" Ooh, " Kyande growled as she pulled on her shoes, " this sucks.
Sucks Sucks Sucks. I completely forgot about Freezer! " Making a sound
of frustration, she finished with her shoe and flopped down onto her back,
" How am I going to fix things? How? Am I stuck here? Okaasan! Save me--!
"
" Kyandechan, " Gohan asked timidly from the door. Kyande turned her head to look at him. " Um, Otousan says there's someone coming. "
" Coming, " Kyande said without enthusiasm.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Impact cratered the ground next to a small Namekian village. However, no one came to investigate. The only answer to their arrival was the low whistling of the wind over the top of the crater.
Katera was a little dismayed at this as she climbed out of the space pod. Not a soul, not even a slight ki signature for her newfound seventh sense to detect.
She looked back, the wind touselling her hair as she turned, to watch Vejiita climb out of the space pod after her. He looked at her through the ruby red glass of his scouter.
" Good, " he said, turning the device off, " we're well below what they'll be detecting. Let's get going. "
" Hai. " Katera began ascending the slope of the crater.
At the top they found the reason why no one had come to observe their arrival.
" Damn, " Katera said with conviction, and kicked a stone through one of the few remaining walls. The wall crumbled in response without a fight.
The village, what once had been a small collection of shell-looking buildings and a stone table with a dozen seats distrubuted evenly on two sides, was almost completely dessimated. The doors were off their hinges, hanging precarliously over the debris strewn ground. As for whomever had been residing there... well... there were bits and peices lying about, just enough to let know that the Namekuseijin there had lost the battle.
Miserably.
" Calm down, " Vejiita said quietly to a near-seething Katera.
Katera smacked fist into palm and said, " We need to get those Dragonballs from Freezer... but how? "
Almost as if in answer, a small bit of rubble shifted. Katera and Vejiita rounded on the sound and watched as a little Namekuseijin child crawled out and gave a gasp.
Vejiita relaxed and watched the child quiver violently for a moment.
" A-Are y-you w-w-wi-with F-Freez-zer? " he managed to stutter out.
Katera scowled. " Don't stutter, kid, it's annoying. " She shook her head, giving Vejiita a glance for permission to speak for them. Once gotten she approached the child. " No, we're not with Freezer. "
" You dress like it, " the child pointed out. He pointed at Vejiita, " Well, he moreso than you. "
" I left my armor behind, " Katera murmured. " Did you fight Freezer's men? "
The child shook his head. " No. I'm not a fighter. "
Katera tilted her head skeptically. " Not a fighter? Then what are you, a sorceror? "
" I'm a healer, " the child answered with no amount of pride whatsoever.
Katera's interest in the child just heightened. " A healer, eh? " She looked back at Vejiita with a raised eyebrow. " Then why didn't you heal your friends? " She indicated the Namekuseijin lying about in peices.
" They were dead before Freezer left. "
" It seems Freezer himself is looking for the Dragonballs, " commented Vejiita.
The child nodded. " Uh-huh. How do you know about the Dragonballs? "
" That's beside the point, " Katera said dismissively. " Listen, kid, you're all alone here, and we're going to be fighting Freezer sooner or later. We could use someone of your talents. "
The child stared at her blankly.
Katera mentally kicked herself for burdening them with the child, but Vejiita was making no protests. " How would you like to stick with us? "
" Okay! "
Katera sighed and stood up. " What's your name, kid? "
" Dende. What's yours? "
" Katera, " she turned and indicated her companion, " and this is Vejiitaojisama. "
" Ojisama? " Dende repeated curiously.
" Yes, he's a prince, " Katera said sternly, " so you'd better treat him with respect. " She grabbed Dende by the back of his shirt and pulled him up, depositing him on her shoulder. " Hang on tight, Dende, " she said as she and Vejiita took off into the air.
A healer, Ojisama, Katera telepathed with the Saiyan sixth sense, We may win this afterall.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bulma was screaming. As Kyande came out of the ship she ran in and hid around the corner. Kyande gave the woman an impassive look, all the while thinking,
You'd think a woman who'd been friends with Gokuu and the others since she was my age would have picked up at least a few things along the way.
