[DBZ] The Legendary Super Saiyan

[Green Ranger]

OOC Thread Link​

Age 774
Seven years after the Cell Games.

The death of Goku had hit everyone hard. Following the Cell Games, and the end of Dr. Gero's destructive vendetta against Goku and his final, bittersweet victory against the Saiyan, everyone had more or less drifted apart. The core group of Earth's greatest martial artists of all time, once a closely bound squad of friends, now rarely met together in any one place. Tien and Yamcha, determined to not let themselves be left behind, had vanished into the mountains to continue the training they had received from King Kai in the afterlife. Vegeta, who had settled down long enough to have a child with Bulma, had proved himself to be a fairly terrible family man and father, and after countless arguments with Bulma (more than a few of which had started when Vegeta had returned with their son, Trunks, seriously injured), had disappeared altogether. Gohan, under the watchful gaze of his mother Chi Chi, had been more or less buried with schoolwork, only appearing every now and then to continue his training.

And Piccolo? Well, Piccolo never really enjoyed spending too much time with the rest of them anyway. Humanity was a strange thing, and though he had grown fond of his fellow martial artists, the Namekian still kept to himself as much as possible.

He had enough company, wherever he went. He carried Kami, the Earth's former guardian, within him, always.

The two had fused back into one being in order to stop Cell, but even that hadn't been enough. Instead, like so many others, Piccolo found himself paling in comparison to the progress of the Saiyans. Even Vegeta had proven himself capable of the astonishing leaps in power that, once upon a time, Piccolo believed were exclusive to Goku - though Piccolo still noted that Vegeta's motivations were purely selfish even now.

For the Prince of all Saiyans, Vegeta had always been a brat. And that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

Still, the rapid development of Goku, Gohan and Vegeta - and the knowledge that one day Vegeta's own son, Trunks, would be equally capable of such power - was something of a source of annoyance for Piccolo. Grudingly, he admitted to himself that the Saiyans made Piccolo - once the most powerful warrior on all of Earth - feel somewhat...inadequate.

Of course, Kami, in his eternal and infuriating wisdom, would constantly remind Piccolo not to be so petty...but Piccolo was not Kami. Even with Kami inside him now, Piccolo was still the same old Piccolo.

Hmph, sounds like something Goku would say.

Of course, Piccolo realized he was being unfair to himself. In the seven years since the Cell Games, his own power levels had increased dramatically, and moreso than he ever thought possible. It was enough to even give the Saiyans, in all their incredible and infuriating might, pause. And for that, he had Gohan to thank.

I'd have never gotten this far without the brat. But for every step I take, Gohan takes a giant leap. He's always been capable of incredible power. Fighting Garlic Jr. or Frieza. Hell, even fighting his uncle, Raditz - Gohan was a child, but he was capable of immense bursts of strength and power. Even knowing that, I never thought he would be the one to defeat Cell.

That was the moment. When Gohan unleashed all his anger and fury, gave in to white-hot rage and achieved a power level that even Vegeta would never have dreamed of...that was the moment that Piccolo saw the boy he'd been training and protecting for so long grow up. And Gohan had flourished since then - now 18 and about to start high school, Gohan's martial prowess was astounding, even despite his hesistance. The boy had never been a killer, never had a 'true warrior spirit', so to speak - he only ever fought when he had to, and always gave his opponents a chance to save themselves...but that was part of what made him so powerful. That good heart could ignite a white-hot fury when the people Gohan cared for were threatened. Piccolo saw it firsthand at the Cell Games - an eruption of power like nothing he had ever seen before, an ascension beyond that of even an 'ordinary' Super Saiyan. No, Gohan had reached a whole other level. And his hesitance to harness and master that power for fear of hurting those close to him...to Piccolo, that was no weakness. That was a different strength, one that was unique to Gohan.

For a moment, Piccolo allowed himself the indulgence of a smile. If nothing else good came from the meeting at Kami's lookout - it would be good to see his student again.

* * *​

Age 774
Dende's lookout

"How on Earth did Yamcha manage to be late? We left at the same time." Tien Shinhan grumbled to noone in particular, though his companion, Chiaotzu, glanced over, beamign at him with his childlike face.

