[Hello, one and all, and welcome to my latest fan fiction! It's got action, intrigue and slice-of-life moments, and I've worked on it for two and a half years so far! It's going to be a long ride, and I hope you enjoy it! (I don't own any aspect of the Dragon Ball franchise. I have simply written a fan fiction that will always be free!)]
Chapter 1: Timely Arrival
1104 years Before Age, on Planet Plant…
"I'm leaving."
"Huh? You're leaving? Where are you going?"
"I'm going off-planet to find my own kind," Bardock responded in a gruff tone.
"Oh…" Berry looked at the floor for a moment, then smiled at him. "You'll come back and visit sometime, right? You're always welcome here, Mr. Bardock!"
"Uh… sure," Bardock replied with a hint of uncertainty. 'This is supposedly my home planet, after all. Might come back at some point I guess,' he thought to himself.
Bardock begrudgingly accepted the food that Berry and his people prepared for Bardock for his space voyage. Now that his supplies were fully stocked, he was set to leave aboard one of Chilled's abandoned spaceships.
"Goodbye, Mr. Bardock! Have a safe journey!"
"Farewell, saviour!"
"You can have all your favourite foods when you come back!" By that, the alien meant the rare and obscure meat instead of the usual bread and vegetables.
Bardock rolled his eyes at their constant farewell calls from outside his ship. After complaining internally at how outdated his ship was, he fired the engines and set his ship to manual flight. There was no telling what the heck could be out in the galaxy right now. For all he knew a swarm of meteors could hurtle towards him when there shouldn't be any.
He gave them a two-finger salute and took off into the red sky, which quickly turned into the darkness of space.
"Load map."
…
"Load map of the cosmos."
…
Bardock studied the controls and realised that his ship was even worse than outdated. It was primitive. No voice command? He'd just have to navigate the map himself while piloting.
*Shoom!*
"What the-! That was close!" Bardock looked to his right in surprise as a shooting star passed close by him. He looked away soon after so as to not accidentally look at any full-facing moons that could be around. He managed to set the ship to autopilot control while he searched the map.
"That's a lot smaller than- Wait, I'm off the map?" Bardock pinpointed where he currently was and he seriously considered getting a new ship instead of searching for Saiyans.
After Bardock wandered through space for a few weeks wearing a hibernation sleep mask, he woke up when he finally reappeared in 'known territory'.
"Let's see… Planet Arlia, nope. Planet Imecka, not goin' there. Planet… Sumaka? Ophelos? What are these names? Where are the Frieza planets?" Bardock squinted at the map, browsing through every name that followed in confusion.
Well, this practically confirmed it, didn't it.
He really was in the past. And he wasn't just dreaming all of the past year's events.
And he just left his home planet to find his own people, who should've been there but those weird guys were there instead! And they called it Planet Plant!
"Sadala…"
That was it. The Saiyan's ancestral home from one thousand years ago - it couldn't be here, could it?
"I'm not that far in the past, am I…?" Bardock whispered suspiciously.
But where else could his entire race be? It might not be destroyed by the Saiyans yet. Could he… prevent it?
Or was he wrong? Was he in some… alternate reality, where no Saiyans existed?
No, that couldn't be it… But he wouldn't be too surprised if it was, considering what had transpired a year ago.
Above all, he just hoped that those purple bean freaks weren't proto-Saiyans.
He was told once the general location of their old world, so he input a set of coordinates and drifted off to natural sleep.
But this time, his dream was more lucid than even a lucid dream could be.
'Another vision…!' Bardock looked around him, wide eyed.
'This planet… That green sky… This is the place I saw before I…'
He began to wander cautiously until he heard muffled explosions from far off in the distance. He heard a swish and before he knew it…
He'd been knocked in the back of his head.
He woke up, but just as soon as he came to, he noticed he was back on that green sky planet again. Or was it…? The sky looked only a tad different.
"Wha…?! Who's there?!" he barked.
But there was no one. No one at all. What was going on?
He felt something. A pull. Just like what happened after he got a vision of his son Kakarot, and somehow got displaced in time after he faced Frieza's supernova!
A bright red light consumed his vision. The pull intensified, until…
He found himself, his awake self, lying on the ground… on the very planet he saw in his mind.
Age ?
…
Bardock sat there.
And sat some more.
He couldn't stop shaking his head in confusion.
He needed to run a recap of what he remembered.
Right… What had he been doing before he got here?
'From the beginning… Okay, so, me and my squad took out Kanaasans. I got hit by one, got some weird precognitive thing… Me, my team and the rest of the Saiyans were called back to Planet Vegeta, and I went to see my wife…'
"We're going to send our son to another world."
"You've got to be kidding!"
"No. I get the feeling… that death is on its way for us."
"Wha…? How?"
"Frieza is afraid of the legend of the Super Saiyan."
"Hold on, you and I both know that's a load of baloney! It's a children's fairytale!"
"Maybe, but still. I doubt he's going to take any chances."
"Bardock… there's something else, isn't there? I can tell. Please, say what it is!"
