A/N: Wow, I don't think I've ever received so many reviews for a fanfic
before. Thanks to all that took the time to respond. As someone pointed out
there are a few things in this story that don't quite adhere to the facts.
I must admit that I took liberties with some things for the sake of a good
story, or at least an original concept. I hope this doesn't detract from
your enjoyment of the story. Thanks again, I will definitely be updating
about once or twice a week (usually on the weekend).
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Vegeta walked over to the shattered mirror aware of Goku's curious gaze on his back. He chose to ignore it.
"This is going to raise questions," he commented picking up the blue medallion from amongst the shards of broken glass. He studied it for a moment then placed it carefully on the wooden table in the centre of the room.
"I guess we should go," Goku said glumly his shoulders sagging in defeat.
Vegeta gave him an annoyed look, "Well now that we have your permission," he said sarcastically then paused, "But then again, perhaps we should stay," the prince sounded thoughtful.
Goku looked up in surprise and tried not look hopeful, "What do you mean?"
Vegeta's look of irritation returned with a scowl, "As I said before I believe Ranorik, the counsellor," he added at Goku's questioning look, "To be behind this somehow. It's the only clue we have to figuring this out."
Goku made a valiant effort to contribute to the prince's line of thought, "So you want to watch him and hope he slips up and gives us more clues?" he suggested.
Vegeta gave the younger Saiya-jin a strange look, "No, I want to beat the crap out of him until he owns up," he said matter-of-factly.
"Oh," Goku said.
"But first you need to escape," Vegeta told him.
Goku frowned but, before he could ask why, Vegeta gave a smirk and ran a gloved finger over his own throat in a rare show of humour.
"Oh," Goku said again.
"Find somewhere to lay low until I've kicked the truth out of Ranorik," Vegeta said, "Then I'll find you."
Goku nodded in agreement, "Okay how do I escape?"
Vegeta tried not to lose his patience and gave sigh, which came out as more of a growl, "Instant transmission," he pointed out exasperatedly.
Goku shook his head with a sigh of own, this one dejected, "I already tried that, when I was in the cells," he shrugged, "It doesn't work."
Vegeta's face fell, "Why not?" he demanded mentally kicking himself for not considering why Goku hadn't used his special technique before.
"I don't know," Goku returned defensively, "It just doesn't."
Vegeta clenched his fists and resisted the urge to smash something else. It occurred to him, not for the first time, that temper tantrums had a certain appeal despite the lack of dignity. He made a supreme effort to calm down.
"Okay," he said in a precise voice, "We'll find another way." He walked over to the second story window and peered downward through the glass. As he had expected there was a guard below it.
Not a problem, he thought, Kakarot can handle one guard.
He looked from side to side then looked from side to side again, this time harder. The side of the building was lined, literally, with dozens of guards. Vegeta scanned their power levels swiftly and was dismayed and puzzled at how powerful they were. They were stronger than he himself had been when he had first arrived on earth.
The prince turned away from the window seething with sudden anger. The presence of so many guards could only indicate that they were not there to make sure no one got in but instead to make sure he didn't leave. This was worse than the gown.
Vegeta looked at Goku trying to keep his emotions off his face. Apparently he failed because the younger Saiya-jin's face hardened in an expression that the prince knew one would only see on his face if things were serious.
"There's something very strange going on here," Vegeta muttered, he looked hard at his rival, "Besides your instant transmission is there anything else you can't do?"
"I don't know. I haven't tried anything else," Goku said, "What are you thinking?"
Vegeta thought furiously then shook his head, "This whole situation is a mess," he growled half to himself. The prince eyed Goku again, "How do you feel?"
"Hungry," Goku answered immediately then backed off slightly from the expression that appeared on Vegeta's face, "But aside from that, um..." he thought about it, "Misplaced."
Vegeta raised an eyebrow at this succinct assessment of his feelings, "Yes," he agreed, "And uncomfortable."
Goku nodded, "Almost like I'm not myself," he added thoughtfully.
A long silence fell, as the two Saiya-jins were suddenly busy with their own thoughts. Anybody watching the two would have seen Goku's face suddenly take on an extremely pensive look while Vegeta would be seen to develop a twitch in one eye.
"I suppose," Goku started slowly, "Just because we're here doesn't mean our bodies are."
Vegeta stopped rubbing his eye and gave Goku a surly look, "What? My mind in another persons body?" the prince looked vaguely repulsed by the idea.
