VHB1C3

Bulma and the others had been at Kame’ house had been surprised to be joined by Corrine. The Cat Sensei had come to inform them that Goku had finally arrived and they were needed to mount a retrieval mission to recover the battered survivors.

The young scientist had been gripped by an inexplicable urgency when the white feline had appeared. After hearing him out she had rushed her comrades efforts and was now flying the plane almost recklessly, at top speed towards the battleground. She felt like she was being impelled by forces outside herself, as if she was desperately pressed for time. She needed to get to the battle site before it was too late! But there was one thing that puzzled Bulma, she didn’t understand what she might be too late for?!

As they come within sight of the area of carnage, a streak appears, zooms straight up and vanishes into space, and the impulse that had been gripping Bulma fades with it. She stares after the receding light, whatever it was that had called to her seemed have departed with it.

ChiChi's frantic shouts bring Bulma's attention back to Earth and she lands the ship near the three figures on the ground.

ChiChi bursts from the ship even before Bulma can shut the engines down and completely disregards Goku as she leaps over her husband’s prone body. The concerned mother rushes to take Gohan from Krillian’s arms. ChiChi seems more worried about her son’s condition that Goku’s.

The small band quickly learns of the deaths of Tien, Chaotze and Yamcha, but then the worst news of all is revealed. Piccolo is also among the dead, which means Kami is gone too! The Dragonballs of Earth exist no more!

When the full realization of the loss of the Dragonballs hits, Bulma suddenly knows that despite her resolute decision, not to take Yamcha back. She had still nursed the faint hope that he could somehow change and become the man she had once dreamed he was. Now with even that possibility gone, she has no one. Bulma collapses to her knees and begins to grieve over her lost dreams.

A grim sadness descends on everyone, as they gather their wounded up and depart to recover the remains of their lost friends. While Roshi pilots the plane, Krillian tries to console Bulma begging her not to cry, not to give of all hope just yet. He hints at a faint possibly, a chance that they may still be able to revive their dead friends but before he can explain his cryptic remark, they arrive at the original battle site.

Finishing the grim task of recovery, they take off again and Goku finally prompts Krillian to explain his earlier remarks. Krillian quickly reveals the astonishing possibility that he had overhead from Vegeta. He tells them of how the Saiyan had spoken of the existence of another set of Dragonballs! Located somewhere out in space on a planet called Namek.

Everyone’s spirits soar when King Kai confirms the existence of Namek and it’s location but that he had thought it long deserted with all it’s inhabitants dead or gone.

Bulma, the only one on the ship with technical knowledge, reacts with shock to the quoted coordinates. She turns the ships control over to Roshi and starts making some quick calculations.

Hope had sunk as he told of the climatic disasters that had devastated the planet and that he doubts that any Namekian’s had survived. King Kai searches telepathically to discover the whether or not any one is still alive on planet Namek. But it revives when King Kai announces that there are just over 100 Namekians still on the planet!

Meanwhile Bulma had unfortunately confirmed her suspicions. She turns on her friends and asks them sarcastically how do they expect to get to Namek? When they’re answer, is a space ship, she gives them the disheartening news. Even with her father’s fastest engine it would take them over 4339 years to reach Namek!

Depressed silence descends until Krillian suggests using the one of other Saiyan ships, and brings out the remote Vegeta had dropped.

Bulma is ecstatic, with a Saiyan ship‘s drive system available! She and her father can rebuild and enhance it to an adequate size to convey any number of passengers.

Hopes renewed with the thought of the wish of the Namekian Dragonballs, they rush their injured comrades to the hospital.

Bulma spends all night deciphering the controls on the remote. She’s finally certain that she’s got the controls figured right, but there could still be one problem. Her one fear is that there could be a security be a code needed. If there is one and it’s not inputted, the ship could be programmed to self-destruct.

The next morning she returns to the hospital with the controller, they all watch as she attempts to retrieve Nappa’s ship, but instead, just as she fears it explodes. Just as the groups depression is about to return, Mr. PoPo who had also heard the conversation with King Kai the day before, suddenly appears at the window on his flying carpet. He asks for someone to come with him, that there is another spaceship, then qualifies it with the word probably!

When questioned about the probably, Mr. PoPo explains about Kami’s past how all he could recall was living alone in the wilderness in an odd looking house. He tells them that when he and Kami learned that he was actually and alien they began to suspect that the shelter he grew up in might actually a spaceship. But PoPo informs them that although he knows where the structure is located, he doesn’t have the ability to determine whether or not that it actually is a ship. Someone has to come with him to confirm it!

All eyes turn to Bulma.

Unsure about this strange looking man, she is at first reluctant. Adventures are all fine and good especially for the boys with their incredible powers and strength. Or when you’re carefree and young. But now Bulma is mature young woman, she has responsibilities not only to Capsule but to herself. But both Goku and Krillian finally convinces her to accompany PoPo, despite her better judgment.

Mr. PoPo takes her to Kami’s so called house and indeed it does turn out to be a ship! A strange appearing vehicle with a vaguely animalistic appearance. PoPo and Bulma quickly ascertain that the ship is controlled verbally. Unfortunately it seems that the operational language is Namekian. Bulma is disheartened at first, but Mr. PoPo quickly assures her that he is familiar with Kame‘s birth tongue, proving it by activating the ship.

Bulma suggests they test the ship’s operational capability, by taking a quick trip around Jupiter. Startled at first by the ship’s rapid responses Bulma quickly gets used to it. In fact she discovers that she rather enjoys it, she had forgotten the sheer exhalation imparted by adventure.

As she and Mr. PoPo streak through space, Bulma feels a sudden certainty, that this is where she has to go, the nameless need that had gripped her the day before has returned, drawing her to one of the port holes. She gazes out at the unblinking stars, unaware that she is staring off in the direction that Vegeta’s ship had taken. She feels as if something out here is calling to her, promising her something that she’s longed for her whole life. As they turn the ship back towards Earth she can’t seem to shake the feeling that her future lies somewhere, further out there in space. She decides that she’s going to go on one more adventure after all, she’s definitely going along on the mission to Namek!

So the trip is on! Bulma’s certain that with just a little bit of remodeling work the ship could be ready to leave in just five days! With the Namekian ship’s vastly superior speed and power it should only take about a month to reach Kami’s long lost home world! But when PoPo refuses to accompany Bulma, Krillian and Gohan decide to go with her instead. An argument ensues with ChiChi but finally she reluctantly caves, when Gohan refuses to back down. It takes a little extra time, for Bulma to quickly learn enough Namekian to navigate the ship. So it’s ten days rather than five, before the little group of space explorers can depart on their mission to acquire the Namekian Dragonballs.

During this period Bulma’s soul grows more and more restless, stirred by the siren call from space. And she often questions Krillian, Goku and Gohan, when she visits them in the hospital about their battle with the Saiyan . Especially when she realizes it was his ship she had seen taking off as they had arrived.

While Gohan, Krillian and Yajirobi’s vivid descriptions of the villain are all similar, Goku refrains making any comments about their escaped foe. Instead he looks thoughtful and a bit pensive as if he had seen something entirely different in the Saiyan Vegeta. But she knows Goku better than most and he has always looked for the best in everyone.

Then one day as she was visiting him shortly after others had been released and just before ChiChi arrived for her daily visit. Goku had confided in her the real reasons that he had insisted Krillian let Vegeta go. His revelations had made her pause and think about the Saiyan warrior from space. So when they finally embarked on their voyage, she went with a strange undefined stirring of something within her heart. Even though dramatically shortened, the trip is still mostly long, boring and tedious. Even though the two mishaps that occur are exciting, in the long run they do little to lighten the extended ennui of the voyage. Bulma tries to keep herself amused while the boys are occupied with their mental training exercises. A couple of weeks into the voyage, Bulma broaches the subject that’s been preying on her mind since her talk with Goku. She wonders aloud once again about the Saiyan Vegeta. The three begin to speculate on his condition and a timetable for his recovery and possible return.

In space Vegeta had struggled to survive his voyage long enough to reach aid. He also fights an internal battle against his own fever wracked dreams trying to resist their siren seductiveness. The blue veiled dreams of a woman, that when he’s conscious, he knows can only be formed from the false childish hopes he had long thought banished. Useless dreams that still return to both tantalize and torment him with idyllic images of hope that seem to offer a promise of such an odd future.

The impossible visions of Vegeta, with a home, friends and family! The futile fantasy of a lovely female that always seems eager for him. Of a strange new life that on that same blue planet he had just escaped from. Those same enemies that somehow have morphed to comrades. Of eyes that shine brightly at him without fear, filled with the light of undeniable friendship, trust and love.

Vegeta finally senses through his pain and delirium of pain that his ship has reached it’s destination. He vaguely knows when he is rushed to the medical facility. Then he lapses back into the futile dreams once more, as they work over him placing him into the healing chamber.

The Prince’s injuries are so serious that it takes several days for him to completely recover even with his enhanced Saiyan healing powers.

Vegeta is unaware of his visitor, lost deep within the azure visions once more as Frieza comes and inspects him.

The Tyrant gazes at the Saiyan Prince speculatively, keeping Vegeta around as a prospective host has been far different from retaining either Zarbon or Dodoria. They had been extremely easy to control, all he had needed to do let them indulge their vile appetites.

But Vegeta is a far different matter, he has resisted all of Frieza’s attempts to fully control him. The Prince had remained rebellious and defiant, if it wasn’t for the fact that keeping Vegeta tightly controlled was so stimulating and that he was so ideally suited as a host Frieza would have destroyed him along with all the other Saiyans. He smiles, the offspring that will be gestated in the Saiyan Prince will be an exceptional one. Even now he knows that it will end up being his favorite child.

Frieza recovers Vegeta’s scouter and checks it’s memories for the Nappa’s final report. The big Saiyan had been easy to manipulate. Nappa had been convinced that he was helping his Prince, even as he betrayed Vegeta’s every move to Frieza.

The Tyrant is extremely pleased when he discovers the information on the Dragonballs. If he could recover them, he’d have little need of offspring! Once he became immortal, he could even dispose of all these annoying animal pests he has to maintain as prospective hosts!

He could then either lean back and relax to wait until he outlived his father and brother, or actually dispose of them. Thus becoming the sole proprietor and Ruler of the Universe! Frieza orders that his ship be prepared and quickly departs for Namek!

When Vegeta completely recovers, the med tech informs him of Frieza’s absence and that Qui is wanting to talk to the Prince.

Once healed Prince Vegeta, had swiftly banished the false useless fantasies from his mind. No one can ever truly care for someone as evil as he has been forced to become, he knows that without a doubt. He doesn’t even care that much for himself any more!

He shunts aside the last shreds of those futile delusions, with his concerns over far more pressing matters.

Vegeta needs to leave here as soon as possible and secure those Namekian Dragonballs, before his hated master realizes what he’s really up too! And he also has other things now catching his attention as well. He can feel the incredibly tremendous increase in his strength that the recovery from his near death experience on Earth has caused. He’s had major i ncreases before but none were ever like this one. Even uncompleted, the death ritual has done more than increased his strength, it has multiplied it, far more than he believed was possible.

Does he dared to hope? Could the those ancient stories his father told him really be true? Could he finally be close to becoming a Super Saiyan? Or is it merely a side effect of the unfinished Death Battle with Kakarot? He knows that their power levels had both been incredibly enhanced during that battle.

As the Prince strides towards his spacepod he’s intercepted by Qui who blocks his path confronting him. The two have detested each other since the beginning and it had only gotten worse over time. Vegeta’s hatred of Qui had increased after Frieza had claimed him from the punishment post. Then it had escalated again when the boy had survived the Tyrant’s attentions and unexpectedly returned!

Qui, who has always suspected Vegeta of rebellion, taunts the Saiyan Prince with the news that Frieza has left to acquire the Namekian Dragonballs and attain immortality for himself!

Enraged Vegeta rushes off to try and stop the tyrant. So Nappa had betrayed him one last time! Frieza knows or suspects everything. He has to get to Namek and quickly!

The Prince has his own plans for those magical balls, and he’s waited far too long for anything to prevent his long delayed revenge! If Frieza succeeds in gaining immortality Vegeta will never have a chance to have his cherished goals realized!

The expedition from Earth finally arrives and lands on planet Namek. Once on the ground Bulma tests the Dragonball radar and confirms not only that it works for the Namekian balls but that they do exist. Their joyful celebration is cut short when Gohan senses a mass of disturbingly strong ki nearby.

Bulma on the other hand is filled with a growing undefined hope, she knows somehow that this is where she is supposed to be!

She quickly dismisses his misgivings by saying that it has to be the Namekians. But both the boys remain uneasy about the feel of the power they are sensing. It feels wrong to them somehow as if it is tainted with great evil.

Suddenly the sky is split by the arrival of a Saiyan spacepod. Gazing up at it both Gohan and Krillian sense the familiar presence. It’s Vegeta! They quickly suppress their own ki so that the Saiyan's scouter can’t locate them.

Bulma stares at the spacecraft as it hurtles from the sky. Gohan and Krillian are both positive that it carries the Saiyan Vegeta, but for some strange reason she’s not frightened by that knowledge. She doesn’t understand it, until that streak appeared she was beginning to become alarmed by the boys continued insistence that they were sensing evil, but now suddenly she’s not fearful at all. Something about seeing that ship had been strangely comforting to her. Almost as if she knows that what it contains could never harm her.

But by rights she should be totally terrified, they had all told her about the dangerous Saiyan Vegeta. They had described him thoroughly, depicting him as a monstrous enraged maniac. A bloodthirsty savage that had killed his own partner seemingly without cause. A glee filled demon fully bent on causing only death and destruction.

