Reparation

Vegeta stared down at the severed head which rolled onto the ground a few feet before him. It was all that remained of the tyrant who had ruled over him and over most of the known galaxy. The skin was twisted and burned, testifying to the pain that Vegeta's Galic Flash had inflicted. His neck had been ripped from his body roughly, the spine protruding as the torn tissue continued to leak blood. The purple pool was seeping slowly into the dirt on the surface of the planet. Most striking of all was that the cold, narrow eyes, so often filled with untempered rage and cruelty, were utterly lifeless. Yet the lifeless eyes still betrayed the smug sadism that had defined Frieza until the very end. With his dying breath, he had stolen Vegeta's sense of victory.

The prince was deep in thought, and despite Frieza's death there was still great tension on the battlefield. The dark sky above was menacing and black, except for the horizon, and seemed to outwardly display the storm raging between the two Saiyans. At first it seemed that Vegeta was causing the vicious lightning as well as the canopy of shadows above, but the darkness slowly began to fade away, revealing the calm green skies of Namek once again. Goku watched silently from where he knelt beside the unconscious Gohan; the weather was the least of his concerns. He knew quite well what Frieza had just whispered to the Super Saiyan.

"This is what I was afraid of," Goku thought."I expect he's gonna be pretty steamed at me for what happened, and for not telling him the truth. I don't really blame him, though; it is my fault."

"The old legends say that Super Saiyans are known for their unquenchable rage and thirst for battle." Vegeta, his back still turned to Goku, spoke coldly. "How foolish, then, is it to provoke the wrath of such a being? What were you thinking, Kakarott? Tell me the truth!" Vegeta ignited his energy, raising his voice to add emphasis to the golden flames that erupted around him.

Goku was experiencing a unique moment in his life. He had been in rough situations before - tight spots that seemed hopeless. But he had always found a way to survive, usually finding the solution right at the last possible second. This time it was different. His mind was racing, but it kept telling him to accept responsibility. It was the right thing to do, after all, and Goku certainly would rather have Vegeta take his anger out on him than on anyone else.

"It's true, Vegeta. I allowed Frieza to survive. I caused your Super Galic Flash to detonate early." Goku spoke the words in a sober and apologetic tone, recognizing that his actions had cost Vegeta his life.

"You did, Kakarott!" Vegeta angrily yelled. "You interfered in the most important battle of my entire life, right at the most critical moment, causing my perfect victory to be ripped from my hands! It sounded to me like you were admitting that after all I did to help you and protect your son, you paid me back with betrayal! So, did you? Did you, Kakarott!"

Goku was silent for a moment. He knew Vegeta didn't want to hear an excuse, no matter how valid. He pondered what to say, knowing that his next choice of words might directly determine the length of his life.

"Vegeta, I'm sorry. It wasn't my place to interfere. I didn't trust you to control your attack, and I wanted to try to save the planet. I was wrong." Goku dropped his head in submission, though the prince's back was still turned.

Vegeta seemed to be considering the words Goku spoke as he stared off across the landscape. He was unmoving, his fingers twitching with indecision about whether or not to turn around and obliterate his fellow Saiyan. Goku desperately wished that he could see what was going on inside the Super Saiyan's head, but all he could do was trust and hope that Vegeta would show the same mercy that the Z Fighters had shown him time and time again. Seconds seemed like centuries as the tension grew.

Finally, as if to break the silence, a small figure surrounded by a white aura approached rapidly. Neither turned to see who, for their senses were fully engaged on each other. The small green boy landed and without a word quickly placed his hands over Gohan, beginning to release his healing power. Within a few seconds, Gohan's eyes opened as his fatigue and the injuries covering his body were miraculously washed away. He sat up and smiled when he saw Dende.

"Dende! You're alive!" exclaimed the young Saiyan. But before he could speak again, he noticed the young Namek placing a finger to his lips. Gohan didn't know why until he saw his father and Vegeta, both motionless.

"What is Vegeta so angry about?" he wondered. "I must have missed a lot while I was out. I can't feel Frieza's energy at all, but I can feel Namekians alive everywhere." As Gohan pondered the scenario and tried to fill in the gaps, his father interrupted his thoughts.

"Gohan," Goku spoke telepathically, "as soon as Dende heals me I want you to make sure you both get as far away from here as possible. When he is safe, take my spaceship and go home." The young healer had been using his power to restore Goku's energy while the wounded Saiyan communicated his instructions. "If I survive, I'll find another way back. Now GO!"

"Okay," the timid voice of Gohan answered.

The two boys, one from earth and one from Namek, each ignited their white auras and took off, heading back in the direction of Goku's ship. Gohan was scared. Hearing his father's thoughts had sent a chill through him. Every other time they had been in a scary situation, Goku had always shown such hope and confidence. His dad was always the strongest, always able to handle anything that came his way. Yet what Goku had said - "If I survive" - seemed utterly without hope. Gohan wondered if he would ever see his dad again.