"Don't bee too surprised, Tien! Don't forget, Yamcha just got a new haircut - he's probably stopping at every window he goes past to admire himself!"

Tien couldn't help crack a faint smile. Chiaotzu wasn't wrong - especially ever sicne his break-up with Bulma years ago, Yamcha had become rather self-absorbed and vain. A skilled martial artist, to be sure, but so often distracted by his own reflection. Tien had, in fact, won a sparring match not so long ago by holding up a mirror to his adversary - unwilling to shatter his own reflection, Yamcha was too enchanted by himself to notice Tien had flanked him. A few precise chops to some crucial areas, and the battle was over. Foolish.

Still, grudgingly Tien had to admit that Yamcha's company had been invaluable over the past few years. While Chiaotzu had often had to spend time away from Tien, training with Dende atop his lookout, Tien found a sparring partner in Yamcha, who proved - when he was focused - to be more than equal to Tien's own skills. Taking a page out of Goku's book, both Tien and Yamcha used their competetiveness and rivalry between one another to fuel their development, fighting one another during the day and comparing notes of an evening. The two had even taken inspiration from the Saiyans - unable to transform in the same way, the two instead called upon their time training with King Kai to use the Kaioken technique - a powerful ability, but painfully short-lived, both Tien and Yamcha worked to the best of their abilities to maintain the transformation for as long as possible, greatly enhancing their stamina and unlocking hidden reserves of potential both of them didn't even know they had.

So, it wasn't surprising that Yamcha liked the look of himself in the mirror. Both of the humans were in the best physical condition of their lives, after all. Still, it frustrated Tien - despite being the stricter, more disciplined of the two, he found himself unable to outpace his more relaxed rival.

Is this what it feels like to be Vegeta? There's an unpleasant thought.

"Hm. We'll just have to wait for him, then," Tien said out loud, again to noone in particular. He glanced down at Chiaotzu, who beamed up at him. "Why don't you go find Dende and Mr Popo, and let them know we've arrived? I'm sure they'll want to make sure everything's ready before the rest get here."

"You got it, Tien!" Chiaotzu replied brightly. "I'm so excited to see everyone again, it'll be great to see how much stronger they all are!"

Tien gave a soft, half-smile. Chiaotzu had undergone a different kind of training than anyone else - learning the Namekian art of healing from Dende had really boosted his confidence, and it was nice to see the little guy feel like he was part of the team again.

Hell, it would be nice to see everyone again for an occasion like this. Martial arts training could wait for one day. After all, Gohan started high school tomorrow. Even Tien agreed that that was a good enough reason for a party.

* * *​

Two years ago...

Age 772
Planet Frieza #382

"Planet Frieza #382 has been conquered by the resistance. No casualties."

The planet had fallen. The landscape was pitted and cratered, ash and smoke filling the sky, fueled by fires that had raged for days across the purple skies. Only a week ago, the planet had been peaceful - ruled with an iron fist by the occupying forces of Lord Frieza's army, but still, peaceful. Compared to now, the planet was almost unrecognizable - ruined as far as the eye could see, the streets piled high with corpses as squads of Saiyan soldiers flew overhead and great Oozaru - the great ape form of the Saiyan warrior - wandered through the cities, demolishing anything that moved with beams of energy from their mouths. An eerie calm and quiet covered the land, disrupted occasionally by the rumbling roars of a building being demolished, the ashen skies filled with lightning from the smoke and dust churned up from the ruins below.

For General Peragus, it was nothing. He had seen far worse in his lifetime. A homeworld, destroyed. A civilization brought to the brink of destruction. An innocent boy driven mad, becoming something more powerful and terrifying than even Lord Frieza himself. These were the things that kept him awake at night. Destroying entire worlds to feed and supply his rag-tag band of survivors was nothing compared to the horrors he had witnessed in his lifetime. Planet Frieza #382 was just the latest victim of a desperate fight for survival.

"Pah, the resistance was pathetic. Frieza's soldiers don't have any stomach for a real fight anymore," one Saiyan scoffed. A tall, gruff man who was more sinew than muscle, scarred from head to toe and wearing chipped and cracked battle armor that he refused to replace, the man represented some of the Saiyan Resistance's most senior combatants. His was a division that was all too few in number these days.