Krillian, Gohan and Yajirobi were all positive that he’s a murderous madman, who spells nothing but trouble. But then later during the private conversation with Goku, she had heard an oddly different description of Vegeta. Still ferocious, violent and murderous but not quite as mindlessly vicious as he actually appeared.

Goku seemed to almost admire the other Saiyan and he confided to Bulma something he hadn’t told any of the others. He said he didn’t quite understand why, but it almost seemed to him, that at the very end Vegeta had been holding back during their final battle, just the tiniest bit. It was as if somewhere deep inside, the Saiyan really had been reluctant to kill Goku or the others. Goku knew that if Vegeta had exerted just a little more strength, the strength that Goku was certain Vegeta still possessed, he could have easily vanquished and destroyed them all, but he hadn’t done so.

Bulma had pondered this information several times and wonders often what the Saiyan Vegeta is really like? Is he the monster that the all others say he is? Or is he something else entirely, like Goku seems to suspect. If so just exactly what is Vegeta?

As Vegeta’s ship arrives on Namek, the strand of awareness awakens once more. The Prince feels a sudden surge of intense excitement, a strange warmth suffuses him giving him even more confidence. He knows instinctively, that this planet indeed holds the key to his future. And those Saiyan instincts are correct! But what the Prince doesn’t suspect or realize, is that it is not the future he’s has planned for or anticipated!

With the advent of Vegeta’s unexpected arrival the little group of Earthlings decide to separate temporarily. Bulma will go back to Earth and then return with Goku , while Krillian and Gohan stay and try to prevent Vegeta from getting his hands on all the Dragonballs. As Bulma radios the change in plans to Roshi the sky is rent once more by the arrival of a second Saiyan ship.

Qui is in hot pursuit of Vegeta.

The party from Earth are now in a bigger quandary than before. Taking on Vegeta would have been daunting, but not an entirely impossible task. But now if he has the help of others, just as strong or even stronger it could change their situation drastically. They worriedly discuss their options.

Vegeta had sensed Qui’s pursuit even in space and now awaits him. The Prince flexes his muscles as he loosens up, once more amazed at the continued increase in his strength. It almost seems as if it is still growing. This is an unexpected bonus. It’s as if the power linkage he had with Kakarot is still active! Is he still drawing energy from the other Saiyan? Could those myths be true too?

Qui ship touches down close to Vegeta’s, they confront one and other preparing to fight.

Meanwhile Bulma, Krillian and Gohan are discovered by two of Frieza’s scout troopers, who had been sent out to check on strange scouter readings. Krillian whispers for Gohan to keep his power level suppressed and to concentrate it. When the troopers attack the two warriors from Earth quickly dispatch them but not before they blast the ship!

Bulma panics at the sudden damage inflicted on their vessel. If the ship is not fully intact, they could end up being stranded here on Namek forever!

The boys quickly reassure her with the thought that the Nameks should be able to help them repair the vessel, but right now it’s far more important for them to find a safe place to hide from Vegeta and his allies.

As the Prince and Qui face off. Qui activates his scouter, he’s surprised to see the Saiyan’s power level has dropped, quite considerably. Evidentially Vegeta is still suffering from the injuries he had sustained during his battle on Earth. They must be still weakening him!

Qui smiles gloatingly, up till now his and the Prince’s power levels had been about equal. But with this apparent decrease it looks as if Qui finally has the upper hand over the Saiyan Prince. He’s completely unaware of the fact that Vegeta had learned how to suppress and conceal his power level while conserving his energy when he was on Earth.

So the dark purple warrior challenges his long time rival and is astounded when the Saiyan’s power level surges rapidly upwards. The energy reading quickly passes both his and Vegeta’s old high mark. Startling him, as it continues increasing with no sight of slacking off.

Qui begins to become frightened when his scouter suddenly overloads while trying to keep up with the surging numbers and shatters into a thousand pieces.

Vegeta’s totally unexpected increase in strength makes the cowardly bully reconsider, swiftly changing tactics he tries to avoid confrontation by lying. Then tries to ambush Vegeta by trickery but both Qui’s feeble attempts fail and Vegeta quickly finishes him off.

‘One down, but many more to go!’ Thinks the Prince with just a hint of satisfaction.

Vegeta considers his options, by now he’s certain that Frieza has some of the Dragonballs, but if he understands the process correctly, the Tyrant must possess all the balls before he can make his wish.

That means that if the Prince can locate just one ball he’ll be able to prevent Frieza from using them, until Vegeta can figure out a way steal rest of them for himself. Once he has them then he can make his wish for immortality. Ensuring his chance to accomplish his long cherished dream of revenge. The deaths of Frieza, Zarbon and Dodoria are merely now a matter of time!

The Earth expedition is searching for a place to conceal themselves, when Gohan and Krillian sense the approach of a large mass of energy. The three quickly hide in a nearby crevice and watch from concealment as the group passes. The boys are shaken by the strength they had felt emanating form the group and the fact that this was the origin of the feeling of wrongness they had sensed earlier. The little Buddhist monk also suspects something even worse, he asks Bulma to check her Dragonball radar. The results confirm his fears, the group that has just passed them attired so similarly to Vegeta, already have four of the balls. They’re here on Namek seeking them too.

Not only that but there’s at least three fighters in that group that are as strong as, if not stronger than Vegeta. One of them was frighteningly so!

Bulma informs that the two boys that the group is heading toward another ball even as they speak. When they realize it’s only a short distance away, Krillian suggests that he and Gohan do a reconnaissance. Bulma protests vehemently, but the little warrior reassures saying that she’d be far safer where she’s at without them around to draw undue attention. So she reluctantly agrees to them leaving, but informs them that since the cave’s size seems to be adequate, she’ll try setting-up a capsule house inside it. Before leaving Krillian reminds her to contact Roshi and inform their comrades on Earth of the new situation.

After Bulma gets the capsule house set up, and contacts Earth she decides to prepare something for them all to eat when the boys return. As she performs the homey little chore, Bulma wonders about the strange feeling of security she has suddenly acquired with the arrival of that first pod. The one that according to the boys, contained Vegeta. By all rights she should be terrified, especially if it really is that demented Saiyan. Especially since both Gohan and Krillian are convinced that he’s nothing but a dangerously murderous madman.

Especially now with the three of them more and likely stranded here, alone for who knows how long on an alien planet. But instead she feels almost as safe as if she were still on Earth. Even though they’re surrounded by nothing but aliens some of which, if not all are enemies. But for some weird reason she’s no longer the least bit worried, and she has the strangest feeling that the Saiyan’s pod contained something she’s been waiting for, the answer to an unasked question.

Vegeta is covertly listening in on Frieza’s scouters transmissions. He overhears exactly what’s happening in the Namekian village, as Frieza demands the elder turn over their Dragonball.

The Prince frowns as he notes that Frieza is still using his tired old tricks of smash and grab. He’s so childish, it’s a wonder that he’d ever managed to become what he is! What an incredible waste of lives and resources. Then Vegeta smiles at least now he knows how to find the Dragonballs. All he needs to do is locate the strongest concentration of Namekian ki and that should lead him to the next ball.

Since Frieza is presently occupied with that village, the Prince will just have to go off and find another! There are at least two other Dragonballs out there somewhere just waiting to be found!

As the battle starts in the village, Vegeta’s scouter suddenly loses the carrier signal. The Prince grins, the Namekians are obviously far smarter that Frieza had guessed. One of them must have figured out that it was the scouters that were leading Frieza to the Dragonballs.

Now that it’s usefulness in monitoring Frieza is ended Vegeta switches off his scouter then begins to scan with his newly acquired sense for another concentration of Namekians. Thus he’s totally unaware of the subsequential events, that is until he catches a bright flash in the corner of his eye. Pausing in his search he extends his new sense towards it, feeling and recognizing Dodoria’s presence. He grins in anticipation, this is the chance he‘s been waiting for! He changes direction and streaks off to intercept one of his hated foes, once close to Dodoria’s flight trajectory he lands, and uses his new skills to suppress his ki once more, just in case and waits. Spotting the approaching pink vampire, Vegeta greets him with a blast that knocks Dodoria from the sky. Frieza’s toady plummets into the water.

The Prince has waited patiently for this for a long, long time. He had endured Dodoria’s unwanted, painful attentions for all the years that he had been forced to be Frieza’s plaything. The pink alien’s appetites were both repellent and agonizing for the boy. Causing Vegeta to equate sex with agony for a very long time.

His earlier experiences had left the young man hesitant to seek it out, himself, for far longer than most adolescent boys would have. He was fortunate that Raditz had realized the problem, before Vegeta could be been put off of sex entirely. His Sibling had intervened, taking Vegeta one of the pleasure planets shortly after he turned 15. There the Prince finally learned that sex could also be quite pleasurable. Even if it had been difficult for him to achieve any kind of complete satisfaction. Especially since he outright refused to force anything upon an unwilling partner, after having suffered so much sexually inflicted pain and unwanted attentions, himself. Even now he’s extremely reluctant to do so to others, but with his problem it was almost impossible for him to avoid doing some damage. So Vegeta has abstained from sex far more than most normal men would. He resists the temptation for as long as possible, until his need drives him to seek out a female for release. And even in those circumstances the Prince has to exercise total control and restraint over himself for fear of injuring his partner. Thus he has always been limited to short single, one time encounters.

But now the time has come, the Saiyan Prince will have the first taste of his long awaited revenge against the one of his three major childhood tormentors. He smiles darkly in anticipation.

The fat alien struggles out of the water to face his ambusher and is startled to discover who it is! “VEGETA YOU BASTARD!!!”

“Is that your way of saying you missed me Dodoria?” inquires Vegeta sweetly.

Dodoria clambers to his feet. “So that was you who ambushed me, wasn’t it!?!”

The Prince smirks at him “It’s been a long wait, I thought you’d never stop clinging to Frieza‘s tail! But there was no sense in me taking on more than I need to at a time.”

Still overconfident, and completely sure of his dominance over Vegeta, Dodoria demands the Saiyan Prince hand over his scouter and leave.

Vegeta ignores the demand and instead removes the coveted object, carelessly dropping it to the ground and then smashes it with his foot.

This astonishes Dodoria until the Prince reveals that he no longer has a need for it.

The revelation leads the pink sycophant to correctly guess the identity of the fugitives he had been chasing but jump to the wrong conclusion about the Prince, assuming that Vegeta has allied himself with them.

Vegeta can’t believe his ears. “Don’t be ridiculous Dodoria, there’s no way that there could be any here Earthlings on Namek! It’s impossible, those primitives don’t possess the proper technology!”

“Don’t try to lie to me Vegeta I‘ve already seen them!” Retorts the repulsive spiked toad.

“Well if it’s true, and they're not figments of your minuscule imagination then I’ll just have to destroy them too.” Answers Vegeta coldly. Nothing and no one will be allowed to get in the way of his agenda.

Dodoria still doesn’t believe Vegeta and orders him to get out of his sight or he’ll dispose of him right now.

But Vegeta’s continuing defiance and lack of fear is beginning to bother Dodoria. The Prince continues to ignore his threats, threats that ordinarily should have had him cringing obediently. He suddenly recalls the oddly high reading that he and Zarbon had gotten on their scouters when the Saiyan Prince had battled Qui.

As Dodoria continues to bluster threats at him, Vegeta starts to realize that the fat pig is actually afraid of him for the first time!

The Saiyan Prince savors the new feeling of power he has over his old captor. He watches the fear begin to glint in the pink alien’s eyes. ‘Now he knows how I felt every time he touched me!’ Gloats the vengeance bent Saiyan.

Vegeta chuckles with grim satisfaction as he watches his erstwhile tormentor, wrestling with his own terror.

Dodoria’s fear explodes into rage, he attacks Vegeta frantically as he screams that the scouter had to have been wrong!

The Prince dodges Dodoria’s wild attack easily, continuing to egg his enemy on with taunts. Then with a single swift motion, the Prince darts behind Dodoria and captures his arms, pinioning the pink warrior, Vegeta restrains his much larger opponent with little effort almost pulling Dodoria's shoulders out of their sockets.

“Release me!” Screams Dodoria in agony.

“Why?” Asks Vegeta conversationally, “You’ve always seemed to savor the flavor of fear in others. You’ve enjoyed the taste of my torment. What’s the matter? Perhaps now because the pain is your own Dodoria, it’s a bit less palatable?!”

Vegeta’s prisoner struggles desperately, trying to free himself but is held fast in the Prince’s steely grip.

Dodoria suddenly realizes that he has to do something, craftiness replaces his frantic rage . If he can’t fight Vegeta, maybe he can strike a deal, bribe him with information, otherwise he knows his death is imminent. He tries to bargain for his life with something that has been concealed from the Saiyan Prince for all these years, the truth. The real reasons and true causes of his home world’s destruction.

Vegeta's interest is aroused by the cringing beast claim. The Prince releases his hold on Dodoria demanding to know what he could possibly say that would save his life.

The fat coward then whiningly begins to reveal Frieza’s treachery. How years earlier during the his first visit to the Saiyan planet, Frieza had immediately realized the possible threat posed by this new rapidly mutating race of warriors. The Tyrant had decided that he needed to eliminate the threat of this dangerous upstart race quickly.

But just as he came to that conclusion, the Saiyan Monarch had proudly shown off his heir, the newly born Crown Prince Vegeta. Frieza had been immediately captivated by the infant Saiyan’s beauty and strength. The pretty child had sparked an unholy lust within Frieza’s breast. The Tyrant had even decided to postpone his plans for the planet‘s destruction. To allow the intriguing infant time to reach a suitable size, before returning to secure the youngster for his own personal pleasures!