Super Saiyan Vegeta turned, flying slowly toward Goku. The latter, now healed of the injuries inflicted by Frieza, felt whole again. Just as Dende's healing had increased Vegeta's strength, so it had given Goku a similar Zenkai. He was now at least twice as strong as Vegeta had been at the beginning of the battle with Frieza...but that had been before Vegeta's rage and despair had ignited the primal Super Saiyan strength of their race. If Vegeta would only remain in his base state, Goku knew he would be able to hold his own with ease. Yet the boost of energy granted by the Super Saiyan transformation seemed insurmountable.

Would his kaioken be enough to save his life? Goku knew he could boost his newly increased strength by twenty times, maybe more. At this point, he was confident he would have been able to match Frieza's fourth form, although the powered-up 100% form of the icy tyrant might have been too much for him. As far as he could tell, Vegeta's increased base strength after being revived by Shenron hadn't translated to substantially more energy as a Super Saiyan. But Vegeta had already been so much stronger than Frieza, even in the tyrant's powered-up form, that Goku despaired of being able to hold his own. He estimated that the Super Saiyan was half again as strong as his own maximum strength at 20x kaioken. Could he push King Kai's technique further?

Vegeta spoke. "You will not deny me the satisfaction of regaining my honor. Your pathetic obsession with protecting this miserable planet cost me my life, and I will have yours in exchange." Goku swallowed. "You have humiliated me for the last time, Kakarott!

Goku stood still, his head hung. "You're right, Vegeta. It was my fault. You can kill me if you want. Just don't hurt anyone else."

"Have you no thought of your Saiyan honor, Kakarott? I will kill you - I swear it - but it will be in combat, like true Saiyan warriors," Vegeta roared. "I would think that even a low-class warrior like yourself would know this. You WILL fight me!"

Goku was conflicted. For the first time in his life, he faced an opponent that had a genuine offense against him. He felt that he could understand Vegeta's desire for justice, for fairness. For the first time, he didn't feel his side was entirely justified. And yet his hunger to test his strength and fight - even to the death - still rose strong and clear inside him. Vegeta demanded a fight? He would give him a fight.

Goku crouched, letting energy flow through his body as he began to power up. His aura turned bright red as each wave of power was concentrated and amplified over and over again. He set his teeth as his muscles swelled to accommodate the energy building up inside him.

"That's right, Kakarott!" laughed the Super Saiyan Vegeta, who stood with his arms crossed as his own golden aura flowed around him. "Show me the full extent of your power! You still won't stand a chance against a Super Saiyan!"

"YAAAAHHHHH!" Goku screamed as he amplified his power beyond what he had ever thought possible. "Kaio...ken...times TWENTY-FIVE!"

Goku shot forward, bathed in a stream of blood-red light. The Super Saiyan was poised, now, but he wasn't prepared for the speed of Goku's onslaught. Vegeta blocked the first three punches, but Goku's kick made it past his defenses, catching him in the ribs and sending him flying to the side in a golden streak. Goku followed, his kaioken still blazing red, and landed a punch to Vegeta's chin that sent him plummeting into the ground.

Vegeta picked himself up, wiping a streak of blood from his lip. "Is that all you've got, Kakarott? I was hoping for a good fight before I destroy you."

Goku flew in fast and low with a double kick, only to have Vegeta catch his leg in mid-strike. His momentum carried him forward, and he tumbled end-over-end before righting himself and landing on his feet. He turned to attack again, but Vegeta was already in motion, delivering a vicious double fist to his lower back that sent him sprawling.

In his present state, so heightened by kaioken, the blow did little to injure him. Yet he was shocked when he realized that he hadn't been able to anticipate the attack. Kaioken had multiplied his strength, speed, and senses, but the Super Saiyan had moved too quickly for even Goku to follow.

Goku was already on his feet again, delivering a furious series of blows that crashed like thunder against Vegeta's defenses. Yet now he knew he was fighting blind. Even if he could keep up this level of kaioken - and he doubted that further training would ever be able to stabilize it - he wasn't able to sense Vegeta's movements. He had to remain on the attack, or-

"THUUUUM!" Vegeta's fist caught Goku in the side of the head, sending him tumbling. The Super Saiyan was on the offensive now, and despite Goku's amplified speed and strength he couldn't keep up. He felt a knee smash into his ribs moments before an elbow caught him under the chin, sending him crashing into the dirt.

"Your power can't save you from my Super Saiyan wrath!" screamed Vegeta as he unleashed a flurry of golden energy blasts at Goku. The individual blasts weren't large enough to pose a serious threat, but evading them was using up Goku's precious energy. The last two blows he received from Vegeta had been incredibly powerful, strong enough to have crippled Frieza easily; he felt himself weakening.

