#except Recoome

[snackugaki]

okay ✨FIRST✨of all, Leonardo of Clan Hamato, I’ll show you why my name is Karai🌶️🌶️🌶️

snacku tmnt au brainrot: pt.1 | pt.2 | pt.3 | pt.4 | pt.5

... not judging what tags you guys use if you reblog but I cannot stress enough that this is all my personal tmnt au bullshit and not from Rise, of Rise, by Rise affiliated or otherwise

[tobiasdrake]

Kaioken strikes me as something that was done quite differently in the anime versus the manga, with the former going for a risky flash of power, and the later going full blown transformation, as well as insisting on stacking it with Super Saiyan forms in ways that end up ammounting to nothing...

Funnily enough, Toei doesn't get as much opportunity to play around with Kaio-ken as they might have liked. Goku uses it pretty extensively in the fights he's in between Nappa and Frieza, so they don't get much chance to bring it back in for a Playing the Hits moment.

Within the anime itself, I think that one punch he threw with Super Kaio-ken against Paikuhan is the only time he ever does one outside of the manga's rails.

Though they do get to have fun with it in the movies. World's Strongest, Tree of Might, and Lord Slug all see Goku fire up the Kaio-ken, though rarely with the degree of skill he brought to its mastery in the technique's later life.

You can really see the difference between Toriyama and Toei's creative philosophies with the Kaio-ken there, between Namek and Slug.

In his training on the way to Namek, Goku focused on hardening his body to resist the Kaio-ken's effects and learning to fire it on a hair trigger.

The basic Kaio-ken is still the only form of the technique that can comfortably be sustained for a long stretch of fighting. However, that no longer matters, because he's cultivated a new way of using it that allows him to reach greater heights.

Goku already gave us a glimpse of what that looks like when he fought the Ginyus, using regular strength and ki suppression.

This is different from when a suppressed character would suddenly release their ki and then the Scouter goes "FUCK NO" right in the PTO member's face. Goku arrived with 5k BP. And then he defeated Recoome with 5k BP. At no point until Ginyu arrives does he ever stop having 5k BP, and then only at Ginyu's request to see his full strength.

Burter and Jeice assume this was a fluke accident because that's the sort of conclusion you draw when you're so reliant on Scouter readouts. They saw Goku take Recoome down with their own eyes BUT THE SCOUTER SAYS

But Vegeta catches onto exactly how Goku is doing this.

Goku's ki flares up in the moment he strikes and then drops back down to conserve energy. He's flickering his ki suppression so fast that the Scouter doesn't even have time to register the change.

This is not the Kaio-ken. Uh. Probably. We'll never know when he uses Kaio-ken again. But whether he was using the technique or not, he was showing us what "bursts" look like.

Every second spent in Kaio-ken when not needed is wasted stamina and durability. So he taught himself how not to waste it. Consequently, Goku can sustain a multiplier of x10 by flaring it just like this, which he does throughout the Frieza battle, without ever showing it.

It's a surprise reveal that Goku's already using KKx10 because his flickering of the technique has prevented it from being noticeable. Except to Kaio.

These guys aren't present for the fight and are just spitballing ideas. Yamcha grasped at the "What about Goku's weighted gear?" straw a moment ago.

But the omniscient perspective of the audience is present, and we've seen what Goku looks like fighting. There's been no big dramatic shout of "KAIO-KEN TIMES ABOOBUHBLOO!" He has a battle aura at times, but that by itself isn't enough to indicate Kaio-ken.

And yet this is probably Goku x10 getting kicked in the face.

This reveal took Toei by surprise as much as it did the audience. "Wait, was this Kaio-ken?" is a much easier thing to sell in the black and white color scheme of the manga. The one guy who said Goku hasn't been using Kaio-ken isn't present to watch the fight, so it's entirely possible that he's been visibly flaring red with every burst.

Piccolo, Gohan, and Krillin never get tripped up by this the way Ten does. And, y'know, they sense ki so they're probably feeling each flareup.

The halcyon days of Goku roaring with Kaio-ken and suddenly burning with its power are gone; He's beyond it. He's internalized KKx10 as a natural part of his motions, like moving his wrist in a certain way when throwing a punch.

Except when he panics and goes to x20 out of pure desperation.

A tragic and costly mistake that, much like with Vegeta, leaves Goku extremely vulnerable and unable to continue defending himself.

It's hard to say what Goku should or should not do, as Frieza truly is an incomprehensible menace. He's exactly what Kaio warned about when he freaked out on Goku about "ABSOLUTELY NOT! UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES! DO NOT FUCK WITH FRIEZA!"

But he probably shouldn't have done that. Goku actually managed to do some damage to Frieza with that, to be sure.

We see Frieza scuffed and bleeding. But he blew out his body doing it.

Much like with KKx4 against Vegeta, KKx20 hit Goku a lot harder than it did Frieza. He probably would have been better off keeping to the KKx10 bursts.

And then we have Lord Slug. The movie that tried to steal the thunder of Goku's Super Saiyan transformation by hitting theaters right before Goku's transformation in the manga and having him go Super Saiyan first. Or. Uh. Trying to, at least.

This is all very complicated and intricate, and conveys a technique that's simple in nature and yet complex to master. Goku has pushed the Kaio-ken far beyond what even its creator ever imagined, because that's what Goku does. He is a martial arts master.

This is the sort of stuff you think about when you're writing for Goku as a writer.

Toei or, more specifically, the people making the anime, don't think about the story like writers, however. They think about it like animators. Because they're animators. Their job is to animate. This is where a lot of the disconnection between manga and anime comes from, as Toei tends to pay more attention to what will be cool to animate over narrative consistency or storytelling.

The movie Lord Slug also pushes the Kaio-ken to new heights with. Um.

...

Whatever this is.

Piccolo gives Goku his ki, and Goku flares up into the Kaio-ken.

And then Goku's KK aura burns with the fiery visages of Goku and Piccolo himself working together as bros.

Which makes him vastly more powerful. Originally, this was intended to be Kaio-ken x100 and in fact you still see that number passed around in supplementals and shit. It's in the Japanese trailer for the film but they took it out of the official release.

And then Goku hits Slug really super hard with the power of the ultimate Kaio-ken for a Piccolo-Daimao Playing the Hits moment.

It looks super cool, was probably a ton of fun to animate, and works perfectly with no drawbacks of any kind.

But it's also. Y'know. Kinda dumb, with no explanation given for why Piccolo's ki suddenly allows Goku to hit KKx100.

Which may be why they took Goku shouting "x100!" out of the official release, but then we're left with the basic Kaio-ken one-shotting Slug, when before he got serious he was merely being pressured by the Super Saiyan Kinda. Goku needs the x100 multiplier for this moment to work. But also. That's ridiculous.

Looks fucking cool, though. Great animation, Toei.

[gatorkid509]

Decided to upload the concept sketches for the Dragon Ball ocs I've come up with since getting back into the fandom. Some of them need a few tweaks( the one that's just a head needs a body XD), but I'm happy with what I have so far.

From left to right, we have:

Keylie, a young member of Zarbon's race who prefers to be in her Monster Form at all times. She's currently training to become stronger and hates those who consider beauty as everything.

Rambuta, a young member of Dodoria's race who was previously enslaved since he was an infant, but thankfully was freed by Keylie and now thinks of her as his big sister.

Icreema, a member of the Ginyu Force who usually steps in when one of the Ginyus is out of commission. She has incredible physical strength despite her small and danty size and is Recoome's older step sister.

And finally, Soya, a Cooler's Armored Squadron member who is a Brench/ Boulean hybrid via her mother having an affair with a Boulean. And while her both her fighting prowess and psychic powers are praised, she is considered scary and ugly by both many members of the Cooler/ Frieza Force and her Brench family( except her mother) thanks to her heritage, as well as her cold demeanor both on and off the battlefield.

There are parts of Keylie and Rambuta's story that I want to keep secret for now since I'm still developing it. But I can tell you they are currently being trained by Dodoria and Zarbon, respectively, who were revived after Chronoa discovered a future timeline where they were aiding Keylie and Rambuta, along with some other familiar Frieza Force members, in a huge battle against a very dangerous impotent villain. And while she initially wanted to fix the timeline and deem it an alternation by Towa, she ultimately decided to let it happen and even helps them from time to time.

As for Icreema, I might rethink Icreema a little since I haven't really developed her much than I have with Keylie, Rambuta, and Soya.

And for Soya, I definitely want to make a separate story focusing on her and the Armored Squadron as I've really developed Soya a lot since creating her, and her relationship with the Armored Squadron is definitely better than her relationship with her family. As well as having one of the Squadron members as her love interest.

I do have ideas for more DBZ OCs, but since they aren't drawn yet/ in development, you guys will have to wait a bit longer. Unless you guys decide to barrage me with questions.

Hopefully, I will get these guys into ClipStudio Paint ASAP since they desperately need colors. I know what colors to give Keylie and Icreema, but Rambuta and Soya are going to be hard.

But hopefully, I'll get it all done before the year ends, along with all the other OCs from the other fandoms.

Ehhh.... Hopefully... 😅

[bluehairlaunch]

7 Best Dragon Ball Villains (objective)

Honorable mentions include Raditz, who is responsible for Goku dying, Piccolo Jr., who actually killed Goku, but was never really a villain imo (he just thought he was, similar to Tien), Nappa, and the Ginyu Force, especially Recoome. Majin Buu is also a fav of mine, but he's the child emperor shooting his BB gun at peasants; he isn't amazingly responsible for his actions until he becomes Super Buu, and Super Buu is... not a good character, much less a good villain.

Nothing filler is on this list btw, because they all suck, except Mystical Adventure, which just rehashes the Red Ribbon Army.

Zarbon is also not on this list, Repeat, Zarbon is NOT on this list (although look at those eyes)

Dr. Gero

I considered putting 17 and 18 on this list together, but they're even less villainous than Piccolo and Tien, and their actually evil future counterparts are decidedly different characters, with a past only referenced and feats we aren't privy to outside of the non-canonical History of Trunks.

Even if 17 and 18 had been the real villains of the Android Saga, this dude's shadow would still loom large over two huge sagas -- being directly responsible for Eighter and all the other androids. Maybe he even designed those doubledecker tanks the RR Army loved so much??

One of the things I adore about Dragon Ball is how Toriyama doesn't usually design his villains to be traditionally Cooooool. Sure, sometimes he provides, but you'll mostly get a small gremlin, short hitler, assassin in pink, fat pink bubble gum monster, short despot, another short despot, girl and boy twink, fat clown, and, in this case, an old man in baggy pants. However, unless the character is just for gags like Pilaf, he still makes these nonconventional villains just as baller as your Sephiroths, Madaras, etc., and Dr. Gero is no exception.

So what if he's an old bald man in baggy pants? He fucks. He canonically fucks even (looking at you 16). He fists yamcha. Destroys city. He murders the fuck outta that car dude and sets an ominous tone that carries over into the Cell portion of the saga.

I like him

Beerus

The only character from Super on this list and that's because Super sucks (GT is an actual abomination though, so don't expect a bait and switch Super 17). However, Battle of the Gods is a great movie, and Beerus is an even better character. He's also (usually) not an antagonist, but he's certainly a villain. I think Buu or maybe Frieza maaaaay have a bigger body count, although the only reason would be Beerus' consummate laziness.

King Piccolo

First and only villain to make a wish, murderer of Roshi (effectively), Chiaotzu, and Shenron, and responsible for the death of Krillin and Goku's first nimbus. He also figures nicely into the backstory of Roshi and the history of the Dragon Ball world.

Him sleeping with his eyes open is neat too

The only reason he's not higher on this list is due to the myriad retcons that surround him and the Namekians. For instance, Dragon Balls seem mythic at first, but they're actually less than 300 years old. If Kami is significantly stronger than him, why was he content to let King Piccolo do world genocide TWICE? Why not send Popo if he can't? (him being a Namekian and Kami's other half is a good retcon tho, it's just clunky).

Frieza

I stan a short king

Vegeta

I don't think Geets has the first beam struggle, but he has the best (objective), with the stakes being the fate of the world. He also has the best fight in the series (objective), with his arc killing half of Dragon Team's fighters, and his fight requiring the other half. And it's still a nail biter!

I stan a short prince

Tao Pai Pai

This fucker has so much swagger. Dude kills General Blue with his tongue, wears a pink chang pao that says 'Kill You', rides around on various shit he throws, and gets an evil nimbus in the filler. Oh yeah, and he absolutely obliterates Goku in their first fight. The only people Goku even struggled with before this was Yamcha, who beat a hungry hungry Goku, General Blue, and Jackie Chun, and none of them came close to outclassing Goku the way Tao did. He also never overstayed his welcome; every scene with him is dope af

Oh and he also did Mecha Frieza before Frieza

Cell

What is there to say? He's perfect.

[jacquelinemerritt]

Dragon Ball Z: Abridged Episode 19 Review

Originally posted on October 9th, 2015

Go Space Broncos!

So enters the Ginyu Force, and with their flamboyant style also comes one of the best streaks of episodes in Dragonball Z: Abridged. The entirety of the Ginyu Force arc (mini-arc?) is excellent, partially because it plays to Team Four Star’s strength by being a series of back-to-back high energy battles, but mostly because Team Four Star uses this series of battles to free themselves from their perceived constraints and experiment with changing the content of the show significantly.

With that said, this episode doesn’t do much of that, with the exception of Gudlo’s first attack and the Wheel of Death, as it spends its time introducing us to these fairly ridiculous characters. And it does so in a way that harkens back to the strengths of their first truly great episode, “Saiyans? On My Planet?”, by having the cast of villains and the cast of heroes engage in a shouting match/preliminary gameshow before they fight. This team of flamboyant villains interacting with our well-established and fearful heroes works incredibly well, and their brash personalities play off Krillin’s insecurity particularly well.

Episode 19 also does a really good job of humanizing Guldo, establishing him as one of Vegeta’s surely numerous punching bags, which allows us to fairly easily empathize with him, since our heroes have very recently been in a similar position. And when Vegeta throws a dog treat at him, we’re left with a twinge of pain alongside our laughter, which makes Guldo’s death all the more hilarious and poignant, as Vegeta decides to humiliate him one last time before ending his life.

The other villains don’t get this same empathic treatment this episode, but that’s alright, as they are all as well established as time could’ve allowed, with Ginyu coming off as a calm and confident leader, Burter as the “fastest in the universe,” Recoome as a classic wrestling champion, and Jeice as the charming charismatic Space Australian. It’s all a wonderful setup, and it leaves me incredibly excited for what’s to come.

Rating: 4.5/5

If you liked this review, please consider supporting me on Patreon.

Stray Observations

If you’re curious as to why I don’t refer to Episode 19 by name in this review, it’s because the title is entirely in hiragana, which I cannot read.

Ginyu: “Ginyu Force, assemble!” Burter: “Speed of light, and strength of all,” Recoome: “The Ginyu Force shall make them fall,” Jeice: “Lord King Cold’s Army’s strongest force,” Guldo: “We’ll beat them all, secure the course,” Ginyu: “If trouble meets us as we pass,” All: “We’ll shove our fists right up their ass!” Ginyu: “Ginyu Force, move out!”

Goddamn, I love Maximum the Hormone, and it makes me happy that Freeza does too.

Jeice: “Space Australia. Or more specifically Space Brisbane. Go Space Broncos!” I swear to god, this is my favorite line in the series, and I honestly couldn’t tell you why.

Gohan: “Any strategies?” Vegeta: “Throw dog treats at him.” Gohan: “How will that help?” Vegeta: “I’ll find it hilarious.”

Thank you Team Four Star for slipping in one of the best Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure references I’ve ever had the pleasure to witness. (ICYMI)

[secretsofdbz]

Now let's talk some honorifics and ways to address each other in Z ^^

I did a part 1 about how some of them say "I" and what that says about them, please read it!

We all know Japanese culture has a whole lot of emphasis on how people speak to and about each other (it's also pretty common to not say "you" or "he/she", but directly the name of the person, which is a godsend for manga readers as it really helps memorize the names of a vast cast of characters).

Now in Z, honorifics, last names (or lack thereof) and "you" really say a lot about the characters and their relations, sooo here goes a little preview of the whole study (because this will take ages lmao).

First, some "yous". Omae is informal and very guy-like, and either super-close-friendship (Tenshinhan-to-Chaozu), or plain superior/intimidating (Piccolo-to-Gohan, Vegeta-to-Nappa, Nappa-to-gang (omae-tachi for plural)). Kisama and Temee are both used as "you bastard!" rather than actual pronouns in most of DB.

Obviously the most famous use of honorifics in DBZ is Gohan-to-Piccolo: it's always Piccolo-san. Oh and Kami-sama of course.

It's important to note that most characters who consider each other peers at some point drop the honorifics when talking to/about each other (Tenshinhan, Goku, Krilin, Yamcha and Piccolo dropped honorifics about each other early on, but Chaozu still uses -san for Ten-san). Future Trunks gets included in the "no-honorifics" gang early on by experienced fighters, (except Gohan who does call him Trunks-san as he's part of the adult group, and keeps the difference in Super; Trunks-san is the future one, and Trunks-kun is the present one) but he himself tends to keep the honorifics with everyone (including Gohan-san who's only like, 8 at this point!), keeping an "not-belonging" feel.

Speaking of "yous", Vegeta talks to Trunks as kisama (which is also super insulting/derogatory; Piccolo uses it for Goku too) but Gohan uses anata (the polite formal you, when he didn't know his name). When talking about him, but not -to him- Bulma says "this kid" (kono ko), but Gohan says the polite "this person" (kono hito), while the rest of the gang mentioned "aitsu" (that guy), which is more familiar. Clearly establishes dynamics to come!

Speaking of early days, in Dragon Ball, Bulma is angry that Goku calls her Bulma plain and simple (and even adds "omae" to it!), and "since she's older", he should call her Bulma-san, which he does even if it's hard to pronounce at first. But Bulma herself says Son-kun for Goku, which she carried all through to Super (which implies "longtime childhood friends", I mean, Goku's far from a -kun kid at this point). Goku and Krilin both say Bulma-san. And because Goku says Bulma-san, Gohan gets to say it too (and kept it).

Goku and Krilin are both good martial arts students and using proper honorifics for all their teachers and deities (Goku's very consistent with the -sama of Kami, King Kai and so on).

Piccolo is an absolute savage who never uses honorifics, with the notable exception of Shin (which is a big thing, because he doesn't do it for King Kai who complains that he "worked hard to earn the title"). Piccolo calls Goku Son (as he does with everyone else), plain and simple, and calls Gohan just Gohan.

Bulma also shows her magnificent balls by calling Vegeta Vegeta-kun when back from Namek, which is big dick move. They switch to first-name-no-honorifics later on (tbh Vegeta mostly calls her "Woman", but he does straight up say "Bulma" a few times).

Chichi calls Goku, Goku-sa (dropping the n), as per rural customs; it's common for married couples to still use honorifics (especially in arranged marriages).

In other "let's fuck with Vegeta some more", the Ginyu force calls Vegeta Vegeta-chan, which is the humiliating ever; both because they knew Vegeta as a kid, but keep considering him as such. Recoome absolutely destroys him by doing this.

In other "Gohan and Bulma raised Trunks" news, Future Trunks says he's here to meet Son Goku-san, but first addresses him as Son-san then switches to Goku-san, and keeps -san for just about everyone, including his present-parents (father/mother; tou-san and kaa-san, dropping the o- at the beginning; saying "mom" and "dad" is absolute heresy). This contrasts with present Trunks who says papa/mama (and calls Goku, Krilin and co "uncle" (oji-san) as, "older family friend").

And for some other cuteness moments, Gohan is Gohan-kun to Videl, but Videl remains Videl-san for Gohan, because he's polite, awkward and respectful (tho Goten calls them both "big bro/big sis" (with -chan)); Goten also calls Vegeta uncle (oji-san).

That's about it for now, I'll dig in other sections further down the road (especially with the elder characters!)

[amazonianbeauties]

Kale is good for you!

Kale is unique among Dragonball women. Besides Kefla, her fusion with Caulifla, Kale may be the strongest mortal woman in the Dragonball multiverse. Her power has shaken Goku, Vegeta, and even Jiren. She’s eliminated the most competitors in the Tournament of Power outside of Universe 7. The men are usually at the top of the food chain in the Dragonball world. Kale’s right up there with them.

Yet it’s Kale’s design that makes her so fascinating. Most Universe 6 Saiyans are scrawny, and Kale is no exception. She’s got skinny arms, legs, and barely a torso. No one is looking twice at this girl. Not in her base form, at least.

