"..."
King Kai stared into space solemnly before glancing downwards towards the ground. His antennae seemed to droop as he heaved a heavy sigh. Roshi took a step forward, his concern evident in his voice.
"King Kai? What's going on?" he asked, causing the deity to sink his head down lower.
"Goku...he had defeated Frieza handily, and left him wounded. But...he never imagined that Frieza would be so desperate to win that he would blow up Namek itself."
Roshi's face fell slightly. "So...Goku's gone."
King Kai nodded. "Saiyans aren't much more resilient than humans when it comes to the vacuum of space. Although an explosion that powerful is unlikely to have killed him in this state, exposure would kill him in three minutes, at most. Frieza, meanwhile, can survive in space. And although he is heavily injured, his species is remarkably durable. It's likely that he is still alive, and more than powerful enough to kill the rest of Goku's friends."
Roshi's eyes widened as he thought of the implications. "...What are we going to do?" he asked in a small voice. Goku was the only person he knew who could fight this alien emperor. With him gone...
"I..." King Kai began before he paused. He imagined the horrors which Frieza would unleash upon the universe out of anger for such a close brush with death. Sweat began to appear on his brow. He could almost hear the screams in his mind. Screams calling out for someone, anyone, to save them from Frieza's wrath. For now, at least for a time...there was nobody alive who could save them.
"I have no idea."
Back on Goku's ship, little could be heard save for the blaring of klaxons and the sound of sparks flying from machinery damaged during the impact. Dende was the first to open his eyes, realizing that his body had apparently dented the interior plating when he crashed into a wall. With some effort, he managed to free himself and landed awkwardly on the ground. Not wasting any time, Dende looked around to determine where the others were, and soon found Gohan on the ground behind the control console, while Piccolo was lying unconscious across the hall. Dende floated towards each of them in turn, holding his hand on their foreheads for a few seconds in order to heal whatever injuries they may have sustained. With a groan, the two managed to get up off the ground, still somewhat disoriented. All it took was a glance out the window for them to remember what happened.
"No..." Piccolo muttered as he gazed upon the empty space where Namek once was.
"Everything our people had built, everything they'd accomplished...it's all gone," Kami remarked.
"Daddy..." Gohan muttered, staring wordlessly out the window, tears beginning to pool up around his eyes.
"At least Goku managed to put that monster down," Piccolo replied in his mind, looking downwards with his eyes closed as he thought of his unlikely ally.
Suddenly, however, Gohan felt something in the back of his mind which caused him to hurriedly dry his eyes and rush towards the window. He wasn't entirely sure for a moment, but nevertheless, he had a curious feeling.
"Wait a second..."
"I suppose I should find Goku and approve of him coming here, so that we may discuss our options," King Kai announced. His antennae extended, and for a moment his brow was furrowed in concentration. Eventually, however, he stopped, puzzled. "Huh. That's odd."
"What?"
"I'm searching for him throughout all of Other World, and yet I can't...find...him..." King Kai replied as understanding dawned. "No. No, that's not possible. He can't have-!"
Roshi's eyes widened before he looked over to King Kai. "King Kai...look back where you were looking a moment ago."
King Kai nodded hurriedly, while Roshi placed his hand on his shoulder. His vision of King Kai's planet is shifted to the background as a section of empty space where Namek used to be becomes visible. Both King Kai and Roshi leaned forward, squinting in order to get a better look at an abstract shape within the area, and finding themselves astonished at what they see.
"No way..." they both muttered, at the exact same time.
"What...what happened? Where...?"
Goku opened his eyes a sliver, and was left astonished by what he was seeing. In most directions, all that could be seen was empty space, not even the barest traces of debris visible from the planet which he had been on a moment ago. Off to his right, Namek's three suns were burning just as brightly, although Goku would have been unable to notice that their orbits had been altered ever-so-slightly by the destruction of Namek. He winced in pain as several minor cuts and blunt damage became apparent to him, and for a brief moment, Goku idly wondered why he wasn't dead yet. After a couple seconds, he noticed the bright yellow aura of ki surrounding him. He took a deep breath, and then let it out, without any complications.
"Huh. Some kind of...barrier, it looks like. Keeping all the air and heat in." He reached out with his senses and adjusted its size, expanding and contracting it slightly. He could sense the air and heat inside spreading out and growing closer together as he did so. Satisfied, he returned it to its original size. "I must've thrown it up instinctively when I first felt the impact of Frieza's attack."
This question answered, he attempted to look around for either Frieza or the ship, but for a moment, he could not find any sign of either of them. Eventually, however, he felt a familiar beacon of ki a good distance away from the planet.
"Wait, is that...yeah! That's Gohan! They brought him back! Which means Piccolo and Dende are close by in the ship!"
Goku checked once more for Frieza's ki signature, and yet still could not find any sign of the injured tyrant.
"The ki from that explosion was pretty insane...he probably took himself out. And, if I'd been a little slower...well. I should probably get back as quickly as possible."
He looked off towards the direction of his son's ki signature, only to pause as a smaller source of ki began to make its presence known. It didn't quite feel like the ki possessed by a particular person, but more like an extension. With a start, Goku realized both what the signature was and who had produced it, and it didn't take him much longer to determine where it was coming from. With as much speed as he could muster, he flew off to the right and put up a smaller barrier inside of the barrier he was currently projecting around himself. No sooner had he done so than a red disc, not dissimilar to Krillin's signature technique, sliced through Goku's original barrier, piercing it easily and causing all of the heat and air contained within to be forced out into the vacuum of space. Had Goku been only a fraction of a second too late in reacting, it would've pierced the interior barrier as well, leaving him utterly without oxygen.
"What the-?! Frieza?!"
As Goku turned around, he was, sure enough, met with the face of his adversary. Frieza grit his teeth as he watched his surprise attack fail to take out Goku in one shot. Evidently, he had taken more damage from the explosion than Goku had, making the wound in his chest all the more severe when paired with a myriad of other cuts and bruises. Rather than continuing to stream out of his wounds, the tyrant's blood appeared to have run dry from those areas, having vaporized once he entered the vacuum of space. While the red disc sailed away, Frieza began to chuckle, which Goku couldn't hear in the slightest.
"So, this is your ultimate technique?" Goku asked as he entered into Frieza's mind. "A red Kienzan? Tch! I expected better, even from you."
Although Frieza was left startled by Goku's abrupt intrusion, he nevertheless continued chuckling noiselessly.
"You can communicate with me telepathically? Clever trick," the tyrant replied, smiling at Goku. "In that case, I can tell you right now: this is nothing like that pathetic worm's attack. Allow me to demonstrate!"
With a flick of his hand towards him, Frieza turned the Death Saucer around, sending it flying back towards Goku. As Goku's senses alerted him to the danger once more, he took off upwards in an effort to outpace the disc. Unfortunately, to his dismay, the disc was right on his heels, and matched every turn he made in an attempt to shake it off. He could hear Frieza's condescending laughter ringing inside of his mind.
