They both stood in the midst of the ice at full power. They wore the faces of warriors: intense, enraged, and deadly. The two Saiyans knew that this was going to be the end of the rivalry, for only one would walk away, and neither life would be the same.
Vegeta's fists were clenched at his sides, his fury barely contained as he stared at his nemesis through the aura and energy bolts. He knew he was committing suicide. A Super Saiyan 2 verses a Super Saiyan 3 was not a fair fight, but then again, when were any of the fights ever really fair?
Goku had one hand forward and one hand back. He was conscious of everything around him, from the cold of the chamber to his hair brushing the back of his legs. He had come into this chamber to work; he didn't have time for this age-old argument, so it was time to end it. This whole thing had gone on far enough!
Goku leaped at Vegeta. And the battle of the Time Chamber started.
Vegeta jumped up, but Goku grabbed onto the other Saiyans foot and threw him at a mountain of ice. Vegeta fired a blast past his feet just before he struck, and Goku smacked aside the blast with one hand as he advanced towards his opponent. The top of the mountain blew apart like a volcano, and Vegeta burst through, firing blasts at Goku. The tall Saiyan quickly raised a barrier and stopped the blasts a meter in front of him.
Goku held out a hand and fired, breaking the barrier and ripping apart Vegeta's inert blasts as it sped at the Prince. Vegeta tried to use the instantaneous movement, but was caught by the blast partially. He reappeared expecting to be above Goku, but when he looked down, he couldn't see his rival. Without warning, something smashed him on the head and he plummeted to the indestructible ground below.
Goku aimed between his feet and let loose a wave of raw energy that fell down on the stunned Prince. The explosion rocked the chamber.
"Dad," Gohan said, feeling the blast, "I've got to go help him!"
"No you won't!" King Kai yelled, grabbing the teens' hand.
"Let go of me! I've got to help my dad!" Gohan ripped his hand loose, and took off towards the battle.
"Five hundred tons!" Red weights appeared on Gohan's wrists and feet.
Gohan crashed to the floor of the chamber, feeling bones snap as he skidded on the ground. He managed to turn his head to see King Kai holding up both hands and breathing hard.
"You will let them go!" He said, "They both need this! Even if one dies, they need to see this out to the end!"
12345678910
Vegeta stood breathing hard. His aura was so intense that his blood flew up and evaporated, but more flowed out to replace it. Goku stood ten meters off without a scratch on him, his arms crossed and waiting.
Dammit! I can't beat him like this! Vegeta used the instantaneous movement to appear right in front of Goku, and before the other could escape, used the final technique he used against Buu that he had been working so hard to perfect. The energy ripped out of him, and he could feel that he was only partially successful. Something exploded on the back of his left leg, and he quickly turned off the attack.
The air itself was on fire from the energy, the smoke filled the chamber, and Vegeta could not see his opponent. Dammit, I took to much damage. Where is he? Something shimmered through the smoke, and Vegeta saw a barrier. Goku stood inside, his arms crossed in front of his face, smoke rising from his gi. He lowered his arms and stared at the Saiyan in front of him. Vegeta began to back away, but it was too late. Goku yelled, and the barrier shattered, throwing fragments of sharp energy flying away from him. Vegeta tried to dodge, but caught a shard across his stomach, ripping the top layer of skin open.
He felt the blood trickle down his abdomen, but ignored it as he turned and fired. Goku fired at the same time and the two blasts met, then merged into one and fell the chamber floor and exploded. The shock wave pushed Vegeta back, and then Goku pounced on him and punched Vegeta hard in the stomach, right where he had been cut moments before. Goku's fist came back red with the princes' blood.
Vegeta fell to the ground and landed hard on all fours. The ice melted, and the flames sprang to life as the weather changed. The floor was burning, and Vegeta felt the fire eat away at him. He felt it, but he didn't know what it meant anymore. His judgment was clouded, rage swelled inside of him. He looked up and could see Goku, the third class warrior that had destroyed his life, was attacking from above. He'd be on Vegeta in just a second. Time slowed. Vegeta didn't even notice, his gaze was only on Goku's face, on the other Saiyans eyes.
