Post by Krillin on Nov 5, 2010 2:49:32 GMT -5
Chapter 25: The Last Wish
"Guru, I know we don't have much time," said King Kai telepathically, "so let me get straight to the point. Am I correct in saying that the Dragon of Namek has been revived and is waiting to grant the third wish?"
"Yes, King Kai," replied Guru. "It is just as you say."
"Guru, please have someone ask the Dragon to transport everyone on planet Namek to the planet Earth except for Frieza."
"It will be done. Thank you for your thoughtfulness. It is clear you have the well-being of my people in mind. We are indebted to you. I will have someone make the wish as you have directed. But there's no time to lose, we must hurry!"
"No, don't do it!" said a third voice. It was Goku.
"Goku, is that you?" asked King Kai.
"King Kai, please make a change in your wish."
"Goku, how can you be listening to us, and fighting at the same time?"
"King Kai, don't have the Dragon send me back to Earth. Ask the Dragon to send everyone back to Earth except for Frieza and me!"
"Goku, you can't shoulder the whole load by yourself! Get out of there for now. We'll make a plan!"
"I can promise you that any plan we make would boil down to this in the end anyway! Let me face him now. It's already happening. Why stop it?"
"Goku, I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"King Kai, let go of what you want. This is bigger than that. Please!"
"Guru, I want to change my wish! Please have someone ask the Dragon to send everyone on Namek except Frieza and Goku to the planet Earth."
-DBZ: SGTW-
"Gosh, the Dragon is back too!" said Dende, spotting Porunga hovering over the planet. "That means I really am alive."
"Dende, how are you my son?" asked the voice of Guru in Dende's head.
"Guru, is that you?"
"Yes, Dende. It is I."
"But how? I thought you were- I thought WE were-"
"Dead? I've never felt more alive, my son. But we must hurry. Do you see the Dragon before you, my son?"
"Yes, Guru. It's right in front of me."
"Good. Now listen carefully, Dende. The lives of all of our people is at stake. Go to the Dragon, Dende. I have a wish I would like you to make."
Dende shot towards the Dragon, flying as fast as he could.
-DBZ: SGTW-
"Thanks, King Kai," said Goku. "You're the greatest. Alright, Frieza. Let's do this!"
"Now you're gung-ho," said Frieza. "What's the deal, is your phone call over? Good thing they reached you before I disconnected your number!"
The two shot into combat with one another, fighting harder than either had fought yet.
-DBZ: SGTW-
Vegeta walked along the planet. "Maybe I'm still dead," he said to himself. "Maybe this is the HFIL." Vegeta lifted his fist and examined it. "But my wound is healed! How can this be!"
He stopped and pointed his hand at a cliff. An energy blast later, the cliff was a smoking pile of rubble. He then pulled off the only thing he knew would tell him for certain- he punched himself in the stomach.
Collapsing, he began laughing. "Yes, it's true, it's true! I'm really alive!" He stood, looking around. "That means- YES!" He'd caught sight of the battle between Goku and Frieza from the energy being emitted. "There they are! Great! Just look at them go! Astounding!" He shot off towards them.
-DBZ: SGTW-
Goku looked over and saw the Dragon. The Dragon of Namek! "Excellent. Every thing's going according to plan."
"What?" said Frieza in confusion. "There is no plan." He looked over and saw the Dragon. "It's the Dragon! That means-"
He turned to face Goku, a smirk on his face. "It's wish time!" He shot towards the Dragon.
"Uh-oh," said Goku, giving chase. He maneuvered in front of Frieza, stopping him.
The two began trading blows again. "You dirty dog!" shouted Frieza.
"Takes one to know one!" said Goku.
Vegeta caught sight of the two fighting. "Incredible!" Just then, he saw the Dragon, Dende speeding towards it. "It's the Dragon!"
Dende came down for a landing! "Dragon! I can still make a wish, can't I?"
"Yes, boy," said Porunga. "You still have one wish remaining."
Just then, Frieza broke away from combat with Goku and sped towards the Dragon. "Dragon! I wish for eternal life! Grant me immortality!"
Dende recited some words in Namekian.
"It shall be done," said Porunga, his eyes glowing red. "I will move everybody on Namek except these two to the planet Earth."
"WHAT!" shouted Frieza. He looked at Dende. "YOU LITTLE RUNT!" He shot an energy blast that would have hit Dende, if he hadn't disappeared at the last second.
"FRIEZA!" shouted a voice from behind Goku and Frieza. Turning to see who it was, they saw it was Vegeta, who stopped next to Goku.
"Hey, Vegeta!" said Goku. "Welcome back. I guess it's a good thing I didn't bury you that deep after all."
"Well well well," said Vegeta, grinning as he looked at Goku. "Kakarot, you dog, you did it! You actually did it! You're a Super Saiyan- I can see!"
Frieza was freaking out. "Now what? I killed you! You must be a ghost!"
Vegeta turned to face the tyrant. "Can a ghost do this?" he asked, charging up an energy blast. But before he could fire it, he too vanished.
"My work is done," said Porunga, vanishing. The seven Dragon Balls shot into space.
"You beat that little guy to the punch," said Goku, grinning. "But it looks like the wish has to be said in their native tongue. But that was great, you almost had it!"
"That green kid, I could have sworn I'd killed him!" said Frieza, staring at Goku.
"Yeah, I almost forgot. We used the Earth's Dragon Balls to bring everyone you killed back to life. And wait until I tell you the wish we just made!"
"You mean you orchestrated this whole thing telepathically?" asked Frieza, anger gripping him.
"I had help," said Goku. "The wish we made here was to send everyone on Namek to Earth except for us."
Frieza blasted his energy around him, screaming in rage.
-DBZ: SGTW-
Meanwhile, on Earth, the travelers were looking around in confusion.
"Bulma!" shouted Gohan, climbing out of a tree that he'd flown into.
"Gohan!" said Bulma, glad to see the kid. Her smile was replaced by a scowl a moment later. "You little runt! You left me! I waited and waited and waited!"
"Sorry, Bulma, but I had to do it."
"Don't sweat it kid. But where are we? It looks like Earth."
"Maybe we're dead," said Gohan, looking around. "But I don't think so." He spotted Dende kneeling by Piccolo, healing him.
Piccolo sat up, looking at Dende. "Dende, is it really you?" asked Piccolo.
"Yes, sir, it is me," replied the child.
"Where are we?" Piccolo looked around.
"We're on Earth."
"ON EARTH!" shouted Piccolo, surprised. "Where's Goku? Is he here?" When Dende lowered his head, he got up. "GOKU! GOKU!"
"Piccolo!" shouted Gohan, running up to his mentor. "You're alright!"
Piccolo simply nodded to his student. Just then, he caught sight of Guru, sitting on the grass not too far away. "It's Guru!" The three shot over to Guru.
"Where are we, Guru?" asked a Namekian nearby.
"Yes, that is a good question. We are on a planet called Earth, my sons," said Guru, smiling.
"Where's Goku?" asked Piccolo.
"The Super Saiyan chose to remain behind and finish his fight with Frieza, writing the final chapter in a story neither you nor your children will soon forget."
Vegeta prowled around the camp. "I was so close to Frieza I could have spit on him! Then suddenly, POOF! I'm here!"
-DBZ: SGTW-
"Most planets would have blown by now," said Frieza, looking at the ground. "I'll give it two more minutes." He looked up at the Saiyan. "You sealed your fate with that stupid wish! Now you're guaranteed to die."
"I've been looking forward to this," replied Goku. "Now I can fight you without worrying about the safety of the others."
"The only one of those you should be concerned about is your son," said Frieza. "Only his power rivals mine."
"I don't determine worth based on power, Frieza," said Goku, a frown across his face. "Every life is worth the same, no matter how powerful."
"It's irrelevant anyways, since in two minutes, your life will be over. Just look how you're trembling."
"It's you who should be scared, since your spree of hatred will end at the hands of a Saiyan, just like you always feared."
Frieza grimaced at this statement. "Your speeches are quite poetic, but I can assure you the only things ending are you and this miserable planet!"
The two charged into combat, fighting with everything they had. Neither were able to land a blow, as the other either dodged or blocked any attack they launched.
Finally, Goku pulled back. "You truly are a helpless wretch, Frieza. The powers of good always prevail over evil."
Frieza scowled. "You dirty rotten little monkey! How dare you lecture me!" He shot an energy blast at Goku, who simply backhanded it aside.
"You will never succeed, because you will never destroy what I stand for! The hopes of every one you've killed rest on my shoulders! Even if you managed to defeat me, another would rise up and defeat you."
"You insolent little monkey!" shouted Frieza. "Once I finish you, I'm going to go and kill your son and Vegeta! Then there'll be no more Saiyans left to deal with!"
"Didn't you try and kill my son earlier," said Goku. "Yeah, that's right. You pushed him over the edge and he turned into a Super Saiyan. Didn't he?"
Frieza didn't answer. Instead, he launched a second beam at Goku, who backhanded it into the sky as easily as the first.
-DBZ: SGTW-
"Mr. Guru," asked Gohan. "Can you tell us what is happening on Namek? Is my dad winning?"