"Foolish monkey! That disc will follow you relentlessly, and it's powerful enough to cut through anything!"
As Frieza spoke, Goku flew up in a loop in an attempt to avoid the disc, but Frieza countered by directing it forwards, trapping Goku in the middle of his loop. Frieza grinned with satisfaction as the disc cut straight through Goku.
"Ha! Now, you die, Super Saiyan!" he thought. However, his eyes slowly widened as the upside-down image of Goku slowly began to fade, and Frieza realized that the Goku he had bisected was simply an after-image. He was just about to turn around when a ki blast hit him directly through his chest wound, further singing the exposed tissues inside and causing Frieza to cry out silently. Frieza turned to face Goku, seething in pain as his thoughts were momentarily thrown out of whack.
"Some kind of after-image technique, I see. Well! No matter." Frieza held up his hand as he called the disc back towards the other, hovering over it menacingly as he brought a second one into existence. "I'll simply create so many discs that you'll be unable to dodge them all!"
He threw out the two discs hovering above his hands, forcing Goku to take off once more in an attempt to evade them. Gritting his teeth in exertion, he produced two more discs and sent them flying after his target as well. With a slight smirk, Frieza followed the action as he guided each of the four discs towards Goku, who had to bob and weave in increasingly complicated ways just to avoid the onslaught of red sawblades. In an act of desperation, Goku attempted to throw a ki blast at the center of one of the discs to destroy it, and yet, although the blast pierced directly through the disc, it retained its integrity. Goku grimaced, realizing too late that Frieza had taken advantage of the fact that he had to look away for a moment to aim the ki blast, and was now sending a disc in his direction. Goku managed to dodge in time, creating another after-image which the disc cut through as before, although Frieza had grown wise to his tricks.
"You ought to vary your strategies, Saiyan! I'm already way ahead of you!" As he spoke in Goku's mind, the four discs changed course along four new trajectories, the tyrant mapping out the places Goku would be most likely to end up within his line of sight following his after-image technique. As his luck would have it, one of the discs flew directly towards its mark, and Goku had to awkwardly twist out of the way at the last second to avoid being cut in two. Although he managed to create an even smaller ki barrier at the same time, the larger barrier was once again pierced, leaving Goku with even less air than he'd started out with. Goku was left panting, beginning to feel the lack of oxygen around him in his small bubble. Frieza grinned, positioning the four discs so that they were hovering at four points along a spherical formation, each of them ready to end the Saiyan's life once and for all.
"Well, monkey, I suppose this is the end. I am forced to admit, even though it disgusts me, that in terms of both power and fighting skill, your abilities are indeed superior to my own. My injuries are testament enough to that. But, in the end, your own limitations are your downfall. By my estimation, I have reduced the oxygen supply within the boundaries of that barrier such that you will run out of air in a matter of minutes. Whether it is by my hand or the cold embrace of the universe, you will perish, and as you are no doubt aware, I can survive far greater horrors." As Frieza spoke, the discs slowly moved in closer, tightening an imaginary grip around the haggard Saiyan warrior. "After you die, it should be a simple matter to take over your ship, and direct it towards a nearby Frieza Planet in order to properly treat my injuries. And then, I will assemble an army, and assault Earth with the strongest soldiers I can bring to bear...so that everyone you care about will join you in the afterlife."
With this, Frieza decided to stop stalling, and flung all four discs to converge onto their target simultaneously. However, Goku still had some tricks up his sleeve. Before Frieza could react, Goku thrust his hand down and ceased all efforts to keep himself in one position through the power of flight. With nothing slowing him down, Goku fired off a small ki blast and rocketed upwards, narrowly avoiding the four discs as they passed his previous position. Without skipping a beat, Goku flew off, forcing Frieza to have the discs give chase. While two of them followed behind Goku, the other two veered off in an attempt to cut Goku off from the front, flying towards him from different directions intent upon meeting in the middle. Sensing the two discs, Goku rocketed forwards as much as he could, both himself and the field around him narrowly fitting through the gap between the discs. Frieza scoffed as he watched the two discs sail off for a few seconds before they too fell behind Goku.
"You're going to pull up at the last second and hope the discs will hit me? Do you really think I'll fall for such an overdone-?"
"Solar Flare!" Goku thought as he put both of his hands to his forehead and sent out a wave of blinding light mere feet away from Frieza's face, giving him no chance to react.
"AGH! Clever bastard!" Frieza cried out in his thoughts as he quickly flew up, hoping to catch Goku while also making sure to avoid his two discs. Unfortunately for him, Frieza's blindness left him unable to track down Goku, who swiftly got the best of him and sent him flying back down with a powerful blow to the back of the head. With a silent, yet no less furious cry of frustration, Frieza canceled out his descent and looked up at the Saiyan. In his current condition, Goku was little more than a vague blob above him, but he could still recognize the general shape of his most hated enemy.
"That's ENOUGH!" he cried out in Goku's mind. "You think you're better than me, Super Saiyan?! You're nothing but a hairless monkey! A genetic anomaly from a race of savages! My father could have wiped your kind out the moment he encountered your world, and yet, he chose not to! You exist because of our mercy!"
Suddenly, Goku spotted the two additional discs closing on Frieza's position, sticking to their original course now that the tyrant had momentarily forgotten about them. For a split second, he hesitated, and yet, in the end, he made the only choice he could.
"Frieza, get down!" he implored in his mind, only to be angrily rebuked.
"Silence! I don't know what stratagem you've devised in that primitive skull of yours, but it's not going to work! In mere moments, you will take your last breath, finally vanquished by the Emperor of the Universe, Lord Frieza-!"
The discs tore clean through Frieza in two places just as he was about to finish his sentence.
The first disc was the more significant of the two injuries, cutting straight through Frieza's neck just below his chin and leaving his head severed from the rest of his body. The second disc, adding both insult and injury to his injury, separated his legs and tail from his torso, mangling the rest of his body even further. With a silent, strangled gasp, Frieza's eyes were as wide as saucers as his vision cleared up just in time to watch his body parts slowly float away from his head. Purple blood flowed freely for a moment, pouring out in copious amounts before being vaporized on contact. With much less blood than he'd started out with, Frieza's vision began to blur slightly, and his thoughts became increasingly more erratic as he attempted to come to grips with his predicament.
So distracted was he that he failed to notice Goku easily avoiding the two remaining discs, which flew aimlessly in their last chosen direction now that their master was currently unable to control them. Goku flew down towards Frieza, looking towards him with what appeared to be disappointment, rather than rage or anger, written on his face. For a moment, Goku didn't say anything, simply staring down the disembodied head while Frieza began to panic, fully aware of the fact that he was in a very bad spot.
