To me, fights are the hardest things for me to write-sometimes. And I was lazy, again, I used time skips to progress the story as I felt writing any more in that spot would just be boring not just to write but also read.

Without further ado:

Chapter 13: Pride As A Species

Kagome giggled from her place on the ship. Seemed Frieza wouldn't be getting his wish anytime soon. And the Namekians would no doubt never give Frieza what he wanted. They're pride as a species rivaling that of any saiyan.

~Our Unlikely Pair~

Vegeta eyed Goku's back with narrowed eyes. How had he managed to get so strong in such a short time? At least he knew about the dragon balls and that Frieza hadn't used them yet. Means he could still get his wish.

" Vegeta? You know these guys, do you have any good ideas?" Goku asked staring back at Vegeta's intense glare.

"I thought you were going to fight Frieza," was his snide comeback.

"Well I want to, don't get me wrong, but I was told not to. I think I'd better bring back the guys you killed on Earth before I decide to fight him,"

"That's your wish!? You're nothing more than an idiot! What good will it be when Frieza blows up the whole planet?! Give me the power to kill him instead!" he growled darkly. He had every right to wish as they did after all Frieza killed his people; family, friends, his mate, and destroyed his home planet.

"Why do you want to kill Frieza? Didn't you work for him?" Goku asked, everyone, looking at him with wide eyes. It seems no one had thought to why he wanted the alien dead.

Vegeta was speechless for a moment. "Not by choice," he turned around with his arms crossed. "Besides I have my reasons," he didn't want any of their pity, besides he would much rather keep it to himself. He didn't want to admit, out loud anyway, how he'd failed his mate.

Everyone was silent merely looking at everyone. Awkwardness filled the air.

Vegeta's eyes widened briefly as he felt the familiar power level of Jeice. Looking at him he glared at Goku; it was his fault that Jeice had escaped. "There are two ki's heading this way, the one you let get away is bringing Captain Ginyu. I wonder if even you can handle him," he chuckled.

Krillin trembled at Goku side. "He's right Goku! This is terrible,"

The bluenette; Bulma, grabbed onto Goku's hand making the Saiyan look down at her and smile before taking her into his arms. Blushing the girl looked up at him before returning his hug, burrowing into his warmth she smiled sadly.

Vegeta looked away, his heart constricting at the sight of the two. The two seemed to be in the midst of courting the other. He couldn't help but think of Kagome and the many times he'd held her in such a manner.

As much as he tried, he could hear them talking as if they were right next to him.

"Please safe," she cried softly into his chest. "I want us to go home, together,"

"I promise, we'll make it home, and all our friends will be there when we do,"

Turning his attention away from the two and to the approaching enemies, he gasped. "Waits, something doesn't feel right. Where is Frieza? He should have been at the spaceship where Ginyu took the dragon balls,"

"I feel it now powerful ki off to the West that must be Frieza," Goku voiced from behind while pointing in the same direction although he didn't show it he was excited. The thought of a strong opponent made his blood hot.

"That means the dragon balls are unprotected! If Gohan, Krillin and I go, we can find the dragon balls and make our wish!" Bulma exclaimed.

Clenching his fists, Vegeta growled. "What about my wish?!"

"Don't worry Vegeta, once we use the dragon balls to wish back our friend Piccolo we can use the balls on Earth to give you your wish," Goku grinned. "I might not know your reasons as to want to get rid of Frieza, but why not become allies for the meantime?"

"Goku you can't mean that!" Krillin yelled.

"Dad come on! He's just as bad as Frieza!"

Goku shook his head. "I've felt Frieza's ki, and he's pure evil. Vegeta's nothing like that. He's done everything he's had to to survive, but deep down I don't think he wants to kill. I think he's just enjoys a good fight," their eyes met, and Vegeta couldn't help but be grateful that at least one person didn't think he was some vile monster.

