Such a scream erupted from Nevrrest's throat like none had ever heard, the blecha clutching her broken chest plate as blood ran down her belly, soaking into the white feathers there. She was in too much pain to realize that she had lost her grip on Vegeta. The prince thundered with a menacing chuckle and bared his teeth as he drew his leg back and drove his boot deep into the soft parts of her side. Nevrrest about folded in half, letting loose another shriek as her body shuddered under the impact.

When she looked upon him again, for the first time since all this began, she fully recognized him as the Vegeta she remembered. The tiny, cackling man was like an enormous beast: savage, hungry, and ready to devour his victim. "You fool," he stated as the blood leaked through her fingers, "When we last fought, it was I who had the disadvantage of ignorance. Now the tables have turned." He clenched a fist, her blood staining his knuckles. "It's your turn to bleed!"

She clenched her beak. "Why you…!" She tried to take a step forward and nearly collapsed.

Vegeta cackled again. "You still don't understand it, do you?"

"Ooh, now I see!" Gohan exclaimed, "He was just wearing her out!"

"See, I knew you'd catch on!" Goku praised. His brow lowered as he looked seriously at Nevrrest. "But it's more than that. You weren't here when Nevrrest fought Vegeta before, so I don't blame you for not understanding. But all this time, there's been one thing that Nevrrest's been absolutely certain of: that she understood Vegeta better than he knew himself."

Gohan brightened. "Oh, I get it! Vegeta used to always expect to win by overpowering his opponent quickly. So she tried to do the same to him."

"Nevrrest also hates long battles," Goku explained, "I noticed that while I was fighting her. Before she beats her opponent physically, she tries to break their spirit with devastating attacks. But in order to make that possible, she burns through her energy quickly. Normally, it doesn't matter, because her opponent has already lost in his mind before that begins to happen."

"And I finally see what you were saying about Vegeta," Gohan nodded, "Back when he was bad, he expected to win quickly too. If he had gotten slammed that hard by her back then, it would have seriously thrown him off his game. It would have been all downhill from there."

"It gets even better," Goku assured, "But I won't spoil it all just yet."

"I learned an interesting secret from my time spent sharing a bond with Oom'Bagu," said Vegeta, taking his time walking toward her. His mind flashed with the memory of Oom'Bagu's will taking him over and subduing Un Nevrrest. "Under all that incredible power, you have a fragile, weak body. A fault of your race, one that never produced warriors. The only way you can compensate is by using your energy to create a powerful shield around yourself." He stood in front of her and shot his hand forward, sinking his fingers into the squishy, tender flesh now exposed on her chest. "You thought you were beating me. But all you were doing was burning up your own guard while I took my time gathering my strength. My body, after all, isn't nearly so flimsy." He ripped the last of the bone plating off and she screamed, retreating from him to a rocky ledge. He laughed, tossing the shard aside. "Taking flight just like a bird. What will you do now, I wonder? Is fleeing all you can do now that you are beaten?"

All her feathers puffed, veins showing in her eyes as she shook with rage and a hint of terror. "I…am not beaten!"

A vicious grin slowly spread across his face and he motioned her with a crooked finger. "Well? What are you waiting for? Come and prove it!"

She puffed and tensed even further, her feet shifting and clawing at the rock. She thrust herself forward, hurling down at him, but stopped half way with a surprise blast from both hands. It caught Vegeta off guard, clipping his shoulder, but he didn't let it slow him down. He rushed straight at her and slammed his fist deep into her gut. Once the pain and shockwaves passed, she reacted violently, beating him back and forth with her tail at incredible speed. He guarded and endured the blows, retaliating with a quick kick to knock her back. He thrust out his palm, forming an energy ball and sending it to hunt her down. She blocked it, but grunted loudly as it exploded against her.

"What's going on?" Gohan asked, watching with careful curiosity as Vegeta got in yet another blow, "I get that Vegeta tricked her into wasting her energy by trying to win quickly, but it feels like more than that."