"I'm itching for a real fight. Where are Frieza's elites? Or the Ginyu Force? We keep knocking down Frieza's planets and noone even bothers to come see what's happening!"

"Don't be so eager to face a hardened foe, Captain Marjora," Paragus said, his voice smooth and controlled, his words precise and clearly enunciated as befitting of only the high class Saiyan he once was. "Many of our soldiers are still unproven against such trained opponents, and even with our force united, we are unlikely to be able to fight Frieza's elite forces while our supplies run dry.

Marjora scowled quietly, casting his eyes to the ground. "Forgive me, sir, but Broly-"

"-Is equal parts asset and liability. Take a look at these reports. Broly was dispatched to Frieza Planet #218 a month ago."

The Captain stepped forward, picking up a pile of papers from the table. As he glanced over the documentation, his eyes widened considerable. Paragus sighed.

"As you can see, he not only conquered Frieza Planet #218, but then proceeded to annihilate it...along with Frieza Planets #219, #217 and #214."

"This...this is impossible, sir. No single Saiyan could-"

"Not just any Saiyan. There is a reason that he does not travel with the bulk of our forces."

Marjora stared at the paper for a moment longer before returning the papers to the table. "Forgive me, sir. I had no idea that the situation was so...uncontrollable."

Paragus gave a sad smile to the captain. "Unfortunately, destroyed planets hold no value to our forces. If we cannot pillage, then we cannot resupply our forces. If we do not resupply, then we perish. None of these worlds are suitable for us to occupy. Not while Frieza still lives."

"Sir!"

Paragus looked up from the table suddenly, as a young Saiyan approached. Giving a precise salute, the man - a courier only, his armor unmarked and polished clean, unlike the true warriors - stood at attention before the General, a package grasped under his arm.

"You have news for me? Hand over the reports, boy." Paragus said, his voice even allowing a hint of kindness to the young man, who proceeded to hand over the package. With a short knife, the general opened the parcel, laying out the papers before him as his eyes pored over the details.

"Frieza and King Cold reported slain? Prince Vegeta alive? Rumors of the Legendary Super Saiyan's return?" The general said aloud, the alarm in his voice increasing with every word. With a sudden crash, the table was suddenly overturned, and in the blink of an eye the general had his hand around the courier's throat, holding him aloft as the boy struggled to breathe. "What trickery is this, boy?! Who put you up to this joke?!"

"It's...no joke...sir!" The young man gasped. "The rumors...are all over the galaxy! King Cold and...and Frieza...they haven't been seen in years...Frieza nearly died on....on planet Namek...beaten by a golden haired warrior!"

"Golden haired..." A Super Saiyan. "Impossible!" Paragus snarled.

"It's true! Frieza was saved and...sir, they went to a planet called Earth...and...and they never returned."

With a shout of frustration, Paragus hurled the young man across the floor, the poor boy tumbling head over heels. Clasping his hands behind his back, the general turned away from the man to look out at the ashen sky.

"Earth...Where have I heard that name before?"

"Sir, the planet Earth...four Saiyans were dispatched there previously and all of them failed to conquer it. It's said that Prince Vegeta and General Nappa himself were sent there."

"Wait, Earth. Bardock's son was sent there. And then Raditz, Bardock's brother...And you say Prince Vegeta, General Nappa, Lord Frieza and King Cold all went there too?"

"Yes sir. And as far as anyone's able to tell, not a single one has been able to conquer the planet so far."

"Truly?" Paragus stroked his chin softly. "This must be a planet of truly remarkable warriors...they would make frighteningly powerful allies...and it's resisted so many invasions, as well. This...Earth, could truly be a safe haven for us. Could it be that this is the world worthy of colonizing we have been hoping for?"

The general paused in thought for a moment, considering the situation carefully. Finally, he turned back to the courier.

"I want the word sent out immediately. Gather all our forces. Set a course for this 'Earth'. I will inspect the strength of their warriors personally."

"And Broly?"

"Especially Broly." Paragus said, a cruel smile forming on his lips. "My own son will be the test of their might. If the rumors are not true...then their entire planet will be destroyed as penance for their failure."

