DBZ PW: Resurrection of Frieza

[Vegetto]

Chapter 11: Expansion

=====================================

Trunks lifted his gaze up from the scroll at the two new arrivals, raising an eyebrow at the sight of the fusion guiding Kassava with an arm around her shoulders.

"Did something happen?"

Vegetto barely shook his head to one side, glancing towards Kassava while she kept her attention on the floor.

"Nothing we can't fix. She just needs some time away, that's all."

Trunks nodded once in response, turning his gaze back towards the Scroll as the two moved up to his side.

"Can you pull up the history on her brother?"

Trunks blinked once, turning towards Vegetto for a moment. His gaze softened a bit, turning towards Kassava with a small half smile.

"Yeah...I take it she misses him?"

Kassava's eyebrows twitched a bit, still glancing away while Vegetto nodded.

"Yes. She'll feel better knowing how his history will progress, to be there when he needs her most."

Kassava finally lifted her head up, keeping a heavy frown.

"Why can't you make him a Patroller? He wanted it more than I did...and you didn't make Frieza go through that tournament of yours to pick him up."

Vegetto kept a frown, visibly caught offguard by the sudden question. He uncharacteristically glanced down, shifting his gaze around a moment before finally facing Kassava with weak composure.

"He...well...he doesn't really have the potential to be as strong as us."

The woman's eyes widened in response, Vegetto immediately reaching back and scratching the back of his head.

"You're different because of your Saiyan blood. But the Patrollers need to be the strongest group of fighters they can be...and he'd...hold us back..."

Kassava quickly shook off the fusion's arm, stepping back with a strong glare.

"Really?! The only reason why you find worth in people is because of their power or their bloodline? Is that it?!"

Vegetto dropped his arm, holding a frown as Kassava's eyes narrowed a bit.

"It doesn't matter who I am or who he is...it's just the Saiyan blood that makes me worth something to you?"

Vegetto kept his arms at his side.

"No....that's not what I meant. It's just...we don't have a use for him. Trunks and the Supreme Kai already handle most of the important detail work...we just need more strong arms."

The fusion suddenly narrowed his own eyes back at Kassava, his firm expression returning.

"You saw what those two time manipulators were capable of. Do you want to risk your brother meeting some dangerous threat like that and wiping himself from existence by dying?"

Kassava blinked.

"What?"

Vegetto's stern expression disappeared, his own eyes widening before turning towards Trunks.

"You didn't tell her?"

Trunks glanced down, twiddling his thumbs.

"Well...she was a little upset over what you did at the tournament and I needed to calm her down. It wasn't really the best time to tell her..."

Kassava turned her gaze towards Trunks, raising an eyebrow.

"Tell me what?"

Vegetto rubbed his forehead for a moment with a heavy sigh, soon dropping his arms back to his side with a stern expression.

"Our immortality comes at a heavy price Kassava. While you'll never really die or age since we exist outside of time, you also hold no connection to existence outside of this one. The dimensions of Heaven and Hell aren't able to connect with the distortion of time our plane of existence causes."

He gestured to his body.

"This form...is the only one you have. If you are killed on a mission or here in the Time Vault...you will simply cease to exist. There is no afterlife for the Time Patrol."

Kassava kept a frown, but her wide eyes merely shifted back to her own stern stare.

"That's fine by me."

Vegetto raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.

"But are you willing to say the same for your brother?"

Kassava paused at the thought, glancing down while Vegetto continued.

"Believe me, I already considered your brother for the Patrol as soon as you showed me the compassion you had for him. It was in my mind even when you brought it up...and I really wanted to accept your request."

Kassava turned her head up with a perplexed stare towards Vegetto, who's hard stare nearly matched the Saiyan Prince himself in intensity.

"But he is not strong enough nor capable enough to live this lifestyle we have."

Her eyes followed his expression, watching the stern stare rapidly diminish into a warmer smile.

"It'd be better if he lived his life comfortably and continued his existence in the afterlife once it's over. With you being able to visit him at any point in time, you both will have what you want. Even if it won't be the same."

Trunks remained silent, glancing between the two with a tense stare. His own muscles relaxed at the sound of Kassava's heavy sigh, her head still dipped.

"I'd like him to be comfortable...and I know he would to."

She lifted her head, but kept her gaze to the side.

"He was always the lazy one."

Vegetto offered a small chuckle in response, turning back towards Trunks.

"Alright Trunks, let's see what we have here. How does..."

The fusion raised an eyebrow at Kassava, waiting on her to finish the sentence. The Saiyan female held a small smile, her pupils locking with Vegetto's.

"Lage."

Vegetto paused for a moment, focused on the new unexplained quality in the woman's eyes, before repeating it.

"Lage...live out his life?"

Trunks kept a small smile, looking down at the Scroll. His face slowly twisted into horror, pausing heavily before lifting his head up.

"Uh...we may have an issue."

Vegetto raised an eyebrow, glancing down towards the Scroll.

"What is it?"

Trunks rapidly pressed onto the screen inside of the Scroll, a small image slowly coming into focus. The scene depicted a burning city skyline, buildings destroyed halfway or completely reduced to rubble. A couple of beings from Freiza's race stood before a small pile of dead bodies, Kassava's eyes widening at the sight of the expressionless corpse of the bald human, recognizing her brother towards the bottom of the pile.

"He lives on for a few more years after Kassava wins the tournament...but his homeworld-"

"Our homeworld!"

Vegetto reached up, grasping onto Kassava's trembling shoulder while Trunks continued uneasily."

"...your homeworld...is invaded by a new Empire. One that consists entirely of Frieza's race...the Frost Demons."

The fusion's own eyes narrowed heavily at the screen, the scene rapidly covering hundreds of miles to the south to lock onto a new picture. The golden glint from the body of the main leading another group of soldiers was unmistakable, Vegetto's eyes widening at the sight.

"Their leader seems to have ascended to Frieza's level...using the same power up as he did. I can't really say for certain how strong his is...but he looks more menacing that Frieza did when he first introduced the form on Earth."

Vegetto lifted his head up, still keeping one hand on Kassava's right shoulder.

"We'll need Frieza's help then."

Kassava wildly turned towards Vegetto, the rage clear in her expression.

"His help?! He's the one responsible for all of this!!"

The fusion kept a strong glare.

"No, he didn't. This is a new enemy altogether Kassava...you can't blame Frieza for this."

Kassava nearly spat in response.

"Oh no?! Maybe he didn't kill Lage, but he killed our parents and forced us to live in fear of his backwater empire to. Now there's another one, run by the same kind of being?!"

Her eyes narrowed heavily, small twinges of lightning sparking around her body.

"They all deserve to burn in hell...every last one of those filthy snakes!"

Vegetto frowned in response, turning slightly towards Trunks.

"Trunks...can you pull up the battle between Kakarot and Frieza on Namek?"

Trunks raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

Vegetto nodded down to the Scroll.

"Just do it. Specifically to two minutes before he cuts himself in half."

