KumikoVegeta: Hmm… Explain the mystic level.. Well, quite frankly, I don't know much about it. And from what I can tell, nobody other than Toriyama himself knows much about it. It seemed to be one of those one time shot deals. Gohan had gained a special power that seemed to be above SS3 level Goku, and he didn't need to go Super Saiyan at all. Now the kicker is that during the GT series, Bebe decides to take over Vegeta's body because he is the strongest on Earth at the time. (Goku is still out in space) But Vegeta never ascended to level SS3 during the remainder of the series. Gohan should have still been stronger than Vegeta unless the mystic level was just a temporary power-up, or someone got seriously sloppy with the story line. Gohan is pretty much plays a bit part until the end of the series, where he is able to go to SS2 again without destroying the planet. There doesn't seem to be any mention of the mystic level for the entire GT series. To answer your question about the Robia fusion; both. :c)
Luna Inverse: I probably shouldn't have used that particular reference, it's before the time of most of my audience here. Mutt and Jeff was a newspaper cartoon, circa 1916 through the 1940's. It was a radio show for awhile and they made a couple of Mutt & Jeff movies. Mutt (Augustus J. Mutt) and Jeff (Edgar Horace Jeff) were basically a couple of guys that got into all sorts of trouble and laughs. They were the basis for numerous early television comedy teams. Abbot and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, Moe Howard & Larry Fine & Curley Howard who were The Three Stooges. Anyways, the reference was probably not the best of choices. I seen some very old Kelloggs magazine commercials that used Mutt & Jeff. They were pretty hilarious.
Sholio: You're killing me! ;c) In reference to Kaioshin's relationship to Rou Kaioshin, I agree that Kaioshin was pretty intimidated and respectful towards Rou Kaioshin in the DBZ series. However, it seemed to me that he had relaxed towards him in the DBGT series. Or at least it seemed that way in the subtitled episodes I seen. I may have come off a bit too relaxed in my fic, but I felt that's where the trend was headed. As far as our salvaged Saiyan trio goes, they spent 50 or so years in Hell and were offered a chance to redeem themselves, for reasons that will be disclosed later, so they've had a lot of time to think about their past actions. Maybe it is a bit much though. My feeling about the Saiyan race is that deep down they are a noble and proud race, that got horribly perverted somewhere in the past. Call me a dreamer. :c)
SusieQ: Thanks!
On To The Story!!
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The Supreme Kai and Goku had walked some distance away from the rest of the group.
"Goku, shortly after you left for the arena, I felt something very strange happen." The Supreme Kai started.
"What was it?" Goku asked very seriously.
"Well, I was still on Namek and it felt as though a door between dimensions opened, then closed again." Kaioshin explained.
"A door?" Goku responded. "Did anything come in or out of the door?"
"Not that I could detect." Kaioshin said. "But I detected a power inside of the door. A power unlike anything I've ever felt before."
"What? More powerful than a Super Saiyan 4?" Goku questioned unbelievingly.
"By far." Kaioshin said. "More powerful than Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta, and it was pure evil."
"Should we postpone the rest of Vegeta's redemption to deal with this threat?" Goku asked.
"No, I don't think so. As long as it stays in the other dimension, we are under no immediate threat." Kaioshin said. "But stay on your toes Goku. I may need to have you all here at a moments notice."
"Of course. Look, shouldn't we get Gohan, Goten, Trunks, and Trunks Jr. here? And we've got Nappa, Raditz, and Bardock we can train as well." Goku said.
"What about Pan and Bra?" Kaioshin asked. "They can both go Super Saiyan."
"Sure. If they wish to train, they should be here too." Goku answered. What about Pikhon, and a few of the others on Grand Kai's planet? They're pretty strong too."
"We're probably going to need them as well." Kaioshin said.
"There is one more, but I need special permission to bring him here." Goku smiled. "He would be instrumental in training these guys."
Kaioshin smiled wide, "You mean Piccolo don't you? But he's in hell Goku."
"C'mon Supreme Kai, you know as well as I do that the only reason he is there is because he wanted to get me out to help against Super 18 and save the world." Goku stated. "He doesn't really belong there. I personally can't think of a better instructor besides maybe Vegeta."
"Under the circumstances I have to agree. Ok, you have permission to go and get Piccolo out of hell." The Supreme Kai said.
"Thanks!" Goku said as he teleported to hell.
"Wait Goku I didn't mea….. Oh well, he's already gone." Kaioshin grined.
"Alright you assholes! Put your backs into it!" Piccolo yell at Frieza, King Cold, Cell, and numerous others that were chained to a giant wheel while they pushed it around and around. Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared before him.
"G-GOKU!! What are you doing here?" Piccolo stammered.
"I don't have much time Piccolo, but something very powerful and very evil is poised in another dimension. We believe that it will attack our dimension sometime soon. We need you to help train some warriors to help us fight this menace." Goku stated plainly.