 

[Oreus]

The past four months had seemingly dragged on as Djembe waited for final preparations to be made for New Namek. He had spent his entire life, and his father before him, seeking his people and looking for a new planet to settle. It seemed not only was he late to the party, but the Z Fighters were taking their time in getting to the launch date. Today they would finally all gather so Djembe could hear the newest updates. He had already been at the lookout with Dende by the time the others began to arrive. The Namekian had not really met them all more than once each so conversation didn't come naturally.

"Piccolo," he said simply when the other Namekian arrived. "You will be joining us on the trip to Namek, right?"

It struck him as odd to see this seemingly always angry brother. What little memories carried over from his father about Namek did not reflect who this man before him had become. Turmoil had corrupted what used to be a pure heart, certainly. Djembe felt for Piccolo though, knowing they were both true orphans of their people. The other simply took to rage and darkness to deal with his loss. At least that's what the Yadrat-raised Namek theorized. If he knew the Namekian people or where the planet was located, he could get there in a flash to avoid the wait. Yet even so he had promised the others he would accompany them as he was more familiar with space travel than most of the others who wanted to go. The people of Earth did not seem very comfortable with the void. Then again, Yardratan culture was not one to fear exploration considering their specialties.

"I didn't go the first time they went," came the rough response from Piccolo. "Not giving the others a chance to train without me around."

Harsh. Such denial yet obvious pain.

 

[Narsi]

Kip swallowed loudly as he slowly peeked over the edge of the structure to gaze at the group clustering together. It had been a shock when, whilst training, he had seen and sensed the different fighters flying overhead. It had taken but a moment for his curiosity to take over and Kip found himself following them from the ground, all the way to the odd tower which had stretched up farther than the eye could see. Carefully masking himself, he'd flown to the top and was now in his current position, staring at this small gathering.

For several seconds Kip stared, debating inwardly about what to do next. His instincts were telling him to run, to get very far away before it was too late, but his curiosity was egging him on. Where did these people come from? Who taught them? Why had he just learned about their existence a short time ago? Indecisively, Kip dipped back below the edge where he came to a decision.

Still keeping himself masked, Kip slowly flew around the structure until he estimated he was near the big building he'd seen. As quick as he could Kip darted over the edge and pressed himself against the backside of the building. A small amount of concentration and his aura took on the color and texture of of the wall. Edging his eye around the corner, Kip observed two green men conversing while another man and some...child mime relaxed nearby.

"Damn it! I'm not close enough make out what their saying."

 

[Cainhurst Crow]

Borea had been flying through the void of space for longer then he could count, having to take breaks between bursts of energy in order keep himself going. He had to keep going, and he couldn't stop, no matter what. Images played in his mind as he kept up his journey, flashes of golden light as his world was destroyed, saiyan monsters ripping apart his people as they descended from the sky.

If not for Borea's cold nature, he'd have probably curled up and cried. As it stood, he flew stone faced as a single tear dripped from his eye, flying off into space and freezing as he spotted a tiny blue ball in the distance. He flew towards it, getting closer and closer as his gree eyes fell to the planet, seeing blue and green, and most importantly white. There was snow on this planet, ice, and cold. It had been a while since he'd had a place to rest, maybe this world would do.

Borea took off, flying off to the north and heading for the glaciers and arctic regions of the world. The frezia race took off towards earth, unaware of just how much potentially unwelcome greeting he was in for.

 

[Green Ranger]

Yamcha​

Age 774
West City

'Damn, I should have cut my hair like this years ago,' Yamcha thought to himself as he stared at his reflection in yet another shop window. Long gone was the wild mane of black hair he had had since his youth, his hair now cut short and spiked upwards, showing his scarred face and highlighting his features well - at least, according to him they did. Hell, ever since he had gotten his hair cut, he'd been unable to keep focus, much to Tien's annoyance.

'He's just jealous because he doesn't have any hair to cut into a rockin' style like this,' Yamcha thought, allowing a self indulgent smirk to cross his face. Not that he'd ever mock the martial artist to his face - no, Tien had proved time and time again just how committed he was to growing stronger, and that dedication had paid off. By Yamcha's own estimate, Tien's power was slightly greater than his own - and leagues above any other martial artist on the planet - well, Saiyans and Namekians excluded, of course. But even then, the both of them sure were catching up fast. And the likes of Piccolo and Vegeta didn't even know of some of the new techniques the two had developed in the past few years...