"Then we're allies, but only until Frieza's dead and not a second more," this lead everyone to look at Vegeta with wide eyes. "After we'll finish what we started on Earth,"

"Sounds good to me," Goku looked to the three around them. "You guys go make that wish while Vegeta and I handle the rest of the Ginyu force,"

"You got it, dad!" Gohan beamed with Krillin nodding beside him.

"Now get going, and take the woman with you," the bluenette face turned red in anger her mouth opening to yell at Vegeta. "She'll be safer with you two then here," the color dyed down to a gentle blush.

"You heard him get going," the three nodded and like that took off with Bulma being held by Krillin.

The remaining saiyans nodded to one another both taking a fighting stance in wait for their opponents.

"I'll take Ginyu, and you can take that red guy,"

Vegeta simply nodded. If this meant he could get his wish so be it.

~o.O~O.o~ Skipping fight ~o.O~O.o~

Looking at the now defeated Jeice, Vegeta panted lightly. It seems the silver-haired red-skinned alien had more fight in him then he'd initially thought. Looking over to Goku and Ginyu he saw that they both were struggling to defeat the other. They seemed too evenly matched.

Blue and red clashed as they soared across the sky.

And then they stopped both breathing heavily with set glares in place. They were heavily injured with Ginyu having far more aggressive wounds that bleed heavily. But Ginyu was smiling, seems he was setting Goku up for a special attack. It didn't feel right, and as much as he hated to intervene -it went against his warrior code- he knew it would be the only way that he got what he wanted.

Looking around for something to throw in the way of the attack. Grabbing the frog, he threw it as hard as he could. "WATCH OUT!" he yelled.

And just then a bright light came from Ginyu forcing Vegeta to shield his eyes.

When he looked back, the frog and Ginyu fell to the ground. The frog threw its arms and legs about shaking its flipper-like a fist while croaking angrily, while Ginyu looked on with wide eyes and on its hands and knees.

Walking over Vegeta stepped on the frog. "The rumors were true after all. It seems Ginyu could switch forms," he gave an amused 'huff' he kicked the frog and watched as it disappeared.

Goku landed next to him, his knees buckling under his weight. "Did you have to do that?"

Vegeta simply shrugged before catching the other saiyan before he could fall to the ground. It seems he took more damage than he thought he had. "Let's catch up with the runts; I would very much like to see this dragon,"

Goku chuckled as they flew. "Vegeta, why do you want revenge? I know you're not a bad guy so why, how did you get yourself tangled up with Frieza?"

There was a long moment of silence in which Goku had accepted he wouldn't be getting a response.

"I didn't have a choice, Frieza took an interest in me as a child and put me through harsh training. My father could do nothing but give Frieza what he wanted or risk a war that he wouldn't be able to win. Either way, Frieza killed everyone I cared for along with my people and planet. I want to be powerful enough to make him suffer like he made me suffer," They met each other's gaze and then looked away. They flew at a quick pace.

"Once we get to Frieza's ship we'll put you in one of the healing tanks," Vegeta informed him, and Goku simply nodded.

Goku was still stunned that Vegeta had answered him, he felt one step closer to understanding the saiyan. They could easily see them become friends after this was all over. It would be nice to train and spare with someone who was at the same level as him.

When the ship came into view, Goku openly stared. It was covered in damage and circular; it was merely huge, looking much like the UFO's the newspapers described seeing in the sky.

"Seems the ship is deserted, seems Frieza grew tired of his men and disposed of them," Vegeta mused.

Goku's brows knotted. What was he talking about, couldn't he feel that electric-like ki? He had never felt such a ki before, normally he could gauge a person's' power level on their ki, but this one seemed to flow around the entire ship making it hard to pinpoint its location.

He tried focusing on it more but could only say it was coming from within the ship, and although it was strong, the person couldn't be all that powerful physically.

"Goku!" the sound of Bulma calling his name made him forget all about the ki.