"You know," Goku finally said over their telepathic link. "I figured you probably wouldn't listen to me."
"Wait!" Frieza hastily cried out as he saw Goku's body tense slightly. "Wait, wait, please! I'll die if I remain out here! Y-you can't leave me like this!"
"Oh?" Goku asked, mere seconds before he grabbed the side of Frieza's face and tightened his grip, pulling his severed head up to eye level. "Why? Why shouldn't I leave you to die out here? Why shouldn't I ignore your cry for mercy, after you ignored so many yourself?! After you spent a lifetime slaughtering billions?! After you killed my friends and family?! Give me ONE good reason, you scum of the universe!"
Frieza's gaze hardened when he realized his position. He knew that, as things stood in that moment, Goku was probably going to kill him. He could come up with no plea that could permanently keep him from enacting his vengeance. Even if he didn't, there was no way he could survive. He would not last long enough to wait and hope for rescue without a heart pumping blood to his brain. He was, he realized, without any room for denial...beaten. He had done everything he could, and yet, he was still going to die. He was going to die to a Saiyan. For a brief moment, Frieza was overcome with unbridled fury, only for said fury to abruptly settle into a cooler rage. It was simple, he thought. The tyrant had but one plan of action left. His last act before he came face to face with death, in one way or another. Doing his best to hide his intentions, he said the only thing he could think of in order to set his plan into motion:
"Have you always been without mercy, Super Saiyan?"
This one question caught Goku off guard. He thought back towards a lot of the adversaries he had fought over the years. Some he had killed without a second thought, even going so far as to eat them for dinner. Some he tried not to kill, only for them to die anyway. Some he just beat up and left to their fate, who would come back sooner or later. And a few of them...changed. A few of them realized the error of their ways, and genuinely committed themselves towards becoming better people. They didn't always succeed, but they always gave it their best effort. Those people...they had become some of his greatest friends.
Yamcha, who used to rob people in the desert for a living. Tien and Chiaotzu, who trained under Master Shen. Piccolo, the son of the Demon King who Goku...wasn't quite certain considered him a friend yet. In Piccolo's case, Goku had made the call to let him live after their first bout, against Kami's wishes and his friends' cautions. He was confident at the moment, as he was back then, that his judgement of his adversary, whether or not he could truly redeem himself, was correct. The tyrant had, by his own admission, killed billions without remorse. He ran an empire responsible for the suffering of many more untold billions across the universe. He could not be allowed to live.
And yet, as he prepared to deliberately kill someone by his own hand for the first time in almost a decade, he had to ask himself...what if he was wrong? What if he was so caught up on the rage he felt, caught up on all of the subtle changes his body was undergoing the longer it remained in this new state, that he couldn't be trusted to make the right decision? Goku found himself in a rare moment of doubt, and although he was only left mulling it over for a few seconds before returning to his original conclusion, that brief moment of hesitation was all Frieza needed.
With Goku distracted and Frieza in point-blank range, the defeated emperor was able to fire a set of eye beams, using up all of the ki he had left in the process. Under ordinary conditions, these beams would have done nothing to Goku save perhaps distract him for a second, and certainly wouldn't have moved fast enough to hit him. However, with the Saiyan warrior so close, and even slightly off his guard, they were able to find their mark, and pierced straight through the thin barrier of ki which had until now forestalled Goku succumbing to the vacuum of space.
Suddenly without oxygen and completely exposed, Goku was abruptly taken out of his thoughts as he began to feel his entire body expanding from the sudden change in pressure. While Goku did everything he could to keep from attempting to inhale or screaming out in pain, Frieza's cold, remorseless laughter rang loudly inside of his skull. In a fit of anger, Goku fired off a powerful ki blast in the direction of Frieza's head, which had floated out of his grip after the barrier dropped. Even as Goku's ki blast easily tore the tyrant apart, Frieza's laughter only grew louder and more maniacal. Eventually, just before it had reached its crescendo, it abruptly cut out, and Goku was left to his fate in silence. As Goku's ki blast faded off into the distance, the only traces that remained of the horrible Frieza were his own mutilated body parts, floating idly through space. At long last, the emperor of the universe was, well and truly, gone.
Goku turned towards the distant beacon of ki that he knew to be his son, a beacon which now seemed to be approaching him. However, Goku could no longer muster any effort to move closer, and he knew the ship wouldn't be able to get to him fast enough. His body continued to expand, his lungs felt like they were about to burst, and he had to screw his eyes shut as the pain became too unbearable. Soon, even remaining conscious became a problem, and Goku made peace with the fact that he, too, was about to die.
"Sorry, guys," he thought to himself. "Looks like I'm gonna have to say goodbye again. Just...just sit tight until I come back, okay? Just sit tight. I'll...I'll see you around. Eventually. It's...it's only...a matter of..."
Goku drifted off mid-thought, the only sensations in his mind being the distant ki of his friends, and the presence of an intense, bright light.
"Daddy!"
Goku was adrift in a sea of blackness. Unable to move, unable to see, and unable to feel anything around him, all he had was what sounded like a far off voice. A voice that, in his state of mind, he barely even recognized.
"Daddy, wake up!"
"...Daddy?" Goku thought, his brain beginning to make a greater effort at conscious thought. "Then that would mean...Gohan?! Gohan, is that you?!"
"Please!"
Goku struggled as hard as he could to get up, but found his efforts useless. Similarly, his vision still remained pitch black, and his hearing was only getting slightly better. "Gohan, I'm right here!" he tried to call out telepathically, but couldn't even muster the strength to sense the location of his son's mind, let alone attempt to enter it. He tried in vain to let his son know that he was okay, but all of his efforts were for naught. Eventually, however, he was able to hear another voice, which seemed a little closer.
"Come on, Goku, you can do it! Pull through!"
He felt a weird tingling sensation throughout his entire body, and suddenly several things began to clear up. For one, he could now feel that he was on some kind of grass, which puzzled him more than anything else. His hearing also improved, and he could now clearly recognize the other voice as belonging to Dende. It didn't take much to deduce that he had been healing him, now that his thoughts were becoming less and less erratic. After a few seconds, he decided to test whether or not he could push himself up off the ground. He failed, but he at least managed to open up his eyes a sliver, and found his son and Dende staring back at him, with Piccolo standing off in the distance. Based on the color of the sky and the grass in the distance, they appeared to be on Namek, which was particularly strange to Goku considering that the last time he saw it...it was blowing up.
"What...?"
"Just take it easy, Goku," Dende said, pushing him back down a bit. "I still need to heal you a bit more. You suffered an extensive amount of damage out there. I'm honestly surprised that I was able to heal you at all."
Goku was pushed back down with only minimal resistance on his part, and the healing process resumed. As Dende worked, Piccolo walked to Goku's side and looked down towards his eyes.