Piccolo thought for several moments. "Ok, I will come with you on one condition. After this is over, I want to come back here. Heaven was far too boring, and I am far more useful here keeping these baka's in line." To emphasize the point, Piccolo laid a lash of ki energy across the back of King Cold, who yelped loudly. "Faster you lazy good for nothing asshole! Ah yes, much more useful indeed!"
"Piccolo! Isn't that a bit.. Well.. Cruel?" Goku winced at King Cold's pain.
"This is Hell, what did you expect the Ritz Carlton? They're supposed to suffer torment here. I've found that I rather enjoy the job of head tormentor here." Piccolo said. "Let me get someone to replace me here, and we can be on our way.
Kaioshin started a little bit when Goku and Piccolo appeared in the spot where Goku left from.
"Greetings Supreme Kai, but a long time since we last met." Piccolo greeted.
"Too long Piccolo." The Supreme Kai agreed. "I hear that you've been doing quite a fine job keeping the more incorrigible of Hell's population in line."
"Between myself and the fact that if they get too far out of line the Grand Kai will send Pikon down to deal with them. And Pikon really enjoys his work." Piccolo smiled.
"We need you to set up some sort of training facility and schedule." The Supreme Kai stated.
"Who do we have to work with?" Piccolo asked.
"Well, we haven't asked everyone, but Goku, Vegeta, Trunks, Trunks Jr., Gohan, Goten, Pan, Bra, Roger, Yambia, Nappa, Raditz, Bardock, Pikon, and yourself and perhaps a few others." The Supreme Kai stated. "We'll gather together after Vegeta's redemption is complete and fill them in and introduce everybody."
"Vegeta's redemption? Hehehe.. This I gotta see. Can I tag along?" Piccolo asked.
"Well, if it's ok with Vegeta, then I don't see why not. You could testify on his behalf maybe." Goku said.
Piccolo, Goku, and The Supreme Kai walked back to the rest of the Saiyans.
"YAAAAAAHHHH!! What's HE doing here!" Raditz, Bardock, and Nappa all screamed, indicating Piccolo.
"Hello fellas, been behaving yourselves lately?" Piccolo smirked.
"Yes Piccolo, they have." The Supreme Kai said.
"Well, your old cells are still available in case you don't" Piccolo warned.
The three Saiyans looked a bit ashen.
"So answer the question Namek, just what are you doing here?" Vegeta asked.
"I came here at Goku's request to help him with a problem, and maybe testify at your redemption hearing." Piccolo stated.
"You're going to testify? Now I know I'm doomed." Vegeta hung his head.
"It's time to get back everyone. King Kai is about to call the hearing back to order." The Supreme Kai said.
"Everyone gather around and put a hand on my shoulder or arm or something." Goku commanded.
Vegeta naturally had to be a wise guy, and placed his hand on Goku's head. Nappa, Raditz, and Bardock complied, but looked distinctly nervous to be so close to their former tormenter. He was, after all, the primary reason that they jumped at King Kai's offer so many years ago.
"Ok, everyone set?" Goku said. "Here we go!"
The group found themselves back at the arena; nothing had changed since they left.
"The hearing has just been brought to order. Council for Vegeta will now begin his defense. Do you wish to call your first witness?" King Kai asked.
"We do." Bardock stated. "We would like to call as our first witness, Kirillin of Earth."
"Kirillin? What's he doing here?" Vegeta asked.
"He passed into this dimension a few days after you left Earth." Goku said.
Vegeta looked around and seen Kirillin coming. No longer old, or afflicted with debilitating diseases. A Kirillin at the prime of his life. Vegeta smiled inwardly.
"Take the stand Kirillin." King Kai directed.
"Yes sir." Kirillin answered.
"Now Kirillin, do you remember when Nappa and Vegeta first came to the planet Earth?" Bardock asked.
"You bet I do! I had never been so scared in all my life! I thought we were all gonna die." Kirillin recalled.
"So, there was a long and hard fought battle and several of your friends lost their lives that day, right?" Bardock asked.
"Yes, that's it in a nutshell." Kirillin confirmed.
"So who won?" Bardock pressed on.
"Well, unbelievably, we did!" Kirillin answered.
"So, what happened at the end? How did Vegeta escape?" Bardock asked.
"Well Vegeta was really messed up and didn't have the energy to fight on, in fact no one but myself had enough energy to so much as move, and I was about to drop myself. There in front of me was Yajirobe's sword that he had dropped earlier. I picked up the sword with every intention of finishing Vegeta so he wouldn't come back and finish us at a later date." Kirillin explained.
"But you didn't? Why not?" Bardock continued.
"Goku stopped me." Kirillin answered.
"Did he say why?" Bardock asked.
