Year 736
After a few minutes, the Z senshi found Piccolo.
Gohan: " Piccolo-san! "
Piccolo was lying on some kind of bed, wearing sunglasses and enjoying the sun.
Piccolo: " Ah! There you are. Sparagus is dead and Broli will never appear. You can keep doing your " visit ", I?m just relaxing and taking some rays. "
Gohan: " We have a major problem, Piccolo-san! The time machine has been destroyed and there?s no way to repair it!! "
Piccolo(startled): " What!? Who did this? "
F.Trunks: " Freezer did. He killed Bardock and blew up the time machine, and then Trunks-san killed him. "
Piccolo(terrified): " What!? Did I just hear you say Freezer killed Bardock? "
F.Trunks: " Yes, but that?s not the point. "
Piccolo: " Oh yes, it is! Weren?t Broli and Goku born at about the same time? "
Gohan: " Hai, but I don?t... "
Piccolo: " That means that if Broli isn?t born because his father died, GOKU WON?T BE EITHER FOR THE SAME REASON!!! "
Gohan and Goten: " What!? "
Gohan: " That?s impossible! "
Goten: " I don?t believe it! "
Piccolo: " Also, Trunks, you killed Freezer? This means that Vegitasei won?t be destroyed as it was supposed to!! What the hell were you all thinking????? "
Goten: " Wait a minute!! One problem at a time, please!! "
Trunks: " Can?t we do anything? "
Piccolo: " First, Son Goku. Any ideas? "
F.Trunks: " Maybe the Dragon Balls...? "
Gohan: " Yes! We could go to Earth with Saiyajin capsules and gather the Dragon Balls. This would allow us to bring Bardock back to life, don?t you think? "
Piccolo: " Gohan, you?re forgeting! A Saiyajin capsule takes 11 months to reach Earth. Bardock will come back to life too late and won?t be able to " create " Goku. "
Goten: " But, maybe Bardock will have a child. And maybe that child will be my father anyway! "
Piccolo: " Maybe he?ll be the same, but he won?t arrive on Earth at the same time, he may not hit his head and may not become good. All events would have to happen, but not at the same time they did in our timeline. The chance of succeeding is simply too small. It will never work. "
Gohan: " We could try. "
Piccolo: " Gohan, trust me, it won?t work. "
Gohan: " But...I?m not willing to give up hope! "
F.Trunks: " He?s right, Gohan-san. All events wouldn?t happen necessarily at the right time and besides, the child that would be born wouldn?t be Goku or even Kakarotto. It?s because of the time-lag. I think he?s lost, Gohan-san, Goten-san. I don?t think there?s a way to bring him back. I?m...sorry. "
Trunks: " We could use the Dragon Balls to wish for Goku-san to be born. "
F.Trunks: " In this time, Trunks, Goku never existed. I don?t think Shen Long would be able to do this, right Piccolo-san? "
Piccolo: " Precisely. This is beyond Shen Long?s power. He can?t bring back to life someone who never existed. "
Trunks: " ... "
Piccolo: " What about the time machine, then. Can?t we do something? "
F.Trunks: " I don?t know anyone who could build a new time machine. "
F.Trunks(hopeful): " The Dragon Balls could rebuild it, though! "
Gohan: " Yes! "
Piccolo: " No! "
Piccolo: " No, they won?t. Remember, Shen Long can?t accomplish tasks that I could not understand or that needed more power than I had. Since I, or any other Nameckjin, can?t control time, Shen Long won?t be able to rebuild the time machine. Polunga or Dende?s Shen Long could not have done it either. I?m sorry. "
Gohan: " This means Shen Long would not be able to send us back or forward in time to stop all of this from happening either. "
Piccolo: " Hai. "
Trunks: " Wouldn?t my mother be able to build us a time machine? "
F.Trunks: " Why would your mother?... Oh, right. You?re me and I?m you. Well, maybe she could... "
Gohan: " No, she can?t. Trunks, didn?t your mother finish the first time machine just before you left to come to our time? "
F.Trunks: " Hai. "
Gohan: " It took her a lot of time to be able to understand time travelling. She will be able to build a time machine someday, but in about 35 years, no sooner. "
Goten: " Then...what can we do? "
Piccolo: " Nothing, I?m afraid. "
Goten lowered his head and started to cry silently.