All thoughts of that weird power were pushed to the back of his mind at seeing her smiling face.

"Make way, I know you're happy to see your mate, but we need to get him to the healing tanks, so we have even a fighting chance against Frieza,"

Going into the ship, Goku was placed in a pod-like tank with multiple tubes and wires attached to it. A mask was placed over his face before it began to fill with what could only be water, it stung as it touches his skin and he couldn't help but hiss. Soon enough it started to feel good, and he fell into a gentle sleep.

~Time Skip~

Dark brows furrowed in concentration, Goku's attention solely on the fight taking place mere miles away from where he rests in what he'd been told was a healing tank. Because of that concentration, he overlooked the strange ki he felt earlier. 'Vegeta's ki's getting weaker and right after he'd gotten so much stronger… Is this Frieza really that strong?...'

A loud repetition of beeps forced charcoal eyes to snap open. "FINALLY!" he exclaimed. Bursting through the tank, followed by the roof of the ship. Goku stood scanning the area as water idly dripped from his body. He wiggled his fingers, followed by flexing his hands and muscles; examining himself and taking in the gravity of the power that surrounded him.

His eyes fell closed as he basked at the moment.

No words could accurately describe such a sensation, maybe there was, but he couldn't think of it. 'This power it's like it's swelling up from inside me. I thought I'd reached my limit before. But this..' a shiver run down his spine in the most blissful of sensations. Pure ecstasy, it felt so good, so incredibly good.

Taking a deep breath, he forces himself to calm down his eyes snapping open, a stony glare firmly in place. "I'm coming guys, hang on just a little longer!" he explained to the world telling it to prepare for the mayhem that was undoubtedly going to happen on this day.

Vegeta choked on his own blood in his gasping attempt for air. Nearly every bone in his body felt crushed under the onslaught of unrelenting assaults on his person. And then suddenly his body flew through the air in a careless manner, he'd been tossed aside by Frieza as if he were nothing more than garbage. Frieza apparently now bored with his punching bag.

He went crashing into the side of a rock face, more of his bones snapping under the extreme force of impact. The snapping echoed in his ears, the pain unbearable to the point he saw spots clouding his vision. Then, carelessly, his body fell to the ground, wheezing sounds escaping his chest in his attempt to breathe around the blood in his mouth that was about to drown him.

Slowly, ever so much the predator he made himself to look, and act, Frieza approached. "You've lost the will to fight? How boring? Alas, I suppose I'll take some joy in the fact that I'll finally be through with you damned saiyans," his red eyes as bored and flat as his tone of voice.

In the blink of an eye, Goku landed, his glare still in place as he walks over, confidence radiating from every pore.

He briefly looked over to Piccolo "So that big ki was you, Piccolo," he said with a light laugh. "The dragon balls brought you here," it was a statement.

The green alien merely nodded his eyes wide with amazement. He'd never seen Goku so sure of himself or so powerful. The newly discovered saiyan put his own power to shame.

Giving Krillin a smile he kept walking till he was at his son's side, briefly ruffling his hair. "Sorry I'm late, but at least I'm all better," He offered his son a small smile. "I'll take it from here,"

Krillin trembled as he looked at the back of his friend. "G-Goku?..."

Behind them, Krillin and Gohan could not believe what their senses and eyes show them. Goku was scary strong.

Goku only had eyes for Frieza though. "You must be Frieza. I didn't think you'd be so small,"

Frieza looked him up and down once before huffing in annoyance and maybe even amusement at the arrogance of his next victim. "So.. There was some more trash laying around,"

Frieza attacks Goku with multiple small beams of ki similar to bullets of light. Each one Goku deflected causing them to go off every which direction, slamming into the landscape around them.

Frieza looked on with wide eyes; the damned saiyan just knocked them back with one hand.