So instead of destroying the Saiyans then, he contracted with Vegeta’s father. Hiring the entire Saiyan army to become his planet procurers. Insisting on only the finest of the Saiyan mercenaries as be assigned to his personal employ. Frieza demanded that only the best and strongest of their warriors be dispatched on his missions.

In this way he was able to slowly whittle away at their numbers. Wasting them on the most difficult, nearly impossible missions over the five ensuing years. Paring down the numbers of the most dangerous members of the Saiyan population.

Thus Frieza’s unslaked lust for an infant Saiyan Prince had been the only reason the Saiyans and their planet had been allowed to survive for as long as they had.

Vegeta quickly masks his shock at these new revelations. He had often suspected Frieza of causing the destruction of his home world but he had only guessed, knowing none of it for certain. He had never fully realized the pure self-centered viciousness of the perverted monster’s true agenda.

Unaware of how his words are affecting the Prince’s fragile self control, Dodoria continues to spill everything.

Telling him that once Frieza had decided the boy old was enough, he had returned to the Saiyan planet with a counterfeit offer of permanent alliance. He had even made the King a very tempting offer, suggesting that he take the Crown Prince under his wing and train him. But it had all been merely a ruse to allow him to secure of the youngster.

But King Vegeta had demurred refusing the albeit false but generous offer which had angered Frieza.

So during the celebratory welcoming feast, Frieza had coldly ordered his two aides to eliminate the Saiyanna Queen along with the Prince’s unborn brother that very night. But it had only been a mere prelude to the Tyrant’s already planned evening of personal festivities.

Frieza was well aware of Saiyan mating bonds and knew how the king would actually experience his truemate‘s death. The Master had waited patiently in anticipation of the Monarch reaction.

And the Saiyan King had reacted as expected to his guest’s treachery. Driven almost mad by after vicariously suffering his mates painful death he had, in his grief stricken fury wildly attacked Frieza alone in retaliation! The Master had casually stopped the raving King with a careless flick of his finger, then imposed his demand for the Young Prince. Forcing the Monarch to surrender his only royal heir as hostage for both his own and his warriors obedience.

Even though Vegeta had already known that the Tyrant had somehow been behind his mother’s death, and his captivity he had not known all the reasons. His heart shudders as finally he hears the full account of his father’s defeat and utter humiliation. It tears wide the old festering wounds hidden deep within his heart. Pain pierces the tatters of his soul.

Dodoria almost smiles even in his peril as he recounts how in a vain effort to try to protect his remaining heir, the Saiyan King had continued to play right into Frieza's hands. King Vegeta had actually pleaded that the Prince at least be allowed to have some attendants. It had been difficult to hide their amusement as they to pretended to be fooled.

Especially since Frieza knew that one of the attendants would undoubtedly be the Prince’s personal guard Raditz, who always accompanied the Saiyan Heir wherever he went. It had been so deliciously ironic!

The King had thought he was being so clever, trying to deceive Frieza by sending the Prince‘s Personal Guardian disguised as a mere attendant. But the Master had known all along just exactly who and what Raditz really was, the Prince‘s Royal Sibling, Vegeta’s own half-brother and the Saiyan Monarch’s only other living male child!

Thus the King had unknowingly played right into Frieza’s hands giving him two hostages instead of just one.

Growing rage threatens the Prince’s tenuous grip on sanity. Frieza had been manipulating them all from the very beginning! The Tyrant had known all along that Raditz was his brother! All those wasted years of feigning cold disregard towards his Sibling has been for nothing. Outwardly, Vegeta seems strangely calm but his eyes burn and his fury deepens as hatred flares under his icy exterior.

Dodoria continues accounting of how Frieza had then further tricked and deceived Vegeta. Intercepting and stopping every message the King had ever sent to his either of his sons. Encouraging his aides to raise doubts about his father in the young Prince’s mind. Even lying, as they hinted that the Saiyan Ruler had handed him over as hostage in a cowardly effort to preserve his own life.

Vegeta’s eyes begin to glimmer with his barely restrained madness. For years he had been led to believe that his father had abandoned both him and his brother. Everything he had ever been told had been lies! Concealing his increasing fury, he informs the cringing piece of slime that he could care less about what had happened to his planet or his parents years ago. Explaining away his initial outburst by claiming it was just his anger at being used so callously for all these years.

Dodoria then reveals how they had easily suborned the idiot Nappa, almost as soon as the Saiyans had arrived aboard Frieza's flagship. Seducing the dimwit berserker by catering to his bestial appetites. Offering him special ‘privileges’ with prisoners as well as extra rations for merely ‘forgetting’ to shut off his scouter when he was with compatriots.

As the Prince finally hears the full truth, the frozen shield surrounding his battered heart grows colder, crackling with his icy fury.

Then when Vegeta came asking for an assignment, it had given Frieza the chance he had been waiting for, he had allowed the boy and his attendants to depart. Then while the three Saiyans were absence, Frieza had returned to their home world to finally complete his delayed agenda of Saiyan genocide.

He had gleefully destroyed planet Vegeta and it‘s entire population with one blast. And to finish the job he had ordered his strongest most trusted elite troops to hunt down and slaughter all remaining Saiyans, except the Prince and his two attendants.

Soon after that Frieza had finally taken possession of Vegeta and slaked his unholy lust for the boy.

Dodoria is completely oblivious to the Prince’s growing instability. As he gleefully recalls the night Frieza had finally claimed the young Prince. Of how he and Zarbon had only expected a single night’s amusement with the Saiyan child. Which had always been the usual course of events, since most of their playthings seemed to die rather quickly after finally being taken by their Master.

But then Vegeta had surprised them all!

Not only had the boy endured the Master's venomous stings and painful embraces, but Vegeta was actually still alive the next morning! And even though he was still injured and weak, he was rapidly recovering. It was truly amazing. Up to that time there had only been two other survivors of Frieza‘s poisonous attentions, Zarbon and himself. Until Vegeta, they had been the only ones that had lasted past a single encounter with Frieza’s usually fatal appetites.

The Prince’s anger rises like a relentless tide, as words continue to spill heedlessly from the pink vampire’s mouth. Vegeta’s fragile grasp on sanity is rapidly starting to slip. His tightly leased fury shutters wildly within, fracturing and fragmenting the outer semblance of the Prince’s control, which he had managed to maintain for all these years. His eyes darken with fury, but he refuses to allow Dodoria the satisfaction of knowing how much the memories of his childhood enslavement can still affect him.

Dodoria continues with is reminiscing tell the Saiyan Prince of how this completely unexpected occurrence had pleased their Master immensely. The boy’s continued, if futile resistance had amused Frieza greatly. Vegeta’s continued resistance had kept the Master’s intrigued, enticing Frieza lusts far longer than either Zarbon or Dodoria ever had.

Perhaps it was because of the Saiyan Prince’s diminutive size belying his strength or that delicious defiance, but something had swayed the Master away from his original resolve to destroy of all Saiyans. So much so that for whatever reason known only to himself, Frieza has reconsidered the three’s final fate. Instead of disposing with Vegeta once he had finished with him, their Master had actually decided to honor the original false promise to train the boy and even allowed him to retain his two companions.

Dodoria comes back to the present and suddenly becomes aware of the darkness in Vegeta’s eyes, madness glints like black lightening, but the realization comes far too late! He tries to remedy his mistake, by making one last attempt at escape.

The pink coward’s flight finally shatters the last remnants of Vegeta’s control, he explodes into action at Dodoria‘s break for freedom. The Prince’s rage suddenly bursts free, exploding like a supernova evaporating the last of the disintegrating bonds. His fury flares into incandescence, as he vents some of his long suppressed insanity, blasting Dodoria into his component atoms. The violence of his outburst helps him to regain his grip on his fragile equilibrium. Restoring the false semblance of outer calm as his icy control finally reasserts itself.

Although he’s still angered by the revelation of Frieza's treacherous responsibility for the destruction of his family, his world and race. The knowledge that the tyrant had actually feared the Saiyans enough to go to such extremes, restores much of the Prince’s long battered and injured pride.

Calming now, the Saiyan Prince starts to exult once more in the continuing evidence of his newly increasing powers and strength.

Only pausing when he remembers his vanquished foe’s earlier words about Earthlings. Vegeta had felt another pair of strange powers before he attacked Dodoria but he had assumed they were just a few more of the local slugs. But now that he thinks about there had a been a slightly different feeling to those powers, so it couldn’t have been Namekians.

Perhaps he should check them out just in case. He really doubts that they’re Earthlings, but he’d best find out what they actually are.

Vegeta starts off in pursuit of Dodoria’s previous prey.

Concentrating, he focuses in on the pair of rapidly distancing signatures and heads after them. They do carry a tantalizing familiarity but he can’t quite place it.

He quickly catches up but just as the Prince is about to come within in visual range, they vanish from his senses! He reaches the spot where they disappeared and circles about the area. Muttering to himself, “I know they were somewhere right around here. Damn it! I guess I’m still not experienced enough at this sensing thing. I shouldn’t have been so quick in destroying that scouter.”

Suddenly he turns and looks in puzzlement at a nearby rock outcropping, “I do faintly sense something over there, it’s so miniscule a power, but perhaps...?!”

As he approaches the spot where the sensation seems to be located, a huge fish leaps up out of the water behind the rock. “Damn, it’s just a fish.” He glances around one last time. “Well I don’t have time for this right now if I’m going to get those other two Dragonballs.”

Reorienting on the mass of ki he had been heading for earlier, Vegeta continues his quest.

Bulma greets the boys’ return with both accusations and relief. As the ship’s Captain she’d felt as if she should be responsible for them. And though she knows intellectually, that Krillian is even older than Goku, his small stature makes it so easy to forget that and recall how it had been years before. Especially since Goku’s young son is almost as big as the little monk.

She had been really starting to get worried about them. And she’s surprised to see their new companion too. So this is a Namekian, the boy’s a regular miniature copy of Piccolo. He’s kinda cute like a chibi Piccolo.

She regrets her reaction at once when she finally notices their battered exhaustion and the little green tyke’s fearful reaction. Contrite, she quickly cheers them with the news that Goku has fully recovered and is right now on his way to Namek in a second ship. Telling them that he’ll be arriving in only six short days! Naturally both the guys are excited. Little Gohan especially so, now that he knows his father is coming.

Dende remains subdued and silent amidst the aliens gaiety.

Who are these odd looking creatures? Already frightened by those other intruders, he had been terrified at the sudden appearance of two more, but then the new strangers had rescued him from the others. Risking they’re own safety to secure his.

And they haven’t hurt him yet but he’s still just little apprehensive, they’re so strange looking! So grotesquely pinkish, like some underground thing. The one isn’t so bad, at least his head is properly smooth and bare, even if he seems to lack antennas. But the other two are so weird looking with all that strange stringy stuff coming out of their heads! And the big one is all bumpy with those strange protuberances on it‘s chest. He still isn’t all too sure about these creatures true intentions.

Especially since they‘d brought him here!

Meanwhile Vegeta has finally located an undamaged village. He lands and demands to speak with the elder. When the old Namek arrives and asks him what he wants, the Prince orders the old fool to hand over the Dragonball. Instead of complying, the old geezer asks him why he wants the Dragonball?

Ever impatient, Vegeta simply demands that they had it over. But the old idiot still refuses to cooperate.

The elder regards Vegeta thoughtfully for several moments then says, “I sense a great wrongness, you have become twisted by evil. Leave! I cannot give the Dragonball to one like you. The hatred you harbor within corrupts you to your core.”

Vegeta doesn’t need to be preached at about something he’s already aware of and responds sarcastically, “No fooling!! If you‘re going to get all psychic on me, old fool. Why don’t you try telling me something I don‘t already know?!”

The old moron’s opinion only confirms the Prince’s own perceptions of himself!

But the insult brings Vegeta’s small bit of patience to an abrupt end. “All right then, if you want to do this the hard way that’s the way it’ll have to be!”

The Prince starts blasting away the villagers one at a time, asking for the ball after each death. He regrets doing it this way, since he's always hated wasting time and lives uselessly. But consoles himself with the knowledge that Frieza and his troops would have slaughtered them all anyway. And he needs to secure at least one of the last two Dragonballs! If only to prevent that monster Frieza from using them.

He just hopes the old moron won’t continue to be stubborn and force him to kill them all.

As the reunited Earthlings eat, Krillian and Gohan recount their harrowing experiences to Bulma. While the little Namek just sits staring at the plate of food morosely.

Hearing the tale of their adventure, rouses Bulma’s sympathies for the little guy. She’s feels sorry for him, seeing all his friends and relatives killed, no wonder he doesn‘t have any appetite. And she drawn to the kid, he’s cute in a cuddly green sort of way. But she can see he’s still a bit scared. So she decides that she’ll try to watch over him if she can.

Dende is still fearful and he really needs to find out if he can trust these strange beings. He hesitantly does something he knows isn’t really polite. He reaches out telepathically and touches their minds, reading their spiritual auras.

He’s surprised to find that they aren’t even slightly telepathic! But he also discovers that their auras are not threatening at all, the two smaller ones auras are bright and filled with the light of righteous goodness. While the oddest looking one’s is completely different, it’s aura has a comforting softness to it, filled with gentleness and love, much like that of his parent. Dende resists the sudden urge to run over to it and climb into it’s lap.

He’s filled with an overwhelming sense of relief, they’re not going to do anything to hurt him after all!

Krillian tries to coax the little Namek into eating something. But Bulma suggests that he leave the boy alone. Telling him the kid’s probably still pretty traumatized, she can understand that he’s not too hungry because of what he‘s been through.

That’s when the cute little guy finally opens up, he tells them that his people don’t eat, they just drink water.

