Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty
By Feraligreater328
Chapter 30: The Namekian Eternal Dragon, Porunga
A short time in the past...
Nail stared up at the Grand Elder with a look of consternation. "Grand Elder Guru...I cannot abide by this! I understand the importance of helping our visitors and stopping that tyrant, but your life is paramount! I must-"
The Grand Elder raised his hand to calm his stalwart bodyguard. "Nail, I will not be argued on this decision, my child. Your talent is needed to help our Planet. It cannot be wasted guarding waning life such as mine..."
Nail shook his head. "Do not say that! You still have many, many years left!"
Lord Guru sighed. "I have lived a long life, Nail. Hardships and pain, I have known all too well. I am aware of the shadow of death hanging over my head and...it is much closer than any realizes. My final moments should not..."
The Grand Elder broke into a coughing fit before continuing. "Should not be spent barring others from helping to protect the defenseless...Tsuno and his village need a hero, a symbol of Namekian strength to remind them not to be discouraged..."
Another coughing fit as Nail watched on, a pained look on his face. Lord Guru concluded. "They need someone to keep them...to keep them appraised of the hope for the future that they have in their lives..."
Nail clenched his teeth. "But your life..."
Lord Guru finished his sentence. "Is not as important as the lives of those we have lost. My fallen children...your fallen brothers...they need you Nail. The Namekian people must survive..."
The Elder slumped into his chair and began to wheeze. "We have not fulfilled our purpose yet..."
Nail glanced up at the Grand Elder in confusion, but saw that the old man had fallen into a restful slumber. Nail's fists trembled as he thought of what to do...but he did eventually give in to the Grand Elder's demands and joined his new comrades in their struggles. As Nail, Gohan, Krillin, and Bardock all flew away, with their newly acquired Dragon Ball, Lord Guru adopted a peaceful smile. "You're an excellent son Nail...I could not...have spawned a finer young man..."
But, as he drew further and further away from the Grand Elder's home, Nail could not help but feel to the contrary.
Back in the present...
Nail was barely containing his tremors as he and Krillin lead the Four-Star Village back towards Frieza's ship. He did not wish to alarm his kin, but he could feel what was happening in the distance and was struggling to maintain his composure. He was doing as the Grand Elder had requested, he was working for the sake of the Namekian people. He could not allow...his personal feelings...to dictate...
Nail bared his fangs and prepared to rocket away from the rest of the group. Whether Frieza was stronger or not, whether the others needed him or not...that didn't matter! He needed to go and provide protection and support to the Grand Elder! And he needed to do it now!
Nail's gaze snapped in the direction of Lord Guru's house and he prepared to rocket away, but he was stopped in his attempt by Dende speaking out to him. "Hey Nail..."
Nail turned to the little Namekian and saw the look of sadness in his eyes. Nail spoke calmly. "What is it Dende?"
Dende seemed nervous. The little Namekian turned his gaze to his reflection in the water below and murmured out a question. "Do...do you think that Porunga will restore Elder Moori and Cargo to life?"
Nail watched as his little brother's lip began to quiver. The warrior sighed and turned his attention away from Lord Guru's house. Nail nodded. "I certainly hope so."
Feeling the tense mood from his Namekian allies, Krillin tried to be chipper. "Hey! No need to worry guys!"
Nail and Dende both looked to Krillin. The Earthling whipped around in the air, jolting Bulma from her distraction. As she slammed her fist into his head, Krillin smiled at Dende and Nail. "If the Namekian Dragon Balls can't, then the Earth Dragon Balls can! Back when King Piccolo killed a bunch of people on Earth, we used the Dragon Balls to revive them all in one go~"
Dende's eyes widened. "R-really?!"
Bulma got over being annoyed and reassured Dende. "Yeah! Krillin would know, he's one of the people that got revived!"
Dende looked as if a fresh wave of hope had washed over him. He turned to Nail and smiled and Nail couldn't help but smile back. Krillin and Bulma shot Dende a thumbs up and Dende shot one back at them. The little Namekian looked over to Nail and Nail sighed, before putting up a half-hearted thumbs up of his own.
The mood went from tense to cheerful in a moment. Nail was thankful that his human allies had lifted Dende's spirits. He truly, truly was. But then...his attention immediately fell back onto Lord Guru's house.
At Lord Guru's House...
Frieza stood at the feet of the Grand Elder Guru with an evil smirk on his face. The Emperor had a look around this home he had just invaded and then let loose a jovial, if sarcastic laugh. He was the perfect picture of acidic politeness. "Pardon my intrusion, good sir. I will not be long... I simply must request a bit of information from you..."
Lord Guru remained silent. Frieza shook his head. "Perhaps I must be a bit clearer. I demand information on how to use the Dragon Balls. And I know that you know how they work."