Kyande ran the rest of the way down to the ground to stand between Gohan and his father. She pulled her hands into ready fists and glared sharply up at their visitors.
One of them, a tall being with a shock of curly blonde hair and a large blue face with massive jowels laughed uproariously and pointed out, " I was mistaken, four little Namekian vacationers! " The purple skinned reptilian with him laughed in agreement.
Kyande shot back, " You've been on this planet for Kami knows how long and you can't recognize that we're not Namekuseijin?! "
" Maybe he thinks we're here to vacation, " Gohan theorized.
" Oh. " Kyande said, " Good point. "
" Well, either way, " the blonde commented, " you're not going to be leaving the planet any time soon. " At a nod from his companion, he aimed his hand mounted laser weapon at the ship.
Kyande emitted a sarcastic half-laugh and said sweetly, " No. " When
the soldier sneered and fired anyway, Kyande shot up to
intercept and caught the blast in her hand.
As the two soldiers stared at her in disbelief Kyande stated, " I leave you to let Freezer know the Legendary Super Saiyajin is on Namekusei, and will be his end. "
Everyone, even her own people, stared at Kyande like she was insane. Maybe she was, but she raised an eyebrow and asked, " Are you going? Or am I to deliver the message myself? "
" N-n-n-n-n-n-no, We're going, We're Going! " the reptilian soldier stammered and backed up. After a moment of hanging in what Kyande was privately pleased to see was genuine fear, they took off the way they'd come.
Kyande descended to the ground.
Gokuu gave her a curious look. " You're going to destroy Freezer, Kyande? "
Kyande shook her head. " I said the 'Legendary' Super Saiyajin, Gokuu. I am not that, " she gave him a perfectly serious look, " you are. "
Bulma choked.
Gokuu took a step back. " Me?! "
" Yes, you, " Kyande said impassively. She looked off into the sky. " Now, let's go find some Dragonballs, shall we? "
Kyande, Gokuu, and Gohan lifted into the air. Bulma whimpered a good-bye from the door of the space ship.
Kyande faltered and looked back. She couldn't very well leave the woman alone with Freezer's soldiers hanging around. Kyande turned in the air and suggested,
" Erm, Gohan, why don't you stay behind with Bulma, we don't know if those two soldiers will return with reinforcements. Why don't you and Bulma find a nice cave to put a capsule house in, and Gokuu and I'll catch up to you later, neh? Hopefully, we'll have a Dragonball with us. " She shot Gohan a supportive smile.
" Okay, " Gohan said reluctantly and descended down towards the ground. He and Bulma waved as Kyande and Gokuu shot off into the sky.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Vejiita had been flying steadily for a long while, sensing nothing at all when suddenly something new slammed his senses like a kick in the face. He stopped short and looked to the side and slightly back.
Katera stopped too, and looked at him inquiringly.
Vejiita looked at her, then quickly looked away, back towards the new assault on his senses. Seeing Katera with a child, albeit a Namekian one, disturbed him somehow. It wasn't so much what he was seeing, but the fact that he couldn't help wondering how it would look were the child Saiyan...
Stop that, he berated himself, pay attention to the problems at hand.
" I sense something in that direction, " he said.
" Me too, " Katera murmured.
There was no comment from Dende.
Katera continued analyzing the 'reading' while Vejiita hung in the air with his back to her. " It's two of them, too high to be Zarbon or Dodoria, and too low to be Freezer. " She thought a moment, then came upon a theory she really didn't like, " You don't suppose... "
" I suppose, " Vejiita answered shortly. " With the death of the Namekuseijin on Chikyuu, they would probably have come here to wish him and the others back. "
" What? " Dende asked, " What are you talking about? "
" Quiet, kid. " Katera narrowed her eyes in the direction of the power they felt. " If one of those is Kakarrot... "
" It is. I know it. Let's go let them know we're here, shall we? " Vejiita offered nonchalantly.
