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Cold Saga - Part 6: Dual Pride
The sun's rays shone with a blinding radiance, warming the battlefield. Two Saiyan warriors, one clad in blue jumpsuit with white armor and the other in red pants and a white ruffled shirt, huddled together. The shorter one, bent over on one knee, was out of breath but wore an expression that could stop a giant in his tracks. The man beside him, taller with mussed black hair, had a hand placed on the other's shoulder and two fingers touching his forehead.
They had miraculously avoided a concentrated explosion of energy that had been on the verge of crushing the shorter warrior only an instant before. The enemy who had fired the blast stood only a hundred yards away, dark and menacing. Silhouetted by the sun, the spiked protrusions all over his armored body made him look singularly intimidating.
Instead of expressing gratitude, the shorter warrior with golden hair growled in fury, yanking the other man's hand off his shoulder.
"Of all the ridiculously impulsive, idiotic things you could have possibly done, Kakarott!"
It couldn't possibly be a coincidence that the prince had been secretly longing for the help of another Saiyan mere seconds before. Kakarott had appeared as if summoned by Vegeta's will alone. The last remaining Saiyan besides himself--a man whom he had sworn to kill, who had had stolen his honor both by surpassing him and by interfering in his battle with Frieza--was standing beside him. He loathed the very sight of the Saiyan from earth.
"How dare you intrude in ANOTHER of my fights, fool! I can't believe this!"
Unaffected by Vegeta's fury, the other Saiyan reached his right hand behind his head and nervously scratched the back of his neck. "Oh, oops. I guess I did kind of barge in. But hey, I saved you from that blast, didn't I?"
It was as if Goku had no appreciation whatsoever for the severity of the insult he had just delivered. The prince continued to stand there, his shock twisted with wounded pride and dipped in the fiery rage of his Super Saiyan transformation. "For the offense you have just committed, not even considering all the other ways you have slighted me, I am going to end your pathetic existence right now!" The prince flared his yellow aura in a sudden burst and pulled his fist back to attack.
"Wait a second, Vegeta. Can't we talk about this?"
CRACK! Vegeta's right hook launched Goku flying across the desert, his aura leaving a crimson trail. The thought that King Cold was watching his every move, amused enough to wait and see how their little squabble played out, never even crossed his mind. Kakarott's insult dominated his every thought.
"No, Kakarott, we cannot 'talk about it'! Do you not recognize that by saving my life you have stripped me of my Saiyan pride? I would rather die than accept your feeble attempts to help me!" Vegeta had caught up to Goku, who had taken the blow rather well; his instinctive use of kaioken had raised his defenses and he was now crouched in a fighting stance. The prince charged again, this time flinging a ball of energy that Goku dodged by leaping upwards.
"But, Vegeta! What about fighting Frieza's father? Can't we settle this little grudge match after we save the Earth from being destroyed?" Goku's pleas were desperate, but the Super Saiyan was blinded by emotion. He didn't care how or why Kakarott had appeared, he didn't care about saving the planet, and he didn't even care about defeating the last of the frost demons. He only knew that Kakarott's continued existence was an affront to his honor.
'How dare this puny imitator blithely interfere in my battles again and again?' Kakarott was a traitor to his race. As a mere child, he had failed in his mission to eradicate the humans, losing his tail and becoming one of them, even taking the name 'Goku'. He had fought against his own flesh and blood, challenging his fellow Saiyans. In their first encounter a year ago, he had shamed the prince and surpassed him in strength, his easygoing attitude mocking Vegeta's battle-hardened resolve. He had even caused Vegeta to lose his tail.
The rebel's interference had twice prevented the prince from gaining access to the power of the dragonballs. His pathetic concern for others had cost Vegeta his life, and now he had added a further insult by rescuing him from Cold. The prince couldn't take it any longer.
"Grudge match, Kakarott? You think that's all this is? You fool! Where is your Saiyan pride, clown?" Vegeta chased Goku through the air, firing an enraged flurry of blasts that devastated the landscape. The prince had begun to regain his strength, and Goku was finding it more and more difficult to stay ahead of his attacks.
"DARN IT!" Goku's shout, surprisingly angry, caused the prince to pause. "My Saiyan pride? Fine, Vegeta, you asked for it. It's...right...HERE!"
Goku's form froze in mid-air. He threw his head back, his arms stretched out at his sides. The outline of his body seemed to shimmer and his crimson aura grew brighter and brighter, shifting from ruby to gold. The last few attacks Vegeta cast rebounded off his aura.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The gathering cloud of dust and smoke cleared in an instant, revealing Goku's unscathed form. His usually calm and friendly appearance was replaced with stern determination, and his ever-welcoming ebony eyes were a fierce green. Golden light emanated from his rippling hair, each strand alive with fury. To Vegeta's distress and amazement, it was perfectly clear that Kakarott had also become a Super Saiyan.
"No, no, no...NO! It can't be!" the prince said in shock.
Just like Vegeta, Goku had reached out and claimed the legendary transformation of the Saiyan race.
The Z Fighters looked on in awe. "Wow! Now my dad is a Super Saiyan too!" Gohan shouted, his voice thrilling with excitement. Even Piccolo managed a hopeful grin. Their friend had appeared completely from nowhere; the Namek hadn't sensed his energy until he appeared on the battlefield as if from thin air. It was a miracle, really, but the crisis was far from over.
"It still doesn't mean anything unless Vegeta somehow comes to his senses," Piccolo said quietly. "Neither of them are strong enough to take on Frieza's father on their own; they will have to work together." As much as he wanted to help, he knew that both the Saiyans were fiercely independent. If Goku wanted their help, he would ask.
Both Krillin and Tien were also thrilled at seeing their friend's arrival. Everyone's spirits had been immediately lifted, but the direness of the situation still weighed heavily on them all.