Kassava kept her strong glare, nearly scoffing at Vegetto as Trunks pulled up the memory. Her pupils continued to match with Vegetto's stern eyes for a moment, beginning to shift down slightly at the sound of Frieza's strained voice once Vegetto had finished swiping at the screen.

::What makes you think you can do this to me?! You're nothing but an overgrown monkey!!::

The Saiyan female glanced down towards the Scroll, watching Frieza angrily swing and swipe at the Super Saiyan in vain. Vegetto swiped at the screen again, progression the image onto a lull between the two in combat. Frieza kept his arm raised, a purple disk floating above his palm while Goku stood a few feet away with his arms at his side.

::An afterimage, eh? That's a pretty good little trick for a primate!::

Kassava's eyes turned to the Super Saiyan, watching Goku's nearly expressionless hard stare remain on the ground.

::I don't understand why you call Saiyans by such mindless names. The only thing it does is reveal your own fear and ignorance.::

Trunks remained silent as Vegetto lifted his arm away from the Scroll, nodding to him.

"Go get your timeline's scroll. We'll see how much he's changed in the past few years."

Kassava slowly bowed her head, the sparks completely disappearing. She glanced up slightly at the touch of Vegetto's glove on her right shoulder again, but avoided his stare.

"You have to let it go, Kassava. Normally, we would've jumped into the timestream and taken care of these guys. I know how much this means to you...but we can't risk it with that fighter. His power...no one has ever seen anything like that before."

He reached out with his free hand, forcing Kassava's chin up with his left pointer finger.

"We can't risk our existences jumping into this with anger. We need to make sure this dictator isn't too much for us to handle, and we'll do that with Frieza's help. Ok?"

The Saiyan female tried to avoid his gaze for a moment, before meeting his eyes."

"Ok."

Vegetto broke out into a small smile, pulling his arms back as he turned on his heel. Kassava kept her eyes trained on his back, her glare returning as the fusion slowly disappeared into blinding white light in front of Trunks.

 

[Vegetto]

Chapter 12: Evolution

=================================

The white tail of the familiar tyrant lazily swiped and folded in the air behind him, hovering over his crossed arms occasionally behind his back. Frieza's expression was completely blank, staring out into the dark abyss of space. Having maintained his final form, his eyes casually glanced from side to side, eyeing the stars at random and barely turning his head at the loud clang of the metal door behind him.

Two figures slowly entered the room, shadowed in darkness for a few seconds. The small alien suddenly stumbled forward, having been pushed forward by a white gloved hand. The alien timidly glanced back at his attacker, before turning back towards Frieza and speaking timidly in the small control room.

"L-Lord Frieza...sir. The intruder here...he...I...we couldn't stop him. He said he'd spare me if I brought him...to...well..you."

The small alien soldier kept his head bowed, shaking heavily. His trembling stopped at the trite, yet emotionless words from the tyrant that rung out in the small room.

"Very well, leave us Apu. Report to your commanding officer for punishment."

The alien soldier rapidly nodded his head, quickly scurrying out of the room moments later. Vegetto chuckled lightly in response, fully stepping into the light illuminating the control room of Frieza's ship, raising an eyebrow.

"Really? The Frieza I know would've killed that grunt on the spot."

Frieza let out a small confident chuckle in response, turning his head slightly.

"Perhaps. But you may want to consider that the soldier will experience something much worse than a quick death for his cowardice."

Vegetto narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Such as?"

Frieza chuckled once again, turning to fully face towards the fusion.

"Calm yourself, he'll experience something a Saiyan like yourself would find quite enjoyable: rigorous, merciless training."

The tyrant lifted his right hand, pointing his finger towards the ceiling in an "as a matter of fact" mannerism.

"You see, after our battle on Namek all those years ago, I decided that the main reason why I always found myself in the situations of defeat against you Saiyans was simply because my followers were so pathetically weak, they never posed any challenge to you or your kind. I realized that even in someone as naturally gifted as myself, potential that isn't harnessed is, in fact, wasted."

Vegetto crossed his arms, watching Frieza drop his behind his back.

"I discovered that my past method of recruitment was a folly at the stage of my Empire now: I no longer had the resources of my father's organization to rely on an unending supply of soldiers. If I was to recreate my Empire here, I would have to not only build soldiers from the ground up, but develop a training program to turn them into worthy soldiers for the Frieza Force."

The fusion broke out into a small smirk, his eyebrow still raised.

"I assumed it was a success?"

Frieza nodded once.

"Indeed. The universe itself was but a small obstacle, having developed a new army of soldiers that rivaled the force of a million of my old troops. Yet I still continued to learn new things, having discovered a new found pain from simply killing one of my most prized fighters..."

The tyrant broke out into a small frown.

"Normally, I wouldn't have had a second thought about his death. But after having spent so many hours into the development of the soldiers, having seen this particular one grow from a petulant and weak child into one of the strongest beings in the universe..."

Frieza paused for a moment, glancing down.

"The level of efficiency became clearer than it ever had before. One single failure, over a matter I could've easily handled myself, led me to kill my strongest commander."

Vegetto nodded his head once.

"The cause of that practice became clear too, didn't it."

Frieza broke out into a small scowl.

"As much as it still burns to say it...yes. I saw the very error that led to my near defeat on Earth...against you as well. But I still didn't focus on it, not until my Empire had grown in size to the point of expansion into territories unknown."

Vegetto remained silent, watching as Frieza let out a heavy sigh.

"The commander's mission soon led into a bigger conflict, one that pitted the forces of my Empire against another. I had dealt with uprising, rebellions, and groups fighting against my rule in the past...but never a full scale force that rivaled my own Empire. Even larger...my men were outnumbered four to one on the world of Arcosia."

Frieza glanced back over his left shoulder slightly towards the small oval window.

"My soldiers managed to decimate the attackers, much like how the Earthlings were able to eradicate a thousand men completely outnumbered. It filled me with a sense of empowerment, having spent barely any effort into developing their fighting strength and reaping the rewards of their dedication. Yet...the planet held a secret I couldn't have predicted..."

He turned his narrowed gaze back to Vegetto, his frown returning.

"I found that I wasn't the last of my kind. An entire empire...of beings like me. Being decimated by mere common soldiers."

Vegetto's smirk rose slightly in response.

"Makes you wonder how valuable heritage truly is, doesn't it?"

Frieza scoffed in response.

"Don't be absurd. Despite most of them being completely worthless, one of them proved to be worthy of our race. He not only destroyed my invading force...but...also managed to overwhelm me."

Vegetto blinked in response, Frieza uncomfortably shifting in the fusion's surprised stare.

"Yes...I said it. He bested me....what of it?"

Vegetto kept his state, uncrossing his arms slowly.

"Nothing. I just...never really expected you to admit defeat so...easily."

Frieza snarled slightly, glancing back down towards the floor.

"Well, it happened. Despite everything I threw at him, everything I tried, he defeated me using a transformation I had never seen before. I rushed in, confident I could best him now that the Saiyans were gone from this universe...but it cost me. Again...for the fourth time."