More silence. Lord Guru stared down at Frieza and Frieza stared up at Lord Guru. Neither of them flinched or reacted for the longest time. And then, with a miserable cough, the Grand Elder spoke. "You...have no concept of what the Dragon Balls are actually for."
Frieza cocked his head with an amused smile. "Oh, so?"
Guru continued. "They...they are capable of granting the requests of those who gather them...yes. But, they are so much...so much more than that..."
Frieza chuckled, his smile not leaving his face. Guru coughed again, wheezing a horrific wheeze. He time was rapidly approaching. But, perhaps, he could be of a bit more use before he moved on. "If you have the time...perhaps I could educate you on the true purpose of the Dragon Balls...and the wider implications of their effect on this Universe. Maybe...armed with that knowledge...you might be more inclined to listen to reason..."
Frieza seemed amused. Of course, the Emperor had no plans on paying heed to this dying old maggot or his ghost stories, but he was more than happy to play along. After all, he had nothing better to do with his time while he was allowing the Ginyu Force to do their work. Frieza raised his hand up to his mouth and chuckled. "Ohohohoho..."
The Emperor put on his nicest expression. "I suppose that I have time."
Lord Guru coughed, clearing his throat. He was, of course, perfectly aware that Frieza had no desire to change. The tyrant was truly rotten to the core, but the twisted amusement the monster was showing could work to the advantage of the Earthlings. Lord Guru took a deep breath and began to speak. "It was a long, long time ago...before even I existed..."
In the time before time...
In the ether of the time long past, all of existence was watched over by a single, ancient guardian. A being of infinite wisdom and incredible power. His bottomless well of power could shape the very fabric of existence and he used this power of his to build a base from which all life would flourish. This infinitely powerful being went by many names to many people, but one name has long been passed down among the Namekian people: Zalama.
Under his watch, all life lived in peaceful...limitless...harmony. Everything was able to thrive and glow in the goodness of Lord Zalama's light. But, as is known to every sentient being, not all good things last. Soon, the dark tendrils of evil sprouted into the peaceful reality Lord Zalama had created...
Within the Medical Bay of Frieza's Ship...
Raditz's eyes snapped open in surprise. He sat up like a bolt and touched his formerly injured side, finding that his injuries and his pain were gone. Looking around for an explanation, Raditz's gaze eventually fell upon a resplendent Dende standing next to him. The little Namekian shot Raditz a cheerful smile and gave him a friendly pat on the back. "Are you feeling better?"
Raditz nodded and began to rotate his shoulders. "Better than ever, actually. I feel spry...and a lot stronger than before!"
Raditz leapt to his feet and closed his eyes. And then, with a roar, the eldest child of Bardock let all of his power loose. The force of Raditz's powering up nearly took Dende off of his feet, but Krillin caught the young Namekian. Raditz glanced over and immediately lost focus. "Oh shit! I'm sorry! You okay?!"
Dende nodded and brushed himself off. "I'm fine."
Krillin, meanwhile, was sitting there with his mouth agape. "That's amazing Raditz!"
Raditz cocked his head. "What is?"
Krillin chuckled. "Your power! It's unreal! You're even stronger than that Ginyu jerk was!"
Raditz's face turned red and he looked down at his hands. Gripping them tight and smiling, Raditz nodded. "Y-yeah...I guess I am, huh? I... wow..."
Krillin walked up to Raditz. "You okay?"
Raditz nodded, keeping his gaze glued to his hands. "Y-yeah...I guess...I guess I..."
Krillin cocked his head. "Hmm?"
Raditz turned to the monk and gave a confident smile. "I guess I just never thought that I could be this big..."
Krillin light-heartedly chuckled. Bulma chimed in from across the room where she was examining Goku's Healing Chamber. "Grow some confidence, man! You're a Saiyan just like Goku and Bardock and that prick Vegeta! You're just as capable of getting strong as they are!"
Raditz flinched. Krillin gave him a friendly punch to the arm. "Yeah man! Come on! You're not half bad of a guy, ya know?"
Raditz smiled, his tense features lightening just a bit. "You...really think so?"
Before Krillin could answer, the doors to the Medical Bay slid open and Gohan and Chi-Chi came strolling in. Raditz looked over to his nephew and sister-in-law and the first thing he noticed was Gohan wearing a fresh set of Battle Armor. "H-hey there, kid! You...uh...you look good in that armor! Like a proper warrior!"
Gohan smirked at his uncle, and then he leapt up and tossed a punch right at Raditz's face. The older Saiyan caught the attack and he and his nephew stared at each other. And then they both started chuckling. "You even throw a punch more like a warrior now..."