"I'm sorry," said Guru. "But I can no longer sense what is happening on Planet Namek."
"Don't worry, Gohan," said Piccolo, staring into the sky. "Your dad will be alright. I know he will. He's always come out on top even when severely outmatched, and he's never let us down before."
"Yeah," said Gohan.
"Don't you get it!" shouted Vegeta. The others whipped around, not even having realized he was there. "I understand Kakarot's blood. He refuses to give up a good fight! It's not his Saiyan nature!"
"Why did you have to come back?" asked Bulma, darting behind Gohan for cover. "Why didn't the Dragon leave out those filthy jerks?"
"That wasn't very nice." Vegeta got up and began walking towards the others. "You are all fools to think Kakarot would abandon a good fight. The blood of a Saiyan flows too strongly in his veins. And now that he's a Super Saiyan, his hunger for battle has grown with his power." A sneer crossed Vegeta's face. "Nothing will stop the battle. That is, until Namek explodes, and they both go out with a bang. With them out of the picture, I'm the strongest fighter in the universe!"
"Shut up, Vegeta," shouted Gohan. "I don't want to listen to your stupid voice anymore! My dad's going to come back alive."
"I must admit, this was unexpected," continued Vegeta, ignoring Gohan's outburst. "But that doesn't mean I won't enjoy it." He turned to face Gohan. "Now you and I are the only two Saiyans left, so we don't we have a little fight to celebrate?"
"How can you think about fighting when Goku's risking his life out there?" asked Bulma, now cowering behind Piccolo.
"It was Kakarot's choice to stay, not mine," said Vegeta. "From now on, I'm in charge, and you will do exactly as I tell you. You got that?"
Gohan continued to stare at Vegeta, his anger almost getting hold of him. Vegeta stepped back in shock when he saw Gohan's hair flash blond for a split second.
It's not possible, thought Vegeta, walking away. It must have been a trick of the light, that's all. "Wait, as I recall, there are Dragon Balls here on earth, aren't there? I'll just call up the Dragon and wish for immortality!"
"Not likely," said Gohan, starting to calm down. "The Dragon Balls were used to bring all these people back to life, you included. They're just regular stones now."
Vegeta stormed away, angry beyond belief.
-DBZ: SGTW-
With Vegeta attempting to take control of the situation on Earth, Goku and Frieza continue a battle that will decide the fate of the entire universe! Find out who wins in the next chapter of DBZ: Son Gohan the Warrior!
Chapter 26: Frieza Is Defeated!
Goku and Frieza continued to trade blows. All around, the planet Namek was blowing jets of lava into the air, signifying that the planet's end was to come soon.
Frieza shot into the air, attempting to get a break in the fight to catch his breath. The two warriors faced off against one another.
The sky had turned a dark crimson, and lightning was cracking all across the surface of the planet.
"What makes you think you can do this to me?" asked Frieza, staring at Goku. "YOU'RE NOTHING BUT AN OVERGROWN MONKEY!"
The two warriors charged back into combat, Frieza managing to land a few blows on Goku in this round.
They entered the remains of an old Namekian village, the force of their blows putting gaping holes in the sides of the buildings.
"You see?" asked Frieza, continuing to go on the offensive. "A Saiyan can't beat me! A monkey can't beat me! You can't! You can't! YOU CAN'T!"
Frieza reared up his leg for a massive kick. Goku caught the leg, and Frieza kicked him off with his free leg.
The two plummeted into a ruined house, still trading blows, neither having a clear advantage over the other. Finally, Frieza overextended a punch, and Goku smashed him in his face, knocking him out of the house. Frieza leapt around, flipping over, charging at the Saiyan with a punch extended. Goku dodged the punch and Goku kicked him into another ruined house.
When the smoke cleared, Frieza got to his feet. "I HATE YOU!" shouted the tyrant in frustration. He shot at Goku, attempting to whip him with his tail, but Goku dodged and chopped Frieza in the back of the neck. Frieza rebounded off a cliff and shot back at Goku, landing a punch in the Saiyan's stomach. He moved behind Goku, and kicked him into yet another ruined house.
-DBZ: SGTW-
"Frieza and Goku are matching each other blow for blow," said King Kai to the others. "But if Goku doesn't finish Frieza off, the whole planet's going to explode, and Frieza will be victorious."
"Isn't there anything we can do to help them, King Kai?" asked Tien. "There has to be something."
"Hey, I have an idea!" said Yamcha. "Maybe King Kai could start telling jokes to Frieza!"
"No," said King Kai. "I think Goku wouldn't like it if anybody interfered in this fight. We have to trust in him."
-DBZ: SGTW-
Goku and Frieza each landed, staring each other down yet again. Frieza began zipping all around Goku, too fast for the Saiyan to see easily.
Finally, Frieza appeared behind Goku, grabbing him in an arm lock. Goku started elbowing Frieza as hard as he could. Finally, Frieza's grip slipped, and Goku's next shot hammered him into a cliff.
Frieza climbed out of the rubble. "You may be strong, but you're still just a stupid animal!" A blue aura surrounded Frieza, and he shot towards Goku, delivering a direct blow to the Saiyan's head. Frieza moved behind him, and punched Goku in the head yet again, then kneed him in the back.
Finally, Frieza jumped into the air, and hammered Goku down into the ground.
Frieza landed next to the Saiyan. "See? Just a beast!" said the tyrant, crossing his arms.
"I'd rather be a brainless beast than a heartless monster," said Goku, climbing to his feet.
"YOU FOOL!" shouted Frieza, charging at Goku once again. Goku ducked under the punch and delivered one of his own directly into Frieza's stomach, causing the tyrant to cough up blood. Frieza collapsed to his knees from the pain.
He stared at Goku with horror in his eyes. He then launched himself into the air, grabbed Goku, and threw the Saiyan towards a nearby rock. Goku flipped over and hopped off the rock back towards Frieza, delivering a direct kick to the head, sending the tyrant flying.
As Frieza climbed to his feet, Goku elbowed him in the stomach, knocking him back down. Goku kicked Frieza into the air, then punched him in the stomach, sending him flying into the ground again.
Frieza climbed to his feet, then launched himself at Goku, sending a flurry of punches at the Saiyan's head. Goku managed to dodge every one. Then he punched Frieza in the stomach again, following up with a flurry of punches, every one of which made contact.
Goku then moved behind Frieza, and hammered through two cliffs, sending him into the ground on the other side.
Frieza launched himself off the ground, landing directly in front of Goku again. "All that you've done to me," said Frieza, his voice shaking with frustration, "I'll pay you back ten times! No, a thousand times! Stupid Saiyan. You will pay for this!"
Finally, after a moment of doing nothing, Goku got out of his fighting stance. "It's done."
"What do you mean?" asked Frieza, bewildered. "What do you mean it's done?"
-DBZ: SGTW-
"It's done?" asked King Kai, equally confused about Goku's statement.
"So, what happened?" asked Tien.
Maybe Goku is wiser than I thought, thought King Kai.
"I'm not completely sure," said King Kai. "Goku just said, 'It's Done.'"
-DBZ: SGTW-
"Don't just stand there!" said Frieza. "Say something! You said it's done! What do you mean?"
"Your energy level is decreasing with every blow," said Goku. "In fact, you're not even a challenge to me anymore. It wouldn't be fair for me to keep fighting you. I'm satisfied now. Your pride has been torn to shreds. You've challenged and lost to a fight who was superior to you, and to make it worse..." At this Goku got a smirk on his face. "He's just a monkey, right?"
Frieza was quaking with fear.
"It would be meaningless to fight you now," said Goku. "You're too scared and ashamed. Live with the shock. Keep it bottled up inside you. Silently."
Frieza was now quaking with rage. Goku dropped the Super Saiyan transformation. "Goodbye, Frieza. Never cause mischief again. May you live the rest of your life in peace."
"Peace?" asked Frieza, stepping forward. "Nonsense!" Goku took off into the sky, flying away from Frieza.
"Never," said Frieza, raising a hand in the air, palm upright. "I will NEVER be defeated!" He summoned a disk of energy and sent it flying at Goku, who barely managed to dodge in time.
Goku turned and faced Frieza again. "You truly are a helpless fool!" shouted the Saiyan, his anger rising. "I gave you one last chance to live. And this is how you repay me?" His hair stood upright and turned blond again, as he once again became a Super Saiyan.
Frieza simply smirked and directed the disk back at Goku, who dodged it at the last second. The disk continued to chase him. "Round and round the monkey goes, if he should stop, then OFF WITH HIS NOSE!"
Frieza watched as Goku began to fly directly at him, the disk in pursuit. "Do you really think I'm stupid enough to fall for such a childish trick!" shouted the tyrant.
Goku pulled up, but Frieza sent the disk up directly at him. He watched as the disk turned and cut Goku directly in half. "GOT YOU!" shouted Frieza.
Suddenly, Goku faded from sight. "Looking for someone?" he said from behind Frieza, completely unharmed.
"An after-image, eh?" asked Frieza, summoning the disk back to floating over his hand. "That's a pretty good trick for a primate."