Then she transforms, and holy cow!

What a beefcake! Bulging biceps, rippling quad muscles, lats as wide as an eagle’s wingspan. This girl is pumped to the gills, putting powerhouses like Nappa and Recoome to shame.

Though it’s a shame that her design is just Broly in drag. Depending on the drawing, at least. There are attempts to keep her feminine - red lipstick, a cute skirt, and a crop top. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. Fanart from artists like R2roh and Skyraptor manage to draw Kale with hulking muscles while keeping in mind womanly curves. Although, perhaps the joke wouldn’t work as well if Kale didn’t look like Broly trying to sneak into a women’s book club.

No matter. Because then there comes what many fans argue is Kale’s best form.

Kale’s Broly transformation happens when she goes berserk. However, when she finally gets it under control, we get this:

Gone is Broly stuffing melons down his shirt. Kale’s turned into a sleek, muscular, and in control warrior woman. The amazons of Greek myth could only dream of looking this good.

It’s not just the sculpted physique that makes the difference. This girl oozes confidence that could make anyone weak in the knees.

It’s a culmination of her character growth. This insecure girl goes from a raging Hulk to a fierce and feisty spitfire. The development itself is shaky, but it does make for a satisfying transformation.

With Kale, fans got the ideal Dragonball woman. A woman with sculpted muscle and the power to keep up with the strongest under the heavens. Kale, along with Kefla and Caulifla, divided a fanbase. They also ushered in a new era. Dragonball women from thenceforth are to have power and muscularity rivaling the men’s. Anything less is inexcusable. We’ll still watch, but we’ll be damn mad about it!

Featured artists

R2roh: https://www.deviantart.com/r2roh 

Skyraptor: https://www.deviantart.com/skyraptor

[techno-woman]

WELCOME TO THE FRIEZA FORCE, MY DEAR

(FRIEZA X READER)

::The following story takes place after DragonBall Fighterz villains arc. I do not own any DBZ characters. Enjoy the story!::

It has been over a month since you had returned to your own body after Frieza kicked you out despite you accepting his offer to join him. Honestly you didn’t have much to keep you here on earth anyway since bad luck had a habit of shooting down your spirits. It all started when you had graduated from high school; your dad suffered from a stroke and eventually succumbed to it within two months, your brother was killed in a car crash with your mother two years later, and just recently you had broken up with your boyfriend whom you’ve been dating for four years after finding out that he was cheating on you with another woman. You’ve at least managed to keep your job at a fast food restaurant thanks to your hard working attitude,however; your heart has been closed off since the breakup and you were tired of all the misery in your life so far that it wouldn’t have even mattered if you ended up robbed, murdered or worse.

Then one day you found yourself linked up with Frieza. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how much of an evil prick he was after the way he spoke to you for the first time. He was obviously not a happy camper when he noticed you were controlling his body and not him. Although you couldn’t necessarily blame him since body snatching wasn’t your cup of tea either. Frieza had openly expressed his disgust towards you many times and while his attitude may have annoyed you to no end you somehow oddly find some comfort in it. Perhaps it was because you too had days where you just had to let out your frustrations though it was all in private. You’ve powered through mentally with Frieza because the sting of your ex’s betrayal was still fresh. But working with the tyrant hasn’t been so terrible not when you had experienced his amazing power which would’ve been found in a comic book or a superhero movie. You felt invincible, untouchable almost like a god and you loved it especially the flying part.

The link you had with Frieza had become more stronger with each battle and along the way you encountered Nappa, Captain Ginyu and the Ginyu force, Cell, Goku, Vegeta, Krillin,and the rest of the z fighters. Through them you experienced each of their own unique powers and got along with most of them. Even Frieza was showing subtle signs of him warming up to you which you were grateful for. But deep down you couldn’t help but develop some attachments to the emperor of the universe himself. You weren’t sure if he had felt the same way as you when he had offered you a position in his army after you both took out Android 21 and you knew for a fact that you wouldn’t make a good soldier since part of Frieza’s requirements to joining the Frieza force included strength which you weren’t confident about despite how well you were doing with the link. But of course if it meant that you could start your life anew and leave your misfortune behind then you’d gladly take it. Then afterwards Frieza had warmly welcomed you to join his forces when Android 21 was taken down at last. You smiled at the thought of being in space looking at the stars and planets while riding in a spaceship boldly going where no human has ever gone before. Suddenly Frieza, Cell, Ginyu and Nappa immediately began charging up when their powers had returned to them, getting ready to attack Goku and the gang and before you knew it Frieza chased you out of his body so he could fight Goku without you holding him back. Devastated and heartbroken at the tyrant’s actions you took to the skies leaving Frieza to exact his revenge on his sayian nemesis.

That was the last time you saw him and you never got to tell him how you felt about him. You shook your head as you headed into work wiping away your tears deciding that you were better off without him anyway. You didn’t have much to offer to a guy like that except for your loyalty and love which you doubted that he would be capable of. Two hours in and the events of last month had already been pushed to the back of your mind as you worked hard cleaning dishes, prepping up food, and sweeping up the floor. The lights flickered faintly above and you thought to yourself that the light bulbs must be starting to give out. You were wiping down the tables when a random guy came up to you in an attempt to flirt with you but you ignored him completely.

“What time do you get off, cutie?” The man asked you.

“Sorry sir but I cannot indulge such information to someone I do not know.” You said with a customer friendly tone which surprised you internally to hear such words coming from your own mouth. Apparently you picked up some of Frieza’s elegant speech pattern while you were linked with him.

The man looked surprised in a happy way. “Fancy way of talking, eh? Then how about you let me take you somewhere fancy to eat after you get off?”

“No thank you.” You said as you started to get irritated with him. The lights above you started to flicker.

“Don’t be like that, baby. I can treat you real nice.” The guy insisted.

“Please sir, I have work to do and I am not interested. Have a nice day.” You told him as you kept your tone friendly while your temper was rising. The lights flickered faster causing several of the staff and customers to look in confusion.

“C’mon don’t tell me that a pretty face like you already has a boyfriend?” Inquired the guy.

Now it was starting to get too personal for your liking as the memories of your ex flowed into your mind like a stream of water. Anger was bubbling up as the flickering lights intensified causing everyone to become concerned and even scared. “That is no concern of yours. Now please leave me alone and have a nice day.” You clenched your teeth as you managed to say in a sweet tone while keeping a grip on your temper. You were getting ready to head back into the kitchen when you felt a hand grab your arm and pulled you back.

“What’s the matter, bitch?” The guy hissed. “You think you’re too good to have a good time with guys like me?” He smelled like he hasn’t bathed in a week and his grip on you grew tighter.

Your coworkers and a few customers saw this and attempted to get him to let you go. But the guy insisted that he was your boyfriend and that it was no one’s business.

“SHUT UP JACKASS! YOU’RE NO ONE TO ME!” You yelled angrily at him and at that same time the lights that were flickering above you exploded. Everyone in the store screamed and covered their heads as glass fell upon them. A fire broke out causing several staff members to grab fire extinguishers and put out the fire.

The customers ran out screaming in panic as you were also running out of the store. You didn’t know what was going on but you did know that this had never happened in the restaurant before. So why now? Sounds of police sirens were drawing close as was the firefighters and you just hoped that no one got hurt. Suddenly you felt arms grabbing you by the waist and you were then carried off by someone.

“Hey! Let me go!” You exclaimed. “Put me down! What do you think you’re doing!”

“It’s just us, human!” Said a familiar gruff yet friendly voice.

You turned to see none other than Captain Ginyu of the Ginyu force. “Ginyu!” You cried as you instantly gave him a hug.

“Don’t forget about us, sheila!” Jeice said happily.

“Hey Jeice, Burter, Recoome, Guldo! It’s great to see you guys again!” You grinned as you saw the rest of the Ginyu force. “But how did you know where to find me?”

Ginyu pointed to the scouter on his face. “We detected your ki with these and by the looks of it your ki skyrocketed to another level!”

You looked at him confused. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Didn’t you see what had just happened at the restaurant?” Burter asked pointing back to where your job was.

You felt your heart sink as you came to realize what they were talking about. “I did that?”

“You sure did!” Recoome said with a smile.

“But that’s never happened before. I don’t understand why it would happen now.” You said still trying to grasp the reality of the situation.

Ginyu looks at you with a sympathetic expression on his face. “Perhaps it’s because you were linked with Lord Frieza and that his ki has awakened yours.”

You looked up in surprise. “Really?”

“That’s the only explanation that I can think of. But let’s get you to Lord Frieza first.” Ginyu said taking off into the sky with the others.

“So Frieza wants to see me now after he booted me out?” You said in a sarcastic tone.

“My apologies, huma-“

“It’s Y/n.” You interrupted Ginyu.

“Y/n. Please forgive Lord Frieza. He has been humiliated twice by Goku and needed to get his revenge for it.” Ginyu said.

You huffed. “Did he succeeded?”

“All I can say is that it ended in a stalemate.”

“Figures.” You rolled your eyes.

“I don’t mean to speak out sir but is no one going to say anything about y/n here being a woman?” Guldo asked.

“Is there something wrong with that?” You asked with a small smile.

“No. Not at all. Just surprised is all.” Guldo said.

Minutes later aboard Frieza’s ship....

Frieza stood by the window as you entered with the Ginyu force leading ahead.

“Lord Frieza, we’ve brought the human with us.” Ginyu said as he bowed.

“Excellent work, Captain Ginyu.” Frieza said in a happy tone while turning slowly to face you. “It has been awhile my dear. You look so much lovelier in person.” He smiles his usual smile that you had come to recognize as his causal expression.

“You don’t seem surprised that I am a girl.” You said observering him and then noticed his tail wiggling about almost like Frieza was glad to see you in the flesh.

“I had Nappa keep a close eye on you afterwards since Saiyans can be easily passed off as humans when their tails are well hidden that is.” Frieza said as he approached you.

“Well no wonder why Nappa has been absent lately.” Guldo mumbled.

You turned your head to glare at Ginyu and the others. “Scouter my ass. You already knew where I was at, didn’t you?”

“Easy Y/n, we weren’t lying about the scouters picking up your ki level. Besides even with Nappa we aren’t familiar with the city you were living in.” Ginyu said.

Frieza cleared his throat getting your attention back onto him who was directly standing in front of you face to face. “As I was saying; I had ordered Nappa to watch over you after the Android 21 incident. When you left I sensed a slight change in your ki and made a mental note to look into it after I delt with that damned Saiyan Goku.”

“I was told that it was a stalemate.” You said.

Frieza grimaced. “It would not have been such a stalemate if Cell hadn’t tried to steal my glory for the last time.” His tail curled up much like how a fist would ball up in anger.

“Did you....kill him?” You asked.

“No, of course not. Goku’s eldest son already did him in with Maijin Buu.” Frieza said. “But enough of that. I believe we have much to discuss about your future here on the Frieza force.”

“Thanks but there’s a concern that I’d like to address with you. Namely my sudden ki rising. Captain Ginyu said that it was the result of our souls being linked together. Is it true?” You asked.

Frieza watched you before motioning for Ginyu and the others to leave the room. They did so without hesitation and now it was just you and him alone. “Indeed it is as you were told. The slight increase of your ki didn’t happen when you and I first met but after destroying Android 21 was when it changed. I have surmised that while you were linked with me your ki was being amplified by mine thus causing it to grow with each battle we’ve faced. Though it is not as strong as mine it’ll at least give you a bit of an edge to defend yourself with.”

“How long do you think it’ll last?” You asked.

Frieza closed his eyes and sighed in annoyance. “Don’t you understand what this means exactly? I’m saying this is permanent. That this newly awakened ki is what you’ll be living with from now on.”

You were dumbfounded at this. You now had powers of your own and yet you were unsure about how to handle it. Or if you could handle it. “Oh boy.” You covered your face with your hands as you rubbed your eyes with them. “This is a lot to take in.”

“For you I have no doubt that it is.” Frieza said flicking his tail casually. “Fortunately you will have plenty of time getting use to it in my army.”

“I probably might but there’s also the issue of controlling it. Before the Ginyu force picked me up I was getting upset with this one guy trying to make a pass at me and when I lost my temper the lights exploded above us.” You told him.

Frieza hummed with curiosity. “Certain emotions often trigger such power like yours. Perhaps that will be something we can work on together.” His tail then slowly wraps around your waist as he pulls your body into his. “I’m sure that you will find it most enjoyable.”

You blushed at how close you were to him and even more so when his tail pulsed. “Frieza? Just to be honest with you, I’m still upset with you for kicking me out.”

“I had a score to settle with Goku. You of all people should understand that. Especially with the amount of time that we’ve spent together sharing the same body.” Frieza said in a stern tone as he took your chin into his hand. “It’s Y/n, yes?”

You nodded.

Frieza smiled his mischievous and cruel smile. “Welcome to the Frieza force, my dear y/n.”

[thick-manfist]

More characters I've bumped into in FFXIV, except for Recoome. Hes from DragonBall.

[duhragonball]

[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (149/?)

Disclaimer: This story features characters and concepts based on Dragon Ball, which is a trademark of Bird Studio/Shueisha and Toei Animation.   This is an unauthorized work, and no profit is being made on this work by me. This story is copyright of me. Download if you like, but please don’t archive it without my permission. Don’t be shy.

Continuity Note: This story is set 66 years after the events of Dragon Ball Z.   Or not.  What am I, a calendar?

[24 December, Age 762.  Namek.]  

Luffa was the Legendary Super Saiyan, who lived one thousand years before Goku and Vegeta.    Except Luffa couldn't turn into a Super Saiyan anymore.    She didn't know why.    Also, she no longer lived one thousand years in the past.   A magic dragon had transported her through space and time at the request of the Time Patrol, a group of warriors who protect history from temporal vandalism.

But what truly infuriated Luffa was that she wasn't particularly legendary either.    Ten centuries after her heyday, the Saiyan species was virtually extinct.   The few Saiyans who remained seemed to know very little about her at all.    

"So what about you, Kakarot?" Luffa asked.   The three of them stood on a field of blue grass, waiting patiently for their enemies to stage a counterattack.    

"I already told you," he said.  "I ain't 'Kakarot.'   My name is Son Goku, and I'm from Earth.   I don't know what you're talking about."

"I know you grew up on Earth," Luffa grumbled.   "That name, those strange symbols on your fighting clothes, all of it screams 'alien'.   But I would have thought your mother would have told you something about the old heroes when you were a boy."    

Goku looked at her and shrugged.   "I don't know anything about my parents.    Radditz said I got shot into space when I was born.     Sometime after that, I hit my head pretty bad.   So maybe that's why I don't remember."  

"You're wasting your breath, woman," Vegeta scoffed.    "Kakarot's hardly a Saiyan at all anymore.    He was born a low-class warrior, and life among Earthlings has only made him softer.    Why else would he ask you to spare Burter and Jeice the way he did?"

Luffa looked at Vegeta, then turned her head and spat on the Namekian soil.    "What's the difference?" she asked.    

"What?!" Vegeta asked with a scowl.  

"I said 'What's the difference?'   He wants to be nice to the enemy, and you want to kill them quickly because you're too cowardly to risk fighting them fairly.    Well I split the difference.   Burter and Jeice get to live, but only long enough for me to kill them all over again.   You boys should thank me for finding some damn common ground."

"You're a fool," Vegeta said.   "I've dealt with Frieza and his minions my whole life.   You don't know what they're capable of--!"

"Like Recoome?" Luffa asked.  "Hah!   He was remarkable.   Remarkably fragile!  No, I'll take my time with his buddies.   You're welcome to run and hide if you like.   But my mother told me the old stories, and she made sure I listened.   Kakarot may have been sent to another planet, and lost his whole culture, but you don't seem much better off, Vegeta.    Raised in luxury, I'm sure, but with no appreciation for our folklore.     Pathetic."

"And what good are stories going to do when the Ginyu Force shows up in the next few minutes?" Vegeta demanded.    "I never believed the old tales, because I didn't need to.   I am the Prince of All Saiyans--"

"All?" Luffa asked with a raised eyebrow.    "Like hell."

"Shut up!   I am the Prince of All Saiyans, and if there is to be a new Super Saiyan, then it must be me!   But even if it is just a fantasy, my destiny is already clear.    The last Super Saiyan died in obscurity because he couldn't control his power.    My ancestors have had centuries to correct that course."

"I see," Luffa said.   "You don't believe the old stories because you're too busy trying to write a new one.    Too bad, because it sounds pretty weak to me.  But whatever gets you through the day."

"Hey, what's your name?" Goku asked.  

"Luffa," she said, somewhat surprised by the question.    

"Well, Luffa, I wanted to thank you for helping Krillin and my son," Goku said.    "Before I got here, I mean.    I'm not sure what you're doing here, but you don't seem too much like a bad guy.    You're just... really upset, I guess."  

"Spare me," Luffa said.   "You don't know a damn thing about me, all right?   I'm just here to bust some heads and do a job."

"Yeah," Goku said.  "I guess we've both got some work to do."

"Then maybe you two ought to stop chattering and focus on what's coming!" Vegeta scolded.   He smiled anxiously and gazed out into the horizon.   "Captain Ginyu's on his way, and it looks like he brought plenty of help."

They all looked in the same direction, although there was nothing to see at first.   Then, they faded into view, like tiny grains of sand scattered in the distance.  

"Nice," Luffa said.  "I didn't think they had this many guys on the Ginyu Force."

"They don't," Vegeta muttered.  "Ginyu must have summoned reinforcements from Frieza's command ship.   I can't imagine why.   I killed their best warriors myself.   The rest are pitiful.   Technicians and grunts who can barely fly."

"No worries," Luffa said as she began slapping her fist into her open palm.   "They'll make good target practice."

"That's not the point!" Vegeta snapped.   "It doesn't make any sense for Ginyu to do this.   Unless I'm mistaken, he's left Frieza's ship completely... un...defended..."

He trailed off as he spoke, and even if Luffa or Goku had heard him, they were too focused on the enemy's arrival.    In mere moments, Ginyu's forces arrived.   The Captain himself floated at the front and center of his small army, with Jeice and Burter flanking him on either side.  

"There they are, Captain!" Jeice blurted out, pointing down at the three Saiyans as if they were difficult to spot.  "She's the one who killed Recoome!"  

"His body should be lying somewhere nearby!" Burter added.

"Let's not bother with things we can't change, men," Ginyu said.   "Recoome would have wanted it that way.   Now, the rest of you stand back and provide cover.   Jeice, Burter, it's time we showed these miserable Saiyans what the Ginyu Force can really do."

But the crew from Frieza's ship did not obey.   Instead, they rushed forward, attacking headlong like an angry mob.   The hatred on their faces was emphasized by the red gleam in their eyes.  And they all charged directly for Luffa.    

"What the hell?" Jeice asked.    

"Such pitiful discipline," Burter tsked.  "They didn't even strike any fighting poses before attacking!"  

"This is mutiny is what it is!" Ginyu fumed.  "I didn't order them all to come along in the first place!   I only let them join us because I admired their enthusiasm, but this is just unprofessional!    Still, we may as well get on with it.    Ginyu Force!    Forward!"

And then, just as the battle was joined, Vegeta leaped into the air and flew off, leaving Luffa and Goku to handle things on their own.  

"Vegeta, no!" Goku called out, leaving him wide open for Jeice and Burter's double team.    Jeice went high, throwing a punch at his face, while Burter went low, attemping a legsweep from the ground.    Despite being distracted, Goku still managed to dodge them both.    

"What?" Jeice gasped.

"How?" Burter hissed.

The soldiers attacking Luffa fared no better.    They had numbers, but nothing more.   Luffa had traveled to this point in time to thwart the meddling of a time-traveling enemy, one who used a strange magic on unsuspecting warriors.   When she first arrived on Namek, Vegeta had been the victim of this evil power, but she attacked him, and somehow the effect wore off.    Now, it seemed that this hidden enemy had gotten bold enough to try the same trick on dozens of fighters all at once.   Fortunately for Luffa, none of these aliens were nearly as powerful or as skilled as the Ginyu Force.   She tore through their ranks with frightening efficiency.    It was like any number of battles she had fought in her years as a private mercenary.   The only wrinkle was that these enchanted soldiers fought with no regard for their own safety.   It was as if they couldn't feel pain or fear.   Luffa quickly adjusted her tactics and began killing each one before moving on to the next.  

And then Guldo suddenly appeared.    

