Dragon Ball Z Dynasty

by Feraligreater328

When travelling along Snake Way, Son Goku suddenly finds himself plummeting down to Hell. There, he meets a surprisingly familiar ghost from his past that promises to change everything about his life going forward. How will the Saiyan react to this sudden, positive change in his life? Find out in Dragon Ball Z Dynasty.

39. Chapter 38: Golden Dawn

Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty

Written by: Feraligreater328 and StevenBodner

Chapter 38: Golden Dawn

On the battlefield…

Goku gasped in pain as Frieza slammed his fist into the Saiyan from Earth's chest. He slid back and Frieza hit him again. The emperor was getting angry with his foe, both for the Saiyan refusing to fall and because he couldn't understand what the Saiyan was hoping to achieve. "Why won't you put your arms down?!"

Frieza slammed his fist into Goku's face. "I demand that you put your arms down right now!"

He kicked Goku hard in the ribs and the Saiyan gurgled up a bit of blood. He couldn't let his arms fall... no matter what! This was their last chance at winning this. If Goku dropped his arms and the Spirit Bomb failed, then Frieza would kill them all.

Frieza continued his assault, battering Goku senseless. This beating was brutal, but it did provide one benefit to Goku. In his boiling rage, Frieza was too livid to look up. And therefore, the emperor did not notice as the Spirit Bomb swelled larger and larger right over his head.

On the sidelines…

The sickening crunch of Frieza's fists slamming into Goku was perfectly audible even on the distant sidelines. Each punch and the scream that followed made everyone flinch. It was uncomfortable for them all, forced to sit on the sidelines and watch. But... what could they do? None of them were powerful enough to step up to Frieza and most of them were still severely injured.

Gine couldn't feel her arm anymore, Vegeta had yet to even sit up, and every bone and muscle in Bardock's body was either strained, cracked, or broken. Piccolo had a vein bulging on his head as he tried to force his power out. But despite his best efforts, the Namekian still couldn't get the roadblock in his head to budge. No one was sure what to do. Goku wouldn't last this entire beating. Not long enough to charge the Spirit Bomb, not long enough to throw it.

And then, Raditz took a step forward.

The eldest child of Bardock and Gine looked down at his busted hand and then out to the sight of Frieza beating Goku senseless and he shook his head. Gine glanced over to her son and held up her hand. "R-Raditz... what are you thinking?"

Raditz sighed. He turned to Gine and spoke with a nervous waver in his voice. "Honestly... I'm thinking I might be headed straight to Hell again..."

Bardock grunted. "Raditz..."

Raditz put on an uneasy smile. "B-But..."

The older brother gripped his fist, every broken bone crackling. "Even if he's stronger than me... and even if Frieza is stronger than him... Kakarot is still my little brother. I can't just sit on the sidelines and watch him get beaten like this. I might die, but..."

Raditz took a deep breath and sighed. "... but I guess that's my job as the older brother."

And then Raditz roared. "KAIOKEN x20!"

With a burst of power, Raditz took off. He went flying directly towards the action with everyone else watching on.

On the battlefield…

Frieza snarled, slamming Goku to the ground with his tail. The emperor glowered over the Saiyan with an intense sneer. "Drop. Your. Arms. Now!"

Goku glared up at Frieza, not dropping his arms. He did not bother to respond to Frieza in the slightest. Goku shakily got back to his feet and smirked at the tyrant. Frieza was frothing. He jammed his finger towards Goku and shot a beam through the Saiyan's knee. "I said drop them!"

Goku knelt on the ground. He had to hold out until the end. He had to make this attack work. Frieza marched forward and lifted his leg, pressing his foot on top of Goku's head. The emperor began to push down, growling as he did. He was going to make this Saiyan obey him. He would obey. Frieza would force his hideous monkey face so far into the dirt it would leave a perfect imprint.

Frieza squeezed Goku's head with his toes. "You are behaving so irritatingly..."

The emperor began to raise his gaze upward. "What are you even-"

Before Frieza could look up, however, a swift kick from the side smashed into his cheek. The emperor went tumbling and slid across the ground. Shakily, Goku looked up towards his savior. Relief and worry both instantly crossed the Saiyan from Earth's face. "R-Raditz?"

Raditz chuckled nervously. He reached down and grabbed the wrist guard that was crushed around his broken hand, breaking it off with a grunt. "Hey, Kakarot..."

Goku was confused. "Wh-What are you doing?! You aren't strong enough to fight him!"

Raditz shrugged. "You let me worry about that. Just focus on your thing, okay? I'm your big brother! I got this!"

Instantly, Frieza came rocketing across the field and knocked Raditz across the face with a devastating right hook. Raditz crashed to the ground and laid there... still. Goku gasped in horror and Frieza chuckled, vile and mocking. "I'm sorry. What exactly do you plan to do, Raditz?"

Goku shouted. "L-Leave him alone, Frieza!"

The emperor turned to Goku with an angry glare. But then, that glare became a malicious smirk. "Make me. Put your arms down and make me, monkey."

And then, with a skip in his step, Frieza marched up to Raditz. He used his tail like a whip and cracked it against Raditz's side, shattering the armor and snapping Raditz's ribs. The elder brother clutched his side with a moan and Frieza responded with a bell-ringing right hook to the face.

Frieza chuckled. "You're the big brother, are you? Tell me, what exactly is being the 'big brother' supposed to accomplish?"

Raditz smirked at Frieza. He opened his mouth and coughed up several teeth and a small puddle of blood. "Y-You're just jealous... Probably the first time you've seen a big brother care about his little brother, huh?"

Frieza's smile faded and he delivered another heaving blow to Raditz. "Glutton for punishment, aren't you?"

Woozy and struggling to stay conscious, Raditz snapped into a loose fighting stance. He put up his fists and stared right at Frieza. "I... I can do this all day..."

Frieza nodded and gripped his fists tight. "We shall see."

Back on the sidelines…

With a groan and a lot of struggling, Bardock shakily got back to his feet. He was clearly in no condition to fight, but he didn't care in the least. Bardock flashed back to his and Chi-Chi's argument on the ship. He flashed back to what she said, her scolding about letting one's offspring be hurt for the sake of achieving the greater good. And he agreed with her. Bardock limped forward, towards the edge of the platform they were all standing on. He couldn't just sit back and let Frieza beat his boys to death like that.

Bardock lurched forward, ready to leap into the fray, but then he was stopped by a hand wrapping around his wrist. He turned and was shocked to see Gine on her feet as well. The two of them stared at one another. Bardock quickly broke the silence with a shout. "Gine! What the hell are you doing?! I have to get down there!"