The tyrant cringed tightly, squeezing his hands into fists.

"No matter how far I had come, no matter what I achieved, there is always someone in this existence that wounds me deeply. And this time...rather than the burning hatred I developed for you Saiyans...it was one of my own people. I felt...distraught...having lost everything again. I barely escaped the planet with my life...and soon after...my Empire was decimated."

Frieza soon unclenched his fists.

"I retreated to another backwater world, feeling sorry for myself yet again. First it was Namek, then Earth. Then after being revived, I did it again by returning to try and kill Goku again, and now, Arcosia. My recklessness, led me to put myself in a situation that I was supposed to win. Only for history to distort and cripple me into nothing again."

Vegetto broke out into a small smirk.

"Pride can do that, Frieza. Your vision became distorted again, without a Saiyan to do it this time."

Frieza let out a deep, exasperated sigh in response.

"....yes. My first thought was to blame my accomplishments. I wanted to know why it hurt to lose so much...why I had to suffer so deeply in defeat. And I realized that my pain was in what I lost: I feared losing my grip on the universe. I feared defeat because my reputation would be in jeopardy. I feared losing because I would lose all that I have dominated..."

Th tyrant glanced back up, his expression falling flat once more.

"I decided that if I was ever truly to be free of this pain, I would have to give up everything I valued most. Which was easier for me to do than I thought because that very same night I made the decision, I turned my gaze back to the stars I used to stare at as a child..."

Frieza turned on his heel, facing towards the oval window.

"I wanted to rule the cosmos with an iron fist, to control the universe itself. But after spending my prime rising and falling, I realize the goal I had held so close to my heart was merely an illusion. Like my venture for domination, the cosmos themselves are merely a dark void of nothingness. Forcing existence on with the handful of gleaming stars as memories..."

Vegetto's eyes widened once again, pausing for a moment.

"Well...that's quite a step up from the Frieza I talked to ten years ago."

Frieza broke out into a small smile, bowing his head slightly.

"I had a feeling it would impress you. I had done away with my past life after that revelation, and gave up my ambitions of ruling everything. So the only thing left to do was decide how I wanted to live my life...what to do with myself. And that's when my memories returned, the gleaming stars that made my existence fruitful..."

He lifted his head slightly.

"The battle on Namek...I began to see it in a new light. The birth of an epic rivalry, good vs evil. The tyrant seeking to reclaim his iron grip on the universe, fighting against a low class, self righteous upstart looking to undermine it all."

Frieza soon scoffed, facing back towards Vegetto.

"I still don't care for that overwhelming sense of self importance that drives that Saiyan into protecting everyone on some moral clarity, but I realized that had I simply lived for the fight as he did, I wouldn't have suffered. In that battle, despite his desire to save everyone from my rule, I truly was the only one with something to lose."

The tyrant crossed his arms behind his back.

"Our rematch was the same outcome, but it was the perfect example for me to reminisce on. I followed his method, and for the first time in my life, I trained. I worked and tortured my body to become stronger, and in the short span of a few months, I become more powerful than anyone could have predicted or imagined. So naturally...I realized now that the one man that made my life a living hell for the past fifteen years had actually been the source of my salvation. I didn't care about winning...I didn't care about my Empire anymore. I didn't even care about getting revenge on that Frost Demon that had bested me..."

Frieza lifted his chin slightly.

"I focused on the thrill of the fight...to be the strongest I could possibly be. For three long years, I committed myself to eradicating every weakness purely for the sake of improvement. And by the end of those years...I emerged with the very same form that he had used to best me."

He kept a small smirk, turning his head back down to lock eyes with Vegetto.

"I won't lie to you: it was exhilarating. To feel that immense power coursing through my veins, and having acquired it free from the petty worries of the state of my Empire and reputation in the universe. I had done everything to prepare for battle...ready to unleash that power on that Frost Demon."

Vegetto nodded once.

"I assume you defeated him?"

Frieza kept a small smirk.

"Yes, albeit, the victory was not my favorite result from the battle. It was the calm before...the excitement. Rather than the thrill of domination, I sought to experience the fight in full. To see if he could rise to my potential...if he could overcome me again."

The tyrant chuckled.

"I'd be lying if I said victory did not satisfy me, but it was the new view on life that made defeat impossible. Finally, no matter what outcome I received from the universe, I could not be defeated. I would have my motivation to fight if I lose, and victory would be it's own reward. No matter what happened on that day...I would be free of the suffering that had plagued me for so long."

Vegetto nodded his head once.

"I can tell, you certainly seem more at peace than you ever have before."

Frieza nodded, before crossing his arms on his chest.

"And that's why we're here, aren't we? You've choose this moment in time...knowing how much I've changed to present your offer again."

Vegetto nodded once more.

"That's right. I offer you the means to experience new adventures, exciting foes to defeat, and personal training with a warrior able to rise with your power. Certainly, that's more enticing than running your own Empire in an empty universe with no challenge, correct?"

Frieza uncrossed his arms, slowly walking towards a small terminal stand on the opposite side of the room. He lightly tapped onto a code of buttons, the intercom buzzing to life before he spoke.

"Commander, send Apu here into the control room for debriefing."

Vegetto raised a right eyebrow in perplexion, remaining silent as the small quirky alien soldier rapidly burst through the door seconds later. The soldiers timidly broke out into a weak salute a few feet away from Frieza.

"Reporting for debriefing, my lord!"

Frieza kept a small smirk, scoffing lightly in response and dismissively waving his right hand at the soldier.

"There's no need for that anymore, Apu. Congratulations: you're now the ruler of the entire universe. Do with it as you see fit."

The small alien soldier's jaw dropped to the floor, watching on as Frieza moved past him and Vegetto, who also blinked wide eyed in shock.

"Come, let us depart for where ever it is you call home."

Vegetto scratched the back of his head, glancing between Frieza and Apu in confusion as they made their way into the hallway.

"You....you really think that soldier can handle leading an empire? I thought you were going to punish him for cowardice."

Frieza kept his gaze forward as he walked.

"I was, but when I figured out what you were hear for, I changed my mind. Besides, I'm going to need some form of entertainment between missions."

 

[Vegetto]

Chapter 13: Defiance

================================

The white glow surrounding the two warriors slowly diminished away, Vegetto's eyes scanning the room before widening slightly in shock. He quickly moved up to Trunks' side, who cringed heavily in pain. The fusion knelt down to his right, watching the Saiyan struggle to push himself more upright against the wall while he clutched his right side.

"What happened here?! Where's Kassava?!"

Frieza raised an eyebrow, peering over Vegetto's shoulder while Trunks spoke.

"Gone...she made the jump into the timestream. I tried to stop her...but...but she overpowered me."

Frieza let out a small scoff, smirking slightly.

"Ah, the boy is still with you too."

Trunks' eyes widened at the sound of Frieza's voice, pausing to cope with his shock for a moment. His voice finally came out once again, yet it was still weak.

"How..."