Luffa didn't see him until he was right on top of her.   He looked the same as before: A small, chubby body covered in bumpy green skin, topped with a massive head with four beady eyes.    Two of these eyes were located where a humanoid's ears would normally be.   The only difference was that when Luffa had last seen Guldo, he was weeping from some harsh words Luffa had said about his parentage.    Now, the tears were still there, but they evaporated from his face as his powerful ki aura raged around him.    

"Even if you apologize," he said in a grim voice, "I will never forgive you!"    

Luffa grabbed a soldier she had been fighting and tried to swat Guldo with him.  The swing was on target, but she missed anyway.    Just before impact, she saw Guldo bite his lower lip and then he vanished just in the nick of time.    Luffa did manage to hit a different enemy, killing them both, but she didn't find Guldo until he shot her in the back with a ki blast.  

"Way to go, Guldo!" called Captain Ginyu from above.   "I didn't even know you had followed us back here!   I thought you were taking a nap on Lord Frieza's ship, but this is exactly the sort of can-do spirit that makes the Ginyu Force so special!    Not naming any names, but I can think of a couple of other members, who could learn a thing or two from your sterling example."

Below, Jeice and Burter were still struggling with Goku.  

"Criminy, Captain!    We're doin' our best, ain't we?"  Jeice whined just as Goku punched him in the nose.    

"Yeah, have a heart, Captain!" Burter gasped.   "This guy's strong and fast.   Maybe even almost as fast as me!"

"Then you'll just have to go faster," Ginyu said.    "If the Red Magma and the Blue Hurricane of the Ginyu Force can't get the job done, then maybe you need to improve your teamwork!"  

"Right, Captain!" Jeice said.    "I read you loud and clear!"  

The two of them broke away from Goku, then charged their powers, producing spheres of energy around themselves: red for Jeice, blue for Burter.    Then they moved closer together, and the fields of ki merged together, spinning faster and faster until there was no sign of them at all, only a disc of purple that seemed to spin faster and faster.   And then, the purple disc began to fire ki in every direction, bombarding the Namekian surface below.    The blasts only seemed to fire randomly, but as they moved, they would curl through the air, targeting a single spot, where Goku happened to be standing.  

Unfazed, Goku did not move or fight back.  He simply yelled.    White light flashed from his body, and the tandem attack collapsed.   When Goku stopped, Jeice and Burter found themselves separated and dazed.  

"He blocked the Purple Spiral Flash!" Burter shouted.   "Nobody blocks the Purple Spiral Flash!"  

"Hate to tell ya this, mate," Jeice said, "but this bloke must be named 'nobody', 'cause he just did it."    

"I can't believe this!" Burter growled.   "Who is this guy?   He can't be a Saiyan!"

"Can't be?!" Luffa shouted.    "Can't be?  And why is that?"  

She still hadn't managed to catch Guldo, but she had scattered the other soldiers, and so she now charged after Burter, anxious to make him pay for his insults.    By now, Burter had learned that his only hope was to use his full speed to dodge and retreat.  

"It's impossible!" Burter shouted in desperation.   "Saiyans aren't supposed to be this powerful!   They just can't!"

"And what does that make me?!" Luffa screamed.    "An impostor?!   A bad dream?!   Fool!"

With an added burst of speed, she closed the distance between them, and grabbed hold of him by the scruff of his battle jacket.   Burter was quickly realizing that he wasn't even close to being the fastest being in the universe, but to his credit, he had quick enough reflexes to attempt to slip his body out of the jacket.   Between his speed and the elasticity of the material, he might have escaped by just a hair.     Except Luffa managed to punch him in the gut while his arms were raised, and this knocked the wind right out of him.    

"You think this is a trick?" Luffa shouted.   "You think Saiyan power means nothing?   You're about to find out the hard way, you miserable--!"  

And then suddenly she found herself completely paralyzed.   Her fingers went slack, and Burter dropped loose from her grasp and he fell to the ground like a stone.  

"Oi, nice one, Guldo!" called Jeice from down below.    Show that cheeky sheila who's boss!"     He held up his arms to save Jeice, but Goku struck him in the face one more time, and he went down hard.   Burter hit the Namekian soil a few seconds later, only much harder.    

"Well well," said Captain Ginyu.  "It looks like we've separated the wheat from the chaff, haven't we?   I can see you're no ordinary fighter, so I'm actually rather excited to be stepping in.   Guldo!   Take care of that wild woman, would you?   I don't want her interfering in my fight!"  

"Take care of me?!" Luffa growled, though it took everything she had just to speak.    Her body wasn't completely immobile.   She could twitch her muscles and shake herself slightly, but it was like some invisible force was determined to hold her in place.    As Guldo floated into her line of sight, the baleful gleam in his four eyes made it clear that he was the one responsible for her predicament.  

"Not so high and mighty now, are you?" Guldo sneered.    "You monkeys are always looking down your nose at me, even after I qualified for the Ginyu Force!    Well I've had enough.   I think I'll make an example out of you..."

Luffa couldn't see what else was happening, but her ki senses told the story.    Son Goku was fighting Captain Ginyu, while Jeice tended to Burter.    If nothing else, her mission would be satisfied this way, but she hated the idea of distracting Guldo by becoming his punching bag.   She strained against his psychic hold with all the strength she could muster.   And yet, she couldn't help but wonder if strength had anything to do with it.    

"Nothing to say?" Guldo taunted.    "You had a pretty smart mouth on you before!"   He grabbed her by the face and squeezed her cheeks.     "Well, how about I teach you some manners!"

The first punch was nothing Luffa couldn't take, but as Guldo continued to beat her, she could tell he was putting more and more power behind his offense.   As before, she could feel something inside her growing whenever she took a hit.   Her body had lost a lot of its strength after the Dragon Balls had brought her into the future, and Luffa didn't understand why she had to get beat up to get it back.   It wasn't the Saiyan Zenkai, she knew that much for certain.   The Zenkai relied upon a Saiyan getting wounded to the point of near-death, and then recovering.    This was why only the boldest Saiyans gained greater power.    She couldn't help but think of Vegeta fleeing the battlefield minutes earlier.    Was he afraid of getting hurt?   Or was he just worried that no one would help him later?    

All Luffa knew was that she got a little stronger with each strike Guldo landed, and she consoled herself by imagining the hell she would unleash upon him once his psychic hold was released.    She could wait.  And she made sure Guldo could see the anticipation on her face.    

"What are you smiling about!?" Guldo snarled.   "You lowly little--!   Wh-what?"

For a split second, Luffa wondered what had gotten his attention, and then she could sense it for herself.    Goku had begun to increase his power rapidly.    He had used a similar technique in one of her previous missions, but it seemed that he had improved it a great deal.   She could hear Ginyu panicking as the Saiyan power continued to rise.  

"Heh!  You want to know... why we look down... on you, Guldo?" Luffa asked.   "It's because... the Saiyans have the potential to become more.    Kakarot... was a real weakling... first time I... saw him.     But he improved!    Not all of us... manage it... but any one of us could."

"Shut up!" Guldo shouted.   "Neither of you are any match for Captain Ginyu!"  

"But you,  Guldo?" Luffa asked.   She paused to lick the blood off of her upper lip.   "What are you supposed to be?   Just some nobody with... with a few tricks!    You think getting a job with some... mercenary team makes you a big deal.   Hah!    You're just a name on a roster...   Few years from now... they won't even remember you existed."  

"Shut!   Up!"  Guldo screamed, and he grabbed Luffa by the face once again.    

And in so doing, he fell into her trap.

Luffa had no idea what condition her mental powers had been in after her arrival in the future.    She estimated that she was about as strong now as she had been when she first learned to read minds through physical contact.   And Goku used the same ability on Krillin a short time ago, so she suspected that it was worth a try.    And Guldo had given her a strong incentive to use the ability.   If his hold on her body was psychic in nature, then brute strength wouldn't be enough to break it.    And so, she poured as much anger and malice into her thoughts as she could, and sent them streaming into Guldo through his stubby little arms.  

He jerked back like he had touched a live wire.    And Luffa was free.    

"It's no wonder you feel so insecure around my kind, Guldo," Luffa said with a raveous grin.   She flexed her fingers and stretched her limbs with great satisfaction.   "You see possibilities that you know you'll never reach.    Even wasted potential is better than no potential at all, right?"  

"N-no!"   Stay back!"  Desperately, Guldo floated away from Luffa, and then he took a deep breath--

Luffa closed the distance between them and punched him in the gut.    Whatever air he had gotten into his lungs was lost.

"No more tricks, Guldo," Luffa said.   "Just you and me... and then it'll just be me.  I  hope-- huh?"

She suddenly heard laughter from Captain Ginyu.    Despite the immense power Goku was producing, Ginyu was not afraid at all.   And when she turned to look, she saw him raising his arms, preparing some technique.   And then Luffa remembered.

"Kakarot!" she shouted.   Abandoning Guldo entirely, she rushed towards them, desperate to save him from what was about to happen.   Jeice got in her way, and she shoved him aside like he wasn't even there.    

"Chaaaange!   Nowwwww!" Ginyu cried, and suddenly it was Goku who was held motionless in midair.  Luffa wasn't sure how it worked, but she knew she couldn't wait around to find out.   With only moments to spare, she decided to knock Goku out of the way, since he was closer...

... And this turned out to be a big mistake.    

Having taken his place, Luffa found herself subjected to the effects of Ginyu's technique.    Now she was the one who was frozen, and then she felt herself being yanked away by some unfathomable force.    She had no idea what was happening, or what purpose it served.    And when it was over...

Luffa felt strange.   She opened her eyes, and found herself looking back at her.    It was like looking into a mirror, only it wasn't a reflection.     More like a recording.   It was surreal to see herself moving independently of her thoughts.   And then she saw herself speak, but the voice was not her own.  

"Not the Saiyan I was expecting," said Captain Ginyu as he looked at Luffa's hands and smiled with her lips.   "But I'll take it."  

NEXT: Mission Failed.

[maddmuses]

Earth Broly (Rather than) AU

(art credit: Shochikubai-ume)

Biography On Planet Vegeta, in Birthing Facility 4, a saiyan baby was born. Considered an anomalous mutant of sorts, with a power level that seemed to fluctuate between roughly 10,000, and 920, much of this was assumed to be malfunctions of the hardware, but one thing was certain.

This child, Broly the son of Paragus, had singlehandedly shattered every record that the saiyans held for Combat Potential.

General saiyan wisdom estimated that a saiyan child would ultimately express 100 times their power as a child during adulthood, assuming a reasonable amount of training and combat to keep them from being stunted. This would mean that, if the saiyans only took into consideration his bottom level, he would have a power level of 92,000. This would make him not only more powerful than every member but one of the Ginyu Force, but essentially only second-only to Freeza himself, except when fighting with a power level of 920,000 as an oozaru.

That was even stronger than Freeza (assuming ignorance to his second form).

Paragus saw the potential for such a child as an asset to the saiyan race, not only as a means of finally throwing themselves free of their servitude, but possibly even proving to Beerus that they had the ability to go further as a species. But alas, the jealousy of King Vegeta was too strong.

The king had planned to send the boy away to a worthless, intolerable, planet named Vampa. Though he was a warrior, Paragus was more clever than to simply swagger into the king’s chambers to demand an explanation. He knew his son’s power, and decided to take things into his own hands, to redirect his son to a more hospitable world, make a scene, and then storm out to head to earth and rescue Broly.

This plan would not go totally according to his script, however, as while Paragus would be successful in changing the ship’s destination, he didn’t account for the king being aware of this, and executing the man on the spot.

Still... Earth wasn’t a particularly valuable planet, and even if it was a world with living targets, its denizens had barely managed to reach its own moon, they wouldn’t be able to send this monster back to him.

When landing on earth, Broly’s ship would crash somewhere in the region near Mount Paozu. Within moments of departing from the pod, Broly would see a full moon and begin to rampage through the wilderness. Though as morning came, Broly would return to the pod from whence he came, after gorging himself on the carcasses of the animals, various dinosaurs and other fauna, using it as a makeshift shelter. It was through the routine, if somewhat broken directions, of the pod that Broly knew his name, though it seemed that the blutz wave projector had been damaged on entry.

Over the following years, the great ape that prowled on full moons, rampaging through the wilds, would become something of a local fairy tale. Though the villages near the area didn’t explicitly believe in the monster, it became rather infrequent for locals to wander out on those nights, just in case.

Thought he was often a nocturnal hunter, due to his time as a mindless beast, Broly would still often act during the days as well, occasionally wandering near settlements, hunting and scavenging for food.

It was thanks to these brief encounters with society, even occasionally meeting the old man who lived among the mountains as well, that Broly was able to learn some ability to communicate, though he was more naturally prone to isolation and never developed a particularly strong relationship with any human.

However, when it came to some animals, Broly would enjoy their presence, particularly a sort of bear that had mutated to have green fur, prompting it to remain alone, even moreso than other bears, which were usually solitary. To the point that it didn’t even have a mate. Spending time with this bear, often watching what it would scavenge and eat, he developed the same habits and hunting patterns as the creature.

With this, Broly and the bear, which he named “Ra” for the noise that it made, became good friends, and over the years, as the saiyan grew, so did its power, and the width of his rampages as an oozaru. And as Broly’s nocturnal rampages became more destructive, so too did the alertness of the region’s residents, such as Gohan, who had fought the great ape on several occasions.

Eventually, though, Ra would be killed, as a result of poaching. Hurt by the death of his only friend, Broly promptly skinned the pelt of Ra, and began to wear it as a silent reminder of his loss. This would also cause Broly to become more aloof and removed from humanity.

As Broly grew towards adolescence, though, eventually his rampages as oozaru became too destructive, eventually resulting in a battle with the warrior Gohan. Broly’s great ape form would kill the old man, and wreak destruction through the land, fulfilling part of his function as a saiyan, essentially killing all humans in the nearby region. Only animals, and ruins would be left in his path, though Broly refused to depart from the region, wishing to simply be alone.

While scavenging the ruins for food on multiple occasions, taking to hunting less often for a time, Broly would eventually discover a glinting orb with four stars in it. Though it served him no purpose in his survival, some sort of compulsion in his (stupid monkey) brain told him to keep it.

Some years later, after Paozu had essentially become a wasteland entirely, a girl named Bulma would wander into the region, searching for the very ball that Broly had.

Initially distrustful of the girl, Broly didn’t want anything to do with her, though after several days of pursuit, coaxing, and offerings of food, the saiyan allowed the human girl near enough to talk to him. With some convincing, Broly would accompany the girl on her journey for the other dragon balls, one that interested him, as he grew older he’d become curious of the area around, and her ability to produce houses with a small device, it would give him an opportunity to travel and exist without the risk of turning into a great ape.

And so would begin Broly’s grand magical adventure to pursue the Dragon Balls.

Key differences and events beyond: -The adventure in which they get captured by Pilaf would likely result in the dragon balls being gained much sooner, but with no wishes that the dragon could effectively grant, Bulma simply wished to return home. -Yamcha and Broly would go on to train with Roshi, eventually being joined by Krillin. --During this training Broly’s tail is removed by Roshi to prevent him from going on rampages, and relying on such a trick in future fights. -The 21st, 22nd, and 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai would be cleanly swept by Broly -Broly’s rivalry with Tenshinhan results less in a purification of Tien’s brutal nature, and more the realization that the strong don’t have to fight dirty, or humiliate and kill opponents. --Broly and Tenshinhan’s duel did not occur in the tournament and was a proposed “duel to the death” following Tien’s desire to kill Broly, after being defeated/humiliated from his point of view, by Yamcha. -Broly did likely destroy the Red Ribbon Army, but likely more in a taking on challengers way, when trying to take from him his 4-star ball. -Broly’s fights would likely be not challenging in the least until possibly the fights against Piccolo-Daimo and Piccolo, the former of which could give him a fight, and the other being able to outwit him repeatedly. -Krillin’s death resulted in Broly’s first use of the Rage form, and subsequent killing of Piccolo-Daimo, who only just narrowly had the time to produce Piccolo. -By the time he’d fought Piccolo Jr., Broly was able to repeatedly access Rage Form and deactivate it to keep a clear head during the battle, though it was still uphill given Piccolo’s greater intelligence. -Broly wouldn’t receive any training by Kami, but would be offered the position of Guardian (he would defer to someone more like Roshi who was suited for the job) -The use of Dragon Balls would become more conserved, as Broly has little interest in using them, and 

-The saiyan saga is greatly reduced in scope of battle (largely because Broly has no offspring and I’m not forcing mate(s) into the story) -Broly’s battle with Raditz was a singular affair, with Raditz’s survival being the result of quick thinking, and an offer to bring him to people who are like him -Broly briefly joins the saiyans, though not formally as a member of the Freeza Force he is given similar equipment. -Namek saga essentially doesn’t occur and is instead filled with various space adventures in which Broly seems to just display nonsensical levels of strength beyond that of even his projected 90,200. By the point that Broly is at here, his Combat Power is considered immeasurable by the scouters. -The Saiyans, Nappa, Vegeta, and Raditz, are far more powerful for their presence with Broly and providing him sparring partners. -Ultimate confrontations against Freeza’s elite guard, and the Ginyu Force (who were scrambled to their emperor’s side after Freeza began to anticipate intent to coup) results in an almost tournament mini-arc itself with various environments and battles occurring.  --I think the battles would be the likes of Vegeta v Recoome (Vegeta Win) Raditz and Nappa v Jeice and Burter (Natch Saiyan win) and Broly v Guldo (Broly win) --During this mini-tournament arc each pairing is challenged in some way, Vegeta through having to deal with Recoome’s raw power, the duo battles coming down to Raditz and Nappa learning to work as a unit, rather than in spite of each other, and Broly struggling with what is ultimately a weak (but more strategic and utility-oriented opponent). --Ginyu promptly would attempt to clean up the saiyans as he fought them, slapping around Vegeta around, but not being able to kill them as Raditz and Nappa jump him. Ultimately Broly would reappear (his fight took the longest to win) and through coordination and preventing Ginyu from stealing Broly’s body, they were able to ultimately beat him. ---Broly’s struggles in battles will mostly, especially at a space level, be against opponents who are difficult to defeat in a straightforward fashion. -Eventual battle with Freeza, going largely the same way as-is canon. Broly’s repeated battles against Guldo and Ginyu, which challenge him in an unorthodox way, leave him with a number of injuries that force the others to hold off their enemy for him. Broly was only able to defeat Guldo by being able to activate his Rage form, which seemed to “Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken” his way around time manipulation powers. --Raditz, Nappa, and Vegeta die. Broly comes to the scene just as Freeza has killed Raditz (the first person he met who he felt understood him on some level beyond a love of fighting), which pushes Broly into a rage that unlocks his Super Saiyan State, in addition to his Rage Form. It’s at this point that Broly promptly brutalizes Freeza, and presumably dies on a collapsing planet.

-Broly is brought back to life via Dragon Balls after the discovery of his death. While in the afterlife, Broly was sent to train with North Kai by Kami Roshi’s recommendation. Broly also requested that his friends be trained as well, but due to their hearts had been sent to hell. --While training with North Kai Broly developed a better understanding of how to utilize his chi, as his physical abilities were beyond that of what this teacher’s training could do for him. Broly learns the Spirit Bomb. Broly’s heart is considered to be pure by the standard that he was repentant for the destruction and death he’d wrought during his rages as an oozaru, as well as subsequent instances involving his missions. After losing those close to him, Broly had changed for the better, and had become able to use the technique without the risk of backlash. -Upon Broly’s return to life, he would travel to Namek, taking two years roughly, to resurrect the other three saiyans. -The Android Saga would largely play out the same way until Cell was introduced, though as time would go on the Androids would become a tolerated nuisance once it became clear that they couldn’t kill Broly. Though this would not be a wholly disregarded thing, Broly never suffered from the same heart disease, and likely was unwilling to kill 16-20 in cold blood, though Gero would still be killed by 17 and 18 once it became unclear that 19 wouldn’t be able to handle him. -Cell wouldn’t hit the scene until Age 786, at which point Broly would experience a nearly world-ending battle, as this Cell would be the strongest in the multiverse. The ability for Broly to defeat Cell would likely hinge on Broly’s ability to think creatively, could be seen as ultimately a completion to a character arc for one who largely was able to power through fights, but was finally on the receiving end of a stronger unstoppable force.

-Majin arc probably didn’t occur? Or if it did, it was very brief since no Vegeta/Broly rivalry to force Buu to awaken, or if Buu did awaken it’s likely Broly would have been able to destroy him.