"I hope those two resolve this quickly. Cold isn't going to sit around forever and wait," Tien said soberly. "Pretty soon he is going to get bored or realize that if they teamed up he might actually lose. I guess he can't sense energy."
"Don't worry, Tien." Gohan was grinning from ear to ear. "My daddy has never let us down before. I'm sure everything will be fine!"
Piccolo smiled at the boy as he reflected. 'I hope so, kid. I hope so.'
For once, Vegeta was utterly speechless. There, staring back at him, was his mortal enemy, clothed in the same shining glory that he alone prized. His greatest fear--that Kakarott would also ascend--had come to life and now stood in front of him. Incensed, he regained his speech, still shaking with frustration.
"Ghhh! This is unbelievable! Explain to me how you, a low-class warrior without a shred of our race's pride or honor, could possibly become a Super Saiyan?"
"LISTEN!" screamed Goku, his golden aura flaring around him angrily. Everyone was shocked; Goku never acted like this. "JUST SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME!"
If Vegeta had been speechless before, he was completely stunned now. What had happened to the weak, easygoing version of Kakarott that he had hated so much?
"I've finally learned what it means to be a Saiyan, Vegeta." There was a sensibility in Goku's choice of words, his voice stern. "I've accepted who I am. It's true: no matter how much I care for all my human friends, I will never be one of them. I became a Super Saiyan like you when I learned to accept my Saiyan heritage. Honor, pride... even anger - these are things I was forced to embrace, but now I finally understand. I've stopped hiding from who I was always meant to be."
Goku took a deep breath, his aura finally relaxing. "I may not have your royal blood, but I do have the pride of a Saiyan, Vegeta. Even so...recognizing who I am didn't take away my desire to protect my home and its people; it strengthened my resolve." Goku nodded towards King Cold. "He is the reason that our home planet was destroyed, and I won't let him do it again! Now, if I have to fight you to get to him, I will. But I'd still prefer that we do this together."
Vegeta could never have expected this - not in a million years. Somehow, Kakarott's mind had been transformed along with his body. The idiot clown, the WORST excuse for a Saiyan he had ever known, somehow was making perfect sense. But the prince was still shaking with fury; he hadn't suddenly forgotten everything Kakarott had done to him. "Fight me, eh? You may be a Super Saiyan, but your low class powers are still no match for me. I will crush you."
The prince spoke boldly, but he was conflicted. "Even if I ignored all the ways you have insulted my honor, why would I accept your help, Kakarott? A true Saiyan would rather die than ask for assistance!"
"That's not the point, Vegeta, and you know it," Goku snapped back. "Didn't you fight alongside Nappa all those years? Haven't our people always worked together, especially when they had to face the greatest dangers? Don't you understand that helping each other out is what friends do?" He wasn't sure if Vegeta even knew what friendship was, but he knew he had to resolve this quickly. The frost giant was slowly approaching them. They were running out of time.
"I don't have the luxury of 'friends', Kakarott. I refuse your offer."
"But, Vegeta, think about our race. You're the one who is always talking about the pride of the Saiyans! We are the LAST two Saiyans in the universe. If we can't even join forces to fight off the father of the same monster that destroyed our own people, I guess our race didn't deserve to survive anyway." Goku's voice was firm. "If we can't see past our differences now, then the timeless legend of the Super Saiyan will all be for nothing! We can't let the pride of the Saiyan race die at the hands of this beast!"
Becoming a Super Saiyan had awakened Goku's Saiyan instincts, and he now felt that he truly understood Vegeta's reasoning. He hoped his words were enough to sway the proud prince.
King Cold's voice boomed out, interrupting them. "I'm terribly sorry to cut this reunion short, but you two have ceased to be any amusement to me. I had hoped to enjoy the irony of seeing the last two Saiyans destroy each other, but I think I shall find just as much enjoyment in doing it myself." The gigantic frost demon crouched, his menacing form rippling with energy. "Now, let's finish this."
"Kakarott, I--" It was a struggle for Vegeta to verbalize his thoughts. He couldn't believe that he was about to agree to join forces with the Saiyan he hated. As much as he wanted satisfaction for his own personal honor, Kakarott's words had appealed to the one thing he cared about most: the honor of his race. "Fine! Let's get this over with. But you're still next, got it?"
"All right! Let's do this!" Goku's voice immediately filled with excitement as he turned to face the frost demon. Vegeta turned as well, poised in a flawless battle stance. Side by side, the two Super Saiyans powered up, their auras merging as energy flowed around them.
Back at Capsule Corp, C47 relayed the new developments to Bulma, who listened eagerly.
"Surprising assessment: It appears that another Saiyan has arrived on the battlefield. My scanners indicate that the master still exceeds him in strength by five million units, but it is very close.
"Prediction: It seems that they are preparing to fight the lizard meatbag together. Together, they greatly exceed his strength."
Bulma clapped her hands, excited. "That must be Goku! He arrived just in time. Quick, let's get to the battlefield!"
"You know, Vegeta, I'm going to be watching all your new techniques," Goku said, hoping to lighten the mood. He was really just as eager to fight Vegeta as he was to fight Cold.
"Kakarott, just SHUT UP. Now, together on the count of three. One...two...th--"
Goku took off at full speed the instant that Vegeta started saying 'three', much to the prince's annoyance. "Ugh! Get back here, you over-eager son of a--"
Goku reached King Cold much faster than the frost demon had been expecting. Without pausing, the hero landed a spinning kick to his face and began pounding him with punches, pushing through the giant's blocks. Cold was shocked that Goku's strength and speed were nearly equal to Vegeta's, noticeably greater than the power of the Super Saiyan he had faced back on Xylon-38.
