Piccolo and Trunks continued to fly at great speeds towards the power levels of Goku, and the fading one of Vegeta. Trunks was pulling ahead of the Namekian, probably concerned that his father's power level was slowly dipping close to zero.
Piccolo himself even had to admit; he was worried for them. If someone powerful enough to take them both on alone, and smart enough to infiltrate their ranks like that, was present, he wasn't sure if they'd even be any help when they arrived. That is...if they arrived in time.
Suddenly, Piccolo's senses went wild and he stopped in mid-air, frozen in place.
"What...was that..?" He grunted out, shaking. "This power...is..is massive...no...unbelievable..."
He looked over at Trunks who had stopped as well; his eyes glued on the horizon. There was no doubt he'd felt the amazing upsurge of power just then.
"That...was that Goku..?" Trunks asked, already pretty sure of the answer.
Piccolo felt the energy out; the signature was definitely Goku's energy, but he'd never sensed anything this powerful before. If he could have sensed the powers of deities, this would probably be what it felt like.
Something else occurred to the green former demon; Goku must be in serious trouble if he needed to amp up his power to that insane extent. There was no time for gawking; he flew forward at his top speed, grabbing Trunks by the shirt and taking him with. There was no time to lose.
* * *
Goku continued to stare down Sapphic; his eyes burning holes through the changeling prince.
"Well...this is an unexpected occurance." Sapphic finally admitted, taking another step backwards.
Sapphic knew if he was going to get his revenge, he was going to have to get the Dragon Balls from Goku's backpack which was still attached to the saiyan. There was no way he could overpower such an awesome force such as Super Saiyan 4; it was beyond power...there were no words to describe it.
His only chance was to pull a fast one, and to get the oth--
Sapphic's train of thought was cut off when in the blink of an eye, Goku's fist was rammed into his gut at high speed. It looked as if his fist was going to go through the changeling, and more of his exoskeleton could be heard shattering apart under his white robes.
He was flung into the air and Goku was instantly up and waiting with a large kick, cracking off more of the changeling's normally indestructible outer shell.
Sapphic flew down as a sonic boom erupted from where the kick had made contact; he was barely conscious at this point, but was scared back to waking when the rage filled eyes of Goku appeared before him as he fell.
Sapphic couldn't react in time, however, and the Super Saiyan 4 smacked him to the side with a large backhand that made a pimp look like a rich snob with a dainty glove.
He rolled and flipped through the dirt and grass, each impact with the ground feeling like getting struck with a truck. When he finally stopped, h look across the field to see Goku in that same stance as before...but something was different. Instead of the blue energy sphere that normally accompanied a Kamehameha wave, the orb was a bright red in Goku's hands.
"Times ten..." The saiyan yelled out.
He as multiplying his Kamehameha wave? This was bad; Sapphic knew he wouldn't be able to stop it like the last one. Not with that much power behind it.
"...Kamehameha!!"
The red energy beam flew out and the size of it alone was mind-boggling. But Sapphic had one last trick up his sleeve; or should say four more.
"Now!!" The changeling prince shouted out.
In an instant, four power levels became known to Goku and Vegeta. Anil jumped in front of Sapphic, inhaling like a balloon, and blowing it all out at once. The current from his mouth curved the x10 Kamehameha into the air and away from the injured changeling prince.
"You can bring as many cronies as you want." Goku told him, a very deep pitch to his voice along with it being slower. "I'll take all of you on and destroy you."
The mighty saiyan moved to make good on his threat, but suddenly was stopped dead in his tracks. He struggled hard to move, but for some reason, it felt like his very muscles were trying to keep him in place.
"What's...going...on...?" Goku managed.
Sapphic walked up and laughed triumphantly. "Good work, Talbot. Keep him immobilized as long as you can with that blood manipulation of yours."
"Blood manipulation?!"
Goku moved his eyes just enough to see the short man with the pitch black eyes and fangs; his scarred and bald head a disgusting sight. His evil smirk was evidence he was the one holding Goku in place.
Goku became aware of the other two walking over; one's power level was drenched in death and the others was dark, and yet light hearted at the same time.
"Oh no..." Vegeta groaned. "They did follow me..."