Vegetto shook his head once, rising back up to his feet.

"Long story, one that can wait for now..."

The fusion's eyes turned, facing towards the Supreme Kai of Time as she entered the chamber. Her expression flat apart from her narrow eyes, moving towards the scroll.

"Your training with that woman has been a disaster ever since she got here, Vegetto. Frieza may be a powerful ally, but you were a fool to leave her here with Trunks and not expect her to do something like this."

Vegetto narrowed his eyes at the Kai's scolding, watching her turn around to face towards him once she was next to the Scroll of Eternity.

"I suppose while you were so busy being focused on recruiting, you also failed to see the deeper picture with this new threat called Blaze?"

Vegetto blinked, stepping forward.

"What are you talking about?"

The Supreme Kai nodded down towards the Scroll, remaining silent in response. Vegetto's eyes widened slightly, recognizing a dark purple tint having covered the entire material of the scroll. The lightning in the room hid its properties from differing angles, having lacked an ominous glow.

Vegetto lifted his head up, staring back at the Kai with a perplexed expression.

"What does it mean?"

The Supreme Kai lifted and dropped her shoulders once.

"How should I know? This tint on the Scroll has never occurred before, no matter who interfered with the time stream. My magic is being restricted again, and this time, there's no telling who it could be. You know the two time bandits from your encounter with Frieza..."

Her frown dropped a bit.

"This energy is something else entirely."

Vegetto turned his gaze back towards the Scroll, the Kai continuing.

"What's troubling is even more on this 'Blaze's' actions. This being has ruled an empire in the back half of the universe on his planet for over twenty years in peace. No one has submitted to his rule unwillingly.."

She gestured down to the Scroll, the image of a burning city playing forward with Blaze looking over the destruction.

"But now, suddenly, he decides to attack a neutral world that just so happens to be the same residence of Kassava's brother? For simply no reason at all?"

Vegetto kept his frown.

"Perhaps the new transformation made him enraged."

Frieza shook his head once.

"Unlike your forms, our race is not reliant on aggression to tap into our power. He would have to have a predisposition of hate to logically pull off an attack of this magnitude."

He shook his head.

"Besides, this is the same Arcosian that repelled my invasion on our homeworld. He is the self-righteous type as much as Goku was."

The Supreme Kai shook her head.

"It still doesn't add up, no matter what way you look at it. A new and more powerful enemy suddenly attacks Kassava's homeworld and the Scroll is possessed by an energy that blocks any magic from my end in a way that I've never seen before..."

Her eyes narrowed even more, locking with Vegetto's.

"Something deeper is going on here, Vegetto. You have to be careful."

Vegetto nodded his head once, turning his head slightly towards Frieza.

"So...ready for your first mission?"

Frieza broke out into a small smirk, crossing his arms.

"Of course. Blaze is one of the strongest opponents I have ever faced; a third battle will be our tie breaker."

 

[Vegetto]

Chapter 14: The Chosen

================================

In the midst of the firey rubble, Kassava's scream echoed out in crashing through one of the last standing structures. The Saiyan skidded along the ground, kicking up stone and metal alike in her slowing in the small crater she had formed. She panted heavily, clutching at her side and laying still with tightly shut eyes for a moment.

Her eyes shot open within a second, quickly pushing herself up to her feet at the command of her instincts. She clenched her fists, scowling with turquoise eyes at the approaching being across the way casually walking towards her. The golden shine of Blaze's skin shone brilliantly with the flames surrounding him from the wreckage, his eyes narrowed into slits with a slightly amused tone.

"You still haven't answered my question. We both have golden forms, but tell me: why does mine shine with the lighting while yours only seems to get duller after every punch?"

Kassava snarled, letting out a vicious roar as a golden aura shot up from underneath her boots. The Saiyan immediately bolted forward in a dash, launching her arms like pistons in mid stride into a flurry of small yellow energy blasts. Blaze slightly rolled his eyes, lightly and lazily slapping each blast in multiple directions and quickly catching Kassava's right arm once she had closed the gap towards him. 

"Again? Surely you would've come up with a different approach after the fourth failure."

Kassava winced heavily, bending forward from the knee now lodged into her ribs. She hacked heavily, attempting to suck in air before bolting backwards at the strike to her right cheek. The Saiyan cried out, flipping against the ground and sliding to a halt in another small crater. Her arms trembled, the golden hue of her hair fading away in her struggle to stay conscious.

She lifted her chin up at the sight of Blaze's golden legs, staring up at the warrior.

"Really? Four counters, and you're down for the count?"

A small chuckle escaped his lips.

"Your brother would surely be disappointed."

Kassava snarled once again, finding a small amount of strength from the rage. However, her body collapsed back onto the floor in her attempt to rise up. Her eyes continued to stare up at Blaze, her tone venomous.

"What's more disappointing is that I can't see your face with that glare. Surely...you could've picked a better color palette than that tacky gold."

Blaze chuckled in response, raising his right arm slightly and looked over it.

"Yes, I suppose it is a bit gauche, isn't it?"

He shrugged his shoulders once.

"How about I glow a neon blue while radiating sparkles in my aura? That might be-"

Blaze huffed, blasting back from the sudden white fisted glove connecting with his chest. Vegetto smirked, slowly standing upright as he drew his arm back while his matching blue hair and aura lightly flowed in the breeze.

"Well, there's a small taste of the 'neon blue and sparkles' you wanted. Would you like some more?"

Blaze slowly pushed himself off the nearby building he had collided into, reaching up and brushing off his left shoulder.

"About time you showed up. I was beginning to think you were going to let your friend there die."

Vegetto narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You don't know anything about me."

Blaze chuckled once again, shaking his head.

"Oh, that's where you're wrong...Vegetto."

The fusion blinked at the spoken name, watching on as Blaze turned his head to the right.

"I know all about you Time Patrollers. You powers...even-"

The larger golden Arcosian whirled around, Frieza bursting out from the building behind him in a matter of seconds. Blaze laughed once more, having locked Frieza's own golden head in his right arm and quickly bringing him to the ground on one knee. Frieza blinked in confusion, clawing at Blaze's arm in his hacking while Blaze continued.

"-your new recruit that bested me in another timeline."

Vegetto tensed, watching Blaze lightly jab his right arm into Frieza's rib before tossing him like a ragdoll towards the two Saiyans. Frieza flipped around, landing gracefully at Vegetto's side while Blaze continued.

"I have been blessed with visions of what is to come, and given the strength to reap what has been sown..."

Vegetto clenched his fists, watching Blaze erupt into another confident chuckle.

"The Masters have spoken! I am the chosen one!"

==========================================

Trunks blinked, turning towards the Supreme Kai with a frown.

"The Chosen One?"

The Supreme Kai of Time kept narrowed eyes as well, staring down at the small screen.

"The Masters..."

Her eyes turned slightly towards the material of the Scroll itself, studying the dark purple tint.

Where have I heard those titles before...