"I don't understand why you call Saiyans by such mindless names," said Goku. "The only thing it does is reveal your own fear and ignorance. I guess name-calling is your only attack, because you're too weak to challenge me any other way."
No one talks to me like that, thought Frieza. He raised his other hand and summoned a second energy disk. "NOW, DIE, YOU DIRTY LITTLE MONKEY!"
-DBZ: SGTW-
Vegeta suddenly burst out laughing, startling the others. "Oh, this is too much! One little explosion, BOOM! Frieza and Kakarot are out of my hair! At last, I'm the most powerful fighter in the universe."
Gohan began to walk towards Vegeta.
"I've waited so long for this day," continued Vegeta, standing up and facing the others. "Those years with Frieza- swallowing my humiliation! At last, that great day has come, and Frieza is gone. Now I am the ruler of the universe. Everyone who could stop me is already dead!"
Vegeta began laughing again.
"You're wrong," said Gohan, reaching Vegeta. "My dad's coming back. And I'm stronger than you are."
"You sure have quite the imagination, kid, but don't make me laugh, " said Vegeta. "You couldn't possibly hope to defeat me, the Prince of all Saiyans."
Gohan wasn't even slightly angry. He powered up as high as he could go. If only I knew how to transform at will, he thought to himself, then I'd give Vegeta a surprise. I guess that's something dad and I can work on when he gets back. Until then, I might as well keep it a secret.
Vegeta's laughter stopped when he felt Gohan's power. "How- how did that little brat get so powerful?" he asked, backing away. "I was revived from death, and yet that kid's power is still greater than mine!"
Piccolo was in shock. "G-Gohan," he sputtered out. "His power is larger than Vegeta's!"
"Could he have beaten Frieza?" asked Bulma.
"Not by a long shot," said Piccolo. "He's not a Super Saiyan, but he's still second only to his father!"
"I'm not so sure," said Bulma thoughtfully. "There was a period where Gohan went off to hold Frieza off. We thought his dad was dead. But when he got back here, he seemed completely fine."
"Goku probably sensed that Gohan was there and stopped him before he could get himself hurt."
"Yeah, you're probably right."
"So do you still think you're the strongest in the universe, Vegeta?" asked Gohan. "I could beat you without even breaking a sweat."
"You insolent little brat!" shouted Vegeta, reaching up to smack Gohan. "How dare you insult me!"
Before the hand could make contact, Gohan had caught it. "No, Vegeta. It's you who's outclassed. You can't beat me, so just back off now before you get hurt."
Vegeta stared into Gohan's eyes. He could have sworn for a moment they'd flashed green, but just as quickly as he'd thought he'd seen it, they were gone.
"I'll finish this later, brat," said Vegeta, walking away. When I find out how Kakarot ascended, I'll be the second Super Saiyan. Then let's see the brat defeat me.
Gohan watched Vegeta stalk off to scheme behind a tree, his pride now shattered. "He's a good guy to have on your side," said Gohan, "but when he thinks he's the best, he's really annoying."
"Maybe someday he'll learn that being the best isn't everything," said Piccolo. "Your power, Gohan. How did you get so strong in the timespan between Frieza nearly killing me and us getting wished back to Earth?"
"Let's just say I had a little help," said Gohan. "I'll show you once I've mastered my power."
"Sounds like a plan," said Piccolo, realizing that Gohan didn't want to give too much away, especially not in front of Vegeta. The kid would always continue to surprise him.
-DBZ: SGTW-
Goku circled around, trying to figure out some way to get the disks off of him. I'm running out of time, thought the Saiyan. He circled around and came directly back at Frieza.
"You're trying this little maneuver again?" asked Frieza, smiling. "Stupid monkey only knows a few tricks."
Goku launched an energy blast at the ground directly in front of Frieza, throwing a significant amount of smoke into the air. Goku then smashed Frieza in the head, sending him into the ground.
"It's time to finish this fight once and for all!" said Frieza, jumping up.
"Behind you!" shouted Goku as one of the disks came directly at Frieza's back. Too late, Frieza looked behind him, and his own disk chopped off his lower torso and left arm.
Goku landed directly in front of Frieza. "Though you brought all of this on yourself, it's a shame you had such a miserable way to die. Cut down by your own attack when I tried to warn you. I wanted to save you, Frieza, but you wouldn't let me. And now you have to share the fate of the planet Namek, which you yourself destroyed."
Goku turned and started walking away. "I'm tired of fighting. I'm going home."
"Please," said Frieza. "Help me. You... can't leave me here."
Goku whipped around. "How many people begged for their lives at your feet?" he screamed. "You killed them anyways. Did you show me mercy. Did you show my best friend mercy? Would you have shown my son mercy if I hadn't revealed that I was alive at that moment?"
"Please... for...give me..."
Goku turned and shot some energy into Frieza. He turned and started walking away again. "You have enough energy to leave the planet. I suggest you go now." He turned and took off, flying towards where he thought Frieza's space ship was.
Frieza hovered into the air, staring at Goku. "You insolent little monkey. How dare you do this to me? I'm Frieza! I cannot be defeated! Now learn what happens when you mess with the most powerful being in the UNIVERSE!" Frieza shot the energy Goku had given him at his enemy's back.
Goku turned and saw the beam. "YOU FOOL!" He shot his own blast at Frieza, which easily pushed the tyrant's beam back. The two beams smashed into Frieza, the resulting explosion leaving a massive crater where the one who was once the universe's most feared ruler had been defeated at last.
-DBZ: SGTW-
"This day, rich with life," said Guru, smiling. "What a wonderful day to die."
"No, Guru!" shouted one of the Namekians tending to the Elder. "You can't die!"
Everybody in the clearing turned to face Guru. "Guru, please don't leave us," muttered Piccolo.
"It is time," said Guru, still smiling. "Please gather all the villagers here."
All the villagers moved to the clearing where Guru sat. Two children were hugging their elder, saying "Don't go away Guru! Don't go away!"
"You mustn't be sad, my children," said the elder comfortingly. "I have lived a full and blessed life. Death is simply another stage of our life."
Suddenly, behind Guru, seven stones came falling out of the sky, smashing into the ground.
"Ah, the Dragon Balls have followed me to this place," said Guru. "They too feel the time is right for me to go."
"Guru, we need you!" shouted a Namekian adult.
"No, you are all so much stronger than you realize. It is a tough road ahead, but we are a race of survivors. You will make it." He turned to face one of the Namekian village elders, the one who'd stood up to Frieza and told Dende to run. "Moori."
"Yes, guru?" said Moori, stepping forward.
"Please, give me your hand."
"Yes." He extended his hand, Guru taking it in his own. Suddenly, Moori was surrounded by a bright aura, and he looked at himself in surprise.
"You are the eldest know. Please, take good care of all our people. Soon, the Dragon Balls will sparkle again. Use them, but use them wisely. Watch over them. Guard them like children."
"Yes, I will try," said Moori, stuttering a bit because he was trying to hold back tears.
"You will do fine," said Guru. Suddenly, he collapsed forward. "Goodbye, my children. You've made me so very proud." He faded into nothingness.
"I only wish Krillin could have been here to see everybody at peace here," said Gohan, overlooking the Nameks.
"Well, why don't you wish him back using the Namekian Dragon Balls?" asked Dende. "Porunga can revive somebody many times, as long as it's not a natural death."
Gohan turned to face Dende. "Wow! That means we can bring Krillin back! And Chiaotzu, he's the same way!" He turned to face the sky. "That means you have to come home, dad, because it's only right you're here when we bring back Krillin!"
-DBZ: SGTW-
Goku looked down, spotting Frieza's ship falling into a crater. "There goes that ride," he said.
Just then, there was a blinding flash of light, and Goku screamed, "Oh, no!"
Moments later, the planet exploded, leaving only rocks behind.
-DBZ: SGTW-
Is this truly the end of Goku, or did he find some way to survive? Find out in the next chapter of DBZ: Son Gohan the Warrior!
Chapter 27:
Goku's Alive!
"Uh, Bulma? This is King Kai speaking. Can you hear me?"
Bulma looked up into the sky. "Wow, it's King Kai."
"Ask him how my dad is!" said Gohan, staring at Bulma.
"Um, I'm sorry to have to tell you this," said King Kai tepidly, "but I don't think Goku managed to get off of Planet Namek before it exploded. He got to Frieza's ship just as it fell into a crater, and then there was an explosion and the next time I was able to see that region, the planet was gone."
"Oh, wow," said Bulma. "Gohan, King Kai says... he doesn't think your dad managed to make it off of Namek in time."
"Dad," said Gohan, falling on his knees. "Did he beat Frieza, at least?"
"From what he said, it sounded like he did."
"Gohan," said Moori, walking over. "Even if your father is dead, we can bring him back using the Namekian Dragon Balls, remember?"
"Oh, yeah, that's right!" said Bulma. Then her face fell. "Oh, no. There might be a problem with that plan. The Dragon brings you back to where you died, so Goku and Krillin can't be brought back, since the planet Namek doesn't exist anymore."
"Fools," spat Vegeta, staring at Bulma like she was a two-year old. "Doesn't Earth have a check-in station to the Spirit Realm? Just wish them there first, then wish them back."
