The residual echoes of obnoxiously loud snoring buffeted the icy walls of the palace. The sound was spawned within the royal bedroom. Sokka's nostrils flexed in and out with each heaved breath. The engine-like snarls only ended as Sokka finally snorted awake.
Sokka's half-asleep eyes blinked. He released a long yawn as though having awoken from a great and comfortable sleep. He stretched his arms as his body flexed into motion, each arm relaxing as it calmly lowered over the shoulders of the pair of naked whores snuggled next to him. The whole of his senses perked up; his confused face whipped back and forth to see the two women. In response to this, he ironically screamed like a bitch, and jolted off the large opulent bed his was sleeping in. Sokka fell on his back, and crawled backward in shock.
This in turn woke the Water Tribe whores, as they gracefully rose out from the bedding, all eight of them.
"Is there something wrong, my lord?" one of the concubines asked.
Sokka looked all around. He was no longer in the Earth Kingdom, let alone Be Sing Se. He recognized these walls to a degree, but he had not seen them for time."WHAT THE EFFING EFF!?" he exclaimed. Was he dreaming? No, this dream routinely featured Suki, Yue, and meat; but the only meat he saw was the one that was now exposed to the brisk air between his legs. Realizing he was nekked, he yelped, and snatched the polar bear wolf rug from the floor to cover himself."What is happening!?"
One other bed chamber mistress giggled."He's having his memory problems again."
"Oh good, my lord, you are awake," greeted a new voice that frightened Sokka further; in walked some Water Tribe servant, who was thankfully wearing clothes."Your bath is ready," he bowed and gestured for Sokka to follow.
"My what...?" Sokka's face twitched.
Sokka found himself within a huge circular tub, his body dipped in a warm foamy bubble bath, his body was being scrubbed by an entirely new assortment of women."Is this the Northern Water Tribe?" he broke the question.
"It is the very same, Lord Sokka," the servant bowed.
"Lord Sokka?" the teen repeated."This is totally a dream, isn't it?"
"It is not," the servant assured.
"But where's Chief Arnook?" Sokka asked.
"He's in the same place you left him," the servant pointed to a vase on a table on one end of the bathroom."Not a single ash from his incinerated bones has left that container."
"His what?" Sokka asked."He's dead!? And I killed him!?"
"That you did, my lord."
Sokka leaped from the tub, wrapping a towel around his southern tribe. He stopped before the vase. His jaw hung."I...I don't understand! This can't be happening!"
"You seem to be having memory troubles again, Lord Sokka..." observed the servant.
"Stop calling me 'Lord Sokka'!" Lord Sokka demanded."I'm not the Chief! And I did not kill anyone!"
"Of course, your not a chief," nodded the servant,"You're a king."
At this point, Sokka had an idea of what Vegeta must have gone through when he first landed on Sokka's planet. He shook his head."Just gimme my clothes!" he shouted, ironically reenacting the punchline of Vegeta's many lone adventures.
The servant handed him a resplendent bathrobe; Sokka rushed to the mirror to put it on, and that was when he received the greatest shock yet, finally having a better look of his own body. For a moment, he did not recognize his own reflection: he was tight as all hell. He was no Vegeta, but compared to his default, his physique was like a top-tier athlete. He bet could even put Zuko to shame (he wondered how he knew how fit Zuko was. Was he just assuming Zuko was very fit? Was that just how he envisioned Zuko in his underwear? He was now incapable of stopping his mind from picturing Zuko in his underwear...this was not helping...) "How many years has it been!?"
"Since what, Lord Sokka?"
"umm...Since all of this!?" he gestured to everything." Since I allegedly murdered Yue's dad!? Became king of the Northern Water Tribe!? Wasn't I in Ba Sing Se just yesterday!?" he unintentionally rhymed.
"No, Lord Sokka," the servant shook his head,"Yesterday, you were ruling the North and South Tribes, just as you are now."
"Enough with the triple-A ass-kissing!" Sokka flung his hands out."Why are you kissing up to me!?"
"Maybe 'cause he's afraid of what you'll do to him...?"
The new voice sent electrifying fear into his spine. He twirled around to see Perfect Cell leaning on the doorway.
"Top of the morning, Sokka." Cell bucked his chin."Now when was the last time you and I spoke? Oh, right, I was digging by perfect heel into that little Saiyan prince's pathetic face."
Sokka's widened eyes constricted into fury as he powered up and dashed for Cell, fist cocked. Cell checked Sokka's punch, caught his arm, and slammed his face into the wall behind him.
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Cell taunted,"Your body's not that perfect," he kept Sokka pinned to the wall.
Sokka grunted, pushing his face off the crater in the wall."Where's Aang!?"
"How the hell should I know?" Cell queried."Last I saw, he hand-farted us both away and vanished. That was over a month ago."
Sokka gasped."A month!?" he cried, breaking away from Cell. He resumed another stance.
Cell spread his hands in a friendly manner."Hey now, what's with all the hostility, Lord Sokka? Is this the thanks I get for helping you conquer the Water Tribe?"
"Shut up!" He powered up again and flew at Cell. Cell grabbed Sokka's arms, tiled back, and kicked Sokka up through the ceiling. Sokka exploded out of the top of the palace. He tumbled through the air. He stopped himself, shook his head, and he saw Cell appear in front of him.
Cell sighed."You forgot again, didn't you?"
"FORGET WHAT!?" Sokka demanded.
"Take a look..." Cell gestured down.