Without a word, the two Saiyajin headed in the direction of the powers they felt. As they flew, Dende clutched at Katera's suit (what he could grasp of the skin-tight fabric) and wondered if he'd somehow ended up with the wrong companions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Kyande suddenly yelped and fell off her chair.
Everyone stared at her.
" Interesting, " Sarro commented, " I was just about to say that. Well, except for the falling off her chair. "
" What's your problem? " Goten asked.
Kyande climbed back onto her chair and said miserably. " Dende's about to come. "
" Dende was in the story just a little while ago, " Trunks pointed out.
" But pretty soon I'm going to have to put up with him! " Kyande complained.
" What is it you have against Dende, anyway? " Gohan asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
" He grows up to be a cranky, old, jerk! " Kyande declared.
Sarro sighed, " ANYway... "
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Kyande suddenly yelped and nearly fell out of the sky. Gokuu stared at her. Straightening up she declared in a loud, unscrupulous whisper, " Vejiita and Katera! They're coming! "
Gokuu looked concerned. Looking around, he indicated, " Down there. "
Kyande started to follow, then stopped. " No, " she said quietly, dangerously,
" No more hiding. You're stronger than they are
anyway. "
" How can you be sure? " Gokuu questioned.
" Educated guess. "
" Ah. "
Kyande offered a faint, wry grin, " besides, I'm through running, how about you? "
Gokuu was about to nod, when suddenly he froze: his eyes directed at something within the sky behind Kyande. Kyande questioned him on it, then turned and wigged out completely.
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Kiwi wasn't an idiot, he knew his limits perfectly well. Vejiita he could handle. Vejiita and Katera were beyond his abilities.
Well, if they were going to outnumber him, he'd outnumber them!
He'd calculated planetfall so that he wouldn't have far to travel before meeting up with Freezer. He'd sent a message to Freezer pending his arrival, and travelled fast by foot. He wasn't taking any chances, and there was no way those stupid Saiyajin would even suspect he'd come to Namekusei.
Upon meeting with the younger son of King Cold he'd told him everything. From what he knew of the occurances on Earth, and the condition of the Saiyajin after returning from the so-called harmless planet, to the subsequent trip to Namekusei at top speed. Freezer had listened to it all impassively, his thin purple painted lips pressed into a thinner line. Not even a twitch of his reptilian tail gave away any inkling of emotion.
" Thank-you Kiwi, you've been most helpful, " said Freezer with no emotion after the recount was through. " Tell me, what were Vejiita and Katera's sentu ryoku after they got out of the regeneration tanks? "
Kiwi told him the numbers.
" I see, " said Freezer, still with no emotion, " and when you let it out to Vejiita that I was here for the Dragonballs, he was alone, correct? "
Kiwi answered in the affirmative, then ammended, " I see what you are getting at, Lord Freezer, but had I engaged Vejiita in battle, it would have attracted Katera sooner or later. "
" Yes, " Freezer said, his tone sounding thoughtful, " isn't that interesting. " He turned, his tail twitching ever-so-slightly at the very tip. " Kiwi, a short while ago, Zarbon detected some high powerlevels that could not have been Vejiita and Katera. We sent a team of two men, who returned blubbering about a Super Saiyajin. They were annoying me, so I destroyed them. "
" But, I thought Vejiita was supposed to be the Legendary Super Saiyajin, " Kiwi piped up.
Freezer grinned sardonically, " I'm sure Vejiita did as well. Do you know what Vejiita's little quest with the Earth was, Kiwi? "
" No, " Kiwi answered truthfully.
" He sent Radditz there to find a missing member of their race. When Radditz was eliminated, Vejiita, Katera, and Nappa followed to the planet to see what was up. Humans could not have beat two Saiyajin super elite like you say, and hurt their delicate pride to such an extent. Another Saiyajin, however, is a completely different story. "
" You're saying that those high powers-- " Kiwi trailed off.
" Came from Earth, " Freezer finished for him. " It appears the Saiyajin
prove to be more resilient than I antisipated, and my plans for the prince
have become somewhat of a moot point. " A pause. " Take Zarbon and Dodoria.
I'm counting on you, Kiwi. If you fail, not only will you pay for it with
your life should you limp back, but I will be calling in the Ginyuu Force.