Gine started. "Bardock-"

The older Saiyan interrupted. "'Bardock' nothing! I can't just stand around, Gine! I gave up my life 25 years ago to make sure that the two of them got to live! I can't just stand by and let them die now!"

Gine snapped. "WE gave up our lives!"

Bardock flinched. Gine squeezed his hand and lowered her head. "We gave up our lives so they could live, Bardock. You and me..."

And then she glared right into her husband's eyes. "And we'll do it again if we have to!"

A confident smirk spread across Gine's face. "Right?"

Bardock was slightly taken aback, but then he returned the smirk. "You're damn right!"

The two of them squeezed each other's hands. Gine pulled Bardock's head down to kiss her husband on the lips. And then, finally, the two of them powered-up!

"KAIOKEN x3!"

"KAIOKEN x20!"

Gine turned, her power surging. "I hope we live. I really wanna retire to Earth together~"

Bardock chuckled. "We'll live! Probably..."

Then, the couple took off and rushed to the battlefield.

On the battlefield…

It had only been a few minutes, but Raditz was already on his last legs. The elder brother was giving it his best against Frieza, but his best was nowhere near good enough. He had already been beaten out of his Kaioken, and now he was at Frieza's mercy.

The emperor seemed bored. He slammed his fist into Raditz's chest and Raditz instantly crumpled back. But before he could fall to the ground, Frieza caught him by the hair. Raditz groaned, shakily pulling up his arms to block and Frieza chuckled. "Poor, poor Raditz..."

Frieza held up his hand, charging a blast. "I'll make it quick~"

The emperor's hand was glowing with death and Raditz knew it. He wouldn't survive this. The elder brother limply shifted his gaze over to his younger sibling and they shared a prolonged stare. Goku's hands trembled. He couldn't just watch this happen. Quickly, Goku prepared to drop the incomplete Spirit Bomb on top of Frieza, hoping that the shock would throw the tyrant off guard long enough for Goku to land a solid hit.

But before Goku could do that, two more saviors stepped in. Gine and Bardock both fell from the sky, each of them on a mission. Bardock slid under Frieza and slammed an energy-coated fist into the monster's gut while Gine kicked Frieza in the back of the head. As Frieza fell to his knees, Gine grabbed her beaten elder son and dragged him to safety.

Frieza snarled, taking the blast in his extended palm and trying to slam it down onto Bardock, but Bardock quickly caught it. Frieza's strength was massive, much larger than Bardock's. But the Saiyan father was at least one hundred times more stubborn. With a roar, he held his ground, preventing Frieza from striking him down.

This show of strength lasted long enough for Gine to make her return. Sliding in from the side, she took Frieza's feet out from under him, allowing Bardock some relief and giving her husband enough leeway to throw the blast aside and then uppercut Frieza into the air. Gine stood and she and Bardock each tossed a blast at the monster, but both attacks harmlessly smashed into Frieza's skin and dissipated. The emperor glared down at each of these two new intruders and zipped back towards the ground as quickly as he could. He turned his attention to Bardock and grabbed his hated enemy by the chest piece. "Why?! Why are you my one problem that just refuses to die?! How many times do I have to kill you before you stay dead?!"

Frieza slammed his fist into Bardock's face. "You're like a cockroach!"

Gine leapt at Frieza from behind, her fist raised. "Let him go!"

Without looking, Frieza wrapped his tail around Gine's fist and face, snapping it tight around both and keeping Gine held high in the air. "All of these other fools are nothing! I could kill any of them at once without even half interest! I focus on killing you three times and keep returning! What must I do to end you?!"

Gine dangled there as Frieza continued to beat her husband. Each punch took more and more of a toll as Frieza landed them. Bardock was already plenty injured as it was, he couldn't take much more of this sort of punishment. Gine had to think of something to get loose.

She tried to lift her other arm, but that wasn't working at all. It was totally dead. Gine struggled in Frieza's grip. She wiggled around fruitlessly and quickly became frustrated. As Bardock's beating continued and Gine got angrier, she glared at Frieza. And then, Gine realized that she had one strategy left to try.

Frieza was venting his frustration. With each vicious punch, Bardock's face got bloodier and Frieza got more satisfied. Maybe this time, the stubborn monkey would stay dead. Frieza gripped his fist tight and surrounded it with energy. He reared back to slam it into Bardock's face, but then was overcome with the most intense pain.

The tyrant shrieked and turned, livid to find Gine latched down deep into his tail with her teeth. Gine continued to bite harder and deeper, her teeth sinking into Frieza's flesh until she drew blood. She glared at Frieza, the tyrant's blood running out of her mouth. Frieza glared back. Frieza's full fury was turned on Gine. "You vile scum! How dare you..."

Frieza instantly dropped Bardock and began to beat the hell out of Gine.

Back on the sidelines…

Standing at the edge of the peak, Gohan was trembling with utter fury as he watched the wicked tyrant beat both of his grandparents, tossing them around like playthings. As Gohan stood there and watched, his guilt weighed heavy on his shoulders. He had heard both of them, his Grandpa Bardock and Grandma Gine, resign themselves to die and... he just couldn't accept that. Gohan was ready to explode, but then he felt a steady hand clap down onto his shoulder. The boy turned and was surprised to see Krillin standing there. The monk nodded his head. "Ready for one last ride, partner?"

Gohan smiled and nodded. "Yeah! Let's do it!"

The two of them shared a fist bump, and then they both took off. Chi-Chi's eyes widened as she watched her son fly towards the danger. "Gohan!"

Chi-Chi's first instinct was to call for her son to return. But then, as she stepped forward and saw how Frieza had pummeled most of her family, Chi-Chi made a split-second, foolhardy decision. "D-Damn it..."

Chi-Chi summoned what little power she had. "Wait for me!"

As even Goku's wife leapt into the fray, Piccolo stood there. The feeling of his uselessness weighing heavily on his mind. But the more upset he became and the more negative his mindset, the less power Piccolo seemed able to pull. Piccolo squeezed his eyes shut and continued to try and force his power loose. "Son of a bitch..."

Back on the battlefield…

Frieza stomped his foot down onto Gine's chest. In the short time since she had bitten him, the tyrant had made her existence a complete misery. Every part of her already-battered body ached from the severe beating Frieza had rewarded her for her efforts at injuring him. Gine's face was bleeding, bruised, and swollen. Her every twitch sent waves of pain through her body.