Sokka swung his head down for the shocking reveal: it was the Northern Water Tribe, but completely perverted. Instead of ice buildings, the city was dominated by steel towers. The ice wall protecting the city was reinforced with metal beams. Tanks and soldiers roamed the streets, but they weren't Fire Nation; likewise, there were plenty of steam-powered metal ships coming in and out of the newly built loading docks, transferring tons of resources to and from the city. Both the ships, the tanks, the towers, and even the palace were stamped with a new banner Sokka had never seen before. It was a dark blue shape of some kind of...giant monkey?
Cell laughed."Gotta say, we really gave this place an upgrade, am I right, King Vegeta?"
Then it all came back to him. The sight of his hands snapping Aang's wrist, of blasting Tarble in the face, his back fist into General Iroh's nose. He looked at his hands, which shivered in terror.
"You know, when I told Grandad about your backward tribes, I didn't expect for him to do all of this. Thought he'd just start rampaging across the planet; but no, he had a plan, a plan that started with converting your tribe into his kingdom. He strengthened it, militarized it, and has been preparing it for war ever since. It's thanks to you, really."
Sokka whipped his head back to Cell.
"They all still think you're you; the regicide was taken rough, but after a while, they didn't mind being ruled by another Water Tribe prince. And Grandad used that to his advantage, winning them all over using your face. And now, the tribes are reunited under the iron fist of Sokka Khan!"
"No..." he breathed. His home, both of them, dominated by his unwilling hands, by the will of an alien monster.
"I know what you're thinking," Cell rolled his eyes."You're gonna try to tell everyone it's not really you, you've tried it before, and each time, the king takes control before you give him away. In a nutshell, you're just the Earth King all over again, except at least he had more control over his own body."
"I..." tears streamed from his cheeks. his fist tightened."...I'LL KILL YOU!" Sokka exploded with ki and charged for Cell once more.
"Next time, try to remember..." Cell didn't even bother with blocking.
Sokka's fist froze inches from the smug Cell's perfect face, as it was no longer Sokka's fist. Sokka's eyes reopened, the black irises of King Vegeta staring at Cell."That was too close..." King Vegeta said, with only Sokka's voice, "The people saw him fight back this time."
"I wouldn't worry," shrugged Cell, "If it comes to it, I'll just bonk you on the head again."
King Vegeta crossed Sokka's arms and huffed."To think that I would have returned to conquer this world, but this time as one of its own."
"Certainly making the most of it," Cell remarked.
"Yes, but what now?" Vegeta the 3rd asked."I'll only rule for so long as a human; am I truly doomed to die of old age, after all I've worked for?"
"You could head to the moon and get yourself a fancy new Saiyan body," Cell reminded.
The king grunted."That would require the permission of Cooler, who does not even know I am here. As if he'd let a Saiyan roam his earth after all this time."
"As opposed to going to war with the Fire Nation?" Cell crossed his own arms."I just don't see that working out."
"Yes," Vegeta III nodded, scanning his city."I suppose there's only one hope we have against that damn frost demon; otherwise, this Fire Nation may actually grow to rule the universe."
"This is ridiculous," Zuko sighed.
Before, he would have relished the day when he would ride a Fire Nation navy ship back home as he stood outside on the deck, watching the morning sun rise from the sea. But, that was before he knew he could also use a freaking spaceship to fly to e capital in less than thirty minutes. This once reliable method of travel now seemed so backward in comparison.
"I know, I know," Mai said, walking to his side," but like the big guy said, we gotta keep up appearances; can't let our people freak out.
"Why does Cooler care so much about his secret?" Zuko vocalized."Why doesn't he just reveal himself?"
"Yeah, just come down and tell everyone about the space monster that killed the Fire Lord. It's not that simple. But who cares," Mai lamented,"I just wanna stand here and be glad that you're coming home, that all of those creeps are finally out of our heads," she said, inching closer to Zuko, "Now, maybe, we can finally get back to normal..."
Zuko rubbed the back of his head."Yeah, well, I was hoping...you know," Zuko inched closer to Mai, "Maybe we can finally be a little better than normal..."
The teens kissed and embraced. The waves slashed in the background, and birds fluttered across the sky. In the distance, they could see it, the volcano crowning the island their birth. Zuko let himself smile, keeping Mai close."Home..."
Later that morning, the people of the island were gathered before a huge tower, upon which Lo and Li addressed the crowd.
"The Avatar invaded our homeland!" Li began.
"He came for the life of the Fire Lord!" Lo continued.
The crowd booed at the mention of the Avatar.
"But he failed!" Li said.
"And he fell by the Fire Lord's hand!" Lo added.
The people cheered at this.
"Princess Azula, clever and beautiful, gave her life to bring down the walls of Ba Sing Se!" Li recapped.
"And with the walls fell the Earth King! And the Earth Kingdom!" Lo followed.
"And in her stead, another rose to secure our victory in her name!" Li said.
"And now, that hero has returned home!" Lo announced.
Both women raised their hands to introduce the arrival of a figure clad in royal Fire Nation armor, his head adorned with his beloved royal top knot.
"PRINCE ZUKO HAS RETURNED!" Li and Lo announced.
Zuko looked down at the gathering of people, whose praise surged at his unveiling. The redeemed prince wanted to bask in their adulation like proper royalty. But after all these years, he felt...undeserving, and some degree of pity: if only these people had any idea of what really happened.
