//------------------------------// // Namek: Terror Filled Days // Story: Dragon Ball Z: Magic's New Life // by Blackdrag-rose //------------------------------// Zarbon found that tracking Vegeta, without a Scouter, was like finding a needle in a haystack and, given Frieza's mood when he headed out into the surrounding area to find their target, he was sure that his Lord was going to kill someone for what had transpired on his ship. He couldn't believe that Vegeta would recover so quickly, even if he played them the entire time, nor could he believe that several important components of the ship had been wrecked in the Saiyan's plot to steal all five of the Dragon Balls, leaving Twilight in a wreckage on the floor. He had never seen his Lord that furious before, his rage was nearly as strong as what he saw when the princess engaged her rage form for the first time, and right now the only way for him to soothe that rage was to find Vegeta and the stolen Dragon Balls. If fact he was worried about the fact that he might have to pay for all of this with his life, since he brought a wounded and unconscious Vegeta to the ship so they could get some information out of him, but that depended on his Lord's mood when he finally returned. What shocked him, however, was when he spotted someone flying off in the distance, the one called Krillin, who just so happened to have the final Dragon Ball in his hands, as he was sure that Vegeta had found the sixth, though following right behind him was none other than Vegeta. "I don't believe it... I might have saved the day!" Zarbon stated, where he burst through the air and followed after Vegeta, as this would allow him to take down his target, beat the information out of him, and then return him, with the seven spheres, to his Lord so they could finally heal Twilight of the poison in her body. Sure enough Vegeta seemed to notice that he was following him, which was fine with Zarbon since it might force him to land nearby so they could deal with each other, but the Saiyan kept flying and he followed him, all the way until they and Krillin landed near a cave, with a lady with blue hair and an odd set of clothing sitting nearby. "Ah, Krillin, good, you're alive." Zarbon remarked, as he and the others had been worried about his fate since he and his companions might have been slain during Dodoria's clash with Vegeta earlier, where he believed that this lady was the one called 'Bulma', based on what he and Gohan had said earlier, "Are Gohan and Dende alright?" "Yeah, we just, um, ran into trouble." Krillin replied, which was partly the truth, as with Dodoria's death they had quickly returned to Bulma before coming up with a plan of attack, where he had left Dende at the Grand Elder's to figure out the information on the Dragon Balls and get a power boost for later, while Gohan was clearly somewhere else, "Don't worry about Gohan and Dende, they're safe." "Good. Now then, Vegeta, you've made quite a fool of me lately and now you're going to tell me where you've hidden the Dragon Balls, before I bring you to Lord Frieza." Zarbon stated, informing the Saiyan that he was in deep trouble, as Frieza was beyond furious and would want to kill Vegeta with his own hands, or maybe keep him in constant pain so Twilight could have the honor, since it was her life on the line right now, "Will you go peacefully?" "Don't be absurd! I won't give you anything other than a beating!" Vegeta said, where he knew that Zarbon was sure of his power, as he had beaten him during their previous battle, but he had also realized something, by recovering from such a beating his own power had risen to new heights, meaning their desire to obtained the Dragon Balls had given him more power to turn against Frieza's forces. Zarbon was torn between chuckling and sighing, though he settled on transforming without delay, allowing his muscles to expand and his body to bulk up before his face turned monstrous, hence why he hated this form with a passion, but this was the edge he needed to bring down Vegeta. This time around Vegeta dodged his first attack by dropping to the ground for a couple of seconds, though as he spun around to crush the Saiyan, by punching the area he was in, Vegeta burst into the air and avoided the attack so his fist shattered the ground below him. Following that he also burst into the air so he could chase his foe, only to find that Vegeta had grabbed some dirt or sand so he could drop the material and let it fall into Zarbon's eyes, blinding him for a couple of seconds as he tried to get rid of it all. Vegeta took advantage of that fact by striking him in his back, crushing part of the armor with ease, before delivering a powerful bash to his head, sending him down into the water below for a few moments, even though he followed it up with a barrage of blasts that tore into the area around where he crashed. A few moments later, after tanking several hits from the barrage, Zarbon burst into the air and forced Vegeta to stop by rushing at him, even though they both landed near Krillin and he found that his armor had been ruined, it was in tatters, causing him to be more annoyed with Vegeta. "Ha, it looks like I'm about to take you down as well, Zarbon!" Vegeta remarked, as he couldn't believe both his newfound power and the fact that the sand he dropped into his foe's eyes had been so