The new warrior's punches hurt just as much, but his fighting style was completely different from the prince's. The giant found it difficult to adjust his blocks to meet Goku's smooth and flowing attack style, but he was still protected by his superior speed and strength. The blows hurt, but he could stay in control. Cold suddenly caught hold of Goku's left leg, restraining him. "I've got you now, Saiyan!"
THUUUUDD! Vegeta's knee cracked against the demon's torso, causing his grip on Goku to weaken. The prince began pounding the weak points in Cold's armor. Goku, twisting away, redoubled his own attacks. The golden auras of the two Super Saiyans flashed in spirals around the massive frost demon.
The combined barrage of attacks was overwhelming. Though they had never before fought together, they timed their attacks with instinctive precision. One instant they would attack together, their combined strength blowing past Cold's defenses; the next instant they would alternate attacks in perfect rhythm, wearing his strength down rapidly. He had to constantly change his stance; the blocks he used against one were completely ineffective against the other. Worse, their matching golden hair and auras was making it harder and harder for him to tell them apart.
Although the two Saiyans were tremendous warriors individually, it was their rivalry that made their alliance so effective. Each gave his all in an effort to outdo the other; each pushed himself to the limits of his abilities.
"Hey, check this out, Vegeta!" Goku rushed forward, feinting to one side. The frost demon tried to block, but Goku spun around it and executed a back flip kick that caught Cold squarely in the jaw. He followed up with a rapid flurry of punches to Cold's stomach and a powerful side kick that sent his opponent flying backward.
Vegeta grinned, thoroughly enjoying himself. "That's your best shot, Kakarott? Let me show you how a real Super Saiyan fights!" He caught up to the giant and landed a double fist to his opponent's lower back, then gripped his armored horns and vaulted forward to smash his elbow as hard as he could against the top of Cold's head with a resounding crack.
"ALL RIGHT!" shouted Goku. The two Super Saiyans jumped backward in unison, each beginning to charge a powerful energy blast.
Cold was breathing heavily, wincing at his injuries. He now knew that it had been a mistake to let the second Saiyan survive. He looked up, instantly freezing in horror.
"KAME-HAME-HAAAA!"
"SUPER GALIC FLAAAASH!"
Two enormous energy beams, each with enough concentrated force to destroy a star, were suddenly upon him. He braced himself, tensing all the muscles in his body and trying to use his battered exoskeleton as a shield. The two brilliant streams, one a burning yellow and the other a deep blue, ripped through the air and encompassed the King entirely.
KABOOOOM! The explosion thundered across the desert, its deadly energy creating a blinding flash visible from space. Vegeta and Goku dropped back, each feeling good about their combined effort. Both warriors felt the evil king's power drop significantly.
Vegeta smiled. "Well, how are you feeling now, Cold?"
In Bulma's ship, C47 continued to give play-by-play updates to Bulma.
"Excited boast: The master is really turning up the heat now. I estimate this 'king' has another five minutes, tops." Never before had Bulma seen the android display so much excitement.
"Expectation: After witnessing the master's domination of Cooler, I am eager to watch how thoroughly he crushes Cooler's father."
The smoke cleared to reveal the frost demon's battered form panting in midair. Angry wounds covered his limbs where the combined explosions had seared his flesh. His energy had dropped dramatically; he didn't think he could fight one of the Super Saiyans in his current state, let alone both at the same time.
Goku crossed his arms. "So, King Cold, if you're really Frieza's dad, why do you look so different? Does he take after the other side of the family?"
Vegeta was annoyed by the question. "These demons each have four forms, though Cooler was able to unlock an additional transformation by training. Frieza was his fourth form when I killed him back on Namek. When Cold arrived, he was in his second form - much stronger than Frieza was in his second form, but still pathetic compared to me. He transformed to this hideous state shortly before you arrived."
Grateful for the opportunity to catch his breath, the giant spoke up. "My race grows dramatically stronger as we get older. We use suppressed forms to manage our power; it takes years of training to control our true strength. Both of my sons mastered their true forms while they were still young and weak, but my first and second suppressed forms were enough to keep them in line. My full power would crush you both in an instant!"
Vegeta laughed. "If your final form is so strong, then why don't you go ahead and transform? Kakarott might be afraid of you, but I'm not!"
"Hey, I'm not afraid either!" shouted Goku. "I say bring it on! It's not fair to fight you unless you're using your full strength!"
King Cold was conflicted. He didn't think he could risk another transformation; if he lost control, he could easily destroy himself. But he didn't really have a choice. His energy was running out, and the Saiyans weren't going to give him any more time.
The giant growled with rage. "You'll live just long enough to regret this! I'll crush you both, I swear it!" Crouching, he began powering up, energy swirling around him until his form was completely obscured. The ground began to shake.
The two Super Saiyans grinned. "And here I thought we weren't going to have any more fun," Goku said.
"This time, I get the first shot at him," Vegeta replied. "If there's anything left when I'm through with him, you can have your turn." Goku shrugged in assent. "Have it your way. Say, why are you still wearing that scouter? I thought you could sense energy like me."
"Of course I can," Vegeta snapped back. "Anything you can do, I can do better. I keep this scouter for communication purposes. It also comes in handy when I want an actual number to match what I'm sensing; it was designed to go all the way up to 200 million units." He activated it smoothly. "See, right now it's showing--"
BLAM! The scouter exploded, spraying the prince's face with parts. He swore angrily. "Now look what you've done! The darned thing shorted out. I hate this fragile machinery."
The two Saiyans looked at the growing sphere of energy surrounding the frost demon. Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to crack and split, fissures snaking out rapidly. WHOOOOSH! Energy exploded out from the epicenter, causing them both to be knocked back.
It felt like the whole planet was shaking. Cold's form hovered motionless, his energy crackling around him. All his injuries had healed. He was around nine feet tall and light grey, with deep cobalt blue armor on his head, chest, shins, and forearms. He was nearly identical to Cooler and Frieza, except for wicked spikes on his forearms and calves.