" Freezer lowered his head, spilling shadows across his pale face, creating
a stark contrast of light and dark. In a low, dangerous tone he ammended,
" Then no one will survive the wrath of Freezer... "
Kiwi had done as Freezer ordered. Not so much out of fear for his life, but out of a healthy hatred of Vejiita and his race. It had, afterall, taken a good three dozen oozaru to wipe off his home planet. He'd thought with the revolt, Freezer had finally seen that the evil of the Saiyajin was not one to be tolerated, and the destruction of Vejiitasei had been oh, so sweet.
But Freezer had retained that despicable... attachment... to the Saiyajin no Oji Vejiita. Now, it seemed, even that had ended.
Good.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Kiwi hung in the air, feeling very important at the front of the little
trio comprised of himself, Dodoria, and Zarbon. His full lips were etched
in a confident smile. They hadn't come across Vejiita and Katera... yet.
But they had come across something so much more interesting.
Kyande backed up to where Gokuu hung in the air. Now that her panic attack had died down she was wary. Very wary. Who in blazes were these three?!
They all wore the armor associated with those following Freezer. Which made them immediately potential enemies.
The one in the lead was the smallest, and had a laughable ki level. But did he have suppression abilities? If his power was so low, why was he in the lead? He 'stood' with his head tilted to the side, and a grin spreading his purple skinned features.
The one to the left behind him was a... mass of pink flesh and spikes. His features reminded Kyande vaguely of a pig. Ew. However, his sentu ryoku spoke of a high power, and something about the way he was looking at her promised of a hard battle.
As for the one on the right, it took Kyande a hard stare to assure herself the being was male... or at least appeared to be. If he was, well, the term bishonen came to mind. He had long green hair in a braid over his broad shoulders, and piercing amber eyes that spoke of a personality. (unlike his two companions) Now that Kyande thought about it, why had she ever thought this man to be anything else? He really was quite attractive...
Kyande mentally kicked herself before hormones took her over completely. Enemy. Not good-looking man with strong arms and... half decent fashion sense... enemy.
Kyande hoped she didn't have to fight that one.
" Well, well, well, " Kiwi drawled, " what have we here? "
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Katera narrowed her eyes, gazing through the green glass of her scouter at the cluster of specs ahead of them. What had once felt like two, was now five: and all of them all too familiar.
" Seems Kiwi followed us here, " Vejiita commented.
" Mm, yes, and has recruted Dodoria and Zarbon. Think they've teamed up with Kakarrot and his little friend? " Katera inquired.
" I don't think so, " Vejiita stated, " I think they just got to Kakarrot and the brat before we did. "
Katera smiled. " It appears we'll get to test out our new abilities today afterall, Ojisama. "
Vejiita laughed. " So it seems. "
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Something jarred Kyande's senses and she whirled around. Staring hard into the sky, she spied what it was she had felt, and despaired even more.
" Oh noooooooo! " she wailed, clasping her head between her hands.
Gokuu looked where she had looked and his face cascaded into the serious expression he wore in battle.
" So, it seems we're not all friends here, " Kiwi commented.
" Hmm, gee, whatever gave you that idea? " Kyande sneered.
All three of Freezer's minions bristled. Dodoria moved forward and declared, " Better watch your mouth, girly. "
" Or what, you'll sit on me? " Kyande fired back.
Vejiita laughed, having arrived just in time to hear that last exchange. " Be careful what you wish for, brat, " he leered at Kyande.
Be careful what you wish for? Kyande repeated mentally. Okay, things just got weirder, Vejiita's giving me the same advice as my Okaasan!
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Nail had been in the service of the Eldest Namekuseijin for as long as his memory had served him. It gave him an acute ache in his heart to watch the wize old man [for lack of a better term] suffer so. But, he wasn't called the Eldest Namekuseijin for nothing, and it was time his honorable existence ended.
But why now? When the planet was under seige from evil forces? Without the powers of the Eldest, the Namekuseijin would surely fall to the forces of Freezer.
