Goku's fists were trembling in pure rage at the scene he had just witnessed; Vegeta hadn't even had a chance to react, and was now dying on the blood covered grass. His vision quickly shifted to the black and green creature with the strange body.
"You...you monster!" He shouted, barely able to hold himself from charging in headfirst. "How could you! Vegeta had his back turned to you! Are you so shameless that you not only replaced his son, but you couldn't give him a chance to fight back?!"
Sapphic's clear wings flicked a moment; the sound like a piece of thick paper ripping. "That's about the gist of it, yes."
Goku's muscled tightened up more at that statement; this devil was so nonchalant about his dishonorable deed. It sickened him to his very core.
Sapphic noticed the tension rise in the saiyan warrior. and smiled darkly. "Oh, come now. I'm doing him a mercy, really. Even if I had allowed him to fight, he wouldn't have been able to win."
"I disagree!" Goku yelled through clenched teeth. "Well then...I'm not gonna fool around with you...here I come..."
With a echoing scream of rage, the very ground on which Sapphic stood began to crack and tremble as Goku started his transformation. After a few moments of incredible power surging through the world, the saiyan lowered himself to the ground; his extremely long and electrified golden hair signifying he was in Super Saiyan 3.
"Oh, my..." Sapphic said, licking his lips. "that power of yours just gets me so...excited every time you use it."
Goku didn't say a word. He merely stood there, waiting for Sapphic to realize he wasn't going to have a talkfest.
"I must test this power myself." He giggled. "Even if it is...below me."
"I'm gonna make you eat those words.." Goku spoke up.
Instantly, he closed the gap between them, a fist raise in striking position. "...and my fist!!"
The clenched hand connected with Sapphic's face squarely, making a slight cracking sound which Goku assumed was the creature's nose bone. As the attack finished, Sapphic slid back from the force of the blow, his feet however, never left the ground. When he came to a halt a few feet away from the Super Saiyan 3, he stood still, trying to regain his composure.
Once he did so, he stood straight up revealing his face. He was still wearing that ugly smile, and Goku noticed that it hadn't been his nose that had cracked.
Several lines were now present on his features; like fractures in a car windshield.
"I'm actually impressed." He laughed, touching a finger to his face. "You fractured my exoskeleton. No one in history has ever done that; what strength."
"That's only the tip of the iceberg, you beast."
Taking up a fighting stance, Sapphic waved Goku to bring it on. "Let's see the rest of the glacier, then."
The mighty saiyan gave a loud battle cry and launched himself forward. In an instant, the two were trading blows; blocking each others punches and kicks with blinding speed as they drifted across the plains.
Vegeta, still barely alive, began to crawl forward towards the Dragon Balls. If he could just grab one of them, he could muster the last of his strength the hurl it far out of Sapphic's reach and at least delay whatever plan he had in store with them.
It was pain staking and absolute agony to drag the blade embedded in his torso across he ground with him, but he needed to do this. He knew Kakarot would only be able to keep the beast at bay for awhile; even with all the god energy he had absorbed years ago from his fight with Beerus, Goku's power level was still less than what the saiyan prince sensed in Sapphic. He had a feeling, Sapphic hadn't even begun to reveal his true power yet, as well. So it was up to him to keep the Dragon Balls out of his grasp, at least for awhile longer.
As he reached his hand out to grab one, a sudden ki blast struck his outstretched limb, blowing it clean off just below the wrist. Vegeta screamed in agony again, as his right hand went flying through the air, landing a several feet away.
"Vegeta!" Goku exclaimed worriedly, but was struck during this distraction by the creature that was currently tangled in fist-dancing with.
The saiyan endured a gut punch, and an overhead slam. As Sapphic moved to strike him again, Goku whilred, smacking his giant amount of hair against the monster's face, briefly distracting him so he could land a massive kick to his gut.
The attack connected, and Sapphic gave a grunt of pain as he flew back, barely managing to stay on his feet. He had no time to rest either, as the saiyan raised on Earth continued to lay on the thick stuff; superbly fast attacks danced around Sapphic as he tried to avoid each one.
Goku jumped back, landing several feet from the bug-like humanoid. As he gained footing, he took up a familiar stance.
