VHB1C2

Vegeta awakens as his spacepod enters Earth’s solar system. As they enter their landing orbit, he gazes down in interest at the peaceful blue orb slowly revolving beneath him. The sapphire jewel seems to beckon seductively to him. Just looking at the color quickens his pulse.

(PROXIMITY!)
A long quiescent awareness stirs within the Saiyan Prince’s subconscious, reviving the birth bond that had formed almost 30 years before. Automatically, an unnoticed psychic tendril forms and begins instinctively following the linkage’s path, seeking the long dormant receptor. It extends downwards, traveling through the unbreakable connection towards the planet below.

The vision of the blue green planet stirs sensations deep within the Prince, if he allowed himself emotions Vegeta might have called it a kind of forlorn hunger. But the Prince of the Saiyans rejects such a ridiculous sensation. He had discarded all emotions except rage and hate long ago. They had been lost with his childhood when he had been at the mercy of Frieza and his two sadistic minions.

On the year long voyage to Earth, as he came closer and closer to the planet Vegeta’s sleep had been troubled with strangely vivid dreams, stirring half forgotten visions from long ago. But when he woke all he could recall were half remembered figures and a vague sense of something desirable wrapped in an aqua mists. He looks down at the watery planet and gets the strangest impression that he’s finally come home. The blue-green paradise below seems to call to him softly, offering an unexpected hope and unknown promises.

The Saiyan Prince rejects the planet’s siren call with disgust. He wants no promises and the only hope he cherishes is to defeat Frieza. This fertile sapphire pearl bears no resemblance whatsoever to the ruby desert jewel of his long lost home world! This sensation of homecoming is just one more lie.

Unnoticed, deep within Vegeta yet more threads stir to life, and tenuously reach outwards unsensed, seeking unification and completion with the secondary anchorage of the birth bond.

(RECEPTION!)
The first thread reaches the receptor, the other threads stimulated by the contact braid themselves into the reawakening bond, strengthening the existing linkage, rousing and activating it. Reinforcing both end point receptors, completing the first phase of the final linking process. Now as long as the two live, the outcome is inevitable. They will eventually be drawn to one and other.

A young aqua haired woman pauses, a strange yearning washes over her, she almost recalls the feeling and looks up at the sky for a moment, as if expecting something wondrous to appear there. She stares skyward for a moment, but a word form one of her companions calls her name questionally, she shakes her head in puzzlement and returns to the task at hand.

When the Saiyans touch down on the planet’s surface, the lummox Nappa screws up immediately. Mindlessly wreaking needless havoc and announcing their arrival with the total destruction of the city where they had landed.

Vegeta’s loathing of his giant companion grows. The enormous idiot cannot even understand the need to control himself long enough for a decent reconnaissance to be accomplished. Maybe he can manipulate Nappa into getting himself killed quickly. Then he can finally be rid of this brainless nuisance. Since the dolt has destroyed any chance of surprise with his empty headed impulsiveness, Vegeta decides to seek out their foes and meet them head on.

Employing the scouters Vegeta and Nappa locate the highest power ratings, expecting to find only three, the Prince is startled to have several, all that register well over a thousand. There are more fighters here than he had expected, but their levels are so low that they pose little threat. The Prince is certain that the three highest have to be Raditz’ killer, Kakarot’s half breed brat and possibly the revived traitor himself, but Vegeta really doubts that Kakarot has been brought back to life. Fortunately the two highest traces are not that far off and four others are converging on that same location.

So it seems the traitor had more than one ally! No matter they can be disposed of as easily as the renegade. The Prince and Nappa set off to intercept and confront the pitiful weaklings.

When the two forces meet, only one other has arrived and is waiting with the other two. As Vegeta half expected none of them are Kakarot, although the brat does resemble a Saiyan superficially. He must be Kakarot's spawn, what was his name? Oh yes Gohan. But the Prince is startled to see a Namek standing there as well.

When the green warrior questions them. Vegeta immediately recognizes the voice. So he had been the one with Kakarot when Raditz was murdered! So this is Piccolo, he’s the one who actually committed the crime.

The Saiyan Prince considers this new discovery, a Namekian’s presence put a new twist in the entire situation. Careless of their nearness “Could that old myth of the power balls be true?” Vegeta muses aloud to himself, “If this Namek is the one who created the Dragonballs, then that old space legends could very well be based in fact. There may be more of these so called Dragonballs located elsewhere!”

But Vegeta is still doubtful of the truth of the fabulous tale. Kakarot is definitely not evident, the Namekian may have recognized Raditz’ scouter. And fabricated the story could have as a deception to be used by to dissuade anyone listening from coming, Vegeta stares at the other alien then calls his bluff.

“That voice so you’re the one who killed Raditz!” Accuses the Prince.

“Voice? H-how did you...?” Says the green warrior in puzzlement.

“Raditz didn’t tell you? You didn’t know that the scouters also can be used as a transmitters?” Grinning sarcastically Vegeta taps the scouter he‘s wearing.

The Namek seems to be determined to continue on with the act.

Of course then the idiot Nappa blurts out. “He’s Namekian!”

“Obviously,” replies Vegeta dryly, “it’s not so surprising that Raditz was killed then.”

The green warrior glance form one Saiyan to the other in puzzlement. “Namekian?”

The bald midget appears just as shocked, as well as the brat.

How odd, wonders Vegeta, didn’t any of them know that the green warrior was an alien? What’s going on here? Well he’ll stop this deception at once by letting the Namek know that he isn‘t clueless.

“There’s lots of weird stories about you slimy gastropods, that you have special powers besides your incredible fighting abilities.” says the Prince, “You made the Dragonballs, didn't you?”

“You know about the Dragonballs?” shouts the midget.

Nappa grins and says, “Why did you think we’d bother with this dust ball. Hand them over!”

Silence descends and the five glare at each other.

After a few moments, Vegeta shrugs, saying “Well if you won’t give them to us I guess we’ll just have to beat it out of you.”

Nappa grins in eager anticipation. Vegeta glances sidewise at the behemoth. If this works out right Vegeta could be rid of him before the day’s out. But the Prince must be careful, he needs to manage the events just right. If Frieza even gets the slightest suspicion that he planned this foray for the express purpose of disposing of the spy Nappa, Vegeta could easily end up as just dead meat.

But now it looks like these so called Dragonballs do exist, at least somewhere. Baldy certainly acts as if they’re real. If Vegeta can find them he can put them to his own use and wish for immortality. Then his strength will just continue to increase with each battle. Eventually he’ll be strong enough to have Frieza and the others right where he wants them, at his mercy, subject to his whims!

For now Vegeta must appear to continue to behave normally. He has to look like he’s trying to and keep Nappa firmly under control as he always has, while at the same time letting the berserker finally slip his leash enough to get himself killed.

The Prince had immediately noticed that their foes seem to possess low seeming power levels. But he also recalls that his Sibling, Raditz, had been deceived by similar readings from his scouter! If these fighters can control their ki levels, that would explain why their power levels seem to fluctuate so widely. If Vegeta could learn that trick it would greatly aid him in his secret campaign against Frieza.

“Nappa our scouters are useless, remember they can vary their power levels, take it off.” Instructs Vegeta.

“That’s right!” Nappa removes his, grinning in anticipation of battle, "That’s probably why that weakling Raditz got himself killed!”

Vegeta’s anger flares towards Nappa, though his rage is barely apparent, how dare the idiot insult the Royal Sibling! Raditz may not have been as strong as himself or Nappa, very few were, but his Sibling had not a been weakling by any definition. His distaste and hatred towards the huge buffoon increases.

Regaining internal control, the Prince gazes at the three before him considering his options. He could let Nappa loose against them now or wait for the other three, that according to his scouter, are quickly approaching . Strategically, he decides to test these foes first since there’s just enough left. He smiles.

Vegeta instructs Nappa to use plant the last cultivar seeds.

Let them all battle against the cultivars, then he can gauge his enemies true strengths and see what these warriors are really capable of doing.

As Nappa proceeds planting his ’garden’, Vegeta ponders his next moves carefully. The rest of the warriors arrive just as the six cultivars emerge from the ground.

There’s a tall muscular human who has three eyes accompanied by an odd-looking almost doll-like shrimp. Cue-ball calls them Tienshinhan and Chaotze. Within moments the last one appears, and is greeted as Yamcha, long haired brash pretty boy with facial scars.

But where is Kakarot? Vegeta had been certain the elusive renegade would come to fight beside his son and allies. That is if he had really been resurrected.

Perhaps he’s yellow after all, that would explain his failure at completing his original mission. But why is there no trace of him on the scouter? Not that it matters, the Prince will find him eventually and punish him for his traitorous actions. For now he will observe these other warriors with their perplexing powers.

And maybe their deaths will serve to bring the coward Kakarot out of hiding.

When the first cultivar fails to beat the three eyed human, Vegeta destroys it in disgust and sends in a second one. The dark haired fighter with the facial scars rises to the challenge, for some reason Vegeta dislikes him immediately. This Yamcha appears to be nothing but a cocky braggart. Vegeta smiles, he wouldn’t have lasted five minutes in Frieza quarters.

But then it seems as if the idiot might actually be winning against the cultivar, until it self-destructs, taking the hotshot with it. The death of the weakling enrages the smaller warrior called Krillian, who’s power level explodes to an amazing level.

Why that shrimp is almost as strong as a low level Saiyan! The midget destroys all but one of the remaining cultivars with a single blast, then even attempts to attack Nappa and Vegeta.

Vegeta is surprised by these actions.

Especially when the remaining cultivar turns and attacks the half breed brat Gohan, and the Namekian they call Piccolo, leaps to the boy’s defense and destroys it.

The Prince is now satisfied that he’s fully cognizant of strength and their abilities. Vegeta finally gives Nappa his head and lets the brute vent his rage.

Vegeta watches ensuing the carnage silently, but he’s slightly puzzled. What’s going on here? Why did that Namek interfere? Their actions are nearly incomprehensible.

The planet’s defenders are fascinating in their abilities to hide their true power levels until needed and to sense the energies of others without any type of mechanical aid. Their talents continue to intrigue the Prince and he wonders if they are hiding other things too. Maybe these remaining fighters do have enough strength to rid him of his disloyal attendant even without Kakarot’s help. Vegeta watches carefully, extending all his senses, determined to learn the trick of how they manage these strange unique skills.

The Prince still perplexed, there’s something rather strange going on here. Their tactics are extremely odd. They almost seem to be assisting each other!

The battle recommences and the one called Tien returns but then is literally disarmed by Nappa when the first blow separates his left hand from his body. But then something very strange happens, the warrior’s injury prompts several unforeseen responses form his companions. The warrior called Krillian to leaps to the aid of the fallen Tien, when Nappa was attempted to dispose of him and to make things even more chaotic, the little one called Choatze attacked Nappa too?!