"Not another person," Goku corrected, "Another you in another timeline." He was clearly in crisis thinking mode.
Vegeta started to object to this but stopped. The idea had merit, "It would explain why you can't use your instant transmission," he admitted reluctantly, "But," he added, "This king would still have his tail and he doesn't."
Goku looked surprised, "You're right neither do I," he said.
"Yes, but you're a traitor, they would have cut yours off," Vegeta pointed out.
Goku looked aghast, "Really?" he said, "Maybe this king also lost his tail?"
The prince opened his mouth to reply that a king without a tail would be weak and therefore would never be accepted then snapped it shut as he sensed someone out side the door, he didn't have to guess who it was. A second later Ranorik entered in a self-important manner, a determined expression on his face.
Goku had also looked toward the door at the same time and upon seeing the counsellor didn't change his expression, which was locked in an intent, challenging look. Vegeta treated Ranorik to a particularly effective glare. The advisor seemed to hesitate under these two gazes then strode in purposefully.
"The prisoner must return to his cell now, my lord," Ranorik told him his gaze flickering briefly to the smashed mirror in the corner.
"I will decide-," Vegeta started acidly.
"On the contrary, you should not concern yourself with such trivial matters," Ranorik cut in smoothly, "Perhaps you'd care for some lunch?"
Vegeta stared. The man's tone was so inconceivably condescending that for a moment the prince thought he had imagined it. Goku started to edge away from Vegeta in a manner that one would edge away from a red cylindrical object with a fizzing fuse.
"How dare-," he started again his tone a great deal more menacing this time.
"Or perhaps a nap?" Ranorik interrupted with a smile. He allowed his tail to uncurl from around his waist, a subconscious indication that Vegeta or Goku did not threaten him in the least.
Vegeta was at a loss. He'd never encountered such behaviour from a so obviously inferior person. He felt his fury begin to rise and welcomed it. With anger came power and at that moment to didn't give a damn about the implications of attacking the advisor. All he wanted was to wipe that smug, arrogant-.
Vegeta stopped. The prince had come, over his many years as a warrior, to expect and welcome the spike in his Ki and power levels whenever he grew recklessly angry, which was often. Like now, the only difference being that his power levels weren't rising or at least not in the margins he had grown used to. The jump in his power level was pitiful.
The Saiya-jin prince growled in frustration and focussed on his Ki, now purposely concentrating on powering up. Failing this, with a flash of something akin to panic, he tried to go Super Saiya-jin. Nothing happened.
This can't be, Vegeta thought wildly, I would have sensed if I were weaker. Suddenly Goku's words from earlier echoed around his head. Another you in another timeline. Of course the power level of this body would feel no different in this timeline. Ranorik wasn't pretending to be weaker than he was after all; he was simply equal to the king. Goku looked at Vegeta in confusion with just a touch of alarm.
Ranorik observed Vegeta's internal struggle with an amused expression. The Saiya-jin prince's face contorted with rage as he saw this.
"I know you're behind this!" he spat, "If you don't give me answers right now, so help me Kami-."
"You're in no position to be making demands," Ranorik interrupted coldly. The counsellor looked at him with distaste, "You want to know why? Fine, I suppose there's no harm in telling you now. As you can see," he smirked, "Our great king is in fact pitifully weak, something which I consider to be a disgrace."
"A weak king would never be tolerated," Vegeta retorted forgetting that he was in essence talking about himself.
"And nor should he be," Ranorik agreed, "But our king is merciless and cruel and for this the people love him. To be strong in mind can excuse being weak in body. After all a king has soldiers to be strong for him."
Vegeta narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Goku was giving the advisor a wary look.
Ranorik continued, "But what if the king were weak in both body and mind? What if the king's mind were replaced by that of a weaker, softer version of itself? The people would quickly call for his death," the counsellor smiled to himself as if revelling in the brilliance of his own plan.
"I AM NOT WEAK!" Vegeta roared in fury.
Ranorik's face fell, "No," he said in hard tones, "Not as much as I would have hoped. I believed you were the perfect candidate to switch with the king. I believed your time spent on earth had weakened you, what with your," Ranorik sneered, "Happy little family. You even helped save that pitiful planet!"
Vegeta's mind had switched off half way through the advisor's speech. He felt cold, "Switch?" he repeated.
Ranorik ignored him, "But it hasn't worked," he muttered half to himself, then he brightened, "Not that it matters. It seems you have given me an alternative."