Gathering his remaining strength, Goku dashed forward through the hail of energy attacks. Though he knew Vegeta could sense his energy, he hoped the clouds of dust would obscure him for at least a moment. Holding both hands at his side, he started to charge his attack. "KA-ME-HA-ME..."

As the dust cleared, he saw Vegeta hovering above him, the golden light of his transformation overpowering the glare of the Namekian suns. To Goku's horror, the Super Saiyan was charging his own attack. "Now you will pay!" roared Vegeta. "Super Galic Flash!"

"-HAH!" screamed Goku, releasing the bright blue energy wave. It met Vegeta's golden beam a dozen yards above him, producing a shockwave that made the whole planet seem to shudder.

Goku's beam, strengthened by the 25x kaioken, began to push back Vegeta's attack. The Super Saiyan had been too confident in his strength, and he had held back just a little too much. Unlike the Kamehameha wave, Vegeta's attack couldn't be amplified after it had been released, and Vegeta could do nothing to overcome Goku's beam. He felt himself losing control of his attack.

Suddenly, Goku felt his strength ebb. The 25x kaioken was too much; he couldn't sustain it any longer. Both Saiyans felt their energy beams fail simultaneously, and they watched as the golden and blue fire coalesced into a crackling ball of destructive energy between them.

As Goku's kaioken continued to drain, he summoned the last of his remaining strength and blasted off, flying as low and as fast as he could. Vegeta followed in a golden streak. This was the end, Goku was sure; that ball of energy now sinking slowly behind them made Frieza's Supernova attack seem like a mere firecracker. Namek was going to blow up, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Moments earlier…

"Piccolo, it's your turn now," King Kai signalled.

"Right. I'm on my way," the Namek grunted.

"I've spoken to Guru and he just sent Dende to aid Goku and Gohan with his healing power. Now, we need you to make that wish as quickly as you can." King Kai hadn't worked this hard in a very long time. He had been communicating long distance, forming plans, and coordinating all the efforts of those on the side of good. It was exhausting, but he was hardly finished.

Piccolo hadn't been exactly sure where the dragon would reappear, but from Krillin's directions he had a decent idea of where to look. Luckily, Porunga was enormous and the Namekian easily spotted him. Veiled in his white energy, Piccolo blasted full speed towards the dragon. The nearer he got, the larger the Maker of Dreams seemed to become.

"Porunga!" he yelled. Piccolo was once again grateful he had integrated Nail into his being. In addition to the massive power increase he had received, he had also been granted an understanding of the protocol and password for making a wish to Namek's dragon.

"Speak, my child. I have yet to grant a third wish and my patience is wearing thin!" Porunga's voice rumbled through the very ground, its depth shaking the foundations of the planet. Piccolo hadn't seen an eternal dragon since his father had made a wish for eternal youth to Shenron on Earth. This dragon was different altogether and overall much more impressive.

"Porunga," Piccolo began, "Is it within your power to make our home safe from being destroyed? Can you form some kind of protective shield or barrier around planet Namek?"

"Hmmm," the dragon growled, his voice deeper than thunder. "I do not know, but I will try." Porunga's red eyes began to glow brightly as he seemed to be exerting a lot of effort. Piccolo waited patiently, hoping his idea would work.

He had been the one to suggest to King Kai that the final wish be used to protect Namek. The planet had already sustained heavy damage from the battle between Vegeta and Frieza, and who knew what Vegeta would do once Frieza was out of the way. He might leave under a false pretense of peace and blow up the planet from space. Or, if he decided to battle Goku, who could know the kind of destruction their fight might cause? Overall, it seemed like the only other option would be to abandon the planet entirely and evacuate everyone. Piccolo wasn't about to make the Nameks sacrifice their home, and King Kai agreed this would be the best way.

"Your wish has been granted." Porunga reported with pride. "Now, farewell." The dragon began to glow white and then all of his body shot like lightning back into the dragonballs. The balls, which glowed and hovered in the air, suddenly launched themselves across the planet, each going to its own far corner. The dark sky slowly faded back to a calm green.

"Well, King Kai. It worked." Piccolo reported. "Namek is safe." He smiled, feeling a genuine connection to his home-world.

"Excellent, Piccolo! I just hope the Namekians don't mind. I know they would never use the dragonballs for any personal gain, but I'm sure they will understand us using them to protect their planet. And since they have just recently been brought back to life, they will be more likely to remain that way if their planet stays intact."

"Right, King Kai. Well, I need to hurry back to the ship. If things go awry here somehow, I don't want to die and cause us to lose Earth's dragonballs again." Sensing Gohan was also heading back, the Namekian took off, flying hastily towards the Capsule Corp. spaceship which was about to take off.