They are assisting each other!

Why are they doing this? It’s a very odd way of managing battle tactics. Naturally the Prince understands attacking force against force, even giving warning to someone else but these warriors are also willing leap into battle to aid a fellow warrior. Risking themselves to defend each other individually! Ready to risk their own safety in an effort to protect and preserve each other. And as the little one just proved, they’re even willing to die for another to do this. Not that it hasn’t been known to happen, but it was a legend, a rarity unseen in ages. Having only been recounted in the stories of the in the ancient Saiyan Battle Bonded.

These fighters’ strengths are far too disparate for them to be bond brothers and they’re not even Saiyans!

This is completely unheard of in ordinary warriors! A warrior fights alone, pitting his strength against another’s even in midst of large battles. He defends himself and tries to kill his foe. Expecting no mercy from his enemy, or assistance from anyone else. War has always been done that way, individual force against individual force, army against army, fighter against fighter. And the mightiest wins.

But then Vegeta recalls that this is how they managed to kill Raditz! Two weaker warriors pitted against a stronger one, cooperating to defeat their foe. And they had won! This Namekian, Piccolo had killed the Royal Sibling while Kakarot had held him helpless!

This is something entirely new. What an odd concept! Fighters actually cooperating individually! Assisting each other, willing to die for one and other.

Vegeta overhears Piccolo’s plan for a three fold attack against Nappa. He startles them when he comments that he hopes it works. The Saiyan Prince does indeed hope that the ploy succeeds. It would be a clear example of this new strategy. And if successful it will give Vegeta more than he wanted, not only will he be finally rid of Nappa the traitor but he may have an new tactic to somehow use against Frieza. He waits smirking, in anxious anticipation, but is disappointed, when the attack fails.

But it might have if the brat had followed though! The little coward certainly doesn’t act like a Saiyan at all. It has to be his human blood that weakens him. Although if his father’s craven, it’s not surprising that he is too. It’s rather difficult to believe that this fearful half-breed possesses the amount of power that he had displayed a year ago.

Wait what’s this, Tien is threatening Nappa again! He’s willing to die rather than go on living without that little twerp?

The Prince watches in disbelief.

These repeatedly suicidal attacks are the strangest things Vegeta’s ever seen. It’s something that usually only occurred with bond brothers.

What a waste! This is ridiculous, and who is this Goku they keep mentioning?

A suspicion begins to dawn. Could it be?

The Saiyan Prince curtly halts Nappa’s next attack. He inquires about this absent warrior they seem to be expecting to arrive. When he ascertains that his suspicion is fact, that this Goku’s is actually Kakarot. And that they are confident he is on his way, Vegeta offers them a truce. A breathing space of three hours to give the Saiyan renegade a chance to appear.

After all Kakarot is the one Vegeta’s really after anyway. It’s his fault Raditz is dead. Nappa protests, still gripped by his battle frenzy, but then sourly acquiesces to his Prince’s orders. Vegeta considers the brute for a moment, he really doesn’t want Nappa to recuperate. If allowed the idiot will continue to expend his energy without thought. It will make him all the easier to defeat. Vegeta suggests that he go amuse himself, but orders his subordinate to return on time. Gleefully Nappa departs to wreak havoc.

The Prince sits down on a rock to await the arrival of the missing ‘Goku‘. What a ridiculous sounding name, how can Kakarot stand it!

Vegeta’s mind is working over time, if these remaining warriors and the renegade can destroy Nappa for him, then the Prince will finally be free of Frieza’s prying eyes. Once the traitorous informer is dead, he will destroy the assassins. Then without fear of discovery, take his time planning his attack on the tyrant, while he locates the Dragonballs and gains immortality.

The Prince smiles in satisfaction, this expedition is beginning to pay off handsomely, he has also acquired two new skills. Vegeta always a quick study, had quickly discovered the knack of how these warriors hid their true power levels by merely suppressing and tightly controlling their ki. He’s also figured out how they open and extend their spirits to sense another’s energy level. It’s really such a simple variation of a bio-feed back method, he doesn’t understand how anyone had missed it before now.

The three hours pass swiftly and Nappa obediently returns from his rampage, and still Kakarot fails to arrive. Vegeta is disgusted and angered by the apparent cowardice the traitor’s lack of appearance seems to indicate. That any Saiyan, even a pitiful third rater would stoop so low as hiding, infuriates the Prince. The other fighter’s have meanwhile been quietly conferring.

They attempt a desperate attack by trying to assault Vegeta and Nappa’s tails, which fails miserably.

Nappa knocks the Namekian senseless, then attacks the brat Gohan. Krillian tries to aid the boy and almost gets Nappa with a power disk but Vegeta instinctively warns his minion.

The Prince had gotten so caught up in watching the battle he had forgotten his own agenda and had warned Nappa almost automatically. Vegeta regretted it the moment it happened. He’d ruined a perfect chance to finally be freed from the encumbrance of that idiot. He won’t do so again.

Krillian is blasted into helplessness by the big Saiyan. But unnoticed Piccolo had recovered enough to fire on Nappa. But the attack only destroys the behemoth’s cuirass and scorches Nappa’s back.

The Prince is laughing at his companion's difficulties when suddenly his new senses react, a high power is closing swiftly! He sees the Namek and the others reacting as well so he knows it isn‘t his imagination. The Prince is astonished, it’s almost seems too incredible to believe, but he can actually feel it‘s power and it has a unique, but familiar seeming texture, very similar to what he feels from Nappa and the brat! It must be Saiyan! And it’s approaching rapidly.

Vegeta picks up his discarded scouter to double check his impression of power. The Saiyan Prince is startled at the numbers, 5000. If this is really Kakarot like the others are saying, his power has increased tremendously in just a year!

When informed, Nappa scoffs his disbelief at the numbers, still gripped in battle glee.

Vegeta is amazed, Kakarot is now far stronger than Raditz ever was. Even though it's still obvious that the renegade is no threat to the Prince. But he’s certainly strong enough to destroy Nappa unaided. That makes these other fighters a useless danger, troublesome trash that can be disposed of. Especially with their unorthodox tactics.

And since it seems as if Kakarot has indeed been brought back to life, Vegeta realizes the legends of the Namekian Power Balls are true! He doesn’t even need to spare the slug.

Vegeta orders Nappa to kill them all. Nappa eagerly attacks Gohan, but the boy actually begins to fight back. Enraged Nappa sends a powerful blast towards the boy but Piccolo blocks it at the expense of his own life.

Even the Namek has been infected with these warriors strange lack of self preservation!

The boy’s power level skyrockets! Grief triggers his dormant Saiyan Rage. He attacks Nappa wildly startling both Saiyans, but it quickly expends his energy.

The Prince begins to reconsider his plan, if the boy is this strong. Vegeta may still need Nappa’s considerable strength after all. Alone none of them are a danger to the Prince, but it’s possible especially if they employ their odd tactics, that this planet’s defenders combined power levels could actually become a threat to Vegeta, himself!

Just as it seems that the brat Gohan is doomed to be stomped into the dust by a thoroughly maddened Nappa. Kakarot finally appears, sending a strange golden cloud to rescue his spawn in a blinding burst of speed.

Vegeta taunts the renegade but is ignored as Kakarot examines the battle ground and inspects his fallen comrades.

The Prince’s scouter reading clicks steadily upwards, ominously revealing what Vegeta is sensing is correct. Kakarot’s power level is increasing steadily as his Saiyan Rage grows.

Nappa attempts to attack but Kakarot dodges the bow with ease and ignores him as well. Vanishing and appearing beside his son and Krillian. Kakarot’s numbers finally level off. The Prince can see him offer the two wounded and weary fighters something. Some sort of disagreement occurs but then they take whatever it is and suddenly are both miraculously healed!

After which there is some more discussion. At first Vegeta becomes concerned as he feels Kakarot’s power level start to rise again, if they decide to join forces it could be troublesome. But then it appears as if the renegade is telling them not to interfere. That suits Vegeta just fine, he can dispose of the garbage later.

Suddenly Kakarot begins to really power up.

The scouter numbers start increasing again, the Prince stares at them in astonishment, this is unbelievable, 6250, 6500, 6750, 7000, 7250 and it’s still climbing. Nappa asks him about Kakarot's power level and rejects the answer when Vegeta tells him it’s over 8000!

The Saiyan Prince now knows how to correctly gauge his opponents power level without the use of a scouter. He crushes and discards the extraneous device, still amazed that such a low level third rate Saiyan could improve so much in such a short time. And some how it seems intrinsically different too.

Kakarot easily dodges Nappa’s attack, then proceeds to beat the big Saiyan into a pulp in revenge of his fallen comrades. Vegeta marvels at the change, even Nappa with all his enormous strength is being defeated by the renegade! Kakarot’s power has increased to match that of a borderline elite like Nappa. It actually appears as if Vegeta may actually have to battle Kakarot, instead of merely destroying him!

The prospect both appalls and appeals to the Saiyan Prince. It’s often been difficult for him to find a worthwhile opponent, he surpassed Nappa ages ago. The big Saiyan hasn’t even been able to raise a sweat on the Prince for many years. A good fight is always welcome, but against a low ranker like Kakarot! The very thought of dirtying his hands that way irritates him no end.

The Prince watches, waiting for Kakarot to kill Nappa. But all the renegade does in beat on the giant Saiyan.

Finally in disgust Vegeta decides to take a hand in the battle. Nappa is an abysmal failure against Kakarot, while the renegade seems reluctant to finish off his foe. The Saiyan Prince calls off his underling, imperiously ordering, “THAT’S ENOUGH GET DOWN HERE, NAPPA!!!”

He may still need Nappa’s strength anyway, to prevent the other two from aiding the renegade once the realizes who outclassed he is. Even though Vegeta suspects that Kakarot has not yet fully revealed his power he certain he could take care of him by himself. But it’s entirely possible that between the three of them, they could even be more than a match for Vegeta. Nappa may be still be needed after all, if only to guard Vegeta’s back!

The dimwitted Saiyan giant halts his attack reluctantly. Obeying the first part of his liege's order, but still so caught up in his battle lust that he ignores the second part of it. The order for him to rejoin his Prince. Disobeying Vegeta, he turns to vent his ire as he attacks the others.

In desperation, Kakarot launches at Nappa and displays an astonishing burst of speed and strength. He not only intercepts the behemoth’s attack but then deals the berserker a single massive blow that completely disables the giant.

With one hand he raises Nappa above his head then tosses the him carelessly at Vegeta's feet. And then dares to order the Prince to depart, taking Nappa with him.

At first Vegeta is stunned at the events, astonished by Kakarot’s amazing attack, angered by Nappa’s defiance and puzzled by Kakarot's sudden multiplication of strength. But then as Nappa’s voice registers as he pleads for Vegeta’s help, the Prince smiles. The events have not occurred as he had originally planned but they have finally given him everything he has needed.