A day had passed on Vegitasei. The Z senshi had gone their separate ways to think and to grieve. Only Gohan and F.Trunks were still together, even though they hadn?t spoken to one another for hours. They just lied on the ground, looking at the sky. But finally, Gohan stood up and looked at the horizon.
Gohan: " It?s so frustrating... But I refuse to give up, otousan! I shall go to Earth and take your place. I shall defend Earth from it?s enemies and avenge you! "
F.Trunks: " Are you serious, Gohan-san? "
Gohan: " Hai! When Bulma-san?ll be able to build a time machine, we?ll come back and save him. "
F.Trunks: " 35 years. That?s a lot of time to wait. Are you sure? "
Gohan: " We don?t have to wait! We can start a whole new life on Earth, but we will still be it?s protectors. We will avenge my father by becoming heroes, just like he was, Trunks! "
F.Trunks(getting up): " You?re right, Gohan-san. We can?t just stop now and die of despair. We have a world to save, people to protect and battles to win! I?m with you, Gohan-san! I?ll go with you! "
Gohan(smiling): " Good! Let?s gather the others and tell them about our plan. Maybe they?ll all agree to join us! "
As they were soaring over the planet to find their friends, anyone who came across them could only feel, by the look in the two warriors? eyes, the determination, the will, the courage and the confidence that they were proudly displaying. The spirit of the warrior had breathed life back into them.
When the five of them gathered once more, Gohan and F.Trunks explained their idea.
Goten: " I...I?m in. I won?t let the Earth be dominated by anyone! Let?s go! "
Trunks: " Seems there is no choice, eh? All right! Let?s begin a new life together as the defenders of the Earth! "
Piccolo: " I knew there was no other alternative. I was thinking of going back alone, but if you?re all coming then let?s stay as a team! "
Gohan: " Do we all agree? "
All: " Hai! "
Gohan: " Good. Now, let?s put our past behind and only think about the present and it?s future! "
Piccolo: " Right, but we have a few problems in this present. "
Gohan: " What? "
Piccolo: " First, none of us is supposed to exist, now. "
Gohan: " What do you mean? "
Piccolo: " Goten and you are both sons of Goku. Since Goku won?t exist, you?re not supposed to either. Then, there are the two Trunks. Since Prince Vegita will never meet Bulma, none of you should exist right now. Finally, my two parts were reunited because of all that happened between Goku and his ennemies. I should not be existing like this either. Yet all of us are fine and our bodies seem unaffected by those paradoxes. It looks like we can still exist even though we shouldn?t. So, we must be careful at what we do, as we can be devastating for this time period. "
Gohan: " Right! "
Piccolo: " We also have the problem of Vegitasei. Freezer?s been killed and he won?t be able to destroy it anymore. What Trunks did is a fine example of what I was telling you about." Saying this, Piccolo looked at Trunks.
Piccolo: " Will you finally take off that damned scouter!? "
Trunks: " Iie. I think it looks cool and I?m keeping it! "
Piccolo: " I?m warning you! If you don?t... "
Gohan: " Let him be, Piccolo-san! If he wants to keep it, it?s his problem. "
Trunks: " I don?t see it as a problem. "
Piccolo: " ... "
Piccolo: " Alright, then. What do we do now? "
Gohan: " Does anyone feel like killing all the people on this planet and destroy it? "
None answered.
Gohan: " Just as I thought. We?ll just have to leave the Saiyajin alive. But we need to control them, or they?ll try to conquer the Earth and other planets now! "
F.Trunks: " What can we do? "
Piccolo: " We?ll have to strike a deal with them. We?re far more powerful than they are. We could threaten them if they don?t behave. Fear will be our main weapon. "
F.Trunks: " But if we all go to Earth, how can we keep an eye on them? "
Gohan: " I don?t know. "
Piccolo: " The scouter! It will allow us to communicate with them! All scouters are set on the same frequency! That?s the way to control them! "
Gohan: " Right! Piccolo-san, you?re a genious! "
Piccolo: " Of course. Once, I was God, you know! "
Gohan: " Er...well. Let?s all get a scouter and make sure we don?t look at each other when they?re on or they?ll blow up. "
Goten: " OK! So, what?s our first mission? "
Gohan: " I think my father?s first opponent was a guy named Pilaf. But, Pilaf won?t appear until about 13 years from now! "
Goten: " What!? You mean we have to wait 13 years before we can actually do something? "
Trunks: " Oh, man! "
Piccolo: " Seems we have no choice. "
Gohan: " Do we all still agree? " All nodded.