"Gine… you won't believe me."
"Of course I will! I'm the one who believes in you the most, aren't I?"
Bardock managed a smile before turning serious again. "Heh… Well, alright then. So. My mission to Kanaasa."
"Go on."
"The natives had an ability to see the future. They gave it to me so I could… see our own end."
*Gasp* "No…"
"I saw it, Gine. I saw Planet Vegeta explode."
She gestured to the three of them in the room. "Then we… we have to-"
"No. He alone has to go," Bardock decided, turning his glance over to his youngest son. "We can't. We'd be tracked as soon as we took off. Our power levels are too high."
"…"
"If I turn out to be wrong, I'll go and rescue him from Earth. …Listen son, you do what it takes to survive, got it?"
"We'll see you really soon!"
"Goodbye…"
*Zooooooom…*
"Kakarot!"
Five Saiyan pods sped through the depths of space towards their next mission.
Inside one of the pods came a beep from the console.
"This is Raditz," the boy inside responded.
"Raditz. We've sent Kakarot away in a pod."
"Mom?" Raditz paused. 'Hmph. They had the sense to send my brother off to get stronger I see,' he thought.
"Where have you sent him to?" Raditz asked.
"A planet called Earth. Remember it, son," Bardock spoke through the comms in a somber tone. "And remember that I want you to do what it takes to survive at all costs out there. No hesitation. You hear me?"
"Alright. I already know basic stuff like survival. What's your point?" Raditz sighed.
Bardock spoke seriously, "The universe is cruel. I want you to understand that you must grow stronger for your own sake. And if you never hear from me again, remember where your brother is."
Raditz thought his father's words seemed a little strange, but he replied confidently, "What's with the lecture? I'm not a baby anymore! And you're sounding kind of mushy for some reason. I'll come back in one piece just like you always do," Raditz scoffed.
"As long as I've made myself clear. Goodbye Raditz."
Bardock cut the transmission and turned to see his wife sobbing.
The next day, Bardock noticed a change in the troop formation.
Why were there so few alien soldiers? He knew exactly why.
It's because this was it.
Their end.
Frieza's ships were all hovering above the planet.
"The Saiyans have truly served me well, despite being such savage monkeys. Alas, their usefulness has expired. I must find soldiers who will give me true loyalty, unlike these barbarians."
Frieza waved a hand and a hatch opened above him. He floated outside his mothership, with his blood red eyes locked onto the blood red planet before him.
"Hohoho…! I've waited so long for this day!"
Frieza's smile was as cold as his heart. His index finger rose upwards. He was sure to see a beautiful light show! Zarbon and Dodoria gazed at Frieza who slowly floated in front of his ship, like a looming omen towards his target.
"I don't fully understand Lord Frieza's concerns over the Saiyans," Zarbon commented.
"You don't need to understand. You only need to do as you're told! And right now, all we need to do is sit back and watch. It's the easiest part of the job!" Dodoria snapped back, thinking he was proving to be smarter than him by spouting his spiel that he told all the grunts.
"You think I don't know that? I've been here a long time, Dodoria. I know where my priorities lie. All I'm saying is that the Saiyans are weaker than the both of us in their base forms, and yet they're being disposed of," Zarbon explained.
"Huh. You got a point, but there's a key difference between them and us."
"The difference being?" Zarbon smirked, already knowing the answer.
"They're savage monkeys. We aren't!"
"There seems to be more to it than that, Dodoria. But if we can't agree on this, then I'll say no more."
"Whatever." Dodoria frowned. "Never liked 'em, so I don't care. Once Lord Frieza's purged the planet himself, then he'll tell us to do something. And I'm itching to get my hands dirty again."
Bardock, dressed in his attire that was damaged from his return from Kanaasa, also sported a red bandana that was not permitted in the ranks of the Frieza Force. It was a sign of his rebellion.
A sign that nobody, not even his own team, budged an inch to help initiate against their approaching demise. They didn't believe him, even despite the noticeable withdrawal of a considerable amount of Frieza's soldiers on the planet. Gine tried her best to persuade them, too. Alas, nobody wanted to take either of them seriously.
Bardock stared at the sky above, with a somber expression.
"It… has to be me…"
He crouched low and then launched himself into the sky.
"…Me alone."
And with that, he ascended into the darkness of the planet's upper atmosphere to fight alone against fate.
His face in a permanent frown, Bardock flew like a missile towards what he assumed was the mothership thanks to its grandiose scale. There, he spotted a tiny figure in a hovercraft with a long tail floating in front of the ship.
He didn't get close enough to see more however, as hordes of Frieza's men dispersed and surrounded Bardock. On instinct, Bardock went in to fight them off.
He was greatly outnumbered. What chance would he have at stopping this…?
No time to think. Only to fight. To fight for your life, and for the lives of those down on your planet.
Bardock took down a great many goons, sergeants and commandos, but was getting grabbed and blindsided from every angle, until…
"…Stand down…? Lord Frieza wishes to-?!"