"Uh-huh," Goku brightly encouraged, "Go on."

"It's like…she's suddenly been thrust into someone else's body," Gohan obliged, "Like she doesn't know her own strength anymore. But that doesn't make any sense."

"I can see why you'd say that," Goku nodded, "But there's something about the Justiciars even they don't always remember." He glanced over at Laswe, who watched coldly as he idly played with the ybora gem pressed against his throat.

Digging her talons into his pec was meaningless as Vegeta thrust his fist into her gut and then drove his elbow into the weak spot he'd created on her chest. Blood sprayed from the fresh wound and Nevrrest once again was forced to retreat. She withdrew from his blows and met him with blasts of energy, more in an attempt to hold him at bay than anything else. She kept it up in faith that she could do just that – put some distance between them and regain her foothold in the fight. But Vegeta broke through the barrage with a stubbornness she didn't think possible, driving his skull into hers in utter defiance of her tactics.

Nevrrest allowed the blow to knock her clear to the other side of the Hammer, just in the hopes that she could have a moment's peace. Dirt clogging the air around her, Nevrrest lay on her side, breathing heavily. "What is this?" she whispered. She lifted her hand and watched it shake. "What is wrong with me?" She clenched her hand into a fist and still it shook. "This feeling I can't control…?!"

She sensed Vegeta land somewhere outside the dust cloud. "Come out, Nevrrest," he mocked, "I'm not done with you yet."

She dug groves into the earth and hissed. "Insolent…! Krrr…!" She stood up, but as she did her mind flashed to where her bloodied hands were those of a child and the sounds of the jungle echoed around her. Nevrrest gasped as she regained herself and shook. She tightened her hands into fists. "What the hell is wrong with me…?!"

Vegeta stood outside the cloud with his arms folded and foot tapping, drumming a finger against his arm as well. Finally, he got tired of waiting and swept his arm to the side, the gust annihilating the cloud. He was delighted to find Nevrrest still stooped. "Ah, there you are." He chuckled as she saw her looking at her hands. "What's the matter? Did you forget how to move?"

"What's going on?" Gohan asked as he watched this scene with his father, "Why is she acting so differently?"

Laswe grinned from his position atop the Hammer. "Heee…she's scared."

Nevrrest looked up at Vegeta and her vision flashed again as he smiled at her, turning into a small boy with regal armor and a red cape. She gasped and shook her head violently. Vegeta's cropped tail twitched with anticipation and he flew at her at full speed. Nevrrest gagged with pain as he imbedded his fist deep into her stomach, seizing her fluffy plume with his other hand and holding her close. A vicious smile dashed across his face and he whispered in her ear.

"Run for me."

Her heart thundered and the world seemed to lose all its color. She couldn't breathe. In her mind, the warrior had been completely consumed by the darkness blackening her senses and only the child remained. The child was alive and real in that moment, the only part of her that existed. Nevrrest shook, that terrible feeling clawing up her insides and stinging along every feather and scale. She realized in that moment that it was that feeling that had always been with her, existing just beneath the rage and the hate. It was because of that feeling that Vegeta had to die. Or it was the end.

Nevrrest hissed through her clenched beak and teeth, her whole body vibrating from tip to tip. She sprang straight into the air and hovered there for a moment, her heart beating faster and faster. Vegeta watched her with a small smile, waiting. Nevrrest's heart beat faster still. It thundered like explosions ringing out across a screaming planet. This was it. This was everything. The Justice was gone. Sepis was gone. She had no love left for herself. All that remained was the absolute need to destroy Vegeta.

Vegeta's tiny smile grew. "Do you believe in destiny, Nevrrest?" His fierce eyes narrowed. "I do."

She put the side of one hand against the flat of the other and held them out in front of her, red energy seeping off her body like smoke. "I…" she hissed deep in her chest, "I will not be beaten! I am your death, Vegeta! Now die!"