In surprise, Krillian asks about the plants they were growing and the boy tells them about the drought that nearly destroyed the planet ages ago and how they are still trying to restore it‘s original beauty.

When asked, he finally tells them that his name is Dende. But just as Dende asks who they are, Gohan and Krillian react as they feel the attack on the villagers! They stop eating and rush outside to stare in off in the direction of the sensation’s origin.

Concerned Bulma quickly follows after them asking worriedly, “What happening, are we gonna be attacked again?”

“No, that’s not it,” answers Krillian preoccupied by the horror of what he’s feeling. “Ki’s are being extinguished!”

“What?” asks Bulma in puzzlement.

Gohan explains tersely, “Namekian’s are dying again!”

And we recognize who doing it...” Krillian adds, shaking his head, “Vegeta!”

“That’s so awful!” Remarks Bulma placing her hands on her hips in anger. “That Vegeta must be some sort of animal.”

"But it confirms something else I’ve been suspecting too.” Complains Krillian woefully. “That stinking Saiyan’s learned how to sense ki! And we can’t do anything to stop him or the others till Goku gets here!”

The two fighters can feel the occurrence of each loss of life like a knife slash, as the distant grouping of ki gets smaller and smaller.

They agonize over their helplessness, but know that they dare not confront Vegeta or any of those others until Goku arrives.

Krillian is also beginning to wonder about something else, why hasn’t Vegeta made any effort to join the larger group? Is he one of the them or not? Although he supposes it doesn’t really matter in the long run. They’re all enemies.

“I don’t know if they’re together in this or not.” Speculates the little monk out loud,“Either way our mission could end up being a failure, if Vegeta or this Frieza guy gets a hold of all seven Dragonballs. If that happens we can just kiss the wish good-bye.”

Bulma overhears Krillian’s comment and suggests, “Well then, why don’t we just get ourselves a Dragonball and keep it hidden. Then it won’t matter how many they manage to get!”

“We can’t do it.” Gohan disagrees with her, “They’ll just keep searching and killing the Nameks trying to find it!”

“It can’t get much worse, even if your dad gets here in time,” says a dejected Krillian, “We don’t know if even he can beat them. Damn!... If only he’d let me kill Vegeta when I had the chance...”

Dende who has trailed out after the strangers, cries out in weak protest when understanding dawns. These odd looking beings seem to be really concerned over his people’s fate! And from the way they’re talking they seem to know things that were thought to be a sacred Namekian secret!

“Who are you people, where did you from? And how do you know about our Dragonballs? ” Asks the youngster almost frantically. “Please tell me, can you really do something to help us!?”

Krillian and Bulma quickly explain about the battle with Vegeta on Earth, along with the loss of their friends including, Piccolo and Kami, who had turned out to be Namekian. Of how they had come here in hopes of wishing their friends back as well as the chance to restore Earth’s own Dragonballs!

Vegeta has vainly tried to force the village elder into revealing where the Dragonball is. But the old being had remained adamant, stubbornly to refusing to cooperate. Vegeta’s anger had grown with each death he had been forced to inflict, it’s such a waste! Can’t they understand?

Vegeta knows he maybe bad, but the tyrant Frieza is evil incarnate. A malevolent cancer that would destroy the universe just for his own perverted amusement, if he’s ever allowed to become immortal.

The Prince’s inner fury is almost incandescent, this is all Frieza’s fault!

The Namekian elder had remained idiotically stubborn, forcing the Saiyan Prince to reluctantly kill every last villager.

Vegeta questions the stubborn fool one last time. “Now will you tell me where your Dragonball is?”

“You have not just been corrupted! The evil isn’t just within you!” Cries the old moron in one last refusal with wide horrified eyes, “YOU are totally corrupt, evil incarnate! I will never give you our Dragonball!”

“Old man, if you think that I am evil incarnate, you cannot even conceive what real evil is!” Spits Vegeta as he raises his hand threateningly, “I’ve experienced it in it purest form, I know it intimately and it’s true name is Frieza!”

The old Namek stares in wordless shock at the raving Saiyan.

Vegeta recovers his composure, “Have it your way then, and die for your useless stubbornness! I’ll find it by myself.” With that he blasts recalcitrant elder.

The Prince begins his search and chuckles when quickly finds what he seeks. “The fools, they didn’t even try to hide it! It was displayed right out in the open!”

Vegeta holds the large golden orb in his hand, “So this is a Dragonball! I suppose it’s rather pretty if you like that kind of thing!” He gazes in awe at the four gleaming stars that glow with the exact shade of red that his long lost home world once had done. The stars seems to shimmer for a moment and Vegeta stares at them raptly, unaware of the invisible soft rosy glow that bathes him momentarily then shoots off tracing the link.

“Now what should I do with this?” The Prince glances around, the light reflecting off the rippling water catches his eye and he smiles, “I know I’ll hide it in there. That way, only I’ll know where it’s at.” Vegeta tosses the Dragonball into the center of the lake and watches in satisfaction as it swiftly sinks out of sight.

The Prince chuckles softly as he floats upwards, “Frieza's got five and I have one. So I suppose I better go look for the last one. After I find it, I can figure out how to steal the one‘s Frieza‘s got!”

After hearing the Earthlings story Dende now knows what he has to do. He's certain that Guru will want to aid them in their quest. After all these travelers from another world have already proved their worthiness by rescuing him from certain death at the risk of their own lives.

“I see, now I understand.” He looks at them in wonderment.

“Please! You have to come with me! I will take you to the Great Elder.” Beseeches the child, “Guru will know what to do!”

Bulma looks at the boy, “The Great Elder? Who’s that?”

“The parent of my people, our revered ancestor. The lone survivor of the great drought that nearly destroyed us. I am the 108th child of the elder,” Dende half sobs remembering his little brother’s death at the big pink alien's hands, “I.. I’m his youngest offspring.”

“Lone survivor?” asks Bulma in astonishment, “Wait a minute, just how does your race have children?”

Dende looks at her in disbelief, “Why, by spitting out an egg of course. How else is there?”

Bulma smiles, deciding not to confuse the young boy too much, after all he is just a little kid.

“Yeah, how else.” She grins, “Then that must mean that your Elder is a woman!”

Dende stares at the biggest Earthling, this one has puzzled him from the start. Although just as nice, it’s aura is so different from the other two’s. It makes him feel weird, he almost wants to snuggle close to be comforted by it. He’d like to cuddle up against it‘s strange soft looking chest protuberances. That desire along with it’s strange shape has been what’s kept him so quiet since he and his rescuers had arrived at their shelter. He had been unsure of what to make of it.

“Woman?” asks the puzzled child. “What’s that?”

Bulma is flabbergasted, “What’s a woman? Wait a minute, aren’t there two different kinds of Nameks? Don’t you have two parents, a father and a mother?”

“I don’t understand,... two types?” Dende asks, still not comprehending her meaning.

“You know different.. sexes, ones like me and one like them.” It says as it waves at it’s companions.

“Noo...oo.” Dende slowly shakes his head. “We’re all the same.”

Bulma stares at the kid dumbfounded, then turns to Krillian saying, “Did you hear him, there’s only one kind of Namek, they don’t have separate sexes!” She shakes her head, “Man they must get bored on weekends! Boy am I glad I'm not Namekian!”

Krillian ignores her comment as he asks Dende, “Why should we to go see this Elder?”

Bulma listens in curiosity as the little monk continues to question the Namekian child.

“Well since the strangers who attacked my village already had four Dragonballs and you’ve just said that someone was killing people the village over there...” he points the way they had been staring.

Krillian lowers his head sadly, “It’s that second guy we hid from. We’ve fought with him before, his name’s Vegeta.”

Gohan glances in the same direction, and answers gloomily ,“Yeah.. they‘re all... dead now.”

“Then that means...” says the child stifling another little sob, “means there’s not too many of my people left anyway.”

“So you’re saying that Vegeta’s probably got the sixth ball by now.” says Krillian. “And that l eaves only one left. I bet this Great Elder of yours has it, right?”

“Yea.. yeah.” answers the youngster.

“Damn it!” Krillian clenches his fists in futile fury, “Even though we know that Frieza guy can't find that Dragonball because he lost his scouters. It won’t stop Vegeta, especially now that he’s learned how to sense ki! He‘ll find the Elder and get it.”

“We can’t let either of them get that wish!” says Gohan frantically.

“You’re right about that kiddo.” Says Bulma “We need it!”

“You have to warn Guru!” Cries Dende. “Please help save him!”

“We‘d better hurry then.” Says Krillian, he looks at her and Gohan, “You two stay here, there’s no point in risking all of us. I’ll go with Dende and talk to this Great Elder guy.”

“Okay...” says the young half-Saiyan reluctantly.

“Be careful.” Cautions Bulma.

Krillian glances at Dende, “Alright then lead me to him kid, but we better walk. That way Vegeta can’t sense us.”

The Namekian child looks upset, “But it’s way too far! If we walk it’ll take us 30 days to get there!”

“That long!” Cries Krillian, “Vegeta’d beat us there for sure. I guess we’ll have to risk flying after all. We‘ll just have to hide if Vegeta gets too close.”

“Okay! Let’s go!” Krillian looks over at Dende “Try to fly as fast as you can, kid. I’ll keep my ki as low as yours and maybe Vegeta won’t catch on.”

As they take off, Krillian calls back to her and Gohan, “You both be careful too, and stay out of sight.”

Gohan returns to the table, but Bulma lingers. Something is keeping her outside, she looks off in the direction of the doomed village. Suddenly a warmth suffuses her body, an unseen rosy aura envelopes her and she suddenly blushes. She retreats back into the house in perplexed confusion.

The Prince has been searching for several hours now. He’s growing more and more frustrated. Even with his new ability to sense ki, he can’t seem to locate any remaining concentrations. Isn’t there any more villages left on this mudball?

Suddenly he stops, in mid-flight and hovers. He senses something odd, there are two energy sources traveling together. The smaller is definitely Namekian, but the other one is what intrigues the Prince, it seems vaguely familiar but he’s certain that it isn’t any of Frieza‘s men. Who could it be?

Vegeta decides to check them out, since he can‘t do any worse than he‘s been doing so far!

He heads after the two moving signatures, feeling as if he should know who belongs to that other strange seeming signature! As he narrows the distance between them, he tries to puzzle it out.

Vegeta is getting closer when his attention is diverted, suddenly his new sense is caught by the appearance of yet another signature. One he’s all to well acquainted with, he certain who belongs to this one!

He barks a quick laugh and suddenly switches direction. “No doubt about it! That’s Zarbon alright!! This is the chance I’ve been waiting for!” He chuckles, “I knew he eventually be sent to search for his partner.”

He can check out those other signatures later.

The Prince cannot believe his luck as he zooms towards his new quarry. He’ll finally be able to vent some more of his long suppressed fury on the sadistic blue alien. This act of revenge will be even sweeter than the last, Zarbon had not only savored his nightly torture sessions of helpless boy, Vegeta. But he had taken even greater pleasure in repeatedly gloating about the way he had murdered the Prince’s mother and unborn sibling. Zarbon had been the one who had convinced the boy that his father had cared nothing for him or his fate!

Even after Frieza had tired and finished with Vegeta. Zarbon had continued to plague the Saiyan youth. He and other accomplices (most often members of the Ginyu force) had even taken the lad from the barracks for ‘private recreation sessions’ whenever they felt like it! Zarbon had never let him alone even after Vegeta had been assigned his own quarters. The blue sadist would turn up from time to time to remind the Prince of his ‘other duties and proper place’.

Vegeta comes into visual range he speeds up and collides with Zarbon, they bounce apart to hover to confrontation.

They glare at each other for a moment as they drift closer to each other. The Prince finally breaks the silence, “It’s been a while,... Friend Zarbon.” Says Vegeta in sugary sarcasm.

Zarbon recognizes Vegeta’s nastily sweet tone, it’s the same one he had always used during the nightly recreations with the young Prince.

“Why hello my sweet little Princeling.” Replies his nemesis almost casually. “I’ve missed you.”

Vegeta grinds his teeth at the sound of the despised nickname. He had always hated how Zarbon had called him that, sarcastically masking his brutal cruelties with the false appearance of solicitous affection.

“I haven’t missed you.” The Saiyan Prince replies venomously, “I’ve already taken care of your playmate Dodoria.” Then grins adding grimly, “And now it’s your turn to die!”

“WHAT?!” Gasps Frieza’s pampered pretty boy in shock, “Are you trying to tell me that you’ve killed Dodoria?!”

“You heard me.” Says the Saiyan Prince, chuckling darkly. “It was so easy, I almost didn’t believe it myself.”

“No you couldn’t have!” Protests the tall blue-green alien. “You’re lying, I don’t believe you!”

You must allow me convince you.” Responds Vegeta.

“I’ve never understood you Vegeta, why do you keep resisting Frieza? He’s indulged you, kept you alive all this time! Favoring and coddling you all along, ignoring your repetitive disobedience and constant tantrums.” Zarbon glares at the Saiyan in perplexed jealousy, “Why do you continue to insist on your pointless defiance of the Master?”

“I’ve had no choice.” Spits Vegeta, his voice tinged with all the disgust he’s always felt for his tormentors. “I never truly stomached any of it, of being used and ordered around by the likes of any of you! No one left with any shred of true pride could and I have managed to retain that much at least. I was forced to submit to you. Endure the torture and abuse, I had to put up with the hard realities of my situation for far too long. Knowing Frieza’s sheer power has held me in helpless thrall to you all, up till now. But now it’s over, I’ve finally found a way to escape him., you..., all of it! A source of eternal life!”

“The Dragonballs.” States Zarbon.