-Battle of Gods arc likely didn’t result in any permanent extension of contact between Whis and earthlings. It is highly likely that Broly simply killed Beerus, or nearly did, possible replacement of Beerus as GoD with Vegeta. -No Rez F, Broly keeps too tight a grip on the four-star ball for that. -Likely no future timeline Trunks so likely no Goku Black arc for same reason of obtaining the dragon balls just simply not occurring -If Beerus is dead or asleep after fighting Broly no Univ 6 v 7, meaning likely no Tournament of Power either.

[elisajdb]

Life With You: XXIV

Part Twenty-Four:

 The Long Wait

  I have to escape. I have to get home.

 Freeza’s ship was too damage to fly. He had to find another ship to escape on but time was running out. Namek was seconds from exploding. Every few moments the planet would shake and lava would spew from an open fissure. Goku flew, narrowly escaping lava spewing from lakes of fire that was once land Namekians lived, farmed and played on.

 Goku frantically looked for another spaceship. He refused to accept he will die like this. He’ll die on his terms. No one else’s.

 There! On a small spot of land slowly being swallowed up by lava, Goku spotted five round pods. Whoops. Four now watching one of the pods roll into a pool of lava. Goku hopped in a pod and press all the buttons, hoping one of them activate the engines of the ship.

 The interior of the pod lit up, engines hummed and Goku found himself thrusting in the sky. He pressed his hands on the glass to view the final seconds of planet Namek from space. He looked in awe how this green and lush planet was now a lake of lava colored in ominous red and purple.

 He only had a moment to breathe a sigh of relief he escaped Namek before it blew up.

 He only had a moment to think he survived and somehow someway will get home.

 He only had a moment before everything went to hell.

 Namek exploded in a violent roar of destruction. Millions of pieces of Namek shattered across space, creating ripples of shockwaves.

 “Shit!” Goku gripped the ship’s interior. He tried to hold steady as the ship was caught in shockwaves. Everything around him rattled violently. Lights flickered as the ship spun in circles. He winced hearing the ship get pounded with debris. He hoped whatever hits the ship took wouldn’t be catastrophic for him.

 Eventually, the ship passed through the rings of shockwaves. The spinning stopped and with things finally calm, Goku’s exhausted body relaxed. Hours passed as Goku drifted in and out of sleep. Awake, he stared in the darkness of space lost in his own thoughts as this ship took him to somewhere he knew wasn’t Earth.

 Will I see them again?

 He thought of Gohan, how he raised his voice at him; threatened him. He never did that but he was so full of rage he could barely control himself. ChiChi was right. Gohan shouldn’t have been in this situation. He’ll make it up to him somehow. Goku thought of ChiChi and their last moments in the hospital. If he’d known when she left for the mall, that was the last time he’d see her….

 This time, I know Gohan is with her.

 Goku was going to drift to sleep again when he saw a planet coming into view. As he entered the atmosphere, lights on the control panel blinked, the interior lights flashed and the ship shook violently.

 Instead of slowing down for a landing, Goku felt himself speed up. Goku braced himself for impact and hoped that luck he had when escaping Namek helped him one more time when he crash on this planet.

****

 I’m alive.

 Those were Goku’s first thoughts as he viewed the blue sky above him. No, not a sky he corrected himself. A blue ceiling. He blinked a few times as his groggy mind tried to focus. His body was a mess. He didn’t feel any broken bones but his body ached all over. He felt as if a mountain was dropped on him. Slowly, he sat up and noticed he wasn’t wearing his clothes but a gown.

 Looking around, Goku noticed he wasn’t alone. A small person stood next to the bed staring at him. He? She? Goku wasn’t sure but this person had a large bulbous aqua colored head with spots, sharp ears, wide eyes and whisker like appendages on the side of its head.

 “Hello?” His tired voice greeted the person. “I’m Son Goku. Who are you?”

 The small person sprinted out the room.

 He didn’t expect that. Goku contemplated going after the person when the door opened again. The small person returned with a bigger person. By the body type, Goku assumed the tall, muscular person was a male. He looked similar to the small one. Perhaps he was the parent to this child.

 The bigger person spoke but Goku couldn’t understand the words. “I don’t understand you.”

 The tall one approached Goku with a bracelet in his hand. He raised the sleeve of his arm to show he wore one and pointed to Goku’s empty wrist. Understanding this alien wanted to put it on him, Goku extended his arm. The male placed the bracelet on Goku’s left wrist.

 “My name is Soba,” Soba spoke. He pointed to his bracelet. “This will help us talk to each other.”

 Oh! Goku understood now. It was a translator. “I’m Goku. Son Goku.” Goku noticed the small person clutching tightly to Soba.

 “This is my son, Udon. I told him to not be in this room without me but children are curious.”

 “Hi, Udon,” Goku greeted the child with a smile. The child hid behind Soba. The child’s shyness reminded Goku of Gohan. Addressing Soba he asked, “Where am I?”

 “Planet Yardrat. Why did you come here?”  

 “I’m trying to get home. Namek was blowing up and I had to escape so I jumped in the first working ship I found. It brought me here.”

 Soba appeared shaken by the news. “Planet Namek blew up?” He stepped away from Udon and paced as he remembered something. “Yesterday, this planet shook. It was mild but we never had a quake where the entire planet shook. That would explain why.” Soba looked at Goku again. This time he seemed to be studying Goku’s appearance. “You’re not a Namekian.”

 “I’m not. I’m actually….” Goku broke off his words. Thanks to Freeza, Saiyans weren’t known as friendly people. He wondered if the people of Yardrat knew about them and their reputation. “I’m a Saiyan.”

 “A Saiyan?” Soba appeared on guard. “We knew of three Saiyans that worked for Freeza.”

 The reputation of Saiyans reached here, too. He hoped Soba will believe he’s not like the Saiyans he heard about. “I’m not those Saiyans. I grew up on Earth all my life. Two of those Saiyans are dead. The third….” Oh. Now that he thought about it Vegeta was revived with Porunga’s wish. This meant he was on Earth with Gohan and ChiChi. Vegeta was remorseful but he was dying at the time. Would he have that same attitude now that he’s alive again? Maybe now that he has a chance to live his life how he like; make his own choices perhaps he will be a good person with this second chance.

 Soba waited for Goku to explain himself but he was losing patience with Goku’s sudden silence. He wanted to know why he is here and if he’s a threat to his people. “Udon, contact Ramen and Yaki. Tell them our guest has awakened.” Udon obediently left the room. Now they were alone Soba felt he could properly interrogate Goku, and if need be, deal with him if he’s a threat. “The ship you came in is one from Freeza’s army. Why were you on Namek and why did it blow up?”

 Goku explained why he came to Namek, encountering Freeza and escaping Namek. He paused a few times answering any question Soba asked.

 “So Freeza and the Ginyu Force are dead.” Soba took a moment to let that sink in. “Our people feared his gang would target our planet one day. We prepared the best we can. When we recovered your ship, we discovered it had a preflight destination for Yardrat.”

 Soba turned to the opened door. Udon entered and went to his father’s side. “Ramen and Yaki are on their way.” He looked at Goku worriedly. “Is he our friend, Papa?”

 Soba patted Udon’s head as he regarded Goku. He heard enough to judge if Goku is a friend or foe. “I think he is.”

 Goku was relieved he was not seen as an enemy. As far as he knew, he was stranded here. He had to make friends with these people if he hoped to get home.

 “You must be hungry,” Soba told Goku. “You’ve been asleep for a day. Come. I have food for us.”

 Goku got out of bed and followed Soba and Udon. Goku looked around. Walls were bare except photos. Goku noticed Soba and Udon in all of them. There was a third person in a few photos. This person had a slender, feminine build except her coloring was pink. Soba’s wife, Goku guessed and from the lack of photos, suspected she was dead.

 “How are you feeling?” Soba asked.

 “Sore.” Goku figured it would take a few days before he will fully recover. The crash knocked him out so he had no idea of the condition of his ship. “Where’s the ship I came in?”

 “Ramen and his team have it. That ship you came in was one from the Ginyu Force. The one named Recoome wrote his name in it.”

 “Recoome.” Goku remembered him. “He was the first one I fought on Namek. He hurt my son.” A flash of a beaten Gohan appeared in his mind. Internally, he was angry seeing his son so broken. He kept his cool then but now he was angry. No one should’ve beaten his son that way and live. “I defeated him but I spared him. I should’ve killed him.”

 “I understand. If it was my son, I would’ve killed him but mercy---“ Soba stopped walking. Soba felt a sudden rise of energy from Goku. He turned, eyes widening at Goku’s appearance. His black hair was blonde and he was glowing. “Goku….?”

 Goku looked at his glowing hands. He could feel the transformation but didn’t know how it happened. One moment he thought of Gohan, saw his broken body and felt a burst of anger. He changed into a Super Saiyan against his will. Soba stared while Udon clutched to his father while looking at Goku in fear.

 Goku wanted to say there was nothing to fear but something caught his peripheral. A mirror hung a few steps behind him. Goku returned to the mirror. He stared back at himself stunned at the image reflecting at him. “So, this is how I look as a Super Saiyan.”

 “Super Saiyan?” Soba murmured.

 Goku studied his face. He looked so angry. His eyes were teal and his blonde hair stood up straight. During his fight against Freeza, he never knew what he looked like. He only knew his appearance and demeanor frightened Gohan and now Udon.

 “Goku,” Soba called him again. “Could you change back? You’re scaring my son.”

 Goku looked away from the mirror to Udon. Udon hid behind his father. He didn’t mean to scare the child but he didn’t know how to stop the transformation. He did it once on Namek but it was instinctual. He didn’t feel the desire to fight Freeza anymore and his body powered down. Goku closed his eyes and mentally tried to turn off the transformation but nothing worked. How? How did he do it on Namek?

 “You were angry earlier,” Soba told him. “Think of something calm, something that makes you happy.”

 Calm. What made him calm? What made him happy? Fighting made him happy. No, he can’t think of fighting. That made him angry now. Food! Food made him happy. A memory of him, Gohan and ChiChi on a beach together eating appeared in his mind. The happy memory soothed Goku. He felt his Ki falling, his temper cooling. His hair turn black and fell into place again. Goku closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the wall.

 “No wonder you could kill Freeza. Your Ki was enormous. You must be the most powerful person in the universe.” It should be a compliment but Soba wasn’t smiling. “You don’t have control over this power, do you?”

 “No,” Goku said shakily. “It’s new.” He pushed away from the wall. “I’m all right,” he smiled trying to assure Soba. “I’m just hungry.”

 Soba nodded but from the look in his eyes Goku knew Soba didn’t believe him. He followed after Soba and Udon. Physically, Soba appeared strong but his Ki was small. It didn’t match his build. Goku wondered if he was suppressing his strength. Since Soba asked him many questions, Goku thought it was fair he do the same. “You felt the rise of my energy. Can you read Ki?”

 “Yes. It’s a natural gift of our people. I wasn’t aware a Saiyan could read Ki.”

 “Why?”

 “Saiyans, anyone serving Freeza, wore scouters. They couldn’t do it naturally. Since you didn’t grow up as a Saiyan, you learned how to read Ki naturally. I’m sure you’ve suspected I’m suppressing my Ki.”

 He did but how much was Soba suppressing?

 ****

 Goku sat on the edge of his bed as he was examined by another Yardratian. Yaki was the doctor who treated Goku after he crashed. Unlike Soba and Udon, Yaki’s skin was pink like Ramen, the other Yardratian that came while Goku had breakfast with Soba and Udon. Ramen was a scientist and technical expert.

 Finished with her exam, Yaki placed her tools in her medical bag. “Physically, you’re fine, Goku. All your wounds should be gone in two or three days but I recommend resting until you are completely healed.”

 Soba leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. “What about that outburst Goku had earlier?”

 “That’s mental.” She shrugged at a lost herself. “I don’t know anything about Saiyans but you say this transformation isn’t normal, Goku?”

 Goku scratched his head trying to remember what Vegeta and Captain Ginyu said. “All I know is it was something Freeza feared. I became a Super Saiyan because I was triggered by rage. He killed my friend in front of me.” The horrible image of Krillin soaring in the air; his terrifying scream for Goku before his body blew up angered Goku. He clenched his fist wishing Freeza was here so he could pummel him again. “He threatened to kill my son.”

 Soba and Yaki were stun as Goku suddenly changed into a Super Saiyan. Soba jumped in front of Yaki. Goku appeared as stunned as them at this change. Goku returned to his base state thinking of his family again. Yaki tried to move to examine Goku again but Soba kept himself protectively in front of her.

 “It’s seems you’re transforming base on memories of rage, too,” Yaki observed. “That’s not good.”

 Goku agreed. He was a walking time bomb in this state. He needed to master this transformation and control of his rage before he went home. He couldn’t be this way around Gohan and ChiChi. Besides mastering this Super Saiyan transformation, Goku had an important question. “How long will it be before my ship is fixed and I can go home?”

 Ramen entered the room upon hearing the question. “At best, two months.” Once he learned Goku’s story, he made a call to his team to begin repairs and plot the ship’s course to Earth. “The ship was badly damage when it crashed. We will have to create parts to modify it for the ship. It should be a month before all repairs are made. We’ve already created a flight plan from Yardrat to Earth. You should be home in a month after you leave.”

 A month. Goku thought that was all he needed. He hopped off his bed. “I better get started mastering this Super Saiyan transformation.”

 Soba was alarmed by Goku’s words. “You think you can master this in a month?”

 “Sure. I mastered a hundred times gravity in six days.” Goku was positive he can master being a Super Saiyan the same way.  

 Soba wasn’t as confident. “Yaki, Ramen. Give us a moment.”

 Goku noticed Yaki and Ramen left without question. There was something unique about Soba. He noticed it when Yaki and Ramen arrived earlier. They both took directions from him as if he was their leader. The way Soba jumped in front of Yaki said something, too.

 “Are you the leader of this planet?” Soba raised an eyebrow. “A protector?” Goku guessed “I noticed how you got in front of Yaki when I changed.”

 “Protector,” Soba admitted. “Yardrat doesn’t have an army but there’s a group of us that protect this planet. This area is my quadrant.”

 Soba was a fighter. This intrigued Goku. “How strong are you?”

 A smile curved Soba’s face. He expected that. “Let’s just say if the Ginyu Force came here, they wouldn’t have won.” Goku’s face lit up excited. If he knew Saiyans from the little information he read about, Goku will want to fight him. “But you have a problem, Goku. This transformation is more than physical. It’s mental, too. Maybe psychological. You have to get control of it before it gets out of hand.”

 “I will,” Goku promised. With his two sudden outbursts, Goku understood Soba’s concerns, but Goku knew he will master being a Super Saiyan as he mastered every new challenge he faced. His main concern was time and how long he will be here before he achieve his goal.

 ****

 He hadn’t meant to attack her the moment she came in the room but he had this strange need in him that only ChiChi could squelch. He had ChiChi pinned to the door; his face buried in her neck. “You smell so good.” His tongue licked her neck. “Taste so good here.” Goku slipped a hand under her gown to between her legs. He brought his fingers to his lips and licked. “Taste even better there.”

 “Goku….” ChiChi pressed her hands against his chest. “Gohan’s awake in the other room. Ah!” She was turned around so her front pressed against the door. “It’s almost his bedtime. We can mmmm…..” her words were cut off at the feel of Goku entering her.

 “Gohan’s watching that movie.” He thrust into her. “He’ll be fine.” He slapped his body against her faster. “Besides, it makes it more exciting to finish before we’re caught.”

 “Huh?” ChiChi turned her head to him. “Are you crazy? It’s no—ah!”

 Goku nibbled her neck. “It is.” He gripped her breasts and massaged her tender flesh as his hips slap against hers.

 A light tapping knocked on the door. “Mommy. Daddy. The movie is over.”

 The sound of Gohan on the other side should’ve ceased their activity but Goku kept moving. ChiChi tried to break away from Goku. “Goku,” she hissed. “It’s Gohan. Sto—mmm!” She gasped as Goku slammed in her. ChiChi covered a hand over her mouth while the other pressed against the door.

 “Can’t stop now.” Goku grunted as he rocked her body against his faster. “Almost… there. Uh…. little more…..” One of his hands slid between ChiChi’s legs. His rapid strokes and pounding left ChiChi screaming in her hand.

 “Mommy?” Gohan called again. His hand slapped the door. Thumps were Gohan’s answer as Goku brought him and ChiChi to their peak. “Daddy?” Goku buried his mouth in ChiChi’s shoulder to subdue his roar as he came in her. ChiChi bit her hand to muffle her scream. Gohan kept knocking. “Are you asleep?”

 Goku released his hold on ChiChi’s hips as he pulled out. ChiChi slid to the floor. “No….” Goku panted. Smirking at ChiChi’s exhausted state, Goku hurriedly pulled up his pants.

 “What’s going on?” Gohan asked through the door.

 Goku opened the door, slightly sweating with a flushed face and bare chest to his three-year-old son. “We’re fine, Gohan. Mommy and I were exercising and we’re a little tired.”

 “Oh,” the child believed him. “My movie’s over.”

 “Then it’s time for bed. Go to your room. Mommy and I will be there to say good night.”

 “Okay.” Gohan walked off unaware of what really happened.  

 Goku closed the door. He turned to ChiChi and was met with a slap against his face. “I hope you enjoyed that because we won’t be doing that for a while.”

 “ChiChi----“

 “That was embarrassing! We could’ve been caught!”

 Smirking, Goku pushed ChiChi against the door again and pressed his lower body against hers. “That made it even more exciting.” ChiChi’s face flushed as Goku rubbed against her.

 “Didn’t you hear what I said? No more---“ she was cut off with Goku’s lips against hers. She balled her fists and hit his shoulders but the fighting was temporary as Goku’s lips and tongue heated her up again.  

 The moment ChiChi kissed back Goku deliberately broke off the kiss. Her flushed cheeks; the anger in her eyes; the way her breasts rose and fell; her wonderful scent! The woman didn’t know what she did to him! “I heard you and I don’t care.” He opened the door. “Let’s put Gohan to bed and I’ll put you to bed when we come back.”

 Goku’s eyes jolted awake. He laid in bed panting. What kind of dream was that? No. It wasn’t a dream. That actually happened. He remembered ChiChi being angry with him one morning. She told him they were intimate with Gohan standing outside their room. ChiChi accused him of seducing her for hours but he didn’t remember their intimacy. He knew ChiChi wasn’t lying. The marks on their bodies and bedsheets were proof they were intimate.  

 “Why am I remembering this now?”

 Goku rolled on his side confused. He stared at the empty space beside him. This side of the bed was ChiChi’s. Sometimes she slept on her back. Most times she slept on her side facing him. In the winter, she cuddled with him, saying his body heat kept her warm. In the summer, especially during heatwaves, ChiChi didn’t sleep next to him but she certainly tempt him when she slept in nothing or her underwear. There was that one time ChiChi tempt him in the shower.

 “Wait a second.” New images poured into Goku’s mind. “I remember now. This happened on the night of a full moon.”

 Goku dipped his hand in the water. The water in the cauldron was ready for him and ChiChi. Goku entered his home in search for his wife. She wasn’t in the kitchen so he went to their bedroom. ChiChi held him back all night. No more he thought. He was gonna have his way with her. She wasn’t in the bedroom but he felt her Ki in the bathroom. Opening the door, he found ChiChi in the shower. Her back was to him and it was evident she hadn’t noticed him.

 Perfect Goku thought as he removed his clothes and stepped in the shower. ChiChi turned to strike him as if he was an intruder. She turned her back on him to finish her shower but Goku had other plans. He took away ChiChi’s soapy sponge and used his hands to clean ChiChi.

 “Goku…” her breath hitch as one soapy hand squeezed a breast and the other slipped between her legs. “Goku….this isn’t exactly what I had in mind.”

 “It’s what I had.” He moved his lips along her neck. “Relax,” Goku whispered against her. He continued to knead her breasts and stroke between her legs. He touched her before but never like this. It was so bold and arousing. Water sluiced down their bodies as ChiChi gave in to the emotions Goku stirred in her. With his mouth sucking her neck, one hand taking turns kneading and pinching her breasts and the other stroking the sensitive area between her legs, it didn’t take long for her orgasm to hit.