Gohan nodded. "Yeah! I've been practicing!"
Chi-Chi walked up to Raditz and handed him both the pants that he had borrowed from Goku and the armor that Vegeta had found for him. "Here, I mended the pants, but the shirt was ruined. Sorry about that."
Raditz waved her off. "It's fine."
The older brother slipped on his pants and then popped the armor top over his chest. He looked down at the shoes his brother had lent him and then at the Battle Armor boots. After a moment's consideration, Raditz grabbed shoes Kakarot gifted him and slipped them on. "What do you think, Chi-Chi?"
Chi-Chi looked him up and down: the teal green pants, yellow stockings, black shoes, and black and brown battle armor top. Raditz wrapped his tail around his waist and Chi-Chi shrugged. "I can't say that I'm too fond of Battle Armor, but you look fine."
Raditz nodded. "Thank you."
Having gotten dressed, Raditz went about immediate business. He walked over to the Healing Chamber that Goku was sealed in, with Gohan and Chi-Chi and Krillin following him. The four of them peered in through the glass and saw a nearly naked Goku floating in the fluid. Raditz scowled. "He's still pretty messed up. This isn't good..."
Krillin nodded. "It's fine. That's why we asked Dende to come in here!"
Raditz turned and moved out of the way as Dende walked up to the chamber. The little Namekian held his hands up to the chamber and closed his eyes as his hands began to glow. But, after a brief moment, Dende's eyes cracked back open. "This...this is going to take longer than the others. I'm sorry..."
Gohan's face sank, but he shook his head. "It's fine Dende...take your time."
Dende nodded. "Right."
As Dende got back to healing, Gohan turned away from the Healing Chamber and sighed. He was hoping that his Father would be back up quickly. Raditz noticed this and quickly spoke up. "Now now! Don't get dejected!"
Gohan turned to his uncle and Raditz smirked. "How about we pass the time with some sparring, kid? Maybe we could use this little bit of free time to get to know each other, eh?"
Gohan's face brightened up. Raditz turned to Chi-Chi, who already had a scowl on her face. "May I? Please? I'd like a chance to get to know my nephew without...you know...me..."
A bit of shame flashed across Raditz's face. Chi-Chi sighed, but then she nodded. "Fine. Take him and have fun. Just don't let him get hurt, okay Raditz?"
Raditz nodded. "Yes ma'am!"
And then, the older brother turned to Krillin. "Wanna come with us? You could use some conditioning."
Krillin smirked and stepped up to Gohan and Raditz, pulling his belt tight. "I'll take that as a challenge!"
Outside, on top of Frieza's Ship...
Bardock sat there, atop Frieza's ship, in his new armor. Sitting next to him was his wife, Gine. The two of them stared out into the distance with Gine tightly latched onto her husband's arm, her head gently laid upon Bardock's shoulder. Bardock was distracted by what he was feeling happening over the horizon, but Gine was trying to maintain a positive attitude. "Namek sure is beautiful, huh? I gotta say, I always wanted to take a trip to a place like this. Have a vacation, go for a swim...just relax and not commit a mass genocide, ya know what I mean?"
Gine guiltily stared over towards a far-off shore from Frieza's ship. She watched as the grieving Four-Star Village all gathered around the bodies of their fallen members and held a silent prayer. Elder Tsuno's face was streaked with misery as he placed Talus's body into the waters of the Namekian sea for a well-deserved rest.
Gine pulled her gaze from that sad scene and sighed. "Y-you know...Chi-Chi told me all about these beaches they have on Earth. Crystal blue water and white sand. It sounds marvelous, doesn't it?"
Bardock was still distracted, but he grunted a small response. "Yeah."
Gine closed her eyes. The memories of the few missions she had gone on with Bardock and his Squad, the failed Makyan Invasion, he life as a scorned meat chopper that followed. Gine spoke softly. "Back when we were training with Kakarot, King Kai said that we had all earned a better afterlife than being cast into Hell. But...lately I can't help but think that we didn't earn it, more like he just arranged it because he had the power to..."
Bardock nodded. "Uh-huh..."
Gine frowned. "Bardock, after such a short time...do you think that we're really good people like King Kai said?"
Bardock broke from his concentration. He turned to his wife and gently rubbed the back of his hand down her face. "Hey now, don't get upset. I can't really say whether we're good people, but the important people higher up seem to think we are..."
Bardock shrugged. "But...who knows really, ya know? In the grand scheme of things, what measure is there rally of what's good and what's not?"
Suddenly, a third voice broke into the conversation. "Grand Elder Guru used to teach the philosophy that it only takes a bit of dirty water to make a healthy man sick, but it also only takes a bit of clean water to make a sick man healthy..."