"He's WHAT!?" erupted Fire Lord Ozai, the tone room echoed with his fury. None of the war council made eye contact.
"Your son, sire," the messenger bowed as low and respectfully as he could,"He's en route to the capital as we speak."
"Unbelievable!" Ozai grunted."First, my daughter is pronounced deceased; and now, that worthless failure thinks he can just float onto my land and expect to be forgiven!? Has he STILL not learned an ounce of respect!?"
"It is out of my power, sire," the messenger said. And then he took a nice deep gulp,"And, I'm afraid, your highness, it's also out of your power as well..."
At this, Ozai became extremely nettled, his royal wall of flame rising."What did you just say to me?"
"What he said was what I TOLD him to say, boy!"
The entire company of the royal council froze in utter terror at the voice they thought they'd never hear again. The drapes of the entrance parted as a clearly living Cooler and his Armored Squadron almost casually strolled into the throne room. Cooler practically slurped Ozai's fear like a fine wine."...And he will continue to do so, as will all of you."
"Cooler!?" Ozai gasped.
The alien in question reappeared in Ozai's face, wagging his purple finger."Ah ah, LORD Cooler. Perhaps it's you that needs a season in respect."
The Fire Lord bowed, his face to the mat."...My lord, I...I never thought you'd-"
"Never thought or never wanted me to return?" Cooler finished the thought."I certainly hope you were coming under the impression that your rule over this nation was suddenly real?"
Ozai himself gulped."Of course not..." he forced himself to say.
"Good." Cooler leered. Then he spun to face the council, the royal flames illuminating his wide grin."Because Fire Lord Cooler is back, bitches! And he's badder than ever! And if I say that Zuko is no longer banished, then that is how it's going to be. We have much work to be done; now, let's get busy for the grand finale!"
Space...the final frontier, or at least that's how Ty Lee saw it, before someone told here that 90% of the known universe was pretty well charted. Even after the power vacuum left by Emperor Freiza's death, the Galactic Patrol ceased all of his intergalactic charts, making space travel more available to the public in recent years. More and more worlds established their own governments independent of the weakened Freiza Force, and everything was going pretty well for the universal community. But then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked...
The militant dictatorship, formally known as the Frieza Force, was reorganized under the rule of a new cosmic player: Empress Azula. This young human girl rose to Emperial status in the same way King Cold did, by quickly establishing her Frieza-level power as leverage to force the Frieza Force to comply. Her quick and aggressive campaign gained support by assisted of the now-living Ginyu Force, former devoted followers of Frieza, who vouched for her, implying that she was in some way the only credible heir to Frieza's throne. After consolidating her political power to complement her physical power, Azula assured the "Azula Force" that her rule would be as strong as Frieza's, but at the same time, she also promised to the people of the universe that her rule would also be tempered by competence and making the most out of each planet, rather than blowing up a few worlds here and there, and expecting everyone to just show their bellies.
This was the new empire that Ty Lee now found herself a part of as the latest member of the Ginyu Force. There was just one hiccup with the whole Ginyu Force-thing: the resurrection of the revered Captian Ginyu did not go as planned. Being a body-swapper, his new body was in the likeness of the last living being he swapped bodies with, which, as the Ginyu Force looked over, that last body was a Namekian frog. Even if Koh could have made a body in the likeness of Ginyu's "real body", that body would still have been as weak as a frog. There was, of now, only one way to remedy this...
The sky of New Namek was breached by the landing of a newly branded Azula Force saucer. The Nameks of New Namek were understandably un edge by the arrival of the ship and its identical design to Frieza's flagship; the Fire Nation insignia on the side simply was not enough.
By the time the saucer landed, it was already surrounded by New Namek's finest warriors, ready to lay down their lives for their new home. And this was where Ty Lee came in: she was the first to walk down the ship's ramp stairs, as an emissary to assure the Namekians they meant no harm.
Ty Lee, adoring her new Azula Force armor, reused Frieza Force Armor but recolored to have black chest plates and red shoulders guards, slowly walked up to the Guru of New Namek, Moori, who was flanked by a band of grumpy Namekian warriors.
"We come in peace!" Ty Lee opened up.
Moori's nerves were slightly comforted by the sight of a human, who he assumed was an Earthling such as the ones that saved his race from Frieza."That remains to be seen. Why have you come here?"
Ty Lee coughed awkwardly."Well, Mr. Super Kami Guru, sir, It's a little complicated, but the Ginyu Force was hoping that, since all of the Namekians were resurrected and brought to New Namek, we were kiiiiinda hoping that some of you may have seen a certain...muscular purple horned man crawling around acting like a frog..."
One warrior gasped."So you've come for the great toad demon that plagues our blue plains?"
"Yes!" Ty Lee beamed."He's-well, I mean, his body is a valuable asset to the Azula Force, and we're here to collect it, as per your permission!"
"Are you, if I may ask, Empress Azula?" Moori broached, to the other Namek's dismay.
She quickly shook her head." No! Nonono! I'm private Ty Lee of the Ginyu Force! But rest assured, Empress Azula is just a cute lil' human like me." she put on her best cutesy face.
Moori huffed."You know, Frieza was just a cute little creature as well, and he wiped out my village, sparring not even the children."
"Well that was Frieza, and he's dead! You've got nothing to worry about. We have no intention of capturing or neutering any of your dragons. Scout's honor."
Guru Moori looked amongst the anxious faces of his fellow Namekians...