"Wow," said Gohan. "That's a great idea, Vegeta! Thank you."
These fools, thought Vegeta. They think that I want Kakarot alive again for the same reasons they do. I just want to find out how he became a Super Saiyan, so I can do it too.
"Miss Bulma," said Moori, turning to Bulma. "We plan on using the Dragon Balls to relocate us to another planet. But it may take time for us to find a suitable location. Would you happen to know of a place we can stay until we find a suitable home?"
Bulma turned and thought for a moment. "Hey, I know! You guys can stay with me!"
Moori was taken aback by this proposition. "We wouldn't want to impose..."
"No offense, but green men from outer space aren't a common sight around here," said Bulma. "And you need a major credit card to stay at any good hotel."
"Well, if you put it that way, we accept. Thank you very much."
"Bulma," said Gohan. "Is it alright if I stay with you for a little while too?"
Bulma turned to Gohan in surprise. "Gohan, you have a wonderful home, and I bet your mom's worried sick about you."
"It'd just be for a short while... until she forgets how much homework I missed..."
-DBZ: SGTW-
Meanwhile, at Capsule Corporation, Chi-Chi, Roshi, Yajirobe, Puar, and Oolong were on the space ship, preparing to launch to Namek to save Gohan.
"Stand by for take off," said Dr. Briefs over the communications system. "I have a phone call."
He came back on a few moments later. "That was Bulma. She's back on Earth, and she says Gohan is with her."
Everybody stared at the communicator in surprise.
"So... does anybody still WANT to go to Namek?" They all fell out of their chairs.
-DBZ: SGTW-
Gohan had entered a state of meditation, trying to locate that power he'd felt when he'd gone Super Saiyan.
Piccolo was meditating right next to him.
"Hey, it's them!" shouted Bulma, looking up into the sky, spotting the massive Capsule Corporation cargo-jet that was about to land. She waved her hands wildly, screaming, "Dad, we're down here!"
The moment the plane had set down, the cargo hatch opened, and Chi-Chi came running out. "Gohan!" she shouted, spotting her son.
Gohan stood up, exiting the meditative state he'd been in. He'd been trying to locate it, not bring it out- he didn't want to do that when Vegeta was nearby, or else Vegeta might decide to try and beat how to become a Super Saiyan out of him. Not that he would be able to defeat Gohan. Especially not once he mastered transforming at will.
"Gohan," said Chi-Chi, bending down to give her son a hug. "You've become so much stronger since you left!"
Everybody loaded up, and they took off, heading to Capsule Corporation.
-DBZ: SGTW-
"Well guys, this is going to be your new home for a while!" said Bulma happily, showing the Namekians and Vegeta around. "It's not the Taj Mahal, but I think you're gonna like it!"
Just then, Mrs. Briefs came shooting out of nowhere, her face right next to Vegeta's. "Hi, are you the one who helped Goku save my beautiful little girl from those horrible men?" she said in her typical stereotypical dumb-blond fashion. "You should get a medal, you're a hero!"
"A... a hero?" said Vegeta, completely overwhelmed. Looking for any excuse to get away from the "crazy woman", he spotted the space ship Dr. Briefs had been making. "A ship!" He walked over to examine it.
"She's a real beauty," said Dr. Briefs, walking next to Vegeta. "Advanced supertronics, self-generating laser reactor and a stereo system that will bring the house down."
Vegeta walked inside and started to look around. "Not bad," he said. "I bet Kakarot used a ship just like this to get to Namek."
130 days later...
Gohan sat meditating on a hill that stood near his house. Since he'd returned to Earth, he'd managed to make time for meditation by telling his mom he was going over his studies in his head. Of course, he was really trying to figure out how to force a transformation to Super Saiyan. It was easy to let go of one, but not easy to get one.
He frowned as he remembered the few accidental transformations he'd had. They generally occurred when he was feeling a strong fit of anger, and he'd let go of them before anything went wrong.
"Gohan!" shouted his mom. "Come on, sweetie! We don't want to be late!"
Gohan stood up and ran down the hill. Despite the time for meditation he was losing, they were on their way to wish Krillin and his dad back, and he wouldn't miss it for the world.
I bet dad's figured out how to do it, thought Gohan to himself. He was wearing his favorite gi- orange over shirt with Piccolo's symbol, purple undershirt with removable weights.
-DBZ: SGTW-
"Well, I say we should call upon the Eternal Dragon while we're still young!" said Bulma, staring down at the Dragon Balls.
Vegeta frowned from where he watched the scene. Hurry up so I can ask Kakarot how to ascend, he thought. Once I figure that out, I'll beat him and his brat and take my rightful place as the strongest fighter in the universe! It still made his royal blood boil to remember how Gohan had humiliated him the day they returned from Namek.
"Hey! Wait for us!" shouted Chi-Chi, was sprinting up the driveway, Gohan coming along at a light jog right behind her.
"Sorry we're late," said Chi-Chi. "Gohan was just reviewing his studies."
The others, of course, knew that what Chi-Chi thought was "reviewing studies" was meditation, so they didn't say anything.
"Well, Dende, let's summon up the Dragon!" said Gohan.
Dende spoke the phrase to summon Porunga, who appeared over Capsule Corporation.
"You who have summoned me, I will now grant you three wishes," said the Dragon, his voice booming.
"Let's bring Krillin and Goku to Earth's check-in station!" shouted Bulma happily. Vegeta walked closer, wanting to see this.
Dende translated the wish. "The one called Krillin is now at Earth's check-in station," said Porunga. "But the one called Goku cannot be brought there because he is alive, and if I were to move him there, he would be dead."
"Dad's alive?" said Gohan.
Kakarot's alive? thought Vegeta. But how?
"So we'll use the third wish to bring him back to Earth!" said Dende.
"For now, let's bring back Krillin," said Master Roshi.
Dende translated. Porunga's eyes glowed red, and Krillin suddenly appeared in front of them.
"Welcome back, Krillin," said Gohan, grinning. "You were gone so long, we thought you were dead!"
Krillin looked at his body. "I... I'm alive? I'M ALIVE!"
Dende, in the meanwhile, began translating the third wish, to bring Goku back to Earth.
"It cannot be done," said Porunga. "The one called Goku does not wish to return to Earth at this time, and says he will come back later. However, he did send something." Gohan's sword appeared in front of them. "He says to make sure it gets to his son, because he won't be needing it for now."
"Why didn't he come back?" asked Gohan, confused.
"Because he's scared!" shouted Master Roshi. "Of the only one more powerful than a Super Saiyan- HIS WIFE!"
"What was that?" asked Chi-Chi, suddenly holding Gohan's sword in her hands, drawn from it's sheath.
I think I agree with Master Roshi, thought Gohan. Mom's probably the only one who could defeat me when I'm transformed. One hit from the frying pan, you're down.
"In any case," said Piccolo, "don't you have some friends at King Kai's who want to come back?"
"Oh, yeah, that's right!" said Bulma.
"Ahem," said a voice in their heads. "This is King Kai. The others have decided to bring back Yamcha. Tien and Chiaotzu want to stay for additional training."
Dende translated the wish to bring Yamcha back to life. Yamcha came crashing down from the sky, not just appearing like the others had.
"Wow, real smooth, Yamcha," said Bulma.
"I know," said Yamcha, getting to his feet, bent from pain.
Puar shot forward and hugged his friend.
Just then, behind them, there was a loud roar. Turning around, they saw the Capsule 3 Space Ship taking off.
"Wasn't that your space ship, dear?" asked Mrs. Briefs.
"Well, it was," said Dr. Briefs. "I think that must have been Vegeta."
130 days later... (again)
The gang was all gathered again for Tien and Chiaotzu to be wished back, and to say goodbye to the Namekians, who would be departing Earth for a new home.
"Hey, Gohan," said Piccolo, walking up to his student. "You haven't come around for a spar lately. Something wrong?"
Gohan shook his head. "No, I've just been too busy. Mom's been harping on me a lot for studying, and between that and meditation, I've just not had the time."
Piccolo nodded. He, too, appreciated the quite hours that meditation brought, which was why he did it so often. Every hour he wasn't with somebody else. Every day. "Well, if you need anything, just let me know."
Tien and Chiaotzu appeared shortly afterwards. Gohan gave Dende a hug, saying, "You take care, Dende. I'll never forget you."
"Goodbye, Gohan," said Dende.
"Maybe someday me and Krillin will get a space ship and come see how you guys are coming along."
"That would be great!" Dende turned slowly to Porunga. He recited the wish that would move him and his people to New Namek, as the planet was called.
-DBZ: SGTW-
Roars split the countryside of the 439 Mountain Area as Gohan stood there, trying to take control of his Super Saiyan powers. His hair flickered blond a few times, his aura turning golden, but it was all in vain. He collapsed from the strain a moment later.
I almost had it, thought Gohan. Just a few more days, and I'll be able to transform at will. Hopefully it will just get easier from then on, because right now, it's taking all I have to get close.
The young half-Saiyan turned from the hillside. He was too drained to try again. Time to please his mother and study a little.
-DBZ: SGTW-
What is Goku doing out in outer space? Why didn't he return to Earth when given the chance? Find out in the next chapters of DBZ: Son Gohan the Warrior!