"Come. Attack me both together."
So, we get to see a whole new side of Goku in this chapter! This change was based off of how the Super Saiyan transformation alters a person's attitude and emotions. In canon, we saw SSJ Goku angrily yell at his own son to leave Namek, then he himself admitted that the form amplified his Saiyan instincts to a level he was not yet able to control. Obviously, Goku is still new to SSJ at this point, hence his speech to Vegeta was actually filled with Saiyan logic. Also I have no doubt you guys will ask about the story of how and when Goku became a SSJ. I'm sure the Z fighters, not to mention Vegeta, are wondering the same thing. Maybe he will be kind enough to tell them the story, that's if they can somehow manage to defeat King Cold in his original form...
Also, with regard to the explanation of Frost Demon power levels. I hope this answers some of your questions regarding how Cold is so much stronger in his second form than his sons. The simple explanation is that he is just much older and allowed his power to grow over time. Also, his lower forms contain a much higher percentage of his total power than Frieza's and presumably Cooler's as well. To anyone assuming that such and such transformation always doubles the strength of a Frost Demon or boosts it by so many times, be careful about making assumptions. And also, we are doing our best to base King Cold's power off of consistent DBZ principles and logical mathematical operations, in addition to making it fit into the power level system we have for BoD. That said, try to be understanding if you have a different opinion, thanks!
I speak for David and I both when I say we had a ton of fun writing this chapter. I tried really hard to make Vegeta believable, both in his dialogue and in his reasoning. It is extremely important to me that the Prince of Saiyans is 'in character', since after all this is his story now. We also found that the banter back and forth between Goku and Vegeta came quite naturally to us. It is very reminiscent of they more friendly type of rivalry they develop later on in DBZ, although I don't imagine that after the battle they will become best buddies. In fact, it is clear that Vegeta definitely still intends to kill Goku afterwards.
One final mention: Thanks for helping us pass our 200th review! It's been an exciting trip so far, and we hope BoD continues to grow. If you like our story, tell someone about it!
And now my friends, for some good old Q and A...
Q: This was pretty awesome glad you had Vegeta lose so he could get humbled and not make the same mistakes he made during the cannon series. I hope you at least go up to the Androids saga
A: Vegeta's winning streak had to come to an end sometime. As hard as Vegeta has been training, he will go to even greater lengths now that he has seen King Cold's strength - if, of course, he survives!
Q: Judging from his appearance, I'm guessing this Trunks is stronger than Semi-Perfect Cell and will arrive to take him out.
A: I wouldn't be so sure. Just because Trunks looks older doesn't mean that he's necessarily that much stronger. Besides, Cold clearly seems to think that Goku and Vegeta are much stronger than Trunks was back on Xylon-38.
Q: [Goku] and Vegeta are my equal favorite characters in DBZ and the thought of them fighting together in the next chapter has me pumped.
A: We hope we did justice to your expectations! Goku and Vegeta never really got an opportunity to fight side-by-side in DBZ; this was an opportunity we thought was important to capitalize on.
Q: If you ever get the chance, could you check out chapter 3 of my story, Twin Half Saiyan's and give me some advice on how to improve my writing when it comes to combat?
A: We'll try!
Q: I wonder though if King Cold will transform into his true form. You hinted at the fact that there's big plans for the King and it's making me wonder if that's a route you're going to take.
A: Well, now you know!
Q: I'm also glad to see the confusion on Vegeta's face when hears that 'Kakarot' is a Super Saiyan when the audience knows that it's really his son.
A: Vegeta is facing quite a few big surprises right about now.
Q: It looks like great minds think alike, I see a few similarities from how this battle is written and what I wrote on DBM page 579
haha. Thank you for giving a proper display of Colds power, this is the best chapter yet!
A: Glad you enjoyed it, MV! We had already planned for this to happen long before we saw your comment, but we didn't want to leave any spoilers by answering one way or another. I was tempted to say something about it, but David and I agreed that if we joined the DBM discussion about your idea, it might give away too much of our ideas, which we obviously didn't want.
Q: Maybe now the roles are reversed. If Goku achieves SSJ on Namek, then Vegeta has to achieve SSJ in space. If you go by this logic then Goku must have achieved in space.
A: Good guess. I'm sure Goku will be eager to tell his friends how he became a Super Saiyan after they've dealt with King Cold!
Q: Interesting on how you have handled king cold, glad he is a real fight and not one to rely on brute strength like cooler did with his 5th form.
A: King Cold has a long history of being a warrior; we certainly wanted to highlight his superior skills (far superior to his sons at least)! He is a much better opponent for Vegeta than Cooler or Frieza could have ever been.
Q: King Cold's power is 180 million or you wrote it wrong? It should be at 280 million, shouldn't it? Considering that his transformations double his power just like the transformations of his sons.
A: We never see any of Cooler's lower transformations, so we can't really work based on that. However, Frieza's three suppressed forms weren't exact multiples or doubles or anything like that, so Cold's aren't either. As a frost demon ages, its suppressed forms become increasingly greater percentages of its full power, which is one reason why it is more difficult for King Cold to control his transformations. The only form that is a consistent multiplier is the fifth form used by Cooler; it is always exactly double the fourth form. That's because the fifth form is used specifically for battle, rather than for suppressing or controlling strength.
Q: Because of vegeta, will goku develop new techniques? King colds final form should possibly be saved for later, even together they wouldn't stand a chance.
A: We'll see what happens!
Q: even if King Cold had raged war before vegeta was born, He's been sitting on a throne doing nothing for god knows how long he shouldn't be that much stronger then his sons.
A: As explained in this chapter, King Cold is several centuries older than his sons, so that is why he is much stronger.
