeta couldn't break free. Just before impact, Frieza let go, and floated back up. As Vegeta hit the ground, Frieza hit him with a ki blast.

The light of the blast filled the room. When the smoke cleared, Vegeta was lying in a deep crater, battered and bloody.

"Vegeta!" Kakkarot yelled, unable to help himself.

Through the ringing in his ears, Vegeta heard Kakkarot's voice. After a brief moment of nothing but pain, he rolled over off his back, trying to get up from the floor. Dizziness washed over him. His arms gave out as he tried to push himself up.

'I can't let Frieza kill him. I can't let Frieza kill him. Like he killed my father. . .' But it hurt so much just laying there. . . Frieza was so strong. 'I can't let Frieza kill him like he killed my father. . .' Frieza was so much stronger. 'I can't let Frieza kill. . .

'He killed my father.' Vegeta felt the rage and grief build and build inside him. 'He's going to kill my blood brother.

'He killed my father.

'He's going to kill Kakkarot.'

He screamed. Tears were streaming down his face unheeded. He knew several of his ribs were broken, and blood was pouring out of his mouth and nose. The place where he'd been cut by Frieza's horns felt like it was on fire. But he had to stop Frieza. He pushed himself to his hands and knees, and screamed again as the power built up inside him along with the anguish, the righteous fury, and the determination.

Frieza looked over at him, savoring Vegeta's pain, grinning. Then his eyes widened in shock as he watched Vegeta's hair turn gold and his eyes turn teal. The scouter on Frieza's face shattered as Vegeta's power exploded. Frieza's four men died and the whole of Frieza's ship was blown apart as a golden aura of light surrounded Vegeta. He climbed to his feet.

Vegeta met Frieza's eyes. "No fight's over til I've won," he said, and launched himself at Frieza.

Vegeta's fist smashed into Frieza's face before Frieza had a chance to recover from his surprise. Then they were down to serious, punishing fighting. But there was never any doubt in Vegeta's mind that he would win. Not now. Now that he was the legendary Super Saiyan.

He found himself grinning. "Final Flash!"

Even when Frieza transformed again. Vegeta's ki blast ripped right through him. "Big Bang Attack!" he shouted. And a little later on, "Gallic Gun!"

And when Frieza was trying to stay on his feet and find enough strength to transform a third time, Vegeta actually laughed.

"And this. This is a little something I learned from Kakkarot.

"Kame. . .

"hame. . .

"ha!"

He released a blast of energy from his cupped hands that was strong enough to light up the sky for miles, to scatter into particles Frieza's remaining henchmen, and to utterly destroy Frieza.

When the smoke cleared, he stood there, glowing, swaying and panting and feeling his injuries, but triumphant.

Kakkarot's chains had been burned away but he had survived the side-effects of their fight. He was, after all, Saiyan. They looked at each other, and then Kakkarot knelt. "King Vegeta."

But Vegeta let out a cry and pulled him back on his feet. "Don't do that!" Then they both grinned and hugged briefly.

"You did it!" Kakkarot shouted. "I can't believe it!" Then he grinned wider. "I'm going to learn how to do that someday."

Vegeta smirked, then smiled. "I have no doubt."

Then suddenly Kakkarot's grin disappeared and the light faded from his eyes. Vegeta stared at him in confusion as he started babbling.

"It's my fault. I should have been there when Frieza kidnapped you. I should have been there. But I was- -I was. . ." So much guilt was flooding through him that he couldn't finish. Vegeta would hate him forever.

"You were with the woman. Chi-Chi."

Kakkarot couldn't meet Vegeta's eyes. "Yes," he whispered.

Vegeta hit him on the shoulder, lightly. "It's not like you would have been able to stop it."

"I disobeyed your order!"

Vegeta couldn't feel the usual annoyance about this. He shrugged. "Yeah, well. I wouldn't have listened to me either, in this case."

At this, Kakkarot looked at him. "I should have been with you! You're my best friend!"

"You were going to come rescue me, yes?"

"Of course!" Tears were brimming in Kakkarot's eyes.

Vegeta's ribs were hurting, and he still felt dizzy. His father was dead and he didn't want to deal with this. "Kakkarot." He sighed. Then he smirked, marveling at his own brilliance. "I'll forgive you on one condition. That you make it up to me."

Stunned by gratitude, for a moment Frieza could only stare. "Anything!"

"Very well. You can prove your constant reliability and devotion by accepting the post of my Second Advisor, to train to become my First Advisor when Bardock retires."

Kakkarot gaped at him. Vegeta smiled wider. "I think I'll make Thenore my Third Advisor," he mused.

Kakkarot finally smiled back in wonder. "Vegeta, are you serious?"

"Kakkarot. Need you ask?"

"I never thought you'd forgive me."

"We are blood brothers, are we not? Of course I forgive you."

Kakkarot sniffed, wiped his eyes, then grabbed Vegeta and hugged him again.

"All right, all right!" Vegeta pushed him away, but he was still smiling. "Don't get all mushy." ____________ ______________

The crowning ceremony was splendid and very formal. The funeral was simple and wild. Saiyans believed that a warrior who died fighting went to their ultimate reward. Some other, exciting dimension where they could spar and win forever.

The private party in Vegeta's council room afterward was full of reflection, sympathy, laughter, and celebration. After all, it wasn't every day someone turned Super Saiyan. Not in thousands of years had such an event occurred. Everyone was excited, cheering Vegeta's name.

And after that, Vegeta took his best friend aside and said quietly, "Look, Kakkarot, if you really love that Earth girl, ask her to come live here."

Kakkarot stared at him, honestly overcome. "But- -I thought- -you said. . ."

Vegeta looked at the ceiling, his fingers playing with the hem of his coronation robe. "Yeah. Well. I changed my mind. I don't have the same opinions as my father. I never did. Saiyan strength will overcome any alien blood. A little inter-alien mingling won't hurt."

Kakkarot just looked dizzy and in shock. "But. . ."

"I was trying to protect you! I knew my father would never allow you to have a relationship with her. I didn't want you to fall in love with her and then get your heart broken. That's all." Vegeta looked uncomfortable at being forced to make this explanation.

"Really?" Vegeta had just been looking for him?

Vegeta sighed at Kakkarot's dazed look. Then he crossed his arms. "Mate with her, Kakkarot, and bring her here. That's a Royal command."

Kakkarot felt overwhelming joy fill him. His eyes shone with it. "Thank you. I- -thank you."

Then Vegeta smirked a bit. "Yeah, yeah."

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A/N: One more chapter to go! Please review.