"M-my word!!" Tao Kaioshin gasped. "He shed a tear! I wouldn't have thought it possible, but he shed a tear!" Tao Kaioshin thought for several moments, or was it a million years? Time seems to be so elastic to the great God.
"That's it! This is the answer I've sought! Heheehe! Hang on fellas, help is on the way!" Tao Kaioshin spun on his heel and jumped headlong into the eternity pool."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Goten finally got to sleep after several hours of discussing his Grandfather's exploits with Totempo. It seems that Totempo and Bardock were best friends before the monster Frieza blew up Vegeta-sai. Best friends, Totempo explained, had slightly different connotations in Saiyan culture than it does in Earth Culture. The words used in Saiyago more accurately translated to "Warriors in Blood." Any way, the stories that Goten was told about his grandfather was some of the most raunchy and sometimes depraved tales Goten had ever heard. He was glad that Bardock no longer thought that way.
"Totempo?" Goten interrupted.
"Yes Goten?" Totempo answered.
"You do know that the things you and grandfather did were wrong, don't you?" Goten asked
"Of course, it's why I'm here. I am also aware that refusing to serve Frieza would have resulted in our extermination." Totempo said.
"Not to point out the obvious. But didn't you do everything Frieza said, and didn't he still try his best to exterminate all of the Saiyans?" Goten said.
"That is true." Totempo said, lowering his head.
"Do you know where Bardock is right this very minute?" Goten asked.
Totempo looked at Goten sharply. "No, do you??"
"Yes, he is with my father, Vegeta, Nappa, Raditz, and a bunch of others, along with ourselves here, trying to defeat a great evil that has threatened all of existence. They have been given their lives back."
"What?!?!? How is this possible?" Totempo asked.
"Hell was never meant to be a permanent place of punishment Totempo. There are ways to be forgiven, if you are ready to accept responsibility for your own actions, and feel remorse for those that you have wronged." Goten explained.
"But Frieza ordered...." Totempo began.
"No Totempo. You must accept responsibility for your own actions." Goten said again.
"But Frieza would have killed us!!" Totempo tried again.
"Then you would have done the right thing, and not need forgiveness." Goten answered. "People have defied Frieza, and died for it before. They are in, shall we say, a happier place now."
Totempo got up slowly and walked towards the door to Goten's room. "I will think about what you have said Goten. It makes sense. Goodnight Goten my friend" Totempo left closing the door behind him.
"Goodnight Totempo." Goten was asleep before his head hit the stone pillow.
The next morning, Team One woke up feeling refreshed. Naturally, the Saiyans went in search of Breakfast. Before they got very far, a tall Saiyan Woman stopped them and informed them that they were ordered to eat with the King that morning and they were to follow her. The gang looked at each other and groaned a bit, but figured that was the King's way of telling them that he wanted them to eat with him and was probably as polite in invitation as they could expect from King Vegeta. So they graciously obeyed the order.
Upon entering the King's dining room, the mood took a definite turn for the worse. The food was Hell food. Skull Soup, Worm Gruel, etc.. Even Piccolo that didn't need to eat almost got ill.
"We can't eat this!" Trunks said.
"It's all we got brat." King Vegeta started eating.
Trunks used a low level ki blast and vaporized the contents of the huge table.
"Why did you do that?!?!?!?" The King bellowed.
Trunks reached into his pocket and pulled out two Dynocaps that he had filled before coming on this mission. Goten also had a pocket full of them.
Trunks depressed the button and threw the cap onto the middle of the table. The capsule made a slight popping noise and dispensed a meal fit for a king to overflowing on the table.
"By the great Kame!!" King Vegeta exclaimed. "Real Food!" King Vegeta dug in with a vengence.
By the time the others stopped laughing and started eating, King Vegeta had already consumed a 24 Lbs. Turkey, four Snickers Bars, two dozen deviled eggs, and an entire case of Faygo Root Beer.
It didn't take long for the food to be eaten, and everyone's hunger satiated.
"Mr. Piccolo, We have to leave soon. Our time here is almost over." Jessica said.
Piccolo wasn't sure what she meant by, "our time", but he had come to trust the little girls Judgement.
"Ok everyone, it's time to get ready to go. Everyone say their last good-byes, we still have a mission to perform." Piccolo ordered.
To the surprise of the King, Jessica walked up to him and took a hold of his hand. The King looked down, eyes hard, and then looked into the little girls eyes. King Vegeta's heart melted just a bit.
"This isn't good-bye sir." Jessica smiled.
"What do you mean?" King Vegeta squated down to her eye level.
"Someone will come here right after we leave. He will ask you to do things you may not understand at first. Will you trust me?" Jessica said.
King Vegeta looked into Jessica's eyes long and hard and for what was perhaps the first time in his existence, King Vegeta was ready to trust this little girl. "Yes, I believe I will."