Word Count: 6,935
"Guru, I know we don't have much time," said King Kai telepathically, "so let me get straight to the point. Am I correct in saying that the Dragon of Namek has been revived and is waiting to grant the third wish?"
"Yes, King Kai," replied Guru. "It is just as you say."
"Guru, please have someone ask the Dragon to transport everyone on planet Namek to the planet Earth except for Frieza."
"It will be done. Thank you for your thoughtfulness. It is clear you have the well-being of my people in mind. We are indebted to you. I will have someone make the wish as you have directed. But there's no time to lose, we must hurry!"
"No, don't do it!" said a third voice. It was Goku.
"Goku, is that you?" asked King Kai.
"King Kai, please make a change in your wish."
"Goku, how can you be listening to us, and fighting at the same time?"
"King Kai, don't have the Dragon send me back to Earth. Ask the Dragon to send everyone back to Earth except for Frieza and me!"
"Goku, you can't shoulder the whole load by yourself! Get out of there for now. We'll make a plan!"
"I can promise you that any plan we make would boil down to this in the end anyway! Let me face him now. It's already happening. Why stop it?"
"Goku, I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"King Kai, let go of what you want. This is bigger than that. Please!"
"Guru, I want to change my wish! Please have someone ask the Dragon to send everyone on Namek except Frieza and Goku to the planet Earth."
-DBZ: SGTW-
"Gosh, the Dragon is back too!" said Dende, spotting Porunga hovering over the planet. "That means I really am alive."
"Dende, how are you my son?" asked the voice of Guru in Dende's head.
"Guru, is that you?"
"Yes, Dende. It is I."
"But how? I thought you were- I thought WE were-"
"Dead? I've never felt more alive, my son. But we must hurry. Do you see the Dragon before you, my son?"
"Yes, Guru. It's right in front of me."
"Good. Now listen carefully, Dende. The lives of all of our people is at stake. Go to the Dragon, Dende. I have a wish I would like you to make."
Dende shot towards the Dragon, flying as fast as he could.
-DBZ: SGTW-
"Thanks, King Kai," said Goku. "You're the greatest. Alright, Frieza. Let's do this!"
"Now you're gung-ho," said Frieza. "What's the deal, is your phone call over? Good thing they reached you before I disconnected your number!"
The two shot into combat with one another, fighting harder than either had fought yet.
-DBZ: SGTW-
Vegeta walked along the planet. "Maybe I'm still dead," he said to himself. "Maybe this is the HFIL." Vegeta lifted his fist and examined it. "But my wound is healed! How can this be!"
He stopped and pointed his hand at a cliff. An energy blast later, the cliff was a smoking pile of rubble. He then pulled off the only thing he knew would tell him for certain- he punched himself in the stomach.
Collapsing, he began laughing. "Yes, it's true, it's true! I'm really alive!" He stood, looking around. "That means- YES!" He'd caught sight of the battle between Goku and Frieza from the energy being emitted. "There they are! Great! Just look at them go! Astounding!" He shot off towards them.
-DBZ: SGTW-
Goku looked over and saw the Dragon. The Dragon of Namek! "Excellent. Every thing's going according to plan."
"What?" said Frieza in confusion. "There is no plan." He looked over and saw the Dragon. "It's the Dragon! That means-"
He turned to face Goku, a smirk on his face. "It's wish time!" He shot towards the Dragon.
"Uh-oh," said Goku, giving chase. He maneuvered in front of Frieza, stopping him.
The two began trading blows again. "You dirty dog!" shouted Frieza.
"Takes one to know one!" said Goku.
Vegeta caught sight of the two fighting. "Incredible!" Just then, he saw the Dragon, Dende speeding towards it. "It's the Dragon!"
Dende came down for a landing! "Dragon! I can still make a wish, can't I?"
"Yes, boy," said Porunga. "You still have one wish remaining."
Just then, Frieza broke away from combat with Goku and sped towards the Dragon. "Dragon! I wish for eternal life! Grant me immortality!"
Dende recited some words in Namekian.
"It shall be done," said Porunga, his eyes glowing red. "I will move everybody on Namek except these two to the planet Earth."
"WHAT!" shouted Frieza. He looked at Dende. "YOU LITTLE RUNT!" He shot an energy blast that would have hit Dende, if he hadn't disappeared at the last second.
"FRIEZA!" shouted a voice from behind Goku and Frieza. Turning to see who it was, they saw it was Vegeta, who stopped next to Goku.
"Hey, Vegeta!" said Goku. "Welcome back. I guess it's a good thing I didn't bury you that deep after all."
"Well well well," said Vegeta, grinning as he looked at Goku. "Kakarot, you dog, you did it! You actually did it! You're a Super Saiyan- I can see!"
Frieza was freaking out. "Now what? I killed you! You must be a ghost!"
Vegeta turned to face the tyrant. "Can a ghost do this?" he asked, charging up an energy blast. But before he could fire it, he too vanished.
"My work is done," said Porunga, vanishing. The seven Dragon Balls shot into space.
"You beat that little guy to the punch," said Goku, grinning. "But it looks like the wish has to be said in their native tongue. But that was great, you almost had it!"
"That green kid, I could have sworn I'd killed him!" said Frieza, staring at Goku.
"Yeah, I almost forgot. We used the Earth's Dragon Balls to bring everyone you killed back to life. And wait until I tell you the wish we just made!"
"You mean you orchestrated this whole thing telepathically?" asked Frieza, anger gripping him.
"I had help," said Goku. "The wish we made here was to send everyone on Namek to Earth except for us."
Frieza blasted his energy around him, screaming in rage.
-DBZ: SGTW-
Meanwhile, on Earth, the travelers were looking around in confusion.
"Bulma!" shouted Gohan, climbing out of a tree that he'd flown into.
"Gohan!" said Bulma, glad to see the kid. Her smile was replaced by a scowl a moment later. "You little runt! You left me! I waited and waited and waited!"
"Sorry, Bulma, but I had to do it."
"Don't sweat it kid. But where are we? It looks like Earth."
"Maybe we're dead," said Gohan, looking around. "But I don't think so." He spotted Dende kneeling by Piccolo, healing him.
Piccolo sat up, looking at Dende. "Dende, is it really you?" asked Piccolo.
"Yes, sir, it is me," replied the child.
"Where are we?" Piccolo looked around.
"We're on Earth."
"ON EARTH!" shouted Piccolo, surprised. "Where's Goku? Is he here?" When Dende lowered his head, he got up. "GOKU! GOKU!"
"Piccolo!" shouted Gohan, running up to his mentor. "You're alright!"
Piccolo simply nodded to his student. Just then, he caught sight of Guru, sitting on the grass not too far away. "It's Guru!" The three shot over to Guru.
"Where are we, Guru?" asked a Namekian nearby.
"Yes, that is a good question. We are on a planet called Earth, my sons," said Guru, smiling.
"Where's Goku?" asked Piccolo.
"The Super Saiyan chose to remain behind and finish his fight with Frieza, writing the final chapter in a story neither you nor your children will soon forget."
Vegeta prowled around the camp. "I was so close to Frieza I could have spit on him! Then suddenly, POOF! I'm here!"
-DBZ: SGTW-
"Most planets would have blown by now," said Frieza, looking at the ground. "I'll give it two more minutes." He looked up at the Saiyan. "You sealed your fate with that stupid wish! Now you're guaranteed to die."
"I've been looking forward to this," replied Goku. "Now I can fight you without worrying about the safety of the others."
"The only one of those you should be concerned about is your son," said Frieza. "Only his power rivals mine."
"I don't determine worth based on power, Frieza," said Goku, a frown across his face. "Every life is worth the same, no matter how powerful."
"It's irrelevant anyways, since in two minutes, your life will be over. Just look how you're trembling."
"It's you who should be scared, since your spree of hatred will end at the hands of a Saiyan, just like you always feared."
Frieza grimaced at this statement. "Your speeches are quite poetic, but I can assure you the only things ending are you and this miserable planet!"
The two charged into combat, fighting with everything they had. Neither were able to land a blow, as the other either dodged or blocked any attack they launched.
Finally, Goku pulled back. "You truly are a helpless wretch, Frieza. The powers of good always prevail over evil."
Frieza scowled. "You dirty rotten little monkey! How dare you lecture me!" He shot an energy blast at Goku, who simply backhanded it aside.
"You will never succeed, because you will never destroy what I stand for! The hopes of every one you've killed rest on my shoulders! Even if you managed to defeat me, another would rise up and defeat you."
"You insolent little monkey!" shouted Frieza. "Once I finish you, I'm going to go and kill your son and Vegeta! Then there'll be no more Saiyans left to deal with!"
"Didn't you try and kill my son earlier," said Goku. "Yeah, that's right. You pushed him over the edge and he turned into a Super Saiyan. Didn't he?"
Frieza didn't answer. Instead, he launched a second beam at Goku, who backhanded it into the sky as easily as the first.
-DBZ: SGTW-
"Mr. Guru," asked Gohan. "Can you tell us what is happening on Namek? Is my dad winning?"
"I'm sorry," said Guru. "But I can no longer sense what is happening on Planet Namek."