 Goku didn’t stop there. He was greedy. He needed more before they soak in the cauldron. He kneeled before ChiChi who pleaded they shouldn’t be doing this in a shower. Goku didn’t listen and ChiChi squirmed under his probing tongue. With a gentle tug, ChiChi pushed Goku in deeper. With slow then quick licks and circling against her hardened nub, ChiChi was reduced to begging. Her whimpers thrilled him. A few licks and she was close but then Goku pulled away, moving that wicked tongue of his in her inner cavern. His eyes met hers. She taunted him so much tonight, it felt so good to give back what she delivered to him. She was hungry, begging for more but he moved at his pace. He took joy in tormenting her.

 Both hands gripped his hair and pushed him against her hip. A few moans and yeses rolled from her lips as she grind against his wicked face. His tongue probe deeper forcing a blessed release from her. Goku held her thighs to steady her as the aftershocks of her orgasm rolled from her body.

 As soon as Goku rose to his feet, ChiChi yanked him to her in a savage kiss. Goku surprised ChiChi by lifting and pressing her firmly against the wall. Spreading her legs, he easily slid into her wet channel. ChiChi wrapped her legs around Goku’s waist as he pushed deep inside her.

 “How does it feel?” Goku grinned at her as he pummeled deeper, causing ChiChi’s voice to get higher with each thrust. “Have you been missing this as much as me?”

 “Yes,” ChiChi whimpered. “More….” She begged. “I need more.”

 Damn right she did he thought he slammed into her hard. Perhaps he should be a little more careful. She wasn’t as strong as him but she was his wife. She can take everything he gave her.

 Goku rolled on his back. He ran a hand down his sweating face. Before now, he only remembered pieces of that night. He couldn’t recall them being in the shower or their time in the cauldron. He didn’t remember his vicious killing of the tiger and wild boar. What had come over him then? Why were the memories finally surfacing?

 Goku shifted in bed uncomfortable. He could see something poking through the sheets. It has been a while. Goku pulled off the covers and swung his legs off the bed. His mind was bombarded with images of him and ChiChi in intimate moments. Moments he never remembered but was told by ChiChi. He could see it all now. He saw images of the night he and a pregnant ChiChi were intimate; the broken bed; the hallway; the bathroom; the kitchen; outside…. everything was coming back to him.

 His body suddenly felt hot. His skin was burning. He tried to cool down by pushing the images aside but they become more intense as he tried to resist. He could hear ChiChi’s moans, feel her nibbling his skin, feel her legs wrap around his hips, her nails clawing down his back; feel himself moving in her.

 He exploded, muscles expanded, hair changing again.

 Goku stared at his glowing body. He did it again. Impulsively changed. It’s been a month and he wasn’t progressing as well as he liked. This was a serious problem.

 ****

Soba stood at the door of his home, waving goodbye to Udon as he left for school. He noticed Goku walk up the path Udon left on. Goku smiled at the child, spoke and continue to Soba’s house. The smile on his face turned into an intense frown.

 “Where did you go?” Soba asked as Goku stepped in. Goku looked haggard. “Your Ki woke me up last night. I checked on you but you were gone. You spontaneously changed again, didn’t you?”

 “Yeah.” Goku settled in a chair. “I was up all night training until I couldn’t maintain being a Super Saiyan anymore.”

 Soba prepared Goku’s breakfast plates. “Didn’t thinking of your wife or son calm you down?”

 “Thinking of ChiChi would’ve made things worse.”

 Soba wondered what that meant. “You have been making progress. You haven’t spontaneously change in a week. What happened?” Goku didn’t answer. Soba found that strange as Goku didn’t mind sharing thoughts of his training. Soba returned to the table with Goku’s plates. “Goku?” Soba pried again.

 Goku took his food, ate quietly and confessed, “When I see a full moon, I black out until the next morning. I never remember anything. I saw a full moon here two days ago. I didn’t black out and now I can remember things that happen when I saw a full moon.”

 “If I recall, Saiyans turn into what we call Oozarus when they see a full moon.”

 “I didn’t have my tail then. I didn’t turn into a giant ape but I act differently.” He didn’t feel like eating but Goku forced himself because he knew he will be starving later. He also didn’t want to appear rude. Soba opened his home to Goku. He’s been kind and helpful to him as he navigate this change in him since he arrived a month ago. “I don’t know what’s going on with me.”

 Soba leaned against the counter thinking. Goku was an open book to him when sharing what he knew about Saiyans, his martial arts life and some of his family life on Earth. It gave Soba insight into the man Goku is. “You told me you don’t remember your programming because you hit your head. All your life a part of yourself was hidden from you. This transformation opened that and now you’re remembering things that happened: good and maybe bad you didn’t know about.”

 The dreams about ChiChi Goku thought were very good but unfortunately frustrating with ChiChi not here. Goku was troubled about the possibility of bad memories being uncovered. He exploded into a Super Saiyan remembering him and ChiChi being intimate. How will he react if he recovers the suppress memories of killing his grandpa?

 ****

 “Get out!” Yamcha screamed. “We’re done for if we don’t get out of here!”

 Goku heard Yamcha’s voice but where was he? Goku spotted the shine of the night sky. The full moon. It called to him. Destroy the moon told him. Destroy everything around him. Goku obeyed prying a large pillar from Emperor Pilaf’s castle.

 He spotted Emperor Pilaf, Mai and Shu escaping in a plane. They tried to kill him and his friends earlier. He couldn’t let them get away. Goku threw the pillar at the plane. It was a direct hit. Goku raised his large ape arms in the air happy at his destruction. He needed to do more. He needed to kill everything around him.  

 “Run!” Yamcha screamed. “Before he crushes us!!”

 “Goku!!” Bulma yelled. She laid on the ground trapped under rubble from Pilaf’s castle. “Will you quit it?! It’s not funny anymore!”

 There! Goku finally spotted Yamcha and Bulma on the ground. They were so tiny. Kill. Destroy. He heard the command in his mind again. Goku raised his furry foot and slammed it down, barely missing Yamcha, Oolong and Puar.

 Yamcha disappeared from Goku’s view. He wondered where he went until he felt something grab his tail. He tried to move but something held him back. He heard Yamcha yell. “Puar! Turn into a pair of scissors!”

 Scissors? That’s what happened to his tail!

 “Goku? Goku? Goku!”

 Goku snapped out of his reverie. Soba was staring at him. That frown. He was annoyed. “Hmm. What?”

 Soba sighed. He crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re spacing out again. You had another memory, didn’t you?”

 “Yeah.” Goku rubbed the back of his neck feeling awkward. He leaned on his repaired spaceship. It was fixed a while ago but it wasn’t until now, Goku felt ready to use it. This vision of him at Pilaf’s castle was the first one he had in a month. Now Soba knew he was still having these visions, Goku prepared himself for what Soba will say.

 “Goku, I think this is a sign you’re not ready to go home.”

 Here we go. Yesterday, Goku announced he will be going home. Since then, Soba have tried to talk Goku into staying longer. Goku appreciated Soba’s advice and friendship. With both being warriors, a mutual respect and brotherhood formed among them. He knew what he shared with Soba, he didn’t share with any other Yardratian. Maybe if he wasn’t feeling so homesick Goku would take Soba’s advice and stay a few more months but he wanted to go home.

 “I’ve been here long enough. It’s been four months. I’ve finally gotten control of being a Super Saiyan. I can change at will now.”

 “You can change at will but you haven’t gotten control of that rage in you. Last week you had a nightmare about Freeza.”

 “That was a fluke and it wasn’t a real memory.”

 “It doesn’t matter. You turned into a Super Saiyan in your sleep and destroyed your bed. What if you go home and that happens when you’re in bed with your wife?” Soba tried to get Goku to understand but his friend was stubborn. “Goku, you have a kind, innocent nature but that Super Saiyan transformation did something to you psychologically. It’s brought out things you’ve suppressed for years. You won’t overcome that in a few months. You need more time. As a warrior, I understand this. I’ve been through this. Listen to me when I tell you you’re rushing this.”

 “I know my training isn’t complete but it’s complete enough that I can go home. I’ll finish it there.”

 “Even at the risk of hurting your family?” Soba asked. It was a low blow but Soba hoped it was enough for Goku to understand the danger he is right now.

 Soba’s words struck him hard. Hurting his family was the last thing he wanted. “I’m hurting them now by being away.” How dare Soba say that? “They probably think I’m dead, Soba! It’s been four months and I haven’t been able to contact them to let them know I survive Namek’s explosion!” He stepped from his ship and nearly slammed the door. “I’ve been training myself every day for the last four months just to get control so I can go home to them and you accuse me of hurting them?!!” His eyes changed to teal, his hair stood up but remained black. Goku could feel himself on the verge on changing into a Super Saiyan against his will. Damn! This wasn’t what he wanted. He had control for a month now!

 Soba remained where he stood. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t blink. “This is why I say you’re not ready to go home.”

 Goku’s eyes returned to normal and his hair fell into place. After four months, he didn’t need to think of his family to calm down.

 “Goku…..”

 Multiple sonic booms clapped in the sky forcing Soba and Goku’s eyes upward. They saw multiple round pods streaking in the sky towards the city.

 Goku recognized the pods. “Those are…..”

 “Freeza’s pods,” Soba finished. Though they were on the outskirts of the city, the sudden loud boom in the city was heard by them. This is what Soba feared most. “I thought with Freeza being dead, we didn’t have to worry about an attack.”

 “I’ll help you,” Goku jumped in the air.

 “Wait.” Soba jumped in the air. “Flying will take too long.” He grabbed Goku’s wrist. Goku felt him and Soba disappear from where they were. They suddenly arrived in a classroom full of frightened children.

 “Papa!” Udon ran to his father.

 Goku looked around baffled. How did they suddenly arrive here? How did they travel over twenty miles in seconds? What did Soba do?          

 Soba held Udon in his arms as he stepped away from Goku and to Udon’s teacher. “Goku and I will stop the invaders. Get the children to the safe zones. Contact Ramen, Yaki and all the adults. Spread the word. Everyone must get to a safe zone.”

 The teacher nodded. “Chain link, children.” All the children crowded together and held hands. Soba hugged Udon before placing him back on the floor. Udon joined his teacher and held her hand. Goku saw everyone disappear in seconds.

 “What the….?” Goku was speechless. What was going on? “What just happened? How did everyone disappear?”

 “It’s a secret of our people, Goku.” Soba grabbed Goku’s wrist again. They disappeared and appeared in the center of the city. The invaders weren’t on Yardrat for long but they turned the heart of the city into a warzone. Vehicles were destroyed or overturned; buildings were on fire or crumbling, bodies lied in the streets. At the center of it all, ten aliens of different shapes, sizes and colors dressed in armor similar to the Ginyu Force. They fired energy blasts around them at buildings, at vehicles and people.

 Soba attacked first. He disappeared from Goku’s side and appeared in front of an invader. One fist to his stomach had an invader crumpling to the ground unmoving. His posture reminded Goku of how Recoome fell to his attack. Soba didn’t waste time admiring his work. He fought off another invader and in two moves, he was on the ground unconscious.

 Goku knew Soba was a warrior. They had friendly spars to test Goku’s control and strength. Goku held back but he didn’t suspect Soba did, too. He moved so fast now. His Ki rose when he attacked but dropped when he wasn’t fighting. It was similar to him when he fought Burter and Jeice but Soba’s disappearing technique made him sharper than Goku.

 He was so focused watching Soba Goku wasn’t aware of invaders creeping on him until it was almost too late. Goku jumped to dodge a punch to his head but he was left vulnerable to another invader who shot a ball of Ki at Goku’s back. Momentarily stunned, Goku plummeted. He caught himself before he hit the ground. As soon as his toes touched the ground he bounced himself back off his feet to strike the one who hit him. One punch had him falling faster than when he struck Recoome.  

 Seeing as how he quickly dispose of one, three attacked Goku at once. Goku grinned as his swift, smooth moves deftly avoided the arms, fists and legs of his opponents. If he hadn’t achieve his Super Saiyan ability, they would be a challenge.

 “Why are you still following Freeza’s orders?” Goku asked the three. “He’s dead. Leave these people alone and leave this planet.”

 The three fighters suddenly broke away from Goku. Goku stared at them bewildered. Were they giving up? One pointed at him. “You. You’re the one who fought Freeza.”

 Another spoke. “You’re the one who escaped Namek.”

 The third one explained. “We tracked all the ships that went to Namek. We only found one that escaped. We thought Recoome was stranded or imprisoned here. We thought he will tell us who put our master in his critical state but you escaped in his ship.”

 “That’s right.” Goku wouldn’t deny it. “So fight me and leave these people out of this.” Wait. What did he say about Freeza? “Critical state? Are you saying Freeza isn’t dead?”

 “We found him drifting in space weeks ago. He was barely alive.”

 “Even after all his surgeries, he’s still barely alive,” another invader added. “The machines are keeping him alive. If he recovers, he will never be the same.”

 “So, he’s not a threat anymore.” That was the only good news to learning Freeza was still alive. It angered Goku Freeza’s followers insisted on carrying out Freeza’s evil. It angered him they came to this innocent planet because of him. His control was slipping again. His hair flickered between black and blonde. But he was smiling. To unleash his slipping rage on them……

 It’s what they deserve.

 “Goku, stop it! This isn’t you!”

 That voice. It was Soba but Goku heard someone else say the same thing. His Grandpa! Suddenly, Soba and all the members of Freeza’s gang vanished around him. He wasn’t on Yardrat now. He was home at Mount Paouz. It was nighttime and the full moon was bright.

 “Goku, stop it! This isn’t you!”

 It was his grandpa. He look so tiny from his view but Goku recognized him. His heavy feet made the ground shake with each step. The quakes were so powerful his home collapsed under the pressure.

 Goku saw his grandpa running away but Goku wouldn’t let him escape. Trees fell at Goku’s footsteps; animals scampering to safety were crushed under Goku’s feet.

 “Stop, Goku!” Grandpa Gohan screamed. “You don’t know what you’re doing!”

 Grandpa was wrong. He knew what he was doing. It felt good to crush everything in his path. It felt good to release his rage.

 “I don’t want to hurt you but you leave me no choice, Goku. I barely survived the last time you changed.”

 Hurt him? Why would Grandpa hurt him? Grandpa Gohan jumped from the ground to a tree. His hands were pulled back. “Ka….me…..” Goku picked up the tree forcing his grandpa to jump. He flung the tree somewhere in the forest. His tail smacked Grandpa Gohan and sent his body hurling to another tree. He crumpled on the ground. With Goku’s heavy footsteps, the tree toppled and pinned Grandpa Gohan by his legs. Grandpa Gohan’s painful scream echoed in the night but it was muffled by Goku’s roar. Being on Mount Paouz, no one could hear him anyway.

 Grandpa Gohan pulled himself from under the tree. His legs were broken but his arms could move so he crawled. Goku stared at his grandpa. Still trying to get away. Grandpa Gohan’s belly crawl away was amusing. He couldn’t escape him. No one can.

  “My legs…” Grandpa Gohan groaned. “I won’t be able to escape you much longer, Goku.” He rolled on his back watching Goku approach. “I knew one day you will be the one to end my life, Goku. I know you don’t understand what you are doing but I forgive you and I will always be proud of you.” Those were Grandpa Gohan’s final words before Goku’s ape foot crushed his body.

 Goku didn’t hear the crunching bones of his grandpa’s body underneath him or the muffled screams. He only heard his roar in the sky under the bright full moon.

 Goku crumpled to his knees. His grandpa. He knew he killed him but until now he was spared the final moments of Gohan’s life. Even in death, Grandpa was calm and accepting of his fate. He didn’t look at Goku with hate. He spoke with pride and love for him.  

 Tears streamed down Goku’s face. Grandpa. How could I kill you? I’m sorry, Grandpa. I’m so sorry!

 Around him, the resistors of Freeza’s force crowded Goku confused. “What’s going on with him?” One moment Goku was ready to fight them and in the next he stood in a trance before crumpling to the ground.

 “Who cares?” One of the wicked invaders hand morphed into a sharp blade. “Let’s kill him.”

 Soba noticed Goku on his knees. He didn’t appear to notice Freeza’s force circling him for a final attack. He knew another memory struck Goku and judging from Goku’s body language, it was a painful one. “Goku!” Soba tossed aside his opponent. In a flash, he was at Goku’s side fighting off the opponents meant to kill him. “Goku, snap out of it! I need some help here!”

 One of the fighters caught Soba’s blind spot with a punch. Another sliced their blade across his chest. Blood spilled but it was only a flesh wound. Soba had enough wits to lead the three fighters to focus on him but it left Goku vulnerable to the remaining fighters.

 As Soba fought off his opponents, he noticed someone appear in front of Goku. It was his son. “Udon!” What was his son doing here? He saw him escape to the safe zone with everyone else. Distracted, Soba received a kick to his stomach and back and found himself temporary knocked on the ground. “Udon!”

 Udon shook Goku. “Mr. Goku. Mr. Goku. Please snap out of it, Mr. Goku. You have to help, Papa.”

 Goku raised his tear stained face. Udon. In his time here, Goku had come to know Udon as a quiet child. His shyness and easily frightened manner reminded him of Gohan before the ordeal with Raditz. He was so quiet around Goku in the early days of his arrival but over the weeks Udon opened up to him. He was a funny child. A kind one like his Gohan. He even showed hidden bravery like Gohan by coming here to help.

 Behind Udon, Goku could see the remaining five members of Freeza’s invaders land. One created a large ball of Ki and fired on them. Goku quickly grabbed the child and turned around to take the blast of his attack. Udon clutched Goku tightly as Goku’s scream rang in his ears. Udon teleported with his classmates to the safe zone but Udon grew worried over his father. With his teacher focused on keeping the other children calm, Udon teleported back to the battlefield where his father and Goku were. Seeing Goku suddenly fall and his father busy fighting off the other invaders, Udon knew he had to help. He snapped Goku out of whatever daydream he was in and in return, Goku saved his life. As he huddled close to Goku, Udon felt something strange coming from Goku. His Ki was different. Looking up, Udon saw Goku had changed into a Super Saiyan.  

 Goku released Udon. The child looked at him with wide eyes like Gohan did. He will protect this child as he protected his son. Eyes on Udon, Goku stretched a hand pointing away from him. A powerful blast of Ki expelled from his hand. Udon saw it swallow up two of the invaders surrounding his father. His father easily subdued the third fighter. Standing, Goku roared. More Ki expelled from him striking two of the fighters behind him while the other three barely avoided consumption.

 “Go!” Goku told the child. “Go to your father!” Udon left Goku and ran to his father. “Go, Soba! I’m barely controlling myself!”

 Soba picked up Udon, grabbed one of the fallen invaders and vanished.  

 The painful memories of his beloved grandpa’s death meshing with the rage against these invaders made a very toxic and dangerous combination. In his mind, Goku could hear a voice tell him to hold back but he couldn’t. These monsters didn’t deserve mercy. They fought for Freeza even when he couldn’t do it anymore. They will never stop. Mercy could not be shown for them. Only death. Goku fought against killing his opponent for years. It was his teachings under Mr. Popo Goku truly learned mercy. Perhaps, he learned too well for he couldn’t decipher between mercy and putting someone down for good. ChiChi and even Vegeta mentioned this. In the end, as much anger he had for Freeza, he showed mercy. When Goku delivered a final blow to Freeza after that mercy backfired, it still wasn’t enough. Now his loyalists continued his evil and Goku vowed no mercy for them.  

 Rising in the air, Goku sprayed the battlefield with bombs of his Ki. He purposely avoided the remaining fighters and destroyed all the space pods. None of them were escaping this planet alive. Goku dropped from the sky. His landing created shockwaves that knocked the invaders off their feet. Even seeing Goku’s rage and understanding how he was powerful enough to defeat Freeza, they charged on him, vowing to fight to their final breath.

 As a Saiyan, that got Goku’s blood pumping. Everything happened in a matter of seconds. The remaining fighters couldn’t see Goku’s movements but felt his strikes that crushed their bones, burn their insides and left them falling in a pile of defeat. It should be enough for Goku to walk away but he couldn’t. The rage grew in him. He couldn’t stop his Ki from rising. It caused the entire city to shake as if struck by a deadly earthquake. Buildings began to topple and the ground opened up. Goku could feel not all the Yardratians had escaped. He tried to find control again if only to spare them but he couldn’t stop the rage.

 Lost in his rage, Goku was unaware Soba returned and had been watching him for a while. The quakes Goku created stretched for miles. It even reached the safe zone where he teleported Udon and the only invader left. Goku had lost complete control. This is what he feared. This is why he tried to get Goku to understand he wasn’t ready to go home. With memories of his past surfacing, Soba knew there was a hidden memory that would unlock everything.