"How is...?"
"You can thank me for that, you pig-headed fool," a familiar nasally voice chided inside Goku's head.
"King Kai..." Goku said out loud, still struggling to do much.
"As soon as you started fighting Frieza, I knew you were in a pretty bad spot. I contacted Mr. Popo back on Earth, and asked him to use your Dragon Balls to wish for the planet Namek to be restored to the way it was before Frieza and his men came. I'm told Shenron was rather surly over being asked to wait for so long, but in the end, he was able to do as Mr. Popo asked."
"So...everything's back to normal..."
"Yup!" Dende replied cheerfully. "All of the damage that the planet has suffered is gone! We can all go back to our home!"
Goku smiled slightly before another thought occurred to him. "Frieza..."
"Is truly dead," Piccolo replied. "I vaporized his remains personally. I'm assuming you took care of the head."
Goku gave a weak nod, pure relief evident on his features.
"I suppose I should say 'I told you so,' but I'd rather not pour salt in the wound," a new voice interjected. Goku smiled brighter as he recognized the voice of his master, while King Kai scoffed.
"Just because he happened to be lucky enough to have unlocked a legendary transformation that hasn't been seen for a millennium doesn't mean that my original advice wasn't perfectly sound! What you all did was incredibly reckless!"
"It...paid off, though...didn't it?" Goku asked. King Kai noticeably hesitated.
"I...I mean, I guess, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a poorly made decision-"
"Ah, come on, King Kai. Let the boy enjoy his victory. God knows he's earned himself some rest."
Goku smiled. "Thanks, Master Roshi," he said warmly. "I can't wait to see you again."
Roshi chuckled in his head. "Don't worry about me. I'll come back in due time. You just focus on getting back safely."
Goku gave a slight nod. "You got it, master." Somehow, Goku could almost feel Roshi smiling.
"I'm proud of you, son," he said before breaking the connection. Goku smiled and held out a hand for Gohan to pull him up to a standing position. Now that Dende had fully healed him, he was able to spot the capsule ship off in the distance.
"Come on, everyone," he said as he managed to keep himself standing, with Gohan's help. "Let's go home."
"Wait a second, hang on-you want to stay up there?"
Bulma sat with her legs crossed on a bench, in a room adjacent to the planned site of Capsule Corp's recently designed gravity chamber. She had been in the middle of taking a break when she suddenly heard Yamcha speaking to her in her head.
"Yeah! I asked King Kai, and he's fine with me staying on his planet to train, even though I'm not actually dead anymore. Plus, Roshi said that Fortuneteller Baba's fine with coming up and bringing me back to Earth as soon as I say I want to leave."
Bulma nodded slowly. "Still, though, are you sure? Being off the planet for months...well, at the very least, I can't imagine the Taitans will be happy that their star player is going to be gone even longer. Not to mention having to explain that said player was dead for, like, 5 minutes."
Yamcha chuckled. "Yeah, don't worry, I already worked that all out with Puar. She told them that I've been recovering at home."
"And the fact that you suddenly have both arms back?"
"Ah, let them come up with whatever theories they want. You really think anyone's gonna hit on 'It grew back after his prosthetic was cut off fighting an alien mercenary, and he ate a magic bean?'"
Bulma laughed. "You make a fair point." She paused for a second, thinking of saying something, but deciding against it. "Krillin and Nail are going to be staying up there too, right? And Roshi?"
"Yup! Master Roshi already seems to have gotten a head start on us. Nail's probably going to get way stronger, but I'm proud to say we got a bit of a head start on him, though."
"Oh? How'd you manage that?"
"We have better senses of humor."
Bulma couldn't help but snicker a bit. "Ha, yeah. I can imagine you do." After a moment, however, her expression darkened, and she came upon a subject that she wasn't quite sure how to bring up. Eventually, she decided to simply bite the bullet. "Listen, Yamcha...about what I said back on Namek, I-"
"Don't worry about it," Yamcha cut in, surprising Bulma. "Honestly, thinking on it some more...I think you're right. We just...aren't meant for each other, romantically. We both tried forcing it for so long that it just...put our lives on pause, almost. ...I think this is for the best."
Bulma nodded sadly. "Yeah," she said, and for a moment, neither of them said anything. At last, however, she spoke again. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Yamcha let out a deep breath before answering. "Yeah. Yeah, I think so. Are you?"
"...Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."
"Great."
"Yeah."
The two sat in silence for another minute, not sure how to continue the conversation. Eventually, however, the decision was made for them.
"Yeah, okay, I've officially run out of patience. Yamcha, get off my shoulder and go join the others! I want you all to make it 10 laps around the planet by the time I'm done with my coffee, got it?!" Yamcha let out a gulp before appearing to take off. "And I don't want to hear any more complaining about back pain, alright? Yeah, I'm talking to you, Roshi! Nobody's buying that excuse, pal-you're in better shape than Krillin!" King Kai scoffed as the others, presumably, began their laps. "Maybe that'll teach them not to use me like a damn cell phone," he muttered before he realized that Bulma was still on the line, and promptly disconnected.
After six days' travel, Goku, Piccolo, Gohan, and Dende landed the battered and bruised capsule ship on the same shore where the Namekian ship had first left. Unlike before, a far greater crowd was assembled to witness the return of Goku and the others. Turtle, of course, was left tending Roshi's home just as he was before, accompanied by Oolong and Puar. Tien, Blonde Launch, and Chiaotzu were also in attendance, Chiaotzu helping Tien stand comfortably with his telekinesis. Standing in between Launch and Tien was Chi Chi, who had to employ every ounce of concentration she could muster to keep herself calm as the ship descended, while her father watched her nervously from the front deck. Not too far away was Bulma, who was relieved that the group had managed to make it home safely, yet pursed her lips at the damage the ship had sustained. Standing in their own corner of the area was Tsuno and several other Namekians, Moori and Cargo among them, who came to greet Dende specifically.
In a matter of minutes, the ship landed on the island, kicking up a cloud of dust as it did so. When the cloud settled, the hatch opened, and Goku and Gohan stepped out, both of them displaying some slight reluctance as they caught sight of Chi Chi. While they hesitated, waving towards their friends whom they hadn't seen in some time, Dende flew past the pair of them and into Moori's arms, looking happier than the group had ever seen him. Piccolo stood behind Goku and Gohan, largely ignoring most of the crowd assembled there. With a deep breath, Goku stepped down the ramp, with Gohan in tow, while Chi Chi took a few steps towards them, accompanied by Launch, Tien, and Chiaotzu.
"Alright, Gohan, Mom's gonna be pretty mad, so just let me do the talking and it'll all work out-"
"YOU!" Chi Chi barked directly at Gohan, catching both father and son off guard as she stomped towards her son. Gohan gulped nervously before attempting to respond.