===========================================

Vegetto let out a thunderous roar, launching both arms forward with palms connected at Blaze. A monsterous neon blue energy beam shortly followed, tearing up the rock beneath it in its path towards the golden warrior. Blaze frowned at the sight, rapidly dashing to his left, only to catch the full force of Frieza's left leg directly in his stomach. Frieza's expression was hidden beneath the mask of his form, but his confidence was clear in his tone.

"Chosen one or not, you haven't changed a bit."

Blaze's eyes then turned towards his left, collapsing to the ground on all fours from the force of Vegetto's elbow slamming into his upper back.

"You never could keep up with a speed blitz."

Blaze snarled, rapidly spinning across the ground and sending out a violent beam of energy across the surface. Vegetto and Frieza both lept in opposite directions to avoid the energy wave aimed at their feet. Vegetto blinked, his right boot having being gripped onto tightly by Blaze's right hand.

The fusion cried out, swinging back around towards Frieza at the command of Blaze's arm, colliding head first into Frieza's chest. The two rapidly blasted backwards, Blaze following after them with reeled fists. The golden warrior roared, launching a flurry of punches at the two. Vegetto kept a glare, desperately trying to recover and barely fended off each strike, floating backwards with Frieza in an attempt to dodge the blows.

Vegetto then reached upwards, catching one of Blaze's fists in both hands while Frieza caught the other. Both warriors roared in unison, pulling Blaze forward and driving both of their knees into the being's stomach. The two released their grip, allowing Blaze to stumble backwards along the ground for a brief moment and clutch his abdomen.

The golden warrior chuckled to himself, slowly straightening himself upright and holding clenched fists at his sides.

"Adorable. Bitter enemies for years, and now, perfect teammates in a fight. It'd be inspiring if your powers weren't so pathetic."

Vegetto raised an eyebrow, his eyes widened quickly from the blow to his own stomach. The fusion dropped to his knees, clutching his abdomen in pain and blasting backwards across the ground.

The fusion grunted, throwing up his arms and sending out volleys of bright blue energy blasts, Frieza dashing to his left to avoid taking the force of the blows. Blaze casually strolled forward, disappearing into the smoke of the blasts from the impact before quickly remerging on the other side, throwing his left arm forward in a punch.

Blaze then suddenly bolted to the side, narrowly doding Frieza's long golden tail cracking the ground beneath where he stood moments ago. Blaze tapped the ground with both feet before dashing forward after Frieza, only to fall backwards in Vegetto's tight bear hug. The fusion roared as he slammed Blaze down onto the ground, throwing punch down a flurry of punches aimed at Blaze's face.

Blaze chuckled, twisting his neck from side to side in an eerily bone breaking fashion, dodging the blows with each crack in the ground being made by the fusion's fists. Vegetto blinked in confusion, gasping slightly before suddenly bolting upwards from the force of Blaze's left elbow.

The fusion barely had time to recover, hacking heavily as Blaze instantly followed after him in a teleport, encasing Vegetto's throat with his right hand. His head turned towards Frieza, letting out a small dark chuckle at the oncoming red blasts. Blaze lazily spun around, using Vegetto's body to block the oncoming blasts.

The fusion cried out in pain, soon disappearing with Blaze into the smoke. Frieza narrowed his eyes after grunting in frustration, watching Vegetto rocket out from the smoke and crashing into the ground a few feet away from him. He soon turned his eyes back up to the smoke cloud, watching it disappate away from a single wave of Blaze's right hand.

Frieza quickly bolted upwards, clashing head on with Blaze in a furious assault of kicks and punches.

======================================

Vegetto huffed heavily, his arms trembling a bit as he pushed himself upright in the small crater he had formed from the impact. The top left portion of his gi had been ripped from the blasts, small red scratches having littered his body from scraping along the ground. He closed his right eye for a moment, his attention locked on the approaching Kassava sprinting towards him.

The female Saiyan tugged at his arm, helping him upright on the ground.

"Vegetto! Are you alright?!"

Vegetto grunted, watching the fight between Frieza and Blaze above.

"Yeah...I'm fine..."

His eyes then immediately narrowed, turning his head towards Kassava.

"What on Earth were you thinking? You could've been killed!"

Kassava glanced down, avoiding his stare before returning an angry stare matching Vegetto's.

"I know, alright?! Let's just get out of here...you can yell at me later!"

Vegetto shook his head once, pausing to take a breath.

"No...this Blaze...there's something wrong with him. It's affecting the Scroll and the time stream...we have to find out why."

Kassava frowned, still clutching onto Vegetto's arm.

"But how? He's too strong to fight head on."

Vegetto grinned slightly, his eyes turning up towards Frieza. Despite the two having nearly matching transformations and power, it was clear Frieza was on the defensive and retreating slowly down from the air.

"Not when we have fusion."

Vegetto reached up to his left ear, grunting slightly as he pulled the Potara earring off and clutched it into his hand. He then turned towards Kassava, his narrowed eyes meeting hers.

"You're going to have to stall him for a minute, Kassava. Can you handle that?"

Kassava glanced around for a moment, frowning heavily before meeting Vegetto's eyes again.

"I...well I don't want you to fuse."

Vegetto raised an eyebrow, still panting lightly.

"Why? What's wrong with fusion?"

Kassava glanced down at Vegetto's question, soon releasing his arm. Vegetto continued to stare on in confusion, watching Kassava rise to her feet and turn back to face towards Frieza and Blaze above. She raised both of her arms about halfway, clenching her hands into fists before letting out a ground shattering scream.

Vegetto glanced around with wide eyes, watching the ground crack around Kassava's feet. The Saiyan slowly rose up into the air, being overtaken by a blinding blue light forcing Vegetto to shield his eyes with his right arm.

Above, both of the golden Arcosians stopped in the middle of their combat at the bright blue sight below, turning to face towards it. Blaze blinked along with Frieza, watching the light slowly fade away and meeting Kassava's now glowing neon eyes.

The fusion gasped, staring at Kassava's back in silence. His eyes took in the sight of the flame like aura that matched her now flowing blue, spikey hair. Particles of light brilliantly shone inside of the aura, sparks of lighting radiating around the woman's body.

========================================

Trunks blinked, staring down at the screen showing the newly transformed Kassava.

"What the...she's a Super Saiyan God?!"

The Supreme Kai of Time matched the Saiyan's perplexed stare, opting to stay silent.

========================================

Vegetto's mouth continued to hang open, nearly blasting backwards across the ground from the force of Kassava suddenly bolting upwards into the sky. Frieza floated back slightly, watching on as Kassava suddenly blasted past him and connected a punch directly into Blaze's right cheek. The golden tyrant grunted, his head whipping to the side and floating backwards from the force of the blow.

"I...can't...move!"

Blaze soon blasted back down towards the ground, crashing into the ground from another blow dealt to his chest. Kassava kept narrowed eyes, floating down casually a few feet away from the small crater left behind.

Frieza and Vegetto soon moved to her sides, their eyes widening at the sight of Blaze's body slowly rising upwards into the air on its own. The Arcosian grunted a few times, his arms and legs twisting and turning as if they were being manipulated like a puppet.