"Ka...me...ha...me..HAHHHHH!!!!!" He shouted out as a massive blast of blue energy shot forth from his outstretched palms.
Sapphic cackled, and put his hands out to stop the beam dead in it's tracks.
"What?!" Goku exclaimed, pouring even more energy into the attack.
The beam enlarged impossibly, an looked like it would swallow all of them up in it's radius; Sapphic didn't even flinch as he continued to hold the beam in place. With a flick of his wrist, he insect beast flung the attack upwards, as it soared harmlessly into the night sky, riefly illuminating everything.
Goku stood in awe, looking at where his Kamehameha wave had just gone. As he turned back to his opponent, he found the himself burning to know how his family's signature technique had been deflected so easily.
"What...are you..?" He asked, a little out of breath from the exertion he had used in that last attack.
Sapphic smiled. "I suppose you deserve to know, since this is your final battle."
* * *
King Kai's antennae suddenly sparked and exploded magnificently as he fell over giving a loud squeak. Apple Bloom and the others rushed over to help their fallen teacher up.
"King Kai, are you ok?" Goten asked quickly as the kai got back to his feet. "What just happened?"
"Is something wrong on Earth?" Apple Bloom queried, to which King Kai gravely nodded.
Apple Bloom gulped. What could be going on back on Earth now; and of such intensity that King Kai nearly exploded? Was Goku in trouble? Did they run into more of those Dragon Ball hunters? What was going on?
"King Kai, I know we're supposed to be training, but we almost have the Kaioken mastered..please let us see what's going on!" She said, rather loudly.
King Kai figured they had a right to know since Goku was tied to both Apple Bloom and Goten. He was sure from Applejack's expression that she was just as curious too. But the question was; should he show them? Because I definitely wasn't looking good.
For goodness sakes, Vegeta was laying one-handed and impaled on the ground, and Goku had put too much energy into an attack that did nothing. To top it off, he was in Super Saiyan 3; a from that puts a huge strain on Goku's energy and body as it is constantly draining ki from him to say active. There was also the question of who had shot Vegeta's hand off. King Kai hadn't seen Sapphic make a move against him, yet he didn't sense anyone else in the area. They must be hiding their power levels and waiting for something.
It just didn't look good, but he supposed he should show them anyway...if only to see what could be Goku's final moments.
He turned and motioned for them to touch is back in order to see what he was seeing.
Apple Bloom immediately placed a hoof on his wide back, and closed her amber eyes, waiting for the vision to come to her. She saw poor Vegeta laying near-death next to three of the Dragon Balls; a sword thrusted through his chest.
She noticed Goku and something that looked strangely similar to---
"A changeling?!"Applejack shouted out in surprise.
A changeling? That would explain Trunks putting her off so much and acting out of character from what the others knew of him. That had to be it, because Trunks was nowhere to be seen in King Kai's vision. Granted, he was rarely present in big fights, but it just felt true that the changeling had been impersonating Trunks the entire time.
She looked over to Goten, and saw he had come to the same conclusion. He then turned to Applejack.
"What's a changeling, exactly?" He asked.
"They're evil little buggers ho disguise as somepony ya know and feed off your love for them." She said, her face in a frown. "They can absorb more than just you feelings, though. They're able to absorb strength, speed, even memories and power if they're strong enough to. But what's a changeling doing here...and why does he look like a biped?"
"It must have been impersonating Trunks...I knew he was acting out of character..." Goten told her, having already figured that part out.
"Shh!" King Kai hushed. "They're saying something..."
* * *
"My name is Prince Sapphic, and I am the son of Queen Chrysalis; born of a union between her and a saiyan from another time who landed in the outskirts of Equestria decades ago." Sapphic explained.
Goku's non-existant eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You're half-saiyan?!"
The changeling prince grinned and chuckled; brushing a piece of dark green hair away from his face.
"Indeed. Though for some reason, I would guess my changeling genetics, I cannot become a Super Saiyan as you can. But it doesn't really matter. In my base form, I can easily destroy any so-called Super Saiyan with ease, yourself included."
"You said a saiyan from another time was your father...what did you mean by that?"
