Dragonball Generations
Chapter 4 – Dust to Dusk
Capsule Corp Shuttle #1, Gravity Training Chamber. Vegeta has been awake for a little while and is digesting a meal he prepared earlier from the pantry. He's been on the shuttle over a day and he's a bit disappointed that he hasn't had the time to put the gravity training chamber to full use, Vegeta always feels a pleasant sense of nostalgia when training in the gravity chamber, remembering all the times training with Trunks and even Bra occasionally although in time she took more after her mother, more interested in scientific pursuits than martial arts. Vegeta looked in the mirror; his physique was still well built despite his grey hair and slightly receding hairline "Not bad old man" Vegeta said to himself.
Vegeta put on his blue jump suit with white gloves, boots and white Saiyan cuirass armour. A robotic voice rang out on the intercom "Now approaching Planet Dusk". Vegeta made his way to the display monitor in the navigation room so he could see what kind of climate he will be dealing with. The terrain scan summary report on the screen indicated it was a planet almost always in a state of eclipse; unique purple foliage covered the surface of the planet with one large black sea casting rivers through its super continent. Vegeta noticed Planet Dusk almost exclusively had animal life across the planet. Only a small reading of intelligent life appeared on the report; Vegeta thought to himself that these life signs must be where Frieza and his army are staying after wiping out all the native intelligent life. "Target acquired" Vegeta said to himself with a smirk. The large spherical Capsule Corp shuttle began to enter the atmosphere of Planet Dusk.
Vegeta starts doing stretches to prepare himself for the most intense battle he has had in a long time. Vegeta's joints ache slightly from all the stress he's put them under over the years but it's nothing he can't handle, his Saiyan blood is pumping through his veins, filling him with all the adrenaline he needs for the battle ahead. Suddenly alarms ring out as the shuttle enters the atmosphere of Planet Dusk. The same robot voice spoke out on the intercom "Warning! Shuttle#1 Detected by unknown systems, enemy fire incoming". Vegeta feels the pressure in the shuttle as it drops further through the atmosphere. Vegeta looks on the display monitor; he sees what must be hundreds of energy blasts heading from the surface of Planet Dusk towards the shuttle. Vegeta grips on to the navigation chair whilst feeling the impact of countless energy blasts striking the front of the shuttle. He waits patiently with an uncontrollable smile growing on his face. Vegeta has a plan; he's waiting for the perfect time to strike. More and more energy blasts are making contact with the shuttle, now causing it to spin violently as it continues to plummet downwards. Hundreds of Frieza's soldiers start advancing towards the shuttle, quickly flying in its direction. Vegeta looks again on the monitor in case Frieza has any specific warriors that he needs to be prepared for, Frieza's soldiers are all vaguely humanoid in appearance with skin colours from all the colours of the rainbow, Vegeta chuckles "Frieza has a truly diverse workforce but these are just dregs compared to the days of Dodoria and Zarbon" he says to himself.
Suddenly Vegeta burst out from the side of the shuttle spinning wildly and firing energy blasts in all directions, confusing and startling Frieza's army. As Vegeta's blasts quickly start decimating Frieza's army, their attention is turned away from the shuttle plummeting towards their main base on the planet. Vegeta drops towards the surface rapidly; Frieza's soldiers respond as best they could by frantically dog piling him but Vegeta does not budge, he screams in laughter. Vegeta plummets into the ground, taking out the majority of the soldiers in the impact and resulting shockwave. Vegeta stands in a crater lined with viscera, fragments of armour and clothing. He looks past a break in the dense purple trees that surround him. Frieza's base, he'd recognise that nauseating architecture anywhere. A giant white clay like structure with multi-coloured glass domes placed sporadically around it. Suddenly an ear smashing explosion rings out, the shuttle collides with Frieza's base just as Vegeta had planned. That explosion combined with his attack has all but wiped out Frieza's army; Vegeta notices what must be tens of space pods flying into the sky from the now largely destroyed base's direction. Thin red energy beams start firing out from the direction of the wreckage, destroying some of the space pods as they flee the planet, Vegeta realises that must be Frieza bitterly attacking his soldiers as they retreat in fear.
Vegeta quickly flew the short distance to the ruined base; deceased Frieza soldiers littered the scorched ruins. Vegeta lowered himself to the ground, he senses Frieza's incredible power close by. Suddenly another red energy beam flies towards Vegeta's head from behind; Vegeta almost effortlessly moved his head out of the way. Vegeta turns around to see Frieza standing there with his index finger pointed towards him, smoke rising from the fingertip. He appeared to be in his Golden Form only it was more white-gold and there was no fiery golden aura pouring out from him, Vegeta could see that Frieza must have long since mastered the form; it had been over 20 years after all so no telling what other surprises he may have in store for Vegeta.
"My my Vegeta, is that grey hair I see? I don't suppose that's a new repugnant Super Saiyan form? I'm just joking of course; anyone could see that you are way past your prime" Frieza said with a snarky chuckle.