Frieza pointed his finger, pulsing with deadly energy and intent, directly at the center of her forehead. "You're that determined to protect your precious family. That is so sweet... it makes me want to vomit! Fine, you can be the first pest that-"

Coming screaming into the fray, Gohan wasted no time in kicking the wicked emperor directly in the face. Frieza slid again, but this time he did not fall into a tumble. At that moment, Frieza was almost expecting intruders to come in and attack him from the side. He glared over at yet another problem he had failed to properly exterminate. "Eventually, you insects will run out of surprise attacks!"

As Frieza lunged at Gohan, however, he did finally notice a sneak attack coming from the side. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, Frieza saw the briefest flash of golden yellow and leapt into the air. He snarled as a Destructo-Disc sailed under him.

Frieza jerked his attention over to Krillin, practically glaring a hole through the human. Krillin flinched and cursed himself. "Dammit..."

The emperor seethed at Krillin, turning to face the human. And then, Gohan came flying in from the side. He had a kick prepared and was ready to pummel into Frieza again, but the emperor finally seemed to be learning from his mistakes. He grabbed Gohan by the foot and whipped the boy into the air. He spun him around and then tossed him at Krillin with enough force to make a sonic boom.

Krillin prepared to catch Gohan, but then the boy shouted. "Krillin! Dodge!"

The monk was shocked, but he complied. He flew out of the way and allowed Gohan to fly past him, but was immediately set upon by Frieza. Krillin was terrified as Frieza began to attack him. He dodged the first couple of hits, but then the third shattering blow managed to strike him. Each devastating punch blitzed Krillin and shook him to his very core. He doubled over in pain and Frieza delivered a hefty punch to the top of his head, sending the monk crashing to the ground. Frieza charged an attack, screaming in rage. "DEATH WAVE!"

The emperor launched his attack at the helpless Krillin. It looked like it was going to hit, but it was intercepted by an energy attack from behind. Frieza turned and was met by a slamming kick to the stomach from Gohan. The boy screamed in rage and began to pummel his foe, landing punch after punch into Frieza's abdomen and chest.

He went for a final strike to send Frieza to the ground, but the emperor quickly regained focus and grabbed Gohan's fist at the last second. Gohan flinched and Frieza responded with a clubbing punch to the side of the head. While Gohan was dazed, Frieza was clearly struggling to keep his composure. "You really do have a whole separate gear once you get worked up. But trust me. You don't know rage!"

Frieza gave another mighty punch to the gut and Gohan cried out in pain. The emperor flipped into the air, whipping his tail into the boy's side and sending him down to the ground next to Krillin.

Gohan landed hard on his shoulder, dislocating it and breaking the shoulder plate on his armor. He and Krillin both shakily pushed themselves up, but then Frieza landed right on top of them. Without any preamble, bravado, or mockery, Frieza aimed his index and middle fingers as Gohan and Krillin and screamed in a furious rage. "DOUBLE DEATH BEAM!"

But just before he could fire the attack, something else got in Frieza's way. With a fearful war cry, Chi-Chi dropped from the sky. Physically, she was the weakest fighter there and nothing to Frieza. But that didn't mean she couldn't provide support. Chi-Chi ripped her shawl from around her neck and stretched it between her hands. Straddling Frieza's shoulders, Chi-Chi wrapped her brown scarf over the monster's eyes. The tyrant screamed in frustration, stumbling back and misfiring his attack.

Gohan and Krillin both stared in shock. Chi-Chi snarled at Frieza from her position on his shoulders. "I don't care who you think you are! I won't just let you kill my-"

Frieza reached up, grabbing a handful of Chi-Chi's hair. Effortlessly, the emperor ripped the woman from his shoulders and slammed her hard onto the ground. Chi-Chi bounced up, blood erupting from her mouth and her prim and proper hair bun exploding into a sea of black lengths. Chi-Chi tumbled forward and landed right next to Krillin and Gohan, physically wrecked and unable to move.

The emperor snarled and aimed his hand at Krillin, Gohan, and Chi-Chi. He was ready to blast them all to Hell, but then three more familiar intruders came rushing in. Raditz and Bardock both crashed into Frieza from either side, grabbing his arms and jerking them to the side with all of their strength.

Bardock shouted over to Krillin. "Throw a goddamned disc already!"

Krillin nodded and stumbled to his feet. He summoned the Destructo-Disc, charging it up as Gine ran up behind him to grab Gohan and Chi-Chi. The monk pulled his arm back and threw the Destructo-Disc at full force. "Take this, you bastard!"

Frieza snarled. He wasn't going to be hit by that attack. Not again. With a mighty tug, he effortlessly pulled Raditz and Bardock off of their feet and flung them towards the disc. Krillin gasped in horror and diverted its course in a panic. The Destructo-Disc rose up, but Bardock and Raditz collided right into Krillin. All three of them landed in a heap and Frieza summoned a mass of energy in his hand. He threw his attack at the pile of targets and scorched them all at once. Krillin, Raditz, and Bardock flew into the air and then crashed back to the ground.

Frieza sneered at the three of them, but then he saw Gine, Gohan, and Chi-Chi fleeing out of the corner of his eye. Gine was rushing away. She didn't look back because that would make her stop. She blistered through the air as fast as she could, with Gohan held tight in her good hand and Chi-Chi tossed over her opposite shoulder. She had to deposit these two somewhere safe, and then-

In a flash, Frieza appeared right in front of the Saiyan mother. Feeling in control again, the emperor had a vile smile across his face. "And where do we think we're going?"

Gine flinched in fear, but she was quick to react. Dropping Gohan, Gine readied herself. "KAIOKEN x20!"

She then summoned a blast in her free hand to fire at Frieza. "Mother's Burst!"

But the emperor was unfazed. Frieza barely regarded the attack, slapping it away with almost no effort. Gine was shocked. Frieza smiled and cracked his tail into her chest, knocking her out of the Kaioken and sending both her and Chi-Chi flying into Gohan. The three of them crashed onto the ground and tumbled across the Namekian plains, eventually sliding into a stop.

Frieza landed slightly away, holding up his hand and charging yet another deadly attack. "Now you die!"

Off to the side, Goku's pupils shrank. The Spirit Bomb didn't matter anymore. His wife, son, and mother all needed him. Goku started to lunge forward, ready to intervene.

Meanwhile, happening concurrently on the sidelines…

Watching on as Gohan, Krillin, and Gohan's mother, of all people, fought against Frieza, Piccolo's patience had finally worn out. Playing it smart and trying to pull out his full power had soured on him and, now, the Namekian warrior had decided that enough was enough.