Beams of energy shot from her poised hands and surrounded Vegeta as dozens of energy balls, swirling around him. Vegeta watched her with a steady gaze as the balls flattened into razor discs and swooped in on him. The prince reared back with a mighty roar, golden energy exploding out around him. The energy battled with the razor discs in incredible flashes of light. The golden blaze pushed out even further and the red blades exploded.

"Ah!" cried Laswe, jaw agape, "No way! The Death Cutter! How did he…?! That's impossible!"

The smoke from the explosion drifted around Vegeta like a drawn curtain and he looked up at Nevrrest with a triumphant calm. Nevrrest couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. She could only hang there in the air like a condemned man after the deed had already been done.

"I don't understand," said Gohan, "That was an incredible attack! It doesn't seem like Vegeta should have been able to stop it like that."

"He normally wouldn't have," Goku replied, watching the scene with somber serenity, "But it's like you said, Gohan. Nevrrest doesn't know her own body anymore."

"Why?" Gohan asked, "Because of that form she was in earlier?"

"Not exactly, but you're on the right track." He pointed to the top of the crashed Hammer where Laswe hovered. "It's the bands."

"The bands?" Gohan looked.

"They're called Fusion Bands. They have a stone in them called ybora. I had a chance to touch one once. Even without power in them, just having it in my hand made me feel a good deal stronger than I normally am."

"So those bands enhance them," Gohan considered, "But even without the band, Nevrrest is still incredibly strong."

"True. But tell me, Gohan. What happens when a fighter trains while wearing weights?"

"Well, it teaches them to go beyond their natural limits."

"Right. So when the fighter removes the weights, they can do even more than they could imagine." He looked at Gohan seriously. "Now. Imagine that in reverse."

Gohan suddenly found himself gazing at Nevrrest with slight horror.

"The Justiciars never take those bands off. They eat with them, they sleep with them, they even train with them on. For the past three years, not a day has gone by where Nevrrest wasn't wearing that band. I imagine that small boost of strength has been with her so long, she's forgotten it was even there." Goku nodded as he observed Nevrrest's helpless expression. "Back when I fought her, before she transformed, I told Nevrrest she was even stronger than a Super Saiyan Two. That was true then. But without the band, there isn't even the slightest difference in strength between her and Vegeta. And now she's used it all up, acting like a stronger fighter than she was. She's got nothing left. And she knows it."

"She's lost!" Gohan excitedly gasped.

Just as Gohan said this, something that no one expected happened. As Nevrrest hung in the air, shaking and barely able to make a sound, tears boiled in her eyes and dripped down the sides of her beak. Laswe nearly leapt off the Hammer in shock, staring as the tears continued to stream from each eye. He had never in all the years he'd known her seen Nevrrest cry. No one had. Not even Sepis. It was something she just didn't do. But now she was – her wet gaze broken, desperate, and terrified.

Even Vegeta was caught off guard. He stared at his foe for a long moment, taking in her tears, and then closed his eyes with a little laugh. "And to think you spoke so highly of your resolve. Oh well. I suppose it's time to end this." Nevrrest could only shake, her beak quivering as he raised his hand and pointed a finger at her like a gun. "Now, how did you say I used to do this? Oh yes. Bang."

Gohan gasped. "Vegeta, no!"

"Err," Goku clenched his teeth.

The beam shot straight through Nevrrest's breast, her body fluttering with the impact as it came out the other side. She fell, tumbling to earth with a harsh impact. The dust peeled back as she lay curled on her side and blood pooled around her.

"What was that?" Krillin asked, lifting his head. Normally, with his keen senses, he would have known, but his focus was entirely on the arlian at his feet. He couldn't escape the feeling that something wasn't right. The inkling was so strong that he once again directed his attention away from Vegeta and Nevrrest and back onto the still body. The rock man – who was only a little bigger than he – had stopped moaning some time ago and sat in vigil with him, also not so interested in the fight. They both stared at the body, like it was the only thing in the world.