effective, even though this might be the last time he even did such a thing since it wasn't what a warrior did. "Don't be so sure of yourself, Vegeta, as my power is still greater than yours!" Zarbon replied, because while he knew that the Saiyan was growing with every battle he was in, hence why Lord Frieza was worried about the race, he refused to even consider that his foe had already outclassed him in a matter of moments. "And here I thought you knew everything about the Saiyans. When we come back from the brink of death our power grows substantially," Vegeta stated, where Krillin realized why Goku continued to grow stronger after each coming back from near death, and that Gohan was the same way since he had Saiyan cells inside him, but the shocked look that was on Zarbon's face caused him to grin, "thinking about it, it was pretty careless of you to heal my wounds, since it's coming back to bite you and Frieza." Zarbon growled and rushed Vegeta, as he wasn't about to let the Saiyan win, and their quick clash ended with Vegeta just driving his fist into his chest, shattering the armor in the process, before blasting a hole through his body, causing Zarbon to revert to his base form as he expired on the ground. "Another one bites the dust. Baldy, what's this about you working with Frieza?" Vegeta inquired, because if he was actually allies with the figure he hated he might just blow him, the lady, and anyone else they brought to Namek apart, which had to be Kakarot's brat now that he thought about it, though he made sure to obliterate Zarbon's remains, just like he did to Dodoria and the other soldiers. "Look, we're only trying to revive our friends and it seemed like staying out of their way was the right call." Krillin stated, as he didn't want to die and this had, at the time, looked as if it might be the best way for them to make the wish that they were after, since reviving one of their friends might save them a lot of trouble, "Besides, one of his soldiers told us that his daughter was sick with some sort of poison and that they were here to cure her of it, since the cure no longer exists on the planet she was poisoned on." "You idiot! Frieza doesn't care about Twilight! It's all an act to get what he wants from her and everyone else." Vegeta said, though at the same time he eyed the Dragon Ball that the bald Earthling happened to be holding, the key to him obtaining immortality so he could figure out how to defeat Frieza without the fear of dying, "If you give him that Dragon Ball he'll be one step closer to claiming immortality and destroying the known universe! Give me the sphere and I'll keep it away from him, and if I manage to get all seven of them I'll wish for it and take him down... you have my word that I won't kill either of you or bother your planet again." Krillin weighed their options, help Vegeta and be seen as an enemy, or help someone like Frieza, before deciding that, due to his and Bulma's lives being on the line since he knew the Saiyan could kill them in an instant if he wanted to, he might as well save themselves, to which he hoped that Gohan was having better luck than him right now. Frieza found that the next couple of days went by without ease for him, as his heart was fully of worry and nothing he did seemed to do anything to calm him or his nerves, causing him to frown whenever he stared at the holes in his ship or the bloody stain that was resting in his chamber. Towa had yet to return from her return visit to Griea V, no doubt searching for the one herb or antidote that wouldn't affect the timeline of that planet if she stole it from the past, which was kind of odd given her powers, but he guessed she was being through in her search. With that in mind he reminded himself that once they were done on Namek they were going to have to return to Griea V and inform Alirinn's people of his death, and that Vegeta had wiped out his corpse, so there was nothing to bury, which might upset them greatly. He also found that Zarbon failed to return as well, where he suspected that either Vegeta had done him in or there was another strong foe who had sprung up before disappearing after taking him down, though it pained Frieza to have lost him and Dodoria, as they were some of his most trusted officers. As he thought a out that he also considered the fact that Twilight was slowly healing, making him curse the fact that they hadn't even taken the time to make sure her body had no problems with the various healing tanks, but, for the most part, she had survived her encounter with Vegeta and that was all that mattered. "You seem distracted, brother." Cooler commented, as Frieza had decided to report everything to both his father and his brother, the latter being against his own initial thoughts before figuring that it wouldn't hurt to tell Cooler while telling also telling their father, hence the reason for the three way call. "You'll have to forgive me, I... wasn't expecting this expedition to take so long, or take so much from us." Frieza said, where he didn't even bother to play around with his brother and throw names at him while they talked, which Cooler noticed at the same time as their father, even though Frieza noticed that they were worried about him, "Like I said, we've lost all of our Scouters, half of our crew, plus Zarbon and Dodoria are dead, Alirinn was slain