His body continued to float, Blaze soon slipping out of consciousness with open arms towards the sky. The body began to glow an ominous dark purple, a strange and dark voice booming above the warriors from no particular source.

Insects interfere. They do not understand.

Vegetto's eyes immediately turned to the slow succession of minor shockwaves, dark purple plumes of smoke erupting into a line near Blaze's floating body. Six dark and ominous humanoid silloheutes, with scythe shaped horns from the sides of their heads jutting upwards, stood before Vegetto, Kassava, and Frieza. The middle being spoke first with a mechanical voice.

"We are the six. The Masters...heed our warning."

Vegetto tensed his arms, watching on as the farthest being to the left spoke next.

"Your victory here is insignificant. We are driven by a higher purpose."

The being closest to the middle on the right continued.

"Blaze is our tool...our vessel."

Vegetto's eyes turned towards the being to the farthest left this time.

"The vessel is damaged. But it will be repaired."

The middle being spoke up next, his tone darkening.

"Blaze is ours. Heed this warning: do not interfere again."

Vegetto blinked heavily, watching the six silhouettes each erupt into another plume of smoke, the ground shaking slightly as they disappeared along with Blaze. Kassava let out a small sigh, rapidly descending out of her transformation and turning back to face towards the others.

"We should head back to the Time Vault."

Vegetto's eyes immediately narrowed, locked with Kassava's.

"Hold on a second. What the hell was that?"

Kassava raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Vegetto frowned.

"That transformation. How did you do that?"

Kassava narrowed her eyes in response.

"Does it matter?"

Vegetto nodded, his eyes widening a bit incrediously.

"Yes...it really does. That transformation is only possible after taking the energy from six Saiyans. How could you have possibly transformed?"

Kassava groaned slightly, placing her right hand on her hip.

"Can we please just get out of here first?"

Vegetto kept narrowed eyes, but turned away slightly in silence as his response, the three warriors soon disappearing into a bright white light.

 

[Vegetto]

Chapter 15: Values

================================

"You're off the team."

Kassava blinked once, her eyes narrowing slightly in anger.

"What?! Why?!"

Vegetto kept a stern stare, meeting her eyes with crossed arms.

"You delibrately disobeyed my orders. You attacked Trunks because you couldn't control yourself, you nearly got yourself killed jumping into the timestream, risked my life and Frieza's attempting to get you out-"

Trunks and Frieza both glanced away, remaining silent as Vegetto's voice rose slightly.

"And on top of it all, you somehow have the power of a Super Saiyan God and didn't feel inclined to tell us about it. You can't be trusted."

Kassava quickly narrowed her eyes, the rage clear in her voice.

"I saved your life, damnit! He was beating you to a pulp!"

Vegetto's tone was still flat.

"We had it under control."

Kassava nearly rolled her eyes, scoffing in response.

"Yeah, you sure did! Trying to crawl your way out of a crater to give Frieza one of your earrings. I'm sure Blaze wouldn't have stopped you at all!"

Vegetto dropped his arms, his eyes widening a bit and raising his voice.

"See, that's exactly what I'm talking about. You can't control your anger, and now your pride is so wounded, you have to defend your reckless actions by downplaying me."

His right eyebrow raised.

"Where does it stop, Kassava?! When you're dead?! When we're dead?! When the entire fabric of existence itself has been destroyed?!"

Vegetto's voice raised even more, matching Kassava's own fury.

"You just risked everything, diving headfirst into a situation you knew nothing about all for petty vengeance! You are not fit to be a Time Patroller!"

Kassava snarled angrily, clenching her fists.

"Fine!! You think I care?!"

The woman spun around immediately on her heels.

"You've already taken everything else from me..."

Vegetto kept his stern stare, watching her rapidly dart out of the room in a small sprint. Frieza pursed his lips together, having crossed his arms and letting out a small sigh.

"Well, that went well."

Vegetto sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that. She's...well...we had this problem for awhile now."

"Not to mention, Vegetto's own conflicting opinions on her as well!"

Vegetto's eyes narrowed once again, watching Whis casually stroll up to the group of warriors with a warm smile.

"What do you want now?"

Whis chuckled.

"Oh, well I've actually been watching over your little adventures here in the Time Nest during the intermission rounds of the tournament in Universe 6. So firstly, I must say-"

The taller deity turned his gaze towards Frieza.

"I'm impressed with your experiment with Lord Frieza here. Very well executed."

Frieza remained silent, Vegetto's tone showing his lack of amusement.

"Anything else?"

Whis' warm smile dropped into a half smirk.

"Of course. I also wanted to inform you that you're making a mistake with Kassava."

Vegetto's frown returned, his right eyebrow raising slightly.

"Is that right?"

Whis nodded once.

"Yes, indeed. The situation with the Masters is actually far more complex than you can imagine right now, and she is the key to defeating them. Sending her away over something you yourself had a problem with surely isn't the best solution."

Vegetto grunted, his tone rising.

"I'm not sure I like your condescending tone, Whis."

Whis chuckled in response.

"You don't have to. You've chosen to be pragmatic when dealing with her because you know what she needs as guidance. She's emotionally unstable: a bit hot headed, tremendous power, and a background of tragedy after the events on her homeworld of Nafara."

His gaze then turned towards the Supreme Kai of Time.

"Have you also informed our leader here of the Scroll?"

Vegetto blinked, turning around to face towards the Supreme Kai of Time who kept her head slightly bowed.

"The events on that world have been erased from the Scroll, without my doing. I don't know what happened...or how it is possible. But the world no longer exists, along with Blaze's Arcosian Empire."

She lifted her chin up, the worry clear in her eyes.

"No one's been able to alter the Scroll of Eternity this deeply...not even Demigra. It's beyond my magic to fix: the world simply does not exist anymore."

Vegetto's eyes remained wide, glancing down slightly.

"You think it had to do with these Masters we saw?"

Whis nodded.

"It does, they were the ones responsible. But the important thing to note here isn't what they did..."

Vegetto turned back to face towards Whis, watching the taller deity narrow his eyes slightly.

"It's about what this means to Kassava. Do you know where she is right now?"

Vegetto narrowed his eyes again.

"No. Does it matter?"

Whis nodded again.

"Yes. She's was heading for her room when I was coming in. Can you figure out why?"

Vegetto grunted.

"Get to the point Whis."

Whis' smirk rose slightly.

"Very well. She's in her room right now because it is the only place left in the universe that she has."

Vegetto scoffed in response.

"Yes, I'm well aware of her dramatic exit there."

Whis chuckled lightly once again.

"Actually, it's rather true. Her family is gone, her brother has been erased from history, and she has no home in the timestream anymore."

Vegetto glanced away slightly, before turning back towards Whis as he continued.

"So if you plan to really remove her from the team, you're going to have to kick her out of that hut a few feet away."

Frieza broke out into a small smirk, turning his gaze towards Vegetto.