(Previous Chapter) Original: August 9, 2012 (Next Chapter)
Cold Saga - Part 6: Dual Pride
The sun's rays shone with a blinding radiance, warming the battlefield. Two Saiyan warriors, one clad in blue jumpsuit with white armor and the other in red pants and a white ruffled shirt, huddled together. The shorter one, bent over on one knee, was out of breath but wore an expression that could stop a giant in his tracks. The man beside him, taller with mussed black hair, had a hand placed on the other's shoulder and two fingers touching his forehead.
They had miraculously avoided a concentrated explosion of energy that had been on the verge of crushing the shorter warrior only an instant before. The enemy who had fired the blast stood only a hundred yards away, dark and menacing. Silhouetted by the sun, the spiked protrusions all over his armored body made him look singularly intimidating.
Instead of expressing gratitude, the shorter warrior with golden hair growled in fury, yanking the other man's hand off his shoulder.
"Of all the ridiculously impulsive, idiotic things you could have possibly done, Kakarott!"
It couldn't possibly be a coincidence that the prince had been secretly longing for the help of another Saiyan mere seconds before. Kakarott had appeared as if summoned by Vegeta's will alone. The last remaining Saiyan besides himself--a man whom he had sworn to kill, who had had stolen his honor both by surpassing him and by interfering in his battle with Frieza--was standing beside him. He loathed the very sight of the Saiyan from earth.
"How dare you intrude in ANOTHER of my fights, fool! I can't believe this!"
Unaffected by Vegeta's fury, the other Saiyan reached his right hand behind his head and nervously scratched the back of his neck. "Oh, oops. I guess I did kind of barge in. But hey, I saved you from that blast, didn't I?"
It was as if Goku had no appreciation whatsoever for the severity of the insult he had just delivered. The prince continued to stand there, his shock twisted with wounded pride and dipped in the fiery rage of his Super Saiyan transformation. "For the offense you have just committed, not even considering all the other ways you have slighted me, I am going to end your pathetic existence right now!" The prince flared his yellow aura in a sudden burst and pulled his fist back to attack.
"Wait a second, Vegeta. Can't we talk about this?"
CRACK! Vegeta's right hook launched Goku flying across the desert, his aura leaving a crimson trail. The thought that King Cold was watching his every move, amused enough to wait and see how their little squabble played out, never even crossed his mind. Kakarott's insult dominated his every thought.
"No, Kakarott, we cannot 'talk about it'! Do you not recognize that by saving my life you have stripped me of my Saiyan pride? I would rather die than accept your feeble attempts to help me!" Vegeta had caught up to Goku, who had taken the blow rather well; his instinctive use of kaioken had raised his defenses and he was now crouched in a fighting stance. The prince charged again, this time flinging a ball of energy that Goku dodged by leaping upwards.
"But, Vegeta! What about fighting Frieza's father? Can't we settle this little grudge match after we save the Earth from being destroyed?" Goku's pleas were desperate, but the Super Saiyan was blinded by emotion. He didn't care how or why Kakarott had appeared, he didn't care about saving the planet, and he didn't even care about defeating the last of the frost demons. He only knew that Kakarott's continued existence was an affront to his honor.
'How dare this puny imitator blithely interfere in my battles again and again?' Kakarott was a traitor to his race. As a mere child, he had failed in his mission to eradicate the humans, losing his tail and becoming one of them, even taking the name 'Goku'. He had fought against his own flesh and blood, challenging his fellow Saiyans. In their first encounter a year ago, he had shamed the prince and surpassed him in strength, his easygoing attitude mocking Vegeta's battle-hardened resolve. He had even caused Vegeta to lose his tail.
The rebel's interference had twice prevented the prince from gaining access to the power of the dragonballs. His pathetic concern for others had cost Vegeta his life, and now he had added a further insult by rescuing him from Cold. The prince couldn't take it any longer.
"Grudge match, Kakarott? You think that's all this is? You fool! Where is your Saiyan pride, clown?" Vegeta chased Goku through the air, firing an enraged flurry of blasts that devastated the landscape. The prince had begun to regain his strength, and Goku was finding it more and more difficult to stay ahead of his attacks.
"DARN IT!" Goku's shout, surprisingly angry, caused the prince to pause. "My Saiyan pride? Fine, Vegeta, you asked for it. It's...right...HERE!"
Goku's form froze in mid-air. He threw his head back, his arms stretched out at his sides. The outline of his body seemed to shimmer and his crimson aura grew brighter and brighter, shifting from ruby to gold. The last few attacks Vegeta cast rebounded off his aura.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The gathering cloud of dust and smoke cleared in an instant, revealing Goku's unscathed form. His usually calm and friendly appearance was replaced with stern determination, and his ever-welcoming ebony eyes were a fierce green. Golden light emanated from his rippling hair, each strand alive with fury. To Vegeta's distress and amazement, it was perfectly clear that Kakarott had also become a Super Saiyan.
"No, no, no...NO! It can't be!" the prince said in shock.
Just like Vegeta, Goku had reached out and claimed the legendary transformation of the Saiyan race.
The Z Fighters looked on in awe. "Wow! Now my dad is a Super Saiyan too!" Gohan shouted, his voice thrilling with excitement. Even Piccolo managed a hopeful grin. Their friend had appeared completely from nowhere; the Namek hadn't sensed his energy until he appeared on the battlefield as if from thin air. It was a miracle, really, but the crisis was far from over.
"It still doesn't mean anything unless Vegeta somehow comes to his senses," Piccolo said quietly. "Neither of them are strong enough to take on Frieza's father on their own; they will have to work together." As much as he wanted to help, he knew that both the Saiyans were fiercely independent. If Goku wanted their help, he would ask.
Both Krillin and Tien were also thrilled at seeing their friend's arrival. Everyone's spirits had been immediately lifted, but the direness of the situation still weighed heavily on them all.