"He said it was because he sensed that deep down, there was something good in Vegeta. That he wasn't truly evil." Kirillin said. "At the time, I thought Goku was making a huge mistake. I almost killed Vegeta anyways."
"But you trusted your friends judgment?" Bardock pressed.
"In the end, yes." Kirillin said.
"And overall, do you regret that decision?" Bardock asked.
"Not at all. Sure there have been some pretty rough times, and Vegeta seemed to walk a tightrope between good and evil for awhile, but when the chips were down Vegeta always, ultimately, did what was right." Kirillin said. "Over the years we discovered that he was capable of friendship, love, self sacrifice, and all of the rest of the qualities one finds in a hero. Life was definitely never boring with Vegeta around. "
Bardock smiled. "No, I suppose it wasn't. Tell me Kirillin, were you, and the rest of your friends, aware of Vegeta's past?"
"Yes, or at least somewhat, he never talked about it much, but we did know that one of the reasons he had come was to purge the planet so it could be sold. Frieza had also made some mention of the planet trade. I guess we all knew that he had done some horrible things in his past." Kirillin said.
"And you forgave him? You didn't hold his past against him?" Bardock said.
"Well, at first some of us did. Tien and Yamucha wasn't really happy about having been killed by Nappa. But even they eventually got over it. The only one that you could say that forgave Vegeta unconditionally was Goku. Bulma, his wife.. er…mate, did later as well."
"Thank you Kirillin, I have no more questions at this time." Bardock said and returned to Vegeta's table.
"Do you wish to question the witness Onarash?" King Kai asked.
"Yes I do." Onarash answered. Now Kirillin, isn't it true that much of this "self sacrifice" you attribute to Vegeta was mostly for self serving purposes?"
"At first, yes, but as the years went by, Vegeta fought for others, he saved the planet, or helped save the planet, and even the universe, fighting for people other than himself. He risked his own life doing so." Kirillin explained, a bit annoyed.
"I see." Onarash said. "Tell me Kirillin, did he, in your entire association with him, ever express remorse, or regret for his past evil?"
Kirillin thought for a few minutes. "No, not to me he didn't."
"No more questions King Kai." Onarash spun around on his heel.
The questioning went on through several people in much the same way and result. Hercule Satan's testimony and recollection of past events was entertaining to say the least. So much so that King Kai ordered his entire testimony stricken from the record. Apparently, over the years of his life, Hercule had so deluded himself concerning HIS defeat of cell, and HIS defeat of Buu that much of the rest of his testimony was centered around those two events. Then Bardock called Nappa to the stand.
"Nappa, We've heard several of Mr. Onarash's witnesses testify that when you arrived on their planet, you looked starved. Can you explain that?" Bardock started.
"Yes. One of the things that Frieza used to control us, besides pain, was starvation. He would withhold meals from us, sometimes for days, even weeks at a time. Anyone that knows Saiyans and Saiyan metabolism knows that is intolerable for us. He would starve us before a mission. By the time we were assigned it, we were eager and happy to go if it meant food." Nappa explained.
"So, you would show up to purge a planet starved half to death, so what would you do?" Bardock asked.
"Well, some planets had plant and animal life that we could eat. Other planets did not. Sometimes there would be no animal life due to practices of the dominant species of the planet. Industrial waste, and that sort of thing killed off all the animals. In such cases, we were forced to eat the dead of the dominant species, or starve to death. Nappa's cheeks were red with embarrassment, but it had to be said.
"So why didn't you simply run away?" Bardock pressed.
"Vegeta wanted revenge against Frieza for destroying Vegetasai. Vegeta believed that he would eventually attain enough power to destroy Frieza and avenge our people." Nappa
explained.
"In previous questioning, you mentioned that Vegeta tried to stretch the time that planets had to decide on Frieza'a treaty. Would you expand on that?" Bardock asked.
"Vegeta gave the ruling establishment on numerous planets far more time to decide if they would sign Frieza's treaties than any of the other soldiers and teams that Frieza used. Sometimes Vegeta was caught and Frieza would punish him." Nappa said. "I questioned him about it several times, but it wasn't my place to pursue the issue, and he wouldn't explain why." Nappa said.
"That's all the questions I have." Bardock said.
"Your witness Onarash." Kink Kai said.
"Mr. Nappa, did Vegeta ever express regret or remorse for his past actions to you?" Onarash asked.
"Yes, he apologized to Raditz and I for the treatment he gave us during that time, and for killing me." Nappa said.
Onarash seemed taken aback for a second or two, he clearly wasn't expecting that answer. "But no remorse or regret towards the people on those planets he purged?"
"No, he never expressed those feelings to me." Nappa said.
"No further questions," Onarash stated.
"Nappa you may step down, call your next witness Bardock." King Kai commanded.
"I Call Kakkarot, aka Goku of Earth to the stand." Bardock said.