Bardock and Gine both turned to see Nail standing behind them. The warrior was staring off into the distance, his hands lightly tremble and his teeth clenched. Gine smiles, unknowing of what Nail was currently going through. "This Grand Elder Guru sound like a wise person..."
Nail nodded firmly. "Indeed."
Silence fell over the three of them, but Bardock didn't allow it to last long. "We can handle shit from here, Nail."
Nail turned his attention to Bardock. Bardock stared right at hm. "Lemme make myself clear, I don't want you to rush off like that, because it would be a shame to lose someone as strong as you to a bastard like Frieza...but I get it if you want to go and try to save the old man."
Nail nodded. "I thank you. But I must decline."
Nail glanced at Gine. "Your mate is correct, Bardock. The Grand Elder is the wisest of our kind. And his wisdom dictate that I stick to the side of our Earthling allies..."
Nail crossed his arms in front, clearly wrestling with his own words. The warrior dug his nails into his bicep and instantly drew a stream of purple. Bardock sighed at the sight of Nail being such a nervous wreck. Gine frowned, feeling so sorry for their guest.
Suddenly, the sound of battle cries drew the attention of all three of them! Nail, Bardock, and Gine all rushed to the edge of the ship and came upon the sight of Raditz sparring with Gohan and Krillin. The three of them down below traded blows as Chi-Chi watched on from the shadows.
Bardock smirked at the sight of his son and his grandson trading punches. "Good to see our boy back on his feet."
As Nail, Bardock, and Gine watched the sparring match, Gine happily sighed. She laid her head against Bardock's arm again as she watched. "A bit of clean water..."
Bardock turned to her. "Huh?"
Gine thought back. She remembered that man that descended down into Hell over a year ago and then she looked down at the man who was happily sparring with his nephew and an Earthling. Raditz's face was less angled, less sharp, less intense and self-loathing. She shook her head. "Nothing dear. It's just amazing what a little bit of time can do..."
Nail nodded. "Indeed."
Breaking their attention from the fight, Nail, Bardock, and Gine all looked at one another. Nail lowered his head graciously. "To answer the question, you posed a few moments ago...I do not believe that you are bad people. Whatever might have occurred in your past is none of my concern, the people I have gotten to know here and now are not evil, so far as I am concerned."
Bardock rolled his eyes, but Gine smiled warmly. Nail smiled back at her...but then he looked past her and saw a familiar shape lounging against a rock. "For the most part..."
Bardock and Gine turned to see what Nail was staring at and reacted with similar disdain. Lounging against a large boulder in the shade was the unwelcome sight of Vegeta. The hateful silence grew more and more bloated, and then Bardock opened his mouth to make a barbed comment. But, after some thought, he held it in. Instead, Bardock opted for the sarcastic question option. "What, you don't think a little clean water could do him some good?"
Nail answered bluntly. "One must ingest clean water for it to be helpful."
The three of them silently regarded the slumbering Prince. In spite of his acidic nature, Vegeta hadn't made a single commotion since the previous blowout. Even Dende healing him of his injuries and fatigue garnered little more than a grunt.
Gine, despite every nasty thing Vegeta had said about her, surprisingly spoke up in advocation for the Prince. "As much of a supreme jerk as he is...Frieza's rules is all he's ever known, you know? It's not hard to feel just a bit sorry for him...when he's not speaking or interacting with anyone that is..."
Bardock quickly countered that point. "Doesn't change the fact that he's a born and bred royal jackass."
Gine nodded. "True. But...he still lost everything, Bardock. Spoiled and bratty nature aside, Frieza stole his life from him. I'm no fan of King Vegeta, but King Vegeta was still his Dad. The Queen was still his Mom. And that's not even mentioning the younger prince..."
Bardock shrugged. "You really think he cares?"
Gine shrugged right back. "Hard to say. The only person who really knows is Vegeta, and even he might not be totally aware..."
Bardock and Gine both stared at Vegeta. After a moment, Gine spoke up again. "Maybe we should...try and reach out? Nobody deserves to be all alone, after all..."
Nail spoke up again. "At this point, given his mindset, I am sure he would reject any offers of peace or friendship. Most likely rather violently."
Bardock took and deep breath and nodded. "Nail's right."
Gine flinched. She lowered her head sullenly. "Oh...okay then...I'm sorry I-"
Bardock interrupted. "Let's shunt Frieza off and then see what we can do. Okay?"
Gine and Bardock looked into each other's eyes. A small smile broke out onto Gine's face. "O-okay~"
And then suddenly, two massive energy blasts erupted behind the couple. Bardock and Gine turned to see that Nail was already staring back down at the sparring mach. The two of them walked over to see Gohan and Krillin fleeing into the air from a Double Sunday that Raditz had fired off. The two of them quickly responded by preparing a Kamehameha and a Masenko and firing them back. The beams clashed and, after a small struggle, exploded in an impressive display.