"You're on your own for that one. I saw what she did to Blaze...you honestly don't stance a chance."

Vegetto's glare turned towards Frieza, clenching his fists.

"Do you really think this is a time for jokes?"

Whis nodded once.

"I think it is. You've spent the last few years of time here, focusing completely on your pragmatism. You saw the dangers of your anger and emotions, so you sealed all of them away in your mind and vowed to uphold this little creed to protect the timestream and those who defend it."

Vegetto turned back towards Whis, remaining silent as he continued.

"But you just broke it, sending one of your strongest teammates away and not even thinking twice about what a dangerous individual like that can be in the universe. Because you were too busy thinking with your mind and trying to restrict her."

The fusion glare back at Whis.

"I tried to help her learn what saved my life all those years ago."

Whis nodded.

"And you failed. Kassava is not you, nor should you have treated her like you. She needs something else...something more than just pragmatism."

The taller deity then dropped his scepter slightly, glancing down as the small orb lightly tapped in the middle of Vegetto's chest.

"She wants this."

Vegetto broke out into another frown, lightly pushing the scepter away.

"Well...that's not a very 'safe' route either."

Whis kept his smirk.

"But you want it too. You're afraid that everything you worked to achieve over the past few years would be undone if you allowed yourself to lose control. It's a rational fear, to be fair."

The taller deity then narrowed his eyes slightly.

"But the fabric of the universe hinges on your success, Vegetto. You're going to have to let it go if you hope to defeat the Masters."

Vegetto raised an eyebrow, glancing around at the others for a moment.

"Why? Why does that matter?"

Whis' smirk rose back into a warm smile, his tone lighthearted.

"Call it a hunch, but your connection I feel will put an end to their plans."

Vegetto's eyes narrowed again, grunting in frustration.

"That doesn't answer anything."

Whis nodded once.

"It wasn't supposed to. Trust your instincts, Vegetto. They'll show you the way."

The taller deity then turned his gaze back towards his sceptar, nodding towards the group once the bright blue orb lit up.

"I should be going. The next round is about to start, and I would hate to miss Vegeta putting this so called Frost in his place! Ta ta for now!"

The three watched as Whis disappeared into a flash of blue light, shooting upwards through the ceiling of the Time Vault and leaving the group behind. The others stood still in silence for a moment, Vegetto speaking first as he turned to face towards Trunks and the Supreme Kai.

"I'll...go talk to her then. We'll need some privacy."

The Supreme Kai nodded.

"We'll look through the records here and try to learn more about these Masters while you take care of Kassava."

Vegetto nodded his head once, keeping his stern expression as he turned on his feel. He made it halfway up the flight of stairs before stopping at the sound of the Supreme Kai's voice calling out to him, glancing over his shoulder.

"Oh and Vegetto...one thing I wanted to add onto Whis' advice. This may involve the fate of the fabric of the universe...but you really do need this more than she does. Do try to make this work."

Vegetto turned his head back towards his front, glancing down for a few seconds as his expression softened a bit, before slowly climbing his way out of the Time Vault.

 

[Vegetto]

Chapter 16: Love Birds

================================

The light patter of the fusion's boots were the only sound inside of the peaceful atmosphere of the Time Nest. Vegetto lifted his chin up slightly, glancing around and scanning the area with his eyes.

Grass seems to be even...no broken tree or buildings...

The fusion then suddenly stopped in mid stride, tightly shutting his eyes.

No...stop. No pragmatism...no pragmatism...

Vegetto then slowly opened his eyes, letting out a deep breath. His eyes followed the flow of the water in the small pond immediately, watching the wind ripple waves across its surface for a brief moment. His eyes traveled along with a single wave for a moment, watching it crash to the shoreline with the wind still lightly brushing against the blades of green grass next. His body began to relax slowly, still following along the invisible stream of air through it's contact with the grass until it reached the edge of the outer dome. His eyes continued to rise upwards, pretending as if he could see the wind riding along the grass towards the top of the dome for a brief moment. His head soon stopped, however, his attention having turned to the distant planets floating above in space. His breathing slowed a bit, his mind drifting at the study of the steady and relaxed flow of the clouds on the first world he came across.

Vegetto blinked hard, his breath quickening as he stumbled forward slightly from his suddenly weak legs. He shook his head for a moment, breaking out into a small scowl for a moment before a sudden memory flashed within his mind, Whis' voice ringing out.

You walk through life with a chip on your shoulder, and your nerves wound too tight. This tension makes it difficult for you to move and fight at your full potential.

The fusion paused, glancing down at the ground for a few moments as he dug deeper into his mind.

Being too relaxed can also be a weakness. If you let your focus waver...you're set up to fail.

Vegetto sighed lightly once more, turning his head upwards.

"Relax...but not too easily..."

The fusion then turned his gaze towards the small hut housing Kassava, his vision turning back towards the ground as he walked with a stern stare matching one of his fusees.

She endangered us all....jumped into things too quickly. We could've died...

His narrowed eyes lifted slightly, his expression softening a bit.

We had to go in anyway...even unprepared. Having Frieza there was enough...the situation was under control.

The fusion's gaze softened even more, his chest tightening at the following thought.

Besides...she learned her lesson. Just like you did on Namek...

Vegetto's eyes then narrowed once more into a fierce glare.

Her transformation though....how was that possible?! The Super Saiyan God can only be created through the ritual...and she was barely strong enough to be a Super Saiyan!

Maybe she gained the power somewhere else.

No! That's impossible! She's been with us the entire time...there's no explanation! There's no way she can be stronger than me!

Vegetto's eyes widened a bit, having come to a halt in front of the hut. He paused, nearly absent from his mind as he stared down in shock towards his tightly clenched fists, studying his tensed muscles that trembled slightly in their constriction. The fusion blinked hard a couple of times, his expression dropping.

Is that why this bothers me so much?  The thought of her being stronger than me?

Vegetto inhaled deeply, stepping inside of the hut as lightly as possible. His heart began to quicken slightly once he was inside the dark and small hallway separating the rooms, soon arriving to the ajar door leading into Kassava's room. The fusion stopped in front of it, tightly closing his eyes and taking in another deep breath.

Instincts...trust your instincts...

Slowly lifting his right arm, Vegetto exhaled deeply as threw his fist forward against the door. His eyes widened in shock, stumbling forward from his fist having shot through the wood of the door and formed a large hole with a loud bang. The fusion yelped, tearing the door off the hinges by pulling his arm back and quickly steadying himself upright in the middle of Kassava's room.

The Saiyan female sat on the edge of her bed, having not even turned her head towards the sudden break in to her room. Vegetto held his breath, having waited a few seconds in silence to see her reaction, before rapidly brushing off the remains of the door onto the ground and patting down his gi.

"I...uh...sorry about the door."

No change came in Kassava's demeanor, but her voice trailed out weak and soft.

"It's not mine anyway..."

Vegetto glanced down at her reply, instinctively reaching back and scratching the back of his head with his right arm.