He looked at Ty Lee."We will allow the members of your crew with the smallest powerlevels to leave the ship. We shall take you to the beast, and you will rid us of it, then you shall leave. This will be the end of it."
Ty Lee nodded, giving a thumbs up."Aye, aye, guru!"
Even the weakest of the crew knew how to fly, Ty Lee included, as her training was progressing well for a human, a human that harbored the souls of the greatest mercenary unit in the universe, so their flight across the peaceful planet and its green oceans was an easy one. The Nameks insisted that they should hide as they neared their destination, and with a combination of scouters and natural ki sensing, pinpointing the "frog's" location was too easy.
Ty Lee, the froggy Captian Ginyu who was hanging on Ty Lee's shoulder, and her unwitting teammates, Rasberry and Blackberry, slowly crawled along the surface of the bluegrass plateau with the Nameks. Eventually reaching its summit, they saw at the base of the plateau was their target. Never before had Ginyu been so mortified by the sight of one of his own former bodies: the Ginyu frog was totally nude, and his once marveled frame had gained a considerable amount of weight over the years. It was currently gnawing on the corpse of a giant insect.
"Remember, soldiers..." Froginyu warned, with the help of a device attached to the frog's mouth that allowed him to speak."This is essentially a wild animal with the power to destroy the world we stand upon; causing it distress could spell doom for us all."
"What's the plan, Cap'n?" Asked Ty Lee, inheriting that particular slang from Jeice.
"I'll approach it," one Namek offered, "It will not be frightened by me; I could carry you to it."
"Good, then I can make the switch. Everyone else stay hidden..."
The Namek that offered went down the slope, carrying Froginyu with him. The Ginyu frog's attention was quickly gain. It spun around on all fours to see the Namek. The man-frog hissed at him.
"Eaaaasy now..." Froginyu whispered.
The Ginyu Frog became curious, sniffing the air. It seemed to recognize its former body; Froginyu and Ginyu Frog gained ever so closer to each other.
"That's it," cooed Froginyu."We both want the same thing, you and I, to return to our old bodies; just a little closer, now..."
The Namek looked down at Froginyu. "How do you perform this body-switching technique-"
"CHANGE NOW!" Froginyu shouted out of nowhere, firing a yellow energy beam from his body. This frightened the Ginyu Frog, which leaped over the beam, furiously pouncing upon the Namekian and attacking him.
"Oh shit!" Blackberry exclaimed.
The terrified Namek screamed and fended off the horned monster like a human against a bear. The Ginyu frog bit onto the Namek's arm and slammed him against the dirt like a chew toy. The soldiers panicked and fired their blasters at the beast, but the rays bounced off of it's bare skin harmlessly, irritating it at best. The Ginyu Frog bounded so powerfully as to leave a crater behind him, launching itself and the screaming Namek over Ty Lee's head, clean off the island. The Ginyu Frog began bounding from island to island, dragging the Namek with him.
"Get that frog!" Ty Lee ordered as she and her company flew after.
Prince Zuko minded his own business in the royal garden. Trying to relive his happiest memories, he tossed bread crumbs into the pond and watched the little turtle ducks gather around to eat them. He was expecting Azula to come in at any moment to throw a rock into the pong and scare them. But the moment never came. Neither did the moment where Mom would come in to shun Azula for doing so. Instead came something new...
"I suppose this where I'm supposed to tell you that I'm proud of you..."
Zuko didn't move. It's not that he was scared, having faced Cooler's wrath head-on; anything his father could do was pathetic in comparison.
Ozai just stood there behind Zuko, his hands folded in his sleeves."...where I congratulate you for avenging your sister and conquering Ba Sing Se...but we both know that either is a lie." he stated with a hint of resentment, walking up to Zuko. He sat down next to his son; neither faced the other; rather they stared at each other reflections in the pond."It's all lies. My rule is a lie, your cousin's death was a lie. And just when everything began to feel real, you had to bring that demon back to this land."
Zuko's lip tightened. Of course he had nothing nice to say..."Well, we saw what you and your truth looks like..." he felt his scar."Challenging a thirteen-year-old child to an Agni Kai because he spoke out of turn, and banishing him for not fighting back."
"It was to teach you respect," Ozai grunted.
"It was wrong," Zuko stated factually.
"Then you've learned nothing..." Ozai remarked
"I've learned more than you know," Zuko replied." And I've had to learn it on my own. Growing up, we were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization in history. And somehow, the War was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world - that was the real lie. The people of the world are terrified by the Fire Nation, Cooler just took advantage of that. They don't see our greatness. They hate us, and I'm beginning to think we deserve it."
"Such bold words," drolled the Fire Lord," And what would you have us do, as the heir to my false throne?"
"I'd take away the era of fear that we've thrust on the world, before the world destroys itself, and replace it with an era of peace and kindness."
"You sound like you're ready to betray me all over again," Ozai observed. then he rose from his seat and walked away."Not that it matters. When Cooler deems me unfit for whatever reason, that will be the end of me; and then you'll take my place as his puppet. Maybe you will slay the Avatar, may your cousin will do it, but either way, it will be Cooler who rules the world."
Zuko's lips quivered as he dared to utter his next words..."It doesn't have to be this way..."
Ozai stopped walking. He blinked."What do you mean?"
"I don't know why," Zuko said, "But for some reason, Cooler wants to wait until Sozin's Comet arrives to kill the Avatar. Only after that will he be willing to reveal himself to the world."