"Mommy, I know that-"
"Don't. Even. Try!" Chi Chi interrupted angrily. "I finally get you back after you were kidnapped for over a year, almost died in two pitched battles for the fate of the planet, and landed in the hospital with broken everything for a week! And what's the first thing you did when you got back home?! You snuck out in the middle of the night and climbed aboard a ship bound for an alien planet...and then almost died again! Like five times! And then actually died! I swear, when I'm done with you, you're going to wish that you had stayed out in space, you hear me?! I..."
At that moment, she paused as she saw her son shrinking even further into himself. The rage she felt evaporated in an instant, and she found herself struggling to maintain her composure. "I..." It wasn't long before the tears began to gather in her eyes, and the facade shattered. "I'm just glad you're okay!" she cried before wrapping Gohan up in the tightest hug he'd ever experienced and sobbing uncontrollably. Caught completely off guard, Gohan simply returned the embrace while Goku patted Chi Chi on the shoulder a couple times, in a rather awkward manner.
"Uh...there, there," he said. "Everything's okay. I'm fine, you're fine, Gohan's fine, we're all fine, here, now."
Chi Chi was far too wrapped up in her own relief to respond, while the others simply looked on confused.
"...Were you honestly expecting that?" Tien asked Launch.
"I don't think any of us were," she replied.
Upon their return, the travelers were greeted with a large feast prepared by Chi Chi, Chiaotzu, Oolong, and Good Launch. Goku and Gohan, as expected, tore through it ravenously, while the Namekians in attendance ate a small portion out of politeness. Many laughs were had as Gohan and Bulma recounted stories of their month long voyage, and Goku and Piccolo shared anecdotes of their time training together. By the time night fell, most of the group assembled had flown home, Piccolo flying off towards the Lookout and the other Namekians flying off towards Capsule Corporation. Eventually, the only people that were left on the front porch of Kame House were Bulma, Chi Chi, Gohan, and Goku, the last of which was currently in the middle of a far more somber conversation.
"Goku?" King Kai asked. "I got your message through Mr. Popo...are you sure about this?"
"Yeah. I need to finish what I started."
"...Very well. I'll send you the information you need. Good luck with your wife."
"Heh. Thanks, King Kai," Goku said before a series of mental images flooded into his mind over their telepathic link.
"And, well...good luck. The universe owes you a great debt." With that, he broke the connection, and Goku took a deep breath before he walked over to Chi Chi and Gohan.
"Gohan, go ahead and fly Mom home. I'll catch up in a few minutes."
Gohan gave Goku a knowing nod, before standing still so that Chi Chi could climb on. Without a word, he took off at a reasonable speed, heading off in the direction of Mt. Paozu. With that matter taken care of, Goku walked over to Bulma, who was busy inspecting the capsule ship.
"Sure took a beating, huh?" he remarked idly as Bulma mulled over the damage the ship had sustained. Bulma chuckled.
"Yeah, but we built it pretty sturdy. Should be able to fly again with some repair work."
Goku nodded. "...How long would it take you to fix it up as is?"
Bulma paused. "Based on what I'm seeing here...two days, maybe? There's a handful of components we'd need to rebuild and replace."
"Hm. Alright."
Bulma paused, and looked towards Goku quizzically. "You're going back out there," she said, more of a statement than a question. Goku nodded.
"Frieza's still got family and loyal followers out there. People who could move in and keep his empire going even after his death."
"Or go after the Namekian Dragon Balls once the Namekians go back home," Bulma added, to which Goku nodded.
"Somebody has to know where Frieza was and why he went there. Soon, a whole bunch of people might come knocking on their door for one reason or another."
"I had an idea about that once the Namekian balls come back online. I'm not sure if Porunga can do it, but if he can, the Namekians won't have to worry about anyone else bothering them."
Goku thought about this for a second. "All the same, going back out there is the best way I can think of to keep them safe, not to mention everyone else in the universe. And it's something I've got to do on my own."
Bulma's eyes widened a bit. "Are you sure? You might need somebody to help you out." Goku shook his head.
"This is going to be a dangerous mission, and I'm not putting anyone else's lives at risk, even if we have two sets of Dragon Balls now." Bulma paused for a moment, and Goku could tell she was racked with doubt over something. "You don't think I should go," he said simply, to which she shook her head.
"No, you definitely should. I'm just worried you're going to go out to find Frieza's dad, only for him to have gone around you in order to pay us a visit."
"Don't worry," Goku replied. "King Kai told me where Frieza's dad was, and as far as I know, he's the only one in Frieza's army too strong for Gohan and Piccolo to beat up. I don't suspect it'll take all that long to deal with him and whatever other cronies Frieza had out there."
Bulma let out a long, drawn-out sigh before chuckling a bit. "Well, you better hope so, or your wife is gonna kill you when you get back."
Goku had to laugh at that. "Bulma, I'm pretty sure my wife is going to kill me in a couple of minutes."
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR GODDAMN MIND?!"
Chi Chi had yet to kill him, although by her tone, Goku could tell she was thinking about it.
"Now Chi Chi, I know it's sudden, but-"
"You just came back! And now you're going to go flying off to fight somebody else?!"
"This is different!" Goku protested, earning him a scoff from Chi Chi. "Frieza's got a whole empire out there! If I don't do something, they could cause problems for us, not to mention the Namekians, and all the other people they're hurting across the universe."
"And if you just so happen to find somebody even stronger than Frieza, well, that's just an added bonus," Chi Chi added bitterly, causing Goku to sigh.
"Chi Chi, that's not-"
"Don't bother trying to deny it! I know how you think, Goku. You didn't feel like the last fight was enough of a challenge for you, so now you're bending over backwards to arrange another one! Once again leaving your wife and son and all of your friends behind so you can go do what's best for Goku!"
Goku found himself getting slightly cross. "I'm doing this for the same reason I went to Namek: to keep my family safe!"
Chi Chi crossed her arms. "You weren't talking about dismantling Frieza's empire before you left last time. In fact, I'm willing to bet if they hadn't run into Frieza on Namek, you would've been willing to leave well enough alone."
"...I hadn't thought about it then," Goku replied, evidently hesitant. "In that moment, I was focused on getting stronger and keeping everyone on Namek safe. I didn't stop to think about stuff like that."
"Tch. All that mattered to you was that he was strong and you were allowed to punch him." She continued on despite Goku's look of indignity. "So, what changed, hm? What's got you so hell-bent to go on this long journey out in space besides punching more strong guys in the face?"
Goku's expression darkened slightly. "You know damn well what changed," he said, more than a hint of anger in his voice. Chi Chi pushed forward regardless, plenty angry herself.
"So what, this is about revenge? That's never really been your style."
Goku clenched his fist involuntarily. "If you had been there-"
"If you had any idea what it feels like to be so completely powerless-!"