The eyes I first saw in my defeat. The ones that had Frieza wake up in the night and cry out in fear. Those eyes…
Vegeta was no longer in the time chamber. He stood on the hills in the dessert, with Goku facing him, with the same look in his black eyes. You were the wretch, the little bastard that came into my life, the only one who could have destroyed it. You defeated me, but what was worse, you gave me mercy and forgave me! All these years, I cannot even forgive myself for the crimes I have committed!
He saw Goku turn from him and face Frieza. Even though he had killed all of us with ease, you faced down our killer and not only did you survive, but you defeated him! You avenged our people when it was supposed to be me! I was born to rule, but I couldn't knowing that you were still out there, opposing me, making me insane with your power! How could I rule without it being absolute!
Frieza faded, and Cell took his place. And Cell! You fought him at a pace that I could never have matched, and I spent two years in this damned room training for that fight! You surpassed me with only nine months of training, proving that I will never be able to catch you! Not only that, but you gave that same gift to your half-breed son! During the seven years you were dead, I worked with the only thought of beating you, I didn't care about Hell. I would tear the other world apart, if only for the chance of meeting you and finally claiming my spot as the best. But then you came back.
In the vision, Buu appeared. The insane creation of Bibidi stood grinning as it pointed at Vegeta. I tried to do what you did, I tried to defeat him and prove that you were not the only one who could be a hero, but it didn't work. My son from the future never ceased to talk about how great a hero you were, and then, after the defeat of Majin Buu, I found myself taking a backseat to you in my sons' eyes once more! I will not lose my sons regard, and I will not spend my life dependant on you as you second! I don't care if I die! I WILL KILL YOU KAKAROT!
Time resumed its normal course, Goku bared down at Vegeta, but then, something happened.
Goku looked down and saw the rage burning in Vegeta's eyes, and he saw the danger. No! I can't let that happen! If Vegeta- Oof!
The waves of energy knocked Goku aside as if he were no more then a piece of paper in a tornado. He hit the ground hard and bounced back into the air. I must stop this! If he continues, nothing will be able to stop him! Goku flew back and charged an energy blast. The flames suddenly doubled, and the heat beat at his body as a physical force.
Fire jumped up in front of him and was pushed outward as if by a giant fan. Vegeta floated in mid air, the flames danced at his boots and mingled with the flames pressing outward form his body. Goku stopped dead in the air and looked at a Vegeta he had never seen before. He was a Super Saiyan Three.
Goku fell back. Images of his first time as a third level of the Saiyan race flashed through his mind. Grabbing Pikkon and throwing him away for no reason, shooting a blast at King Kai that he had barley dodged. Almost destroying the other world training grounds in his blind rage, but for the effort of a brave few, he would have.
Goku looked at the eyes he had had nightmares about, at Vegeta's cold, killing eyes. I've got to end this! Goku held his hands at his side and charged up the Kamehameha wave, as Vegeta simply held out his hands in front of him. The energy attacks they fired were the last attacks launched that day.
12345678910
Gohan was in agony. Sure, the broken bones hurt, but he couldn't see what was happening, and the mental torture was killing him.
King Kai's antennas were sticking straight out as he sensed the fight, and the commotion had roused Dende who had a hand on King Kai's shoulder, more for comfort then to see anything.
Gohan turned his head to where he could sense the fight taking place. Vegeta's energy seemed puny in contrast to his fathers, but he could tell all wasn't well. His fathers' energy felt like it did when he truly wanted to kill someone. But he can't kill Vegeta! We may need him! Then Gohan felt a wave of compressed air hit him. He suddenly could sense Vegeta's energy match his fathers!
"That's impossible!" He yelled, turning back to face the Kai, "The only way for that to happen…" He trailed off as King Kai answered him with a nod. Gohan turned from where King Kai stood with an open mouth to the fighting. This was not good.
12345678910
King Kai could not believe it. Vegeta had accomplished that form in just a few weeks in the chamber! But what did this mean? Could he really have-
"Oh shit!" King Kai held up his hands, "Barrier!"
The wall of energy surrounded him and the entrance to the chamber, and just a second after he got it up, the energy crashed over them with the force of a tsunami. The Kai staggered to his knees with his hands up, trying to keep the barrier alive long enough to protect the entrance and their only means of escape. The wind battered at him and through his tear streaked eyes he saw Gohan manage to turn a hand in his direction and felt the teens energy reinforce the shield. Dende offered up what he could, and the barrier stood the minute long onslaught of destruction.