"I hope those two resolve this quickly. Cold isn't going to sit around forever and wait," Tien said soberly. "Pretty soon he is going to get bored or realize that if they teamed up he might actually lose. I guess he can't sense energy."
"Don't worry, Tien." Gohan was grinning from ear to ear. "My daddy has never let us down before. I'm sure everything will be fine!"
Piccolo smiled at the boy as he reflected. 'I hope so, kid. I hope so.'
For once, Vegeta was utterly speechless. There, staring back at him, was his mortal enemy, clothed in the same shining glory that he alone prized. His greatest fear--that Kakarott would also ascend--had come to life and now stood in front of him. Incensed, he regained his speech, still shaking with frustration.
"Ghhh! This is unbelievable! Explain to me how you, a low-class warrior without a shred of our race's pride or honor, could possibly become a Super Saiyan?"
"LISTEN!" screamed Goku, his golden aura flaring around him angrily. Everyone was shocked; Goku never acted like this. "JUST SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME!"
If Vegeta had been speechless before, he was completely stunned now. What had happened to the weak, easygoing version of Kakarott that he had hated so much?
"I've finally learned what it means to be a Saiyan, Vegeta." There was a sensibility in Goku's choice of words, his voice stern. "I've accepted who I am. It's true: no matter how much I care for all my human friends, I will never be one of them. I became a Super Saiyan like you when I learned to accept my Saiyan heritage. Honor, pride... even anger - these are things I was forced to embrace, but now I finally understand. I've stopped hiding from who I was always meant to be."
Goku took a deep breath, his aura finally relaxing. "I may not have your royal blood, but I do have the pride of a Saiyan, Vegeta. Even so...recognizing who I am didn't take away my desire to protect my home and its people; it strengthened my resolve." Goku nodded towards King Cold. "He is the reason that our home planet was destroyed, and I won't let him do it again! Now, if I have to fight you to get to him, I will. But I'd still prefer that we do this together."
Vegeta could never have expected this - not in a million years. Somehow, Kakarott's mind had been transformed along with his body. The idiot clown, the WORST excuse for a Saiyan he had ever known, somehow was making perfect sense. But the prince was still shaking with fury; he hadn't suddenly forgotten everything Kakarott had done to him. "Fight me, eh? You may be a Super Saiyan, but your low class powers are still no match for me. I will crush you."
The prince spoke boldly, but he was conflicted. "Even if I ignored all the ways you have insulted my honor, why would I accept your help, Kakarott? A true Saiyan would rather die than ask for assistance!"
"That's not the point, Vegeta, and you know it," Goku snapped back. "Didn't you fight alongside Nappa all those years? Haven't our people always worked together, especially when they had to face the greatest dangers? Don't you understand that helping each other out is what friends do?" He wasn't sure if Vegeta even knew what friendship was, but he knew he had to resolve this quickly. The frost giant was slowly approaching them. They were running out of time.
"I don't have the luxury of 'friends', Kakarott. I refuse your offer."
"But, Vegeta, think about our race. You're the one who is always talking about the pride of the Saiyans! We are the LAST two Saiyans in the universe. If we can't even join forces to fight off the father of the same monster that destroyed our own people, I guess our race didn't deserve to survive anyway." Goku's voice was firm. "If we can't see past our differences now, then the timeless legend of the Super Saiyan will all be for nothing! We can't let the pride of the Saiyan race die at the hands of this beast!"
Becoming a Super Saiyan had awakened Goku's Saiyan instincts, and he now felt that he truly understood Vegeta's reasoning. He hoped his words were enough to sway the proud prince.
King Cold's voice boomed out, interrupting them. "I'm terribly sorry to cut this reunion short, but you two have ceased to be any amusement to me. I had hoped to enjoy the irony of seeing the last two Saiyans destroy each other, but I think I shall find just as much enjoyment in doing it myself." The gigantic frost demon crouched, his menacing form rippling with energy. "Now, let's finish this."
"Kakarott, I--" It was a struggle for Vegeta to verbalize his thoughts. He couldn't believe that he was about to agree to join forces with the Saiyan he hated. As much as he wanted satisfaction for his own personal honor, Kakarott's words had appealed to the one thing he cared about most: the honor of his race. "Fine! Let's get this over with. But you're still next, got it?"
"All right! Let's do this!" Goku's voice immediately filled with excitement as he turned to face the frost demon. Vegeta turned as well, poised in a flawless battle stance. Side by side, the two Super Saiyans powered up, their auras merging as energy flowed around them.
Back at Capsule Corp, C47 relayed the new developments to Bulma, who listened eagerly.
"Surprising assessment: It appears that another Saiyan has arrived on the battlefield. My scanners indicate that the master still exceeds him in strength by five million units, but it is very close.
"Prediction: It seems that they are preparing to fight the lizard meatbag together. Together, they greatly exceed his strength."
Bulma clapped her hands, excited. "That must be Goku! He arrived just in time. Quick, let's get to the battlefield!"
"You know, Vegeta, I'm going to be watching all your new techniques," Goku said, hoping to lighten the mood. He was really just as eager to fight Vegeta as he was to fight Cold.
"Kakarott, just SHUT UP. Now, together on the count of three. One...two...th--"
Goku took off at full speed the instant that Vegeta started saying 'three', much to the prince's annoyance. "Ugh! Get back here, you over-eager son of a--"
Goku reached King Cold much faster than the frost demon had been expecting. Without pausing, the hero landed a spinning kick to his face and began pounding him with punches, pushing through the giant's blocks. Cold was shocked that Goku's strength and speed were nearly equal to Vegeta's, noticeably greater than the power of the Super Saiyan he had faced back on Xylon-38.
The new warrior's punches hurt just as much, but his fighting style was completely different from the prince's. The giant found it difficult to adjust his blocks to meet Goku's smooth and flowing attack style, but he was still protected by his superior speed and strength. The blows hurt, but he could stay in control. Cold suddenly caught hold of Goku's left leg, restraining him. "I've got you now, Saiyan!"