Vegeta laughed through the pain. "Don't take him lightly Frieza," He chuckled while spitting up blood. "He's the one you've been afraid of... He's the Super Saiyan!" he shouted with glee. "You heard me! The legendary Warrior, the most powerful in the universe! Frieza you're through. I'm only glad I lived to see it!" Gritting his teeth, he forced his mangled body into an upright position staring down at the ultimate form of Frieza. The monster that held him captive for years and killed everything he'd ever cared for.

And in an instant, he was thrown backward unable to dodge or even notice that Frieza had aimed at him. A solitary beam shot through his chest millimeters away from his heart. He only had a few moments left.

"Stupid monkey, didn't I tell you I hate jokes," Frieza crossed his arms.

Blood spurted from Vegeta's mouth he was drowning now. The pain was white hot, everything hurt. But he wasn't done yet. He looked up into the wide eyes of Goku the one he continuously called Kakarot because he didn't want him to forget that he was a saiyan: a proud warrior.

Goku growled his eyes angrily switching from Vegeta to Frieza. "How could you do that he couldn't even fight you, hell he couldn't even move! You didn't have to do that!"

"Oh, but I did. Otherwise, he'd never shut up," the lizard-like alien murmured while examining his nails in a bored fashion.

"K-Kakarot you won't win if you keep thinking like that," he struggled, gripping the ground as he spoke. "That's what limits you; you need to be merciless! Lose your stupid sentiment, and you could truly be the Super Saiyan!"

Frieza growled in annoyance "I detest people who repeat themselves. He needs to shut up with his ridiculous Super Saiyan Legend,"

Goku sweatdropped "I could never be merciless like him or you! I don't even know what this Super Saiyan is supposed to be,"

"The Super Saiyan-" Vegeta choked on his blood coughing it up in his attempt to try to speak once more.

"Don't talk anymore you're just killing yourself!"

"No, you need to hear this Kakarot! How do you think Planet Vegeta; the world where you and I were born was destroyed? Not because of some meteor impact-" his eyes grew misty.

Frieza once more sighed in annoyance "How long is this going to go on that blast should have killed you by now,"

"It was Frieza! We Saiyans did just as he commanded, we were his hands, his muscles, and yet he killed them all! Your parents, my father, he even took my mate from me…" Tears began to fall, staining his dirt covered face. "He killed them all because he feared that a Super Saiyan would arise from among us... Please... Frieza must die,"

"If you are speaking of your precious Kagome, she's still alive," Frieza interrupted.

Vegeta's eyes grew wide. "W-what!?"

Red eyes beamed with mirth. "In fact she's aboard my ship, to think you could have saved her. Now you can die knowing she's been mine this entire time, praying that you'd save her. Now she'll have no choice but to become my mine," he laughed wickedly.

"D-don't touch her," Vegeta tried to get up, his mate had been alive this entire time suffering at this monster's hand.

"Too late," a victorious gleam shone brightly in his eyes, a smirk pooling at his lips.

Tears blurred his vision as Vegeta looked to Goku with urgency. He was going to die; he could feel it looming over his head. Vegeta couldn't save her, but Goku still could. "P-please save her, and avenge our people," his dying words were a choking plea for help and revenge. Vegeta was dead.

"It's about time," Frieza sighed.

"Shut up!" Red eyes grew wide at the anger in the saiyans voice. "You have no right to mock his pain. Your tyranny ends here!"

The saiyans would now be able to rest in peace with their Prince's champion avenging their unfortunate demise.

As in every universe, there would inevitably be a fight between good and evil, circumstances may change, but they never failed to clash as was the destiny of those who'd chosen to walk down such paths. Total opposites, one fought for justice and the other greed, sometimes reverse.

Death would be the only way to extinguish the madness of Frieza, the one who embraced the demented voices within his mind. His desire to rule the universe forced him to cross paths with the ever noble and seemingly innocent Goku who'd stumbled, or better yet, fell, into the role of hero.

Today would be the day of which would forever change the course of this and every universe. Where good, or evil, had to make a choice: fight or die?