Gohan and Krillin landed, taking up fighting stances and charging at Raditz. Raditz smirked and used his higher speed to zip behind the two. He went to strike them with his elbows but was shocked as Krillin and Gohan seized him and tossed him to the ground. Raditz quickly rolled over and got back to his feet and started brawling with his two opponents.
The commotion was loud and raucous. It drew the attention of not only Bardock, Nail, and Gine, but of the returning Four-Star Village as well. Even Vegeta was roused from his nap to observe the spar as it continued on.
The three of them clashed and all were sent sliding back. They prepared to go in and go at it again, but before fists could meet, a shout echoed out from the ship. Every watched as Bulma came running out, a mixture of worry and terror on her face. "There's a huge problem! Everyone get in here right now!"
Inside the Medical Bay...
Everyone had gathered around Goku's Healing Chamber, taking turns to look in and see the issue that Bulma had come to yell at them about. As they all took turns, a dejected Dende say in the corner. Once everyone got a chance to see, they all turned to Dende. The little Namekian shook his head with a frown. "I'm sorry. I tried my best...but the power Lord Guru gave me doesn't seem to be capable of healing that..."
Krillin was shocked. "But...you healed all of those injuries that the Ginyu Force gave us just fine! Is Goku really that hurt?!"
Bulma quickly chimed in. "Going by the read outs I got from this machine, his physical injuries are entirely gone. But, Dende says that it's something more than that that's wrong with him."
Dende nodded glumly. Gine nodded. "I see..."
Breaking away from Bardock, Gine walked back up to Goku's Chamber and pressed her forehead against the glass. The Saiyan Mother closed her eyes and concentrated hard. And then, after a few minutes of feeling out her son's energy, Gine opened her eyes back up. "I see what Dende means..."
Dende nodded. "Y-yes. The power that Lord Guru granted me is able to heal physically just fine. But its ability to heal spiritual damage is far more limited at the moment. I do not know what happened to his body, but it is much slower to mend."
Vegeta scoffed. "Useless! What good are you if you can't fully heal us when we need it! I-"
Bardock cut him off. "Shut up Vegeta."
The older Saiyan walked up to his son's healing chamber and pressed his hand against it with a sigh. "I can vouch this not being Dende's fault. Even with him healing me, I still ache. Damage caused by the Kaioken might just be beyond his grasp at the moment. Nothing he can do about that."
Bardock turned to his entire party and shrugged. "So, we'll just have to put on our big boy pants and survive without Kakarot being there to help us for a bit. We're all warriors here, so if we can't survive without Kakarot then maybe we just don't deserve to, ya know what I'm sayin'? We can't rely on him for everything."
Silently, everyone nodded in agreement with Bardock. Vegeta spoke up. "Whoever said we needed Kakarot to begin with?! Frieza's head is mine! Kakarot can just float in that pod until it's his turn to fall to my power!"
Bardock shook his head with a small smirk. "That's the spirit, Vegeta. So, how about we get started?
Gohan reacted confused. "Started with what?"
Bardock pointed to the Dragon Balls, sitting in the corner. "Kakarot will be out for a bit. We need to being lazy. It's wishin' time."
Back at Grand Elder Guru's House...
As Grand Elder Guru continued to prattle on about ancient evils and long-lost Gods and multiple Universes, Frieza's mirth had totally faded. The Emperor let his crossed arms fall to his sides and spoke up. "Pardon me, I-"
The Grand Elder ignored Frieza. He continued to share his tale of the Devil of Uncreation and the infection he tried to spread throughout all of existence. Frieza sneered and then raised his hand behind him. With a single blast, the Emperor blew a hole open in the wall behind him. Sunlight flooded into Grand Elder Guru's home and the ancient Namekian flinched. Frieza spoke in calm, menacing tones. "I have very little patience for this continued fable of yours. If you do not start talking about something that interests me rather quickly, I am afraid that you might meet with a terrible fate."
The Grand Elder nodded. "Oh yes, I see...forgive my rudeness..."
Frieza nodded and smirked. The Grand Elder cleared his throat. "Let us discuss you."
Frieza flinched. The Grand Elder's eyes opened ever so slightly and he glared down at the monster in front of him. "You are little more than a selfish, arrogant, narcissistic murderer. And I feel it might do you some good to appraise you of your faults."
Frieza gripped his fists, his hands trembling as he focused a hate-filled stare onto Lord Guru. The Grand Elder turned his attention briefly from Frieza to the sky behind him, smiling as it turned totally black.
Back with Bardock's Group...