"I know exactly what that feels like! I HAD TO WATCH GOHAN DIE!"
Chi Chi was left stunned into silence, not merely by the statement itself, but by the fact that Goku appeared to be on the verge of crying. Something she had never seen him do in 6 years of marriage. As Goku hurriedly moved to wipe his tears with his sleeve, Chi Chi's anger evaporated, and her expression softened. She sat down on their bed and patted the space next to her. Goku nodded and sat down, and something in his posture left her unsettled. He had always been a strong man, with an equally strong personality. Like a star: bathing everyone close to it in sunshine, yet burning with a fire unlike anything else in the cosmos. And yet now, as he sat next to her, she couldn't help but feel like he was...smaller than before.
"I thought I'd won," he began. "It had taken everything I had, but I thought I'd been able to beat him. But then...he took us by surprise. Left Piccolo an inch away from the grave with a single attack. I tried to stop him, but I'd burned through all my reserves. He...he tossed me aside like I was nothing. I-I could barely stand. Krillin and Yamcha, they tried to get away, but...he killed them with a thought. And then..."
"Gohan," she said, tears threatening to cloud her vision as well. Goku nodded, barely keeping himself together.
"H-he looked at everything that had happened, a-and he was so overcome with anger that-"
"Stop. Please. I don't...I don't want to hear anything about it."
Goku nodded. "After...after that happened, something in me snapped."
"This new transformation I've been hearing about," Chi Chi said, to which Goku nodded before sighing deeply.
"Looking back...it was more than just what had happened to Gohan specifically. It was...everybody. Everybody who had died because I couldn't prevent it. Because I wasn't strong enough, or I made a mistake, or I hadn't been able to get to them in time. I've been dealing with stuff like that since I was eight years old, and honestly? I'm...I'm sick and tired of it." He paused in order to turn towards Chi Chi, and look her in the eyes. "That's why I need to do this. Not just to help everybody out in the universe...but so I can guarantee that none of my friends die like that, ever again. Not on my watch. If something like that happened to you, or Gohan, or Ox King, I...I don't know how I'd ever forgive myself."
Chi Chi paused for a moment, processing all that Goku had told her before sighing. She looked over at her husband with a sad smile, and hesitated for a second before speaking up.
"...Okay," she said. "You can go. Just...promise me one thing."
"Name it," Goku said.
"When you come back...stay. Stay as long as you possibly can."
Goku nodded, and smiled at her with a bit more of his usual brightness.
"Done."
"You know, these constant farewells are starting to get a bit annoying."
Oolong stood on the deck leading into Capsule Corp's sprawling park area, designated as the new launch site for the repaired Capsule 1 spaceship. Like before, all of Goku's friends and family were in attendance, although the mood was considerably less cheerful. As Oolong leaned against the railing, he noticed Piccolo and Goku walking towards the ship.
"Are you entirely certain about this? I may be able to provide assistance."
Goku shook his head. "You ran into a close call back on Namek, Piccolo. It's safer for me to go alone this time. Besides, somebody needs to be able to protect the Earth."
Piccolo scoffed. "I fail to see what significance the risk of death has when we possess an artifact with the capacity to resurrect a person an unlimited number of times."
"Maybe, but I'd still like to avoid it anyway."
Piccolo growled slightly. "Listen well, Son Goku! I am not some weakling who needs to be coddled and kept away from the heat of combat! I am-!"
Goku turned around and powered up slightly, a move which caused some of the people assembled to pause as they sensed his energy, while Piccolo was simply left stunned. Not by much, of course. Simply enough to where he was stronger than Piccolo. Even with his base power, Piccolo realized, Goku must be over ten times stronger than him. Factoring in Times Twenty Kaio-ken, two hundred. Factoring in this new "Super Saiyan" transformation...he didn't even know. Goku had been severely wounded when he fought Frieza, and yet even the tyrant's full power wasn't enough to best him. With this new power...how much stronger was he now? Four hundred times? Five hundred? More?
Piccolo had devoted his entire life towards one goal: being the strongest being alive. Although his fusion with Kami gave him some valuable perspective and humility, that drive to be the strongest and surpass Goku in particular still remained. During their training and time on Namek, he had continually surpassed Goku's base form thanks to his advanced potential, and yet that hardly seemed to matter when Goku's techniques allowed him to easily turn the tide in their sparring matches. Although he had observed Goku using the Kaio-ken over weeks of training, he had yet to successfully replicate it, and even if he could do so, the sheer gulf in their current powers meant that such a technique would still not be enough. So far had he fallen behind that he couldn't even claim to be the second strongest person on Earth anymore: that honor went to Gohan, his rival's flesh and blood. And although he was proud of his pupil's strength, it was nevertheless a reminder of his own shortcomings. Although he clenched his fist for a second or two, Piccolo eventually sighed, and looked down towards the grass, defeated.
"...Very well."
Goku nodded towards him, satisfied that he'd gotten his point across. "Keep everyone safe while I'm gone, okay?"
Piccolo simply nodded as well, too conflicted to comment much further. With that resolved, Goku walked up to where his wife and son were standing, and looked into Chi Chi's eyes. Nothing needed to be said. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and reached over to ruffle Gohan's hair. "Make sure to do your homework, okay?" he said, to which Gohan nodded. "And don't forget: if any bad guys show up, beat the snot out of them!" Gohan snickered a bit at that, while Chi Chi simply rolled her eyes with a slight smile.
"Alright, you big lug, stop being silly and go dismantle an intergalactic dictatorship," she quipped, to which Goku laughed.
"Yes, ma'am!" he replied enthusiastically before leaping up onto the landing deck of the ship in a single bound. As the door hissed open, Goku turned back around and waved to the crowd assembled. "Goodbye, everyone! Take care!" As the others said their goodbyes, Goku walked backwards into the ship, the door closing behind him. Two minutes later, the ship lifted off at breakneck speeds, intent upon a planet far, far further away than anywhere the Saiyan warrior had traveled before.
Elsewhere, on the other side of the galaxy, an exceptionally tall figure sat examining a viewscreen, poring over an address that he had written. The dim glow of the viewscreen and the distant lights outside his window only partially illuminated the Spartan, moderately sized room which served as his personal living quarters. Fortunately for him, the screen, accompanying chair, and the room as a whole had both been designed with his towering 3 meter height in mind, which included his long, formidable horns. Outside his massive, reinforced glass window, the bustle of a major city ran at full speed, even in the dead of night. Small air speeders filled the designated flight routes, while ground transports flitted to and fro carrying both vital supplies and passengers bound for a nice night out, family gatherings, or...other means of entertainment. Planet Chilled had it all, as is the case with the capitals of all great empires.