"Don't worry, Gohan," said Piccolo, staring into the sky. "Your dad will be alright. I know he will. He's always come out on top even when severely outmatched, and he's never let us down before."
"Yeah," said Gohan.
"Don't you get it!" shouted Vegeta. The others whipped around, not even having realized he was there. "I understand Kakarot's blood. He refuses to give up a good fight! It's not his Saiyan nature!"
"Why did you have to come back?" asked Bulma, darting behind Gohan for cover. "Why didn't the Dragon leave out those filthy jerks?"
"That wasn't very nice." Vegeta got up and began walking towards the others. "You are all fools to think Kakarot would abandon a good fight. The blood of a Saiyan flows too strongly in his veins. And now that he's a Super Saiyan, his hunger for battle has grown with his power." A sneer crossed Vegeta's face. "Nothing will stop the battle. That is, until Namek explodes, and they both go out with a bang. With them out of the picture, I'm the strongest fighter in the universe!"
"Shut up, Vegeta," shouted Gohan. "I don't want to listen to your stupid voice anymore! My dad's going to come back alive."
"I must admit, this was unexpected," continued Vegeta, ignoring Gohan's outburst. "But that doesn't mean I won't enjoy it." He turned to face Gohan. "Now you and I are the only two Saiyans left, so we don't we have a little fight to celebrate?"
"How can you think about fighting when Goku's risking his life out there?" asked Bulma, now cowering behind Piccolo.
"It was Kakarot's choice to stay, not mine," said Vegeta. "From now on, I'm in charge, and you will do exactly as I tell you. You got that?"
Gohan continued to stare at Vegeta, his anger almost getting hold of him. Vegeta stepped back in shock when he saw Gohan's hair flash blond for a split second.
It's not possible, thought Vegeta, walking away. It must have been a trick of the light, that's all. "Wait, as I recall, there are Dragon Balls here on earth, aren't there? I'll just call up the Dragon and wish for immortality!"
"Not likely," said Gohan, starting to calm down. "The Dragon Balls were used to bring all these people back to life, you included. They're just regular stones now."
Vegeta stormed away, angry beyond belief.
-DBZ: SGTW-
With Vegeta attempting to take control of the situation on Earth, Goku and Frieza continue a battle that will decide the fate of the entire universe! Find out who wins in the next chapter of DBZ: Son Gohan the Warrior!
Chapter 26: Frieza Is Defeated!
Goku and Frieza continued to trade blows. All around, the planet Namek was blowing jets of lava into the air, signifying that the planet's end was to come soon.
Frieza shot into the air, attempting to get a break in the fight to catch his breath. The two warriors faced off against one another.
The sky had turned a dark crimson, and lightning was cracking all across the surface of the planet.
"What makes you think you can do this to me?" asked Frieza, staring at Goku. "YOU'RE NOTHING BUT AN OVERGROWN MONKEY!"
The two warriors charged back into combat, Frieza managing to land a few blows on Goku in this round.
They entered the remains of an old Namekian village, the force of their blows putting gaping holes in the sides of the buildings.
"You see?" asked Frieza, continuing to go on the offensive. "A Saiyan can't beat me! A monkey can't beat me! You can't! You can't! YOU CAN'T!"
Frieza reared up his leg for a massive kick. Goku caught the leg, and Frieza kicked him off with his free leg.
The two plummeted into a ruined house, still trading blows, neither having a clear advantage over the other. Finally, Frieza overextended a punch, and Goku smashed him in his face, knocking him out of the house. Frieza leapt around, flipping over, charging at the Saiyan with a punch extended. Goku dodged the punch and Goku kicked him into another ruined house.
When the smoke cleared, Frieza got to his feet. "I HATE YOU!" shouted the tyrant in frustration. He shot at Goku, attempting to whip him with his tail, but Goku dodged and chopped Frieza in the back of the neck. Frieza rebounded off a cliff and shot back at Goku, landing a punch in the Saiyan's stomach. He moved behind Goku, and kicked him into yet another ruined house.
-DBZ: SGTW-
"Frieza and Goku are matching each other blow for blow," said King Kai to the others. "But if Goku doesn't finish Frieza off, the whole planet's going to explode, and Frieza will be victorious."
"Isn't there anything we can do to help them, King Kai?" asked Tien. "There has to be something."
"Hey, I have an idea!" said Yamcha. "Maybe King Kai could start telling jokes to Frieza!"
"No," said King Kai. "I think Goku wouldn't like it if anybody interfered in this fight. We have to trust in him."
-DBZ: SGTW-
Goku and Frieza each landed, staring each other down yet again. Frieza began zipping all around Goku, too fast for the Saiyan to see easily.
Finally, Frieza appeared behind Goku, grabbing him in an arm lock. Goku started elbowing Frieza as hard as he could. Finally, Frieza's grip slipped, and Goku's next shot hammered him into a cliff.
Frieza climbed out of the rubble. "You may be strong, but you're still just a stupid animal!" A blue aura surrounded Frieza, and he shot towards Goku, delivering a direct blow to the Saiyan's head. Frieza moved behind him, and punched Goku in the head yet again, then kneed him in the back.
Finally, Frieza jumped into the air, and hammered Goku down into the ground.
Frieza landed next to the Saiyan. "See? Just a beast!" said the tyrant, crossing his arms.
"I'd rather be a brainless beast than a heartless monster," said Goku, climbing to his feet.
"YOU FOOL!" shouted Frieza, charging at Goku once again. Goku ducked under the punch and delivered one of his own directly into Frieza's stomach, causing the tyrant to cough up blood. Frieza collapsed to his knees from the pain.
He stared at Goku with horror in his eyes. He then launched himself into the air, grabbed Goku, and threw the Saiyan towards a nearby rock. Goku flipped over and hopped off the rock back towards Frieza, delivering a direct kick to the head, sending the tyrant flying.
As Frieza climbed to his feet, Goku elbowed him in the stomach, knocking him back down. Goku kicked Frieza into the air, then punched him in the stomach, sending him flying into the ground again.
Frieza climbed to his feet, then launched himself at Goku, sending a flurry of punches at the Saiyan's head. Goku managed to dodge every one. Then he punched Frieza in the stomach again, following up with a flurry of punches, every one of which made contact.
Goku then moved behind Frieza, and hammered through two cliffs, sending him into the ground on the other side.
Frieza launched himself off the ground, landing directly in front of Goku again. "All that you've done to me," said Frieza, his voice shaking with frustration, "I'll pay you back ten times! No, a thousand times! Stupid Saiyan. You will pay for this!"
Finally, after a moment of doing nothing, Goku got out of his fighting stance. "It's done."
"What do you mean?" asked Frieza, bewildered. "What do you mean it's done?"
-DBZ: SGTW-
"It's done?" asked King Kai, equally confused about Goku's statement.
"So, what happened?" asked Tien.
Maybe Goku is wiser than I thought, thought King Kai.
"I'm not completely sure," said King Kai. "Goku just said, 'It's Done.'"
-DBZ: SGTW-
"Don't just stand there!" said Frieza. "Say something! You said it's done! What do you mean?"
"Your energy level is decreasing with every blow," said Goku. "In fact, you're not even a challenge to me anymore. It wouldn't be fair for me to keep fighting you. I'm satisfied now. Your pride has been torn to shreds. You've challenged and lost to a fight who was superior to you, and to make it worse..." At this Goku got a smirk on his face. "He's just a monkey, right?"
Frieza was quaking with fear.
"It would be meaningless to fight you now," said Goku. "You're too scared and ashamed. Live with the shock. Keep it bottled up inside you. Silently."
Frieza was now quaking with rage. Goku dropped the Super Saiyan transformation. "Goodbye, Frieza. Never cause mischief again. May you live the rest of your life in peace."
"Peace?" asked Frieza, stepping forward. "Nonsense!" Goku took off into the sky, flying away from Frieza.
"Never," said Frieza, raising a hand in the air, palm upright. "I will NEVER be defeated!" He summoned a disk of energy and sent it flying at Goku, who barely managed to dodge in time.
Goku turned and faced Frieza again. "You truly are a helpless fool!" shouted the Saiyan, his anger rising. "I gave you one last chance to live. And this is how you repay me?" His hair stood upright and turned blond again, as he once again became a Super Saiyan.
Frieza simply smirked and directed the disk back at Goku, who dodged it at the last second. The disk continued to chase him. "Round and round the monkey goes, if he should stop, then OFF WITH HIS NOSE!"
Frieza watched as Goku began to fly directly at him, the disk in pursuit. "Do you really think I'm stupid enough to fall for such a childish trick!" shouted the tyrant.
Goku pulled up, but Frieza sent the disk up directly at him. He watched as the disk turned and cut Goku directly in half. "GOT YOU!" shouted Frieza.
Suddenly, Goku faded from sight. "Looking for someone?" he said from behind Frieza, completely unharmed.
"An after-image, eh?" asked Frieza, summoning the disk back to floating over his hand. "That's a pretty good trick for a primate."
"I don't understand why you call Saiyans by such mindless names," said Goku. "The only thing it does is reveal your own fear and ignorance. I guess name-calling is your only attack, because you're too weak to challenge me any other way."
