The forest materialized around them without warning - trees stretching skyward, soft moss underfoot, the familiar scent of Earth's atmosphere filling their lungs.
One moment they had been on Namek, watching the massive form of Porunga hovering in the darkened sky, and the next they were here, transported across the galaxy in an instant.
Goku was the first to recover from the disorientation, quickly taking stock of their surroundings. "Is everyone alright?" he called out, scanning the assembled group.
The Z Fighters stood amid a crowd of confused Namekians.
"We're... back on Earth?" Krillin asked, turning in a slow circle. "But how?"
An elderly Namekian stepped forward, supporting himself on a gnarled wooden staff. "The Great Porunga has granted our wish," he explained, his voice weathered with age.
"Your Head Warrior instructed us to transport you and ourselves to his home planet."
"Head Warrior?" Piccolo echoed, his brow furrowing.
Bulma snapped her fingers in realization. "They must mean Toji!"
The elder Namekian nodded. "Yes, the powerful one who faced the tyrants. He who commands power like a storm."
"But where is he?" Bulma demanded, looking around frantically. "Why isn't he here with us?"
Another Namekian, younger but clearly respected among his people, answered: "Your Head Warrior did not wish to be transported. He commanded that we save ourselves while he confronted the evil ones alone."
"What?" Bulma's eyes widened. "But that's insane! We should bring him here now! Porunga is still here!" She pointed upward, where the massive dragon still hovered, red eyes glowing against the darkened sky. "We can still wish him to be transported also!"
The elder shook his head solemnly. "The Great Porunga cannot move one of such might without their consent. Your Head Warrior's will is too strong - he wishes to end the tyrants before they become too great a threat to the universe."
Nearby, Vegeta and Nappa stood apart from the others, their expressions locked in identical masks of disbelief.
"Freeza... is a woman?" Nappa muttered for perhaps the tenth time since witnessing the transformation. "All these years... and she was..."
"Shut up, Nappa," Vegeta snapped, though his voice lacked its usual bite. The revelation had shaken him to his core. Years of service under the tyrant's command, and he'd never suspected...
Their stunned contemplation was interrupted as the Namekians gathered around their Grand Elder - a massive, ancient being carried on an ornate throne.
Guru's breathing was labored, his enormous body seeming to deflate with each exhale.
"My children," he wheezed, his voice barely carrying despite its deep timbre. "Come closer."
The Namekians pressed forward, many already weeping as they sensed what was coming.
The stress of the day's events, the presence of such overwhelming power on their planet - it had been too much for the ancient one's heart.
Frieza and Toji's powers having been like two suns walking the face of the world.
"This is all your fault!"
The accusation cut through the somber atmosphere like a knife.
A young Namekian - Dende - stood trembling with rage, pointing at the Z Fighters. "If you hadn't come to our planet, none of this would have happened! Our world would still be peaceful! Our people wouldn't be refugees!"
Before anyone could respond, another small Namekian pushed through the crowd. "That's not true, brother!" Cargo shouted, tears streaming down his face. "If they hadn't come, we'd all be dead! The Head Warrior saved me when that scary woman nearly killed me!"
Dende faltered, his anger momentarily disrupted by his brother's defense.
After a long moment of silence "Dende... Cargo... Gohan..." Guru called out, his voice was fading, but it carried enough authority that the three boys immediately turned toward him. "Come closer, my children."
The boys hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances- Gohan prominently, since he did not know who this was at all.
"Go on, son," Goku encouraged, placing a gentle hand on Gohan's shoulder. "I don't sense any danger."
Slowly, the three approached the massive elder. With effort, Guru raised his enormous hand and placed it gently on Dende's head.
"Do not blame these people for the evil that befell our world," he said softly. "The fault lies with those who came with destruction in their hearts. These Earthlings are our saviors and must be treated with respect."
Dende's lower lip trembled as tears welled in his eyes. After a moment he wiped them away with his sleeve, then turned toward the Z Fighters, standing there for a bit in silence, looking at them all and hesitantly bowed deeply.
"I- I... I'm sorry for what I said," he whispered.
"Hey, don't worry about it," Krillin replied with a gentle smile. "We understand."
"Yeah, it's no big deal," Goku added cheerfully.
Vegeta, Nappa, and Piccolo simply ignored the exchange, their thoughts elsewhere.