The blast caught the two Saiyans only a few seconds later, sending both of them tumbling out of control. As he spun through the air, completely out of energy, Goku wondered what had happened. Was the planet exploding already? It couldn't be - the ball of energy hadn't had time to sink to the core. What had caused the blast to detonate on the surface?

Vegeta pulled himself up out of the dirt, his golden aura still pulsing around him. He turned to look back, but couldn't believe his eyes. The surface of Namek was completely smooth for as far as he could see, seemingly scraped clean, with no discernible crater from the explosion. "What kind of sorcery is this?" he wondered.

Turning to one side, he saw Goku lying on his side in the dirt, utterly motionless. "NO!" he thought. "I must be the one to defeat Kakarrot! He can't be dead." Taking a deep breath, he let his Super Saiyan energy flow through him, strengthening his own bruised muscles. Vegeta frowned and walked slowly to where Goku lay.

When he saw that Goku was still breathing, Vegeta hoisted him roughly by his throat, then drove his fist hard into his gut. Goku coughed blood.

"One year, Kakarott." Goku's eyes opened slowly. "What?" he asked as he gasped for breath, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Vegeta set his jaw. "I agreed to give you one year, Kakarott. In one year, I swear I will kill you. Meet me on planet Earth exactly one year from today. If you aren't there, I will blow it up and hunt you down. Do you understand me?"

Goku nodded slowly, still desperately trying to breathe.

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I'm totally thrilled with all the positive feedback about BoD. My thanks to everyone who has reviewed or commented! It's been really fun so far to write this story. I can't go back and watch the Frieza saga any more without wishing this is what had happened instead, haha. Many of you know davidstarlingm, who is the editor for Bringer of Death. He has been my best friend for several years and I feel I must make special mention of his contributions to this chapter. I usually do most of the writing, but for this chapter I wanted him to write the Goku/Vegeta fight. He did a great job with it and it was a privilege for me to get to read how he imagined the fight.

I also wanted to make mention that the original wish to revive everyone on Namek was changed slightly from canon. This wish brought back the Namekians killed by Vegeta along with everyone else. Just a small change really, but I thought it would improve the situation slightly. I had planned to mention this, but couldn't find a great spot when writing to do so.

Hopefully, the wish to protect Namek isn't too far out there for any of you. I thought it was something well within the capabilities of Porunga, and It would really stink if Namek blew up again after they just revived everyone. As always, the dragonballs are the ultimate plot device to fix bad things.

A final note: My apologies concerning the part about Piccolo not understanding Namekian. I usually catch details like that one, but as I only watched through Dragonball once it eluded me. I have since changed it in this updated version of Part 12. Also, I'm gonna go ahead and alter the part about Goku's senses not being increased by the Kaioken. This is not simply in response to your pointing it out. I had wondered about it before and was hesitant leaving it in, but I didn't want to mess with David's writing too much. Anyway, that's all for now.

Power Levels:

Being revived by the wish to Shenron granted Vegeta a significant zenkai, raising his base strength from 2.4 million to around 3.4 million. With the 145 million boost of the Super Saiyan state, Vegeta's total fighting power was 148.4 million. With Frieza in his weakened state, the Super Saiyan had no trouble executing him.

Goku had been at 3 million before being badly wounded and nearly strangled by Frieza. The zenkai he received when Dende healed him raised his strength to 5 million. Multiplying this strength with a 20x kaioken would have brought him up to the level of Frieza's fourth form; his 25x kaioken brought him above Frieza's maximum power to 125 million.

In his fight with Vegeta, however, he quickly learned that he had reached the maximum potential of the kaioken technique. Not only was a 25x kaioken impossible for him to maintain, but he knew that training wouldn't improve the situation. It was just too much energy to be stabilized. Even worse, fighting an opponent nearly 30 times his own base strength made it impossible for him to even follow Vegeta's movements, much less sense or anticipate them.

If Vegeta had used his full power from the beginning, Goku would have been killed; he was only barely able to maintain 25x kaioken in each attack. But Vegeta did not expect Goku to have become stronger and faster than Frieza, and so he was taken by surprise.

Goku's kamehameha was released at his full power (125 million), but it was too much for him to maintain for more than an instant. The biggest disadvantage of kaioken is the state in which it leaves Goku; once he can no longer sustain it, his energy drains rapidly. Overdoing kaioken was more destructive to Goku's body than Vegeta ever would have been.

Vegeta (revived): 3.4 million

SSJ Vegeta: 3.4 million + 145 million = 148.4 million

Super Galic Flash: 148.4 million x 80% = 120 million

Goku (healed): 5 million

Goku (25x kaioken): 5 million x 25 = 125 million