Everyone minus Goku gathered around the piled up seven Dragon Balls. Dende turned to look to his people and was met with a nod from Elder Tsuno. In the distance, Nail was standing and glaring in the opposite direction, looking ready to bolt at any second. Dende took a deep breath. "Takkaraput pop porunga pupiritt paro!"
In a flash, the Namekian Dragon Balls exploded with power and a massive form emerged from them. Spiraling into the sky and wreathed with golden light, the Namekian Eternal Dragon formed. Porunga loomed over everyone gather around him stared in awe. Krillin shouted. "Holy crap! He's huge!"
Chi-Chi and Gohan both stared in awe at the size of the beast. Bardock, Gine, and Vegeta were all totally blank. None of them expected something that large to appear in front of them. Off and away from the group, Nail did not care about the presence of Porunga. He was focused on Lord Guru. And, while he planned to follow the Elder's orders, he also knew the limits of what was expected of him: the moment these wishes were made, he was gone and headed to the Grand Elder's side once more.
Dende turned to his allies. "What is the first wish I should make?"
Vegeta instantly shouted. "Make me immortal so that I can fight Frieza!"
Dende flinched, but Bardock was quick to reassure the little Namekian. "Ignore him. He's talking out of his ass."
Gine nodded. "Yeah. Our first wish is to revive everyone who was a casualty of the Saiyan Invasion of Earth, right?"
Bardock nodded. "That's the smart decision."
Dende nodded at the suggestion and turned to speak the wish. Everyone watched on, looking up to Porunga as Dende spoke. But, after a moment, they were all left confused at the lack of action. Porunga spoke in his deep, booming voice at Dende. The Namekian language flew over the heads of every non-Namekian present, but the look on Dende's face said something was wrong. Bulma spoke up. "Wh-what's wrong, Dende?"
Dende turned to them and shouted in horror. "P-Porunga says that he only has the power to restore one person to life at a time!"
Krillin flinched back. "Wh-what?!"
Suddenly, everyone was panicking. This was a wrench in the plan that no one had expected. Vegeta shouted out. "Forget wishing people back to life! Make me immortal!"
Raditz shoved his former boss. "Will you shut up?! We're trying to think here!"
Vegeta raised his fist. "You insolent-"
Bardock got between the two and separated them as they nearly came to blows. "Both of you calm down! We don't have time for bickering right now! We need to think of something to wish for before Frieza gets back!"
Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, King Kai chimed in. "Why are you all panicking? You already have the answer to your problems."
Gine flinched. "Oh, hey King Kai!"
King Kai chuckled as he spoke. "I'm sure if you all calmed down and thought about it, you would know the answer. But, lemme just let my friend here speak for himself..."
Suddenly, another familiar voice was speaking. "We aren't friends."
Immediately, a wide smile spread across Gohan's face. "Mr. Piccolo!"
Piccolo sounded happy to hear his little friend's voice again. "Gohan..."
The warm reunion between mentor and student was quickly broken up by Vegeta. "You must be joking. You're suggesting we waste a wish on reviving some fool that couldn't even handle Nappa?"
Piccolo snapped at Vegeta. "Don't push your luck, midget. After I get done handling Frieza, you're next on my list."
Vegeta scowled. "Oh really? And just how do you plan on doing that?"
Piccolo turned his attention from Vegeta and back to people whose opinions mattered to him. "I have gained enough power that I should be able to annihilate Frieza. So, here's what you do. Use the first wish to bring me back to life. That'll restore the Dragon Balls on Earth. And then, with the second wish, I want you to bring me to Namek so I can handle business there."
Vegeta snorts. "Handle business...yeah right..."
Bardock subconsciously agreed with Vegeta. He didn't think, from what he had seen of the Namekians so far, that any of them could handle Frieza. But...they needed all the help they could get. He turned to his family to see what they thought. Gohan looked enthused at the idea of having Mr. Piccolo back. Gine and Raditz both solemnly nodded, the guilt over their indirect killing of Piccolo eating at them. Bardock closed his eyes and nodded. "Dende. Do it."
Dende nodded and turned to make the wish to Porunga.
On King Kai's Planet...
It took a few moments, but Piccolo's halo soon disappeared. The Namekian smiled and let loose a slightly evil chuckle. "Good good..."
He turned and shot a wicked smirk to his former fellows in death. "Well trash, I guess-"
What Piccolo saw caught him off guard. Rather than the normal looks of contempt that the Earthlings usually shot him, Tien and Yamcha and Chiaotzu were all confident smiles. They each nodded in respect at their fellow martial artist. Yamcha spoke up. "We're counting on you, man. Kick Frieza's ass for us a couple of times, kay?"