Ozai paused. He took a moment to think it over."He wants to kill the Avatar himself? Yes, that is what he must do..."
"What do you mean?" Zuko asked.
"For him to kill the Avatar," Ozai turned around,"To do what I and my forefathers have failed to do, it would be the greatest achievement in our history. It would be so great as to wash away the sin of killing the Fire Lord. In the people's eyes, Azulon would be seen as a failure, and Cooler would be a hero. But this sentiment would only be gained in the wake of the Avatar's death. Without it, he could never gain the people's trust - they would resist."
"So why Sozin's Comet?" Zuko asked.
"What a better day to vanquish the Avatar than on the hundredth anniversary of the day the Air Nomads were wiped out and the War began? It'd be the perfect way to close the chapter of the Fire Nation, and begin with his new world order."
Zuko also rose to his feet."So...what if everyone found out about Cooler before he could do that?"
Ozai gave a quizzical look at his son."And exactly who would tell them? You?"
"No," Zuko said." It would have to be someone that can prove it, someone who has nothing to lose by doing it."
"And who would that be?" Ozai borderline demanded.
Zuko finally dared to approach his father."Back when Cooler was still in my body, there was someone he wanted dead more than anyone. He convinced me that person was going to destroy us all when the comet came. But I don't think that was true; I think it was because he was the only one who could stand against him when the comet came." Zuko smirked."Pretty sure you already met him."
Ozai's eyes widen."The Saiyan?"
"Why did you scream!?" Ty Lee screamed, flying with Froginyu in hand.
They pursued the savage Ginyu Frog as it continued its literal island-hopping across the Namekian landscape.
"That's how the technique works!" Froginyu explained, "You can't just whisper an energy attack, you know!"
"How would you know!?" Ty Lee demanded."Have you ever tried to say a technique quietly!?"
"No! Because it's impossible!"
"We got a problem, Ty!" Rasberry said.
"What?" Ty Lee asked.
"The frog's heading straight for the Namek's village!"
"Oh crap!" Ty Lee gasped."He's already so frightened, he'll tear the people and the village apart!"
"Well so much for coming in peace..." Blackberry deadpanned.
"Don't you pull a 'Mai' on me, Blackberry! I'm going in!" Ty Lee shouted.
"Whadya mean-Whoaaaaahh!" Froginyu yelped as Ty Lee accelerated, gritting her teeth with all her might.
The villagers fled their homes as trees in the distance were knocked into the sky; the earth shook with each of the Ginyu Frog's bounds. Ty Lee intercepted the frog, and with a yell, kicked it in the back of its neck, sending it tumbling off course, the frog crashing into the ground.
Ty Lee landed before the smoking crater, putting down Froginyu.
"What're you doing!?" Froginyu said.
"I have to keep him away from the village. You go get the Ginyu Force to help while I distract the frog!"
"That's certain death! You can't take on me!" Froginyu pleaded.
"I have to try, Cap'n!" she saluted
Froginyu nodded, and hopped for the saucer.
Ty Lee readied a fighting stance, a drop of sweat sliding down her temple.
Out of the smoke lunged the feral horned man, Ty Lee, ducked under the flying frog, spun around, and shot a ki blast at it, blowing into a tree. The frog pounced again, and Ty Lee twirled to the side, flinging another ki ball with her leg firebender-style.
Froginyu struggled up the stairs, heaving in breathes."heh...heh...Jeice! Burter! Recoome! Get over here!
The three living Ginyu's ran to the top of the stairs.
"Whassa' problem, Cap'n!?" Jeice asked.
"Ty Lee..." Froginyu huffed."Found the frog...she's distracting it...we gotta help her!"
Ty Lee's weak ki blasts had no effect on the rampaging frog from hell, and she was tiring herself dodging. She jumped over the frog's next lunged, but its Ginyu head grazed her foot, breaking her ankle and sending her rolling in the air, and she fell to the ground. She groaned in pain, feeling her injury. She could only look in horror as the frog struggled to its feet and savagely pounced for her again. She braced herself.
The frog stopped in mid-air, inches from Ty Lee's face. She looked up to see that Recoome had caught the naked Ginyu frog by its legs (which were always naked).
*Cue Ginyu Force Theme Song*
"No Ginyu gets left behind!" Recoome yelled as he spun around with the frog, flinging it into a mountain. The frog immediately dug its way out, and pounced for Recoome, but was kneed in the jaw by Burter. The Ginyu frog was sent flying in another direction and flanked by Jeice, who kicked it into the sky. Jeice and Burter flew up after the frog. The two exchanged blows and swipes with the giant frog. The frog caught Burter's fist in his teeth, and threw him into another mountain. Jeice charged his Crusher Ball, but then the Ginyu frog shot out its tongue and wrapped his around Jeice's charging arm.
Jeice was understandably shocked." 'Ow the bloody hell-!?" but he was flung away into the horizon. But he was caught by an invisible force.
"I gotcha, Buddy!" Guldo said, using his telekinesis to launch Jeice back at the frog. He met up with Burter to form the Purple Hurricane, launching a volley of purple ki balls down on the frog. Recoome charged up at the frog shoulder first, pinning it against the ki blast. This cause the Ginyu Frog to become enraged, releasing an explosion of ki that blew away Recoome, Burter, and Jeice. The furious frog launched ki blasts out of its mouth, covering the Namekian landscape in fiery explosions. Ty Lee darted around on her good foot, saving the Namekian villagers from the blasts.