Gohan: " Then, let?s go talk to King Vegita! "
The Z senshi went to the King?s palace and saught an audience with him. Since they were denied entrance, they forced their way in. Piccolo thought about what he had done as Piccolo Daimaou, trying to take over the castle of the king of Earth. He smiled and thought " Just like old times. " Finally, they reached the throne room.
Gohan: " Ah! King Vegita. A pleasure to see you again. "
K.Vegita: " Can?t say the feeling?s mutual. What do you want from me this time? "
Gohan: " Now that Freezer has died, it seems you are now free to do as you wish. "
K.Vegita: " Yeah, so? "
Gohan: " We don?t like that. " King Vegita frowned.
Piccolo: " We could easily squash your puny little civilisation. "
K.Vegita(standing up): " Why you!... " He stopped. He knew the Nameckjin was right. If he wanted to stay alive he needed to obey to those strangers who had easily killed the once-thought-to-be-the-most-powerful being in the galaxy. At least, obey to them for now. King Vegita sat back on his throne.
K.Vegita: " What do you want me to do? "
??????(outside the room): " I don?t care, I want to see him now!! "
The one who had just spoken to the guards came inside. It was a young scouter-less boy dressed in a blue outfit and wearing white gloves and boots, his tail slashing behind him. Following him was a large bald man with a sharp mustache wearing the traditional Saiyajin battlesuit, his tail curled around his waist. Son Gohan and Piccolo clenched their teeth when they recognized the two intruders.
P.Vegita: " Why didn?t you tell me Freezer-sama was dead? "
K.Vegita: " I had no desire to tell you. You are interrupting an important meeting, now. Get out! "
P.Vegita: " If Freezer-sama is dead, does that mean that I have to ask you to send me to conquer a planet? "
K.Vegita: " I don?t think this will be happening soon, so now: GO AWAY! "
P.Vegita: " I?m not done yet and I won?t go until I want to. "
K.Vegita: " Nappa. "
Nappa: " Hai, sama. Come now, Prince. " He grabbed Prince Vegita by the shoulders and pulled him out of the room.
P.Vegita: " Let me go, Nappa! I?m your commanding officer! Vegita! I?m not done yet! Let me go you big bully... "
K.Vegita(once his son was gone): " We were saying?... "
Gohan: " You?ll stop conquering other planets or we will crush you. Loosing one planet is better than loosing a hundred and we don?t care too much about your race. " He didn?t actually mean his words. He hoped that his and his friends? power would be enough to intimidate him.
F.Trunks: " We took some of your scouters to keep an eye on you while we?re gone. "
K.Vegita: " You?re leaving? "
Gohan: " We?re going back to planet Earth and that?s why we need you?re help. We want five of your capsules as means of transportation. "
That?s not a bargain King Vegita liked, but getting those five terrors off the planet sounded pretty good.
K.Vegita: " Anything to get you off my planet! "
Gohan: " We have a deal then? "
K.Vegita (reluctantly): " Hai. A deal. "
The day after, a few technicians prepared five capsules for the Z senshi. The time had come to leave.
Tech: " You will be put in cryostasis during the trip. It will take you about 11 months to reach your destination, your bodies will only age about two weeks and when you wake up, you?ll feel as if you had slept one single night. "
Gohan: " Are you saying you can freeze us inside these things? "
Tech: " Hai, sama. "
Gohan: " Could you slow down the ship so that the trip would last about 13 years? "
Tech: " I...I don?t know why...Hai, sama. "
Gohan: " How much would we age? "
Tech: " Well...ah...about six months, sama. " Gohan turned to his friends.