Suddenly, Krillin knew why. "No way," Krillin gasped. He turned Sepis over and looked at his closed eyes. "Hey rock man! You're not going to believe this, but this little guy is still alive!"

Horkion sat up so abruptly his hide crackled like an avalanche. "What do you mean?!"

"I mean he's mostly dead, but there's still some of his energy left!" Krillin laughed, "Which means there's a chance we could still revive him!"

Horkion creaked with sorrow. "How…not even a healing chamber could do that…"

"True," Krillin enthused, his brow lowered, "But a sensu bean could! Um." He wavered. "That is, if you have any left."

Horkion blinked his stoney lids. "Sensu bean?"

"Yeah, Goku had them!" He held up a pair of pinched fingers. "They're a little green bean about this big."

"Bean…that's a kind of food, right?"

"Um," Krillin blinked, "Yeah."

"Bean…oh wait! Were they in a little pouch about this big?" He held up his hand, forgetting his other arm wasn't there for the demonstration.

"Yeah!" Krillin nodded anyway.

"Goku and Vegeta each ate one and left the rest with Laswe!"

They both looked up to the top of the Hammer where the Ponachi prince hovered.

Vegeta landed next to Nevrrest's still form. "What's the matter, Nevrrest?" he mocked, "Can't you get up? I know you're not dead. I made sure not to hit anything that would kill you." He slammed the heel of his prison boot into the wound and she jolted to life screaming. "That's better," he encouraged, twisting his ankle back and forth, "I'm not ready to let you expire just yet!" He reared back and kicked her, sending her flying across the landscape and demolishing an already damaged rock formation.

Laswe gurgled and squeaked like a baby as he laughed, weaving back and forth and pumping his fists into the air.

"Laswe!"

"Eh?" Laswe said with annoyance, looking back as Horkion and the strange little earth native landed, "Oh look who finally stopped pouting!" He giggled and clenched his hands excitedly. "Come to watch the show? I can't wait to see what Vegeta dishes out next!"

Krillin wrinkled his forehead. "What Vegeta—geeh!" he recoiled as he watched Vegeta slam Nevrrest against the Hammer and hold her there with a torrent of punches, laughing as she cried out. Krillin sweated. "Holy crap, I haven't seen Vegeta act that way since…I don't even want to think about." He cleared his throat. "But that's not why we're here. Your friend here says that Goku left you with the sensu beans. We need them."

"Oh," said Laswe, looking a little embarrassed. He started untying the pouch from his belt. "Of course. But are you sure? There's only one left. Can't the doctors' handle it? Unless…" His eyes widened. "Is it Oom'Bagu?!"

"No Laswe, it's…" Horkion nearly lost his voice in the emotion. "It's Sepis! This man says there's some part of him still left and that one of those beans could save him!"

Laswe stared at them, coughed, and then squeaked a laugh. "I'm sorry, but you're joking right?"

"No, I'm serious!" Krillin insisted, "I can still sense just a little bit of energy in him!"

"Well good." Laswe retied the pouch. "Let me know when he's passed away."

Krillin froze. "I'm…I'mma…pardon?"

"For the record," Laswe explained, resuming watching Vegeta's assault on Nevrrest, "This is a historic occasion. We'll want to note exactly when the traitor Sepis died."

Horkion found his breath again. "Laswe, you can't be serious! Don't you get this man is saying he can save him!"

"Of course I do, Horkion. I'm not dumb. I just don't care." He waved him off. "Though, I seriously hope you're not suggesting we waste our last magic bean on Nevrrest's accomplice. Besides, nobody really cares what happens to him. Just let him die."

The next thing Laswe knew, he was flat on his back, staring up at a spinning sun and clouds. Horkion made a sound that resembled a disgruntled bull as he unceremoniously stole the pouch off Laswe's decorative belt. "Hurry and get this to him," he told Krillin.