 Soba thought death was justified for the invaders but he felt some of his people still lingered in the area. They will be in the crossfires of Goku’s exploding rage. It was scary even to him how high Goku’s Ki rose. Any moment, he will explode and take everyone with him.

 As protector of this area, Soba couldn’t let that happen. He had an idea to stop Goku from destroying the city but knew it was possible it will cost him his life. He wasn’t coming out of this unharmed no matter how many scenarios he played out in his mind. Decision made, Soba disappeared from his spot. He appeared behind Goku and wrapped his arms around him. The energy pulsing around Goku burned Soba’s clothes and skin. Despite the pain, Soba concentrated, disappeared and took Goku with him.

 ****

 “You gave us a scare. We thought you wouldn’t wake up.”

 Blinking away the fog of sleep, Goku found himself in his room. Soba sat in his chair grinning as he drunk from his mug. Soba was covered with bandages on both his arms, hands and even across his chest. He wore pants but Goku suspected bandages covered his legs, too.

 The sheets rolled off Goku as he sat up. His chest was free of any injuries. He remembered Soba grabbing him and taking him away to a mountainous region where only they remained. His body was on fire and on the verge of exploding. Being near him, Soba was burned as well.

 “How long was I out?”

 “Almost a week. You had a breakthrough, Goku. Ever since that first dream, I knew more were coming. Whatever you saw, whatever caused that explosion of rage, needed to happen. Now you can properly heal and control this new power of yours.”

 His rage. It was scary but somehow he controlled it without blowing himself up when Soba took him away. It completely burnt him out and knocked him out for a week but the fact he did it, showed extreme progress and he was nowhere near ready to go home.

 “What happened to Freeza’s fighters?”

 “They’re dead including the one I took with me. We interrogated him before he killed himself in our prison. When Freeza was brought back to his planet, his condition caused extreme chaos and descent. Many who were forced to fight under him quit. Some escaped but some were killed by Freeza’s loyalists. With the war going on his planet, I doubt anyone will investigate the disappearance of those invaders.”

 That was good to hear and learning those invaders were all dead, some by his hand, didn’t bother Goku as much as he thought. It took many years but Goku finally understood some people had to be put down.

 “I’m sorry,” Goku suddenly apologized. “You’re injured because of me and I almost destroyed your city. Did my rage kill any Yardratians?”

 “No. Some got hurt in the quakes but the ones dead were killed by the invaders.” Soba regarded Goku with a kind smile. “You saved many including my son. Even in the rage of your transformation, you didn’t hurt Udon. I will be forever grateful for that. He’s all I have after I lost his mother.”

 Goku was glad that day did have some bright spots. For him, it made one unfortunate thing very clear.  “I can’t go home. Rushing home when I knew I needed more training would’ve been the worst thing.”

 Soba hated it took last week’s invasion for Goku to see that, but it needed to happen. “I promise to help you so you don’t have to stay here any longer than you have to. If there’s time, I’ll teach you a technique from my people.”

 “The disappearing one?” Goku hoped. Seeing Soba use it, Goku knew that was trick he definitely wanted to learn.

 “We call it teleportation.”

 “Teleportation?”

 Soba knew it was bending the rules. Yardratians were taught to not share their secrets with outsiders but since Goku saved the city and his son, Soba thought he could make an exception in that rule. “We only need to feel someone’s Ki wherever they are and teleport ourselves to them. It’s something we’re taught as children. That’s how Udon found us. As he gets older, his mental abilities will get stronger. He’ll learn to teleport himself to places without Ki like I did transporting us to the mountains. Teleportation is not an easy technique but I think you can do it. It might actually come in handy.”

 Yaki entered the room. She came by everyday to check on Goku. “Ah. My patient is awake.” She opened her medical bag ready to give Goku another exam. “How are you feeling?”

 Before Goku could answer, he suddenly perk up as an invisible force struck him. Soba and Yaki felt a strong Ki in the air. It was brief and faded like the sudden aura that surrounded Goku.  

 Yaki looked around nervous. “What was that?”

 “I think I felt the Ki of the Namek dragon,” Goku tried to understand what just happened, too. “It surrounded me for a moment. Last time I felt this Ki, I was on Namek when a wish---“ It suddenly hit him. “The Namek dragon balls are ready to make a wish. My friends must be trying to summon me.”

As much as he wanted, Goku knew he couldn’t go home now. He didn’t have as much control as he thought. If he went home, his uncontrolled anger could be triggered to hurt ChiChi or Gohan. “I can’t go home now.”

 Soba got an idea. He held his hands out to Goku and Yaki. “We’ll form a barrier. With our minds we’ll form a barrier to stop Porunga from teleporting Goku to Earth. Goku, we’ll open a link. We won’t be able to maintain it for long since most of our power will be on the barrier but once that link open, you have to tell Porunga to not wish you back.”

 Goku didn’t know how he’ll do that but he’ll try. He held Soba and Yaki’s hand while Yaki held his and Soba’s hands. The two Yardratian bow their heads and closed their eyes. Goku felt their Ki rising and intertwine with him as if they were bonding. Following their manner, Goku closed his eyes and concentrated. He was floating in space. He soared past planets, moons and stars. All look foreign until he saw a familiar planet with rings around it. He passed another large planet with a giant red spot. He saw them in one of Gohan’s books. He remembered ChiChi teaching Gohan about planets. A red planet. Goku knew that one. It was closest to….

 Earth! Goku couldn’t believe his eyes. He descended through the skies and clouds until he came upon a night sky and Porunga towering over Bulma’s home in West City. In front of the dragon among the Namekians and his friends, were Gohan and ChiChi. His family. They were there together, happy and looking up at Porunga.

 ChiChi. Gohan. What he will give to hold them now.

 Krillin suddenly materialized before everyone. Krillin! Goku mentally cheered. Porunga brought him back to life! He didn’t know the Namek dragon could bring someone back to life after they were wished back.  

 “For the last wish, bring Son Goku here!!” Bulma cheered.

 Goku saw Dende translate the wish to Porunga. Goku suddenly felt a pull. His body was being pulled in two different directions. He felt Porunga’s pull to honor the wish but he also felt Soba and Yaki’s mental pull to keep him on Yardrat.

 “Now, Goku,” Soba spoke in a strained voice. “Talk to Porunga!”

 Goku mentally reached out to the Porunga as he did with King Kai when he battled Freeza. “Porunga, I refuse your wish. I do not want to be wished back to Earth. Tell everyone, I will return on my own.” Goku still felt the pull from Porunga. He tried again. “I refuse your wish! I will return on my own!”

 Porunga dropped his pull. Free from Porunga, Soba and Yaki began pulling Goku from Earth. Goku stole one more look at his family before he was mentally pulled from them. The last words he heard came from Porunga: “He refuses. Son Goku said he will return on his own.”

 Goku felt himself freefalling pass the planets in his solar system, past other planets and galaxies until he was back in this solar system and mentally falling back to this planet. Soba and Yaki dropped their hold on him. Yaki sat on the edge of Goku’s bed exhausted. Soba leaned on his desk drained.

 “Wow,” Yaki rubbed her temples. She had a killing headache. “I never had to use my telepathy that far.”

 “None of us have.” Soba’s head was pounding. That barrier and mental link strained him to exhaustion. Soba looked over at Goku. His head was bowed and he was very quiet. He couldn’t imagine what Goku was thinking. He knew how determined Goku was to go home. To be so close to being with his family only to refuse to come back for their safety had to crush Goku.

 “Tomorrow, Goku,” Soba promised. “Tomorrow we’ll get started.” Goku didn’t say anything. He kept his face down, shielding himself from their view. Soba touched Yaki’s arm. “Come on, Yaki. We should go.”

 Yaki wanted to stay a little longer to catch her breath. She almost spoke her need when she saw Soba pointing at Goku. His face was hidden but she noticed a tear drop on his hand. Quietly, Yaki grabbed her medical bag and left the room with Soba.

 ****

 “So, what do we do now?”

 ChiChi wasn’t aware who asked and she didn’t care. She only knew Goku wasn’t coming home today. She told her father Goku was coming home today. She told Mrs. Niver Goku was coming back. The Spring Festival wasn’t until three months from now but her people were expecting to see Goku before that. Maybe she could stall Goku’s absence a little longer but if Goku doesn’t return by the Spring Festival, there will be no stopping Mrs. Niver or the rumors that will surface.

 “Mom? Mom?”

 ChiChi noticed her son tugging her hand. “Sorry, Gohan. Did you say something?”

 “Could we say hi to Yamcha?”

 “Yamcha?” Wasn’t he still dead?

 “We used the third wish to bring him back since Daddy didn’t want to come home.”

 ChiChi looked around and noticed the Namekian dragon was gone, the Namekians and everyone else were going back inside. Lost in her daze, she hadn’t noticed they used the third wish. “For a few minutes,” ChiChi told her son.

 ChiChi followed everyone to the zoology floor where Dr. Briefs kept all his pets. ChiChi heard Bulma scream and run into Yamcha’s arms. Seeing how Yamcha spun Bulma around left ChiChi feeling envious. It’s how she imagined her reunion with Goku. ChiChi didn’t like Bulma because of the secrets she kept from her but she was happy for Bulma and Yamcha.

 “How are you feeling?” Krillin asked.

 “It’s great to be back!” Yamcha happily told his friend. He held Bulma tightly against him. “I’m still confused. I thought Goku was coming back. What happened?”

 “He didn’t want to come back,” Bulma explained. “He said he will come back on his own.”

 “On his own?” Yamcha repeated confused.

 “If you ask me, Goku didn’t want to come home because he will have to deal with ChiChi. She was probably waiting to yell at Goku for being away for so long even though we all thought Goku died on Namek.”

 “Um, Bulma,” Krillin interrupted.

 “I agree,” Master Roshi jumped over Krillin. “She almost attacked me for making a joke earlier. She’s cute but she’s as cantankerous as Lunch.”

 “Really?” This was surprising to Yamcha. “Last time I saw her, she and Goku were leaving after the tournament. They seem happy. Why would she yell at him when she knew Goku died?”

 “She does that a lot,” Bulma said with a shake of her head. “Be glad you didn’t have to deal with her like we did after Goku died and in the hospital after Goku’s fight with Vegeta. She was out of control. Always ranting and screaming. I don’t know how Goku deals with it but he must be okay with it to stick with her after all this time.”

 “Bulma!” Krillin tried again.

 “She was ornery when we were waiting for the fight between Goku and Vegeta to be over.” Oolong rubbed his face remembering how ChiChi hit him when he, Master Roshi and her father tried to stop her from going to the fight. “If Goku had to deal with that for five years, I bet he was glad he died just to get away. Maybe he’s taking his time returning because he doesn’t want to live with his wife again.”

 “Wow.” This was all news to Yamcha. “I thought about checking on her after my training with Kami.” Yamcha shrugged. “Guess it’s a good thing I forgot or she would’ve yell at me, too.”

 “Check on her?” Bulma eyed Yamcha suspiciously. “Why?”

 “She’s Goku’s wife. She lost Goku and her kid for a year. I wanted to see if she’s doing all right.” Whoa. Yamcha stepped back. Bulma was pissed. “Why are you mad?”

 Bulma tapped her foot and crossed her arms. She was super pissed. “You didn’t check on me after your training with Kami.”

 “I was gonna!” Yamcha defended himself. “I planned to see you before the fight but the Saiyans came a month early. I didn’t think I would die and be gone for six months.”

 That answer did not satisfy Bulma. “You would check on ChiChi. I seem to recall you keeping yourself real close to her when Goku fought Piccolo.”

 “Oh, come on, Bulma!” Yamcha couldn’t believe this. He hadn’t return to life for an hour and Bulma was already accusing him of being unfaithful. “She was Goku’s fiancée. I was looking out for her for Goku’s sake. Can you imagine how Goku would’ve felt if ChiChi got hurt in the crossfires of his fight with Piccolo?”

 Before Goku’s decision, Bulma would agree with Yamcha, but now…. “As if Goku would’ve cared. He completely forgot about ChiChi. He probably cared as much about her now as he did then.”

 Krillin slapped his forehead.

 Yamcha sputtered nearly flabbergasted. “How can you say that, Bulma?”

 “He didn’t come back when he could’ve!” Bulma yelled. “That tells you everything!”

 “I agree with Bulma,” Master Roshi stepped in. “I never knew you could reject a wish. To do so, you have to be lucid. So wherever he is, Goku is fine physically and mentally. He made his decision with a sound mind. He’ll come back,” Master Roshi was certain. “For his son more than anyone else.”

 “GUYS!” Krillin yelled. When he finally got their attention, Yamcha, Bulma, Oolong and Master Roshi spotted ChiChi and Gohan a few feet from them. It was evident they heard everything.

 Yamcha slapped his forehead, “Oh, geez.”

 “We’re joking,” Master Roshi waved his hands frantically fearing this time ChiChi will hit him. “It was a…..” he didn’t finish as ChiChi turned and walked away with Gohan.

 ChiChi left the zoology room and didn’t stop until she was at the end of the hall. The nerve of them! First Goku refuses to come back and now his friends with their cruel words. How could her sweet husband be friends with such heartless people? She needed a moment. If she didn’t get this moment, she will lose it and she couldn’t in front of Gohan. “Gohan,” ChiChi knelt before her child. “Mom needs to use the bathroom before we leave. You can….” She stopped, catching herself as her voice shook. She needed to calm down. She couldn’t let Gohan see her break down. “You can play with your friend, Dende, but not your father’s friends. You stay away from them until I get back. That’s an order.”

 Gohan nodded his head slowly. “Daddy is coming back, right, Mom?”

 “Of course he is.” ChiChi forced herself to smile. “Daddy just needs more time before coming home. Daddy’s probably still recovering and wants to return home in perfect health. Now go,” ChiChi encouraged Gohan to leave, “Go play with Dende.”

 Gohan gave ChiChi an impulsive hug and returned to the zoology room. Alone, ChiChi wandered the large dome home, opening several doors until she found a bathroom.

 Inside, ChiChi slid down the door sobbing. How could he? How could he not come back?

 I bet he was glad he died just to get away.

 He didn’t come back when he could’ve.

 Goku is fine physically and mentally. He made his decision with a sound mind.

 He’ll come back. For his son.

 ChiChi pulled her legs to her chest and buried her face in her knees. What about me? I’m his wife. Wouldn’t he come back for me, too?

 ChiChi didn’t know how long she cried. She only knew when she had no more tears, her head was pounding. After the tears stopped, she thought of Gohan and how he was waiting on her. That was the only motivation that forced ChiChi to her feet and go to the sink. She turned on the water and examined herself in the mirror. Oh, her eyes were so red and her face was puffy. She couldn’t let Gohan see her like this.

 ChiChi grabbed a towel, wet it and pressed it against her eyes before moving to the rest of her face. After several wipes, the redness in her eyes faded and the puffiness had gone down. ChiChi wetted the towel again. Maybe another wipe or two and she’ll be presentable for Gohan.

 “What the hell, Bulma? Vegeta’s been living here for four months!”

 ChiChi turned off the water. That sounded like Yamcha. He was mad at Bulma, too? If he were, ChiChi couldn’t blame him. She heard Bulma offer Vegeta a room but ChiChi had no idea Vegeta accepted Bulma’s offer.

 “So?” Bulma responded coolly. “The Nameks have been here for four months, too. Besides, Vegeta didn’t have any money or a place to go.”

 “Who the hell cares if he didn’t?” Yamcha yelled back. “He’s responsible for me, Tien, Chaozu and Piccolo dying!”

 “From what I heard, it was the Saibamen that killed you. Not Vegeta. Those things are dead so no harm no foul.”

 “No harm no….” Yamcha broke off the words. “I was dead!! Didn’t that mean anything to you?!”

 “Of course it did!” Bulma snapped back. “I went to Namek to get those dragon balls to bring you back! Do you know what kind of hell I went through for you?! Namek was not a day at the spa!”

 ChiChi agreed Bulma had a point. From what Gohan told her, Namek wasn’t a pleasant time but Bulma was safe where she was. Other than the encounter with Vegeta when he came to get the dragon ball Krillin possessed, Bulma remained alone but safe.

 “I appreciate that, Bulma. I really do.” Yamcha sounded remorseful for yelling at her. “But Bulma, Vegeta. How could you let him live here? He’s a mass murderer. He could’ve killed you, your parents and these Nameks.”

 “If he wanted to kill us, he would’ve done so the moment we arrived on Earth. No one’s strong enough to stop him except Goku. Vegeta’s hardly around anyway. He doesn’t hang out with me or the Nameks. He just stays in his room and comes out to eat. Sometimes he leaves and be gone all day or days.”

 “Sounds like you’re keeping tabs on him.” Yamcha was getting angry again.

 “He’s a stranger on this planet. We all should be keeping tabs on him so there isn’t an incident where an entire city is blown up because he doesn’t understand our culture.”

 “You just said if Vegeta wanted to kill he would’ve done it already so there’s no need to keep tabs on him.” Yamcha sounded suspicious. Annoyed if Chichi understood correctly. “Have you wanted to spend time with him?”

 “What the hell does that mean?” Bulma screamed. “Are you accusing me of not being faithful?”

 “Well, I was dead and I know how you are.”

 “Excuse me?!”

 “You always accused me of cheating, Bulma. I never cheated. I had a female fan club after that first tournament but I had nothing to do with that. I couldn’t do anything with them but you always got mad and accused me of cheating!”

 “You could’ve told those girls to stop it!”

 “I was still shy then!” Yamcha argued back. “I never approached them but you approached guys.”

 “Wha…. Where is this coming from?!” Bulma shouted. “You’re back after being dead for half a year and you accuse me of cheating?! When have I shown to cheat?”

 “I always looked the other way about that.”

 “Whoa! Back up. What do you mean always look the other way?”

 “Krillin told me about Commander Blue and Oolong told me you were drooling over Goku when he showed up at the last tournament.”

 Goku? ChiChi nearly dropped her towel. Bulma was attracted to Goku? Her Goku since the last tournament? Did Goku know this?

 “Oolong?!” Chichi jumped from the door at Bulma’s scream. “That damn pig and his loose lips! It’s time for him to get out my house if he’s gonna speak so badly about his hostess!”

 “You’re not denying it.”

 “There’s nothing to deny!!” Bulma was almost screeching. “I only said Goku is attractive. Last time I saw him Goku was a short little kid with a tail. He grew up to be a tall, handsome guy with no tail. There’s nothing wrong in admitting someone is attractive!”

 “Maybe,” From the sound of his voice, ChiChi suspected Yamcha didn’t completely believe her. ChiChi wasn’t sure if she did either.

 “And even if I wanted him,” Bulma went on, “I can’t have him. Goku’s married.”

 “Yeah. How foolish of Goku to marry a woman who is still loyal to him after he was dead for a year. I can’t trust my own girlfriend of a decade to be loyal after I’m dead for six months.”

 ChiChi winced at the loud sound of that slap. Bulma wasn’t a martial artist but ChiChi knew there will be a bruise on Yamcha’s face in the morning. The sound of retreating footsteps in different directions signaled the conversation was over.

 How ironic ChiChi thought as she dumped the wet towel in the hamper. “Bulma has some nerve to question my relationship with Goku when she has her own problems with Yamcha.”

 ChiChi had enough of this place and all the people here. All she want right now is take Gohan, go home and not see any of these people for a very long time. She opened the door expecting no one on the other side but was shocked to find herself staring at the Saiyan Prince, Vegeta.

 “Pathetic,” he told her.

 ChiChi stood there wondering what he was talking about.

 “I’ve spent four months traveling this planet and observing the people. I see how Kakarrot has gotten so soft. You people on this planet are pathetic. I thought with you being the wife of a Saiyan YOU would be exception but I see you’re pathetic like the rest of them.”

 “Pathetic?”

 “Where’s that fire from months ago?” Vegeta asked. “Instead of taking action, you cry like a baby. No wonder your child was so weak on Namek; helping instead of using the opportunity to attack the enemy. Kakarrot was weak, too, but he became a true Saiyan when he overcame his Earth weakness and killed Freeza.” His eyes swept over her disgusted. “Maybe they are right. Maybe you are the problem. You weakened him and Kakarrot is better off without you.”

 They call her a bad wife. They blame her Gohan wasn’t strong when they met him. They blame her for weakening and changing Goku. Yajirobe blamed her for Goku’s death; they even blamed her for them not telling her what happened to Goku and Gohan that day. ChiChi always restrained herself against Goku’s friends. They were weak and she knew her strength but this person, this Saiyan, ChiChi could extract her anger at him.