The North Kia slumped. One energy was still out there, but the other was fading. He could not tell who was dieing as he slipped into unconsciousness.
12345678910
Gohan saw the Kai pass out, and horror struck him. "Take these weights off me so I can save the one who's dieing!"
12345678910
A Saiyan smashed into the ground of the Time Chamber, leaving a splash of blood to soak into the floor. The body hit once more before it lay still. The red puddle under it grew.
The other Saiyan landed next to the fallen one and staggered once before managing to stand straight. He looked down at his opponent, who had fallen back to his normal form, as did the standing one. The blood of the standing one flowed out of a dozen gashes in his body, dripping and staining the floor at his feet.
Vegeta grimaced as he glared at the fallen body of Goku. An easy kill. He thought.
Yes, another voice in his head said, Kill the one who has mocked you, the one who has taken your pride. It was Freiza's voice.
Kill him son, His fathers voice blended in after Freiza's, He is not a true Saiyan and does not deserve to live.
Vegeta began to pull of his glove.
That's right, Frieza said, let there be nothing between your hands and his flesh as you snap his neck! Feel the life force under your fingers and you end its pulse forever!
The standing Saiyan removed his left glove and held it by a finger over his right. A senzu bean fell out. It was the one he used in emergencies, the one used when he had nothing left.
That's right! His father's voice echoed in his ears, stamping out all thoughts with its volume, don't defeat him in this pathetic state; you must be at full power when you kill him.
Yes, Frieza said, it will do no good to give him nothing less then your full power as you grind him to dust!
Vegeta looked at the bean, images of all the times he had to take one flashed through his mind. Then he kneeled beside Goku.
Wait, Frieza said, what are you…
No! Don't… His fathers voice began.
"Shut up." Vegeta whispered, "I'm through listening to you. Everything you both told me was a lie." He shoved the Senzu Bean into Goku's mouth. "Without this one you call a third class warrior, I never would have come this far. I owe to him everything I have. He does not deserve to die today."
Vegeta began to walk back towards the entrance to the chamber.
12345678910
The pain lifted from Goku and he sat up, and spotted Vegeta's back walking away.
"You… You didn't kill me?"
"No."
"But I thought that was your life goal!"
"You never did understand me, Kakarot." Vegeta, beyond his limits, fell to the floor and blacked out.
Goku smiled, then walked up to the unconscious Saiyan and picked him up, placed two fingers to his forehead and vanished.
12345678910
Goku appeared and set Vegeta down on the landing, and turned to Dende. "Can you heal him?"
Dende looked up from King Kai and saw the situation. "Are you sure you want me to? I mean, after all of that?"
"Please, I don't know how long he'll last. You'll have to trust me."
Dende quickly healed the Saiyan and backed away as Vegeta stood and faced the man he had almost killed a few seconds ago. Goku smirked, and Vegeta returned it.
"Dende," Goku said, not taking his eyes off of Vegeta, "Please revive King Kai so he can free Gohan, then heal him too."
Dende backed away slowly and then leaned over the Kai. The blue man sat up and then gave Dende a curious look about the Saiyan stand off happening. Dende shrugged and pointed at Gohan. The Kai waved a hand and Gohan suddenly found himself free. He walked over to Dende who healed him and they all turned to the last two living full-blooded Saiyans.
"It's okay," Vegeta said, breaking the staring contest, "I'm not going to try and kill anyone else."
"What happened?" Gohan asked.
"We'll tell you later son," Goku said, sitting down on a step, "But not right now."
"Oh." The teen joined his father on the step and the others all sat down and faced the training grounds, each with their thoughts on the morning's happenings. Gohan finally broke the silence and turned to his father. "So. After all this fighting is done, what are you going to do with your life?"
Goku laughed at the random question and leaned back on his hands, "Well, I've got some money left over from the tournaments still. I was thinking about going into the real estate business. What about you Vegeta?"
Vegeta knew immediately how to trump Goku's answer, "A Professional Restaurant Food Tester."
"Ohhhh," Goku said, "I'm changing my answer! I want to do that! Please?"