Laswe jerked up and shook clarity back into his head. "What is with you and punching me in the face lately?!"

"Hurry!" Horkion gave Krillin a little push as he flew and then looked at Laswe. "I wish I knew a better way to get through to you, Laswe."

"Get through to me?!" Laswe piped, rolling onto his feet, "This is justice we're talking about, Horkion! This is what we're all about!"

Horkion's black pebble eyes narrowed. "Maybe. But sometimes people shouldn't get what they deserve." Laswe stared, flabbergasted as his friend flew away.

When Horkion rejoined the human, he found the little man looking cross as he knelt over Sepis. "What's wrong?" Horkion asked.

"Ooh, I didn't think of this," Krillin grumbled, "This bean could save it alright, but we have to get him to eat it first. And right now, there's no way to do that."

"He has to eat it…?" A chill ran through Horkion's insides, but he steeled his resolve. "Well then we have to wake him up!"

"But how?" asked Krillin, "The poor guy's basically dead."

"We just gotta give him a kick," Horkion insisted, clenching his fist, "Just enough for him to wake up and eat it!"

Krillin rubbed at his black, messy hair. "I guess I could try putting my energy into him…but even that wouldn't be enough. His body's too broken."

"But if we combine that with healing solvent from the Hammer…it just might be enough!"

"It's worth a try," Krillin agreed, "Okay then, rock man! You get that healing stuff you were talking about and I'll stay here and try to pump his energy up!" He flexed his tired hands. "I just hope I still have enough left in me for it to work."

"You do," Horkion insisted, putting his hands on his shoulder, "Please, earth man, you can do this!"

"Alright! But you better hurry. I don't know how long he's got."

Nevrrest slowly slid down the side of the Hammer, leaving behind a smear of blood. Vegeta laughed as she hit the ground and landed on top of her, leaning in close as he slammed fist after fist into her.

"Dad, this has to stop!" Gohan cried.

"No, Gohan," Goku insisted, though his face twitched with frustration and pain, "We have to let Vegeta handle this."

"How can you say that?! This is wrong!"

Vegeta released her beak as he finished yet another relentless storm of attacks, sending her flying free and landing in a broken heap at the edge of the pooling spray of the geyser that had erupted earlier. Vegeta landed nearby and stood over her, arms folded and expression without pity. "You know, this is all your fault," he reminded her as she bled, "You could have ended this at any time. But no. You insisted on bringing it to this point." She winced as he put his boot on her face and rubbed dirt in. "We could have both just gone our separate ways and I might have forgotten this whole thing. You might have even had a happy life with that bug of yours." He lifted his foot and grasped her dirtied and mangled plume, pulling her up. "Pity you were too foolish." He pulled back his fist and slammed it into the square of her back, blood and saliva flying from her mouth as she gagged and screamed.

He pounded her back again and again until all her feathers were twisted and her scales flaked off like ash. With each strike, her cries grew more obligatory and pathetic, helpless squeals with no plea.

Gohan could feel his anger billowing in him with every blow, teeth grinding and body shaking with rage. "I know she's a monster, but no one deserves this!"

"Gohan, please!" Goku insisted, shaking himself, "I know it doesn't seem right, but we can't interfere!"

Atop the Hammer, Laswe continued to laugh and cheer.

(**Scene Break**)

Horkion wasn't an expert on medicine. So when he found the healing chamber with a dislodged pipe leaking healing solvent all over the floor, he grabbed the biggest container he could find and filled it up with it, hoping it would enough. Bringing Sepis back at this point would be a miracle. But right now, Horkion felt like a miracle was exactly what they needed. So he carried the large container with his one arm, careful not to spill any as he ran.