It has revealed Kakarot’s full strength and much more than he could have ever bargained for.

Nappa had disobeyed a direct order from a superior during combat!

In Frieza’s army discipline is both harsh and swift. The worst crime in Frieza’s army, is disobedience, there is only one, irrevocable punishment for mutiny in battle, death!

Nappa’s impulsiveness has finally allowed Vegeta the satisfaction of doing something he has longed to for quite some time. Vegeta now has an undisputable reason for destroying the traitorous thorn that his been in stuck at his side for decades. A task that he hadn‘t dared to believe that he would ever be able to do it for himself. Besides, as badly injured as Nappa is now, his value as any kind of defense is totally gone. Vegeta grasps Nappa’s hand then gleefully tosses him skywards and blasts his turncoat companion into atoms! Nappa’s actions had earned him an immediate death sentence and Frieza can never hold it against the Prince!

After killing Nappa , Vegeta challenges Kakarot. But before the battle can commence the bald shrimp confers with the renegade. The three discuss something low tones and Kakarot agrees. Then the brawny Saiyan comes down and lands in front of Vegeta.

“So are you finally ready to face me? I hope you’ve figured out it’s pointless to try flee!” Scoffs the Prince.

Kakarot shakes his head, “I’ll fight you, Vegeta but not here, follow me!”

“Suit yourself. You can die wherever you choose!” responds the Prince.

Kakarot takes off and the Prince follows easily.

Kakarot leads Vegeta to a deserted stretch of wasteland and lands facing his foe.

Are you finally ready to play with a true elite, Kakarot?” asks Vegeta.

“What do you mean?” asks the other Saiyan.

“Nappa was nothing compared to me. I am a true Elite, a full blooded Vegetisia.” Boasts the Prince, “While you’re just a low level.”

“A low level?” Questions Goku puzzled.

“Yes that’s what you are, it’s why you were send away at birth. Because of your pitiful power level.” Says the haughty Prince, “To a planet where no one could hurt you! Like all the other pitiful weaklings.”

“Well I’m thankful for being sent here then,” Counters Kakarot. “Because here on Earth, anyone who works hard enough can become whatever they want.”

“How amusing, hard work can never make an Elite out of gutter trash. I will show you the power you can only dream about.” Says Vegeta. “You should be honored, low levels rarely get this chance you know. There’s little point, they just die to fast.”

“Is that so? Maybe you should try me.” answers Kakarot, “I might surprise you.”

And then the real battle finally begins.

Even the Prince is impressed, this low level fighter is putting up a valiant effort, but even so, it’s obviously useless. The renegade is barely able to dodge the Vegeta’s attacks. Size again proves nothing, as the much smaller Prince’s strength overwhelms the larger brawnier Saiyan, Kakarot.

Vegeta is thoroughly enjoying himself, he hasn’t had this good of a workout in ages. The renegade’s strength and speed are indeed higher than what Nappa’s was but still nowhere near that of his own.

Kakarot’s tenacity is starting to earn the Prince‘s grudging respect. The clown isn‘t a coward after all, just incredibly stupid. He has to be, why else would he even dare to challenge Vegeta. especially since it’s obvious he can read power levels too.

When their battle pauses, Prince Vegeta decides to offer the idiot one more chance. “Not bad. You know we are the last two warriors of our race. I could really use someone like you at my side. Why throw away your life in useless defense of this miserable dustball, join me instead. You can have what ever you want. We can rule the universe together.”

“No thanks, the job security isn’t very good. Besides I like this planet, I may be a Saiyan by birth but this is the home of my heart. I’ve got everything I want already Vegeta, right here.” Answers Goku.

Vegeta shrugs, “Pity what a waste, but if that’s the way you want it.”

“It is!” Replies the other Saiyan.

“Then prepare to die!” Shouts Vegeta as he renews his attack.

Both Saiyans are being affected by this battle. Goku is getting more and more excited by the continuing challenge. And Vegeta’s iron grip on his own endless rage is slipping.

Unnoticed by both the Prince or Goku something strange is beginning to occur between them. And if Vegeta had been aware of it he would have broken off the battle at once.

The bonding sense, already roused in the Prince by the reawaked birth bond, is stirring once more. Their battle has awakened their barely buried, suppressed battle instincts, causing the creation of the secondary form of Saiyan bonding, one less common. Only formed when two males of equaling strength meet in a Ritual Domination Combat . It is the Bond of the Instinctive Battle Ritual.

In the past, the Battle Rituals had led the Saiyans to almost the brink of extinction. Until the First Crown Prince of the Vegetisia, Vegeta’s own father, when he was still just a Prince himself convinced his father, to redirect their people’s rages. To harness and channel their battle furies towards the conquest of others. So they turned their attentions first to the Tuffles, taking over the world they shared with the more advanced race and making it their own. Then using their newly acquired Tuffle technology they took their Saiyan Battle Fury out to into space to conquer other planets.

Goku’s battles with members of his own species has subtly brought his racial instincts back into life. Instincts, that the long ago head injury had caused to lay practically dormant inside him. His battle with Raditz a year ago had begun the process of reconnecting damaged synaptic channels. Then the fight with Nappa had reawakened his racial hunger for combat.

Goku is falling under the spell of his Saiyan warrior heritage. His long dormant full Saiyan Rage, only roused once before, when he was at the brink of death, is stirring again. It rises from deep within his soul for the first time since the final combat with Diamoa Piccolo. It had been that Saiyan Rage that had finally enabled him to kill Diamoa.

Goku had always been eager for a challenging battle, but this time a strange new ecstasy grips him and only grows greater with the increasing odds. A strange excitement courses through his veins. He senses a rapport growing with Vegeta, but doesn‘t grasp it’s meaning. But he’s beginning to understand his opponent‘s thirst for battle, as his own grows. This is becoming something more than just a fight for the fate of the planet.

Vegeta still unaware of the forces stirring within, assumes that he has seen all of Kakarot’s strength. “I’d say you’ve reached you limit, so let me show you something before you die. Something a bottom tier seldom sees,...” then Prince shouts , “THE OVERWHELMING POWER OF AN ELITE SAIYAN...!” As he powers up.

“Go ahead!” Answers Goku defiantly, a eager smile touches his lips..

Vegeta laughs then screams as the energy builds in side of him. The rocks tremble and the very air is driven away form the growing center of energy around him.

Goku is almost overwhelmed by the power of Vegeta's ki. It’s enormous! And it continues to increase until the very pinnacle of rock begin to crumble. Then a sudden ominous silence descends.

The Prince shouts a warning and the battle recommences. He charges towards Kakarot, knocking the larger Saiyan towards the ground.

Goku manages to flip out of the fall but before he can locate Vegeta, the Saiyan Prince attacks him again from behind.

A tremendous kick sends Kakarot skywards.

Vegeta cannot help but be amazed, his Sibling’s half brother possesses much more power than his initial energy potential at birth had ever indicated was possible. Not that he’s a threat but,...still it’s quite astonishing. Pity he had to be destroyed.

Goku somersaults into a recovery, once more. Then trying to gain a height advantage scales a nearby cliff in three mighty bounds. Reaching the top he turns to face the Saiyan.

The smaller warrior flings an energy sphere at Goku, forcing him to double his Kaio-ken defensively, but the increase is still not enough to counter Vegeta’s power. Goku barely manages to dodge the first ball and then a second.

Vegeta laughs, and compliments Kakarot, “That’s very good, you’ve got some speed. You dodged it very well!”

Goku is panting hard, he’s grown breathless from his efforts. Even now the Saiyan is just toying with him!

“Not many of your level could last this long Kakarot!” says Vegeta. “I’m impressed, but you’re still not good enough to beat me.”

Vegeta is so much stronger, Goku quickly realizes even at this level he’s still dangerously overmatched by the smaller fighter. If he’s going to keep fighting he has to go far beyond his present level at double. There’s no help for it, resolved to go all out, he rips off the remaining tatters of his shirt. It’s far better to die fighting than not even try. Goku has to push himself beyond the limits King Kai imposed and raise his the Kaio-ken three fold!

Vegeta chuckles darkly, “I’ve been easy on you so far, on purpose...”

This has become rather stimulating. Saiyans of rarely fought seriously among themselves for fear of invoking the ancient Battle Rituals. The Prince well knows the dangers of triggering such a combat, but Kakarot is not nearly strong enough to be that kind of a threat to Vegeta. No Saiyan had ever been able to match the Prince’s power level.

“I wouldn‘t want it to get too boring, you do need to be punished for your crimes after all.” Says Vegeta.

That this renegade had the temerity to survive without completing his original mission while numerous other Saiyan warriors had died infuriates the Prince. He had even killed Vegeta’s last living relative. Kakarot needs to be properly punished for both crimes.

“Crimes?” asks Goku.

“The murder of Raditz and the failure of your mission!” retorts the Prince.

Even though Vegeta notes the blood trickling from Kakarot’s mouth, but he’s still not deterred from their fight. There is little chance that an Instinctive Battle Ritual could be triggered between them. Their power levels are far to different, even though the Prince recognizes the excitement growing within himself. Kakarot’s strength would have to be multiplied more than a hundred, no, two hundred fold for him to be a threat. The Prince‘s battle power is still that much more superior to Kakarot’s.

Warriors needed to have almost identically matched strengths to inadvertently trigger a true Ritual, blood has to be shed, exchanged and tasted by both participants. So all combats between such matched males had been scrupulously avoided, unless carefully planned as training exercises. If blood was drawn from either combatants during the fight, it was terminated at once!

The Rituals were exhilarating but extremely dangerous. Fearsome experiences best to be avoided. It brought the blood lust of the beast to the fore even in Elites.

The shedding of blood between warriors of matched strength during Ritual Combat also created the battle bonding. Which in turn caused a power linkage between the participants, enabling their energies to feed upon one and other during the combat. Continually raising and increasing their power levels and battle furies. It more often than not, had driven both warriors into the full mindless berserker fury of battle madness. When gripped by that primitive animalistic force, combatants would literally tear each other apart, by whatever means available thus resulting in their dual death.

There was another less known side-effect of the ritual battle link as well, it was said to tie the two’s fighters destinies together, making them bond-brothers until the death blow at the end of the ritual severed it.

Rarely when both managed survive their battle, the two warriors’ destinies would remain irrevocably intertwined until one finally died. In ancient times such united warriors had often become battle comrades and even friends. It was even suggested that the power linkage remained as well, and that such partners had continued to feed and enhance each other energies through it for the rest of their lives. Supporting and supplementing each other as they fought back to back in battle, defending each other to the death.