Dosne and Seaiga stopped a few feet from the entrapped Super Saiyan 4; all the remaining Dragon Ball hunters circled him like hawks.
Sapphic walked right up in front of Goku, and looked him dead in the eyes. The changeling prince was still intimidated by them, but knew Talbot would keep him from actually doing anything.
"You see, Goku," He started. "you without a doubt have the most power I've ever seen. It even eclipses my own, and is on par with the other member of your little group you left out."
Little member of the group? Was this freak talking about Gohan? Or was he being literal about the little part and talking about Apple Bloom? Either way, it probably wasn't important at the moment, and the saiyan gave everything to try and break free of the blood-bender's grasp. He managed to move an elbow a slight bit, but that was all he could muster, even with his insane power.
"I'm afraid, though, that even a Super Saiyan 4 can't fight his own body." Sapphic finished his taunt. "Now, since we can't kill you ourselves in this form, we'll have to see if our next move does."
The changeling prince nodded to Talbot, and the short demon-looking man moved Goku like a puppet on strings. He tried to fight it with everything he had, but even though Talbot was sweating from the exertion needed to control such a powerful being, Goku couldn't budge on his own. Blast it, he thought; he had just achieved a newfound strength and now it was all for nothing.
Goku involuntarily reached into his back pack to remove the Dragon Balls and place them with the others; the seven orbs started to pulsate and glow in each other's presence.
* * *
"Oh no, Goku can't get free!" King Kai exclaimed, his brow sweating. "That blasted blood-bending Talbot has him like a marionette on strings!"
Goten and Apple Bloom were both shaking; sensing the massive total of all the power levels present. It was like nothing they could think to describe, but it sent cold fear spinning out of control down each of their spines. This was it; they'd lost.
"King Kai, we need to do somethin'!" Applejack yelled, firmly placing her hat on her head.
"I wish we could, Applejack, but I don't think even if you could go down there it would make a difference...noneof you are ready for this kind of power...I'm sorry...Goku has lost..."
Apple Bloom shook her head hard. "No! No way, I refuse to believe he's goin' down like this!"
"What she said!" Goten agreed. "My dad is the strongest guy ever! He won't lose..."
King Kai wasn't sure he wanted to see how you could kill a Super Saiyan 4, but he knew he had to see; he had to honor Goku's bravery.
Suddenly, his antennae sparked, and each of them looked in surprise.
"Wait a minute!" King Kai said, a little hope returning to him. "Goku's power is rising again!"
* * *
As the Dragon Balls shimmered at his feet, Goku thought to himself that this was not how things were going to go down. First his father Bardock, then Trunks, and Goten...now Vegeta...there was no way in hell Goku was letting this smug bug get away with this.
"I...can't...let...you...win!!"
The assembled hunters looked on puzzled as Goku started to violently shake; a gold aura appearing around him like a blanket of rage. Talbot started to bleed from the nose as he struggled to maintain his grip n the mighty saiyan. Goku thrust his chest out, giving a loud yell which rumbled the very Earth; a massive shockwave erupted from him, and Talbot's scarred, bald head literally exploded like a watermelon.
The control was broken, and Goku was back in action. He whipped back and caught Alin in the nose with a giant elbow, and smacked him to the ground, finishing the air-bender off with a point blank ki blast from his left hand. He disappeared, and rematerialized behind Dosne, who tried to grab Goku in a sand trap too late. The Super Saiyan 4 let out a feral growl and obliterated Dosne's sand body with a huge ki blast from both his hands this time.
Seaiga tossed several pink bolts of lightning at the rampaging saiyan, and each one of them Goku caught like sticks.
"That's...that's not fair...you're...cheating at this game..." She shivered in fear; her usually playful green eyes now filled with terror.
"No." Goku growled deeply, not even raising his voice. "I just changed the rules."
He tossed all of them at the hunter, and the energy feedback looped through her body, frying all of her internal organs instantly. The now crispy corpse fell to the ground, killed by her own massive energy.
Goku turned around to face Sapphic, who was shaking in his exoskeleton, and slowly backing away.
"It's time for you to pay for all the people you shamelessly destroyed."
