Bringer of Death

Frieza Saga - Part 9: Kaioken

Frieza Saga - Part 9: Kaioken 

Blood. Lots of blood was spewing from Vegeta. Lots of blood was gushing from Frieza. 

Standing but a few feet away from the fallen prince, the frost demon miraculously appeared. His body was mutilated, but he remained alive. The death beam he had so sneakily fired had not missed its mark, and soon his victory over the Super Saiyan would be final. 

"Oh no!" cried Goku, the pitch of his voice raised, conveying a sense of fear. "What have I done?" 

Words could not describe the pain felt by Vegeta. He had tasted sweet victory, felt true power, and fulfilled his greatest longings. Suddenly, it had all been stripped away. He had been stronger, faster, smarter; he had fought with honor. How then, could he now be lying there in a pool of his own blood? What great mistake had he made that had cost him so dearly? 

"Did I hold back? No, I know I didn't!" Vegeta inwardly argued with his subconscious. "Did I drag the fight out, giving him time to come up with some escape tactic?" he wondered. "No, I'm sure he couldn't have survived that attack. Yet, there he is." 

Frieza stood, panting, and fixed his eyes on Goku. The red pupils in the tyrant's eyes were menacing, longing to murder again. He was still in a great deal of pain, having been beaten to a pulp a few moments before and then barely surviving the Super Galic Flash. He had sustained a serious injury to his right side, which he covered with his left palm to stop the bleeding. Additionally, he had cuts and bruises everywhere. His hands were warped, no longer white, but a melted brownish yellow. They had braced against the full force of Vegeta's attack and would probably be permanently deformed. Overall, however, he deemed himself still in good enough condition to fight. 

"Ka...karott, you have...to finish what I started," Vegeta coughed blood again, trying to clear his throat so he could speak clearly. "You have...to get angry enough...cough cough..." 

Goku interrupted. "Save your strength, Vegeta." 

"No! Kaka...rott. Listen to me. You...are the last of the Saiyans now." Vegeta knew he only had a few words remaining. He could feel his mind growing numb, the world around him starting to fade. "Avenge me, Kakarott. Save the universe...you...are the only...cough...one who can." 

Frieza would have intervened to break up their little heart to heart, but he was using the spare moments to try and recover his strength. Wounded as he was, he didn't want to take any chances. He had gotten lucky once; he did not want to tempt fate. 

"I promise I will do everything in my power to stop him, Vegeta. You will never be forgotten, my prince, nor will I fail to honor what you achieved here today." Goku looked deeply into the eyes of Vegeta. For a moment, they understood each another as never before. Although no more words could be spoken, Goku felt the burden, the fate of the universe, being placed into his hands. Then, Vegeta was gone. 

Silence. The battlefield was devoid of all sound. Even the waves of the sea seemed to stand still. Finally, a gentle breeze swept through the hair of the fallen prince; the planet's way of respecting the dead. 

Goku bowed his head, honoring his fallen comrade. He then knelt down and took the prince in his arms, gently lifting his body. Nearby was a small opening in the rock which led to a one roomed cavern. It was nothing special, definitely not worthy of a prince, but it would still be better than burying him in a hole on the battlefield. Goku bent over as he stepped through the shallow opening and laid the Saiyan prince in the center. 

"Vegeta, I'm so sorry I let this happen. I don't know how to become a Super Saiyan like you, but I promise you this: it's either me or him." Goku ducked out of the tomb. He then lifted his right hand above the ground, summoning a large boulder from underneath him. It ripped up through the dirt of Namek until it met Goku's palm. The stone was circular, about six feet in diameter. Telekinetically, Goku rolled it over to cover the entryway.