Full power or not, he could not just stand aside and let Gohan face that monster alone. Piccolo snarled and sighed in frustration. He took a step forward. It was time to join the fight. But as he prepared to jump in, a strong grip came out and grabbed him by the wrist. Instantly angered, Piccolo turned to face this interloper and found himself staring right at Nail. The two Namekians maintained a glare at one another, with Bulma nervously observing in the background.

Finally, Piccolo spoke. "And just what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Nail held Piccolo firmly in place. The former demon king bared his fangs and jerked his hand out of Nail's grip. The Namekian maintained his silent glare, even as Piccolo got into his face. "What?! Are you suggesting that I just cower here when I could be down there fighting that bastard? Am I meant to be a coward that just lays there asleep when he could be helping?! Cuz that seems more like your thing!"

Nail took a deep breath, closing his eyes and calmly sighing at Piccolo's biting words. "That stings, brother. However, I cannot say I disagree with your summation..."

Piccolo quickly turned and started to walk away. "Good. Then stay the hell out of my way! I have a job to do!"

Once again, Nail reached out and stopped Piccolo. Piccolo turned and glared, looking like he was about to rip Nail's arm off. However, this time Nail spoke. "It would be irresponsible to just allow you to rush headfirst into everything that is happening down there. You and I are the last two Namekians left alive. And... while I have failed in all of my other duties as Namek's defender..."

Nail took a solemn glance at Dende's corpse. Then, he glared at Piccolo. "... I can still work to prevent the total extinction of the Namekian race. You were brought back to life in order to restore the Earth's Dragon Balls. If you die, then they go with you and the only method of restoring the Namekian populace goes up in smoke. I cannot allow you to rush into a situation where your demise is certain."

Piccolo responded with venom. "Who gives a shit about the Namekian race?!"

Nail was taken aback. Piccolo continued. "I know nothing of this planet. I don't care to know anything about this planet. I have two goals in my life: protect Gohan and defeat Goku. Everything else is secondary at best, or totally irrelevant at the norm."

The stalwart Namekian was speechless at Piccolo's careless attitude. He glanced into the his distant brother's eyes and saw a firm look of determination. Piccolo was quite serious in everything he had just said. Nail nodded. "I see..."

He shook his head. "To each their own opinion, I suppose..."

Piccolo tried to jerk his hand away, but Nail held firm. Piccolo sneered. "You're starting to piss me off! Let me go so I can help!"

Nail spoke again. "I cannot change your mind. But you cannot change mine. I will not just allow you to kill the only chance at saving our kin."

Piccolo summoned a blast in his hand. "If you won't let me go, then I-"

Nail interrupted. "I propose a compromise that will satisfy us both."

Piccolo flinched, holding the blast firm in his hand. Nail grimly looked into Piccolo's eyes. "Your summation before was correct. I am a failure. And... the shame of my failures weighs too heavy on my shoulders to ever feel relief again. Even if they are returned to life, I cannot bring myself to face my brothers. I have failed their trust and faith..."

Nail let go of Piccolo's wrist, but then he grasped his fellow Namekian's hand into a firm handshake grip. "... but I can still provide support in my own way. I can give all that I am to you. My energy and capacities. My skills and abilities. My raw might and sheer power. Even my knowledge and experience. Everything will compile onto you, for whatever it all is worth, give you a fighting chance against that Frieza monster. Together, brother, we might be able to defeat his evil and gain decisive revenge for the terror he has brought to Planet Namek."

Piccolo flinched, clearly confused. "What...?"

Nail responded. "I can tell you have already done this before. It will be much the same. You and I will merge together, with you as the functioning benefactor of my essence. You being the vessel and sole will that directs it all. It will increase your contributions to all future battles exponentially. Perhaps not enough to match Frieza, but more than likely enough to at least stand a chance."

Piccolo sneered. He didn't want to borrow the power from someone else. At least with his father, Piccolo was simply taking what was in essence himself to begin with. And right now, he had more than enough to stand up to Frieza all on his own. It was just being blocked by the part of himself that he had recently reclaimed. However... desperate times called for desperate measures.

Piccolo squeezed Nail's hand and growled under his breath. "I'm not accepting this because I want it. I'm accepting it because I need to be able to fight. If, for any reason, I start not liking this, I'll boot your ass out. Understood?"

Nail smiled. "Of course. So, is that a 'yes'?"

Piccolo nodded. "Yes."

Nail sighed with relief. "Excellent choice. Now then-"

From behind, a shrill voice called out. "Wait!"

Piccolo and Nail both turned their attention to the source of the voice: Bulma. Nail looked down at the human woman and put on a friendly smile. Bulma stared at Nail with sadness in her eyes. "Nail! Don't do this! Dende told me a little about your race's fusion power! It's permanent, isn't it?! We'll find another way to win! No one blames you for any of this! You don't have to be ashamed when we all know you gave it your all. This is all Frieza's fault! You don't have to give yourself up like-"

Nail held up his hand to silence her. "Your name is Bulma, yes?"

Bulma nodded. Nail sighed and turned his gaze away from her. At that moment, his voice just sounded solemn. "I thank you for your kindness and friendship. But this is for the greater good. We have discussed that before, right?"

Bulma nodded again. "Y-Yes, but-"

Nail spoke again. "Everything, at the end of the day, should be for the greater good. That is all this decision is: I am serving that noble goal. Working to save all of my kin and ensuring that they can live."

Bulma fell silent, small tears welling in her eyes. Nail sounded resigned, but in a positive way. "I do have a request though. If... no, when you succeed in ending Frieza's tyranny and you return Dende to life... tell him to grow into a fine Namekian."

Nail then stared Piccolo square in the eyes. "I trust you to use my gifts well, brother."

He placed his hand on Piccolo's chest. And then, suddenly glowing with a shining light, Nail let loose a mighty roar and began to fuse with Piccolo.

Within Piccolo's subconscious…

A sudden, blinding surge of energy flashed within Piccolo's mind. Deep within the dark, a familiar sinister force wickedly smiled. "The fool! He has let his guard down! Now is my chance!"

The dark wisp of King Piccolo slowly took form and walked towards the light. "Yes! Yes! This is where I take control! The power is mi-"

A hand shot out from the light and grabbed King Piccolo by the face. From the shining, powerful aura, Nail's corporeal form stepped. "So... you are the issue..."

Nail squeezed the Demon King's face. "Disgusting cur! Your petty behavior is a major contributing factor to so much spilled Namekian blood!"

He glared down at King Piccolo and sneered. "You seem to believe that you are above all of this. That you may idly stand by with no consequence, but that is wrong. You will contribute your power! Whether by choice... OR BY FORCE!"

