Bulma struggled against Cooler's grip trying to get free and trying to take breath as the Changeling choked her. But his grasp wasn't going to loosen any time soon. As she clawed at his hands again she saw Vegeta's head go down. /Oh... Vegeta.../ she thought, closing her eyes, knowing exactly what was going through the Sai-jin Prince's head. Then, through the growing fog in her mind from lack of oxygen, she felt something. Opening her eyes she saw Vegeta's head snap back up, a look of anger, hatred, and determination on his face far beyond anything she'd seen before, and a faint gold glow she recognized.
The King was back on one knee and was about to launch in to attack Cooler again when a glow came at the corner of his eye. Turning he saw his son standing slowly, hands held open before him, a thin whispy gold light drifting up around him. The Prince's hair shifted gold for a split second as he raised his eyes from his hands to stare at Cooler, the Changeling still with his back to the Sai-jin. Vegeta's solid white eyes shifted, the pupils returning, but teal now instead of their normal black.
"I am..." Vegeta rasped, his eyes scanning over the crowd of Sai-jins before settling on Cooler and Bulma again. "The Prince of all Sai-jins..." His hands clenched as the ground beneath his feet began to crack and lift into the air. "I will not... fail my PEOPLE!" he suddenly roared, throwing back his head and arms. The faint gold light around flared up savagely engufling him in a golden aura. The planet shook and the Changeling finally turned to look at the Prince, his grasp on Bulma loosening just enough that she could breathe a little.
The ground under and around Vegeta cracked and shattered, debris lifting into the air and exploding as the column of gold energy swirled around the Prince shooting high into the sky. The glare of the aura swelled brighter and brighter and then flashed blinding everyone for a moment. When the glare faded it revealed Vegeta floating several feet above a newly formed crater, head and arms still held back. He slowly lowered his arms, panting lightly, as he relaxed. And then he lowered his head again and looked at his hands once more, through a golden haze around him.
Looking back up at Cooler he smirked. "Now, Cooler... you face your end, I have become a Super Sai-jin! I'll give you one chance to let her go before I make you."
Cooler narrowed his eyes but then started laughing. "Super Sai-jin... yes, I recognize the look. Don't think that pitiful transformation will help you against me!" he called, his grip on Bulma's throat returning to it's previous strength once more cutting off her air supply.
Vegeta pushed off shooting across the planet at full speed. Cooler's eyes widened in shock as he saw how fast the Prince was going. He didn't have a chance to move before Vegeta reached him slamming a fist into his face with a resounding crack and sending the Changeling sailing away, his grip on Bulma breaking. Vegeta caught the Human before she even began to fall and gazed down at her. She was passed out from the lack of oxygen but he could still feel a stable energy from her.
He walked over to where his father stood watching as Cooler climbed back to his feet. Reaching the King he handed Bulma over to him. "Keep her safe." he said simply, turning to face the Changeling again. "Now, Cooler, it's time to finish off your family once and for all." Vegeta called, walking toward him at a relaxed pace, the cheers of the gathered Sai-jins sounding around him, soaking into his very being. "You may have intended to wipe us out but you never stood a chance. We are Sai-jins!"
"You are monkeys!" Cooler yelled as his aura flared up again and his power jumped back up to his maximum in his weakened state.
The Sai-jin Prince grinned. He was stronger than Cooler, he could feel it. They were just close enough to keep the fight interesting. "Monkeys, are we?" he asked, still walking foward slowly. "Well, it must suck being weaker than a monkey."
"Weaker than you? Ha!" Cooler yelled launching in. Vegeta's arms came up and he blocked the punch aimed for his chest. He then counted with a roundhouse, slamming his heel into Cooler's jaw and spinning him around. His other leg shot out and smashed into Cooler's back rocketing the Changeling forward. Landing he started walking foward slowly again as Cooler flipped around in the air and landed.