 “SHUT UP!!” ChiChi balled her fist and connected with Vegeta’s cheek.

 Vegeta stumbled back a step; shocked ChiChi actually struck him; shocked it actually stung. He expected Kakarrot’s wife to cry, maybe stand there and take his verbal abuse as she had with Kakarrot’s friends. Never did he think she would strike him. ChiChi swung at him again but this time he was ready for her. He easily dodged. She missed and punched a wall creating a hole were Vegeta’s head would’ve been. Even Vegeta’s eyes widen slightly at the impact ChiChi’s fist had on the wall.

 ChiChi didn’t try striking again knowing he would escape her fist. Instead, she yelled knowing he couldn’t escape her voice. “I’m not as strong as you, my husband or even my son but I am not weak! You have no idea the hell I’ve been through having my husband die on me and my son taken from me for a year! You have no idea what I’ve had to put up with in Goku’s cowardly friends! The lies and secrets from them!” ChiChi screamed in frustration. “Goku’s friends can criticize me all they want but they’re wrong.” At this point, ChiChi didn’t know if she was talking to assure herself or venting her rage and Vegeta of all people but she had to get this off her chest. “They don’t know what Goku and I share! The things he shared with me he never shared with them and they knew Goku longer than me! None of you know anything so shut up with your lies and hate!!”

 Vegeta chuckled arrogantly as he took in ChiChi’s angry tirade. “You’re fiery. You even resemble a female Saiyan. Kakarrot’s Saiyan instincts were alive when he chose you.”

 “I don’t know anything about Goku’s Saiyan instincts but I chose him!”

 “Hmph.” He let that sink in for a moment. “I don’t know anything about Earth customs and courtships but if Kakarrot’s a real Saiyan, you know in his own way he showed how he chose you.” He stared at ChiChi, waiting for a reaction. The woman looked as if she was thinking, wondering what he meant. Suddenly, she gasped; her eyes grew wide and her hand covered her mouth. Vegeta couldn’t help throwing his head back laughing. Kakarrot. He was a sentimental fool but there’s hope he’s a real Saiyan after all. “Earth’s culture raised Kakarrot but he never forgot his Saiyan instincts. Kakarrot’s friends will never understand his attraction to you but I see it.”

 ChiChi wasn’t sure if he complimented or insulted her. A ball of Ki formed in Vegeta’s right hand. He brought it to ChiChi’s face. The heat of it was intense. It immediately caused her to break out in a sweat. If her skin touched it, she knew the damage to her skin would be severe. Instead of showing fear, she glared at Vegeta. What was he trying to do?

 “I don’t care if you are Kakarrot’s wife. If you hit me again, I will kill you.”

 ChiChi matched Vegeta’s threat with one of her own. “You kill me. You touch me and my husband will deal with you as he dealt with Freeza.”

 The Saiyan Prince and the Princess of Fire Mountain boldly glared at each other; each refused to back down. Finally, the ball of Ki in Vegeta’s hand withered to nothing. The threatening façade on Vegeta’s face faded into a smirk. He turned away and walked off.

 ****

Nothing was spoken between Gohan and ChiChi on the ride home. Gohan played with Dende and kept away from Dad’s friends like his mother wanted. After what Bulma, Oolong and Master Roshi said, he understood why and it bothered him, too. Gohan didn’t like the things that were said about his mother. His mother yelled at his Dad but Gohan also remembered the three of them being very happy together. Dad wouldn’t stay away to keep away from Mom. He wanted to say that and tell them they were being mean to his mother but they were his Dad’s friends and he was taught to be respectful to adults. However, when his mother parked the truck and Gohan saw his mother wiping her eyes, Gohan knew he should’ve said something.

 It was depressing entering the house without Goku. ChiChi thought for sure Goku would return today. She had an entire celebration planned out. Food was on the kitchen counters and table. She spent most of last night preparing meals for Goku. She and Gohan created the “Welcome Home, Goku!” banner that hung in the kitchen. With a growl, ChiChi grabbed the broom and pulled it down. Part of the banner got tangled in the light fixture. Angry, ChiChi yanked it down. There was a pop and a flash of light sparkling before the banner and light fixture collapsed on the kitchen table destroying half the food.

 Gohan’s mouth dropped at the hole in the ceiling. ChiChi examined the broken light fixture and food that was now ruined. Some of the dishes were broken, too. ChiChi picked up a casserole dish. She remembered buying this with Goku in the days before their wedding. If it was only chipped, it would be salvageable but it was broken in half with the food contained spilling out. A set of dishes were crushed, too. ChiChi’s eyes watered at the broken plates. Mrs. Olitz gave her these dishes. Before she broke down to cry again, Gohan pushed the trash can to the table. Gohan climbed in a chair and began tossing the broken dishes and ruined food in the trash.

 It was touching Gohan wanted to help but this wasn’t his responsibility. “Go to your room, Gohan. I’ll take care of this.”

 “I want to help.”

 He was so sweet, like his father. ChiChi placed her hands on her son’s shoulders. “I know you do but this is Mom’s job. I caused this mess. I should take care of it. Go.”

 Gohan obeyed and went to his room. Knowing it will make his mother happy, Gohan studied. ChiChi called her father to let him know Goku didn’t return, she broke the light fixture in her kitchen and needed him to fix it and the hole in the ceiling. Gyu-Mao was saddened Goku didn’t return. He also couldn’t come over but he offered to call Aki. ChiChi preferred her father came. Aki’s wife was due any day now. After her labor experience with Gohan, she didn’t want Aki to be away from his wife but a quick call from Aki after she talked to her father, assured her it was fine. While she waited, ChiChi cleaned up the kitchen, tossing out the broken dishes and ruined food, sometimes crying, and sometimes growling out her frustration at Goku’s decision.

 ChiChi had calmed down when the doorbell rang. Aki like Goku. Maybe he will see optimism in Goku’s decision to stay away. She could definitely use that right now. Instead of seeing Aki on the other side of the door, ChiChi saw Kaifun.

 “Kaifun? Why are you here?”

 “Aki called me. He was on his way here but his wife started having contractions.” He noticed ChiChi hadn’t stepped aside to let him in her home. “It’s not a problem I’m here, is it?”

 ChiChi stepped aside to let Kaifun in. “Not a problem but Aki didn’t call to let me know this.”

 “I told him I’ll tell you.” He smiled at her. “And I just did.” He was all business as he went to the kitchen. Kaifun whistled at the hole. “Shouldn’t take long to fix that hole. I got some paint in my truck that matches the ceiling.” He looked at the broken light fixture on the table. He examined it and the hole again. “I can fix the wiring and put it back up but I went ahead and bought you a new fixture. It’s been six years. Might as well replace it.”

 Six years wasn’t old. It had a few more years left but ChiChi wasn’t in the mood to argue. “How much?”

 Kaifun grinned at ChiChi. “I would never charge my princess for anything.” He went outside to his truck. He returned with supplies to fix the ceiling. “Besides, this isn’t your fault. It’s Goku’s.” When ChiChi didn’t say anything, he pressed, “He didn’t come back. That’s why you have that hole in the ceiling.” He pointed to her trash can. “That’s why that “Welcome Home” banner is in the trash.”

 Why say anything when his detective work discovered the truth. “I won’t say anything but you know if Goku doesn’t show up at the Spring Festival, nothing will stop my grandmother. I won’t be able to.”

 ChiChi seethed knowing Kaifun was waiting to say ‘I told you so.’ “And you would like it more than anything to see your grandmother speak so badly about Goku.”

 “I wouldn’t mind as long as it didn’t hurt you and Gohan. You two deserved so much more than what Goku is willing to give you.”

 If she didn’t need his assistance, she would throw him out! “Goku will return. He’s just delayed.”

 “For your and Gohan’s sake, I hope so.” Kaifun silenced himself when he saw Gohan entering the room. He smiled at the child. “Hello, Gohan.”

 “Hi, Mr. Kaifun.” Gohan saw him a few times in his grandfather’s village. He was a nice man to him but he wasn’t as nice as Aki. “Where’s Mr. Aki?”

 “Mr. Aki had to help his wife. She’s pregnant and their baby may be born soon. So, I came to help out because Aki has responsibilities.” He placed a hand on Gohan’s shoulder. “You know a man is a real man when he puts the well-being of others over his selfish needs.”

 “Kaifun!” ChiChi was ready to smack him. “I’d like to have my kitchen back before dark.”

 Kaifun understood the message. “Do you want to help me, Gohan? It’ll help your Mom get her kitchen back sooner.”

 Gohan was eager to do anything to make his Mom happy. She deserved it after today. “What can I do?”

 “Gohan, you don’t need to.” The last thing ChiChi will allow is Kaifun taking subtle digs at Goku in front of his son. “Go back to your room and study!”

 “I can do this,” Gohan insisted. “I want to help.”

 “He should learn how,” Kaifun affectionately patted Gohan’s head in the same manner Goku always did. If this angered her, ChiChi knew Goku would blow Kaifun away with a Kamehameha wave if he saw it. “Gohan is man of the house until Goku returns. If something else breaks, Gohan can take care of it. You won’t have to wait hours for someone else to do it when you have a man at home who can do it.”

 “He’s five years old!” ChiChi argued. “This is not something a five year old should do.”

 “I’ve done a lot of things a five-year-old shouldn’t do.” Gohan spoke up. “I can do this, Mom. It’ll help you and I want to help you. It’s what Daddy would do.”

 Kaifun laughed but quickly covered it with a cough. “Let him help, ChiChi. Let Gohan see what a man should do.”

 If she didn’t need his help, he would be dead now. “You can show Gohan as long as you stop it with this man responsibility nonsense.”

 “Fair enough,” Kaifun agreed. He got his point across and he was pleased with that.

 ChiChi kept a watchful eye over Kaifun and Gohan. As much as she hated to admit, he was good around Gohan. Gohan listened attentively and followed Kaifun’s instructions as he showed him how to fix the hole in the ceiling, paint and helped with putting in the new light fixture. Gohan only met Kaifun a few times and each time Kaifun has always been kind to her son but this was the first time they spent a long amount of time together. ChiChi could only imagine how Goku will feel about this when he return.

 ****

 A few pictures were scattered on the bed as ChiChi added photos to the family album. Not many were taken over the months but the box was growing and ChiChi decided to take care of some of the photos before the volume got out of hand.

 The first photos she sifted through were taken at the Spring Festival. ChiChi liked the picture taken of her with Gohan and Aki with his wife and baby daughter. In hindsight, she really wished she had taken Aki’s advice and not come to the festival.  

 Being the daughter of Gyu-Mao, ChiChi expected a certain level of respect when she walked among the people in her village. The people were always kind and respectful to her, Gohan and Goku. However, this was the first time ChiChi saw pity in their eyes. No one ever said anything outright but ChiChi knew they were expecting Goku to come to the Spring Festival and when they saw only her and Gohan, assumed the worst.

 They were overly kind to her and Gohan, offering free samples of food, allowing her and Gohan to move to the front of the line when attending rides or visiting booths. Gohan received a lot of friendly attention since this was the first festival Gohan attended since the Raditz ordeal.

 “Gohan, I should carry some of that.”

 Gohan carried a bag of prizes he won at booths he visited. “I can do it. It’s really light.”

 It was still an adjustment dealing with a son so independent. Independent but still a child in many ways. Aki took Gohan off ChiChi’s hands for a ride on the Ferris Wheel. It was pleasing to see Gohan excited about riding a Ferris Wheel even though he could fly.

 In the meantime, ChiChi sat with Aki’s wife, Reia and cooed over his baby girl. When she held the child, ChiChi felt stirrings in her loins. She accepted she wouldn’t have a big family but she longed for another child. If everything since Goku’s death hadn’t happened, she knew she would be holding her second child in her arms now.

 “Oh, lord,” Reia groaned seeing someone she detest approaching. “Here comes, Mrs. Grumpy. Why couldn’t she stay home for once? Go,” Reia told ChiChi. “I’ll distract her. I’ll tell her the sun was too hot and you needed to lie down.”

 ChiChi squeezed the bridge of her nose. She prayed for strength to deal with this woman. She prayed another scene wouldn’t occur like it did on New Year’s Eve. “No. I’ll stay.”

 “Hello, Mrs. Niver,” Reia pasted a phony smile on her face as the old woman approached their table. “Nice day, isn’t it?”

 The old woman smiled as if she won the lottery and her eyes were only on ChiChi. “It’s a beautiful day! It’s a beautiful day for families, husbands and wives, mothers, fathers and their children.”

 “I think so,” Reia rocked her daughter in her arms. “My baby girl is too young now but in a few years, she’ll really enjoy these festivals.”

 “Your daughter will enjoy it with her Daddy like all the children here.” She chuckled. “Except for one.”

 ChiChi clenched her fists. If Mrs. Niver wasn’t an old woman…..

 Reia tried to change the subject. “I hear congratulations are in order. Kaifun and Ovia are engaged.”

 The news of her grandson’s engagement didn’t make the old woman very happy. “She’s a bit old and have extra padding but she’ll be a good wife for Kaifun.”

 Old? ChiChi couldn’t keep herself from responding. “Ovia is thirty-one, Mrs. Niver, and she’s not fat.”

 Mrs. Niver snorted. That’s not how she saw it. “She could stand to lose twenty pounds.” Her eyes swept over ChiChi’s figure. “You had a child and kept your body in good shape. Ovia is childless. Imagine how she will let her body go once she has one.” Reia rolled her eyes and ChiChi gasped at the rudeness of the woman. As usual, Mrs. Niver didn’t see her words as cruel. “She’s the oldest unmarried woman in the village.”

 Reia sent Mrs. Niver a wicked side eye. She was looking at the oldest unmarried woman. “Not to me,” she mumbled.

 ChiChi didn’t know if Kaifun defended Ovia to Mrs. Niver but she will. This woman didn’t know when to quit. “You’re not married and you’re much older than Ovia. How can you speak this way about your grandson’s fiancée.”

 Mrs. Niver glowered at ChiChi. “I mean she’s never been married and we both know why I’m not married anymore.” She harrumph. “At least my husband didn’t choose to ditch me.” When ChiChi didn’t respond back with a fiery retort of her own, Mrs. Niver smiled wickedly. “You know I’m right.” Mrs. Niver pointed to where Kaifun and Ovia were. They were eating at a booth. Ovia wiped food from Kaifun’s face with a napkin. In turn, Kaifun grasp Ovia’s hand and kissed it. “Take a good hard look at what you missed listening to your hormones instead of your brain. Men like Goku are the type you sleep with for a good time. You don’t marry or have families with them. Because of your selfish choice, you and an innocent child are suffering.”

 “Oh, that’s it!!!” Reia snapped. “Listen, Old Woman!” Before Reia could fire off in an angry tirade, her daughter wailed in her arms. “Dammit!” Reia gently rocked her child in her arms to soothe her cries.

 “Cursing in front of a child.” Mrs. Niver shook her head disappointed. “How appropriate for you.”

 “Don’t you start with me!” Reia threatened. “I’m not as nice as ChiChi.”

 ChiChi rose from her seat. This has gone far enough. ChiChi grabbed Mrs. Niver by her arm and dragged her to Kaifun and Ovia with several citizens watching. “Take her home!”

 Kaifun looked from ChiChi to his grandmother. He knew it was a bad idea to let her come but his grandmother promised to be on her best behavior. “Oh, Grandma, what did you say now?”

 “I only spoke the truth.”

 The truth. Her blasé response enraged ChiChi. She squeezed the old woman’s arm so hard Mrs. Niver actually cried out in pain. She was done with this woman. “You are no longer welcomed at my father’s castle for ANY festivities. If you see me or my family anywhere else in the village, you do not speak to us. If you do, I’ll personally see you are banned from my father’s kingdom.”

****

 ChiChi fanned herself with a photo. It was months ago and that moment still made her hot. The gall of that woman. She put ChiChi in a sour mood for the rest of the festival. Luckily, Gohan didn’t pick up the tension when he and Aki returned. Aki noticed it immediately and stormed off to talk to Mrs. Niver but Kaifun taken her home. ChiChi didn’t see Mrs. Niver in the village after that when she and Gohan stopped by and she didn’t come to the Fall Festival which made ChiChi happy and gave her hope Mrs. Niver was out of their lives for good.

 After fanning herself, ChiChi realized the photo she held was taken on Gohan’s birthday. That was another bittersweet moment this year. It started off well but the night was definitely one of the worst of ChiChi’s life.

 Gohan was finally asleep after a long but exciting day. It was Gohan’s sixth birthday. After Gohan finished his studies, ChiChi allowed Gohan to go outside to play. ChiChi knew Gohan was using this free time to see Piccolo since he was never allowed in her home. She didn’t like him, didn’t understand Gohan’s fascination of him and knew of no way to stop her son’s growing affection for him. ChiChi distracted herself on what those two were doing by preparing the home for Gohan’s special day. She missed Gohan’s fifth birthday. She wanted to make up with his sixth.

 ChiChi decorated the living room with a banner, streamers and balloons. She prepared all Gohan’s favorite food. She wanted everything to be perfect for him. She did the best she could but knew it would only be perfect if Goku walked through that door.  

 That afternoon, the birthday guests arrived. Gyu-Mao bought several gifts: toys, clothes and books for Gohan. Aki, his wife and daughter attended as well with a gift of their own. ChiChi took several pictures of Gohan opening presents, eating and even holding Aki’s daughter.

 That evening while Gohan slept, Aki and his family parted for home, ChiChi and Gyu-Mao sat at the table talking about the person missing from the party.

 “It’s been several months now,” Gyu-Mao sipped his drink. “Still nothing from Goku?”

 ChiChi stirred her tea. “I’m sure there’s a reason but I don’t know what could be keeping him.”

 “I talked to Goku in the hospital. I apologized for keeping my secrets and taking Gohan’s letters. He forgave me. I thought things will be good between us but I don’t like this, ChiChi. Why wouldn’t Goku come back when he had a chance?”

 “There’s a reason, Dad,” ChiChi insisted. “I don’t know what, but….”

“A reason that justify my daughter was hurt by his decision.” Gyu-Mao couldn’t accept that. He was angry. He saw ChiChi’s pain, dried her tears; felt her humiliation at the New Year’s party and the Spring Festival where ChiChi was forced to admit Goku hadn’t returned. It angered and frustrated Gyu-Mao he couldn’t do anything about it. “Goku has another six months to get here.”

 His words sounded like a threat. “Or what, Dad?”

 “Or you and Gohan are coming home with me.”

 “Dad,” ChiChi gasped. She suspected her father was a little frustrated with Goku’s choice but she didn’t expect this. “Gohan and I can’t go to your home. We have a home. Here.”

 “You and Gohan should not be living out here if Goku’s not coming back. In my kingdom, you’ll be love and wanted.”

 His words were hurtful. Was he suggesting after all this time he didn’t think Goku love and wanted her and Gohan? “How can you suggest Goku’s not coming back or downplay his feelings for me and Gohan?”

 “If he leaves you alone for a year that’s perfect justification.” ChiChi opened her mouth to argue but Gyu-Mao stopped her. “No, ChiChi. This is an order. If Goku doesn’t return after a year he’s been away, you and Gohan are coming home with me.”

 From his tone, he was serious. As angry as he got, ChiChi knew she could do nothing if her father revealed that fiery temper of his. “And what if Goku isn’t back? What if it takes two years?”

 “Are you willing to wait that long for him?” Gyu-Mao wouldn’t allow his daughter to dishonor herself. “You may think I’m being unreasonable, ChiChi, but I love you and Gohan. If Goku comes back, then he’ll have to prove himself fit to take on his responsibilities.”

 “You can’t do that,” ChiChi argued. “I’m married and I will live in the home my husband and I have shared since we married.”

 “You will always be my daughter but you may not always be a wife.” It was as if he slapped her with his words. “Married or not, you will always be my responsibility and that will mean me doing things you won’t like.”

 “Dad!”

 “I’m doing this for your own good, ChiChi.” Gyu-Mao heard enough. He would not back down on this. “If after a year, Goku hasn’t come back, you and Gohan are coming home to me. If Goku returns, then he’ll have to prove himself before I let you and my grandson in his care again.”

 ChiChi stuffed the album in the drawer of her dresser. She couldn’t believe it but a year has passed.  ChiChi thought, hoped Goku would be back by now. What was he thinking? Where was he?! Even if he had to recover from injuries Goku wouldn’t have been gone this long. She didn’t want to believe his friends, Mrs. Niver, her father but after a year what else could she think? Maybe they were right.