Gohan: " Well. What do you say? "
Goten and Trunks: " Great! "
F.Trunks: " This would surely cut the wait. "
Piccolo: " I don?t mind. "
Gohan (turning back to the tech): " Then do so. "
F.Trunks (to the tech): " Here, I will give you the correct time the trip should last. "
While F.Trunks was talking with the technician, Piccolo turned to Gohan.
Piccolo: " Gohan. I don?t trust them. They might attack and conquer Earth while we?re frozen. "
Gohan: " King Vegita agreed not to attack other planets anymore. "
Piccolo: " He might learn about our longer trip and take advantage of it. "
Gohan: " You?re right, Piccolo-san. " Gohan looked away and turned on his scouter. Piccolo went toward F.Trunks and the technician.
Gohan: " King Vegita. If you try to conquer any planets while we?re in cryostasis, we will destroy you once we wake up. " After a moment, a light started flashing on the scouter lens.
Gohan (to another tech): " Hey! What?s this light for? "
Tech: " Er...it?s to show that the message has been received, sama. King Vegita did receive the message, I can assure you! He simply doesn?t want to answer it. " Gohan didn?t know if he could trust the technician, but upon seeing the constant look of terror in their eyes, Gohan decided to believe him. He went toward Piccolo who was watching F.Trunks and the technician work on setting up the machines.
Gohan: " Piccolo-san. I told King Vegita we?d destroy the Saiyajin if they tried to conquer a planet while we were frozen. "
Piccolo: " Good. Now we can leave. "
After a few minutes, the Z senshi hopped into their capsules and were sent to the stars...
P.Vegita: " Vegita! "
Nappa: " Vegita-sama. We heard your conversation yesterday with the " visitors ". Will you truly stand on your promise? "
K.Vegita: " Ha! Ha! What do you think, Nappa? "
Nappa: " I knew it. "
K.Vegita: " While you?re here, tell me, who could be available to be sent to Earth? "
Nappa: " Why Earth, sama? "
K.Vegita: " Think, Nappa, think! They said they were going back to planet Earth. That means it?s probably their home planet. "
Nappa: " So? "
K.Vegita: " Baka! They?re so strong! If we send someone to Earth before they get there, we may be able to learn the secret of their great strength! This way, we?ll become strong enough to face and defeat them! "
Nappa: " Hai, sama! "
K.Vegita: " Do you know of anyone that could be sent? "
Nappa: " I know that Earthlings are rather weak, I don?t know how they could have a secret to give them st rength if they don?t use it... "
K.Vegita: " I don?t care about your opinion! I?m the King! And I don?t want to send a low class warrior on this mission. I only want the Elite to know. One of the weaker Elite warriors would be fine. "
Nappa: " Pulantegu is the weakest Elite warrior I know, but he?s already on a mission. "
K.Vegita: " Then who? "
Nappa: " I think we?ll have to settle for Radditz. He?s weak and disposable. "
K.Vegita: " If he can discover the secret, he?ll contact us. If he?s too weak, he?ll die and we?ll have to send someone stronger. This will be a nice 'test'. "
Nappa: " I?ll inform him on my way out, sama. "
K.Vegita: " Good. "
P.Vegita: " Wait a minute! What?s this all about? Why am I never informed? What?s going on? "
Nappa: " Come, Prince. I?ll explain. "
Year 737, Earth, at the Tenkai
Mr Popo: " !? "
Mr Popo: " What?s this great power? "
Kami-sama: " Mr Popo! Have you felt it? "
Mr Popo: " Hai. "
Kami-sama: " It?s a terrible power! Much stronger than I am! The humans are in danger! "
Mr Popo: " What can we do? "
Kami-sama: " I told you, Popo. We can?t interfere. "
Suddenly, a change in the ki signature startled them both.
Kami-sama: " What!? "
Mr Popo: " He?s coming toward us!!!! "
Kami-sama: " He must?ve felt I was the strongest being on the planet and is coming to get rid of me! "
Mr Popo: " No! "
Is this the end for Kami-sama, Mr Popo and all the people of Earth? What will be left when the Z senshi finally arrive?
To be continued in Chapter 6: Radditz, The Saiyajin Elite!