He was so focused on his goal, it was a wonder he saw it at all. Horkion slid to a halt in the middle of the demolished cargo bay, staring at the shiny, gold object at the base of a pile of rubble. It was the lamp. Laswe's dried blood had turned transparent and nearly invisible against the rubble where he had been buried – a monument to what had transpired and what was still to come. Horkion looked at the scene with a deep sadness in his core. But then he felt the warmth of the basin of solvent at his side and knew.

He sat the container down and climbed the pile. He passed through the smoky stars of the galaxy that rose from the lamp and grasped the artifact. He held it above his head, feeling the Ghost passing into him once again as he yielded to possibility. The vote against Nevrrest was decided. But the galaxy's decision on Vegeta still waivered. It wasn't over yet. The lamp in hand, the basin under his arm, and the galaxy trailing behind him, Horkion took off through the crash with a new zeal.

"I bring a gift, Laswe," he proudly whispered as he ran. He looked at the lamp and the solvent. "It's called hope."

(**Scene Break**)

Nevrrest couldn't even scream anymore. The cries were forced out of her by the continued blows to her back. Vegeta slammed his fist into her ribs with almost musical rhythm, throwing in a kick occasionally as well. Her feathers had become so frayed she was developing bald spots all over her body – empty, bleeding patches of skin.

Gohan was getting flashbacks – blips from moments of a childhood that had not been as happy as either of his parents had wanted. He suppressed those memories once again and looked at his father with righteous fury. "Dad! Please, this can't go on!"

Every fiber of Goku's being quaked. "We just have to wait a little longer!"

"Wait for what?! Dad, you're not making sense!"

Vegeta impacted his knuckles deep into her hide one more time and then paused, scowling at her as she hung in his grasp like a piece of meat. The wrinkles of his face deepened with dissatisfaction and he raised his leg one more time, releasing her plume. The blow from his boot sent her flying, and she bounced off the side of the Hammer and fell to the ground. She lay there in a twisted heap, her voice cracking as she struggled to breathe. Vegeta walked up and stood over her with an unrelenting frown.

"Tell me, Nevrrest." He lowered his brow. "Which arm were you going to use to remove my son's head? I can't remember clearly." He lifted his foot. "Was it…THIS ONE?!" She screamed as he slammed his boot down on her arm and a loud crack split the air. "Or was it…THIS ONE?!" He leapt over her and landed on the other arm with both feet, the bone snapping in half as well. Nevrrest choked and coughed up blood from her prior wounds, barely letting out a second scream. Vegeta panted, hopping off her and walking away a few paces. He stopped as his teeth clenched and he looked at her again. He stepped on her tail, digging his heel down until cracking sounded. "I don't think it was your tail," he snarled as she helplessly wailed, "But considering your actions cost me mine, I think it's only FAIR!" There was a snap and her cries caused her to spit up blood again.

Krillin wanted to be watching whatever was happening on the other side of the Hammer, but he couldn't. In fact, right now, he was struggling to stay awake. He had already exhausted most of his energy keeping the people on the Hammer alive. That had been a cake-walk compared to this. Those people had been barely alive. Sepis was mostly dead. Waking him up was going to be like jump starting a car with a toaster. And if that rock fellow didn't get back soon, he was going to be all tapped out.

The crew members of the Hammer were nearly all out of sight – moving their way around the crashed ship to get a view of Nevrrest and Vegeta. The last of them were scurrying by when Horkion leapt out of the hole in the Hammer's side, trailing a strange cloud of stars behind him. "Hey!" he called as he flew down, "Did I make it?"

"Just in time," Krillin whistled, sweat beading on his forehead, "Whatever you're gonna do, you better do it fast." He swooned a little. "I'm…having a little trouble keeping this up."

"You're a hero, earth-man," Horkion smiled. He stamped the ground, creating a small crater, and emptied the container of solution into it.

Taking the cue, Krillin picked up Sepis. "Let's hope this works." He sat the bug down into the restorative puddle, pressing his hands back to him. "Come on, buddy…wake up…!"