Tien spoke up. "I look forward to training with you again someday. Hopefully we might be able to spar as equals."
Chiaotzu nodded. "Please survive so that we can all return to life."
Piccolo considered a sarcastic comment...but he held his tongue. Giving the three of them a respectful nod in return, Piccolo turned his back to the three of them. And then he disappeared.
In a far-off location on Planet Namek...
Piccolo appeared in the Namekian Wasteland, the winds sweeping across the plains and blowing his cape to the side. In the distance, Piccolo saw the signature darkened sky that came with usage of the Dragon Balls. Piccolo took in the sights of his Homeworld for the first time, and then he immediately took off towards his allies.
Back over with Bardock's group...
As soon as Piccolo appeared on Namek, everyone was taken aback. Bardock shouted out on pure reflex. "Holy shit!"
This power that they felt was substantial, bigger than any power that was currently on Namek. Piccolo wasn't just joking! He really could kill Frieza at his current power-level. Things were, blessedly, finally looking up for the group. Immediately, everyone got excited over this. Their asses were saved! Victory was assured!
Off in the distance, Nail sighed with relief. Finally, the Gods of Luck had granted them good fortune. Perhaps, Planet Namek would be able to survive and thrive once more.
But then, a sudden terrible feeling snapped into everyone's senses and Nail's composure snapped with it.
Over at Lord Guru's house...
Lord Guru sighed as he finished his long and harsh take down of Frieza's entire character. He finished his rant against the hostile, alien bastard with what was perhaps his most scathing remark. "In my entire 500 plus years of life...I have never found a being I thought was incapable of being good. But, today I have found the exception. You, Frieza, are a miserable, cold-hearted monster. You soul is blacker and colder than the depths of the worst Hell..."
The Grand Elder coughed. "But...I still feel the need to advise you, child. Evil never wins in the ends. Your sense of control is nothing more than the fallacy of a paranoid mind. And your reign of terror over this Universe is destined to end in failure and misery with the end of your life...at the hands of a righteous being..."
Frieza sighed, blowing the Grand Elder off. "I attempted to be diplomatic and I tried to be polite...but it's not like there are not other Namekians out there..."
Frieza raised his finger and nonchalantly fired a Death Beam into Lord Guru's chest. The Elder shuddered and purple exploded from his mouth. As blood ran down the aged Namekian's chin, Frieza turned to leave. "Your last few minutes of suffering shall serve as-"
Frieza stared in shock at something he had never seen on this planet in the week he had been here: night. "Th-this Planet has three suns...how is-"
Lord Guru chuckled. "We...we do not know night on this Planet. The sky here only turns dark for one reason...and that is if the Dragon Balls are used..."
Frieza's face was blanketed in shock. The Grand Elder weakly chuckled behind him. "As I said...your evil has led to overconfidence...and your downfall has begun..."
Frieza was angry, but he turned to the Grand Elder and smirked. "Ohohohoho! I am impressed with you, you sly old maggot! You've managed to pull one over on the great Frieza! But...it matters not! They can have the wishes this time! I will simply rush to them and torture the information of how to use the Dragon Balls from them! And then once they are dead, I will get my desires just fine!"
Lord Guru smiled. "A shame this is the last time those Balls will be used..."
Frieza flinched. "The existence of the Dragon Balls is connected to what was my already fading lifespan. And... adding on to that...you have unfortunately dealt me a mortal blow...the Dragon Balls will soon be no more..."
Frieza's confidence drained from his face and he was rendered speechless. Shakily, Lord Guru raised his hand. "I would say you have...FIVE MINUTES...before it is all over..."
Frieza instantly turned, screaming in frustration and rage as he flew off in the direction of his ship. "DAMNED TRAITOROUS BASTARDS! CURSE YOU ALL!"
Back with Bardock's Group...
Nail screamed at the top of his lungs as he felt, to his horror, Frieza's beam strike Lord Guru. He shouted in manic frustration and panic and he ran towards the others. "NOOOO!"
Nail could feel Lord Guru's life draining away. The Elder was dying and Nail's patience had finally broken. He shoved Bardock out of the way and seized Dende by the hand, pulling his little brother away and trying to rush off. Dende could heal him! Dende must heal him! That had to be why the Grand Elder gave him healing powers to begin with!
Standing up, the same feeling that hit Nail hit Bardock like a truck. He cursed very loudly and very angrily. "Damn it all!"
Bardock sensed in the direction of Lord Guru's home and an even more dreadful sense crossed his mind. Frieza was coming, and he was coming fast! And it didn't take long for the others to catch on to this. Immediately, Vegeta spoke up again. "No more games! No more playing around! We need all the advantages we can get and immortality would be a big advantage!"