Nail squeezed King Piccolo's face tight, allowing Piccolo's full power to burst forth and unite with Nail's own, engulfing his entire subconscious and spreading out to the rest of his body.

On the battlefield…

Goku was ready to abandon the Spirit Bomb. Gine, Gohan, and Chi-Chi all sat there, staring death in the face. Frieza seemed satisfied as he launched his attack towards the three of them. Nobody on the battlefield was quick enough to save their lives.

But then, crashing down, a new fighter joined the battle.

Frieza flinched back as the smoke cleared, and then his anger flared up again. This time, standing between his prey and their deaths, was that same Namekian from before. Gine and Chi-Chi both stared up in awe at their newest ally on the field. Gohan, injured as he was, chuckled with joy, almost as if he was expecting this from the start. "Mr. Piccolo!"

Piccolo turned and smiled at Gohan, and then he glanced over at Goku. "Focus on your job! I'll hold him off!"

Frieza cocked his head. "Job? What the devil is a-"

Piccolo lunged forward, chopping his hand down at Frieza's neck. The emperor raised his arm to block, but was surprised at the sheer amount of pain he felt.

Frieza glanced over at his steadily numbing arm and then glared back up at Piccolo. "What in the hell is this?!"

Piccolo smirked and then he allowed his new, full power to burst forth. Even compared to the well of power that was blocked off previously, merging with Nail had put him on a whole new level of might. Now, he was standing well over 120,000,000! With it he pressured Frieza, making the emperor slide back. Piccolo chuckled. "I'd say...this is you losing your edge, bastard! Ready for Round Three?"

Frieza shot his hand into the air. "How dare you be so glib?! I'll kill you!"

Piccolo pressed his fingers up to his forehead. In the time it took Frieza to prepare to attack, Piccolo fully charged one of his own. Before Frieza could throw his hand forward, Piccolo thrust his fingers towards the emperor and shouted. "SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!"

The drilling beam shot forward and collided with Frieza's raised hand. And in that moment, Frieza felt a level of pain that he hadn't felt before. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew that something was off. Frieza brought his hand down and looked at it, mortified to see what Piccolo had done. Not only was Frieza's Death Wave totally dispersed, but he was now missing both the middle and the index finger from his right hand.

Frieza trembled in place as Piccolo stood there, smirking with satisfaction. "See what I mean? Your edge over us is slowly fading? You're going to lose this one! And this planet that you took such pleasure in terrorizing will now serve as your tomb!"

The emperor glanced from his mutilated hand, to Piccolo, and back to his mutilated hand. And then he gripped it tight, watching the blood ooze out and splatter against the ground. "TO HELL WITH THIS!"

Frieza roared in anger. As his rage continued to build, so did the full scope of his power. It has been so long since he last unleashed it all. It was taking longer than he cared for, but with each passing second, Frieza was summoning the full 100% of his strength. Once finally done, Frieza's muscles had bulged and swelled. He stared hateful daggers through Piccolo. "THIS IS MY TRUE POWER! NOW TELL ME, NAMEKIAN, ARE YOU PREPARED TO DIE?!"

Piccolo rolled his eyes, ripping off his damaged shirt and taking a fighting stance. "Pumping up your muscles is nothing special!"

And then, rushing towards one another and screaming at the top of their lungs, Piccolo and Frieza clashed.

Back on the sidelines…

It was down to two. Still misty-eyed, Bulma watched from her spot on the ledge as Frieza and Piccolo brawled. To her surprise and joy, Piccolo seemed to be holding his own. Maybe they would all survive this after all...

The scientist was broken from her focus on the fight by the sound of grunting and heavy breathing. She turned to see, to her surprise, that Vegeta was back on his feet. Bulma stood to go and provide some support for the crippled prince, grabbing him as he was about to topple over. "Hey! Come on! Take it-"

But then she remembered who she was helping and let Vegeta fall onto his face. "Hmph. Sorry. I have a strict policy against helping murderers."

Vegeta coughed, pushing himself up. "Vindictive... can't say I dislike that..."

The prince crawled to the edge of the ledge to watch the action unfold. He could barely move, he was pale and felt frigid. Vegeta was still on death's door. "F-Frieza is... one-hundred times stronger than when he first assumed that form... I suppose this is his limit."

Bulma sat down next to Vegeta, glaring down at the fight again. "Good. Then his genocidal ass can die and you can go with him."

Vegeta chuckled. "Heh... such a callous woman. But I suppose someone from Earth needs to have common sense, right?"

The two of them fell silent, both of them watching the battle unfold beneath them. Bulma, sighing, turned to Vegeta. "Hey..."

Vegeta glared up at her. Bulma asked a question. "You're pretty battle-conditioned so... expert opinion: are we going to win this?"

The Prince turned his glare back to the fight below. "That Namekian has a small but distinct advantage over Frieza in power right now. So..."

Bulma noticed Vegeta pause. "Is something wrong?"

Vegeta's face was pale, his eyes hollow and his jaw slack. The prince seemed totally thrown for a loop. "Y-You have got... to be kidding me..."

Back on the battlefield…

Piccolo leapt back from his opponent, cracking his neck and baring his fangs. "You have got to be kidding me..."

Frieza charged again and threw a massive punch at Piccolo. He caught it, but the strength of the attack hit him just a bit harder than it had last time. The Namekian was truly pissed off by what was facing him. Frieza did not even seem to realize it was happening. But as he and Piccolo fought back and forth, the emperor's body seemed to be learning from the experience. Tick by miniscule tick, even faster than a Saiyan, Frieza's battle power was creeping just a little bit higher.

Once again, the forces from Earth were getting desperate in this battle as Piccolo finally lost his advantage. Goku, meanwhile, used the time that Piccolo was buying to focus solely on the Spirit Bomb. The Saiyan from Earth pulled and pulled, borrowing all of the power he could from the entire Namekian solar system. But then very suddenly, Goku came to the horrifying conclusion that he had reached the limit of what he could take in. Any more energy pulled from the surrounding life would damage and kill it.

Goku cursed to himself. "Dammit! What do I do now?!"

The Saiyan looked out onto the battlefield. He looked to all of his beaten and battered friends and family, and then he looked to Piccolo having a brawl with Frieza, whose power seemed to grow more and more as the fight progressed. Goku realized he only had one choice. Telepathically, Goku called out to everyone. 'Guys! I need your help.'

Bardock, Gine, Raditz, Gohan, Krillin, Chi-Chi, Bulma, Piccolo, and even Vegeta all snapped into the mental communication. Goku called out to them quickly and concisely. 'The solar system doesn't have enough power to stop Frieza, not with how weak I currently am! So, I hate to ask, cuz I know you're all injured... but I need you to lend me your power in order to make the Spirit Bomb effective!'