“YES!!” exults Vegeta. “I’ll stop him, I’ll prevent Frieza from having them no matter what and once they’re all mine, not even HE will be able to kill me!”

Zarbon stares at his old victim in astonishment. “You really believe that you could defeat the Master by merely acquiring eternal life?!”

Vegeta laughs, “It‘s really a shame you’ve lost your scouters.” Gloats the Prince. “Or you‘d realize that my power has increased tremendously, beyond even your imagining. And it‘s still growing!”

Zarbon dismisses Vegeta‘s boast with a grunt. “You’re the one who can’t see anything silly boy. Our Master’s abilities are far beyond your puny comprehension.”

Vegeta screams in rage, “Why can’t you cowards ever admit the truth?!! Dodoria spilled his guts, he told me everything!” The Prince glares at Zarbon, “EVERYTHING! He admitted that Frieza actually FEARED my race!! Now you’ll really SEE what your MASTER fears!!”

arbon screams back, “Control your arrogance, Vegeta! What the Master dreaded was the whole of the Saiyan race uniting against him! No single Saiyan alone, not even you, is anything in comparison to him! You are nothing but dust!!!”

Vegeta’s voice grows quieter, harder, dripping with threat. “I am nothing...?” The Prince seems to vanish.

But even the Saiyan’s newly acquired speed is not quite fast enough, Zarbon’s fist shoots sideways to where the Prince appears in a blur of speed. But Vegeta intercepts the blow and Zarbon struggles to free himself from the Prince’s steely grip on his fist. With a yell derision Vegeta flings him violently away.

Zarbon recovers and ends his headlong flight, firing an energy burst in reply.

The Prince calmly watches the raving energy shoot towards him, a smile playing idly across his lips. Then he bats it casually away with deceptive ease, for when it impacts, it rattles the very roots of the planet!

Zarbon stares at Vegeta in shock, “Y.. you simply.. knocked is away...!!”

Vegeta, himself, can still hardly believe his own power and speed.

And from the look on Zarbon’s face neither can his amazed opponent.

“HA!” gloats the Prince as he easily dodges Zarbon’s every blow “Is this really the great invincible Zarbon?! You look as if your standing still!!!”

The Prince has acquired so much from Kakarot, he begins to wonder just how much the other Saiyan has acquired from him.

Vegeta finally initiates his own attack, battering Frieza‘s favorite pretty boy unmercifully. Torturing, in turn, the pedophilic sadist that had tormented him for all those years, daring to use the Prince’s own pain wracked body to amuse both his Master, his partner, and himself.

Vegeta gloats, it’s so satisfying to finally be the one dispensing the pain instead of receiving it, to see the agony shining bright in Zarbon’s eyes. He’s finally getting some of his own back from this twisted pervert. Killing Dodoria had been almost anti-climatic compared to sweetness this victory.

“I’m not even sweating yet, Zarbon!!” Cries the Prince in triumph as his victim struggles up from the ground.

But Vegeta’s opponent only grunts in response to the taunt and then starts chuckling which turns into amused laughter.

Zarbon looks up at the Saiyan Prince as he rises, “You hit me HARD Vegeta. But you’ve made your last mistake. Awakening something that’s lain DORMANT in me for years.... HAH!”

“What?! A ‘DORMANT power’...?” Vegeta’s voice sneers with sarcasm.

“Indeed,” Zarbon rises and faces the Saiyan wiping the blood from his face.

“I see...” Vegeta can barely control his laughter. “Are you attempting to entertain me Zarbon!!”

The tall alien stands calmly, explaining as if instructing a recalcitrant child. “Before I kill you, I’ll tell you why I’ve let my full power sleep idle for so long. To allow it’s full scope, I have to transform... but that shape is so repulsive... and you know very well my pretty Prince, how fond I am of beauty. But if my choice lies between temporary repulsiveness and death...” Zarbon shrugs. “Well I suppose it can’t be helped....”

“You? Transform, like a Saiyan?! HA HA HA!! People say the funniest things when they’re desperate.” Laughs the Prince.

Zarbon shakes his head ruefully at Vegeta, as he begins to gathering power, “Oh no, my little Princeling, I don’t become an absurdly large ape like you do. But my strength does increase-- rather tremendously!!!”

Vegeta just laughs all the harder. “Oh I think I’m going to enjoy this...”

“If you had any intelligence at all Vegeta. You’d be totally terrified... and I’m the one who’s going to have all the pleasure!” With that Zarbon’s power begins to soar, as it rises he enlarges he growing uglier by the moment. His face contorts, turning from angelic to frog-like with jutting fangs, his smooth unblemished skin changes texture turning into a rough hide stippled with hideous warts, his graceful artistic hands transform into taloned twisted claws.

The now bestial Zarbon leaps towards the startled Prince and captures his head. Squeezing Vegeta’s skull, trying to crush it like an overripe melon. The Prince feels his head bones starting to crack under the intense pressure of those massive fingers, he screams in anguish.

“That’s right my sweet Princeling,” murmurs Zarbon to him, cooing menacingly, “Sing for me one last time before you die!”

Zarbon’s much harder head impacts against the Prince’s forehead stunning him then he flings Vegeta skywards.

Dazedly, Vegeta recovers and reverse his direction, heading straight back at his massive foe. They collide in mid-air and Zarbon impacts devastatingly against the Prince. The collision of their powers fling them apart.

“WH. WH.. WHAT‘S HAPPENING?!!!” Sputters Vegeta in shocked surprise.

“I warned you , boy...” Says the blue beast, “You have only yourself to blame for being surprised...!”

Vegeta shakes his head trying to clear his wits, grunting in astonishment as blood drips into his eyes from his split brow.

“Such a an awful miscalculation on your part! Such a shame! Though I admit you have improved your skills, vastly, but your hubris has grown too and that‘s even worse.” Zarbon grins “But I’m so glad you’ve given me one last chance to play with you!”

“Listen to me Prince, ponder this as you slowly rot in hell... THE MASTER HAS TOLD ME THAT HE TOO TRANSFORMS!

“WHAT!? NO!” Cries Vegeta in astonishment.

“How can you possibly fantasize that someone who can not even successfully oppose me could even try to prevail against MASTER FRIEZA?!!!” Shouts Zarbon as he fires a blast of energy at the Saiyan Prince.

Vegeta dodges the blazing bolt, but is taken unaware as Zarbon phases out and appears behind him, grabbing the smaller fighter in another bone crushing hold. The Prince struggles futilely trying to break free as the blue monstrosity propels them both downwards, gaining tremendous speed every second! Then a moment before striking the ground, Zarbon releases his captive and soars gracefully up and away.

The Saiyan Prince hits the ground head on with earth shattering force. The impact creates an enormous crater, water surges into to it flooding the site, quickly filling it to form a large circular embayment.

Zarbon drifts at ease above the furiously seething waters, waiting for his victim to surface. The newly formed lake slowly calms, time lengthens, the water laps softly at the new shoreline and Zarbon reverts back to his more pleasing form. Finally satisfied that Vegeta is dead he departs to return to his evil overlord and report.

As Zarbon speeds away the water roils suddenly as the battered, badly injured Prince finally breaks surface.

Vegeta had remained hidden underwater waiting desperately for Zarbon to leave. He gasps for air, and vows as he cling to the rocky verge “I.. can’t.., let it..., end.... like this!!! I’ll get ..., stronger still!!” He crawls from what Zarbon had assumed was his watery grave, groaning in agony, dragging himself out of the water’s grip with the last of his strength muttering. “Damn..., I..., refuse.., to.., die...!” Darkness enfolds the Prince.

A blue mist drifts into the darkness of Vegeta’s dreams, it coalesces into a female form. Gentle hands sooth his soul’s pain, soft lips kiss away his anger. The comforting vision stirs the hidden ember, a want grows, a need stirs, dredging forth a strength he hadn’t knew still existed. It’s that which spurs the Saiyan Prince, enabling him to continue to cling desperately to life. A sweet voice calls his name softly, lips murmur it tenderly between kisses. A laughing child appears running happily towards him, arms open wide in welcome. Sustaining him and giving his soul additional strength.

Bulma and Gohan are still waiting for word from Krillian and Dende.

For some reason she’s gotten restless, there’s a vague worry nagging at her. But it isn’t because of the others continued absence. This is something else bothering her, but she can‘t seem to pinpoint what it is. Absence mindedly she pick up the Dragonball radar and plays with it clicking it on and off nervously, she glances down at it and notices that there’s a signal fairly close by to them.

The next thing Vegeta’s conscious of is the absence of pain, being surrounded by liquid, and two very familiar sounding masculine voices. He realizes that he’s inside a regen capsule aboard Frieza's ship! The voices slowly become clearer and he begins to understand their words. Zarbon and Apule are just outside the capsule, discussing his fate. They are both anticipating his imminent ‘questioning’ by Frieza. As they talk he continues to feign unconsciousness. Waiting until he’s certain Zarbon has departed, then he bursts free of the medpod, “I appreciate your healing me, Apule.” Sarcastically thanking him as he blasts the big headed alien, “It’s just too bad you underestimated my recuperative powers!”

Quickly fleeing the medbay, the Saiyan Prince conceals himself nearby, watching for Zarbon to return with Frieza. When he sees them enter the medical suite, he rushes off to Frieza's throne room. Behind him, he can hear their discovery of Apule’s scorched body and their finding supposedly helpless prisoner vanished.

Vegeta’s familiar enough with the monster Frieza’s habits, to know where the beast would have secured the Dragonballs. He knows just exactly where they will be, in the ship’s throne room. Where Frieza could better to enjoy gloating over them as he awaited the arrival of the rest. The monster had done exactly the same thing to the Prince when he had been a boy, after the tyrant thought he had under his complete control. Vegeta can still remember being leashed to the side of Frieza’s throne, the beast had always sought to be surrounded and diverted by any new toys.

As the Prince enters the throne room his eyes fall on the five Dragonballs, he chuckles, ‘Just as I expected, Frieza! You’re so predictable, now your plan's going to backfire right into your face!!’

He glances out the window to see Zarbon scanning the area around the ship for any sign of the escaped Prince. “That’s right fool keep searching for me outside, just a little bit longer.” Vegeta returns his gaze to the five Dragonballs as considers his options. “Perfect, they’re all here!” Vegeta barks a laugh of irony, “Not only did they heal me but they’ve practically invited me to take all five of their Dragonballs!” He stares at the coveted treasure trove, “Now all I have to do is get them out of here somehow. I certainly can’t escape while encumbered with them there’s just too many. And I don’t have very much time.” Then a plan occurs to him.

He moves back to the doorway and cautiously peers out. “I just hope this works...!” He darts out the door and down the hall till he reaches another intersection, then yells at the top of his lungs.

“HEY IDIOTS!!!” He sends a massive blast careening down the corridor, “YOU FELL FOR IT!!! I’M STILL INSIDE!!!” The ruse succeeds, drawing Zarbon back into the ship.

Turning Vegeta rushes back to Frieza’s audience chamber, once inside he blasts out the window and quickly flings the five Dragonballs through the shattered port as hard as he can. Then Prince follows them out but instead of flying off, he quickly hides behind a nearby outcropping on the craggy beach. Knowing full well that if he tried to escape he’d be spotted.

As Frieza and Zarbon shout back and forth in a furious frenzy trying to figure out what’s happened and where he’s gone. Vegeta slips into the nearby waterway, swimming away underwater. Deep beneath the surface in the direction he had flung the Dragonballs.

The Prince finally breaks the surface breathlessly, in the approximate area his throw should have deposited the Dragonballs. He’s delighted to discover that his estimate was right on. Vegeta gloats to himself as he gathers them up, quickly concealing them in a nearby crevice. Suddenly his new power to sense ki alerts him to and approaching presence.

He glances up, “A great power, but it’s not big enough for Zarbon!” Peering about in perplexity he scans visually for the source, “Who else could it be?” Then he spots it.

Vegeta recognizes the diminutive human at once and stares in momentary astonishment. “It’s one of the interfering fools from Earth! What’s he doing on Namek!? And look at what he’s carrying!” Then the Prince eyes narrow, “The final Dragonball.”

The Prince laughs in evil delight, “Things are definitely starting to look up.” He stares after the Earthling. “So it seems they’ve come here seeking the Dragonballs too! I guess I‘ll just have to take theirs.” Vegeta smirks, “And then I‘ll have all seven!” He takes off in hot pursuit.

As Vegeta pursues Krillian, he senses another presence approach behind him, it’s Zarbon. ‘So he’s gotten lucky and found me!” Thinks the Prince, who smiles in anticipation, ‘That’s fine.’ The Prince glances behind him, ‘Just keep following, Zarbon.’ The Prince decides to grasp this unexpected opportunity ‘I’m ready for you this time. You’re probably overconfident right now because of beating me so badly before! Well there’s something else you never understood, Saiyan recovery abilities.’

Vegeta can already feel how dramatically his strength has increased yet again! The Prince smiles, even after all those years under constant torture Zarbon had never quite grasped Vegeta’s natural Saiyan healing. Frieza seemed to guess at part of it, but even he didn’t understand just how much a near death experience could increase inherent Saiyan power.

Vegeta notices the Earthling heading in for a landing. There’s seems to be another one waiting for him, but that this new one’s ki barely registers on his new senses. Just another pitiful weakling!

Bulma had sent Gohan after the other Dragonball as soon as she had spotted it on the radar. It was lucky she had started fiddling with it. After the boy departed she had sat down outside the cave to wait on Krillian to return. She had tried to concentrate on reading on of her journals but instead had fallen into daydreaming.

Thinking about Dragonballs, had caused her to recall the long sting of strange events that had finally led her here, across thousands of parsecs of space to planet Namek.