The undeterred Recoome rammed his head right into the frog's exposed balls, making it shriek in pain. Then he grabbed it and forced it into a full on pile drive that drove the frog into the Ginyu frog into the ground with an explosion of dust and rocks. Recoome tried wresting with the naked monster rolling along the ground, but the frog kicked Recoome off and fired a ki beam out of its mouth. Recoome responded with his own mouth beam, and the two beams clashed. While the frog was distracted, Jeice and Burter grabbed it by the arms and seized it up to its feet, making the beam swerving into the sky, parting the clouds. Guldo came in from behind and clamp his hands around the head of Ginyu frog's head, trying to psionically suppress it. Recoome punched the crap out of the frog, while Ty Lee jabbed at every conceivable pressure point that an alien with the mind of a frog could have, the combined assault finally tiring the beast out long enough for Froginyu to jump for its face and yell...
"CHANGE NOW!"
The area lit up with a yellow flash of ki.
The regular frog fell to the dirt, twitching and smoking.
The entire Ginyu force breathed in and out after the endeavor, including Captian Ginyu, back in his old body."It worked..."
The team cheered in victory.
"We did it!" Recoome shouted.
"The Cap'n's back!" Jeice yelled.
"Teamwork makes the dream work!" Guldo rhymed.
"Suck on that, Pride Troopers!" Burter punched the air.
"Get some!" Ty Lee added.
Ginyu finally rose to his feet, sighing in relief."Mission accomplished, gentlemen...and lady..." he patted Ty Lee on the shoulder."Now, somebody give me a bath, a change of cloths, and my patented workout routine! The Ginyu Force is back!"
"GINYU FORCE RULES!"
The team did their team pose, with limited success, as Ginyu was currently too fat to bend over that far, and simply fell to the ground.
"I'm okay..." Ginyu mumbled.
Back in the ship...
Azula sat in her floating chair, scanning the team."I'm going to assume the mission was a success, as I've never seen Ginyu's true form."
"This is me alright!" Ginyu pounded his armored chest."Just gimme a few weeks, and I'll be back in peak condition."
"You shoulda' seen Ty Lee out there, your highness!" Guldo beamed."She risked her life against the frog and even saved the village!"
"Excellent," Azula remarked,"Not only have I restored my elite fighting force to its former glory, but thanks to Ty Lee, I've even improved our image in the eyes of Planet Namek. Today will be a major step in the growth of my empire. I'm so happy I spared your life," she said to her "friend".
Ty Lee tried to stay perky at such a bittersweet remark.
"Of course, there is still only one thing that could stand in my way..." she lifted a remote and tapped a button.
The holographic screen on the windshield displayed a still image of a peculiar-looking spaceship.
"Who're they, Lord Azula?" Ginyu asked.
The empress pointed to the screen."Our scouters have detected several suspiciously high power levels within this vessel, two of which max out at 999,999."
"Whoah, that's, like, Frieza level!" Guldo marveled, before being jabbed by Jeice.
"Don't use the F word around the Empress..." Jeice hissed.
"But more alarming than that," Azula continued,"Was that this vessel was also observed to be headed straight for the Void of Vegeta."
"Wait, what?" Recoome tilted his head.
"I know," Azula nodded,"Now, just who would willingly go to Planet Avatar knowing the risk of losing their ki?"
Ty Lee tapped her chin."Hang on...didn't Cell tell us something about strong warriors on the planet he came from?"
"oooooh SHIT!" it hit Burter."It's gotta be Goku's kid! He was the one who killed Cell!"
"But you said there were two power levels that maxed out?" Ginyu observed."Who else could be that strong?"
A nervous thought hit Jeice."Um...you guys don't think the other could be...the G-man himself?"
"Godzilla?" Recoome asked stupidly.
"No, stupid!" Burter grunted."What if it's Goku!?"
"But that can't be!" Guldo said."He's dead!"
"Dragon Balls, mate," Jeice reminded."Maybe the Kais got desperate and wished 'em back."
"What precisely do we know of this Goku?" Azula asked.
Jeice raised his hands."Well, we know he's equal to Pikkon, who beat Cell in two hits, and he beat all of us in one hit."
"I am sorry to be blunt with you, Lord Azula, but I don't think you can defeat him," Ginyu stated formally.
"It doesn't matter," Azula disregarded,"As I said, they're headed for the Void; and when they enter it, destroying them will be nothing to us." She sighed."It's truly a shame. I could have used Saiyans as part of my forces, but my predecessor burnt that bridge long ago - the remaining Saiyans must die."
"Even the kid?" Ty Lee's brow scrunched.
Azula scowled at the image."...especially the kid."
The room lost temperature at that remark.
Ginyu breathed it in like fresh air."Ahhh, the chilling promise of death: I missed that feeling..."
Ty Lee looked at her Captian even more bewildered but kept it to herself.
"Get your things ready," Azula ordered,"We were supposed to return just before Sozin's Comet, but it looks like we'll be heading home even sooner."
"Gohan..." Goku rapidly patted his son's cheek."Gohan..." Goku rapidly patted his son's cheek."Gohan..." Goku rapidly patted his son's cheek"Gohan..." Goku rapidly patted his son's cheek.
Goku's son finally awoke to his father's persistence."What is it, Dad?"
"We're here!" Goku beamed.
"Huh?" Gohan rose from his bunk bed.
After quickly getting dressed, Gohan joined his friends and family in the main deck. From the windshield, they beheld a new system.