Piccolo took a brief pause from his brawl with Frieza to glare up at the Spirit Bomb. Even from his layman's point-of-view, he could see that the blast was too weak on its own to do anything. Frieza lunged to attack, but then he noticed Piccolo staring off into space. Taking a moment of respite, Frieza glanced up as well. "What are you... looking... at...?"

Frieza's pupils shrank. "What the devil is that?"

The tyrant turned his glare to both Piccolo and Goku. "WHAT IN THE HELL IS THAT?!"

Frieza was shaking with anger as he realized the truth. "You filthy, sneaking vermin!"

Without missing a step, Piccolo charged at Frieza. He shouted to everyone else around the battlefield. "Everyone! DO IT NOW!"

Piccolo and Frieza clashed again, getting into a wild brawl with one another. Frieza tried to fire an attack at the Spirit Bomb, but Piccolo slapped it to the ground. The Namekian punched Frieza in the mouth, Frieza responded with a headbutt. As the two of them fought, everyone else raised their hands and gave as much energy as they could. And while it wasn't much given how exhausted and badly hurt they all were, Goku's friends and family contributed all they could, which instantly made the Spirit Bomb double in size.

Goku stared up at the Spirit Bomb with a dire look on his face. "Not enough. Not yet..."

He shook his head. "Damn it!"

On the sidelines…

Bulma lowered her hand, tired and worn by the energy being pulled from her. "Ugh...it wasn't much... but..."

She watched on and was horrified to see that Goku still wasn't throwing the Spirit Bomb. Bulma gripped her fists tight. "Is... Is it still not big enough?"

Bulma glanced around the battlefield. "What's going on? I get that Piccolo's busy, but even without him it seems like..."

And then it dawned on her. Bulma's gaze jerked over to the person right next to her. "Vegeta! Why the hell haven't you contributed yet? We need you to help!"

Vegeta sneered, not answering. Bulma shouted. "Vegeta!"

The Prince still didn't answer. He couldn't bring himself to. He neither wanted to help build that attack up nor did he want to have to answer to Bulma. Bulma turned her focus and her anger directly onto the prince. "What is the matter with you? Why aren't you helping, Vegeta?! Don't you want Frieza dead more than anyone else?!"

Vegeta still didn't answer. His pride wouldn't let him.

The scientist slapped the prince as hard as she could. "Gine, and Bardock, and everyone else here have risked their asses to keep you alive up to this point! Can you not be bothered to be just a little bit of a help?! Not even to take out a monster that you hate just as much as they all do?! At least have the decency to answer me, dammit!"

Vegeta remained silent. Bulma growled under her breath and turned her attention back to the fight. "Ungrateful asshole!"

Meanwhile, internally, Vegeta was struggling with what he should do.

Back on the battlefield…

Frieza and Piccolo continued to fight. And, as it had been before, Frieza's power continued to grow the more Piccolo pressured him. It had taken a moment, but Frieza started to gain a firm advantage again. With a hefty strike from his tail, the tyrant battered Piccolo aside. With a new and clear line of sight, Frieza smirked. "So, that attack is your last flame of hope, is it?"

Frieza's smile faded. He screamed at the top of his lungs and summoned a massive Supernova. "Then allow me to just crush that for you right away! The burning flames of my power will take that hope, this planet, all of you worms, and reduce it all to ash!"

Seeing that Frieza was serious and that he was out of time, Goku leapt into the air. Flying up to the Spirit Bomb, Goku pressed his hand to the energy sphere. "Well... I guess it's now or never..."

Frieza snarled with utter fury and threw his Supernova towards Goku. Goku roared right back and tossed the Spirit Bombs. The two attacks clashed and an epic energy struggle began!

The sheer force of the blasts sent bolts of energy lashing across the Namekian planes. The shocks from the attacks shredded the land that surrounded them. Very quickly, the entire island beneath Frieza degraded under the pressure of the Spirit Bomb and the Supernova.

As Piccolo contributed his own energy to the Spirit Bomb, Raditz took to the air and supported both of his parents while Krillin carried Gohan and Chi-Chi. Things were not looking good. Even as big as the Spirit Bomb looked, it paled in comparison to the size of Frieza's Supernova. Krillin was panicking. "D-Dammit! What do we do now?! We gave it all of the energy that we could and it's still not enough?!"

Suddenly, to the surprise of everyone including Goku and Frieza, the Spirit Bomb doubled in size yet again. Now, it matched the size of Frieza's attack. Piccolo flew up next to Raditz and Krillin. "We've done all we can do for now! We need to get the hell out of here!"

Raditz was confused. "What do you mean? Where do we go?!"

Piccolo pointed to the rocky spire. "We grab that woman and we retreat to the nearest cover! Now come on!"

Raditz and Krillin both nodded in agreement and followed Piccolo as he rushed off in the direction of Bulma. The group landed on the rocky spire and Piccolo acted quickly. He ran up and grabbed Bulma under one of his arms to carry her.

Piccolo turned to leave, wanting to get as far away as they could as quickly as possible. But then, the Namekian glanced down and saw Vegeta lying there. Piccolo juggled his thoughts and, despite his better judgment, he spoke to the prince. "Vegeta! Get up and come on! This entire area is about to be pulverized flat!"

Vegeta didn't respond. He didn't even move. Piccolo shook his head. "Whatever."

He turned and motioned to Raditz and Krillin. "Come on! We gotta move! We don't have long before those things explode!"

Piccolo, Krillin, and Raditz all took off, carrying the rest of their allies in their arms. Bardock was totally out of it, Gohan and Chi-Chi were both struggling to stay conscious. And Bulma was panicking so badly she wasn't paying attention.

But as they flew away, Gine regained consciousness just in time to look back at the rocky spire. And what she saw made her flinch in shock, but in a good way. Lit up by the backdrop of Goku's Spirit Bomb and Frieza's Supernova was the image of Vegeta. And when Gine looked closely enough, she saw the prince laying there... with one hand raised high into the air.

Meanwhile, over with Goku and Frieza…

Goku was struggling, His power was fading fast. As big and powerful as the Spirit Bomb had gotten, he knew it didn't have enough strength to push Frieza back. And, on the ground, Frieza agreed. The emperor was practically manic as he pushed all of his 100% plus power against his Supernova and that pathetic monkey's attack. This was going to be it! Victory! Finally! And a sweet victory it would be! Finally, the end of the Saiyan race was at hand.

Goku was fading against the force of Frieza's power. He had one more... just one more trump card, but popping it at this point would be pointless. Without a powerful enough attack to pair it with, Goku would just be destroying himself for Frieza.