But Ritual Battle bonding had been deemed extremely risky, even if the victor can obtain a great increase of power. The trick was, that you had to survive to claim it. Unfortunately, once the animalistic battle madness was aroused in a Saiyan, it usually drove both combatants to their mutual deaths. That’s why warriors with closely matched strengths avoided such encounters at all costs.

It was also suspected that the instinct to seek it out also could become addictive, it had practically destroyed the Saiyans’ at one point.

But even with Kakarot’s surprising increase in strength Vegeta is certain that his is still far superior, there is little chance of invoking a true Battle Ritual with Kakarot. Conquering and killing this weak third rate Saiyan will not activate a Bonding but it will certainly serve to help increase the Prince’s power level.

Goku’s blood is stirring, even though the fall he had survived as a infant had destroyed his programming, his instinctual drives had still remained intact, but isolated and deeply buried within his damaged brain. But the lost synaptic connections have re-forged themselves. Now fighting with members of his own race, the Saiyan instincts are rousing within him, to a fever pitch, flaring into life, as the racial battle excitement overpowers his better judgment.

But unknown to either warrior, Goku’s defeat of Nappa, even without a ritual having been invoked, had inadvertently increased his strength too without them knowing it.

And that increase has brought him very close to being able to match the Prince’s power level if he raises the Kaio-ken yet again.

The combat has aroused both their instinctual desires for Saiyan Battle Ritual. The lust burns deep within all full blooded Saiyan males. The rituals had evolved originally as dominance battles to determine which males were the most fit to sire the next generation. So the sheer excitement of battling another Saiyan male has an almost sexual flavor. The fight with Nappa had awoken and stimulated all these urges within Goku, his genetic drives are beginning to become aroused. The inborn Saiyan ferocity is growing as the racial battle glee begins to grip Goku’s soul.

Finally determined to win, Goku starts to increase his power once more. And with the rising increase of power, Goku’s Saiyan Rage increases as well. The growing excitement within him is making him more reckless. His eagerness to fight is almost overwhelming the controls that Popo and Kami had so carefully taught him long ago. Those controls had allowed boy to become almost as able as a member of the Saiyan Elite. For that was the real difference between Saiyan levels, not so much power as self-control of the warrior ferocity. Most low level Saiyans had been mere berserkers, powerful but nearly mindless when gripped by their battle fury. Once overtaken by that battle rage, they would rampage furiously only stopping when exhaustion set in. Only the Elite clans had evolved past that mindless level, learning to control themselves when fully gripped by battle lust no matter what form. Suddenly Vegeta realizes that Kakarot is doing it again! His energy level has multiplied once more. This is getting extremely serious and the Prince is suddenly put on the defensive, “What? How in the..?”

Amazing, Kakarot’s power is now risen to almost match his own level, this is unbelievable! Is this rejected weakling truly capable of challenging him? If his power level continues to rise at this rate a Ritual could be accidentally invoked!

Goku launches at Vegeta, slamming him in the face with his fist. The blow split’s Vegeta’s drops fly every direction as the Prince’s head snaps back. Goku cuts his knuckles against the other Saiyan’s teeth, red stains Vegeta‘s teeth.

The burning crimson drops fly from the Prince‘s face and one lands on Goku’s lip, his tongue flicks out , swiping the moisture away.

Vegeta tastes salt, all unknowing that his foe’s blood is on his tongue.

The Blood Ritual has been confirmed, blood has been shed, exchanged and tasted! The Battle Ritual bonding has been invoked! Fury surges to life within both Saiyan breasts.

Goku chases after his foe, attacking Vegeta with a powerful double kick that slams into the Prince, flinging him even further. Goku continues to streak after him preparing to strike again.

Vegeta recovers and prepares to fire at Kakarot at pointblank range but Kakarot dodges sideways changing direction at the last moment. Vegeta’s head whirls, eyes locked on his target, the Prince half spins and he fires his energy sphere.

Goku’s after image fades as he suddenly appears beside Vegeta. With a flying left kick he propels Vegeta helplessly into the rocks below. Shattering the top of one pinnacle and leaving an enormous hole on the second.

A groan issues from the cavity, then Vegeta explodes out of it screaming his rage.

Goku streaks towards him.

Vegeta prepares to meet him with a powerful punch, but Kakarot touches ground only long enough to dodge the blow by flipping over the Prince.

Goku launches back at Vegeta, slamming his knee into the other Saiyan's back, flinging him forward.

Vegeta recovers and charges back into the fray, leading with a right cross, which Kakarot ducks, as he connects a left upper cut to Vegeta's gut, almost cracking the Prince's chest armor. The Prince double’s over spitting blood. He stares at it in shock then leaps away, to land atop a nearby pinnacle. He looks down at disbelief at Kakarot.

Goku is panting, barely able to stand much less move, he stares back up at Vegeta.

Kakarot has done the impossible by matching and surpassing Vegeta’s power level and now seems to be attempting the unthinkable, ‘Is he actually trying to invoke a Ritual Battle?’ Wonders the Prince in shock. Vegeta can feel his own battle hunger growing. The instinctive racial rage is rising, inside him questing for a response. He can feel his own body and see Kakarot’s, trembling with eagerness for it.

‘I gotta end this soon,’ thinks Goku. ‘If I don’t it’s gonna be bad. Very bad.’

“This can’t be happening..........!!!” Protests the Prince “I.. am the Elite Saiyan warrior, not him...!! This is impossible, I can NOT be beaten by such a low ranked fighter. Not someone like HIM....!!”

It’s inconceivable that a weakling like Kakarot could match his level. If Vegeta had even suspected it was possible he would have destroyed the renegade immediately and not taken any chance at invoking a Battle Ritual. Now it might be too late!

“I am the strongest Saiyan in the universe!!” Declares the enraged Prince, “No one, no other Saiyan should be able to surpass me!!”

This is utterly unbelievable, no other Saiyan, not even his father had ever been capable of invoking a Battle Ritual with Vegeta. How can it be happening with Kakarot?

Goku is trembling with exhaustion, his whole body aches, “I guess triple power was a little too much.” He says to himself ruefully. He glares up at Vegeta. “I can’t drag this out much longer or I’ll give out.”

Goku is unaware that the true cause of the ache in his body, it is the sudden influx of Vegeta’s strength and it’s preparation for the adrenaline surge to come, when their Battle Ritual is fully joined.

The Prince feels moisture on his chin, he wipes it with the back of his hand and sees red marring the white of his glove. The sight angers him even more. “BLOOD!!!” He glares at the stain “I.. I’ve actually shed my noble blood.. with this worthless piece of trash ..!!”

The Prince can feel his power growing, suddenly he glares at Kakarot seeing blood spatter on the other Saiyan’s face. Vegeta suddenly realizes that the linkage has already formed! It is already too late! The blood offering had been made by both warriors, the battle bond had been formed some how Kakarot and Vegeta have exchanged and tasted blood! Prince Vegeta, the last of the Vegetisia has now been caught up in a Battle Ritual, with a third rate low level!

“I cannot ENDURE that knowledge!” Cries Vegeta with the rising battle fury. “I will end this NOW! Along with this rotten planet."

Vegeta is being gripped by his full battle fury, his ki power surges then explodes, he no longer thinks beyond the goal of destroying Kakarot.

“I’VE HAD ENOUGH !!!!” The Prince screams, “I’LL TURN YOU INTO ASHES--ALONG WITH IT!!!!!”

Goku feels his own rage answer Vegeta’s building inside of him, but not as strongly as Vegeta’s does. Goku employs the calming methods that Popo and Kami taught him so long ago to regain control and center himself once more. But the Saiyan battle instinct still almost overpowers it.

“NO- O- O- O!!! Yells Goku as his own Saiyan rage explodes as well.

Vegeta streaks skywards, “Dodge this Kakarot,” yelling as he forms his ultimate energy bomb, “and your precious EARTH DIES!!!!”

Desperately Goku manages to regain enough control to think. “What should I DO?!!!!” Anguishes Goku but then he concludes there only one way left. “I’ll just have to gamble once more.“ His power level surges again, and the battle is rejoined. “KAIO-KEN--- TIMES THREE!!!!!” Earth’s lone defender pulls back his hands in a familiar gesture, gathering up the power in his aching body for another attack, “KA... ME... HA.. ME..”

“You’ll never block this, my GYARIKKU-HO...” Screams Vegeta. “Prepare to DIE with this precious WORLD YOU LOVE!!!!!!!!!!”

So strongly immersed grip of Ritual and rage, the Prince is heedless it’s threat to his own life, as he fires off his world shattering power beam.

“HY...A!!!!!!!!!!...” Screams Goku is response as he fires his own blast at Vegeta.

The two thundering forces meet halfway between the two Saiyan warriors. The fiery furies meet head-on and stop!

Suspended in mid-flight the raving energies thunder in stalemate, causing shockwaves of sound that set the very ground to trembling. The powers flare and pulse but the two Saiyans energy levels are so exactly equal that the impact point remains poised, midway between them. Hard as they try neither warrior can gain an advantage, but both continue to feed the raving fury they’ve created. Vainly striving to gain the upper hand.

Their strengths are so completely equivalent, that neither’s ki is stronger than the other’s. As each fighter struggles, straining to increase his own power output, it only serves to keep them matched. As the power linkage between them continues to enhance both energy levels in a feedback loop, each Saiyan is enhanced by the other’s power. The energy frontier seesaws slightly back and forth between them but remains perfectly balanced.

“WH- WHAT---?!!” Vegeta is startled out of his all consuming rage, “That looks just like my blast...!!!!”

Shaken by the shock of recognition from the grip of the mindless fury of Battle Ritual, Vegeta regains control of himself, steadying and focusing . The Prince starts pushing harder than ever, till slowly his blast begins to finally overpower Kakarot’s.

Goku realizes that he is starting to lose this deadly shoving contest. He decides to throw the last of his cautions to the wind. There’s only one possibility of left for his and Earth’s survival. With a shout of painful desperation he raises his power level up one final time, “KAIO-KEN TIMES FOUR!!!!”

The suddenly enhanced energy burst overwhelms the Prince’s blast. Vegeta watches in horror as Kakarot’s sudden increased onslaught climbs the raving column of energy. Before he can dodge it impacts, catching and flinging him upwards. He struggles wildly and manages to final break free of it’s impetus just as it reaches the edge of space. He glares after the blast of energy in utter disbelief. This is impossible how has this cast-off renegade Saiyan managed to gain such incredible powers? It’s almost unthinkable that the weakling third rate son of Bardock could acquire so much strength so quickly. Could Kakarot’s power be even greater than his?!