Long ago, before the Frost Demon Chilled was born, Planet Chilled, then called Frigis, was a world much like many others throughout the galaxy: torn apart by senseless conflict between rival factions, and either unable or unwilling to provide for all of its citizens. Chilled, born of the weakest of these factions, was a mutant, one whose sheer power terrified the other factions. Two days after he had reached maturity, Chilled ended the wars on his homeworld as the leader of his mother's clan, uniting all Frost Demons under a single ruler. Over time, the Frost Demons grew past their animosity towards each other, and came to be a truly united people, their civilization progressing at a startling rate. In no time, they took to the stars, whereupon Chilled founded the business that would become his family's trade, and the employer of all Frost Demons in one capacity or another: the Planet Trade Organization. For centuries, his descendants would continue to operate this organization, expanding it into an empire unlike any the universe had ever seen, one which even the Galactic Patrol was powerless to combat. And yet, now...now that legacy may have been tainted. A proud member of the Chilled Clan, plucked off the face of the universe in the prime of his young life, and poised to accomplish his ancestor's dream of holding every planet in the universe over the course of his lifetime. A dream which would have to wait another generation before it could be realized.
King Cold heaved a heavy sigh and turned his thoughts back towards his viewscreen. As he mulled over the content and, indeed, whether it was wise to say anything at all, he heard a ping at his door. He was too absorbed to pay it much attention, but after a couple repetitions, he slammed his fist down angrily onto the desk.
"Enter!" he called out irritably, and the door swiftly opened to reveal a tiny shadow walking calmly into the room. He seemed to recognize the smaller figure by the patter of her footsteps, and his posture relaxed. "My apologies," he said as he turned around, coming into the light entering the room through the open door. The shadows of the room danced as Cold's horns were cast in light before the door closed, returning the room to relative darkness. "What have you to report, Berryblue?"
The smaller figure slowly stepped forward, revealing a tiny, lightly blue-skinned woman who appeared to be of advanced age. Her small stature, pink hair, and oval-like face did little to detract from the overwhelming air of confidence she possessed.
"My king, it has taken some time, but our scouts from Frieza Planet 79 have traveled to Namek...and encountered something of a mystery."
"Oh?" Cold asked, resting a hand over his chin.
"According to their report, when they set foot on the planet, they did not encounter any Namekians at all, and certainly not any mythical artifacts of any kind. They could find no trace of Frieza's ship or the Attack Ball stolen from FP-79 by the Saiyan Prince, Vegeta. And furthermore, upon analyzing various soil and mineral samples from the planet, they realized that the samples did not conform to how they should have under normal conditions."
"In what way?"
"In simple terms...the planet is approximately 2 weeks, 2 days, and 5 hours younger than it ought to be. That time frame ring a bell to you, my king?"
"The exact time that Frieza's communications officer first informed my staff of her master's arrival on Namek," Cold replied.
"Precisely. For some unknown reason, based on the readings obtained by FP-79's long range scanners, Planet Namek blew up 8 days ago, and was suddenly back within a few minutes, having been miraculously restored to be 8 days younger than it was when it exploded." Berryblue paused for a moment as the gravity of her report sunk in. "And Frieza has not made contact with anyone since he called on the Ginyu Force to make the journey to Namek."
Cold nodded, covering his mouth with his closed hands as he reflected on the problem. "It's possible he made his escape in one of the Ginyu Attack Balls," he said, a part of him clinging to hope.
Berryblue shook her head. "Of the five, four departed for a planet called Zoon, a planet beyond the empire's current boundaries. There's no reason Frieza would attempt to travel there. I suspect defection on the part of the Ginyu Force, but-"
"Enough. I will not tolerate such slander against Ginyu. His loyalty to our organization is beyond reproach."
"And his subordinates? Are they as dedicated to our cause as the good captain?" Cold said nothing, and Berryblue simply chuckled. "That's what I thought. Anyway, it is more likely that Frieza is in the fifth Attack Ball en route to Yardrat, as that was its programmed destination. However, we both know-"
"Frieza would only run if he already had one foot in the grave," Cold replied, to which Berryblue nodded. "He gets that stubbornness from his late mother, I suppose."
"In any event, a full medical team has been dispatched from FP-79 with all due haste since we first detected the pod, and will intercept the pod and take it in tow in approximately 13 hours." Berryblue paused for a second, weighing an unfortunate possibility in her mind. "However...if our dear Prince has been killed...I can think of only one, perhaps two explanations."
Cold shook his head. "The beast almost certainly remains in its slumber, and it is unlikely that Beerus would ever do something like this."
Berryblue cocked her head. "How can you be certain of that?"
"Because in either case, you and I and everyone else on this planet would've been killed the same day." Cold shook his head. "No. Something else is at work here, and based on those anomalous readings...I'm starting to wonder if Frieza was on to something."
"You really believe these Dragon Balls exist?"
"More bizarre things in this universe have come and gone, Berryblue. Besides, can you come up with an explanation?"
Berryblue's eyes widened slightly. "Then there may yet be hope...we can bring back the Prince!"
Cold nodded. "Yes...but not now. Not yet. Before my son returns to the world of the living, I must have the head of the person who tore him away from it."
"M-my king, are you sure that is wise? If Frieza is dead, then the person who killed him could be much, much stronger!"
"Precisely. Which is why I must train, in order to grow powerful enough to kill that person."
Berryblue nodded slowly. "I understand, my king."
"Tell those scouts to remain on Namek."
"B-but I just told you, they found no traces of-"
"Have them check again," Cold replied forcefully, causing Berryblue to pause ever so slightly. "If there is even a chance of those artifacts still being on Namek even after the explosion, they must remain in order to secure them."
Berryblue nodded slowly. "And what do you wish to be done about the Ginyu Force, assuming it was they who fled the planet?"
Cold thought for a moment. "Best not to take any chances. Have the Armored Squadron set course for Planet Zoon immediately. If they can explain themselves, let them off with a warning. If they don't...kill them. These are my orders."
"Your wishes shall be carried out to the letter, my king," Berryblue said, bowing before her master. Before she left, Cold raised a finger after a moment of consideration.
"One more thing," he said, causing her to turn around.
"Yes, my king?"
"...Prepare my personal shuttle. I have a task that I must attend to off-world before my training can begin."
"Understood. I wish you a safe journey, my king," she said, before leaving the room. As light shone in once again, and the face of King Cold was illuminated once more before the door shut, casting the returning leader of the Frieza Force, and his machinations, into total darkness.
...It's over.
15 chapters. 84 reviews, by my count. Roughly two-thirds of the favorites and probably around that percentage of the followers as well. Far too many views to count, and definitely way too many words to try and find in my doc, but after almost 7 months flat, Hermit's combined Namek and Frieza Sagas have come to their conclusion. This...this has been a ride, let me tell you.