'Still, that's great and all, but damn, my hair looks good. I bet Tien's about to start sulking any minute now and-'

'-wait. Where is Tien?' Yamcha suddenly thought out loud as he looked around. Usually a triclops kind of stood out in a crowd, and yet he was nowhere to be found. Weird. Maybe Chiaotzu got hungry. No matter.

"Yamcha! YAMCHA!"

'Huh?' he said to noone in particular, his head snapping around in confusion, trying to figure out where the voice came from.

"Oh, for the love of...Yamcha, look up, will you?" The voice shouted. As he looked upwards, a smile crept over his face.

"Bulma! Fancy seeing you here!" he said, a hint of surprise and joy at the sight of his ex-girlfriend. Ever the genius, and ever the child of her father, Bulma sat in the cockpit of an aircraft, jet engines humming as the craft sat hovering above his head. A small aircraft roughly the size of a bus, the orb-shaped cockpit and logo on the side of the pale yellow craft betrayed its Capsule Corp origins and design. Naturally, Bulma's head was peering out of the cockpit, hanging in open air in her usual relaxed, yet somehow reckless nature.

"Stop staring at yourself for a minute, will you? You're late!" Bulma shouted down. With a grin, Yamcha leapt upward, the strength of his muscles propelling him far higher than a normal human could dare to dream of as he hopped into the craft.

"Hey, thanks for the lift. Have you seen Tien around?"

"He's probably gone on ahead without you," the blue-haired woman said with a smirk, adjusting control levels and buttons as the aircraft roared into life, engines screaming as she lifted the craft upwards into the sky in a controlled sweep that only came from literally decades of expertise and practice. "Wouldn't be the first time, after all. It's a good thing we saw you!"

"We?"

"Hey, Yamcha, long time no see!" came another familiar voice, and he cast his eyes backwards into the passenger section of the craft. There was no mistaking the short, bald-headed Krillin, his now-wife, the blonde Android 18 with her usual glower (that Krillin found endearing for Shenron-knows-why), the grizzled and weathered features of Master Roshi, hidden behind sunglasses as usual...and a blue haired boy, who couldn't be older than seven, sitting quietly on his own. Trunks, huh? Man, he's sure growing up fast.

"Krillin! Did you decide to come along after all?" Yamcha asked as he took up a seat in the back, next to Bulma's son.

"Yeah, well, I talked it over with 18 and," he paused for a moment, a nervous grin crossing his face, "heh, well, 18 was pretty insistent, so..."

Yamcha smirked as he looked over at the girl. Being an android, she'd barely aged a day since the Cell Games. Of course, there was more to it than that. From what they understood, the girl and her brother, 17, were kidnapped and transformed into androids by the mad Dr Gero years ago in one of his many, many...many attempts to kill Goku. Gero had given her terrifying power, but she was still somewhat...less than human, and even Shenron had been unable to reverse the process.

That was how this whole Namek thing started, and then Krillin said he didn't want to go through with it. Credit where it's due, at least 18 kicked some sense in him.

"What about you, Trunks? Coming with us to a whole new planet?" Yamcha said, playfully ribbing the young boy. He glanced up shyly, then looked over towards his mother, who was busyign herself with piloting the aircraft.

"I...I don't know yet. We're hoping that Da-Vegeta will decide whether he's going or not before we make any decisions yet."

"Oh yeah, cool. Well, I hope you can come along. You know Gohan went to the first Namek when he was about your age, so it'd be kind of neat to follow in his footsteps, right?"

The boy smiled. "I guess that would be...kind of neat, yeah."

* * *

Vegeta​

Age 774
The Moon

"Again."

"Excuse me, but we have repeated this process twenty times and the results have been the same. I recommend you-"

"I said again, damn you!"

"But sir, I-"

"You are a computer, and I am the Prince of all Saiyans! You will DO AS I COMMAND!"

"Yes...yes sir. You may proceed."