But then, hope burst forth once more. Out of nowhere, another source of aid came to Goku. He didn't know where it came from or who provided it, but the Spirit Bomb suddenly expanded yet again. Goku was shocked and so was Frieza. And, right then, that was when Goku decided! This was it!

Before Frieza could gain the upper hand once more, Goku roared as loud as he could. "KAIOKEN x100!"

Goku's power flared up high. His muscles burst like balloons, his bones cracked and crumbled under the pressure, and his mind and soul felt like they were on fire, but Goku ignored all of that. This was his one chance! Pushing with his newfound might, Goku shoved the Super Spirit Bomb towards Frieza.

On the ground, the tyrant stared in shock. This new, oversized attack quickly and effectively ate his own. With the Supernova totally swallowed, the Spirit Bomb became even bigger. Frieza's eyes widened and bulged from his head. He couldn't get around this one!Panicked and terrified, the emperor could do little more than raise his hands and try to block the attack. But this effort instantly failed. The Spirit Bomb collided with Frieza's palms... and then it swallowed him up just as easily as it did the Supernova beforehand.

The Spirit Bomb continued its downward descent until it collided with the Namekian seafloor. Once it hit the bottom, it exploded into a blinding flash of white light. Goku's crippled form was swallowed by the aftershock of the attack, as was Vegeta. And soon after, all of the others were engulfed as well.

From space, it appeared as if over half of Planet Namek was swallowed by this overbearing brightness.

Nearly an hour later…

Gohan awoke to waves gently lapping across the nearby shore. His face half-submerged in a puddle, the boy slowly pushed himself up and coughed up a full pint of water. He looked down and examined himself and saw that his once fairly pristine armor was reduced to a slightly tattered, blue jumpsuit and a little bit of his one unbroken shoulder pad connected to him by the former collar.

The little half-Saiyan got to his feet and looked around, seeing nothing. "Wh-Where is everybody?"

Gohan took high into the air and looked around. The landscape of Planet Namek had been totally changed. The greenery that once stretched as far as the eye could see was gone. All that was left was barren, rocky landmasses in the middle of an endless sea. He continued this flight for what seemed like forever, not seeing or sensing anything. Gohan couldn't find anyone. The boy was just about to give in to the despair of being alone, but then a familiar voice finally called out. "GOHAN!"

The sudden voice sent a jolt through Gohan's spine. He looked down at the islands below and eventually came across the sight of a similarly damaged Krillin. Excited, Gohan rushed to the ground below and ran up to his friend for a giant hug.

Krillin reciprocated, but then was immediately shoved aside by a more intimidating force. Gohan gasped in shock, thinking it was a threat, but then was immediately relieved by the feeling of a pair of warm and familiar arms wrapping around him. Gohan sighed in relief as his mother's jet-black locks fell on top of him, and relaxed into a caring embrace.

The young boy looked around and took in the sights around him. Bulma knelt next to Krillin, chuckling at Chi-Chi's impatience to hug her son. Off to the side, Gine was gently massaging the unconscious Bardock's back. The older Saiyan, due to the various beatings and the energy loss, was rather permanently out of the count for the time being.

But then, Gohan got a look around and noticed a few missing faces. "W-Wait. Where is Uncle Raditz? And Mr. Piccolo? And... where's Dad?"

Chi-Chi opened her mouth to speak. But then she was interrupted by the rushing splash of the nearby shore. Pulling himself from the water, Raditz emerged for a breath of air. And then, immediately after, Piccolo emerged as well. Gohan cried out. "Uncle Raditz! Mr. Piccolo!"

Both of them seemingly ignored Gohan as they reached back into the water. And then, with a heave, Piccolo and Raditz pulled Goku from the ocean and threw him onto dry immediately rushed to check on the Saiyan from Earth as he shakily pushed himself into a sitting position. Krillin gave his best friend a firm pat on the back and Goku choked up a ton of water.

Once the coughing subsided, Goku smiled wide. "H-Hey guys... I... uh... I think we won~!"

Everyone rejoiced. The Spirit Bomb worked! Frieza had been defeated! They had won! And with that, everyone began to disperse to regroup.

Bulma sighed. "I guess we need to get into contact with Earth. Ask them to get the Dragon Balls together as soon as possible so that we can fix everything that went wrong here..."

Raditz picked up his unconscious dad. "I agree. We need to start getting things in place. At the moment, we're looking at quite a bit of time before we actually get to fulfill our goals for coming here in the first place..."

Gohan helped Chi-Chi to her feet. The mother gripped her aching back and limped along with her son. She nearly fell, but then she was caught by an unexpected helper. Chi-Chi looked up and saw Piccolo. The Namekian hoisted Chichi onto his back, the Earth woman hanging low on the towering warrior's form as he hooked his arms under her legs. "Come on. Let's go somewhere where your mother can rest, kid. And then, once you and I rest up, we can train."

Gohan chuckled, following along with Piccolo. "Y-You're stronger than my Dad at the moment, aren't you, Mr. Piccolo?"

Piccolo nodded, a satisfied look on his face. "Yes. Yes, I am..."

Meanwhile, Gine went off on a little journey of her own. Unbeknownst to anyone else, Gine spotted a very familiar, navy-blue sleeve sticking out from behind a nearby rock. And although the others would be willing to leave him behind, Gine couldn't bring herself to do the same.

Rounding the rock, Gine sighed at the sight of a crippled Vegeta miserably attempting to stand-up. The prince was weak, visibly feeble, and probably wouldn't last long out here on his own. Gine walked up to him, not caring when he shot her his normal sour glare, and offered him her hand. "Vegeta, come on..."

Vegeta's voice was shaky. But he had enough of his princely dignity left to spit at this offer from mere common folk. "Get away from me! I don't need your help... I don't..."

He cringed, clearly in a ton of pain. "I don't want your help. So... why don't you mind your own common, gutter-scum, low-class business?!"

Gine stared down at Vegeta. She was tired. She couldn't feel her arm at all anymore. All the feeling down to the bone was gone and she was just waiting for someone to cut it off. But in her normal spirits, Gine had one good hand left to offer. "Vegeta... I said this before to try and get at you. But now I'm just asking... how long do you plan to hold on to the past?"

Vegeta flinched. He tried to push himself up again, but this time he slipped and fell onto his ass. Gine stared at him, sadness in her eyes, and knelt down close to the prince. In a way that she didn't feel she could properly explain to the younger man, she loved him. He wasn't her son, but being her son, Cassava's son, was close enough. "It's over Vegeta. Frieza is dead. The past is done. Finished. There's nothing to worry over anymore. Isn't it time to move on? M-Maybe start a new chapter?"