The Changeling growled. "Rotten Sai-jin! If your father hadn't gotten in that lucky shot earlier you'd be no match for me now!"
Vegeta smirked. "Excuses, excuses. You just don't like being weaker than me."
Cooler's toes dug into the ground and then he launched in toward Vegeta. The Sai-jin Prince slipped to the right and Cooler's fist caught only the blue cape of his armor. The Prince lashed out with a foot as Cooler passed but suddenly the Changeling vanished and Vegeta met with a foot to his back instead. Turning quickly he lashed out with another kick but once more Cooler vanished. This time, however, when the Changeling reappeared Vegeta's arm came up and blocked the kick aimed for his head.
"Your tricks wont help you against me." Vegeta said scowling at him. "I can follow your movements even if I can't see you."
"Ha! You just got lucky that time!" Cooler laughed.
Vegeta shook his head. "Oh, no, there's no luck involved in this. I can sense your power level, track it, I know where you are at all times. And I know how strong you are. I must admit, you're close to my power, but not nearly close enough to win. Now, let's put an end to this!" Suddenly Vegeta charged in and smashed his fist across Cooler's jaw knocking him into the distance and shot after him.
As he reached the Changeling the two began to trade blows still moving across the planet. Cooler managed to land several but Vegeta was landing several more and Cooler was beginning to lose his footing. In a matter of moments the two had completely circled the planet and were back at the Training Grounds again. Suddenly the Changeling thrust both arms forward and fired a massive stream of Ki at Vegeta. The Sai-jin Prince brought his arms up to block and the attack drove him backward several yards.
As he lowered his arms he looked up sensing Cooler high above him. And then he saw it, a massive ball of Ki above the Changeling's head. "Very well Sai-jin, I'll just wipe out this entire planet!" he cried bringing his arm down and sending the ball of Ki straight for Vegeta. The Prince surged up into the air to meet it and caught it in both hands, but the attack began driving him back down toward the planet. He could feel it, Cooler's power had dipped considerably, he'd pushed a lot of his energy into this attack... it would take everything he had to push it back.
As his feet hit the ground again and the energy still pushed him down he heard Cooler laughing. "I am the Supreme Master of his universe! I am the Great Destroyer, the Taker of Life! It is I who decides who lives and who dies! And it is my will... that this wrteched planet... and everyone on it... be anhiliated!"
"Over... my... dead... BODY!" Vegeta roared, golden energy sparking around his hands. "Prepare to die Cooler! FINAL FLASH!" There was a flash of gold from his palms and then a stream of golden energy almost as wide as Cooler's death ball pushed up into it and drove it back up at him. The ground all around him tore apart and flew up into the air as the backwash rushed out around Vegeta.
"What!" Cooler cried in shock. Before he had the chance to react the attacks slammed into him. Unprepared for the impact the energies tore passed him unhindered, his echoing cries drowned by the roar of the energy. Vegeta let his attack die away a moment later as Cooler's energy vanished. He stood there in silence, panting lightly, trying to see if perhaps the Changeling had gone into hiding.
And then he felt a faint power dropping toward the ground quickly and looked up. A small black dot was descending quickly. A moment later a barely councious and badly injuried Cooler hit the ground a few dozen yards from the Sai-jin Prince. Vegeta walked over to where Cooler lay embedded in the ground and glared down at him. "I suppose I should be thanking you." Vegeta said at last, clenching and unclenching a fist. "For pushing me through, helping me become a Super Sai-jin."
He tilted his head to the side as a stream of energy shot passed him, from Cooler's eyes. Frowning he pointed an arm down at the Changeling and began to charge energy in front of his palm. "So, thanks. And now, good riddance to you and your family. The Sai-jins rule this galaxy now." The energy in front of his palm expanded and then shot forth. The energy blast impacted, exploded, and incinerated the fallen Changeling. "Hmph. He made that even easier, burning himself out with that Death Ball." Vegeta said gazing at the crater that marked all that remained of Cooler. "He may have actually had a chance if he'd fought instead of acting like a coward..."