Sapphic placed his hands to his hips, a gesture that made him look more feminine thanks to his slim features and lengthy hair.
"I believe my mother called him by the name of...Bardock." He answered. "She searched his memories when he was vulnerable one night and disguised as his wife. While she was with him, feeding off his love, she learned the reason he had been in Equestria at all was because of some kind of tear in time-space that opened when someone named Frieza destroyed his home planet."
"Wait a minute..." Goku breathed out. "Vegeta told me that only one saiyan actually confronted Frieza in Planet Vegeta's final day after King Vegeta was killed...and that was..."
"Your father." Sapphic laughed. "That's right Goku, or should I say, Kakarot. I'm your half brother."
Goku stood staring at what was revealed to be his family. How was this possible? There was no way...this monster had to be lying. But something in those emerald eyes told him that this was too delicious to him to be a lie.
"Is...is my father still alive..in this Equestria you talk about..?" Goku asked, but feeling like he already knew the answer.
"I'm afraid...my mother sucked the poor saiyan dry of even his life-force. It was sad really...he really thought his wife had survived the destruction of the planet." Sapphic cackled, knowing the knowledge of his father's confirmed demise was boiling the Super Saiyan's blood.
"I...I..." Goku tried to say, but couldn't even form words. His anger was at a peak now knowing his father had died not fighting Frieza, but by being drained of his life force thinking he was with his wife the whole time. That was not how a warrior should go. Ever!
Giving a long howl of anger, Goku's power levels raised dramatically in one sudden burst. The massive upsurge of energy was enough to make Sapphic back off a step; though the saiyan's power was still not above his, it was quickly rising to match it.
The sky itself seemed to crackle with rage and electricity as Goku's cries echoed off the very heavens themselves.
Vegeta lay and watched as Kakarot continued to power up; this was not like his god form at all; it was...stronger somehow...on a whole different level.
* * *
"Oh goodness! Can it be?!" King Kai exclaimed suddenly.
"C-can what be..King Kai?" The nervous Apple Bloom asked.
King Kai was shaking, his antennae once again sparking as he witnessed something he'd never thought he'd get to see.
"Goku...Goku's rage over the knowledge of his father's treacherous demise has...has pushed him over the edge..he's...he's.."
There was silence for a moment before Goten spoke up in impatience.
"He's what?! What's happening to my dad?!"
* * *
"He's...changing?" Sapphic questioned himself. "Well, if he's transforming into a Super Saiyan God, it won't save him."
He heard Vegeta laugh and hack in the background, and turned to see the dying prince smiling. What reason did the injured saiyan have to be smiling.
"You..fool.." Vegeta coughed, blood spattering the grass with each word. "Kakarot is ascending beyond that...he already has the power of a God...now...he's going to multiply it...by...fifty times...ha...haha.."
Sapphic's eyes widened; if this was true, Goku's power would keep rising until it surpassed his own. He had to stop Goku now before he overpowered him; but as he reached for the saiyan before him, his hand burned, and he drew it back in pain. It was too late; the power was skyrocketing and there was nothing Sapphic could do to stop it. The changeling prince instantly regretted telling Goku this information.
There was a magnificent blast of light, and when the brightness vanished, Sapphic's jaw dropped slightly at the sight.
((NOTICE: Please read the author's note after reading this, as it will explain the differences that are about to follow from the actual DBZ technicalities.))
Goku stood there, his hair returned to the normal jet black, but something was different. It seemed to have shrunk from his massive Super Saiyan 3 form, but it was still fairly long and large in comparison to his normal hair. His shirt was gone and revealed that all of his torso except for his pecks and abs were covered in what appeared to be red fur; and surprisingly--
"Kakarot...your tail...it's back.." Vegeta grunted out.
Goku didn't even turn to look at his regrown red tail; his eyes, which were outlined by some kind of red lines, never left Sapphic's own. The changeling prince was actually a bit intimidated by the gaze of the saiyan.
"What...what is that form?" He asked, burning to know what transformation could amplify his already large god powers to higher than his own huge abilities.
* * *
King Kai was in shock, but a slight smile was also present upon his face; his three pupils jaws all dropped.
"He's...he's become a Super Saiyan 4...."