 Furious, ChiChi yanked her chain off neck. It had her and Goku’s wedding rings together. Growling, ChiChi tossed the rings. It bounced off the walls and landed somewhere on the floor. She didn’t care where. She didn’t want to look at them anymore. She saw Goku’s picture on her dresser top. ChiChi grabbed the picture frame and slammed it down. She saw another one on her nightstand and smacked it away. Instead of landing flat on the floor, the frame landed on the bottom with Goku’s smiling face staring at her. Seeing Goku’s face in the cracked frame, ChiChi fell on her bed sobbing. She grabbed Goku’s pillow, smothered it against her face to subdue the sound of her tears so Gohan couldn’t hear her crying. Not smelling Goku’s scent made her cry even harder.

 It was over she realized. Her life with Goku was over. She hated this. She hated what she will be forced to do. Two weeks ago her father visited asking if she wanted her and Gohan’s room to have a makeover. He was already expecting her back. She hated this so much! If she didn’t do it, she knew her father will drag her back to his kingdom kicking and screaming and she didn’t want Gohan to see that. The best way to get through it is do it on her own terms. Before her father called her or suddenly show up in an airship ready to pack her and Gohan’s things, she will call him and make plans for her and Gohan’s return to her father’s kingdom.

 ****

 Soba was remorseful as he, Udon and Goku walked to Goku’s ship. After extra months of training his mind and body to master Super Saiyan, deal with his rage and learn the teleportation trick, it was time for Goku to return home. “I’ll be lying if I didn’t say you will be missed.”

 Goku appreciated Soba, his advice and teaching. It wasn’t like having a teacher but a peer he could learn from. He’ll miss him but Goku was ready to go home. “I’ve been gone long enough, Soba.” Too long. “By the time I get home, I’d been away for a year. Gohan and ChiChi may think I’m never coming back.” He hated to think what they could be feeling now. “I just wanna go home.”

 Soba understood Goku’s desire to go home. “Miss your family?”

 “A lot. I think this whole journey has told me I’m done.” He chuckled. “ChiChi should be happy. She’s wanted me to settle down from fighting since we married.”

 “You’re getting old. Happens to all of us.”

 Old? He was only twenty-five but living the life he led, Goku’s realized he’s done more, seen more than many would see in their lifetime. “I will always love fighting. It’s in my blood. I’ll keep up with my training but I’m done being the hero. It’s time for someone else to do it.”

 Soba agreed with Goku’s desire to step down. “There’s joy being the hero but it is a heavy burden and requires sacrifice.”

 That was an understatement. Goku sacrificed a lot. He didn’t mind when it was only him but now his wife and son were paying a price, too. “I’ve been everyone’s hero since I was twelve. Even after marrying and having a kid, my friends still expect me to take care of things. When I took it easy, it affected the world. I died. My friends died. My son and friends travelled to an innocent planet to revive our friends. Innocent people were killed and lost their planet. I’m tired of everyone being affected by my decisions.”

 “You put too much on yourself. The way I see it, you had to go through those trials to be the person you are now. For the first time in your life, your past is no longer a mystery. You may not have all the answers but you know enough to be at peace. Whatever you want, go after it.”

 Soba’s wisdom will be what Goku miss the most. “I don’t wanna go home and think if I settle down again, the world’s in danger. I wanna fish with my boy and spend time with my wife. I know she wants to try for another baby. I don’t know if it’s possible but I wanna try. I’ll train. If he’s still on Earth, I’ll have a friendly rematch with Vegeta. Maybe we can be sparring partners.”

 “Good luck to you in finding your replacement. That person will have big shoes to fill.”

 “Not so big,” Goku thought with a smile. “Gohan should fill that role nicely. He has a lot of power in him. In a few years, he’ll be stronger than me.”

 “Do you really want to place that burden on Gohan?”

 “No,” Goku admitted truthfully, “But maybe he won’t ever feel that burden. Before I became a hero, the world was at peace for a very long time. ChiChi may disagree but I don’t see anything wrong if Gohan kept up with his training. It’ll be a shame to see it go to waste.”

 “Will you tell your family and friends about what happened here?”

 Goku shook his head. After what happened in the hospital, he knew better. “No. My friends wouldn’t understand. They might fear me. They have this idea of me that if it’s shifted, it’s not something they like.”

 “Hmm.” That didn’t leave Soba with a fond opinion of Goku’s friends. “They don’t sound like good friends.”

 “They’re good friends,” Goku defended them. “We’re just different. I had no idea how much they depended on me to be their savior.”

 “What about your wife and son? They should know.”

“I don’t want Gohan to know about this. ChiChi will figure me out eventually but I want some time before I explain this to her.” ChiChi will be furious he returned so late but once she cool down and he explain, things will be good between them again. She’ll understand as she always did.

 After saying his goodbyes to Soba and Udon, Goku departed Yardrat. He pressed the button for sleep mode. Sleep mode lower vitals and put the travelers for a long destination in a deep sleep. It will awaken Goku two hours before he arrive on Earth.

 Goku had a big smile on his face as he fell asleep. He was looking forward to returning home and being with his family again. He’ll go back to eating ChiChi’s delicious meals, fish and camp with Gohan, hopefully have another kid. With the work he planned to put in with ChiChi, she’ll probably be pregnant within the year. After these last two years, Goku was looking forward to a peaceful life again.  

 Part Twenty-Five: Homecoming

 AN: When reading about Yardrat for this chapter, I came across Soba who is actually a character from Dragonball Z Sagas video game in the 2000s. He is a warrior that Goku battles before he leaves for Earth. I thought he would be a perfect ally for Goku as I wrote what happened to Goku in his year away.

 It wasn’t easy trying to figure out how Goku refused a wish. I didn’t know it could be done but with the Yardratians having the ability to teleport and Goku telling everyone Yardrat people are mysterious and know a lot of weird stuff, I figured Yardrat have a lot of mental power to hold off Porunga’s wish.

 I think turning into a Super Saiyan took a mental and psychological toll on him. Going from someone who is generally happy to having pure rage had to have affected Goku and delayed his return home.

 Yamcha had to have been shock and angry at the thought of Vegeta living at Bulma’s home and while he couldn’t do anything about it, I think he voiced his opinion.

 Before anyone jump to the wrong conclusion, there is nothing romantic going on between Vegeta and ChiChi. I do think it’s interesting in fanfics how it’s written that Vegeta calls ChiChi a bitch or a harpy. Vegeta never reacted that way towards her in the manga or the anime. Towards women with the exception 18, Vegeta was aloof or nonjudgmental unless provoked. Vegeta wouldn’t call ChiChi those names because look who he got with. I think Vegeta has a low key respect for ChiChi because she is with Goku.

 This is the final chapter where Goku's friends are unkind towards ChiChi. As the story progress to the Trunks, Androids and Cell arc there are changes in these characters where they start being more civil to ChiChi.

Watching his daughter cry, be upset and care for her child alone, I think will anger any Dad to see his child suffer that way and as a parent, take matters in his own hands.

[stylepose-blog]

I'm too lazy to find the letter. give me the salt and or tea

    “jeice is the best/most powerful member of the ginyu force!” entirely incorrect. sure, he is on the team, but not once in his entire canonical run did he show a reason to be there, other than to be someone who heckles everyone else. every member of the ginyu force flexed their special abilities or had shown great prowess in battle except for him. recoome and guldo fought well ( well, guldo kind of did, but he let his power get to his head ), as well as ginyu. burter was able to exercise his speed, and had shown that he could be capable on his own. meanwhile, jeice just stood there, laughed, taunted everyone else, including his own teammates.    he had only shown himself to be useful when paired with burter, and even with ginyu, he remained off to the side until he had to fight vegeta, aside from contributing in cheating or foul play when ginyu had an advantage over goku. he’s mainly just there for show and to make himself out to be a major asshole. the only things he has are his looks ( hes not even that great. he’s cute at best ) and his one-trick pony move of the crusher ball, which he couldn’t even land, both in canon, and the king kai’s planet filler episode. but a lot of people glorify jeice and think he’s like, the coolest ever, and i really just don’t understand that. even guldo is more accomplished than him.

[dballzposting]

My saiyan oc Bulrush is LITERALLY a disgraced member of the Ginyu Force bc she LITERALLY forgot someones birthday and she was caught talking bad about their Manic Mondays and she wasnt good at the secret handshake and they finally snapped and KICKED HER OUT!!!!!!!!

Ginyu was like "YOU DOMT APPRECIATE the sexy dances that Recoome performs for us. You DONT bring ingredients for our communal brownies. You're NOT shining your brightest when we do the poses and you KNOW that's disrespectful!!!! IT'S A TEAM EFFORT AND WE'RE ALL WORKING SO HARD AND YOURE JUST NOT DELIVERING!!!"

And Bulrush goes "Yeah well maybe if you let me have a voice I'd feel more inclined to partake, you know I have some critiques on the poses we do and-"

And Ginyu points to the door and goes "YOURE OUT!!! YOURE GONE!! BANISHED! YOURE OUT OF THE FORCE!!!"

And so she packed up her stuff and left and burned the photographs but not before having a sentimental memory montage ... all those communal urinal times where they held each other's hands so securely at the urinal .. you really felt like you were supported and loved then, you know?

And they sort of miss her too, bc she was the only one who knew anything about computers, and without her Ginyu cant figure out why his computer isnt letting him go to the YouTube to watch cat vids!!! (caps lock is on so he cant log onto the computer)

So now Bulrush tells people that she used to serve in the Freeza Force but really it was the Ginyu Force... then she was BANISHED and she just sort of went where there was work .. janitor on this ship .. IT on that ship ... shes a saiyan and that should be important but it literally wasnt and isnt.

It's like how Tarble is suddenly a character and we suddenly find out that Vegeta has a brother. It's like... "OMG Goku and Vegeta are the last saiyans..! Well except for Tarble. And Bulrush. But who cares" like it doesnt matter they're not important saiyans. Like Freeza employed Bulrush and she didnt seem to hold any resentment (she should have..! But whatever...!!!) and shes literally not important

[mana-the-saiyan]

The Character Defence: Broly

In the few years that I have been a Dragon Ball Z fan, I’ve grown to love so much of it. But there is a trend that occurs in every fandom and in truth, every person. The constant battles and bickering about characters. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and clearly this is mine but I’ve seen some tremendous hate for him but I’m going to put forward a defence of Broly.

1) Broly is Non-Canon. For the Dragon Ball community, canon has been a shifty thing. A general consensus seems to point to one solid conclusion: If Toriyama didn’t write it, it’s non-canon. This is to help ease over fans who try to fight over this particular point and hopefully this closes that particular wound: Your love for a character is your love. It may not matter if it belongs within the cannonical storyline but no one can take away the joy you have about your favorite character(s).

I personally love the Super Saiyan 4 transformation from GT. I love the design and everything about it and I readily accept that it’s not part of canon. I accept it because in the end, it doesn’t diminish the love I have for the form itself and Broly not being in canon shouldn’t make you love him less.

2) Broly is too OP. This is almost a joke at Dragon Ball itself. The premise of the show follows Goku & co battling enemies far stronger than any enemy before. If they weren’t, it would get boring really quickly. But Broly seems to reserve a special kind of resentment and confusion in this regard. To the best of my knowledge, he is currently the only character confirmed to be a galaxy buster by an on screen demonstration. By comparison, the villain that would make the most sense in terms of what characters that were present for a scale would be Cell (based on the appearance of Future Trunks and Pre-Super Saiyan 2 Gohan. It most likely would be placed during the ten day wait for the Cell games if established in mainstream canon)

Now already this sounds like I’m reiterating old facts that everyone knows but I do so for a good reason. It’s been expressed multiple times throughout the series, in particular the Tournament of Power, that a Saiyan has every capability of surpassing their current limits. (Spoilers) Vegeta expresses this himself to Belmod in the ToP when Goku is going for his final battle against Jiren when he achieves Ultra Instinct again.

What should also be common knowledge is the Zenkai boost ability. A quick recap: Zenkai boost is what a Saiyan gets when placed near death and then allowed to recover. Best example is during the Frieza Saga after Goku heals in the medical pod. It allows the Saiyan’s power to rise exponentially at a near 33% rate (based on Vegeta’s power level Pre-Recoome and Post-Recoome) on average though it could vary.

A Saiyan’s ability to surpass limits coupled with a near death power boost is how Broly could have gotten so strong. After all, it’s quite clear that throughout his childhood, Paragus was less than exceptional as a father and used Broly as more of a tool than anything, most likely leading to quite a few Zenkai boosts before the events of the first movie.

Long Story Short: A rough childhood along side his Saiyan genes could easily mean Broly attained his power by simply living through numerous harships.

3) Broly is 1-Dimensional. A fairly common complaint but an important one to him. Broly was born (in movie canon) at the same time as Goku. Goku was quite the fussy kid, meaning that Broly never could really rest easily. Have you heard a baby scream without stopping? But beyond the constant screaming, it’s also the day Broly gets stabbed in the chest and when Planet Vegeta is destroyed. Broly endured a lot of trauma, more than people give him credit for. Of course he’s going to associate everything negative in his life with Goku. His earliest memories were hearing him scream, being stabbed and nearly dying in a planet wide explosion.

Remeber how I said Paragus was a particularly bad father? He also had a hand to play. Paragus would have used Broly’s exceptionally high power level to his advantage and would no doubt use him like a weapon. Broly’s only interaction prior to the movie was casually destroying and killing at his father’s behest.

Without a doubt if Broly had received a similar up bringing to Goku, he would be radically different. While he would still associate his near death to Goku, it wouldn’t consume him. It would more so just make him give Goku the cold shoulder at best and maybe hostile remarks at worst, rather than a direct murder attempt. Being treated like a weapon and being forced to fight no doubt left him with a mental state that though such acts of violence would get him praised and allow him to get attention.

Long Story Short: A bad childhood followed by worse parenting are to blame for Broly’s mental state rather than lazy writing.

4) Broly went out like a sucker. He did but upon some thought, it would make sense. Where Goku punched him at the end of the first movie was also where he was stabbed as a child. In a way, it’s an almost tragic poetic flaw; his first wound that nearly killed him would later be the wound that almost kills him again. Upon watching the battle he has with the Z-Fighters, he has no other weak points. He took a full powered Kamehameha point blank for fun but that’s because the blast hit a wide area rather than a focused point.

If you want to bring up the Special Beam Canon and it’s piercing properties, this is where I stop you. Even if Piccolo wanted to use it, he wouldn’t have the time to charge it. Most of the battle is Broly trashing the rest of the fighters with almost no effort on his part. Even if Piccolo did charge it and it was fired, it’s doubtful that he would aim for that ONE spot. Piccolo never knew about it in the first place and would most likely aim for a different area such as the upper chest ala Raditz, the heart or perhaps even the head. But we’ve also seen the attack being deflected, notably during the battle between Piccolo and Imperfect Cell. Who’s to say Broly couldn’t deflect it similarly?

5) Broly mistook Goten for Goku. (Spoilers) For those that don’t know, Broly survives the events of his first movie and arrives on earth in the second. There he is frozen (for what the movie guide describes as several years) until his is awoken by Goten crying near by. When Broly goes under, the events of the battle are entierly fresh in his mind. So much so that his is in a state of flight-or-fight because of his near death. He is awoken by the sounds of crying, crying that reminds him all too vividly of his own traumatic childhood and he simply wants it to end. The last thin he really sees is Goku’s face (before he blows up, escapes in a pod and makes his way to earth?) and since Goten is an almost exact carbon copy of him, Broly simply lashes out with animalistic insinct.

His near death and sudden awakening from his traumatic past hitting him again throws what rational thought he has out as he wants to SURVIVE. In his mind, killing Goten (Goku by extension) would end that torment for him. The last thing from his past would be laid to rest and he could relax.

That brings us back to his mental state. He’s fine when he encounters everyone else. I dare say he even smiles when he is introduced to everyone. But upon seeing Goku (Goten by extension after a few years), his thoughts of peace are shattered as the one trigger that brings back all the torment he’s endured stares him in the face. He simply seems to exhibit a very violent survival reflex.

6) Why was Broly almost killed? Less of a complaint and more of a good question. Broly was born with a power level of 10,000. King Vegeta at the time was barely above that. No doubt the king gave it consideration as to using Broly. But what would happen if one day Broly didn’t want to take orders from the king? What could he do against a warrior who’s power would ecplipse his own once he became an adult?

Had King Vegeta not ordered his death, Broly may have even grown strong enough to challenge Frieza long before Goku would have, beating the tyrant and becoming the greatest warrior ever known. Dragon Ball could be a whole lot different with that train of thought.

7) Broly one shots too many characters. This basically ties into my “Broly is too OP” argument. But lets go a bit further into detail by comparing his fight with the Z-Fighters against them vs Cell. Cell (Perfect and Super Perfect) took the likes of Future Trunks, Vegeta, Goku and Gohan to beat, easily the most powerful characters at the time. But during that fight, each fighter worked individually or as a tag team in some cases to bring down Cell.

Broly functioned in a very similar fashion for most of it. But where they diverge is how they ended. Cell was beaten by a Super Saiyan 2 Gohan after an intense beam struggle. Broly was beaten by four fighters (Gohan, Trunks, Piccolo and Vegeta) channeling their power into Goku who then beat Broly. That is the final nail in the coffin for this argument.

Gohan during the fight received no ki transfers from the other fighters and barely beat Cell during the beam struggle. Goku on the other hand took noticeable leaps in power with each ki transfer. Pre-Vegeta boost Goku almost punched directly through Broly’s ki barrier, meaning that there was very little difference remaining. After receiving Vegeta’s power, Goku was finally strong enough to push through Broly’s ki and strike him, ending the events of the first movie. The difference is simple for this comparison: Gohan worked alone as a Super Saiyan 2 and barely won while Goku received energy from four other fighters and ended the lengthy battle with one strike.

Why does this matter? Because it gives us a scale. In the main canon, Buu was the only one held to a similar power level. He tore apart planets left and right and while not explicitly seen trashing galaxies (feel free to correct me if I’m wrong here or at any point), it is heavily implied he did. Broly direclty showed us his power by trashing a galaxy in the beginning of his movie, giving us a clear indicator to his power. Compared to Cell who COULD reach similar heights but never did, it’s pretty easy to see why he can trash around other characters so easily. I won’t say he’s stronger than Buu who took a Super Saiyan 3 Goku to kill while Broly was handled by a Super Saiyan Goku with four fighters, it’s pretty easy to see how he is able to beat most other fighters.

All in all, Broly receives a bit more flak than he actually deserves. He’s a character who went through a lot of suffering very early on in his life and rather than be given the chance to move on and recover, he was used as a weapon and treated as such for most of his life. He is a powerful individual in the Dragon Ball universe that is a very serious contender on the villain roster. Had he been given a better up bringing, Dragon ball would be very different and would see him as the most powerful player on the character roster. Canon or not, Broly has made quite the impact on the fandom as a whole and certainly deserved his spotlight in the games and movies. In the end, he’s an example of what even Goku could have been if he received a Saiyan upbringing instead of his earthling one. Also, apologies if there are spelling mistakes throughout.

[zamisriza-the-resurrection]

Frieza, Zarbon, Dodoria, and the Ginyu force around a broken coffee machine

Frieza: ....So, who broke it?

*Silence*

Frieza: I'm not mad, I just want to know

Zarbon: *not wanting conflict* I did it, I broke it-

Frieza: No, no you didn't. Dodoria?

Dodoria: Don't look at me. Look at Captian Ginyu.

Ginyu: What? I didn't break it!

Dodoria: Huh, that's weird. How'd you even know it was broken?

Ginyu: Because it's sitting in front of us, and it broken.

Dodoria: *leans in* Suspicious

Ginyu: No! It's not!

Burter: If it matters, probably not, but Jeice was the last one to use it.

Jeice: Liar! I don't even drink that crap!

Burter: Oh really? Then what were you doing by the coffee cart earlier?

Jeice: I use the wood stirrers to push back my cuticles, everyone knows that!

Zarbon: Ok, ok, let's not fight, I broke it, let me pay for it, Lord Frieza.

Frieza: No! Who broke it?

..........

Jeice: ...... Lord Frieza, Recoome and Guldo have been awfully quiet.

Recoome and Guldo: What!?

*They all argue in the background except for Frieza who looks at the camera*

Frieza: I broke it. I burned my hand so I punched it.