Guru's breathing became more labored, but he managed to continue. "Before my life ends, I have one final gift to bestow upon my people and their saviors."
With tremendous effort, he placed one hand on Dende's head, another on Cargo's, and gestured for Gohan to step close enough to touch. "Within each of you lies great potential," the elder wheezed. "Let me unlock what I can before my time is done."
A soft glow emanated from Guru's palms, enveloping the three children.
Gohan gasped as he felt something shift within him - like a door being thrown open, allowing power to flow more freely through his body.
Beside him, Dende and Cargo experienced similar sensations, their eyes widening in wonder.
As the glow faded, Guru's hands fell limply to his sides. His eyes closed for the final time, and with a soft sigh, the Grand Elder of Namek passed from the world.
Above them, Porunga roared once - a sound of finality - before dissolving into light.
The seven Namekian Dragon Balls fell to the forest floor, no longer glowing with power but dull and gray as stone.
The silence that followed was broken by a sudden, panicked voice in their minds:
"HELLO? IS ANYONE LISTENING? THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!"
Goku's head snapped up. "King Kai? What's wrong?"
"NAMEK IS GONE!" The deity's mental voice was shrill with alarm.
"What do you mean, 'gone'?" Piccolo demanded.
King Kai's response came in a rush of words: "It blew up! That Captain Ginyu - he was still conscious after your fight! He heard Cooler talking about destroying the planet since he and Freeza can breathe in space while Toji can't."
"When Toji stopped Cooler's attempt, Ginyu took matters into his own hands! He sacrificed himself to send a blast into the planet's core!"
The Z Fighters stood in stunned silence.
"What about Toji?" Bulma asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is he...?"
They could almost hear King Kai biting his clothing in panic. "He's floating in space in his own ki bubble! But that's not all - Cooler is heading your way- having taken the chance to flee! He's flying toward Earth at incredible speed - he'll arrive in just under three days!"
"What does he want?" Krillin asked, though they all knew the answer.
"Your Dragon Balls of course!" King Kai confirmed their fears. "I wanted to ask you to wish Toji to Earth with Porunga, but the Grand Elder passed away before we could act!"
"Tell us about the fight," Vegeta suddenly demanded, stepping forward. "What happened between Toji and Freeza? He's our only hope against that she-devil and her brother - we need to know if he won!"
While everyone waited for King Kai's response, Goku's face suddenly brightened. He slammed his fist into his palm. "Wait! Maybe it would be best if Toji died right now!"
Everyone turned to stare at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"Have you gone insane, Kakarot?" Vegeta snarled.
Goku shook his head vigorously. "No, listen! You don't know Vegeta, but see there is this old woman, named Baba, Master Roshi's sister. Years ago, she brought my Grandpa Gohan back from Otherworld for a day after he died."
His explanation came in an excited rush: "If Toji dies as a hero who tried to save a world, he'll keep his body in Otherworld like I did when I saved the Earth from Raditz!"
"He could train with King Kai until that Cooler guy and Freeza arrive, then come back for a day to help us win! And in a year, we can wish him back to life with the Earth's Dragon Balls!"
A stunned silence followed Goku's explanation. Bulma's jaw had dropped open, and she leaned toward Gohan. "When did your dad get so... strategic?" she whispered.
Gohan could only shrug, equally surprised. He'd never thought his father was stupid, but this level of calculated planning was unexpected.
"You may get your wish, Goku," King Kai's voice returned, sounding grim. "Toji's oxygen is gone, and Freeza has a Death Beam pointed at his face right now!"
Everyone tensed, waiting for the news of Toji's death. Instead, King Kai made a strange choking sound.
"What happened?" Goku asked urgently. "Is he dead?"
King Kai's voice came back small and strained: "No, he's fighting very hard for his life. Perhaps... too hard. He's... he's..."
"Spit it out!" Vegeta barked impatiently.
"HE'S KISSING HER!" King Kai finally blurted out. "TOJI IS KISSING FREEZA!"
The forest fell into absolute silence. Even the birds stopped chirping. For several heartbeats, no one moved or spoke, as if the world itself had paused to process this information.
Then, all at once, the silence shattered.
"WHAT?!" Krillin screeched.
"KISSING?!" Piccolo's normally stoic face contorted in disbelief.
"FREEZA?!" Vegeta looked like he might be sick.