Vegeta, barely able to even see what was going on, sensed one other power level still active in the area. The stench of death heavy upon it.
"Ka..ka..rot..." He tried to choke out a warning.
As Goku moved in for the kill, he saw a smile still tugging at Sapphic's lips. What was he hiding?
"Why so smug, bug-breath?" Goku asked.
The evil changeling chuckled, and pushed his hair behind his ears. "It's amazing how you just assume some enemies defeated..."
At that moment, large tendrils of sand shot up and ensnared the mighty Super Saiyan 4 in a grip that he couldn't get out of. As the sand dragged him away from Sapphic, he saw Dosne rise from the ground next to, reforming himself unharmed.
"You killed my best friend." Dosne droned out. "Now I kill you."
Goku wasn't sure how Dosne would accomplish that, until he noticed the sand was holding him overtop the seven Dragon Balls. A horrifying realization came to Goku's mind, and he desperately tried to escape the clutches of the sand, but it would reform faster than he could destroy it.
"Eternal dragon!" Sapphic called out to the sky. "I summon you to fulfill my wish!"
The Dragon Balls illuminated with the power of the dragon, and Goku closed his eyes.
Piccolo and Trunks arrived at the scene just as the words had been spoken from Sapphic's mouth. The namekian saw Goku being held over the activating wish orbs, and a look of horror crossed his features as well as he zoomed over as fast as he could toward him.
"Goku!!" He called out, but it was too late.
Shenron emerged from the orbs as a brilliant light of immense energy; the very energy that had just tore the former Super Saiyan 4 literally in half.
Goku's torso fell to the ground nearly yards from his legs, and he stared unbelievingly down at his intestines and organs as they slowly oozed out of the opening like puss from a pimple. He tried to hover, but the pain was too intense, and he could barely keep himself from blacking out; if he did, he would be dead for sure.
Sapphic ignored the dying Goku, nearly forgetting the nuisance that was his older half-brother even existed, because now, Shenron was before him, and he was almost ready for his plan to unfold.
Dosne stood over Goku's dying upper half; the blood and guts coating his boots as Goku reverted back to normal form.
"It's time for you to say goodnight, saiyan." He slowly said.
In an instant, sand encased Goku, and in another, it flattened into the dirt completely; only a few bits of bone sprouting up from the ground.
"No!!" Piccolo's voice rang out across the field. The two turned around to see the namekian and Trunks headed straight for them at the fastest speeds they could muster. It wouldn't be long before they would be upon them.
"Dosne." Sapphic said, grabbing the attention of his companion. "Stay and take care of them, then use the second wish to follow me."
Dosne nodded, and stepped up to challenge the two newcomers. Behind him, Sapphic looked up at the eternal Shenron; his massive body filling the skyline with hi green scales and the twists and turns of his slender form.
"Make your wishes." Shenron greeted. "And please be quick about it."
"Shenron!" Sapphic yelled out. "Take me to the dimension known as Equestria!"
There was a moment before the mighty green dragon responded. "It shall be done."
Shenron's eyes glowed brightly, and in a few moments, Sapphic was gone; on his way to Equestria once more.
Piccolo and Trunks halted in front of the terrifying titan known as Dosne; his purple eyes lusting to feel their breaking bodies beneath his sandy grip.
* * *
Apple Bloom held Goten in a tight hug as the half-saiyan cried uncontrollably into her fur. She kept trying to shush him soothingly, but she was trying her hardest not to break out into tears herself. Goku had been such a great man, and to meet an end like that...it was awful...
Applejack had tipped her hat off in respects, as King Kai mournfully walked into his home, a cloth wiping at his forehead.
"It's...it's ok, Goten.." Apple Bloom choked out. "Shhh...it'll be alright..."
Goten continued to cry like a young infant, his strong arms wrapping themselves around the young mare's body. It was absolutely killing her knowing she could do nothing to help Goten right now; his tears on her yellow fur only made her want to cry even more. The poor boy just watched his father die in a horrific way...almost the same as Apple Bloom had watched Applejack die. In that way, she understood how Goten was feeling right now, and stroked his back with her hoof as she embraced him as best she could.