“DAMN YO---U!!!!” Screams Vegeta so filled with fury that his hair and fur stand on end, “WHY... WHY CAN‘T I BEAT HIM..?! NO..., NO THERE‘S NO WAY, HIS POWER... JUST CANNOT BE... ANY GREATER... THAN MINE...!” Just the though of such a possibility enrages the Prince once more, “DAMN HI---M!!! I AM THE GREATEST SAIYAN WARRIOR OF ALL!!!!” He explodes in a flash of energy, but the outburst temporarily purges his anger and he pants as he slowly returns to his false semblance of outer calm.

Then realization begins to dawn on the still furious Prince, awakening his strategic genius, he’s suddenly aware of the unparalleled opportunity this offers.

This unexpected Ritual Battle with the renegade could be worth the risk after all! Vegeta can feel the flow within the power rapport he shares with Kakarot. Their energies are balancing once more. He is gaining strength even as he floats scheming, high about the planet.

The Prince knows without doubt that this is extremely dangerous situation. Their Saiyan Furies are also feeding upon each other through the battle bonding. He’s lost control more than once already, he can feel the fury within growing again even now, and it will only increase once they start exchanging blows again. But they will also be continuing to augment one and other’s power levels until one of them finally emerges victorious. With the ultimate prize of permanently multiplied power enhancement!

There is no escape from a Saiyan Ritual Battle! Once it has begun it must be completed one way or the other. Their linkage can only be severed by the utter defeat and destruction of one of the participants. And Vegeta refuses to be permanently stuck with this traitorous third rater as a battle bond brother. So Kakarot has to die, the Prince will stand for no other outcome but his own victory!

And after the ritual is completed, Vegeta’s battle strength will be enhanced far more than even that of their two combined powers! But since it seems that their strengths are so evenly matched at the moment there is only one way he can conceivably beat the other tailless Saiyan.

“Time to stop worrying about my appearance. I’ll TRANSFORM and destroy HIM!!” Vegeta grins then laughs in anticipation “My OOZURA can even terrify ME...!! Luckily I choose to arrive in the proper moon phase in case we needed to eradicate the population quickly.” The Prince’s eyes seek the sky, scanning for the planet’s smaller companion orb, “I never thought that I’d have to do this just to defeat Kakarot ...! If it weren’t for him I---”

It’s then that Vegeta suddenly realizes that the moon is missing, the sky is unaccountably empty!

Below Goku is bent over, racked with pain, as his body recovers slowly from the strains he’s been placing on it. Suddenly Yajirobi pops out of hiding startling the exhausted warrior. When he starts to congratulate Goku on his victory, Goku quickly dissuades him and gazes upwards waiting for the Saiyan to descend. Yajirobi retreats into hiding again.

Finally realizing the moon has to have been destroyed. The Prince wrongly assumes that Kakarot had done it. This vexes him even more but no matter there is another alternative available. Vegeta decides it will be worth it to expend some of his energy, and it will be quite ironic really. What a shock for Kakarot. But it will teach him not to oppose his betters before he dies.

Puzzled Goku awaits Vegeta’s descent,. Finally the Saiyan appears and lands a short distance off. Goku braces for another attack but instead of coming at him. Vegeta greets him with accusations about the moon’s destruction. And then something about a transformations?

Goku’s at a loss, not comprehending anything Vegeta is talking about. “The moon what are you talking about?”

“Don’t try to playing the fool, Kakarot....” then realization dawns in the Prince, “You really don’t know, do you? How Saiyans transform by seeing the full moon?”

Vegeta proceeds to gleefully outline how the sunlight reflected by the moon is altered, turning into Zeno radiation. After all Kakarot needs to understand fully, or the irony of the lesson would be useless. The Prince explains that when this radiation is absorbed through a Saiyan’s eyes, it triggers reaction in their tail gland, starting a monstrous transformation into a giant killer ape.

But that it takes a certain amount of radiation, which is only available during a moon’s totality phase for the transformation take place.

Goku is still mystified why is Vegeta telling him all this, the moon is gone so it shouldn‘t matter either way.

Then the other Saiyan does something inexplicable.

Vegeta captures a sphere of atmosphere within a powerball.

“You know what’s really funny about this Kakarot?” The Prince grins, as he starts to compresses it before launching. “Your father Bardock was the one who originated this technique! It results in the creation of an artificial moon that focuses the exact amount of radiation needed for transformation!” Vegeta glares at his opponent, “You should have l earned Kakarot to never challenge your betters!”

Vegeta flings the glowing ball in his hand skyward, then manipulating it with his mind and powers he causes it to burst and mix, igniting it to form a small intense short lived planetoid. Perfect for refracting and reflecting sunlight into Zeno rays.

Vegeta stares raptly at his creation in anticipation shouting, “Pity you’ve lost your tail, traitor!”

“What is it? What’s happening?” Earth’s defender watches in utter mystification.

Until Vegeta begins to change before his eyes. Canine teeth change into fangs, a muzzle begins to protrude from his face and his body starts to sprout fur. Roaring Vegeta begins expanding in every direction, gaining stature and girth, as the painful transition form man to monster takes full possession of him.

Seeing the giant ape form expanding before him, Goku recognizes it from the stories of old Gohan. At first he jumps to the wrong conclusion that Vegeta had been the one who killed his ‘grandfather’ years earlier.

Fully transformed Vegeta is amused by Kakarot‘s stupidity, this clown is so incredibly dense! Through his laughter, the Prince carefully explains to the idiot, that the ape that caused all the earlier destruction had to have been Kakarot himself.

Understanding finally dawns in Goku. He suddenly realizes that he himself had been the one who killed his grandpa Gohan. That it had been he that had caused the destruction of the tournament grounds, and that because he no longer has his tail that the Earth is doomed. Because he’s unable to counter the monster that Vegeta has now become, the gentle Saiyan grieves inside. But determines to go down fighting.

He starts to prepare one last shot. But the monster prevents by attacking, forcing Goku to dodge.

Vegeta’s first punch misses Kakarot, but his kick connects with the renegade, flinging the little twerp backwards to skip like a pebble across the ground, bouncing once, before coming to rest. He leaps after him, reaching, Kakarot manages to elude his grasp but fails to dodge Vegeta’s tail.

Goku goes tumbling head over heels, but manages to regain control, turning the wild impetus into several twirling somersaults. Finally stopping his flight as he gasps, panting in pain.

The Royal Oozura continues the pursuit of his prey and press his attacks once more on Kakarot, not relenting for even an instant.

Not even sparing Goku a momentary pause to regroup.

Vegeta is pursuing the traitor, Kakarot with relish. This is so entertaining! And he can feel his power growing too. He shouts after his fleeing quarry, “Don’t give up, boy! Be patient I’m not finished with you, just yet! You can’t die until I’ve punished you properly. When I’ve done that then I’ll kill you!”

The longer the Prince can prolong the battle, the greater his strength will be when it’s over.

It’s really quite a shame. Kakarot would have made an excellent lieutenant. His fighting talents would have been such a great aid in defeating Frieza. Vegeta almost regrets the fact that he is being forced to destroy the only other full blooded Saiyan left in the universe.

Goku quickly realizes his only chance in defeating Vegeta lies in the spirit bomb King Kai had taught him, but the Vegeta ape’s attacks are to swift and numerous. He cannot pause his flight and defense for the seconds he needs to concentrate for The Genki Dama‘s formation.

“All I need is just ten seconds to concentrate.” anguishes Goku as he continues to flee Vegeta, “just ten!” He wracks his brain and then something occurs to him. In a last ditch effort he borrows Tien’s Solar Flare technique and blinds the giant Saiyan.

The ruse succeeds, Vegeta claps his hands over his flash damaged eyes, screaming. “DAMN YOU!!!! What did you do to my EYES!!!”

Goku flees as far as he dares before stopping. He raises his hands to the sky and begs for nature’s help. Hoping he’s put enough distance between himself and the rampaging ape.

Goku calls out to the gentle sources and relentless forces of life, “EARTH.. OCEAN.. ALL LIVING THINGS...” He pleads, “JUST GIVE ME A BIT OF YOUR POWER...!!! PLEASE!!!!” The energy rises in response then gathers and slowly starts to flow to Goku.

Vegeta rubs his light pained eyes, trying to clear his blinded vision. As he slowly recovers, they begin to glow with the Prince’s rage. “You little traitor, you hurt my eyes, dared to you hurt me! Now... YOU’RE DEAD!!!!!”

The energy for the Spirit Bomb slowly accumulates above Goku‘s beseeching hands. He knows that Vegeta’s blindness cannot last much longer. He can feel the Saiyan’s power and rage growing. He can only hope that he’s gotten far enough away form him to have enough time to form the Genki-Dama, before the Vegeta can locate him again.

From all life, from all the essences of that life, from the very core of the planet, the ki glistens and sparkles as it rises, coming in answer to Goku’s plea.

Goku gathers it in waiting for the power to reach the critical mass he needs to defeat Vegeta, waiting to form the spirit bomb of good, praying he has enough time.

“WHERE ARE YOU KAKAROT?!!” Calls Vegeta as his blurred sight returns slowly, he scans the area for the hint of a glimpse of his foe.. “YOU KNOW YOU’RE ONLY PROLONGING THIS!!! YOU CAN’T ESCAPE ME OR YOUR DEATH!!!!” The Prince spots a faint fuzzy shape below and starts towards it.

‘I.. I can feel him, he‘s coming!!!’ thinks Goku, ‘He’s found me!! Please I only need a bit more time!!!

Suddenly Goku feels the power coalesce, he’s succeeded! He has the energy he needs! “NOW!!!”

But Vegeta is upon him attacking in full fury. “DIE!!!!”

The Prince opens his mouth and shoots the Oozura Energy Cannon at Kakarot, hitting the other Saiyan head-on full force.

The onslaught fells Goku, draining the remaining dregs of his energy, expending the last of his ki defensively. The rest of his energy had been used to gather the forces for the Spirit Bomb.

“ohhh... ohhh” Prostrate on the ground Goku groans and mutters softly “I didn’t know ... know... he was so close!! I was so stupid..., so stupid!!”

Vegeta’s attack has drained Goku, leaving him to weak to form or launch the gathered energy. He’s not even strong enough to tap into it. It’s stored power is uselessly locked inside of him. He mourns the waste, the loss as he struggles painfully to his feet once more to face Vegeta. “MY ‘GENKI-DAMA’... MY LAST HOPE... IT’S GONE...”

Vegeta lands before his miniscule opponent “I have to admit, you’ve got SPUNK!” Growls the Royal Oozura with a horrific smile of admiration, “But now you’re finished, you’re out of everything, aren’t you?!” He stomps towards Kakarot.

“I.. I used up all my ki to make... to gather the needed energy.” replies Goku tiredly as he watches his approaching enemy, “I’ve got nothing left, .... nothing at all...”

Vegeta’s approach shakes the ground “Well it’s about damn TIME!!!”