THUUUUDD! Vegeta's knee cracked against the demon's torso, causing his grip on Goku to weaken. The prince began pounding the weak points in Cold's armor. Goku, twisting away, redoubled his own attacks. The golden auras of the two Super Saiyans flashed in spirals around the massive frost demon.
The combined barrage of attacks was overwhelming. Though they had never before fought together, they timed their attacks with instinctive precision. One instant they would attack together, their combined strength blowing past Cold's defenses; the next instant they would alternate attacks in perfect rhythm, wearing his strength down rapidly. He had to constantly change his stance; the blocks he used against one were completely ineffective against the other. Worse, their matching golden hair and auras was making it harder and harder for him to tell them apart.
Although the two Saiyans were tremendous warriors individually, it was their rivalry that made their alliance so effective. Each gave his all in an effort to outdo the other; each pushed himself to the limits of his abilities.
"Hey, check this out, Vegeta!" Goku rushed forward, feinting to one side. The frost demon tried to block, but Goku spun around it and executed a back flip kick that caught Cold squarely in the jaw. He followed up with a rapid flurry of punches to Cold's stomach and a powerful side kick that sent his opponent flying backward.
Vegeta grinned, thoroughly enjoying himself. "That's your best shot, Kakarott? Let me show you how a real Super Saiyan fights!" He caught up to the giant and landed a double fist to his opponent's lower back, then gripped his armored horns and vaulted forward to smash his elbow as hard as he could against the top of Cold's head with a resounding crack.
"ALL RIGHT!" shouted Goku. The two Super Saiyans jumped backward in unison, each beginning to charge a powerful energy blast.
Cold was breathing heavily, wincing at his injuries. He now knew that it had been a mistake to let the second Saiyan survive. He looked up, instantly freezing in horror.
"KAME-HAME-HAAAA!"
"SUPER GALIC FLAAAASH!"
Two enormous energy beams, each with enough concentrated force to destroy a star, were suddenly upon him. He braced himself, tensing all the muscles in his body and trying to use his battered exoskeleton as a shield. The two brilliant streams, one a burning yellow and the other a deep blue, ripped through the air and encompassed the King entirely.
KABOOOOM! The explosion thundered across the desert, its deadly energy creating a blinding flash visible from space. Vegeta and Goku dropped back, each feeling good about their combined effort. Both warriors felt the evil king's power drop significantly.
Vegeta smiled. "Well, how are you feeling now, Cold?"
In Bulma's ship, C47 continued to give play-by-play updates to Bulma.
"Excited boast: The master is really turning up the heat now. I estimate this 'king' has another five minutes, tops." Never before had Bulma seen the android display so much excitement.
"Expectation: After witnessing the master's domination of Cooler, I am eager to watch how thoroughly he crushes Cooler's father."
The smoke cleared to reveal the frost demon's battered form panting in midair. Angry wounds covered his limbs where the combined explosions had seared his flesh. His energy had dropped dramatically; he didn't think he could fight one of the Super Saiyans in his current state, let alone both at the same time.
Goku crossed his arms. "So, King Cold, if you're really Frieza's dad, why do you look so different? Does he take after the other side of the family?"
Vegeta was annoyed by the question. "These demons each have four forms, though Cooler was able to unlock an additional transformation by training. Frieza was his fourth form when I killed him back on Namek. When Cold arrived, he was in his second form - much stronger than Frieza was in his second form, but still pathetic compared to me. He transformed to this hideous state shortly before you arrived."
Grateful for the opportunity to catch his breath, the giant spoke up. "My race grows dramatically stronger as we get older. We use suppressed forms to manage our power; it takes years of training to control our true strength. Both of my sons mastered their true forms while they were still young and weak, but my first and second suppressed forms were enough to keep them in line. My full power would crush you both in an instant!"
Vegeta laughed. "If your final form is so strong, then why don't you go ahead and transform? Kakarott might be afraid of you, but I'm not!"
"Hey, I'm not afraid either!" shouted Goku. "I say bring it on! It's not fair to fight you unless you're using your full strength!"
King Cold was conflicted. He didn't think he could risk another transformation; if he lost control, he could easily destroy himself. But he didn't really have a choice. His energy was running out, and the Saiyans weren't going to give him any more time.
The giant growled with rage. "You'll live just long enough to regret this! I'll crush you both, I swear it!" Crouching, he began powering up, energy swirling around him until his form was completely obscured. The ground began to shake.
The two Super Saiyans grinned. "And here I thought we weren't going to have any more fun," Goku said.
"This time, I get the first shot at him," Vegeta replied. "If there's anything left when I'm through with him, you can have your turn." Goku shrugged in assent. "Have it your way. Say, why are you still wearing that scouter? I thought you could sense energy like me."
"Of course I can," Vegeta snapped back. "Anything you can do, I can do better. I keep this scouter for communication purposes. It also comes in handy when I want an actual number to match what I'm sensing; it was designed to go all the way up to 200 million units." He activated it smoothly. "See, right now it's showing--"
BLAM! The scouter exploded, spraying the prince's face with parts. He swore angrily. "Now look what you've done! The darned thing shorted out. I hate this fragile machinery."
The two Saiyans looked at the growing sphere of energy surrounding the frost demon. Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to crack and split, fissures snaking out rapidly. WHOOOOSH! Energy exploded out from the epicenter, causing them both to be knocked back.
It felt like the whole planet was shaking. Cold's form hovered motionless, his energy crackling around him. All his injuries had healed. He was around nine feet tall and light grey, with deep cobalt blue armor on his head, chest, shins, and forearms. He was nearly identical to Cooler and Frieza, except for wicked spikes on his forearms and calves.