To date, Hermit has topped all of my personal records and blown them out of the water. At 26 chapters containing 143,385 words of content(give or take a thousand or two), it is far, far longer than anything I have ever written, and will only continue to get longer as it goes on. It is by far my most widely reviewed fic, as well as my fic with the most favorites, followers, and page-views(which are currently looking like they could give Zarbon a run for his money in a power level contest). Honestly, my mind is already blown by all of this, but to just compound onto that, unless I'm mistaken, my second biggest fic is Mina Ashido: Ultimate Matchmaker. Did not see that one coming, let me tell you. Not saying I think it's my worst work, obviously, but like...wow, that thing took off fast. (I'm working on Chapter 5 please be patient ;-;)
As always, I still need to get through the power levels and reviews, so we'll take care of those before we proceed with more sappy stuff. Now, reviews!
Sceonn(long time no see, buddy! Glad you're still tuning in!) says: "Well Goku better erect a Ki Barrier real Quick, thankfully it's a technique he's known as a kid." Yup, haha. Had to be able to go up to the moon and back somehow. ;)
Anonymously96 says: "I think Goku could make a energy shield not to protect from explosion but to trap in air and fly to capsule Corp ship?" Yes he can! Although, a certain somebody took issue...
RKF22 says: "EXCELLENT WORK" THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOU'RE AWESOME!
GhostKing666 says:
"If you think Jeice's backstory is crazy, Burter developed his speed because his mother made him do all the household chores and would slap him if he was late preparing dinner, Recoome's surprising agility and talent with poses is because he practiced dance and as a child Guldo used his psychic powers to flip women's skirts steal toys.
Oh, and before he joined Cooler's Armored Squadron, Dore was a member of the Galactic Pro Wrestling League. Undefeated in 300 matches and killed all of his opponents. Also just like how Jeice has a rivalry with Salza, Recoome has a rivalry with Dore and wants to defeat Dore to prove that his muscles are the best in the galaxy."
Jeez, lmao. I knew vaguely about the comedic backstories of the Ginyu Force, but I had no idea that the Armored Squadron got the same treatment. Oh, by the way, Armored Squadron coming up next. Get hyped for that.
Finally, Ushindeshi says: "Oh my God. Is Goku still alive. Awesome chapter, I loved the way you made Goku so brutal than he did on the anime." Yes, and also, thank you! I'm a little worried I made Goku a bit too brutal, though, lol. Tbf, he was pretty pissed off at Frieza by that point.
Next up, power levels! Not sure if I'll keep doing these since canon does away with them right about now, but here we go anyway!
Frieza(100%, even more injured): 77,000,000
Frieza(Death Saucers): ? Honestly, with this and the Kienzan, I just assume it'll cut whoever their user is fighting and leave it at that. Easier that way than trying to provide a scale.
Goku(post-space dip): 4,500,000. Super Saiyan would be 225,000,000.
Roshi, Nail, Yamcha, Krillin: Roughly the same for now.
Piccolo: Just about 460,000 after all the fighting.
King Cold: 100,000,000
Berryblue: 500
Armored Squadron: Sources are conflicting on this, it looks like, but since Ginyu is commonly understood to be the most powerful being that isn't Frieza or King Cold, it seems reasonable to put the Armored Squadron as being around/above Ginyu's men. So, let's put Salza at 90,000, Dore at 50,000, and Neiz at 55,000.
Vegeta: I'd say probably about 3,00,000 if and when he recovers.
With all that said, thank you all, so much, for taking the time out of your lives to look at my Dragon Ball Z fic. Thank you for taking the time to leave reviews and feedback. Just...thank you, for giving it a chance. I'm beyond glad that so many of you have genuinely enjoyed reading it enough to keep coming back every other Sunday for the next chapter. It means more than I can really describe-ironic, considering my profession, but true nonetheless. Admittedly, however, that makes what I'm about to do next all the more difficult.
As of this moment, I am placing Hermit on hiatus, for an indefinite duration.
Around early to mid-way through this arc, I was operating on a pace that allowed me to keep several chapters ready down the pipeline, to ensure that even if something came up, I'd still be able to put up chapters at the twice-a-month schedule that I had established. By the time I got to the epic final battle with Frieza, chapter 23 specifically, this stock of extra chapters just about disappeared. I've been playing catch-up with chapters 24 and 25, finishing both just days ahead of their release dates. If I had to attribute this to anything, I'd say it's two things.
For one, my vacation, while incredibly fun, took up a good 12 days of writing time, which significantly threw off my schedule. This pressure combined with a second factor: I haven't quite been able to summon up the same energy I did before. The schedule, which had never really bothered me too much due to the pace I had been on up until now, suddenly became overbearing. I became worried that I was creating a rushed product for these last few chapters, and I wanted desperately to give myself another week to recharge. However, then I felt guilty, because I thought I'd be making you all wait even longer for the epic conclusion. So, I pushed harder, and honestly, probably didn't use the time as efficiently as I could have anyway. I write this about one and a half days away from uploading this chapter, having worked on the last few sections off and on since I abruptly woke up around 5 am. I think I still did a pretty good job on these last few chapters, but all the same, I'm tired. I pushed myself to the end of the arc with the goal of being at a place where I can put this fic on pause, without shame. Well, without too much shame.
I can't definitively say when this fic will upload again. I definitely don't want to keep you all waiting too long, and yet, with college on the horizon, my life is about to undergo some significant changes. Changes which may prevent me from being able to write at nearly the same pace as I have been. Furthermore, when I do come back, I don't want to upload two chapters and vanish again. I want to be able to give you guys an arc, on the same schedule as I've been managing. This experience has shown me that that requires not only time to write the several chapters necessary for a solid arc, but also enough time to have accumulated a decent buffer, so that I can keep that arc going even as life stuff gets in the way. That might mean several months, at least, possibly longer, before normal uploading resumes, and even then, I can't guarantee that I'll be able to keep that going for longer than that one arc. I may be acting overly cautious, but I find it doesn't hurt to be prepared.
I apologize for those of you who were expecting the story to keep going at the pace it's been going, but I just don't think it's completely feasible for me to do that for how long this next arc will require at the moment. I appreciate those of you who will understand and remain patient with me as I slowly but surely crank out the next arc, sooner or later. In the meantime, though, I've got one or two ideas planned before I take my leave. I'm not going to be starting up any new ongoing fics, but I was thinking that all of the current fics I want to update deserve at least one more chapter. That's where I'm going to be devoting most of the time I got left. We'll see how that pans out. I also had the thought of putting up a separate bonus chapter to answer all the reviews you guys leave after this one, updating every so often to reflect new ones. Or, hey, maybe even some sporadic "Hermit KAI" bonus chapters just for funsies? Got a few options there.
Anyway, once again, I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read through all this(both the note and the fic, lol). As I always say, thank you all for reading, have yourselves a fantastic day...and take care.
We'll meet again
Don't know where, don't know when
Oh, I know we'll meet again
Some sunny day