The Oozura attempts to squash Kakarot by stomping him but Vegeta’s sight has not completely recovered from the solar flare and still slightly blurred. And even in his fury the Prince cannot suppress his grudging admiration for Kakarot. This has been be best battle of his life. He almost wishes it could have been different.

Using the last dregs of his strength Goku just manages to dodge, leaping aside as the huge foot descends. But Vegeta retaliates and savagely backhands him into a nearby rock face.

Totally exhausted and unable to move Goku fall helplessly to the ground moaning denial in protest. As he seen the Saiyan age leaping down to crush him.

Vegeta’s lands, his foot impacting on Kakarot, but only manages to stomps his foe’s legs, shattering and pulverizing them with an audible crunching sound.

The Prince lifts his foot from Kakarot’s flattened flesh and examines him like he would a bug. Vegeta had thought he had aimed true, his sight must still be affected by that flash.

The pain is excruciating. Goku screams in agony. “AAARRGH MY.. LEGS..!!!!”

Vegeta hesitates he knows that the longer the battle ritual is drawn out the greater his strength will increase, but so could Kakarot’s. Even now he knows that the other Saiyan is still drawing on Vegeta’s own power and could rally. During normal combat the Prince rarely tortures his victims, preferring to swiftly end their suffering since he gets no joy from inflicting needless pain. It reminds him too much of his own torments at the hands of Frieza and his two sycophants. But this is not a normal combat, a battle ritual is different and every Saiyan knows the painful consequences of invoking it.

“TSK! TSK! TSK! Silly me! I’ve left you ALIVE!!” Vegeta laughs as he taunts his helpless seeming enemy, “Better hope my aim is truer THIS time...” The Prince pauses as he looks down at Kakarot, If only things had been different, if Frieza hadn‘t come perhaps....

Kakarot moans, breaking Vegeta‘s reverie.

“Better hope you DIE!!” Says the Prince, savagely, he hates it when he thinks of might have beens it makes, the rages of regret in his frozen heart burn him all the more, “or would you rather WATCH your home destroyed?!”

Even injured and helpless Goku remains defiant in defeat, “Sh-shut up Vegeta, You’ve won, You’ve beat me... You were stronger than we realized or even guessed at!” Gasps the felled Saiyan.

“B.. but if you think.. this is something to be proud of.. Y.. you’re gonna learn, someday you’ll pay .. Someday...”

The Prince hesitates again and glares down at Kakarot even though he doesn’t physically resemble Raditz, the other Saiyan’s spirit reminds Vegeta so much of his lost Sibling that it hurts inside. Kakarot’s words lash his heart like the remembered blows of Zarbon‘s force whip. Causing emotional pain to reverberate within the Prince as thinks to himself, ‘I’ve already paid, Kakarot far more than you would ever believe. I only wish that someday I could stop paying.’

Vegeta barks out a fierce emotionally agonized, laugh of irony, “HAH!!!” And propels his index finger down to finally crush this irritating insect Kakarot, who has awakened things that had been long sleeping.

Goku glares up at Vegeta, why is the Saiyan hesitating? Why has he paused? It almost seems as if he’s reluctant to kill his brother Saiyan and finish this.

Something inside of Goku suddenly snaps, he raises up slightly as he finds power he didn’t know he still had, gathering it he sends one last furious blast into the Great Ape’s face, blasting Vegeta’s right eye frying it in it‘s socket..

The Prince recoils screaming in agony, hands clasped over his face once more.

“Just ..call it... a souvenir ...” Mutters Goku, “Something to remind you ...of... me...” as he collapses back “HEH... I can’t ..even move.. my hands now.. Do whatever ...you want... with me now.. Vegeta! ”

As he recovers Vegeta realizes that Kakarot had managed to tap into the power link and turned some of the Prince’s own strength against him!

Vegeta’s full rage explodes once more.

“IMPUDENT..,” the Prince lowers his hands to reveal the now vacant right eye socket “BASTARD...!!!”

“You’ve scarred my FACE!!!” Shouts the enraged Vegeta, he grabs half blindly for his helpless foe, grasping him, he clutches Kakarot one handed. Raising him to face level to glare at him with his remaining eye. Gripping him with his second hand and squeezes yelling. “I’ll CRUSH you Kakarot...!!!” Applying almost unmerciful pressure on his captive.

Goku screams once more in agony as even more of his bones are crushed by the ape’s massive hands, but even through his pain he still senses a hesitancy form Vegeta.

“DIE, damn you, DIE!!” Yells Vegeta furiously.

It’s too bad Kakarot turned renegade and then invoked Ritual, together they could have defeated Frieza, and Vegeta would have liked to learn how he increased his power so much in only a year‘s time. Even now helpless and gravely injured Kakarot’s still very difficult to kill, his innate strength is almost uncanny but ritual demands that he has to die. Vegeta increases the pressure even more.

“N.. NO.. NOOOOOO..!!!” Screams Goku in agony.

Why can’t I kill him? Thinks Vegeta furiously, but it seems as if the other Saiyan’s strength is far greater than Vegeta had even imagined. This death battle is taking much longer than he thought it would after his transformation. How did Kakarot ever manage to gain so much stamina and power?

Unknown to the Prince, the regrets in his heart are causing him to subconsciously hold back. And even if Vegeta denies it vehemently he has always longed for someone who can understand and equal him.

The Prince can’t understand any of this, why can’t he bring himself to kill Kakarot and end the Ritual? Even as enraged as he is, why can’t he seem to finish off the other Saiyan? Why does he hesitate to end this, it’s so completely unlike himself? It’s as if he, Prince Vegeta himself is somehow, reluctant to destroy the only other full-blooded Saiyan left alive!

But that’s ridiculous. It’s impossible! The Prince wants to, he needs to, kill this renegade! Kakarot’s Ritual Death will pass his full strength over to Vegeta, it is what he needs to finally face Frieza.

“MMMM, I felt your bones that time! That must HURT!” Comments Vegeta.

Unseen by the Prince, Gohan and Krillian arrive, the little monk recognizes the Saiyan Ape form and realizes what has happened, he drags Gohan into hiding. They’re startled by Yajirobi’s sudden appearance. Krillian quickly explains how they can force Vegeta to return to normal by removing his tail.

Suddenly the Prince senses a presence, “Some one’s here.” He glares about, “WHERE?!”

Gohan’s shout attracts Vegeta’s attention “RIGHT HERE!!!”

The boy defiantly demands “Let go of my DAD!!!”

As Krillian moves around to sneak up behind the Saiyan.

“Why, what a surprise!” Says Vegeta when he spots the boy below, “Look Kakarot, your son has come to watch your demise!”

Vegeta is pleased, it’s only right that the only other being with Saiyan ties bear witness to what may very well be the very last Death Battle Ritual. And it is even more fitting that he be a blood relation to one of the combatants. The Prince wishes almost wistfully, in passing, that he had some blood relative left to be here and bear witness as well.

“I do so love family reunions!” Vegeta laughs in sad irony, “Now watch closely little one...”

Meanwhile Krillian has moved into position behind the Oozura and silently forms his Destructo Disk preparing to fling it at the Saiyan’s tail to sever it.

“Here it comes!” Says Vegeta cupping his hand over Kakarot’s head as he prepares to crush the other Saiyan’s skull, “Daddy’s going to die!” But though Vegeta seems unaware he’s not. “TSK! To bad, he’s already unconscious!”

The little monk’s attempt fails when Vegeta suddenly leaps up at exactly the right moment to avoid the Disk. It continues on, to slice off the top of the mound that Gohan is standing on.

“WH.. WHAT.....?!!” Gasps Krillian.

Vegeta half turns and looks over his shoulder at the little chrome dome, “Did you really think I wouldn’t KNOW? I’ve learned your little tricks and knew you sentimental worms wouldn’t let a companion come alone! I knew you had to be around here somewhere!”

“NO...” Protests Krillian in defeat.

“D. DADDY...” Gasps Gohan.

“Lucky me!” gloats Vegeta, “After I deal with Kakarot, you’ll be NEXT!”

‘Damn him... He’s kept his wits...even in monster form!!!’ realizes Krillian. He watches in anguished regret , ‘I’m sorry, Goku... I don’t want to stand by and just watch but he’s too powerful I can’t even get near him..!!!’

Vegeta laughs at their failure, “HAAA HA HA!!!! I warned you all what would happen, what you’d get for daring to challenge me!!!!”

Goku, hidden within Vegeta‘s clasped fists regains consciousness and cries out in pain.

“DAMN.... YOU VEGETA!!!” Cries Goku best friend, “I have to do SOMETHING!!!!!”

“STOP IT....!!!” Screams Gohan, “STOP IT!!!!”

A sudden sharp pain from behind startles Vegeta, although he had expected and sensed Krillian he had missed Yajirobi's presence. The other fighter had snuck up silently behind the preoccupied Saiyan and put his sword to good use, as with one quick slash he removed Vegeta’s tail several inches above it’s base.

“A... another... one...!” Stutters the Royal Oozura in shock, “I didn’t expect on another one...! Who.. where did he come from?”

Then the Prince reacts is sudden painful realization, “My...TAIL!!!!”

Vegeta drops Kakarot as he screams in pain and rage, as he begins to revert to normal.

Gohan watches riveted in shock “...DADDY...?” As his father’s seemingly lifeless form falls to the ground.

Panting with exertion as he returns to his original form, the Prince’s fury swells greater as he shrinks.

Yajirobi returns to hiding.

“It‘s.. off ... We did it!” Grins Krillian in amazement “His tail‘s.. OFF!!”

Vegeta glares about at Kakarot’s rescuers distracted he turns from his previous prey.

“Y-you did it!” Cries Krillian excited, “He’s turning away ..!!”

But the stout hunter knows better and remains concealed in his hiding place.

“WH-WHAT’S HAPPENING?!” Gohan is thoroughly perplexed by the strange events he’s just witnessed, “Wh-Why did that monster just disappear?!”

Vegeta growls “You suicidal...... FOOLS...... Do you know what it means to make me ANGRY...?”

Vegeta is suddenly incensed beyond any reasonable control. Until they removed his tail he had viewed their useless attempts to interrupt the conclusion of the Ritual in amusement. As long as he was in Oozura form they were mere fleas to be ignored. The Ritual had finally been proceeding properly to it‘s foregone conclusion.

Now their interference has become a serious matter. How dare they try to stop a Ritual Battle!

“Are you’re so eager to DIE?!!!” He asks furiously, “WELL THEN YOU WILL!!!!”

The enraged Prince charges towards the boy.

Don’t these maggots don’t understand?! A Saiyan Death Battle is a sacred bond between two warriors, it unites the combatants like brothers until the death of one ends the bonding.

No one interferes! If the battle is not properly completed by death, the combatants destinies are linked TOGETHER FOREVER!