This time when Nevrrest impacted the side of the Hammer, she didn't even make a sound. She thudded against the ground in silence and Vegeta frowned at her once again. He approached, stopped, and kicked dirt into her eyes, despising her further as she groaned. "So," he said, "That's it then. You're completely broken, aren't you?" Her eyes cracked open, tears lingering at the edges. "Hmph," he grunted, "How disappointing. Oh well. I've grown tired of you." He reached out and grasped a fist full of her blue chest feathers. "Time to finish this."

"I'm stopping this now!" Gohan cried, running forward.

To his horror, Goku blocked him. "No, Gohan, I can't let you do that."

"Why not?!" Gohan snapped, "This isn't like you, Dad!"

"Your father finally gets it, Gohan," Vegeta smugly stated, Nevrrest dangling in his grasp, "What it means to be a saiyan. We don't let others spit on our pride and live to tell the tale."

"Dad, tell me that's not true," Gohan begged.

Goku sighed as he continued to hold out his arm, blocking Gohan's path. "Gohan I…please. You just have to trust me, son."

Gohan's heart pinched, whipped back into that moment years ago when he had watched his father die, smiling at the son who had brought him to an early end. In the face of that, Gohan could only shut his eyes and turn away.

Vegeta snorted. "You always were soft, Gohan."

His attention turned back to his prey, the broken woman dangling in his grasp. He chuckled with anticipation and realized that some of her blood had splattered on his face. He licked it off with a flick of his tongue and chuckled again, his eyes intense as he raised his hand like a claw. As he pinpointed the location of her heart and prepared to strike, tears touched her eyes again and she closed them in helpless defeat.

The gesture made him pause. Wait. Something's wrong. He looked up, startled to discover Kakarot staring at him with incredible intensity, but still holding his son back. What's going on?! Why is he looking at me like that? He looked at Nevrrest again. …And why do I feel like I've been here before?

It was like he was whipped outside his body. Suddenly, in his mind, Nevrrest and he swapped places. He was the one dangling in her grasp, tears wetting his eyes, and she the one poised to strike. Kakarot remained the same, his eyes locked on them – powerful and daunting. No wait, that wasn't right. He and Nevrrest swapped places again, he poised to strike and she awaiting her death. They began to morph. His skin peeled away to an impenetrable white hide and her feathers and scales dissolved into tan skin and broken armor.

Vegeta's eyes snapped wide. No!

But it was so. He could see it all clearly. His hand holding her feathers was now the white hand of Frieza, holding an armor strap. And Nevrrest…was the fallen Prince Vegeta. The tears that gathered were the same. They were the tears of despair – of a warrior who had risked everything to set themselves free and had failed. And then there was Kakarot, stopping the whole thing with a single look.

No, no, no, NO! Vegeta snarled, This is nonsense! It's just a coincidence! I will not succumb to this ridiculous wile!

But the pieces continued to fall together.

Spend your whole life ruled by another!

The child Nevrrest forced to flee across the galaxy, chased by killers and following in the wake of death left by a ruthless saiyan prince.

Watch your race dwindle to a handful!

The people of planet Blech falling all around her until only that little, frightened child remained standing.

And then, tell me what has more meaning than your own strength!

Her training, her fighting, her obsession. The way she demolished all her foes without pity and filled with pride. Pride.

"It's your pride, Nevrrest." He recalled the twinkle in Kakarot's eyes.

And Piccolo looked at her with certainty. "You're afraid to lose."

Then there was that moment after she had attempted to disembowel him in his cell. The steadiness of Kakarot's voice as blood dripped down his cheek. "I understand what you are now. This isn't going to be as easy as I thought."

Though every fiber of his being wished to deny it, the truth was all too clear. It was as evident as his own reflection. For all their differences, he and Nevrrest were the same.