"You must go with this person, and you must do everything that he says, and you mustn't let your pride get in the way. Do you understand?" Jessica met the Kings gaze without flinching.
"I will do my best if you say so." The King smiled. "On my honor as the King of all Saiyans.
The conversation between Jessica and the King was at a low whisper, so no one else really heard what had been said except for Piccolo. Jessica released Vegeta's hand and began to walk away, she turned back and said.
"Remember sire, nobody is beyond redemption that truly seeks it."
"I will remember that." The King answered.
The King's eyes scanned his visitors and came to rest on his Grandson. A couple of steps brought him face to face with Trunks. King Vegeta reached onto his cape and unsnapped the shoulder garrots. "Do you have one of those empty capsules?"
"Yes, I do." Trunks said
"You are to give this to your father, along with this letter." King Vegeta said handing over the cape and a letter sealed with the crest of the Vegeta Royal House. "I wrote this last night, but it's been in my heart forever."
"Tell Vegeta that he is King of all Living Saiyans now. I only regret that I will not be able to attend his coronation." King Vegeta said.
Trunks took the items and reached into his pocket and retrieved an empty Dynocap. He placed the items on the ground, pushed the button, and tossed the cap on top of the cape and letter. The items were swept inside of the dynocap and sealed in.
"Father will appreciate your efforts grandfather. This is probably goodbye." Trunks turned on his heal to leave with the others.
"Trunks!!" King Vegeta yelled.
"Yes?" Trunks turned back.
"I...... I......" The King was fighting a huge internal battle. "I-I am p-proud of you t-too!" The King finally stammered out and quickly turned his face away with his fists clenched tight.
Trunks stood for a moment. This was not expected. "And I am proud to be your Grandson, King of all the Saiyans."
"Y-you'd better go now brat. Before Totempo here starts crying or something equally as gross. Totempo! go and show our guests back to the shaft." King Vegeta ordered when he noticed his subject standing in front of him.
"Yes sire!" Totempo jumped at once. "Forgive my weak emotionalism!"
Totempo led the party back towards the shaft, smiling a secret smile. He never thought he'd see the day that he would see King Vegeta cry like a newborn whelp. But Totempo didn't think less of his King for it. For some reason that he didn't quite understand, it raised his opinion of the King exponentially.
As they walked back towards the shaft, thousands upon thousands of Saiyans left their homes to come and see the living Saiyan visitors.
"Why are they all out here?" Gohan asked.
"They wish to see and confirm that the Saiyan race is not dead." Totempo said.
Roger smiled. "Should we give them a show?"
"I think we should! It's not everyday that one gets to see a Super Saiyan Level Five!" Gohan said.
"Super Saiyan Level Five!!!" Totempo exclaimed.
"Any objections Piccolo?" Trunks asked.
Piccolo looked around at all the faces which easily numbered into the 100s of thousands now. For the first time in their recent memories they looked hopeful.
"Go for it guys. Don't hurt anything." Piccolo answered.
"Let do a real show then!" Roger said as he powered up to Mystic Super Saiyan Three.
The crowed took a collective step back and ewwed and ahhhed.
"That's nothing!" Gohan said as he powered up to Mystic Super Saiyan Five. Roger had to throw a ki shield around Gohan until the change was complete.
"This is impossibe!" Totempo yelled over the din.
Roger used his ki shield to dampen the kis of Trunks and Goten while they both went Super Saiyan Five.
"Roger, and you cover us while we do fusion?" Goten asked.
"No! It's too much energy for me." Roger said wisely for a change.
"Ok, this will have to do then." Goten said.
"You want them to see a fusion? C'mon Piccolo, time for Rogiiccolo to make an appearance!" Roger yelled.
"Groan! Do I have to!" Piccolo lamented.
"Yes you do!" Jessica tugged at his cape.
"Sigh.. Very well then, get into position and we'll equalize our powers." Piccolo relented.
Fuuuuu ssion HA!!
The crowed was momentarily blinded by a great light. When everyone's vision returned, Rogicolo stood there as great and proud as an Eagle. Rogiccolo was able to use Roger's ki shield to prevent injury or damage during the fusion process.
"Thank you all." Totempo said almost reverently.
"For what Totempo?" Rogiccolo asked.
For showing our people that we have left behind a great and wonderful legacy. That our existence wasn't just a waste. We will remember this day always." With that, Totempo bowed low, and one by one, row by row, every Saiyan followed suit.
Trunks stepped forward. "Thank you. Thank you for showing us that we came from worthwhile roots. Good bye to one and all. Roger? I mean Rogiccolo?"