Has it really been nearly fifteen years ago? Who could have guessed that meeting that single remarkable young boy, would alter her life so drastically. She had only embarked on that first quest for the Dragonballs out of sheer boredom.

When she encountered Goku her life was changed forever! Their adventures had led them to dozens of new friends. Turtle and Master Roshi, who is wise but still such an incredible old letch, she thinks with a little laugh. Then to Oolong yet another letch, the villagers, then Yamcha and Puar. Their first short encounter with ChiChi and her father the Ox King and finally Krillian. Over those event filled years together, they had fought off the some greatest dangers to their own planet’s peace.

First, stopping that greedy little self styled midget of an Emperor, Pilaf. Then ending the threat of the Red Ribbon Army, when Goku defeated them and completely destroyed their main base. Then a couple of years later when they all reunited at one of the World Martial Arts Tournament. Where they stopped the twisted old Crane hermit freeing Tien and Chaotze from his malevolent influence.

Then Krillian had been killed, and Goku took off to avenge his friend which eventually ended with Goku thwarting Daimio's attempt at world domination.

Goku even managed to turn convert Piccolo from evil to good.

Even though her young Saiyan friend had done most of the work, the rest of them had helped him. And none of this would have happened if she hadn’t stumbled across the him in the first place.

She shakes her head in wonder, now Goku’s married, with a son of his own. A boy who seems to be just as strong as his father had been, if not stronger. She closes her eyes and a tear trickles down her cheek, ‘When that first adventure ended I thought I’d be long married by now, to Yamcha with kids of our own.’

But it hadn’t happened, life with Yamcha had been wonderful for a while, they had loved each other, very much at first. But soon after they returned, he had gotten that job playing pro baseball. As he got over his shyness with other girls, the glamour and the groupies finally got to him. He turned into a regular playboy, chasing anything in a skirt. Even if he did always come back to her contritely after his tomcatting adventures.

Often enough, that until recently, she had still hoped that he’d eventually get it all out of his system and finally be ready to settle down. But now she’s not so sure that will ever happen, even if he is brought back to life.

Yamcha’s always been just too caught up in himself, his own pursuits and pleasures. And she admits to herself ruefully ‘But I suppose I’m just as bad as he is, only my obsessions are science and technology, just like dad.’

Suddenly she’s startled out of her reflections by Krillian’s arrival, she grins, great he has the Elder’s Dragonball.

Krillian excitedly asks about Gohan and Bulma informs him that she’d sent him after the one they had spotted with the radar. Krillian tells her excitedly that the Great Elder had increased his power and that he can do the same for Gohan, maybe even raising it enough to enable him to beat Vegeta!

Suddenly the little monk reacts in anger, turning to look at the sky as he senses Vegeta approaching.

Bulma is surprised when the short dark stranger materializes seemingly from out of nowhere and lands in front of them.

Krillian shouts, “VEGETA!!!” Glowering at the newcomer in angry trepidation as he touches down.

Vegeta lands and glares at the two Earthlings, his first thought on the ball still held by shorty. What was it that the brat of Kakarot’s had called him? Krillian! He’s the guy that was going to finish him off with that sword, till the dimwit Kakarot foolishly stopped him. He’ll pay for that mistake now!

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? Hello baldy.” He smirks then glances at the other Earthling.

Vegeta stares in surprise, his jaw almost dropping open when it registers, that the second Earthling is a strikingly beautiful female!

Bulma stares at the black haired man in shock. ‘This is Vegeta!? That’s the murderous Saiyan that she’s heard so much about? From everybody's descriptions, she’d expected some sort of nightmarish giant with fangs and glowing eyes. This guy’s actually hot looking, even though he’s barely as tall as she is and that‘s only because of the way his hair sticks straight up! He’s the alien monster that beat Goku to a pulp, nearly killing him and Gohan? Unbelievable!

Hiding his astonishment with rudeness Vegeta asks impudently “How’d a shrimp like you end up with a female that attractive?”

Indignant Bulma, at Vegeta’s insinuation, “And just where do you..,”

“Don’t Bulma.” cautions Krillian, “He’s too dangerous.”

“That’s right!” Agrees Vegeta, with a smirk, eyeing the female up and down as if inspecting a piece of property. “Just remember that!” She’s definitely pleasant to look at and there’s something strangely compelling about her. Maybe it’s that unusually colored blue hair of hers, it seems to rivet his attention, causing a fleeting flash of memory but then it‘s gone. There’s something else too, something about her eyes,.....

(VISUAL!)

As their eyes meet, and lock, the psychic linkage clicks and locks, strengthening as it reaches out with additional reinforcing tendrils. When they connect, the second phase is completed. The physical attraction is fully primed, secondary sexual reactions begins to activate, pheromones release.

(IMPRESSION!)

As Bulma gazes at him, her eyes are drawn to his dark glowing orbs. She experiences a kind of shock of almost recognition.

His eyes, there’s something absolutely fascinating about them! They’re two endless black pools filled with pain. But she senses there's something else, beneath, hidden secrets shimmering deep within the boundless dark depths. Bulma can almost feel a kind of hopeless hope slumbering within them.

His eyes gleam, glimmering with his madness, but even that doesn’t really frighten her because it’s a strange, oddly controlled kind of insanity.

She somehow knows a melancholy lurks beneath that maniacal light. Exposing a hidden need inside him that pierces straight into her soul. He hungers for something other than this, something more than he knows. His eyes hold a hidden promise, a hopeless dream that even he doesn’t even realize exists, but ones that she can almost grasp!

As Vegeta’s eyes encounter hers, he feels a start, how odd! They’re almost hypnotic and so unusual, such a clear blue, like the color of her home world’s sky. Why do they seem so familiar, he’s never seen anyone with eyes that color before. He could almost drown in them. They’re spellbinding, catching and holding his attention for one seemingly endless moment. It’s as if she’s peering deep into his soul staring at the hidden secrets of his heart.

He tries to pull his eyes from hers and as he does something unnoticed stirs sluggishly deep within him. Awaking embers of something he believes long dead and discarded. It glimmers with the hint of new promise. But the inferno of Vegeta’s anger shrouds these tiny changes even from him.

Who in the hell is she!? And what is she doing here? Finally he drags his eyes from her mesmerizing ones, and turns his attention back to the midget with the Dragonball.

His attention on Krillian he says, “I didn’t expect to find Earthlings here.... I didn’t think your people had the technology to get off your own planet, let alone reach another star system. But I guess you made it and from the way you’re holding that Dragonball .. I’d say we’re after the same thing!”

As Krillian groans, Vegeta senses Zarbon imminent arrival. He half turns to stare in the direction the other alien is approaching from.

“You’ve got something I want, baldy.” He glances over his shoulder at the two of Earthlings again. “But a slight problem is about to rear it’s ugly head, one that needs to be taken care of first.” He scowls warningly at them, “Don’t try to attempt anything foolish! Like trying to run off with that ball, or I‘ll be forced to kill you both. You first,” He glances over at the girl, and grins, “and then her” he smirks, “... eventually!”

Bulma starts a bit at the implied threat, ‘Eventually? what’s he mean....?!’ Then she recoils in understanding, horrified but also intrigued that he must find her attractive too.

Krillian groans.

“Well he’s finally here.” Announces the Saiyan with menace in his voice.

Vegeta turns to confront Zarbon as he lands.

Krillian glances up as he suddenly feels Zarbon’s ki and groans a second time, “Damn! Vegeta’s bad enough all by himself but here comes another one, that big blue guy from Frieza's bunch.

Can things get any worse?

Bulma’s eyes widen at the new arrival. ‘Damn here comes another one! Why are they both s o gorgeous?’ But even as she compares the two, she’s still drawn so much more to the Saiyan. Even after that threat.

Vegeta just practically oozes with sex appeal!

She moves closer to Krillian, asking, “I don’t suppose this new guy’s a handsome hero, come to rescue us...?”

His answer’s none too reassuring, “Nope, he’s one of Frieza's guys!”

‘It’s just not fair!’ She thinks as she watches the confrontation between the two alien warriors. ‘Why to all of the really attractive guys I run into always have to turn out to be such damn jerks!?’

She and Krillian listen in disbelief to the verbal exchange between to the two.

“You’ve made a fool of me Vegeta! The Master has lost a great deal of confidence in me.” The tall alien glances over Vegeta’s shoulder at them. “I see that shrimp over there has one of the Dragonballs, he’s one of them that attacked us earlier. It’s just like I told the Master. You’re all in this together after all!”

The Saiyan grimaces and retorts, “You’re dreaming again, Zarbon! Why would I want or even need the help of feeble weaklings like them?”

Zarbon glances at the second Earthling, “Perhaps it’s because of the other one, she is quite l ovely....., for a female.” He leers at the Prince, “I never quite understood why you had that silly narrow minded fixation.”

Vegeta glances over at blue haired beauty. “Ridiculous, she means nothing.” But inside his heart momentarily stops, just the thought of her in ending up Zarbon’s clutches is suddenly almost more than he can bear.

Zarbon takes a step towards the Earthlings. “Shall I test that my pretty Princeling?”

Angered by the thought and spurred once more by the hated nickname, Vegeta glowers at his foe, “Let’s just get on with this Zarbon.”

The blue alien turns to watch Vegeta, his eyes narrowing in amusement. He had gotten a rise out of the little Saiyan monkey again. So the female earthling does hold an attraction for him! Good he can defeat and embarrass Vegeta in front of her first, then maybe enjoy tormenting them both together later.

Zarbon has always relished the infliction of mental torture, as much as he had administering the physical kind, so he says softly. “Maybe after I’ve finished you I’ll take her to the Master. Do you think she will scream as sweetly as you did?”

For some reason, the possibility of Zarbon or Frieza even touching the female, infuriates the Saiyan Prince, he growls, “What do you really want? As if I don‘t already know!”

Zarbon shrugs.

“Alright, if that’s the way you want it, you know all I need is the Dragonballs and you’re hiding them Vegeta! You will tell me where the rest of them are!” Zarbon grins maliciously, “I just hope you’ll resistance will be long enough this time to make my beating you more enjoyable, the last time was a bit disappointing!”

“You can try.” Responds the Saiyan Prince, dryly.

The blue alien chuckles shaking his head, “You Saiyans never could learn could you...” Instead of waiting Zarbon transforms immediately.

Krillian almost drops the Dragonball in astonishment as Bulma stares speechlessly at the terrifying sight.

Her companion stutters in disbelief, “Not another one! He‘s changed into a monster, and his ki’s just skyrocketed through the roof!!! What the hell is he ?!!”

“H- he‘s d-definitely not one of the good guys ...!!!” Responds a thoroughly shaken Bulma. “I thought only Saiyans could do that.”

“So did I,” answers Krillian, “but I guess there’s others that can pull it off it too!”

The battle commences with Zarbon charging Vegeta, throwing a roundhouse punch. The Prince dodges it easily by dropping to the ground, letting it pass above him. He grabs a handful of soil as the monster begins a downwards assault, but Zarbon's fist only hit the ground because Vegeta has leapt skywards. Zarbon follows the Prince laughing, “Trying to escape are you? You should know better, you can‘t get away from me!”

Floating above him, Vegeta opens his hand and lets the soil fall from it into his opponent’s eyes , blinding Zarbon to his next move.

“Damn you, Vegeta!!! What are you up to?!!!” Cries Zarbon as he rubs the dirt from his stinging eyes.

The Prince phases in behind him and lands a tremendous blow to Zarbon’s back, cracking the monster’s cuirass with a single blow and sending him flying head over heels helplessly.

Bulma screams and Krillian gasps in shock!

She can’t seem to tear her eyes from the furious combatants. Vegeta is pummeling his much larger foe mercilessly, the Saiyan’s strength is simply incredible. And he possesses a very familiar kind of glee, so much like Goku’s irrepressible excitement when he’s fighting.

Vegeta pursues his prey and hits him from above again, propelling Zarbon into the water below. He then begins firing his trademark repetitive Gallic Gun, the energy blasts into the spot where Zarbon had disappeared. The Prince is reveling in his supremacy over his enormous foe. He knows it’s nothing but pure vanity to waste energy like this. But he can feel that female watching his every move and it excites him for some strange reason.

Bulma is startled and impressed by the amount of power the Saiyan is emitting, she squeals in surprise.

She doesn’t want to stop watching Vegeta. He’s so magnificent, it‘s breathtaking. She catches herself half hoping that he’ll win and totally destroy that ugly behemoth. She can’t understand it, she’s never been this blood-thirsty before, and what’s worse her body is reacting oddly to her excitement. She’s never been turned on by watching a fight before!? What’s going on here?

Vegeta is still blasting away like a continual machine gun. The shock waves of sound batter their ears. Suddenly Krillian is shaken from his paralyzing shock and he realizes that this could be their single opportunity. The Saiyan seems to be totally focused on his opponent. The little monk grabs Bulma’s arm, “Come on! This could be our chance!!“

Bulma tries to pull free of his grasp “B-but Vegeta!” Shaking her head, “He said he’s kill us if we tried to get away!!”

What in the hell’s gotten into her? Even if Vegeta is fighting with someone else right now, she knows that it’s just a matter of time before the murderous Saiyan turns his attention back to the two of them. He’s wants the Dragonballs and she knows he slaughtered a whole village for one already. He’s even threatened both her and Krillian with murder and worse! Why is she wanting to stay and root for him?

Krillian leaps into the air pulling her along with him, “He’s probably gonna do it anyway!!”