"There she is..." Bardock said quietly."The Void of Vegeta."
"How do you know?" Gohan asked.
"Cause I can't detect shit passed this point," Bardock pointed to all the sensors not working.
"So this is it then, huh?" Krillin asked. "We go any further, and it's goodbye power levels."
"This system houses the greatest defeat of the Saiyan race," Raditz remarked.
"So, Vegeta's somewhere in there?" Yamcha asked.
"Assuming he hasn't killed himself, yeah," Piccolo replied.
"The second we go in there..." Oolong realized.
"All of you are going to be back to the same level as me..." Chi Chi followed.
The hesitation among the group was deafening...
But Goku had to break it." So what're we waitin' for? Vegeta's in there, and he needs our help!"
"Slow down, kid," Bardock warned."We have no idea what the hell's gonna happen to this ship the second we enter this thing."
"Why would we worry about the ship?" Yamcha asked.
"Because, according to the stories, not even spaceships can function in the Void. At least not the kind the Saiyans or Frieza Force used," Bardock said.
"Well, this ship isn't like those, though," Goku reminded.
"But it's similar," Bardock reminded.
"So what do we do?" Krillin asked.
Bardock sighed."Well, this ship does have a backup ion generator; that's our only contingency in case the main floater goes off."
"If worst comes to worst, all of you Earthlings will die, and we'll be fine," Raditz pointed to his halo.
"Funny guy..." Yamcha rolled his eyes.
"Listen up, everybody!" Master Roshi called out, walking in front of them."We all knew the risks before we got into this here rocket ship. It's like Goku said, Vegeta needs our help, and so does the universe by the end of summer. There's no turnin' back now! Full speed ahead!" he pumped his staff upward.
"I say we get this over with before Bulma loses it and takes over Earth," 18 crossed her arms.
Bardock made a tsk."Alright, everybody, here's what's gonna happen: I'm gonna take her in nice and slow. All of you sit on the floor, get as relaxed as you can, and wait for the void to hit us."
They all did as Bardock said, sitting down on their knees and bracing themselves. Piccolo took off his weighted cape and turban. The three students of Turtle School removed all weighted clothing. The Son family sat next to each other. Gohan was scared, but Goku held his hand to keep him at ease. Krillin and 18 also held hands. Raditz sat in the passenger seat and crossed his arms.
Bardock tapped some switches."Shifting to auxiliary power." The light of the ship flickered for a moment. Bardock took a deep breath."...In we go." he gently pushed the thrust.
The ship inched closer to the point of no return, into the Void of Vegeta.
Yamcha's fingers tapped nervously."...So how do we know when-"
The ship rattled out of nowhere. All the sensors and monitors read error messages and an emergency alarm sound.
The powerful members of the group experienced it first. Goku, Gohan, and Piccolo cringed and grunted as they watched their very life energy getting pulled out of them. Then Bardock and Raditz, then the stronger humans.
Goku gasped for air."Holy crap! This feels nothing like extra gravity!"
Gohan panted."It feels so hard to move!"
Piccolo kept his eyes shut. He gritted his teeth."Don't fight it! It won't kill us!"
"You sure about that, man!?" Yamcha fell on his hands.
18 looked like she was fading in and out of conscienceless."Aw crap, my power cells are cutting off; I didn't think I'd be affected..."
"Stay with us, we can...grr...get through this!" Krillin insisted.
"You guys don't look so good," Oolong observed.
"I feel fine so far..." Master Roshi admitted.
"That's easy for you to say, you pathetic human!" Raditz felt his head. But then, he could no longer feel his head, as though his hand went numb; he looked at his hand in shock.
"Just let it run its course," Piccolo grunted, "This feeling isn't gonna let up!"
"I'm gonna pass out..." Gohan mumbled, trying his best not to do that.
Chi Chi hugged her boy."Oh, my poor Gohan..."
"Hang in there, Yamcha!" Puar shook his friend's shoulder.
"I'm hanging on by a thread!" Yamcha complained.
"Hey, look on the bright side," Tien growled,"This means you have this much ki to lose!"
"Never appreciate it until it's AmIright?" Krillin joked.
"Guys, we got a problem!" Oolong said.
"What now!?" Piccolo asked.
The talking pig pointed to the now empty pilot's seats. Raditz and Bardock were gone."I think Goku's family just bailed on us!"
"They what!?" Krillin exclaimed."Those lying bastards!"
Goku then gained a nervous expression."Um...I don't think that's what happened..." he said as he raised his hands, which were becoming translucent.
This knocked Gohan out of his stupor. He gripped his father's shoulders."Dad, what's happening to you!?"
Piccolo saw this."Dammit! I figured this would happen: Goku's technically a ghost! His astral form is getting sucked away along with his ki!"
They watched in horror as Goku's arms stretched and faded through the windshield. Goku did his best to stay positive."...hehheh...I guess I'm takin' the shortcut to Planet Avatar."
"NO! Dad, please don't go!" Gohan pleaded as he held on to Goku's fading midsection
"Don't worry, Gohan, I'm not goin' anywhere except where you're goin'! I'll meet you theeerreeeaaaaaah!" Goku was cut off as his whole body was literally spirited away into the Void.
Gohan dashed for the cockpit, holding his hand against the glass."DAAAAAD!" he screamed into the outer space ahead.
Then when it felt like they were going to die, the streams of ki finally ended. Goku's human friends fell on their backs, panting like crazy.