"You said swit..." Vegeta trailed off and narrowed his eyes as the advisor's words registered with his brain, "What alternative?"
Ranorik grinned maliciously, "Well you're a traitor aren't you, my dear king," he sneered, "Consorting with a prisoner, plotting against your own advisor and even helping the prisoner to escape."
Vegeta's rage subsided marginally to make some space for confusion, "What?" he said a bit stupidly. He understood the words but the sentences didn't seem to compute with the royal superiority that made up much of Vegeta's personality.
"Guards!" Ranorik barked not taking his gaze off the Saiya-jin prince's face.
It was only then that Vegeta realized with some amazement that the advisor intended to have him arrested.
Goku had been watching the exchange between his friend and Ranorik closely and decided that it was time he intervened. The look of outrage on Vegeta's face as half a dozen Saiya-jin guards burst into the room was one he had never seen before. The Saiya-jin prince was beyond furious, Goku would have taken bets that he was literally looking at the world through red. He seemed to have ascended to a new level of anger.
Vegeta also looked ready to attack all six guards and Ranorik with his bare hands despite evidence that he was no match for them.
Many considered Goku to be stupid and evidence did point to this conclusion however there were times when he could think pretty quickly. It was probably a survival tactic. Between the revelation of Vegeta's lack of power and this moment he had reached a few conclusions. Firstly the fact that Vegeta-sei existed in this timeline meant that Frieza and the Kold Empire probably hadn't.
Secondly, this meant that this Goku had not fought Frieza and had thus not attained Super Saiya-jin status. This Goku had been taken off of Earth by the Saiya-jins and imprisoned. Possibly by Radditz then again possibly not. This Goku was at the level he had been when he fought Radditz, roundabouts anyway.
Thirdly, if all this was true, he and Vegeta were no match for the hundreds of Saiya-jin guards, especially not the curiously strong ones lining the walls outside. The one's that wanted to arrest and probably execute them.
Having reached a conclusion Goku wasted no time. He powered up, grabbed Vegeta, who was advancing on the guards with his fists clenching and unclenching convulsively, by the upper arm and flew out the window. He didn't bother to open it first.
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What did you think? I was in a strange mood when I wrote this chapter so it came out a bit humorous. Some parts might portray Vegeta or Goku a bit OOC but I liked this chapter so I'll post it anyway. I hope I get as much of a response as I did for the last one. Thanks:)
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Vegeta walked over to the shattered mirror aware of Goku's curious gaze on his back. He chose to ignore it.
"This is going to raise questions," he commented picking up the blue medallion from amongst the shards of broken glass. He studied it for a moment then placed it carefully on the wooden table in the centre of the room.
"I guess we should go," Goku said glumly his shoulders sagging in defeat.
Vegeta gave him an annoyed look, "Well now that we have your permission," he said sarcastically then paused, "But then again, perhaps we should stay," the prince sounded thoughtful.
Goku looked up in surprise and tried not look hopeful, "What do you mean?"
Vegeta's look of irritation returned with a scowl, "As I said before I believe Ranorik, the counsellor," he added at Goku's questioning look, "To be behind this somehow. It's the only clue we have to figuring this out."
Goku made a valiant effort to contribute to the prince's line of thought, "So you want to watch him and hope he slips up and gives us more clues?" he suggested.
Vegeta gave the younger Saiya-jin a strange look, "No, I want to beat the crap out of him until he owns up," he said matter-of-factly.
"Oh," Goku said.
"But first you need to escape," Vegeta told him.
Goku frowned but, before he could ask why, Vegeta gave a smirk and ran a gloved finger over his own throat in a rare show of humour.
"Oh," Goku said again.
"Find somewhere to lay low until I've kicked the truth out of Ranorik," Vegeta said, "Then I'll find you."
Goku nodded in agreement, "Okay how do I escape?"
Vegeta tried not to lose his patience and gave sigh, which came out as more of a growl, "Instant transmission," he pointed out exasperatedly.
Goku shook his head with a sigh of own, this one dejected, "I already tried that, when I was in the cells," he shrugged, "It doesn't work."
Vegeta's face fell, "Why not?" he demanded mentally kicking himself for not considering why Goku hadn't used his special technique before.
"I don't know," Goku returned defensively, "It just doesn't."
Vegeta clenched his fists and resisted the urge to smash something else. It occurred to him, not for the first time, that temper tantrums had a certain appeal despite the lack of dignity. He made a supreme effort to calm down.