"Actually...it still is. I may have been a little too harsh for what happened in the time stream..."

Kassava turned her head further away from where the fusion stood, silent in response. Vegetto glanced around at the ceiling for a moment, nearly twiddling his thumbs.

"So...I like what you've done with the place...it's got a nice..well...red paint feel to-"

"What do you want?"

Vegetto dropped his arms, pausing for a moment before letting out a small sigh.

"I want you to talk to me."

Kassava's head turned back towards Vegetto, her eyes visibly narrowed into a glare.

"Why? You didn't want to hear it when we got back to the Time Vault."

Vegetto's eyes narrowed slightly in response.

"I did, actually. But you were too busy getting upset when I questioned the validity of your story."

The fusion's eyes widened, quickly burying his forehead into his right palm for a moment before shaking his head once.

"Ok..ok. Let's not start this again."

He sighed heavily again, moving slightly closer to the bed.

"I know...you said you didn't know where the power came from. But you have to understand Kassava...no one has been able to access that power ever before."

The fusion slowly sat down next to the woman, trying to meet her eyes.

"Don't you think that's a little...strange?"

Kassava grunted.

"No? Maybe some of us just have a natural talent, huh? Why didn't you think of that?"

Vegetto's eyes narrowed for a brief moment in his distrust, but he let out another deep sigh.

"Look...I don't want to fight over this with you."

The woman turned to fully face towards the fusion, her glare strong. Her nose and cheeks were both as red as the whites of her eyes from her crying.

"Why not?! You seem to fight over everything else! You didn't want me to leave when I told you I didn't want to be here, you didn't want me to jump into the time stream even if I just wanted to vent my anger out on that guy for killing my brother!"

Vegetto frowned, watching her ball her left hand into a fist and strike weakly at the fusion's chest.

"The same brother you didn't want here to weaken your little club of powerful fighters! The one I can't see anymore because you didn't want to act when we had the chance!"

The fusion glanced down in response, fully bowing his head.

"I know...we could've helped him and now he's gone forever. And you're right for blaming that on me."

Vegetto glanced down, watching Kassava slowly inch towards him and dropping her forehead on his shoulder and sobbing into the top of his gi. The fusion's eyes darted around, his brain racing through his thoughts.

What do I say? What do I say?

His eyes turned back towards Kassava, his mind gradually slowing.

She may hate me...but at least she's still here. Maybe...she doesn't want me to go?

Vegetto's eyes widened for a second, a memory suddenly jolting his mind awake. His expression then slowly softened, having gently wrapped his arm around Kassava's outer shoulder.

"Kassava?"

The fusion paused for a moment, raising one eyebrow slightly when the woman didn't respond.

"Why didn't you want me to fuse with Frieza?"

Kassava glanced up, pausing for a moment to wipe away the tears from the sides of her eyes.

"Wh..what?"

"When you were helping me up. before you transformed. You said you didn't want me to fuse with Frieza....why?"

Kassava kept her head bowed, her grip on Vegetto's gi tightening. The fusion watched his clothes ball up more under her fist, turning back towards her when she finally spoke.

"I...I already lost everything else. I didn't want to lose you too."

Vegetto's eyebrow dropped, staring down in silence for a moment. His head cocked slightly to the right, peering over his own shoulder for a second before quickly bringing his head down closer towards Kassava's.

"Well...the feeling's mutual."

Kassava blinked, the statement having caught her off guard as her chin was pushed up by Vegetto's right gloved hand. Her eyes widened, the warm touch of Vegetto's lips connecting with her own buzzing her senses for a couple of seconds. She soon rapidly reached up, releasing Vegetto's gi and digging her fingers into his cheeks and pushing forward with her lips.

Vegetto broke away first, huffing lightly after the smack of their lips nearly echoed out from the break. The fusion fidgeted slightly, glancing away for a moment.

"Sorry! I uh...I shouldn't have been so forward..."

"No no...please."

Vegetto turned his head back towards Kassava, meeting her eyes. Her hands lightly traced along his chest muscles, her right snaking to the back of his head.

"I need this."

The fusion's expression softened, following her guiding head as the two connected into another passionate kiss, Vegetto soon pinning Kassava's back against the mattress using his weight.

========================================

In the depths of space

========================================

"The third phase has begun."

"Did she initiate it?"

"No...the Guardian acted on his desires. She has done well in baiting him...the connection has been made."

"And what of the child? Shall we dispose of it as well when it arrives?"

"The child must live. Severing the connection will cripple the Guardian further if he becomes attached to the family construct."

"He may become suspicious. The child may be conceived through the mixture of our energy with the divinity of our gods, but it will lack any physical traits of hers once it grows."

"It matters now. The Attendant saw to his mind for us; the Guardian will think twice on any and all suspicion now."

"We must also watch her. She may become compromised."

"She is a Master, connected to our minds and focus. If she attempts to stray, we will simply overpower her emotions. She knows the importance of this mission, and she will not break from it."

"Allow ten years to pass when the two decide to raise the child in the timestream. Then, we will strike."

 

[Vegetto]

Chapter 17: Epilogue

===========================================

"Are you sure this is a wise decision?"

Trunks kept his arms crossed, having maintained a strong frown throughout the previous conversation. His eyes were locked squarely on a smiling Vegetto, who only held his hands on his hips.

"Yeah...it's only fair. I've failed to live up to her wants ever since she got here; I'd be a fool to let this one slip too."

Frieza scoffed in response, shaking his head once.

"I'll never understand you Saiyans. First, you want only to fight and improve. Now when I finally agree to your plan, you're going to leave for Earth and give it all up?"

Vegetto chuckled in response, shaking his head once.

"Ah c'mon Frieza, you know me better than that. I'll never leave you guys, or the Time Patroller!"

His eyes narrowed a bit, frowning.

"But she's been through enough, and she doesn't want the same for our son. So I'll try to give her the life she wants...away from all this."

The fusion scratched the back of his head, rapidly breaking out into a grin.

"It just took me a few months to talk her into letting me leave whenever you guys need my help."

The Supreme Kai of Time sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"When you said you were going to handle this...I thought you were going to convince her to stay on the team. Not start a family and give up on the mission."

Vegetto narrowed his eyes a bit, nearly groaning.

"Guys...I'm not giving up. I just want her to be happy for a change."

Frieza rolled his eyes in response, leaning against the wall on his left shoulder inside of the Time Vault.

"What of the boy then? She absolutely does not want him to become a Patroller?"

Vegetto frowned once again, turning his gaze slightly towards the floor.

"No...she was pretty firm on that one. Despite my best efforts."

Frieza nodded his head once.

"Very well. We'll be in touch if those Masters show up again."

Vegetto nodded, raising two fingers up to his forehead and giving a small salute.

"Thanks. I'll see you whenever we're ready to take the fight to them."

The fusion then suddenly disappeared in a bright white flash of light, leaving the Time Vault behind.

=================

The adventures of Time Patrol continue in the next saga of the Potara Warrior:

DB PW: Prophets of Fear