"HAAAAAAAAA!" Vegeta, the Saiyan Prince screamed, energy pouring out of his body as he powered up, his energy levels escalated suddenly, massively, the very air within the space ship shimmering with distortion from the power pouring off the man in waves. Lightning flicked through the air, the energy suddenly becoming visible in a flaming aura that surrounded the Prince, first white, then flickering gold momentarily. As is the very air at his feet was suddenly an updraft, the Saiyan's hair swayed, the dark strands suddenly turning pale as he poured more and more energy forth. His eyes flicked momentarily, before suddenly lighting up and turning green as he screamed to the heavens, the earth shaking around him, energy exploding forth in a golden glow as he called forth the power of the Super Saiyan.

But no, Vegeta wasn't done yet. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" he roared, the electricity in the air becoming more erratic, more frenzied. Suddenly, the Saiyan's muscles engorged, growing massively, rapidly, his entire body pulsing with power, filling every fiber of his being and overflowing as he channel ever more power. Raising clenched fists to the air before bringing them crashing down, with one final, triumphant scream, power exploded from his body once more, the flaming aura that surrounded him becoming more jagged, mroe erratic and wilder.

"DO IT NOW!" he roared at the computer console that controlled the Capsule Corp spacecraft Bulma had built for him.

"Yes sir. Cutting off oxygen now."

As power crackled around the Saiyan, suddenly he felt the very air vanish from his lungs, and it was like all of his power was torn away with it. Suddenly lacking air, the Saiyan found himself gasping, faltering, his overloaded body suddenly convulsing at the shock as he desperately tried to fill his lungs. Falling to one knee, the energy that exploded from his body suddenly flickered and faltered, and the Saiyan collapsed to the ground, starved of air and his vision going to black.

There was nothing, then. Complete silence for what seemed an eternity. And then...

"Pumping in oxygen now, sir."

He gasped awake, his vision filled with spots, but thankfully alive, life returning to his body as air filled his lungs once more. Sterilized as it was, it was never as sweet as this first breath. For a minute, the Saiyan sat on the ground, gasping for more air as his vision returned, regaining his senses. As his breathe returned to a more steady pace, he stood slowly, shakily, before securing his footing. His extremities tingled from the lack of oxygen, but also something more. He had felt it many times before.

The secret to the true power of the Saiyan race. The Zenkai. And yet...

"Do a power level scan and compare it to the last recorded data."

"Scan complete, sir. Change is...minimal at best. And less than the time before that."

"Damn it!" Vegeta cursed, his fist slamming into the panelled wall of the ship, the steel plating buckling against the might of his fist. Vegeta had tried everything. Everything, to surpass that...that brat. That halfblood. Kakarot's son, Gohan. And now even trying to kill himself wasn't working, and the brat only grew stronger. To be second best to a lower-class Saiyan like that fool Karakot was one thing, but now the halfblood son of a lower-class fool had surpassed them both. It defied all logic. It defied all reason. He, Vegeta, was the Prince of all Saiyans. If anyone deserved such power, it was-

"Sir. Proximity warning. There is a vessel approaching from beyond the Solar System."

The warning suddenly snapped the warrior prince from his own thoughts. Glancing up at the computer monitor, he gave a harsh sneer.

"Don't tell me Bulma's chased me down because I missed the boy's birthday or something," he said, the disdain in his voice evident. Speaking of worthless halfbreeds...

"No, sir. The vessel is approaching from beyond the Solar System and is en route to Earth."

"Who the hell would come to Earth from beyond? The Namekians sure don't have that kind of technology, and Frieza's dead. Check again, and give me a visual."

"Yes sir. Readings are coming up on the central display now," the computer replied calmly, the viewscreen suddenly bursting into life with various calculations of trajectory, estimated time of arrival, as well as a basic scan of the ship's exterior. The central viewscreen was filled with what appeared to be an egg-shaped craft, smooth and grey, with only a scant few viewports to the outside.

The very sight of the craft caused Vegeta's blood to run cold. "This is impossible...a Saiyan command ship."

"The readings are accurate sir. I have verified the information over nine thousand times since-"

"Shut it! There's no time for that. Set a course for the Lookout back on Earth," Vegeta said, the alarm in his voice evident. "I'll not have true Saiyan warriors greeted by those idiots."