by Vegeta, we've lost all five Dragon Balls that we found, and Twilight's currently in a healing tank... there's a lot on my mind." "Would you like me to order my soldiers to make for Namek?" Cooler asked, as he could tackle the planet that he was in the middle of heading to on his own, in fact he had outfitted his own ship with a larger Attack Ball for himself just in the off chance that something like this happened, either to send his soldiers or himself, "At full speed they would arrive in about three days. Or I could leave them to take care of the planet we're heading to and use my own pod to reach Namek in, oh, two days max." "I appreciate the offer, Cooler, but the Ginyu Force will suffice for now." Frieza replied, though this was likely the first time his brother had actually done such a thing without asking for anything in return, reminding him that Twilight meant the universe to him as well, in fact she had, against all odds, brought them together in an odd turn of events. "Still, with the damage done to your ship, you won't be able to leave Namek anytime soon. Shall I send a replacement ship or a ship with the parts to repair it?" King Cold inquired, though at the same time he was happy to see that his sons were so united in wanting to make sure Twilight survived this ordeal, even though he wished that she wasn't stuck in this foul situation, since he wanted to see her healthy and safe again, "There's an outpost not far from Namek that can get either option to you in no time at all, roughly the same about of time that it would take Cooler or his soldiers to get there." "Might as well... with the engines destroyed, the hole in the medical station, and the hole here, this ship isn't going to be flying anytime soon." Frieza said, though it also pained him to admit that they were in need of assistance right now, due to his feared reputation in the universe, but he knew that fixing the ship would ensure that his remaining soldiers survived once Twilight was cured, causing him to sigh for a few seconds, "Vegeta really did a number on Twilight... if only we had the healing powers of Dende on hand, as he'd be able to fix her up in no time and it would be good experience for his own powers... it might even help take down the Warrior's Bane. Unfortunately I haven't located him since he left with Dodoria and the Earthlings, and with Vegeta having killed most of the Namekians it's possible that Dende's been slain as well." This was one of those moments where he wished he had Twilight's skill at detecting energy, as it would help figure out the area that Vegeta was hiding in so he could punish him, and get the location of the Dragon Balls from him since the spheres were vital to their entire reason for coming here. Frieza knew that if his daughter was up and about she would be able to find him in no time, but for the time being she was stuck inside the healing tank, her body slowly being healed after being beaten by the Saiyan they had captured. He didn't need Alirinn here to know that she had lost more of her lifespan before he escaped with the Dragon Balls, in fact she likely used her magic to keep them safe and that was why Vegeta beat her up, so he could tear more of the ship apart to flee with the spheres. After all of this Frieza was thinking of just killing the Saiyan if he spotted him or they crossed paths again, because no one was allowed to harm his daughter in this manner and get away with their actions, and this time he was planning on making sure to live up to his promise. The only good news was that Vegeta hadn't gotten his wish yet, since he hadn't returned with confidence to take him down, but Frieza was hoping he'd make a mistake and be punished accordingly, though he just had to be patient and wait to see what the future held for them. Gohan and Krillin had moved Bulma to another position after discovering that Vegeta knew where to find their hideout, as this one was on an island that had an oddly formed split down the middle of it, enough to keep her safe, and the Dragon Ball that Vegeta had missed in the ruined village, while they departed for the Grand Elder's place. Of course, since Vegeta had the power to sense energy now both of them had refrained from using too much of their own power, forcing them to make the long journey to their destination by jumping from island to island and running for the most part, allowing Krillin to find that Dende might have been mistaken about the amount of time needed to get there. His reasoning for this visit was that they might be able to boost Gohan's power by having the Grand Elder release his inner potential, just like he did when he went to the house with Dende, since it might give them a chance at defeating Vegeta. Of course whenever they reached an island that had no nearby positions for them to jump to the pair had to fly for a time, using as little energy as they could since any significant amount would cause Vegeta to pinpoint their location and come running. Eventually, after four days of their slow progress, Krillin decided that they were going to have to chance it, as Vegeta was far enough away for them to go at full speed for the amount of time needed to get to the Grand Elder's place, which was what he and Gohan did after eating their meager breakfast. "There, I see it!" Krillin commented, as it had taken them about fifteen