"PHEW!" let out Yamcha."That was nuts!"
Tien struggled to get to his feet."urgh...I feel like I've been training nonstop for weeks." he said, his legs buckling.
Krillin stayed on the floor."Sounds like the power levels are off guys; welcome back to being a normal human."
Gohan fell into the passenger seat. He was not as limp from the loss of ki, but from the shock of watching his father taken from him yet again."Dad..."
Chi Chi laid her hand on the boy's shoulder."He's not gone; at worst, he could have just gone back to Heaven."
"And at best," Piccolo came in from Gohan's other side, and pointed forward."He's headed straight for Planet Avatar." He actually smiled as he stared out into the system."I think I'd pay to see the look on Vegeta's face when he lays eyes on him."
"All the more reason for us to haul ass to Planet Avatar!" Yamcha pumped his fist."...there is, uh, someone else who knows how to..."
"I can do it," said Krillin dismissively, taking the pilot's seat."We we flew to Namek, me and Bulma took turns piloting." Krillin got comfortable as he took the wheel."Now I just wanna know how Vegeta's doing..." Krillin rubbed his head thoughtfully.
Later that night, The moon shined on a lone Fire Nation ship sailing along the western ocean. But this was no ordinary ship. Well, actually it was, but the point was that this one had been hijacked a month ago by Hakoda, his warriors, and Team Avatar; and it was sailing straight for the Fire Nation on a secret mission. Hakoda was leaning on the rim of the ship's front end. He sighed.
"Thirsty?" Bato said as he came up to Hakoda with two gourds in hand."I've workin' on this cocktail with a drop of cactus juice - takes the nerves right off."
"I'm not nervous, Bato," he said, taking the drink."But I'm still disappointed: I really wanted Sokka to be here."
"Nothing goes perfectly ideal, Hakoda, especially in war," Bato said, joining him.
"Even now, I still can't wrap my head around all this, about those new guys," Hakoda exhaled, "Katara still won't tell me who the hell they are or what happened to Sokka."
"What's most important," answered Bato,"Is that she and the Avatar get their training done before the eclipse. We got a hell of a battle ahead of us."
It was then that the entire ship was rocked with a sudden force out of sight. After a whole month of travel, they stopped caring about them as much.
"There still going at it down there?" Hakoda took a swig.
"Gettin' in as much as they can before we hit Fire Nation shores," Bato took a swig as well,"Vegeta insisted."
Directly beneath the ship's deck, inside the hull, the immobile Capsule Corp. spaceship rattled from the inside. From within, the gravity had been kept at a generous 10X Earth's gravity. When they first started, the stupid kids could barely withstand 3X Earth's gravity. Vegeta didn't want to overdo it with them, as it was painfully obvious that he could not possibly strengthen their tiny child bodies to even Tarble's level by the Day of Black Sun. He did, however, discover an interesting workaround...
Vegeta braced himself as he used both hands to block the colliding stone/ice fists of Aang and Katara, who were covered in full body armor made of earth and ice respectively. He threw hands with the two at a pace faster than sight. Katara locked Vegeta's left arm in hers and froze it, while Aang threw a kick at Vegeta's right, but Vegeta slapped the stone foot down and slugged Aang in his stone-covered abdomen sending him flying into the wall. Then he used a burst of ki to shatter the ice around his arm and hooked Katara in the chin of her icy helm.
Tarble and the rock-armored Toph traded blows fiercely. Toph ducked under Tarble's swing and elbowed him in his not-so-so-armored gut, making him stagger backward, pushing him the defensive by blocking Toph's punches.
Aang flipped right back in front of Vegeta, prompting Vegeta to charge a ki ball, but was interrupted as Katara came in from behind and forced Vegeta in a full nelson, hoping to leave Vegeta vulnerable to Aang's assault; but Vegeta used his legs to parry Aang's amateur jabs, then drop-kicked Aang with both legs, flew straight up and slammed Katara into the ceiling.
Toph feined a punch to trick Tarble into blocking, then kicked his foot from beneath him and uppercut the falling Tarble in the chin, making him fall on his back with a moan of pain.
Tarble flung his hands up."Time out, time out!"
Aang took a deep breath," I'm out too," he said, releasing his rock armor.
Katara fell to the floor, huffing,"At least I was the last to call it..." she lamented, letting her ice armor slip off as she arose.
With their elemental armor removed, Aang could be seen in light brown shorts, while Katara and Toph were wearing skirts and bras - all three of them were tight as all hell.
Vegeta chuckled, arms crossed."Giving up already? You think the Fire Lord will be so forgiving?"
Toph stretched her toned arms."Pretty sure I could snap Ozai in half with one hand, so..."
"No excuses!" Vegeta barked.
"Hey, it was Tarble who gave up first!" Toph defended.
Vegeta glared at the shorter Saiyan."Well well, I guess you've just lost your privilege to joke about me losing to Toph, haven't you, brother?"
Tarble sighed, closing his eyes as he stayed on the floor."I'm starting to see what Vegeta is getting at with all those sit-ups."
Vegeta walked away and snagged a towel to wipe his neck."Now I suggest all of you get plenty of sleep and get ready nice and early for tomorrow; just because we're leaving the boat does not mean I'll be getting at all lenient on any of you, am I clear!?"
"YES, VEGETA-SENSEI!" they all bowed in respect.
Vegeta clenched his fist."That's what I like to hear, Team Avatar."