"Vegeta!"
The Prince's head turned as he heard Bulma's voice call out and then saw her running across the field to him. She reached him a couple moments later and wrapped her arms around him. "You okay?" he asked after a moment.
Bulma nodded. "Just a little sore." Her eyes moved up to his hair. "You know, blond's a good look for you."
Vegeta just smirked as his hair and eyes changed back to normal. He then pulled back from Bulma and gazed around at the crowds. The Sai-jins were silent still, absorbing what they'd seen. The Prince turned his attention over to his father who was kneeling beside Raditz at the moment. Turning that way he made his way over to him, Bulma following close behind, a low rumble beginning to sound from the Sai-jins around the field. By the time he reached his father the rumble had turned into a full out celebration.
Vegeta knelt down beside his father and saw that Raditz was awake again. "He's having trouble focusing... might be a concussion." the King said. "He's just lucky Cooler gave him a light tap." He was about to say more when Raditz's communicator beeped with an incoming message. Reaching out the King took it and put it on. "This is King Vegeta."
"King Vegeta, is Raditz ok?" Tien's voice sounded.
"He'll need a little time in the tank again but nothing major."
"I felt Cooler's power vanish..."
"Dead."
"That's what I thought." Tien said sighing in relief. "We've got a transmission from Earth. Seems Goku and the others sensed your transformation."
"I'll be there in a few minutes."
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Bulma let the cool night breeze blow across her face as she closed her eyes. It felt good to be able to relax some. After everything that had happened earlier that day the peace and quiet now was very much welcome, for her and the other Sai-jins. A count had been made, of all Sai-jins killed in the attack. The King, Prince, and a now conscious and healed Pug, had all been pleasantly shocked. The death toll totaled all of eight.
There had been talk of reviving those eight but in the end that had been discarded. With the uncertainty of what was to come in a few years keeping the Dragonballs gathered and safe at Goku's was seen as the better option. With the low death count from such an attack the Sai-jins were in high spirits. Spirits boosted higher yet by Vegeta's transformation into a Super Sai-jin and the subsequent death of Cooler.
It hadn't taken long for the two royals to arrange a massive celebration. Saiya Park, at the center of Saiya City, had been left undamaged by the battles. The massive expanse of open space was now packed with Sai-jins. Tables full of food and drink numbered in the hundreds, music blared from every corner, and a few friendly spars were going on here and there. Bulma sat in her chair high up at the top of the only structure in the park, Vegeta sat on her left and then the King on his left.
She opened her eyes as the sounds from below faded away into silence and she saw the King standing at a microphone. "Today is one for the history books. We repelled an invasion by Cooler with few losses. The Cold Family is now no more. And the Prince... has become a Super Sai-jin!" The noise returned again but the King raised his hand and got silence a moment later. "We will celebrate tonight, recover from our celebrations tomorrow, and then set about restoring the damage done."
He took a deep breath. "Even though the Cold Family is gone a threat still looms in the future. A threat not just to us but the enitre galaxy." His eyes roamed over the crowds below him. Only a handful of people were 'in the know' about the dangers that awaited them in two more years time. "A threat far greater than the Cold Family is growing on the Earth. Our greatest warriors, as well as the Prince, will be there to head off this threat. However... there is a chance it could still spread.
"There's a saying on Earth. No matter how good you are there is always someone better. We must keep that in mind. Just because the Changelings are gone, just because we now appear to be at the top in the galaxy, we can't rest. We must still drive ourselves forward, constantly trying to make the Sai-jin race better, because there will always be threats and we must be ready to face them!" He was silent for a moment and then grinned. "But that doesn't mean we can't have some fun now and then!" Suddenly the sky was alight with blue and green flashes as a thunderous boom resounded. The fireworks show had begun.
-End Saga-