King Kai hastily explained: "It's not what you think! Toji noticed Freeza breathing in space. He realized she can create her own oxygen from particles in space, so he... well, he kissed her to steal some oxygen!"
Even with this explanation, the group remained in various states of shock.
"That's... actually pretty clever," Bulma admitted, though her expression suggested she wasn't entirely comfortable with the method.
Nappa stroked his mustache thoughtfully. "Hey, Vegeta," he said, turning to his prince.
"What is it, Nappa?" Vegeta growled, still looking nauseated.
"Do you think Toji is trying to mate with Freeza?"
Another explosion of noise erupted from the group.
"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Krillin shouted.
"Have you lost your mind?" Piccolo demanded.
Nappa shrugged, unperturbed by their reactions. "Think about it - now that we know Freeza's a woman, doesn't their whole fighting and conversation pattern look like a mating ritual? Especially since he himself said he wants to redeem her or something?"
"It's the same with us Saiyans! We fight and spar with our mates before doing it. Maybe Toji wants to do the same with Freeza!"
"Ooooh!" Goku's face lit up with understanding. "So that's why I like sparring and wrestling with Chi-Chi before we try to make kids!"
Gohan's entire face turned beet red. Despite his youth, he understood enough biology to grasp the implications of his father's casual statement. "Dad!" he protested, mortified.
Vegeta looked ready to vomit and explode at the same time.
He jabbed his index finger into Nappa's chest. "You imbecile! Toji is a human, not a Saiyan like us! It wouldn't be the same!" His face twisted in disgust. "Besides, he'd be crazy to want a woman like Freeza - she'd eat him alive!"
Nappa scratched his head. "Yeah, Freeza's a bitch, but don't humans also like strong women? There's no stronger woman than Freeza!"
"EVERYBODY SHUT UP!"
Bulma's voice cut through the chaos like a blade. Everyone fell silent, turning to stare at her.
She took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of her nose. "King Kai, what's happening now? What's the current situation with Toji and Freeza?"
King Kai's voice returned, sounding relieved at the change in subject. "Their fight appears to be ove - it ended in a tie. They crashed on a planet with breathable atmosphere and are both unconscious, lying next to each other in a crater."
Bulma turned to Goku. "Any other bright ideas? Since Toji clearly didn't die and doesn't seem to want to."
Goku crossed his arms, his expression becoming thoughtful again. The silence stretched as he considered their options.
"I may have a solution," a new voice echoed in their minds - sounding older than King Kai's.
"Kami?" Goku looked up in surprise.
"Yes," the Earth's Guardian confirmed. "There is a place on my Lookout called the Room of Spirit and Time. Goku you should remember it, you were in there once. Within it, one can train for an entire year while only a day passes in the outside world."
Goku's eyes widened. "That's perfect! Vegeta," he turned to the Saiyan prince, "you should come with me. We're the strongest fighters here - with the Kaio-ken, I'm stronger than you Nappa, no offense - and if we train together for a year, we might stand a chance against Cooler!"
Vegeta made a dismissive sound but nodded his agreement. "Fine. It will be hard dealing with your idiocy, but I suppose anything is worth the sacrifice to destroy that frost demon family once and for all."
"Good news, everyone," Bulma announced, checking her phone. "My dad got my message. He's sending transport to pick us all up. They should be here soon."
As plans were made and the group began to organize themselves, no one noticed the small smile that crossed Piccolo's face as he watched Gohan testing his newly unlocked power -the boy's ki flaring higher than ever before.
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Thousands of light-years away, on an unknown planet covered in dense jungle, Toji's sat on a tree trunk.
His body ached in places he didn't know could ache, the aftermath of pushing the Kaio-ken far beyond its safe limits.
Beside him, equally battered, Freeza- equally awake, sat with her knees against her chest. Her white hair was matted with mud, her normally pristine bio-armor scratched and dirtied.
Between them, a small campfire crackled, casting dancing shadows across their faces. Skewered on sticks above the flames, something resembling fish sizzled, their alien aroma filling the air.
Their eyes met across the fire, neither speaking, both too exhausted for further battle.
For now, at least, an uneasy peace had settled between the two most powerful known beings in the universe.
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(Author note: Hello everyone!
Thank you all for the reviews, I appreciate it a lot!
Here's the next chapter, do tell me how you found it, I hope you all enjoyed the reactions.
Well, I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)