Vegeta charged a blast and pointed it towards the Four-Star Village Namekians. "One of you wish for me to be immortal right now!"
Raditz grabbed Vegeta by the wrist. "Absolutely not! Frieza is an evil bastard, but fighting fire with fire is never a smart idea! Making you immortal would just make things worse!"
As everyone argued behind him, Bardock tried to think of something, anything, that would make for a good wish. Pressure was getting to him and nobody behind him was shutting the Hell up. Bardock looked around, thinking that maybe making him or Vegeta immortal might not be a half-bad idea. But then, his eyes fell on Frieza's ship and inspiration struck him. "Wait a minute...LET'S USE THE FINAL WISH TO HEAL KAKAROT! THEN WE CAN ALL FIGHT OFF FRIEZA TOGETHER!"
Everyone turned, shocked. They all, except for Vegeta, seemed to come to an agreement that this was a good idea.
Gine turned to the Four-Star Namekians. "Okay, could you guys please-"
But then, the light emanating from Porunga began to flicker and every stared up towards the Eternal Dragon in horror.
Back at Lord Guru's house...
The Grand Elder was fading. He knew that it wouldn't be long. He slumped over in his chair and groaned in pain as his vision started to become fuzzy. He looked over, with his blurry eyesight, and saw the grave of Katas that was erected next to his home. The Grand Elder flash back, back to long ago, back to a conversation that had always been stuck in the back of his mind. Three voice: harsh, soft, and his...and an argument.
Long ago...
The storms had been raging in the Namekian sky more and more over the past years and tensions were high. The advent of hostile foreigners was hurting their Planet.
The soft voice spoke. "We should just leave...they can't attack us if we aren't here to be attacked. I have scouted out a planet and I am preparing a ship to-"
The harsh voice spoke. "I refuse to leave! This is our damned planet and I will not have it taken like this! We should raise an army and go slaughter those foreign pigs!"
Lord Guru spoke firmly. "Both of you cease this anti-Namekian speech! This Planet is our home, we will not abandon it. Nor will we be raising an army to go out and act as warmongers."
The soft-voice spoke. "But, Molluska-"
The Grand Elder cut him off. "My mind is made up, Katas. As the leader of our people, I stand firm that Namek will survive this catastrophe. We will survive."
The harsh voice snarled. "Foolish bastard. That thinking will be your undoing."
And then, the harsh voice was gone.
The soft voice spoke. "I... I cannot risk extinction over foolish stubbornness, Molluska. I have to do SOMETHING..."
And then the soft voice faded as well.
Back in the present...
The Grand Elder Guru of the Planet Namek, Molluska, sank into his chair as his final breaths left his body. He thought back to that argument that had fractured his relationship with his brothers...his friends...and then he flashed back to the before times. The young Namekians, playing and rough-housing in the Ajisa Fields, without a care in the world.
Lord Guru gave one final gasp. "Katas...Slug...I pray that...we can meet again someday...in whatever might lie beyond..."
Back over with Bardock's Group...
The great Eternal Dragon of Namek loomed over the entire group. However, it was clear that something was wrong. The dragon had not decreased in size, but his once glowing, red eyes were now empty, black voids.
All anyone could do was watch in horror as Porunga's body became visibly less solid, slowly sagging as its light faded. The Dragon of Namek crashed to the ground with not even a thud, but a poof. His body exploded into a green fog and quickly dispersed. And then, in a golden flash, the Dragon Balls flew high up into the air...and then dropped back to the ground as mere stones.
Everyone seemed to come to the realization all at once as to what this meant. The members of the Four-Star Village all wept at the unfairness of it all...that bastard Frieza...he went as far as to take the Grand Elder from them now?!
Dende was crying his eyes out, his wrist still held firmly by Nail. And Nail...was left standing there with an empty, shell-shocked expression on his face.
The gang from Earth, alongside Vegeta, were panicking in the meanwhile. Vegeta was furious as he snatched his hand away from Raditz. "YOU STUPID BASTARDS AND YOUR HESITATION MIGHT HAVE JUST DOOMED US ALL!"
Raditz snorted. "Yeah, right. Look, even without the wish, that Piccolo guy is still much stronger than Frieza. We have this won regardless of immortality."
Vegeta reared back and punched Raditz in the mouth. The elder brother fell to the ground and Vegeta snarled. "You dense, long-haired moron! You have no idea what we're in for! Frieza has the ability to-"
Vegeta began to tremble in place, a look of pure terror on his face. He was staring up, past Raditz, and towards a nearby mountain. Soon, the others joined him in trembling. Everyone present stared up to the top of that nearby mountain and saw a truly terrible sight.
Frieza, the Emperor of the Universe, was standing above them. And he looked utterly furious.
Proofreading: StevenBodner