Vegeta’s toying with Zarbon, enjoying his domination over of his old tormentor. But it’s lucky that it’s so easy, because he can’t seem to keep his attention fully focused on their battle. Strangely, even in the midst of combat his thoughts keep returning to that female Earthling. Who is she, anyway? He suddenly realizes that he’s actually been showing off a bit, trying to impress her!

What is it about her? Certainly she’s stunning with that strangely alluring coloring, but Vegeta has encountered many beautiful females, throughout the universe. None of them have ever distracted him quite like this one seems to be doing. And who in the hell is she anyway? She can’t be that little twerp’s woman, it’s obvious that she’s far too good for him, even if she is just an Earthling. Suddenly it dawns on him, that’s it, that’s who she has to be! She’s Kakarot’s female! The mother of that half-breed brat of his! How could a such a low level Saiyan rate someone as tantalizing as she?

He glances over in her direction enraged by the thought that Kakarot was lucky enough to have acquired such a prize. A female that exquisite rightly belongs in the Saiyanna’s wing of a palace not in the bed of a low level! It’s beyond all bearing and gives him yet another reason to destroy the other last full blooded Saiyan.

Vegeta glimpses Krillian’s attempt to flee with the female, “NO YOU DON’T!!!” He shouts and brings them to a halt by firing a blast into the ground ahead of them.

The two stop, “N-now w-what ?!!” Asks Bulma, “You‘ve gone and pissed him off!”

“I don’t know, damn!” Krillian shakes his head in a quandary, “Doesn't Vegeta ever let his guard down, for even a second....?!”

Zarbon uses Vegeta’s momentary distraction to escape the Prince’s energy onslaught, launching himself upwards. Vegeta sees it just in time and dodges aside.

The Prince, deciding he needs to keep a closer eye on the Earthlings, darts in their direction thus moving the battle closer to them. He lands just in front of the two Earthlings to finish the fight. ‘This way I can watch them and,’ he thinks with a smirk, ‘she can see just how impressive I am!’

He can hear them both gulp in surprise.

Bulma’s still slightly dazed from the repetitive shockwaves of sound, but she still can’t get over her odd excitement. It seems to be growing stronger with the impact of each blow. Vegeta’s so close she can see his gorgeous muscles rippling with every movement, she stares at the Saiyan warrior avidly. What an incredible man he is! Even in the middle of this fight he is so controlled and even graceful. Not a motion is wasted, why he’s not even breathing heavily! Her heart pounds with her excitement as she watches him.

Vegeta’s strong, masculine, and so incredibly sexy, that she’s actually tingling. It’s been such long time since she‘s been with anyone. She can feel a warmth starting inside her.

She shakes herself out of the daze, what in the hell’s the matter with her? For Kami’s sake, Vegeta’s too damned dangerous to even fantasize about!

“Veeggeetttaaa!!! I’ll make you to suffer for this!!!” Screams Zarbon as he lands.

Bulma and Krillian press back against the rock outcropping to await their fate, Krillian tries to shelter the girl with his body.

“Huh.. I guess you can see that you’re preemptive strike wasn’t very effective ... You’re getting weaker aren’t you?” Asks Vegeta, “Can you sense your death approaching Zarbon?”

“D-DEATH?!“ Zarbon stutters a bit weakly trying to chuckle, but then shouts defiantly, “Are you trying to make me laugh!! You know I’ve always been more powerful than you could ever hope to be, Saiyan scum!!”

Vegeta’s voice turns sickly sweet once more, as he chides his foe sarcastically. “Zarbon.., Zarbon.., I thought you knew. Didn’t Frieza ever tell you, a Saiyan increases his battle strength with every encounter, and even multiplying more when we recover from the brink of death?” The Prince’s smile turns venomous, “So rescuing and then healing me wasn’t really the smartest thing you ever did, was it?!”

Zarbon reacts in sudden realization. ‘That’s why the Saiyan brat had recovered so swiftly each day and why he had been able to withstand and more and more pain each night! It had made the child a perfect victim but now it makes him an incredibly lethal warrior! And Frieza had known it all along!’

Krillian too gasps in sudden understanding, “That’s why Goku seemed so much stronger every time he survived a battle. No wonder Vegeta’s power level is so high!”

Zarbon shrieks in fury, “It doesn’t matter how strong your battle power is, you’ll never beat me while I’m in this form!!!” He charges at Vegeta once more.

The last Saiyan Prince screams in reply. “SAIYANS ARE WARRIORS BORN OF WARRIORS!!! SO I CANNOT LOSE!!!”

Zarbon unleashes a furious onslaught of desperate blows, which Vegeta blocks with blinding ease. The sound of the impacts echo like thunder, vibrating through the very rocks.

Bulma is trembling but not with fear, she’s still spellbound by the battle. The Saiyan’s continually increasing power astonishes her. His savage ferocity both repels and attracts her.

Vegeta is a magnificent primal animal, a fantastically beautiful deadly beast. And he’s so incredibly sexy that she‘s actually getting aroused from just watching him.

To her it looks like he’s even faster than Goku, she can barely perceive his defensive blocks as windmill blur of motion, his strength is so fantastic! This is the kind of man she’s dreamt of, what she had imagined Yamcha was, but hadn’t been. And even though Vegeta’s has only been defending himself so far, his easy mastery over his gigantic foe is obvious to her.

Suddenly the Saiyan goes on the attack! With a single mighty blow his fist shatters Zarbon’s chest plate, pushing through to penetrate the monster’s flesh, sinking in well past wrist deep. Blood gushes from the rim of the wound and trickles down Vegeta’s arm to drip off his elbow to the ground below.

Zarbon who had grabbed Vegeta’s head in an effort to repeat the tactic of trying and crush the Saiyan’s skull, just as he had done during their earlier battle, doubles over the smaller man. He groans in agony as Vegeta closes and flexes his fist, grasping the monster’s innards and twisting them inside his belly.

The sudden silence is almost as deafening as had been the earlier violence. It is broken only by the soft plopping sounds of Zarbon’s blood hitting the ground!

Bulma gulps trying to keep her suddenly rebelling stomach under control.

Vegeta flexes his fingers again clawing savagely at his foes insides.

“V...Vegeta...I...” Gasps the blue monster in agony, “I was only doing what the Master ...was only following... Frieza’s orders...” He begs the Saiyan Prince, “P-please don’t..., I’m as much..., a victim....Please.. s-spare.. me.. ”

Vegeta hisses at him in low voiced fury, “Spare you? Like you spared my mother! Or me?!” He whispers menacingly, “You never relented, not even once in all those years that I was Frieza’s plaything. You and your partner Dodoria delighted in tormenting and using me every chance you got. Even when Frieza didn’t, simply because you enjoyed inflicting torture and abuse on anyone weaker than you. Why shouldn’t I kill you? Even after Frieza grew bored with me, and sent me back to the barracks, you still didn‘t stop! Not until I was big enough to stop you myself. Spare you? Never!”

Vegeta’s voice drips with disgust “And even then you still treated me like a slave for years! Are you still trying to make me laugh Zarbon?”

Zarbon still pleads, fearfully, “W-we could work together,... together we can defeat Frieza, you need me...!”

The Prince’s response is action, he blasts Zarbon’s insides into atoms as he sends him flying!

Bulma covers her eyes, falling to her knees as she struggles to keep her stomach’s contents in her belly, even Krillian gags at the gruesome tableau.

The monster’s shredded body splashes down in water.

“Feed the fishes Zarbon,” says Vegeta looking towards the waves where the body sank, “maybe they won’t die from your putrid flesh. Then you’ll have at least been good for something!”

He glares at the spot.

They had never cared about him, no one did. Not Dodoria, not Zarbon not even Nappa. Only Raditz had, but now even his Sibling is gone. Every one he has cared for has died. Vegeta almost feels regret, but that’s not possible, he discarded that emotion along with all those other useless ones so long ago.

Now the Prince is truly alone. Vegeta cares for no one and no one cares about him! Not since he was a child before Frieza took him from his home. There is no one left that cares now, whether he lives of dies, no one, not even that distracting female! He clenches his fists in angry resolve. So now he will show them, he will teach them all, make them care about him, because they’ll all learn to fear him!

As the battle had been drawing to it’s bloody conclusion, Krillian had realized that he still might be able to save Bulma and himself if he gave Vegeta the Dragonball. The Saiyan still won’t have all seven of them. Just as long as Gohan has the other Dragonball!

“You never understood, if I could have beaten Frieza by teaming up with someone...” glaring at the waters, the victorious Prince spits, “He would never have become my Master in the first place.” With that Vegeta turns his attention back to the two Earthlings and the final Dragonball.

He considers them thoughtfully for a moment, he should probably just get it over with by killing them now, and taking the Dragonball. But that’s exactly what Frieza would order to be done. And Vegeta is no longer under Frieza's control, he’s finally free! Free to do what he chooses, as he should have always been! Two of his three childhood demons are dead, and soon he’ll kill the last one, Frieza himself!

But still it would be the easiest course. He gazes at the two of Earthlings, but for some reason he just doesn’t feel like killing either one them right now, especially that delectable female. He watches her, she trembles under his gaze, and at first it seems as if she’s cowering on the ground behind shorty. But then her eyes meet his.

Bulma finally regains control of her stomach though her eyes are still wide with her sickened reaction, but she’s still unable to resist the lure. She raises her eyes to gaze once more at the irresistible Saiyan.

Their eyes lock again.

Vegeta’s startled a bit by what he sees in them! She’s not really cowering at all, only sheltering. He had expected to see nothing but pure stark terror, but instead her eyes hold an odd wariness and something else that surprises him even more. A hunger.

Bulma’s gaze is riveted to Vegeta. He’s so awe inspiring as he stands there so proudly victorious. She’s gripped by a sudden primitive impulse, one she recognizes at once, it is the instinctual need of the female to submit to the strongest most dominate male available. Her body trembles with her reaction, heating suddenly. She wants to leap to her feet and throw herself into his arms. With steely determination she resists it, flushing.

Well! He knew the female was exceptional, but she has plenty of courage too. A fitful breeze springs up, carrying her scent to his sensitive nostrils.

What! She was aroused by the battle!

He smirks, so she desires him.

But even so, her gaze remains steady and unwavering. And that is what finally decides him, he’ll wait for now and consider possibly killing them both later, after he rids himself of that pest Kakarot!

Now that’s an intriguing idea, dispose of Kakarot, then the other two and take the female for himself. That would make for a very satisfying victory celebration.

He might even keep her, especially if she can produce more offspring as strong as Kakarot’s brat.

If not, he’ll just dally with her for as long as he cares to and then get rid of her when he get s bored. Someone with her exotic looks would fetch a considerable price on one of the pleasure planets. That’s what he’ll do. But for the moment it’ll be fun make them both grovel.

“So it seems you‘ve improved a bit since I saw you last.” He smirks at the smaller warrior, “But even with all that improvement you’re still no match for me!” He crosses his arms imperiously, “Now what shall we do about this? Are you going to hand over the Dragonball or do we waste my time and your life by fighting over it?”

Krillian clutches the Dragonball almost defensively. “It’s probably pointless of me to ask this, but will you let us go if I let you have it?”

Vegeta chuckles, ‘Perfect!’ “A promise, eh? Fine. As long as you give me the Dragonball there’s no reason for me to waste my energy squashing you vermin.”

Heartened a bit by Vegeta’s affability Krillian demands “You sw-swear?!”

Vegeta is irritated a little, that this weakling would doubt his word. After all he is a Prince!

“Don’t press your luck, cueball! If you’re so frightened of death you’d better give it to me before I change my mind!”

Krillian slowly comes over and reluctantly hands the Dragonball to Vegeta. then he then backs off warily. “Here take it then, now go away and leave us alone!”

Vegeta stares into the softly glowing Dragonball, the single red star glimmers at him, almost as if it holds a hidden secret for him.

He can’t believe it, it’s finally his. Here in his hands he holds the key to his total freedom and final triumph. He’ll make Frieza pay, he’ll make them all pay and then he’ll take his proper place as the Unrivaled Ruler of the universe!

He’ll show everyone what a real Saiyan Warrior is capable of, they’ll all learn.

He’ll have everything he’s ever wanted.

“You‘re very fortunate. Possessing all the Dragonballs puts me a exceptionally fine mood, I’m even feeling a bit generous.” He grins at them, “There’s nothing quite like have eternal life and mastery of the Universe well within one’s grasp!” Vegeta laughs with triumph as he takes off in a bright blinding blur.

Bulma sighs and collapses back against the rock. What a relief! She glad he’s finally gone, but almost wishes he hadn’t left.

Vegeta’s proximity had affected her so oddly. It was totally weird, she had even been hoping he’d drag her off with him too.

As she had observed him during the battle she had gotten so turned on, and that scared her more than he did! Why is it that she’s so sexually attracted to him? His actions had just proved that he’s very obviously as blood thirsty a monster as the boys have been saying all along.

But then she remembers his eyes. She’d recognized that maniacal gleam for exactly what it was. Vegeta’s teetering on the verge of insanity but she knows she saw something more. There’s an underlying lonely sadness and an unfilled longing inside the Saiyan. And even through all that hate, she’d seen that he’d been hurt somehow, very badly! Is that what’s driving him?

Does Krillian feel it too? Is that why he gave him the Dragonball?

“Why did you just hand him the Dragonball...?! After everything we’ve done to get it?” Then she remembers something, “Tell me he just didn‘t say that? I thought I heard him say that he‘s got them all!” She glares at the little monk, “If he does, then it’s over, Krillian!”

Her small friend answers slowly, “I had to... He would have killed us otherwise. As it is it’s a miracle that he did let us live.” He looks at her “Besides it may be all right anyway.. that Dragonball Gohan went after, it’s not that Vegeta didn’t find it. He probably hid it so Frieza couldn’t get it.”