"At once!"
One by one his attackers backed away from him, leaving Bardock alone, still surrounded.
"They're backing off? What the hell…?" he thought in confusion.
A large opening was made to allow Frieza to pass through, and he drew closer to Bardock.
"Huh?!" Bardock's face turned to one of shock.
"Lord Frieza?!" the lackeys all gasped.
"Frieza…" Bardock uttered, "You finally show your damn face…"
"I must commend you on your efforts thus far... Truly impressive for a lone Saiyan," Frieza began, "I had originally planned to simply do away with all of you monkeys in one fell swoop, but you've caught my attention. It would be a waste for such bravery to go unrewarded." He smiled.
"I, Emperor Frieza, will engage you in battle. Consider this a parting gift from yours truly."
"You… you arrogant-" '…Wait. This is impossible. I can't win against Frieza! There's no way we're making it out of this. And I won't be able to rescue my son from… And Gine… she'll…!' Bardock's heart sank.
"Now, then, when you're ready," Frieza stated with an evil smirk.
'Rgh… To Hell with any doubts!' "Friezaaaaaaaaaa!"
The battle was fast. Sharp. Brutal. Constant noises coming from Frieza spurred on the losing Bardock.
Bardock demanded to know why. Why the betrayal?
"Oh? What betrayal? That implies there was a partnership between equals that was broken, and ours was anything but."
Why kill off loyal soldiers who did everything Frieza told them to do?
"Oh, I'm aware of that. Thus I will end you all at once so you can feel no fear."
During the fighting, Bardock got sent a flurry of visions that he perceived as the future, of his youngest son fighting the tyrant.
As the battle drew to a close, Frieza sent out a large death beam intending to end this little game.
To his surprise, Bardock successfully blocked the attack, though he wasn't strong enough to fire a counterattack.
He looked back over at Frieza, and saw a small blip of light emerge from his index finger. It shone, and suddenly grew into a monstrous ball of molten death.
"I have you right where I want you! Hahahaha!"
The finger pointed at Bardock and the planet.
The giant supernova Frieza created was released.
Bardock knew what it was. This was it.
'Frieza… this might kill us… but I will fight it until the end comes!'
He charged a blue beam of light in his right hand, and sent it flying at full force directly towards the ball of death, with absolutely everything he had.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Yet the giant ball drew closer.
And closer.
His beam shattered to nothing.
The heat.
Oh, the heat.
"Gah… Gaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!"
Another vision. A golden Saiyan warrior… stood before Frieza.
He smiled broadly.
"Ka… Kakaroooooot!"
"Hohoho! What glorious fireworks! Zarbon! Dodoria! Hahahaha!" Frieza laughed in full contentment.
"…I thought Lord Frieza was gonna just wipe 'em out, not wipe the planet out too." Dodoria stared at the 'fireworks'.
"You buffoon," Zarbon began. He wore a frown. "I have witnessed this before since I've been here a long time, like I said. Lord Frieza usually doesn't stoop to doing our kind of work. He only gets involved when he deems it necessary. Now let's head back to the bridge. There are no more power levels coming from the planet on our scouters."
The pulling sensation.
Then waking up on your own planet just to be told it's not Planet Vegeta but Planet Plant?
Chilled…
His hair… it turned golden. And he shone with a golden light. That had to be the legend.
Then Chilled was dealt with.
Then a year passed, with Bardock having little success in achieving that power once again, and he decided to go and find his kind.
That damned ship.
Then…
The vision of… this green place.
…
Wait!
'Where…? My ship…!'
He got to his feet and looked around sharply, finding himself in the middle of nowhere. Nothing but rocky outcrops and alien soil as far as he could see. The air smelled very fresh.
"No… I… I can't be stranded! What the hell is happening?!" Bardock flew in a random direction, hoping to find answers as to how he got here. Though, he bet that he wouldn't find any, just like last time.
"If only I had my scouter. Hm?"
He heard the same muffled explosions from his vision, and flew towards the sounds. As he drew closer he could hear screams and he saw smoke rising up considerably from what appeared to be a small village.
"Again?" What kind of nonsense was this?
Just like when he arrived on Plant, there was some kind of attack.
'I suppose that if I deal with the threat, the townsfolk'll tell me what's goin' on… or run away. Anyway, worth a shot.'
[Author's notes:
This is my first attempt at writing a really long story! Review it, if you want. (Please be nice. I'm not a pro.)
Disclaimer: If I write a scene or plot line that seems similar to any other fan fiction or other fan works on the internet, please know that it was not intentional!
Some of you may have seen my profile which used to say, "I want to publish [this fic] when I have completely planned out everything from start to finish". But, I'm not sure what the future holds, so now the plan is to submit what I've already done bit by bit (which is a hefty amount, so it won't be lacking for word count), while I write the future chapters at the same time. As of writing this, I have completed around 65 chapters.
And by the way, in case you think I'm spelling some words wrong throughout the course of this fic, I'm using mostly UK spelling, so I'm still correct!]