Everyone powered down and gathered close to Rogiccolo and the blue bubble enveloped them and they floated out over the shaft. Not one Saiyan moved, or stood up from their bow until the bubble was well out of sight, heading further into the abyss.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
King Vegeta watched all that transpired from his chamber window. Suddenly, he felt a huge power materialize in back of him. He did not turn.
"So, you can cry after all King Vegeta. Does that mean that you are finally ready to take responsibility for your own actions and seek redemption?" Tao Kaioshin asked.
Remembering the girls words King Vegeta swallowed his pride. "I am." He said simply.
"What about your people?" Tao Kaioshin asked.
"I believe they will follow me. Or at least most of them will." A long pause. "We will all seek redemption." King Vegeta said at last.
"I am glad King Vegeta. When do you wish to et started?" Tao Kaioshin asked.
"The sooner, the better." King Vegeta answered. "By the way, who are you?"
"I am Tao Kaioshin. The Ultimate Kai." Came the answer.
"I was foretold of your coming. I was told to cooperate even if I have to swallow my pride. I promised that I would. I will do my best to keep that promise, but be warned that it may not always be easy for me." King Vegeta said.
"Give your best effort, that is all anyone can ask." Tao Kaioshin explained.
Totempo entered the chamber to see who Vegeta was talking to.
"It's okay Totempo. He's a friend." King Vegeta said.
"Friend sire?!?!?" Totempo said a bid flustered.
"Yes, a friend."
"Can you arrange it so that I might talk to all of the Saiyans at the same time?" King Vegeta asked.
"Of course." A wave of the Ultimate Kai's hand. "There, go ahead."
"My people, this is King Vegeta, please stop whatever you are doing and listen. Today we will change our destinies. We will embark upon a journey that will take us to places that we may not wish to see. But our ultimate destination will be highly desireable. I have no idea what that ultimate destination might be, but I do know that it's better than the destination we will find along our current path. I have been told that redemption can be had by anyone who seeks it. My wish, for myself and my people, is that we seek redemption for our wrongs together. This will mean that we must take responsibility for our own individual actions. This will mean that we are remorseful of those actions. This will mean that we will need to swallow a small amount of pride, for a long term gain for our people. 100 years ago, I would never have considered such a course of action. Such a course of action would be a sure sign of weakness. Some of you may still think that way, and those that do are welcomed to stay here and continue down your current path with no fear of reprisals from me. I invite all who will come to a new path a path of redemption for our people. If you are ready for a new path, come to the palace as soon as you can get here.
"Excellent King Vegeta." Tao Kaioshin said. "Couldn't have said that any better myself."
The bubble floated down rather slowly at first. Piccolo tried to get his bearings and see if he could sense any new threats. He couldn't feel anything or anyone.
"I don't feel anything below us Piccolo." Jessica said. "We are now at level 3214."
"Ok, can we speed this thing up a bit?" Trunks said.
"Ok, but not too fast." Piccolo answered. "I don't want to run into any trouble before we even know it's there."
Roger sped up to about 125 kph. "Jessica's abilities seem to have a pretty huge range Piccolo. She sensed King Vegeta almost 500 k before we actually reached him."
"Very well, but no faster!" Piccolo admonished.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Some 30 million Saiyans now stood around the Palace, and floated in the air, and was lined up down the corridors.
"So, this is all but about 1,000 Saiyans that have decided to stay.." King Vegeta said. "What now?"
"Now? Now we go and train." Tao Kaioshin snapped his fingers and all of the willing Saiyans disappeared from Hell.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Did you feel that Vegeta?" Goku said
"No Kakkarot. You know, you're always feeling stuff. What is it this time?" Vegeta scowled.
"Hey, can I help it if I'm more in touch with the Universe than you are?" Goku teased. "Well, actually I don't know what it was. It seemed to be a shift of some sort."
"A shift?" Vegeta said.
"Yeah. Like someone took a whole lot of ki energy, and put it somewhere else." Goku said scratching the back of his head.
"Can you tell where it went?" Vegeta said.
"No. It happened so fast that all I got was a glimse of it." Goku said. "The energy seemed familiar somehow though."
"Well, I for one am not going to worry about it." Vegeta said. "It's probably that Great Kai doing something weird. I mean besides running around turning people into Saiyans."
"You mean back into Saiyans." Goku thought. "Remember that Humans were Saiyans at one time."
"True. I still seems weird though. Kirillin as a Saiyan I mean." Vegeta smiled.
"Yeah, that does seem out of the ordinary doesn't it?" Goku said.
"Alright Granpa! It's time to face the music!" Goku turned to see Pan powering up to Super Saiyan Four challenging him to spar.
"If you will excuse me Vegeta, one of my brats is feeling like they've gotten to big for their breaches this morning." Goku said.
"Of course." Vegeta flew up to a small rock outcropping and sat down to watch. "This should be interesting.
"Brat!! I'll show you brat!" Pan attacked full force.