Bulma starts getting excited, “So if Gohan’s got it, that means Vegeta still doesn’t have all the balls!” She grins, “Gohan must have gotten it by now and he should be back anytime!”

“Yeah.” Agrees Krillian “We just gotta hope that the Saiyan doesn’t catch him!!”

Vegeta is on his way to collect the other ball from it’s hiding place when he senses someone approaching. Then the signature suddenly vanishes.

It has to be someone else from Earth. They’re the only ones around that he knows of that can hide their ki’s. He bets it’s either Kakarot or that brat of his. Most likely it’s the kid since the female is here. Kakarot was in no shape to go anywhere for a while after that battle.

The Prince pauses in his flight and shouts, “Come on out and show yourself!! I know you’re around here somewhere. Otherwise I’ll level the whole place!!” He raises his free arm to fire downwards “Unless you don‘t believe me!!”

A childish voice answers, “O-okay !”

Vegeta recognizes it, he was right. It is that half-breed brat of Kakarot’s and that proves s omething else, the female has to be his dam. It’s the only explanation he can think of for her presence here.

“I’m coming out.” The boy emerges from behind a rock.

“Well what have we got here! Kakarot‘s son.. I figured you turn up eventually, especially since those other pathetic Earthlings were here...”

“What do you mean?” Gohan gasps in sudden fear as he realizes Vegeta is holding the other Dragonball. “Oh no!! The Dragonball! You-you didn’t?!!”

“This? I got this little bauble as a present.” Smirks the Saiyan , “A gift from your little bald friend and that luscious female.”

He’s not surprised when the boy starts getting mad at the insult to his dam. “I-if you’ve hurt them...!!!”

“No I haven’t killed them, at least not yet..” Says Vegeta. “But I might reconsider, I could still go back and take care of it....”

Gohan stares at him in surprise, “You didn’t...?!”

Vegeta shakes his head, “I’m in such a good mood. Why ruin it by killing, after all I now have what I wanted, all the seven of the Dragonballs!”

The boy stares at him in perplexity “Seven?” His eyes shift about, and he makes a small crestfallen sound.

The brat‘s hiding something, but Vegeta is feeling magnanimous. After all he is part Saiyan, and as such is technically one of his subjects. The boy could be very useful in the future.

“So what have you got there in your hand boy?”

“What?! HUH..!” Gohan fidgets.

That must be what the brat’s been trying to conceal ...

“OH... this.. a.. well it’s just a watch.”

“Huh ...Earthlings!” Grunts the Prince in condensation, it must have some sort of sentimental value for the kid, “Smart enough to get out here but not smart enough to make a watch any smaller than that!” Must be something his father gave him the way he clings to it.

Vegeta loses interest, and changes the subject. “So is that fool your father around here somewhere too?”

“N.. no.., Daddy was hurt too much.” Gohan shakes his head slowly, “And we didn’t think there’d be any bad guys like you here on Namek...!”

For some reason it suddenly bothers Vegeta that the boy considers him a bad guy. It’s almost like being grouped back with Frieza!

“Well that’s a such a shame....” The Saiyan Prince reaches down and places his hand gently on the boy’s face, cupping his chin and raising it to look into Gohan‘s eyes. He is a Saiyan child, something Vegeta never thought he see again.

It’s a pity the brat feels this way. He has potential and could have had a place at Vegeta’s side. But it’s just as well, no telling how he’d react once Vegeta’s finally destroys his sire and claims his dam as a concubine.

“We three are the last of our kind left alive.” Says the Prince softly as he caresses the child‘s cheek. “When you do go home boy give Kakarot this....” Suddenly Vegeta knees the boy in viciously in the stomach, “From his Prince!”

Gohan collapses grunting in pain. Vegeta grinds the boy’s face in the dirt with his foot.

“Inform your father that I will be back, to claim my vengeance on him and everyone else. And I will leave no one alive on Earth when I’m finished!” Then Vegeta takes off trailing laughter.

Bulma and Krillian are starting to get concerned as they anxiously await Gohan’s return. They‘ve been hoping he hasn’t run afoul of Vegeta, and still has the other Dragonball. If he does have it they’ll have be ready to make a quick getaway, cause it won’t take too long for the Saiyan to discover the theft. Bulma has already recapsulated the house, emerging from the cave, she scans the sky restlessly.

“He still isn’t back ?” She asks worriedly.

“Nope, no sign of him yet...!!” Responds her companion, morosely. “Man, I sure hope he didn’t run into Vegeta...!! If he has, I’ll take odds that Saiyan‘ll be back after us like a shot!!”

Krillian reaches a painful conclusion, “We can’t stay here just waiting, we’re like a coupla sitting ducks. We gotta leave!!”

Suddenly a spark appears in the distance, Krillian peers at it warily then grins. “It’s him, it’s Gohan! Hey kiddo!!!”

The boy responds shouting back, “Hey, Krillian! Bulma, I found the Dragonball just like you said. We‘ve got it!” The boy lands and runs excitedly towards them.

“Yayyy! You did it!” Krillian is practically dances with delight.

“Great job, Gohan!” exults Bulma.

The little monk turn serious, “But now we gotta get outta here! I‘ll explain later..”

“I already know! Vegeta found me!”

“Wha..”!”

“But I had time to hide the Dragonball he didn’t know I had it!!”

“Boy! Are we lucky today of what?!”

“Well let’s not press it to much.” Advises the girl, “We can discuss our adventures later!! Let‘s get outta here!”

Vegeta reaches the devastated village, diving into the lake he beings to search for the 4 star ball he had sunk there.

He chuckles to himself, ‘Once I recover the one I’ve hidden here I’ll have them all. Sorry, Frieza but starting very soon the Universe will no longer yours, it will belong to me!!’

The Saiyan Prince swims about, circling the general area where he had sunk the ball, eagerly scanning the lake bed. ‘Where is it? It should be right around here somewhere.’ As he widens his search orbit, he begins to grow puzzled, ‘It has to be....?’ Realization dawns.

‘It‘s not here!! Who could have...?!!’ Then he remembers his encounter with the kid. 'Kakarot’s brat! He did this to me! He’d been here before I ran into him! I knew he was hiding something, but how did he locate it?’ Then the Prince recalls the device the boy had in his hand! He growls, ‘And he said it was.. a watch!’ Vegeta’s eyes narrow in fury.

Those earthlings are far cleverer that he had first thought. That’s why the bald guy just handed over his Dragonball, they knew the kid had already gone after the other one!

Vegeta explodes out of the lake, his speed so swift that it creates a vacuum pulling the water up into a gigantic plume behind him. He races back to where he had left the two Earthlings, screaming his rage. “MORONIC....BASTARDS! YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN TRICK ME-- AND SURVIVE?!!!”

He arrives back at the cave in less than a quarter of the time it took to cover the distance before. “DON’T THINK YOU CAN’T HIDE FROM ME?! GET OUT HERE NOW OR YOU’LL REGRET IT!!!” He charges into the rock crevice and finds the cave empty. “DAMN IT!!! THEY’VE ESCAPED!!! DAMN THEM!!!”

In a high dungeon he explodes upwards out through the cave roof, rocks fly everywhere. “And their suppressing their damned ki again!! All the way down to nothing!!!”

He floats above the shattered outcropping, scanning the terrain in frustration. “It’ll be impossible to find them now!!! EARTHLINGS!!! Stupid, impudent rotten EARTHLINGS!!! Well since they want the balls too, they’ll have to come after my six sometime.... I’ll just have to wait and steal it back from them then!!!” The enraged Vegeta departs, heading for his hidden shelter.

On an island not very far from the mainland, Bulma, Krillian and Gohan are hiding in a narrow crevice, that splits it in two.

Gohan's head is just poking out over the top, watching their back trail, “I- I don’t think Vegeta can sense us in here!”

Bulma is livid, the boys had just grabbed her unceremoniously and took off. Then they arbitrarily picked this desolate place and landed without even consulting her!

“Why did you stop here! I can’t even set-up a tent let alone a house!” She complains.

Krillian looks at her in exasperation “Don’t blame us?! The right sized caves don’t just grow on trees!”

“But there’s not enough room here! You expect me to live with two guys , without enough privacy for even a bathroom?! And I‘m supposed to do this until Goku gets here! No way!!!”

“Oh you’ll have plenty of privacy, Bulma!” Krillian grins, “I’m taking Gohan to the Elder that‘ll take a couple of days at least!”

“The Great Elder? But why?” asks Gohan as he descends to join them.

Bulma‘s hands fly to her hips, “So now you’re gonna abandon me again?!” She screeches. “Just like that! Without a bit of remorse?”

Krillian tries to explain, “I hope we won’t be gone any longer than that. But if we go there’s a good chance that the elder could make Gohan as powerful as Vegeta!! If the Guru can raise his potential, like he did with mine. Well we might actually be able to beat Vegeta! And another thing, there’s less of a chance that someone will stumble across you if we’re not around to draw attention.”

“I suppose you could be right about that part.” She replies reluctantly somewhat mollified, “But guys, try not to be too long, okay?”

The girl watches as they fly off, leaving her alone guarding the Dragonball. She hopes Krillian’s right about the Elder being able to enhance Gohan‘s power. After seeing that crazy Saiyan fighting, Bulma knows that they can use all the help they can get!

Time passes slowly and Bulma waits, huddling alone in the new hide-out. As the hours stretch on, she tries to keep herself occupied by reading. When she gets hungry, she fixes herself some food, and starts fuming as she eats. “Those boys are so irresponsible sometimes! How could they do this to me? Leaving me here all alone!!”

“I’m pretty sure I can protect myself from wild animals, but what if some of that guy Frieza’s bunch turns up, or even Vegeta finds me?” She glances over at the Dragonball, “I’m certainly no match for any of them! What am I supposed to do then? It might be best if I hide this thing somewhere!

After concealing the ball she returns to her musings and she smiles. “That Gohan, he is getting almost like his father was when he was a kid! And Krillian’s hasn’t matured much either, even after all these years! Why is it that boys just don’t seem to grow up!”

She reflects on her friends, ‘What is it with martial artists? Is it because they get hit in the head so much that it’s rattled their brains? Is that why they can’t think logically any more? All they ever do think about is getting strong enough to beat each other up.’ She shakes her head ruefully, ‘And now they want to try and beat Vegeta too. Maybe if Goku gets here on time they’ll have half a chance.’ But she almost doubts it, Vegeta is plenty strong.

As she sits, her thoughts turn into contemplating the puzzle of the other Saiyan. Why does Vegeta seem to fascinate her so much? So he’s supposed to be the same race as Goku. And they do look a bit alike physically, but his disposition is certainly nothing at all like her long time friend’s.

Goku’s always been a such gentle soul, good natured, and sweet, if just a little naive. At least till he starts fighting. That’s where his real gift lies, but even then when he’s serious he’s still lighthearted. He’s always acted like a fight is just a big wonderful game.

Vegeta on the other hand is stern and morose seeming. Even when he smiled that one time, it’s was still so angry looking, and filled with pain. She’s certain something is eating him up on the inside. There’s such an air an indefinable sadness about him, and he’s obviously lonely, it tugs at her heartstrings.

For some strange reason, she’s able to sense the secret depths beneath his madness and anger. She knows somehow that Vegeta’s not quite what he outwardly seems, and it really bothers her that no one else seems to be able to see it.

And it scares her a bit, that she seems to be able to understand Vegeta. Does that mean she a little crazy too?

Except, it seems that maybe Goku understands Vegeta too, just a little bit.

Bulma shakes her head, why is it she can’t seem to tear her thoughts from that crazy Saiyan? It’d be for the best if she forgot all about him. If she gets real lucky, and she’ll get off this planet without having to encounter him again! Just seeing him affects her too strongly!

As the slow hours pass she finally decides to sleep a bit. With three suns there’s no real night on Namek, but she’s starting to get tired.

As she sleeps, the short brooding Saiyan fills her dreams, but not with pain or terror. Not at all, instead his strong arms embrace her, holding her protectively. His dark eyes glow with love not madness as his fierce look softens into one of peaceful contentment!

Vegeta had returned to where he had secreted the other Dragonballs. He’s still nursing his anger, “Damn.. if the gadget that brat has can really locate Dragonballs, hiding them is useless... and since they’re after them too, I don’t dare leave mine unguarded! That female could show up looking for them while I’m busy chasing the other two all over this planet. It’s best if I just remain here and wait for them. They’ll have to come looking for the Dragonballs themselves eventually...”

As he waits, the Prince begins to calm a bit, and as his anger recedes. And Vegeta begins to consider his situation. ‘So I’ve disabled Frieza's ship and he’s not going anywhere soon. Without scouters he can’t locate me or any of the Dragonballs. But knowing that coward, he‘s already radioed back for support equipped with more, and it’ll probably be one of his elite cadres, the Ginyu's or one of the others. But it’ll take time, at least three or four days for them to get here. Frieza knows what the Dragonballs offer, he wants the same thing I do. He knows I’ll be able to take him on and win if I get that wish first. I just have to get my hands on that last ball! All I can do is I hope that it isn’t the Ginyu and his bunch. If they are the ones who show up Ginyu could cause even me some problems.’

Vegeta gazes down at his hand and makes a fist. ‘Maybe, but my strength is still increasing! I don’t quite understand what’s happening to me, but it has to be the battle bond! That legend of the power link between battle brothers must be real! It almost makes me reconsider killing Kakarot, especially if it could cause my own powers to continue to increase in this way! I’ve already surpassed what I thought were my own limits, and gone far beyond what was always believed to be the ultimate in Saiyan power. And I’m still gaining energy!

To be continued.......