Vegeta looked at Goku with horror and rage. That bastard…you planned this! You knew that sooner or later I would see it for myself. I should have known you would never condone my revenge! Urrgh…dammit! His brow twitched violently and he raised his hand again. No! So what if she resembles my former self?! I don't give a damn! Her life is mine and I'm going to take it! She's practically been begging for it! Hell, even her own friends think she deserves to die! So why shouldn't I, Kakarot? Just why the hell not?!

But Kakarot didn't answer. Instead, another moment from his past came to mind. Oddly enough, the day he came to Earth it had been in the name of a justice of sorts. On top of his quest for the dragon balls, he had arrived with the intentions of punishing Kakarot for his defiance. He had overseen the deaths of hundreds of earthlings, several of Kakarot's closest companions, and was poised ready to execute both Kakarot and his son – after dealing an impressive hand of suffering to them both. But then, circumstances had turned insanely against him, leaving him at the mercy of a tiny human with a damn sword of all things.

The similarity to the current events of Nevrrest's life drove him into a rage.

But then…he remembered it hadn't been as simple as Kakarot being merciful. No, there was more to it than that. Finally, he understood.

Hmph…a good man. How absurd. The mighty Prince Vegeta could never be something so base. However…'good' is perhaps appropriate for today.

The onlookers stirred as Vegeta lowered his arm and dropped Nevrrest. Nevrrest's eyes slowly cracked open with dazed confusion. "…Why…?" she whispered.

Vegeta's shoulders heaved as he took a moment to chuckle to himself. "Tell me something, Nevrrest…do you hate yourself?"

Her glassy eyes stared. "…Wha…"

"Because you should. Considering you and I are so much alike." He chuckled again. "Or didn't you realize? The similarities are obvious. At least to how I was years ago." He squatted next to her and smiled. "Tell me, Nevrrest…considering that, why should I spare you from the same fate I suffered?"

"What…what is he doing down there?!" Laswe sputtered.

"It's death," Vegeta continued, "But a much worse form of death than the kind I could give you today. A slow, agonizing death. A death where you are forced to watch everything you know to be true crumble into dust. A death where you will be forced to struggle harder than you ever have in your life before and still face endless defeat. A death where you will go mad until one day you'll look in the mirror and not even recognize yourself anymore." He gripped her beak. "Do you understand what I'm saying, Nevrrest?" He pointed his arm with command at Goku. "I am sentencing you to him!"

"Huh?" Goku blinked. He pointed at himself. "Me?"

"Yes, look at that stupid face and tremble, Nevrrest!" Vegeta declared, "Very soon, you'll wish I'd killed you today. But I won't. I won't spare you a moment of the suffering that's ahead. In fact, I'll be there, watching and loving every second of it." He laughed and stood up, turning his back on her and walking away. "So enjoy the next ten years, Nevrrest. I know I will."

Horkion nearly lost his balance as he felt it surge through him. He gasped and stood, raising the lamp high above his head as the swirling galaxy shimmered. "They've decided!" Horkion declared, laughing, "I can't believe it – it's in Vegeta's favor! The Ghost votes for Vegeta!" He turned. "Isn't it wonderful, earth-m…" He dropped the lamp, a purring groan sounding deep within him as he witness Sepis's eyes crack open and the offered bean dissolve before his mouthpiece. "That seals it," he gulped, "We've won."

Laswe stared as the crew members of the Hammer started to applaud and Vegeta continued to walk away. "What the hell…is this supposed to be…?"

AUTHOR NOTE

To think we've come this far blows my mind. I say "we" because bringing A Good Man to life wasn't a single effort. It took not only my efforts, but editors, my friends, and constant feedback of you guys. A Good Man has reached its climax and now we get to enjoy the sweet resolution.

But don't forget, the journey doesn't end here! More adventures await in Dragon Ball Z: Light and Shadows as the rest of this fanfiction series! So please, remember to click the box next to "Follow: Author" so you won't miss out!

Loves and see you in the next chapter!