"Okay," he said in a precise voice, "We'll find another way." He walked over to the second story window and peered downward through the glass. As he had expected there was a guard below it.
Not a problem, he thought, Kakarot can handle one guard.
He looked from side to side then looked from side to side again, this time harder. The side of the building was lined, literally, with dozens of guards. Vegeta scanned their power levels swiftly and was dismayed and puzzled at how powerful they were. They were stronger than he himself had been when he had first arrived on earth.
The prince turned away from the window seething with sudden anger. The presence of so many guards could only indicate that they were not there to make sure no one got in but instead to make sure he didn't leave. This was worse than the gown.
Vegeta looked at Goku trying to keep his emotions off his face. Apparently he failed because the younger Saiya-jin's face hardened in an expression that the prince knew one would only see on his face if things were serious.
"There's something very strange going on here," Vegeta muttered, he looked hard at his rival, "Besides your instant transmission is there anything else you can't do?"
"I don't know. I haven't tried anything else," Goku said, "What are you thinking?"
Vegeta thought furiously then shook his head, "This whole situation is a mess," he growled half to himself. The prince eyed Goku again, "How do you feel?"
"Hungry," Goku answered immediately then backed off slightly from the expression that appeared on Vegeta's face, "But aside from that, um..." he thought about it, "Misplaced."
Vegeta raised an eyebrow at this succinct assessment of his feelings, "Yes," he agreed, "And uncomfortable."
Goku nodded, "Almost like I'm not myself," he added thoughtfully.
A long silence fell, as the two Saiya-jins were suddenly busy with their own thoughts. Anybody watching the two would have seen Goku's face suddenly take on an extremely pensive look while Vegeta would be seen to develop a twitch in one eye.
"I suppose," Goku started slowly, "Just because we're here doesn't mean our bodies are."
Vegeta stopped rubbing his eye and gave Goku a surly look, "What? My mind in another persons body?" the prince looked vaguely repulsed by the idea.
"Not another person," Goku corrected, "Another you in another timeline." He was clearly in crisis thinking mode.
Vegeta started to object to this but stopped. The idea had merit, "It would explain why you can't use your instant transmission," he admitted reluctantly, "But," he added, "This king would still have his tail and he doesn't."
Goku looked surprised, "You're right neither do I," he said.
"Yes, but you're a traitor, they would have cut yours off," Vegeta pointed out.
Goku looked aghast, "Really?" he said, "Maybe this king also lost his tail?"
The prince opened his mouth to reply that a king without a tail would be weak and therefore would never be accepted then snapped it shut as he sensed someone out side the door, he didn't have to guess who it was. A second later Ranorik entered in a self-important manner, a determined expression on his face.
Goku had also looked toward the door at the same time and upon seeing the counsellor didn't change his expression, which was locked in an intent, challenging look. Vegeta treated Ranorik to a particularly effective glare. The advisor seemed to hesitate under these two gazes then strode in purposefully.
"The prisoner must return to his cell now, my lord," Ranorik told him his gaze flickering briefly to the smashed mirror in the corner.
"I will decide-," Vegeta started acidly.
"On the contrary, you should not concern yourself with such trivial matters," Ranorik cut in smoothly, "Perhaps you'd care for some lunch?"
Vegeta stared. The man's tone was so inconceivably condescending that for a moment the prince thought he had imagined it. Goku started to edge away from Vegeta in a manner that one would edge away from a red cylindrical object with a fizzing fuse.
"How dare-," he started again his tone a great deal more menacing this time.
"Or perhaps a nap?" Ranorik interrupted with a smile. He allowed his tail to uncurl from around his waist, a subconscious indication that Vegeta or Goku did not threaten him in the least.
Vegeta was at a loss. He'd never encountered such behaviour from a so obviously inferior person. He felt his fury begin to rise and welcomed it. With anger came power and at that moment to didn't give a damn about the implications of attacking the advisor. All he wanted was to wipe that smug, arrogant-.
Vegeta stopped. The prince had come, over his many years as a warrior, to expect and welcome the spike in his Ki and power levels whenever he grew recklessly angry, which was often. Like now, the only difference being that his power levels weren't rising or at least not in the margins he had grown used to. The jump in his power level was pitiful.
The Saiya-jin prince growled in frustration and focussed on his Ki, now purposely concentrating on powering up. Failing this, with a flash of something akin to panic, he tried to go Super Saiya-jin. Nothing happened.