If the battle ritual is broken now, Vegeta’s life will be irrevocably tied to that of Kakarot’s until one of them finally does die. That is something the Prince cannot ALLOW!

The Prince lands in front of Gohan, confronting the boy. “And you’ll be the first!” He punches the startled brat in the stomach, looking down at him as he doubles over in pain, Vegeta asks the youngster, “What’s wrong? You’re supposed to be half Saiyan, aren’t you? So show me your power! Come on boy!”

Krillian rushes Vegeta from behind determined to aid Gohan but the Prince senses his approach and greets it with a backwards right kick, that quickly negates of the midget‘s interference. “So he wanted to be first after all!”

The Prince turns his attention back to the boy. Remembering how anger had triggered the brat’s Saiyan Rage before, Vegeta tries to get a rise out of him by using his foot to grind the kid’s face in the dirt. “What’s the matter? Is that the best you can do?”

Getting no reaction, the Prince picks the boy up by the collar and starts battering him mercilessly.

“What happened to all your strength, brat?” Queries Vegeta, “It figures you’re useless, just l ike your father!”

Vegeta stares at the limp child in his grip. The kid’s training must have been pitiful. “So this is supposed to be a superior hybrid, HA!” He looks at the boy’s bleeding face, “Well at least you’re blood seems to be the right color!”

With distain Vegeta tosses Gohan carelessly towards his father’s prone figure. “I’ll show you how merciful I can be, you can die ... YOU CAN DIE NEXT TO DADDY!”

Painfully Goku stirs, he hoarsely croaks his son’s name as he urges him to get up and face Vegeta, telling the boy that he only has to hold him off for a little while.

The Prince startled, “Stubborn fool...” and surprised a bit at Kakarot’s continued resiliency, “Who’d believe he could regain consciousness..?”

“But daddy he’s strong, he’s way too strong for me!” Gohan protests weakly, “I...I can‘t... daddy..”

“All right have it your own way Kakarot!” States Vegeta, “I’ll kill you first then your brat, then chrome dome and finally the idiot who cut my tail off!!!”

Vegeta leaps off the promontory and rams his knee into the already badly injured, and now totally helpless Kakarot’s gut.

Goku gags and spits out blood from his internal injuries, as Vegeta stands over him.

The Prince knows he is losing control again as he succumbs to the throws of his Saiyan Battle glee. But their Battle Ritual is almost complete.

Vegeta can practically feel the strength flowing out of Kakarot and into his own body.

So this is the primal joy that had once almost destroyed his race! He can now understand how the Death Rituals could have become so addictive. He has lost his wits, more than once in this conflict, something he would never normally allow himself to do. His rigid control has been what’s kept him alive through all these years, it gave him the strength to endure his torments. It’s the one lesson that he had learned almost too well while he had been Frieza’s plaything.

“Putting me through this... for WHAT?!” Vegeta kicks at his helpless foe, “For this rotten planet?” Each question accompanies another kick, “These pitiful weaklings?” As the Prince continues to vent his Ritual Battle Rage.

Gohan seeing the abuse heaped on his helpless father pleads, “S.. STOP.. IT...”

Vegeta doesn’t hear the boy at first, he has become so caught up in the climax of the Battle Ritual. The power is flowing, he can feel his own ki is increasing!

Gohan’s heart is pounding, his Saiyan blood stirs once more, “STOP... IT..!” He rises to his feet as he yells in growing fury, anger releases his suppressed power he’s screaming in rage “I SAID STOP!!!!!”

The boy’s screams finally register on the Prince, Vegeta turns to face this new distraction in surprise.

“Or I’ll..., I’ll... KILL YOU!!” shouts the boy, his fury finally bursting fully free.

“You dare to threaten.. ME!” Vegeta stares at him in disbelief , “..You're going to kill.....ME?” Gohan’s answer is to fire a blast of energy at Vegeta.

The Prince leaps upwards out of it’s path. Realization dawns “Ohhh!” So that’s the brat’s trigger! Now he understands what awakens the boy‘s Saiyan Rage. Not insults or injuries to himself, but attacks on others, his family and friends!

The young half Saiyan pursues his target, and connects with a flying left kick to Vegeta’s body.

The Prince recovers swiftly and flips around to retaliate with his own left kick into the brat’s face.

As the two continue to battle exchanging blows in the sky, Goku calls out to his fallen friend. Krillian struggles to his feet and staggers to Goku’s side.

The Prince is incensed! How dare they continue to interfere! It had almost been finished!

Vegeta’s Royal Destiny cannot be tethered to that of such a low level Saiyan like Kakarot. This battle must be ended! And soon!

Kakarot has to die now, before he can tap into Vegeta’s strength again. The renegade’s strength has to be added to that of Vegeta's. Then the newly enhanced Prince will be able to face his greater foes with confidence. The Saiyan Prince cannot allow any other conclusion to this battle! Even if he does grudgingly admire Kakarot‘s tenacity.

Unbeknownst to Vegeta, Goku is passing the gathered power for the Genki-Dama to Krillian. The little monk is astonished at the amount of power he now controls, but before Goku can tell him how to use it the Saiyan passes out. Krillian is in a quandary, he has the energy to stop the deadly Saiyan but no knowledge of how to shape or use it. Suddenly a voice speaks in his head, it’s King Kai. The Lord of the Worlds telepathically instructs the little monk on the method of shaping and aiming the bomb. Then cautions him to wait for the right moment.

But Vegeta is warned when an impatient Yajirobi’s shout alerts him to the new danger. The Prince manages to dodge the energy globe.

The ball is heading straight for Gohan!

Goku who has once more struggled to consciousness, telepathically instructs his son to rebound it at Vegeta, since it was designed to only destroy evil and thus cannot hurt him.

The young demi-Saiyan follows his father’s instructions and successfully propels the Genki-Dama back towards the surprised Vegeta. It impacts and they watch as it carries the murderous Saiyan high into the sky before exploding.

Relief floods them as they see the Saiyan’s body plummet to the ground limp and seemingly lifeless.

In other world, King Kai is astonished, the Spirit Bomb had been specifically designed and created to completely destroy and dissipate everything evil it contacts. Nothing should have been left of the villainous Saiyan, not even his body.

But not only has the Prince’s body remained intact but Vegeta is actually still alive!

Vegeta lies motionless as he slowly recovers from the shock. The Prince had felt the battle bonding between him and Kakarot snap when he was engulfed by that strange energy ball. He had barely managed to survive it’s impact, but the ritual had been broken!

Now the Prince’s destiny is now irrevocably tied Kakarot’s until one of them dies! Vegeta must kill the other Saiyan now, at all costs! The Prince’s destiny must be remain his alone! He hears halting footsteps approaching. So he waits, rallying his remaining strength for one more onslaught, fully expecting another attack.

Krillian approaches Vegeta’s motionless body. “He was one nasty opponent..., but I have to admit he was brave!“ the diminutive fighter stands beside the Saiyan’s body. “I guess the least I can do dig a grave.”

The badly battered Saiyan Prince, opens his remaining eye to glare up at Krillian. “Only if you’re doing it’s for yourselves?!”

The Saiyan is still ALIVE?!

Krillian backs away in shocked surprise. He had gotten the impression that the Genki-Dama should have killed the evil Saiyan!

“I’m impressed, you’ve given me quite a beating...” Says the Prince as he struggles back to his feet. “I almost though I’d had it on that last one..!”

Vegeta knows he needs to dispose of these interfering pests quickly. With the battle bond broken his strength is swiftly starting to wane. He has to destroy Kakarot to sever the destiny link.

Upright once more he glares at his foes, “Oh you’re better than I expected, and you’ve certainly take a lot out of me.. But I still have plenty of strength left, certainly enough to dispose of YOU!”

With a vicious backhand that fells Krillian The Prince renews his attack “After I’ve killed all of you ... I’ll take time to recover ...” He glare towards Kakarot and his son, “and then I’ll finally... FINALLY dispose of... EARTH!”

Vegeta starts to stalk towards the two other Saiyans, “You bastards, taxed my powers to their limits. You actually HURT me! But what’s injured most is my pride. For being forced to struggle against such scum ...” The light of madness shines from the Prince’s eye, as power begins to shimmer around him. “So this time! DIE JUST DIE!!!”

Gohan cries out, “AA AA...” in horror.

“DAMN IT...,” Curses Goku in helpless rage, “DAMN HIM..!!”

Vegeta crosses his arms gathering in his energy, “HAI--YAAH!!!!” Them flings them open generating a massive energy burst, that creates circle a of chaos. Leveling and propelling everything around him outwards. When the smoke clears a wide ring of destruction encircles the winded Saiyan Prince.

As the dust settles Vegeta realizes that his efforts still weren’t enough, his enemies are still alive!

The Prince’s subconscious reluctance to kill Kakarot has allowed his one disabling weakness finally surface and betray him. The years of nutritional deprivation while in Frieza’s clutches had taken their toll. Vegeta had expended the last of his small stores of reserve energy when he built the artificial moon.

“Wh- what‘s wrong...?” He pants in utter exhaustion, “They.. sh.. should have ...., all been vaporized,.... they should.... be DEAD...” Vegeta groans and almost collapses but then he manages to stiffen and straighten up. Then gathering the scraps of his energy, he struggles take-off, “I must be hurt worse than I realized ... “ Managing to fly even if it’s a rather wobbly. “The Ritual with Kakarot took more out of me than I thought,” comments the Prince to himself, “I-I’ve... need to.. kill them NOW.... So I can rest...”

Vegeta doesn’t know that seeing the faithful selfless camaraderie of his foes had affected him without his even realizing, it had awoke something sleeping forlornly deep within the Prince’s hidden heart. Preventing him from releasing his fully unbridled power.

The breaking of the Ritual had also altered the battle bond with Kakarot. Stirring back into life Vegeta’s long forgotten desire, the suppressed need for friendship and companions. The destiny link has locked him to his enemy, his rival. Even if he doesn’t know it, and would deny it, they are now and forever bond brothers and comrades.

Once in the long lost past of their race, blood bonded warriors who lived through their Ritual Battle, were considered battle brothers, as closely related as any real blood brothers.

The blood exchanged during ritual, had the side effect of causing the destiny bond to draw them together whenever one of them began a battle. So they became combat partners and often even friends. Defending each other and sharing their strength through their destiny linkage.

Vegeta and Goku have now become such a pair.

The Prince lands beside Kakarot’s brat. There’s something different... it take a minute for it to register but Vegeta suddenly realizes what’s has changed, and stares at the child in sudden consternation.

The Prince hadn’t realized the brat had ever even possessed one before now!

Vegeta is momentarily dumbstruck by the sight. Earthlings can actually breed true with Saiyans!

“He has a tail!” Says Vegeta in awe.