No one talks to me like that, thought Frieza. He raised his other hand and summoned a second energy disk. "NOW, DIE, YOU DIRTY LITTLE MONKEY!"
-DBZ: SGTW-
Vegeta suddenly burst out laughing, startling the others. "Oh, this is too much! One little explosion, BOOM! Frieza and Kakarot are out of my hair! At last, I'm the most powerful fighter in the universe."
Gohan began to walk towards Vegeta.
"I've waited so long for this day," continued Vegeta, standing up and facing the others. "Those years with Frieza- swallowing my humiliation! At last, that great day has come, and Frieza is gone. Now I am the ruler of the universe. Everyone who could stop me is already dead!"
Vegeta began laughing again.
"You're wrong," said Gohan, reaching Vegeta. "My dad's coming back. And I'm stronger than you are."
"You sure have quite the imagination, kid, but don't make me laugh, " said Vegeta. "You couldn't possibly hope to defeat me, the Prince of all Saiyans."
Gohan wasn't even slightly angry. He powered up as high as he could go. If only I knew how to transform at will, he thought to himself, then I'd give Vegeta a surprise. I guess that's something dad and I can work on when he gets back. Until then, I might as well keep it a secret.
Vegeta's laughter stopped when he felt Gohan's power. "How- how did that little brat get so powerful?" he asked, backing away. "I was revived from death, and yet that kid's power is still greater than mine!"
Piccolo was in shock. "G-Gohan," he sputtered out. "His power is larger than Vegeta's!"
"Could he have beaten Frieza?" asked Bulma.
"Not by a long shot," said Piccolo. "He's not a Super Saiyan, but he's still second only to his father!"
"I'm not so sure," said Bulma thoughtfully. "There was a period where Gohan went off to hold Frieza off. We thought his dad was dead. But when he got back here, he seemed completely fine."
"Goku probably sensed that Gohan was there and stopped him before he could get himself hurt."
"Yeah, you're probably right."
"So do you still think you're the strongest in the universe, Vegeta?" asked Gohan. "I could beat you without even breaking a sweat."
"You insolent little brat!" shouted Vegeta, reaching up to smack Gohan. "How dare you insult me!"
Before the hand could make contact, Gohan had caught it. "No, Vegeta. It's you who's outclassed. You can't beat me, so just back off now before you get hurt."
Vegeta stared into Gohan's eyes. He could have sworn for a moment they'd flashed green, but just as quickly as he'd thought he'd seen it, they were gone.
"I'll finish this later, brat," said Vegeta, walking away. When I find out how Kakarot ascended, I'll be the second Super Saiyan. Then let's see the brat defeat me.
Gohan watched Vegeta stalk off to scheme behind a tree, his pride now shattered. "He's a good guy to have on your side," said Gohan, "but when he thinks he's the best, he's really annoying."
"Maybe someday he'll learn that being the best isn't everything," said Piccolo. "Your power, Gohan. How did you get so strong in the timespan between Frieza nearly killing me and us getting wished back to Earth?"
"Let's just say I had a little help," said Gohan. "I'll show you once I've mastered my power."
"Sounds like a plan," said Piccolo, realizing that Gohan didn't want to give too much away, especially not in front of Vegeta. The kid would always continue to surprise him.
-DBZ: SGTW-
Goku circled around, trying to figure out some way to get the disks off of him. I'm running out of time, thought the Saiyan. He circled around and came directly back at Frieza.
"You're trying this little maneuver again?" asked Frieza, smiling. "Stupid monkey only knows a few tricks."
Goku launched an energy blast at the ground directly in front of Frieza, throwing a significant amount of smoke into the air. Goku then smashed Frieza in the head, sending him into the ground.
"It's time to finish this fight once and for all!" said Frieza, jumping up.
"Behind you!" shouted Goku as one of the disks came directly at Frieza's back. Too late, Frieza looked behind him, and his own disk chopped off his lower torso and left arm.
Goku landed directly in front of Frieza. "Though you brought all of this on yourself, it's a shame you had such a miserable way to die. Cut down by your own attack when I tried to warn you. I wanted to save you, Frieza, but you wouldn't let me. And now you have to share the fate of the planet Namek, which you yourself destroyed."
Goku turned and started walking away. "I'm tired of fighting. I'm going home."
"Please," said Frieza. "Help me. You... can't leave me here."
Goku whipped around. "How many people begged for their lives at your feet?" he screamed. "You killed them anyways. Did you show me mercy. Did you show my best friend mercy? Would you have shown my son mercy if I hadn't revealed that I was alive at that moment?"
"Please... for...give me..."
Goku turned and shot some energy into Frieza. He turned and started walking away again. "You have enough energy to leave the planet. I suggest you go now." He turned and took off, flying towards where he thought Frieza's space ship was.
Frieza hovered into the air, staring at Goku. "You insolent little monkey. How dare you do this to me? I'm Frieza! I cannot be defeated! Now learn what happens when you mess with the most powerful being in the UNIVERSE!" Frieza shot the energy Goku had given him at his enemy's back.
Goku turned and saw the beam. "YOU FOOL!" He shot his own blast at Frieza, which easily pushed the tyrant's beam back. The two beams smashed into Frieza, the resulting explosion leaving a massive crater where the one who was once the universe's most feared ruler had been defeated at last.
-DBZ: SGTW-
"This day, rich with life," said Guru, smiling. "What a wonderful day to die."
"No, Guru!" shouted one of the Namekians tending to the Elder. "You can't die!"
Everybody in the clearing turned to face Guru. "Guru, please don't leave us," muttered Piccolo.
"It is time," said Guru, still smiling. "Please gather all the villagers here."
All the villagers moved to the clearing where Guru sat. Two children were hugging their elder, saying "Don't go away Guru! Don't go away!"
"You mustn't be sad, my children," said the elder comfortingly. "I have lived a full and blessed life. Death is simply another stage of our life."
Suddenly, behind Guru, seven stones came falling out of the sky, smashing into the ground.
"Ah, the Dragon Balls have followed me to this place," said Guru. "They too feel the time is right for me to go."
"Guru, we need you!" shouted a Namekian adult.
"No, you are all so much stronger than you realize. It is a tough road ahead, but we are a race of survivors. You will make it." He turned to face one of the Namekian village elders, the one who'd stood up to Frieza and told Dende to run. "Moori."
"Yes, guru?" said Moori, stepping forward.
"Please, give me your hand."
"Yes." He extended his hand, Guru taking it in his own. Suddenly, Moori was surrounded by a bright aura, and he looked at himself in surprise.
"You are the eldest know. Please, take good care of all our people. Soon, the Dragon Balls will sparkle again. Use them, but use them wisely. Watch over them. Guard them like children."
"Yes, I will try," said Moori, stuttering a bit because he was trying to hold back tears.
"You will do fine," said Guru. Suddenly, he collapsed forward. "Goodbye, my children. You've made me so very proud." He faded into nothingness.
"I only wish Krillin could have been here to see everybody at peace here," said Gohan, overlooking the Nameks.
"Well, why don't you wish him back using the Namekian Dragon Balls?" asked Dende. "Porunga can revive somebody many times, as long as it's not a natural death."
Gohan turned to face Dende. "Wow! That means we can bring Krillin back! And Chiaotzu, he's the same way!" He turned to face the sky. "That means you have to come home, dad, because it's only right you're here when we bring back Krillin!"
-DBZ: SGTW-
Goku looked down, spotting Frieza's ship falling into a crater. "There goes that ride," he said.
Just then, there was a blinding flash of light, and Goku screamed, "Oh, no!"
Moments later, the planet exploded, leaving only rocks behind.
-DBZ: SGTW-
Is this truly the end of Goku, or did he find some way to survive? Find out in the next chapter of DBZ: Son Gohan the Warrior!
Chapter 27:
Goku's Alive!
"Uh, Bulma? This is King Kai speaking. Can you hear me?"
Bulma looked up into the sky. "Wow, it's King Kai."
"Ask him how my dad is!" said Gohan, staring at Bulma.
"Um, I'm sorry to have to tell you this," said King Kai tepidly, "but I don't think Goku managed to get off of Planet Namek before it exploded. He got to Frieza's ship just as it fell into a crater, and then there was an explosion and the next time I was able to see that region, the planet was gone."
"Oh, wow," said Bulma. "Gohan, King Kai says... he doesn't think your dad managed to make it off of Namek in time."
"Dad," said Gohan, falling on his knees. "Did he beat Frieza, at least?"
"From what he said, it sounded like he did."
"Gohan," said Moori, walking over. "Even if your father is dead, we can bring him back using the Namekian Dragon Balls, remember?"
"Oh, yeah, that's right!" said Bulma. Then her face fell. "Oh, no. There might be a problem with that plan. The Dragon brings you back to where you died, so Goku and Krillin can't be brought back, since the planet Namek doesn't exist anymore."
"Fools," spat Vegeta, staring at Bulma like she was a two-year old. "Doesn't Earth have a check-in station to the Spirit Realm? Just wish them there first, then wish them back."
"Wow," said Gohan. "That's a great idea, Vegeta! Thank you."