"You're right Frieza, I've got old and you still look maddeningly young as always. Not that it matters, you'll soon just be one of many youthful looking corpses left on this rock" Vegeta said with a smile.
"Are you sure you want to do this? Do you need to take some vitamin pills before we fight? Maybe some physiotherapy in a pool? Considering that you destroyed your own ship and allowed the remainder of mine to leave I don't think you're planning on leaving here alive, will this planet be your grave Prince? Tell you what my geriatric friend; let's call it quits now and you can leave this planet with me once my reinforcements arrive, for old times' sake" Frieza said with a smirk.
"So that is your most powerful form… good. You're obviously nervous otherwise you wouldn't try to barter your way out of this fight. I possess power far more frightening than any Super Saiyan form, you'll see soon enough. Ready yourself you pathetic little tyrant" Vegeta said looking confident and taking his battle stance, every cell in his body ready for action.
Frieza charged at Vegeta shrieking with a manic look on his face, all traces of composure in the emperor was lost. Frieza struck Vegeta in the stomach with an audibly powerful punch, causing him to go bent double, winded and clutching his core. Frieza followed up by choking Vegeta with his tail, lifting him up and using his body as a punching bag. Frieza delivered strike after strike to Vegeta's body, punching, kicking and even head-butting him until Vegeta fell limp whilst continuing to shriek through the whole vicious process. Vegeta could feel himself on the brink of losing consciousness, breathing was getting more difficult. Bruises and cuts covered Vegeta's body; his cuirass was cracked and compromised in a number of places. Frieza loosens his tail from Vegeta's neck letting him fall to the ground on his back.
"I do apologise my Prince, I forgot myself for a moment. Perhaps some water will help or maybe I'll just finally turn you into space dust!" Frieza shouted still struggling to maintain his composure.
"*cough* I noticed that your quality of soldiers declined Frieza, you've obviously been slacking too *cough* you did the bare minimum, mastered that Golden Form and left it at that… disappointing. I never stopped training, I'll easily destroy you even as an old man" Vegeta said still lying limp on his back.
"Big talk for a dying monkey that could do with a healing chamber right about now" Frieza said as he cracked his knuckles.
Frieza leapt at Vegeta once again to choke the life out of him when suddenly a powerful dark purple aura burst from Vegeta's body, pushing the space emperor back into the burned ruins of his base. The aura dissipated to reveal Vegeta standing up right and confident, his brow more pronounced now sporting dark purple hair and eyes.
"This form thrives on the passion to battle; all those strikes you landed on me have really powered me up. It was risky I admit, my body can't put up with much more damage but this power will send you to the next dimension no problem, say your prayers Lord Frieza" Vegeta said with a cocky smile and wild eyes.
Frieza stood there frozen in true terror, that power Vegeta was emitting felt like the God of Destruction, Lord Beerus. Vegeta flew towards Frieza and delivered a powerful back right hand chop launching Frieza through what was left of the ruins walls neck first. Frieza struck a large tree; he got to his feet gasping for air. Vegeta rushed again to him, punching Frieza square in the face, pushing the back of Frieza's skull into the tree behind. Vegeta continued to play with his food, delivering numerous palm strikes to Frieza, shaking the large tree and covering the area in purple leaves. Vegeta delivered a double handed hammer strike to the top of Frieza's head, crashing him into the ground, burying him in the fallen purple leaves. Frieza reverted to his base form, he struggled to open his eyes, they were swollen and all he could see was the purple of the leaves around him, Frieza started whimpering and giving of a weak scream, thinking the purple in his vision was Vegeta's powerful aura. Seeing Frieza suffer that way was cathartic for Vegeta, he thought that he had let go of that hate many years ago or maybe it was just the Ultra Ego form that he was in making him relish the violence. Regardless Vegeta took a seat on Frieza's chest, pushing his broken ribs deeper into his lungs and began to squeeze the emperors' neck until all traces of energy left Frieza's body.
Finally Vegeta felt that unrelenting restless feeling he'd suffered with for years subside, he breathed deep and gave off a big exhale as he stood up whilst reverting to his base form. His knee's felt weak and his body was heavy, heart pounding in his chest. Vegeta slowly walked back to the ruined base to wait for Trunks and Goten to arrive. Once there he slowly collapsed to his knees with the strength he had left, unable to move any further. "Could do with one of those magic cats miracle beans right about now" Vegeta said to himself smiling.
As Vegeta began to wait for his ride back to Earth he thought back on his life and on Frieza's last words to him; maybe it is true that a part of him had intended to die on this planet, a final blaze of glory but not anymore. As Vegeta struggles for breath he hopes Trunks and Goten get here before Frieza's reinforcements. Either way should he once again find himself at King Yemma's desk Vegeta can stand proud, now knowing that he had made the universe a better place for all.