minutes at full speed to reach their destination, while he was sure it would have taken another hour or so had he not decided to make a run for it, but this meant they might be able to survive this planet and get home without drawing any unwanted attention, before he felt something, "Oh you can't be serious... he's gaining on us?!" "It's Vegeta! How'd he find us so quickly?" Gohan asked, because they knew he had been a large distance away from where the Grand Elder's place was located, and even with full speed it should have taken him an hour to reach them, meaning he must have been burning his energy to catch up with them. "Had I known he could fly so quickly, I wouldn't have suggested the idea... anyway, I'll hold him off." Krillin replied, as they both knew that he was no match for Vegeta's new strength, even his own boosted power was nothing before the might of the Saiyan who was rapidly approaching, though Gohan nodded and took off, rushing towards the house so he could have the Grand Elder unleash his potential. Sure enough Krillin had just a few seconds to think about his decisions before Vegeta showed up, at the same time Gohan made it to the house that was their final destination, and he discovered that the Saiyan tended to thrive in situations like the one they had forced him into, reminding him of Goku again. Vegeta then asked about the last Dragon Ball, the Four Star ball that Gohan had stolen from him not that long ago, to which Krillin replied that they had no idea it was actually his, since he was playing the middle ground with both Vegeta and Frieza, just to ensure he, Gohan, and Bulma survived this. Krillin told him that he knew where the Dragon Ball was located, something they could exchange for their freedom, which Vegeta did agree with since they were mere guppies to his boosted power, before he sensed Gohan's awakening, meaning the Grand Elder was done with his work. Vegeta, on the other hand, seemed to think that it was Goku himself and rushed over to the building in question, forcing Krillin to follow after him since there was a chance that he might attack the house and kill the Grand Elder before the Dragon Balls were used. As they landed Vegeta came face to face with another Namekian, this one different from the rest in terms of power, but as he got ready to take him down Gohan, who he thought was Kakarot due to his power, stepped out, only to be surprised as Krillin found Dende exiting as well. "The Grand Elder says that someone is approaching the planet!" Dende stated, something that caused them all to glance up at the sky for a moment, where Gohan realized that there were five Ki signatures coming their way, something that freaked out Vegeta when he recognized who they belonged to. "Listen up, I'll amend my earlier promise: help me get immortality and I won't lay a hand on you guys or Earth!" Vegeta said, as the arrival of the Ginyu Force was the last thing they needed right now, because they were terrifying in their own right and right now he knew that challenging them was a bad idea, causing him to see that Gohan and Krillin were surprised by his sudden outburst, "The energies we're picking up belong to the Ginyu Force, five warriors of incredible power who are just as strong as I am, maybe even stronger, with their leader being the strongest of them all, and they're going to use new cutting edge Scouters to track us down and kill us. Give me immortality and we might stand a chance of defeating them." "Also, if you're worried about the wishes, our Dragon Balls can grant three." the Namekian, Nail, stated, though he could tell that Vegeta wasn't lying right now, the five energies were incredibly strong and would prove to be quite the challenge for the group if they didn't have a plan to deal with their incoming foes. Krillin knew this was a bad idea, but, given the danger that was approaching, he guessed it was a risk they needed to make, so he and Gohan flew off with Vegeta on their tails, though Dende, having boosted his power thanks to the Grand Elder's actions, followed after them as well, no doubt to aid them in using the spheres. Other than that he guessed Dende might be able to use his healing powers more than before, which would be another benefit if the Ginyus were as strong as Vegeta claimed they were, though he also had to wonder what was taking Goku so long to land. With the four of them he had a feeling that defeating the Ginyu Force would be a possibility and not a dream, but for now they might have to deal with giving Vegeta what they wanted, and getting two of their friends back, and, hopefully, get off the planet before being dragged into combat, as the discovery that the Namekian Dragon Balls could grant three wishes was a boon for everyone right now. Vegeta even had an opinion on that matter, that giving Frieza the knowledge that there were three wishes, and not one like everyone had originally assumed, would spell utter disaster for the rest of the universe, so they agreed that it would be kept between them, even if they were captured by their enemies. He just hoped that their luck would hold out long enough to see them depart from Namek, and finally send Vegeta off into space so they never saw him again, though he had a feeling that something bad was about to happen and hoped that this time he was wrong, even though he would find out soon enough.