These fools, thought Vegeta. They think that I want Kakarot alive again for the same reasons they do. I just want to find out how he became a Super Saiyan, so I can do it too.
"Miss Bulma," said Moori, turning to Bulma. "We plan on using the Dragon Balls to relocate us to another planet. But it may take time for us to find a suitable location. Would you happen to know of a place we can stay until we find a suitable home?"
Bulma turned and thought for a moment. "Hey, I know! You guys can stay with me!"
Moori was taken aback by this proposition. "We wouldn't want to impose..."
"No offense, but green men from outer space aren't a common sight around here," said Bulma. "And you need a major credit card to stay at any good hotel."
"Well, if you put it that way, we accept. Thank you very much."
"Bulma," said Gohan. "Is it alright if I stay with you for a little while too?"
Bulma turned to Gohan in surprise. "Gohan, you have a wonderful home, and I bet your mom's worried sick about you."
"It'd just be for a short while... until she forgets how much homework I missed..."
-DBZ: SGTW-
Meanwhile, at Capsule Corporation, Chi-Chi, Roshi, Yajirobe, Puar, and Oolong were on the space ship, preparing to launch to Namek to save Gohan.
"Stand by for take off," said Dr. Briefs over the communications system. "I have a phone call."
He came back on a few moments later. "That was Bulma. She's back on Earth, and she says Gohan is with her."
Everybody stared at the communicator in surprise.
"So... does anybody still WANT to go to Namek?" They all fell out of their chairs.
-DBZ: SGTW-
Gohan had entered a state of meditation, trying to locate that power he'd felt when he'd gone Super Saiyan.
Piccolo was meditating right next to him.
"Hey, it's them!" shouted Bulma, looking up into the sky, spotting the massive Capsule Corporation cargo-jet that was about to land. She waved her hands wildly, screaming, "Dad, we're down here!"
The moment the plane had set down, the cargo hatch opened, and Chi-Chi came running out. "Gohan!" she shouted, spotting her son.
Gohan stood up, exiting the meditative state he'd been in. He'd been trying to locate it, not bring it out- he didn't want to do that when Vegeta was nearby, or else Vegeta might decide to try and beat how to become a Super Saiyan out of him. Not that he would be able to defeat Gohan. Especially not once he mastered transforming at will.
"Gohan," said Chi-Chi, bending down to give her son a hug. "You've become so much stronger since you left!"
Everybody loaded up, and they took off, heading to Capsule Corporation.
-DBZ: SGTW-
"Well guys, this is going to be your new home for a while!" said Bulma happily, showing the Namekians and Vegeta around. "It's not the Taj Mahal, but I think you're gonna like it!"
Just then, Mrs. Briefs came shooting out of nowhere, her face right next to Vegeta's. "Hi, are you the one who helped Goku save my beautiful little girl from those horrible men?" she said in her typical stereotypical dumb-blond fashion. "You should get a medal, you're a hero!"
"A... a hero?" said Vegeta, completely overwhelmed. Looking for any excuse to get away from the "crazy woman", he spotted the space ship Dr. Briefs had been making. "A ship!" He walked over to examine it.
"She's a real beauty," said Dr. Briefs, walking next to Vegeta. "Advanced supertronics, self-generating laser reactor and a stereo system that will bring the house down."
Vegeta walked inside and started to look around. "Not bad," he said. "I bet Kakarot used a ship just like this to get to Namek."
130 days later...
Gohan sat meditating on a hill that stood near his house. Since he'd returned to Earth, he'd managed to make time for meditation by telling his mom he was going over his studies in his head. Of course, he was really trying to figure out how to force a transformation to Super Saiyan. It was easy to let go of one, but not easy to get one.
He frowned as he remembered the few accidental transformations he'd had. They generally occurred when he was feeling a strong fit of anger, and he'd let go of them before anything went wrong.
"Gohan!" shouted his mom. "Come on, sweetie! We don't want to be late!"
Gohan stood up and ran down the hill. Despite the time for meditation he was losing, they were on their way to wish Krillin and his dad back, and he wouldn't miss it for the world.
I bet dad's figured out how to do it, thought Gohan to himself. He was wearing his favorite gi- orange over shirt with Piccolo's symbol, purple undershirt with removable weights.
-DBZ: SGTW-
"Well, I say we should call upon the Eternal Dragon while we're still young!" said Bulma, staring down at the Dragon Balls.
Vegeta frowned from where he watched the scene. Hurry up so I can ask Kakarot how to ascend, he thought. Once I figure that out, I'll beat him and his brat and take my rightful place as the strongest fighter in the universe! It still made his royal blood boil to remember how Gohan had humiliated him the day they returned from Namek.
"Hey! Wait for us!" shouted Chi-Chi, was sprinting up the driveway, Gohan coming along at a light jog right behind her.
"Sorry we're late," said Chi-Chi. "Gohan was just reviewing his studies."
The others, of course, knew that what Chi-Chi thought was "reviewing studies" was meditation, so they didn't say anything.
"Well, Dende, let's summon up the Dragon!" said Gohan.
Dende spoke the phrase to summon Porunga, who appeared over Capsule Corporation.
"You who have summoned me, I will now grant you three wishes," said the Dragon, his voice booming.
"Let's bring Krillin and Goku to Earth's check-in station!" shouted Bulma happily. Vegeta walked closer, wanting to see this.
Dende translated the wish. "The one called Krillin is now at Earth's check-in station," said Porunga. "But the one called Goku cannot be brought there because he is alive, and if I were to move him there, he would be dead."
"Dad's alive?" said Gohan.
Kakarot's alive? thought Vegeta. But how?
"So we'll use the third wish to bring him back to Earth!" said Dende.
"For now, let's bring back Krillin," said Master Roshi.
Dende translated. Porunga's eyes glowed red, and Krillin suddenly appeared in front of them.
"Welcome back, Krillin," said Gohan, grinning. "You were gone so long, we thought you were dead!"
Krillin looked at his body. "I... I'm alive? I'M ALIVE!"
Dende, in the meanwhile, began translating the third wish, to bring Goku back to Earth.
"It cannot be done," said Porunga. "The one called Goku does not wish to return to Earth at this time, and says he will come back later. However, he did send something." Gohan's sword appeared in front of them. "He says to make sure it gets to his son, because he won't be needing it for now."
"Why didn't he come back?" asked Gohan, confused.
"Because he's scared!" shouted Master Roshi. "Of the only one more powerful than a Super Saiyan- HIS WIFE!"
"What was that?" asked Chi-Chi, suddenly holding Gohan's sword in her hands, drawn from it's sheath.
I think I agree with Master Roshi, thought Gohan. Mom's probably the only one who could defeat me when I'm transformed. One hit from the frying pan, you're down.
"In any case," said Piccolo, "don't you have some friends at King Kai's who want to come back?"
"Oh, yeah, that's right!" said Bulma.
"Ahem," said a voice in their heads. "This is King Kai. The others have decided to bring back Yamcha. Tien and Chiaotzu want to stay for additional training."
Dende translated the wish to bring Yamcha back to life. Yamcha came crashing down from the sky, not just appearing like the others had.
"Wow, real smooth, Yamcha," said Bulma.
"I know," said Yamcha, getting to his feet, bent from pain.
Puar shot forward and hugged his friend.
Just then, behind them, there was a loud roar. Turning around, they saw the Capsule 3 Space Ship taking off.
"Wasn't that your space ship, dear?" asked Mrs. Briefs.
"Well, it was," said Dr. Briefs. "I think that must have been Vegeta."
130 days later... (again)
The gang was all gathered again for Tien and Chiaotzu to be wished back, and to say goodbye to the Namekians, who would be departing Earth for a new home.
"Hey, Gohan," said Piccolo, walking up to his student. "You haven't come around for a spar lately. Something wrong?"
Gohan shook his head. "No, I've just been too busy. Mom's been harping on me a lot for studying, and between that and meditation, I've just not had the time."
Piccolo nodded. He, too, appreciated the quite hours that meditation brought, which was why he did it so often. Every hour he wasn't with somebody else. Every day. "Well, if you need anything, just let me know."
Tien and Chiaotzu appeared shortly afterwards. Gohan gave Dende a hug, saying, "You take care, Dende. I'll never forget you."
"Goodbye, Gohan," said Dende.
"Maybe someday me and Krillin will get a space ship and come see how you guys are coming along."
"That would be great!" Dende turned slowly to Porunga. He recited the wish that would move him and his people to New Namek, as the planet was called.
-DBZ: SGTW-
Roars split the countryside of the 439 Mountain Area as Gohan stood there, trying to take control of his Super Saiyan powers. His hair flickered blond a few times, his aura turning golden, but it was all in vain. He collapsed from the strain a moment later.
I almost had it, thought Gohan. Just a few more days, and I'll be able to transform at will. Hopefully it will just get easier from then on, because right now, it's taking all I have to get close.
The young half-Saiyan turned from the hillside. He was too drained to try again. Time to please his mother and study a little.
-DBZ: SGTW-
What is Goku doing out in outer space? Why didn't he return to Earth when given the chance? Find out in the next chapters of DBZ: Son Gohan the Warrior!
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