This can't be, Vegeta thought wildly, I would have sensed if I were weaker. Suddenly Goku's words from earlier echoed around his head. Another you in another timeline. Of course the power level of this body would feel no different in this timeline. Ranorik wasn't pretending to be weaker than he was after all; he was simply equal to the king. Goku looked at Vegeta in confusion with just a touch of alarm.
Ranorik observed Vegeta's internal struggle with an amused expression. The Saiya-jin prince's face contorted with rage as he saw this.
"I know you're behind this!" he spat, "If you don't give me answers right now, so help me Kami-."
"You're in no position to be making demands," Ranorik interrupted coldly. The counsellor looked at him with distaste, "You want to know why? Fine, I suppose there's no harm in telling you now. As you can see," he smirked, "Our great king is in fact pitifully weak, something which I consider to be a disgrace."
"A weak king would never be tolerated," Vegeta retorted forgetting that he was in essence talking about himself.
"And nor should he be," Ranorik agreed, "But our king is merciless and cruel and for this the people love him. To be strong in mind can excuse being weak in body. After all a king has soldiers to be strong for him."
Vegeta narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Goku was giving the advisor a wary look.
Ranorik continued, "But what if the king were weak in both body and mind? What if the king's mind were replaced by that of a weaker, softer version of itself? The people would quickly call for his death," the counsellor smiled to himself as if revelling in the brilliance of his own plan.
"I AM NOT WEAK!" Vegeta roared in fury.
Ranorik's face fell, "No," he said in hard tones, "Not as much as I would have hoped. I believed you were the perfect candidate to switch with the king. I believed your time spent on earth had weakened you, what with your," Ranorik sneered, "Happy little family. You even helped save that pitiful planet!"
Vegeta's mind had switched off half way through the advisor's speech. He felt cold, "Switch?" he repeated.
Ranorik ignored him, "But it hasn't worked," he muttered half to himself, then he brightened, "Not that it matters. It seems you have given me an alternative."
"You said swit..." Vegeta trailed off and narrowed his eyes as the advisor's words registered with his brain, "What alternative?"
Ranorik grinned maliciously, "Well you're a traitor aren't you, my dear king," he sneered, "Consorting with a prisoner, plotting against your own advisor and even helping the prisoner to escape."
Vegeta's rage subsided marginally to make some space for confusion, "What?" he said a bit stupidly. He understood the words but the sentences didn't seem to compute with the royal superiority that made up much of Vegeta's personality.
"Guards!" Ranorik barked not taking his gaze off the Saiya-jin prince's face.
It was only then that Vegeta realized with some amazement that the advisor intended to have him arrested.
Goku had been watching the exchange between his friend and Ranorik closely and decided that it was time he intervened. The look of outrage on Vegeta's face as half a dozen Saiya-jin guards burst into the room was one he had never seen before. The Saiya-jin prince was beyond furious, Goku would have taken bets that he was literally looking at the world through red. He seemed to have ascended to a new level of anger.
Vegeta also looked ready to attack all six guards and Ranorik with his bare hands despite evidence that he was no match for them.
Many considered Goku to be stupid and evidence did point to this conclusion however there were times when he could think pretty quickly. It was probably a survival tactic. Between the revelation of Vegeta's lack of power and this moment he had reached a few conclusions. Firstly the fact that Vegeta-sei existed in this timeline meant that Frieza and the Kold Empire probably hadn't.
Secondly, this meant that this Goku had not fought Frieza and had thus not attained Super Saiya-jin status. This Goku had been taken off of Earth by the Saiya-jins and imprisoned. Possibly by Radditz then again possibly not. This Goku was at the level he had been when he fought Radditz, roundabouts anyway.
Thirdly, if all this was true, he and Vegeta were no match for the hundreds of Saiya-jin guards, especially not the curiously strong ones lining the walls outside. The one's that wanted to arrest and probably execute them.
Having reached a conclusion Goku wasted no time. He powered up, grabbed Vegeta, who was advancing on the guards with his fists clenching and unclenching convulsively, by the upper arm and flew out the window. He didn't bother to open it first.
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What did you think? I was in a strange mood when I wrote this chapter so it came out a bit humorous. Some parts might portray Vegeta or Goku a bit OOC but I liked this chapter so I'll post it anyway. I hope I get as much of a response as I did for the last one. Thanks:)
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