The Prince sneered, refusing to look Gine in the eye. Gine shook her head. "Listen... you don't have to be our friend. You... you don't ever have to see our faces again if you don't want to. But you need to learn that sometimes... accepting help is important for survival, Vegeta. It was thanks to accepting help that you outlived Frieza. You can carry that as a trophy for the rest of your life. But if you want to brag about it like I'm sure that you do... you need to be able to live..."

Vegeta's shoulders slumped. Gine reached out her hand one more time. "So, take my hand, just this once. Let me help you get back onto your feet and let us patch you up... and then you can go and live a life you'd be happy with, Vegeta~"

It took a moment, but to Gine's delight, a white-gloved hand extended and grasped her. Gine gave a motherly smile. "See? Doesn't that make things easier?"

Then, just as things seemed to be at their best, Gohan suddenly cried out in shock. Everyone turned just in time to see the body hit the ground. Piccolo had slumped forward, a fresh, smoking hole in the left side of his upper back, and fell face first onto the ground. Chi-Chi hit the ground with a thud and a fresh, bleeding gash in her leg. She screamed.Gohan sobbed, tears in his eyes. "Mr. Piccolo!"

Bulma and Raditz both rushed over to their Namekian comrade. Raditz set Bardock onto the ground and knelt to check on Piccolo. They stared across the rocky expanse of the island and what they saw turned their faces white. In the distance, Chi-Chi saw Gine. The Saiyan mother had a shocked look on her face. She fell back, a smoking hole through her chest. Gine splattered against the ground, with a stunned Vegeta staring in utter disbelief. Chi-Chi screamed in horror. "GINE!"

And then, an evil laugh echoed out across the land. Krillin and Goku both looked up to the top of a nearby mountain, and Krillin's face turned fifteen shades of blue. "F-F-F..."

Standing there was a ghastly sight. Dripping wet, missing his right ear and his left foot was...

Krillin shrieked. "FRIEZA!"

Frieza stood there, alive and well, glowering at his remaining enemies. There was no room for smiles or faux politeness on Frieza's face. Only crystal-clear anger and hatred remained in those squinting eyes. "This is what happens..."

Goku had just noticed that his mother had fallen. As he called over to her, Frieza continued. "This is what happens with property that forgets its place. I own you Saiyans! Do you not understand?! I OWN YOU! YOU ARE MINE TO DO WITH AS I SEE FIT!"

Ignoring everything else, Chi-Chi limped over to Gine's body. She cradled her mother-in-law in her hands and tried to compell her to stay awake. "Gine! Gine! Stay with us, Gine!"

Chi-Chi looked down at her hands and stared in shock at all of the blood on them. Gine, meanwhile, stared across the island at something entirely different. Feebly, the Saiyan mother reached her hand out to the blurry form of what she knew was her husband. "Ba... Ba... B-Ba... Bar..."

Chi-Chi had tears streaming down her face. "No! Shush! Save your strength! You have to-"

Gine choked, coughing up blood. "Bar...dock..."

And then, Gine fell limp. Her eyes went white and her jaw fell slack. Gine was… dead.

Vegeta's ears were ringing. Goku was still desperately shouting to his mother, but to no avail. Frieza continued his rant. "You see?! I own everything about you disobedient monkeys! I own your futures! I own your dreams! I own your lives!"

Frieza glared directly at Krillin, who was still supporting Goku on his shoulder. "And I own your loved ones!"

Frieza pointed his finger at Krillin, firing a simple speck of his energy at the human. This energy burnt directly through Krillin's chest and entered his guts. Frieza then used his telekinesis to lift Krillin high into the sky. Krillin screamed in panic and Goku stared on in horror. "No! NO! Frieza, stop this!"

The emperor glared at Krillin one final time, and then he clenched his fist tight. Krillin gave one final, fearful yelp. "GOKU!"

And then, from the inside outward, Krillin swelled like a balloon and exploded into a ball of flames. Frieza snarled and called out. "VEGETA! AND THE OTHER ONE... the one they call 'Goku'... THIS IS YOUR REALITY! I WILL RIP EVERY LAST THING YOU LOVE FROM YOUR HANDS AND DESTROY IT BEFORE YOUR EYES! YOU WILL KNOW UNENDING SUFFERING AND PAIN FOR THE HUMILIATION YOU HAVE CAUSED ME!"

Goku and Vegeta both sat, totally stunned. As Frieza ranted and raved behind them, all manner of thought and emotion ran through both Saiyans' heads. Frieza looked around and his eyes eventually fell upon Gohan. "I suppose you'll do as the next victim, brat."

Goku thought of all of his friends. His family. They were counting on him to defend them. And now... the innocent Namekians, Piccolo and the Earth's Dragon Balls, his own mother, and even Krillin. They were all gone. Goku was shaking with rage. "Damn you..."

Vegeta thought back to his lost home, the former King Vegeta so brutally slain, all of the torture and humiliation and degradation of his sacred pride. And then, at the last moment, the briefest image of Gine offering her hand flickered through Vegeta's mind. The prince gripped his fist. "Damn you..."

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. The air became thicker, more heavily charged around everyone present. In the distance, thunder rumbled and then, all around, lightning began to crackle and strike. Goku and Vegeta were both shuddering, convulsing as rage and sorrow overtook them.

Frieza took a step back. "Wh-What is this...?"

Goku and Vegeta both stood. Their bodies swelled with power and then they both screamed with primal, Saiyan fury.

"FRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Lightning struck and shattered the ground around each Saiyan as they cried out. And then, intense golden energy exploded from both of their bodies. Taken aback, Frieza could only watch in horror as the injuries he caused seemed to burn off of Goku and Vegeta. The Saiyan's eyes were blank white, but the power they were displaying was more prevalent to the emperor.

Frieza was shocked and horrified as an old ghost story played through his head. "No... No... It can't be..."

Goku and Vegeta were both shaking, the new golden power convulsing from their bodies. Slowly, their pupils returned in a striking, emerald color, their muscles bulged, and their hair became golden and stood tall. Everyone was speechless at the sight of this. No one knew what to say. Gohan then briefly remembered back. He remembered Vegeta and his grandfather talking about this during the fight with Frieza.

In a small, almost inaudible voice, Gohan spoke in reverence of this new power. "Super Saiyan..."

All was silent. Not a noise to be heard. Frieza was standing there, shaking with fear. And then Goku and Vegeta's eyes both shifted and locked right onto the emperor.