"Come. Attack me both together."
So, we get to see a whole new side of Goku in this chapter! This change was based off of how the Super Saiyan transformation alters a person's attitude and emotions. In canon, we saw SSJ Goku angrily yell at his own son to leave Namek, then he himself admitted that the form amplified his Saiyan instincts to a level he was not yet able to control. Obviously, Goku is still new to SSJ at this point, hence his speech to Vegeta was actually filled with Saiyan logic. Also I have no doubt you guys will ask about the story of how and when Goku became a SSJ. I'm sure the Z fighters, not to mention Vegeta, are wondering the same thing. Maybe he will be kind enough to tell them the story, that's if they can somehow manage to defeat King Cold in his original form...
Also, with regard to the explanation of Frost Demon power levels. I hope this answers some of your questions regarding how Cold is so much stronger in his second form than his sons. The simple explanation is that he is just much older and allowed his power to grow over time. Also, his lower forms contain a much higher percentage of his total power than Frieza's and presumably Cooler's as well. To anyone assuming that such and such transformation always doubles the strength of a Frost Demon or boosts it by so many times, be careful about making assumptions. And also, we are doing our best to base King Cold's power off of consistent DBZ principles and logical mathematical operations, in addition to making it fit into the power level system we have for BoD. That said, try to be understanding if you have a different opinion, thanks!
I speak for David and I both when I say we had a ton of fun writing this chapter. I tried really hard to make Vegeta believable, both in his dialogue and in his reasoning. It is extremely important to me that the Prince of Saiyans is 'in character', since after all this is his story now. We also found that the banter back and forth between Goku and Vegeta came quite naturally to us. It is very reminiscent of they more friendly type of rivalry they develop later on in DBZ, although I don't imagine that after the battle they will become best buddies. In fact, it is clear that Vegeta definitely still intends to kill Goku afterwards.
One final mention: Thanks for helping us pass our 200th review! It's been an exciting trip so far, and we hope BoD continues to grow. If you like our story, tell someone about it!
And now my friends, for some good old Q and A...
Q: This was pretty awesome glad you had Vegeta lose so he could get humbled and not make the same mistakes he made during the cannon series. I hope you at least go up to the Androids saga
A: Vegeta's winning streak had to come to an end sometime. As hard as Vegeta has been training, he will go to even greater lengths now that he has seen King Cold's strength - if, of course, he survives!
Q: Judging from his appearance, I'm guessing this Trunks is stronger than Semi-Perfect Cell and will arrive to take him out.
A: I wouldn't be so sure. Just because Trunks looks older doesn't mean that he's necessarily that much stronger. Besides, Cold clearly seems to think that Goku and Vegeta are much stronger than Trunks was back on Xylon-38.
Q: [Goku] and Vegeta are my equal favorite characters in DBZ and the thought of them fighting together in the next chapter has me pumped.
A: We hope we did justice to your expectations! Goku and Vegeta never really got an opportunity to fight side-by-side in DBZ; this was an opportunity we thought was important to capitalize on.
Q: If you ever get the chance, could you check out chapter 3 of my story, Twin Half Saiyan's and give me some advice on how to improve my writing when it comes to combat?
A: We'll try!
Q: I wonder though if King Cold will transform into his true form. You hinted at the fact that there's big plans for the King and it's making me wonder if that's a route you're going to take.
A: Well, now you know!
Q: I'm also glad to see the confusion on Vegeta's face when hears that 'Kakarot' is a Super Saiyan when the audience knows that it's really his son.
A: Vegeta is facing quite a few big surprises right about now.
Q: It looks like great minds think alike, I see a few similarities from how this battle is written and what I wrote on DBM page 579
haha. Thank you for giving a proper display of Colds power, this is the best chapter yet!A: Glad you enjoyed it, MV! We had already planned for this to happen long before we saw your comment, but we didn't want to leave any spoilers by answering one way or another. I was tempted to say something about it, but David and I agreed that if we joined the DBM discussion about your idea, it might give away too much of our ideas, which we obviously didn't want.
Q: Maybe now the roles are reversed. If Goku achieves SSJ on Namek, then Vegeta has to achieve SSJ in space. If you go by this logic then Goku must have achieved in space.
A: Good guess. I'm sure Goku will be eager to tell his friends how he became a Super Saiyan after they've dealt with King Cold!
Q: Interesting on how you have handled king cold, glad he is a real fight and not one to rely on brute strength like cooler did with his 5th form.
A: King Cold has a long history of being a warrior; we certainly wanted to highlight his superior skills (far superior to his sons at least)! He is a much better opponent for Vegeta than Cooler or Frieza could have ever been.
Q: King Cold's power is 180 million or you wrote it wrong? It should be at 280 million, shouldn't it? Considering that his transformations double his power just like the transformations of his sons.
A: We never see any of Cooler's lower transformations, so we can't really work based on that. However, Frieza's three suppressed forms weren't exact multiples or doubles or anything like that, so Cold's aren't either. As a frost demon ages, its suppressed forms become increasingly greater percentages of its full power, which is one reason why it is more difficult for King Cold to control his transformations. The only form that is a consistent multiplier is the fifth form used by Cooler; it is always exactly double the fourth form. That's because the fifth form is used specifically for battle, rather than for suppressing or controlling strength.
Q: Because of vegeta, will goku develop new techniques? King colds final form should possibly be saved for later, even together they wouldn't stand a chance.
A: We'll see what happens!
Q: even if King Cold had raged war before vegeta was born, He's been sitting on a throne doing nothing for god knows how long he shouldn't be that much stronger then his sons.
A: As explained in this chapter, King Cold is several centuries older than his sons, so that is why he is much stronger.
(Previous Chapter) Original: August 9, 2012 (Next Chapter)
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Chapter 24 of the fanfic originally published on FanFiction.net
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