Without the Dragonballs, who knew what Freezer would do? The Namekuseijin could not, would not, survive another strike against their race. It just wasn't possible.
The search for said Dragonballs would end up here no matter what.
Without turning around, Nail could see the one star Dragonball resting in it's place above the Eldest's head. It seemed almost to shine with the Eldest's power and grace. The prize at the end of a despicable race.
Turning his attention back to the outside, Nail's expression took on a hint of curiousity. The ki forces surrounding the planet were ringing, waiting in antisipation: but of what? Nail stretched his senses as far as he could, and felt a glimmer of hope.
Two ki signatures that he had not felt before. Defenders, perhaps? But they held ki so pure and strong they could not be with Freezer. Maybe, maybe they would be the Namekuseijin's saviours. Maybe they would stop the spread of Freezer's evil before it reached the Eldest.
Maybe.
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Freezer stood staring out over the vast expanse of emptiness that was Namekusei. What a boring planet, to have produced that which would make him ruler of the universe. How unexpected life was.
King Cold would be so proud. Cooler had never done anything quite like this. It was exciting.
As he swirled the alcohol within the goblet he held absently, Freezer contemplated the future. There were so many things he could do with immortality. So many wonderful things. King Freezer had such a nice ring to it. On a bit of a sad note, it would also mean the demise of Vejiita-Oji. Pity, he'd had such high hopes for the would-be Super Saiyajin. Freezer had no disillusions, he knew Kiwi, Zarbon and Dodoria would lose this fight. But, he digressed, while good help was hard to find, bad help was all the more expendable. He had his good help in waiting.
A smile graced the purple lips. He'd not used the Ginyuu Force in a long time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bulma wandered out of the spaceship to find Gohan staring after where Gokuu and Kyande had headed.
" What's the matter, Gohan? " Bulma inquired, spying the boy's tense face.
Tersely, Gohan replied, " They're going to start fighting soon. "
Speechless, Bulma stared off into the distance.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kiwi had just opened his mouth to speak when Kyande's attention snapped onto another fact of this gathering;
" Wak! " she started, " Dende! "
The little Namekuseijin stared at her, the now redudant question in his eyes; How did you know that?
Kyande placed her hands on her hips, glaring at the little Namekuseijin
as her mind quickly ran through the scenario. Can't
have Dende with them because Dende can't become evil because he
helps mom because if he doesn't she'll never go back in time and I'll never
exist... oh yeah, and Kuraft will win and all that.
Necessary evils, Kyande, Necessary evils
" Dende, you little baka! What are you doing with them? Get over here before I come over there and kick your butt from here to... to... Alpha Centari! "
Everyone stared at her.
Meekly, Dende started to comply, but Katera grabbed him by the back of his shirt and snapped, " Oh, no, you don't! This kid's our insurace policy! "
" Oh. Shut. Up. Katera! You don't want to be burdened down with a kid anymore than I want to put up with him! Now hand him over before I come over there and kick Your butt from here to... the same place as Dende! "
" How about you all shut up so that we can get to what we came here for? " Zarbon inquired testily.
Kyande turned and asked sweetly, " and what, prey tell, might that be? " then, " psst, Dende, what's taking you so long? "
Katera let the little Namekuseijin go, with audible reservations, and he floated over to take Kyande's hand. She teardropped at this and gave a little whine.
" Oh, I know what Zarbon's here for, " Vejiita sneered. " All three of them are here to test the might of the Saiyajin. "
" Is there anything that's not an honor thing with you? " Kyande muttered.
Vejiita looked directly at her. " Go ahead, Super Saiyajin, give them
the fight they've been looking for. "
¤¤
[Hmm, short chapter this time. Well, shorter. Anyhoo! Will Kyande give them the fight they've been looking for? What's Vejiita up to, anyway? Once again, he's gotten the ending line. But even so, after these three comes the Ginyuu Force, and even if they survive that, there's Freezer! Don't forget, the Eldest Namekuseijin is dying as this all goes on. How Will It All End!? I... wish I knew... but we'll get a little closer in Part Eight; Power Struggle! Those Balls Are Mine!]
[Written by Inseiko, 1999]
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