Someone must have removed the kid’s, like they had with Kakarot's but now just like any full blooded Saiyan, the stress of battle has caused it to regenerate.

“IT’S BACK..!!”

Krillian pushes up, “His tail, .......yeah,... Goku’s used to come back too...........!”

Then the Prince sees a wavering secondary shadow as it falls across Gohan, he glances up at the sky and sees that the artificial moon he created, is still floating overhead.

“I can’t let him see it, he’ll transform!” He raises his hand to deliver a killing blow, but a sudden yell stops him as he’s attacked from the rear! It’s that same idiot who had deprived him of his tail!

The Lord of the Worlds had been observing the last Saiyan Prince from time to time, ever since the boy had been taken by Frieza. Through the years, he had begun to sense that there was something very unusual about the young Prince but didn’t know what it was precisely.

When he first saw the child’s defiance even while being subjected to Frieza’s abuse, he had half nursed a hope that Vegeta would be the one fated to rid the universe of the beast. That the angry Prince would probably take the tyrant’s place was a given, but even though Vegeta is cruel, he is not the perverted power mad monster that Frieza is.

King Kai begins to suspect that his long interest in the Saiyan has not been in vain.

Vegeta had survived the Genki-Dama!

Perhaps, just perhaps, the Saiyan Prince is not as truly evil as he appears to be on the outside. It such a shame, King Kai usually doesn’t interfere in the lives of his charges, for ages he has been content to remain a mere observer. But Vegeta had shown so much potential when he was young. If there were only some way..., but no, it’s probably already far too late for anything like that. But still...

At first Vegeta falls stunned beneath the wild man’s attack but he recovers. “Damn it where do they keep coming from?”

He’s beginning to hate this planet! It lures you in looking so peaceful and harmless. But it’s just a trap, covered with vermin! No matter where you turn something or someone is waiting to attack.

But Yajirobi had failed in doing much more than gashing the Prince’s armor. The Saiyan rises and turns to face this new threat, he ducks dodging the second slash of the hunter’s sword.

The fat man whines, trying to weasel his way out .

But Vegeta turns on his attacker sending him pinwheeling away with a powerful right kick and follows to administer a right cross. Momentarily distracted from the senseless demi Saiyan. But Yajirobi’s attack had diverted him just long enough.

Vegeta turns to go back, he mutters “I c.. can’t ..let him see it. Can’t ...let the... Kakarot’s brat.... transform!!”

During Yajirobi's attack, Goku had realized that they still had one chance left. It lies now in his son Gohan’s hands, if he can transform into a giant ape.

Goku shouts to his son, trying to rouse the boy enough to follow his instructions. “GOHAAAN!!! Look up at the sky,... the ball in the sky!”

The boy falls head first off the rock he’d been lying on, tumbling forward to land face up. Groggily he hears his father, “Ball in the Sky?”

Gohan’s eyes unfocused scan blurrily , they wander till they lock onto the glowing orb above.

“N-NOOO!” Frantically the Prince rushes back and tries to prevent Gohan’s transformation, but it’s too late. “STOP!....”

The half Saiyan boy’s eyes begin to glow in reaction to the Zeno radiation and his body begins to change.

“I WON’T LET YOU!!! .. I SAID STOP IT!!” Screams Vegeta, “I won’t have it!! I won’t let you!!!” continues the Prince as he vainly attacks the boy, raining blows on his body. “I have to kill him!!!.... I have stop him!!!... While I still can!!!!” But the transformation has already altered the Gohan’s body too much. Even the Saiyan Prince’s strongest blows would have been useless, and weakened as he now is they are a futile waste of his energy. “Wait, I forgot!” Vegeta stops attacking the boy’s rapidly burgeoning body, he switches his attention to the tail which is already nearly as thick as his own thigh. “The tail, if I can just get it off!”

He wraps his hands around it and begins to tug at it violently trying to tear it from it’s root.

The pain in his posterior rouses the Gohan Oozura, he roars and sits up to smash the creature that’s hurting him.

Felling Vegeta with a blow on the skull.

The Saiyan Prince looks up over his shoulder in horror at the gigantic immature Oozura that looms over him. Even as a juveniles the giant apes are dangerous and nearly unstoppable. Vegeta scrambles way from it on his hands and knees, hoping not to draw any more attention to himself.

Now fully transformed, the Gohan Oozura begins to rampage madly about in mindless destruction. Flinging massive boulders about. He raises one the size of a small house over his head, preparing to throw it when he’s stopped by a vaguely familiar sound. Krillian’s shouts have impinged on his ears. The monster stops and cocks his head, then he hears another much loved but weaker voice within his mind, one that he is irresistibly impelled to obey.

He follows it’s instructions and locates the one known as ‘the Saiyan’ and attacks.

Vegeta had just managed to regain his feet when he hears the others shouting encouragement at the child beast, urging it to attack him. Amazingly the beast responds!

“NO!!” Cries the Prince in protest.

As it flings the small mountain it holds directly at Vegeta.

Vegeta dodges it just in time.

The other voice calls out more things, that the Gohan Oozura is beginning to half comprehend.

Vegeta pants, still trying desperately to recover his strength. “ If I wasn’t so hurt! Damn it! If only I had time to heal!” He glares at the beast, “That moon is going to last another hour! I have to get rid of that brat’s tail!” Then he remembers baldy’s first attempt at removing his tail! “That’s it! That's how!”

Vegeta manages to gather enough power to form a cutting disk, and flings it at the root of the leaping Oozura’s tail. It hits slicing it cleanly off. But the Prince had made one slight but fateful miscalculation.

The juvenile Oozura was leaping directly at him! And now the Prince is so exhausted that he unable to move even an inch. “I-I can’t get away in time!”

Even though the boy passes out as he reverts, he’s still a massive weight when he lands atop the Saiyan Prince, crushing him into the ground.

Gohan completes the reversion, shrinking back down to his normal size. Draped prostrate over the now critically injured Vegeta.

Krillian is shocked to see the Saiyan's eye open once more and then stir weakly.

Vegeta struggles to reach for the remote control in his uniform, he finally grasps it and curses in pain as he activates the call beacon.

The Prince is furious, his anger suppressing his pain as it always has, fury driving him to endure and survive. “I have never, never before, ever been forced to retreat!”

Suddenly his spacepod appears overhead “Finally!” It settles slowly to gently touch down, only a few feet away. The capsule’s door opening automatically. He weakly pushes the boy’s body off himself and groans in agony as he rolls over to his stomach. And begins his slow agonized scrabble towards it. Each movement is pure torture, but he learned long ago how to ignore such intense pain.

Krillian and Goku both recognize that Vegeta’s attempting to escape. The little monk struggles to his own feet, determined to put an end to the Saiyan’s threat, once and for all. He picks up Yajirobi's abandoned sword and heads towards Vegeta.

King Kai watches sadly, silently bemoaning the outcome. Admitting out loud that he shouldn’t be playing favorites. His continuing observations over the years of the Saiyan Prince, had resulted in the growth of a strange kind of admiration for the often lonely brutalized but obviously courageous boy. Even though the resultantly violent adult had never shown any outer inclination for good, King Kai often felt that there was something more to Vegeta. Hidden deep within the core of the savage seeming Saiyan.

Even as one of Frieza’s most ruthless lieutenants, the Prince had still retained a an odd kind of pride and managed to adhere to a certain strange sense of honor that was admirable. Where the monster’s other men had rampaged uncontrollably venting their savagery, on their victims Vegeta had only done what he had to do, following precisely what Frieza ordered and nothing more.

The boy had managed to overcome so much just to survive for so long. To actually reach manhood under such adverse circumstances and then to be almost within reach of his goal of revenge was truly admirable. True, Vegeta had done much evil, but until now, it had always been at the behest of Frieza. It was really a shame in a way. He had always seemed to have so much untapped potential.

But as much as he admired Vegeta, the Saiyan had been a problem for a long time, it would really be for the best if he did die here. King Kai will miss him, but otherwise Prince Vegeta will certainly return filled with fury to wreak havoc on Earth. For that was the Saiyan Prince’s pattern. How his heart worked, the need for revenge fueling his endless rage. It was a kind of a sane insanity, it too bad that the Prince’s death will not destroy the real roots of the dreadful evil that drives him.

As Krillian approaches hapless Saiyan, raising the sword to administer the killing blow, Goku calls out. He begs his friend to let Vegeta live, to let him go.

Vegeta hears his rival’s words in disbelief, but continues to scrabble towards his ship, escape is only inches away now.

Even though Goku knows how dangerous Vegeta is, he also somehow knows intuitively the incredible waste the Saiyan’s death would be, there is far more to Vegeta than what is at first apparent.

He convinces his friend to let the other Saiyan go. Taking full responsibility for it, knowing somehow in his soul that if given even a half chance Vegeta could change.

Dropping the sword, Krillian reluctantly allows the battered Saiyan to crawl into his ship.

Vegeta drags his severely injured pain wracked body into his spacepod. Setting the autopilot to return to Frieza Planet #79 and enables emergency life support.

As the door closes the Prince utters a final threat as farewell. A promise to return and defeat them all!

But that promise contains more that it seems, for longing still tugs forlornly at Vegeta’s heart. He seems to sense that he’s leaving here too soon. If only he could safely remain a bit longer. It’s as if he’s leaving something vital undone, something unfinished on this planet.

Something that has nothing at all to do with the failed Ritual or his enemies destruction.

There’s a strange sense of incompleteness inside the Prince‘s soul, a strange feeling of loss, as if he is leaving something of incredible value behind.

As he drifts in and out of awareness during his long arduous journey, he is gripped by strange dreams. Hallucinations that have such an overwhelming sense of future reality. The most recurrent one is of an azure tinted vision, a dream of an incredible fantasy female. A woman of incredible beauty and fire, who willingly welcomes him, eagerly opening her arms to him over and over again, without any fear or rejection of him. It stirs the long suppressed memories of the security of his lost mother’s love, sustaining him.

Or less often, he’d have a secondary dream that seems just as real. Wherein the foes he has just fought have somehow changed. They have become wary partners, but nonetheless friends. All their mutual hatred has turned into the shared respect of valued battle comrades. Whenever he’s awake enough to think clearly he concludes that these dreams can only be some sort of strange pain induced delusions that insist on haunting his mind. But even with that conscious conclusion, the futile dreams continue whenever he lapses back into insensibility. Producing the strange recurrent images of the comrades. Or the feminine phantom with laughing eyes smiling at him in welcome, always accepting of his ardent embraces, lovingly. Sometimes she has an infant cradled gently in her arms, a baby with his face that lifts eager happy hands towards the Prince!

Other times there are two playful young boys and a tiny girl child tumbling about them. While his rival and other enemies are gathered about him in a happy group. And during these completely illogical and unexplainable dreams he feels the oddest sensation of completeness.

To be continued.......