The sky was painted an ominous red. Black lightning flashed across the stratosphere. Massive rocks, some the size of mountains, and waterfalls of magma rose steadily into the air. It was truly over. This was really the end.

Namek rumbled and shook in a manner so jarring that Vegeta and Cooler shut their eyes tight, sure that this was how they die.

More large chunks of the planet were ripped apart and its innards spilled upwards. Cooler slowly opened his eyes and turned to Vegeta. "You better not fucking hug me!.." He mocked. His voice was deep, resonating with the rumbles of the planet due to his transformed state.

The saiyan in question turned his attention to the super Arcrosian with a look of surprise, having not expected the uncharacteristic joke. A grin split his face which soon became a chuckle before morphing into a full blow laugh which consumed both of them.

As the two regained their composure, Vegeta's expression remained strained. Due to their considerable power levels both he and Cooler would survive the imminent destruction of the doomed planet but.. The raven haired man looked at Cooler, who gazed back solemnly. He was probably experiencing a similar train of thought right now…

Only Cooler could survive in the vacuum of space. Vegeta would die within minutes. Looking at the man who had gone from being one of his greatest enemies to an unexpected ally, he idly wondered if the ancient being felt shame, standing here now. He would live because of Vegeta's sacrifice, and then he would be forced to watch the one who saved him die.

There was a loud whoosh and a rush of air, followed by a steady grumbling. On pure instinct the two flinched away and raised their guards, however there was something different this time.

The rumbling wasn't as deep and ominous. The wind was steady… They gasped simultaneously and lowered their arms in shock as a voice shouted out over the intercom system of one of the royal family's personal cruisers.

"I really hate to interrupt this intimate moment.." Came the gravelly, mocking voice of Piccolo. Vegeta could just imagine the exasperating grin on the green man's face.

"... But if you two are done kissing we should get the hell our of here before Namek goes nuclear." He suggested, reasonably.

They stared at the domed window with a mixture of irritation and relief. Honestly they could probably cry tears and maybe would have if the planet hadn't started shaking violently at that very moment. The forces of the quakes were incomprehensible, throwing the ship and the two warriors side ways in the air.

"Come on!"

The duo didn't need to be told twice as they zipped off in a panic and made their way to the entrance in the center located on the top of the ship.

Before they had even found their footing in the interior, the ship lurched foward and began to move.

"Strap in!"

Of course, they had absolutely no time to do so, meaning the two men were pancaked into the wall as the ship blasted off and smashed through the planet's atmosphere. Their limbs were pressed flat and their tongues lulled outside of their mouths, Vegeta was stuck in his Super saiyan form and Cooler his Super Arcrosian form.

With considerable strain they just barely managed to crane their necks enough at one another to share a meaningful look, coming to a silent agreement. 'We do not tell anyone about this!'

Meanwhile back on Earth

All of the Namekians had been gathered in a large open field that was the picture perfect definition of peaceful. A small breeze caused the grass to sway gently as Sakura petals danced through the air.

The Earthlings were gathered nearby around a particularly large tree. A downtrodden Raditz rested his back against the thick trunk and hung his head. The energy coming off of the man was utterly miserable. Not only had he lost comrades and his brother, but he had come to realize every warrior's greatest fear.

His body was useless. His fighting days were over and he would not meet death in glorious battle. He would live a long and broken life, wasting away in a bed..

The young but powerful Dende was now conscious once more and was taking a final headcount of his people. Thus far, everyone seemed present and accounted for. The boy himself seemed relatively unharmed thanks to the self sacrifice of the late Nappa.

Suddenly the child froze, his face becoming perplexed. He turned to Earthlings, singling out Bulma in particular. His face was strangely pale for a green alien.

"What is it, Dende?" Krillin asked tentatively.

The small Namekian swallowed hard. "N- Namek is gone." He muttered dejectedly.

Everyone present in both groups gasped. They couldn't have heard that right.. for the Namekians that would mean their home and their connection to their people would be lost. For the others it meant that Vegeta and Gohan..

Seeing the sheer look of desperation and pain that flooded across Bulma's face Piccolo was quick to step forward and hold up a hand. "Wait!" He called out to the distraught woman, and indirectly to everyone else as well.

They turned to the tall warrior curiously, wondering what words could possibly help in this insuperable moment. "I still had a clone active on Namek when Gohan and the others were fighting Frieza… They managed to make it off the planet in a ship just before it exploded!" He revealed. A sigh of relief spread through the crowd.

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"It seems Cooler is with them…" He continued with a frown. "The three of them are returning to earth, and should arrive within a year's time, so we won't need the dragon balls for that. But many others have died and Namek really is gone." The man with pointy ears finished seriously.

The others shared a look of hope and Tien stepped forward, clapping his hands together. "All right then. All we have to do is wait a year to use the dragon balls again and revive the people killed by Frieza and his goons." He said optimistically.

Yamcha slapped him on the shoulder and happily exclaimed, "Don't forget about the second wish! We can use that to bring back Namek!"

Piccolo looked at the two in mild amusement. "Surprisingly.. yes. That was exactly our plan. Impressive." The warrior said, crossing his arms.

The two Earthlings didn't know whether to feel complimented or insulted and the rest of the group chuckled light heartedly. Bulma sniffled and wiped away a few remaining tears that had tore through her when she had assumed the worst about her son. They had lost much in this war. But there was still hope.

Hi-jacked Royal cruiser traveling FTL through space…

Gohan was currently sleeping in one of the rejuvenation tanks located within the medbay. Meanwhile, Piccolo, Vegeta and Cooler had all gathered in the front of the ship near the glass to discuss their situation. Their ship was damaged so their speed was reduced, but they would be home within a year. The primary concern now was what to do with Gohan.

"It's clear he didn't have full control of that form. The stronger he became the worse it got. It was only because he had taken so much damage and was so focused on Frieza that he didn't tear us and the planet apart." Vegeta concluded with a look of concern.

Piccolo nodded. "Agreed. Thankfully Frieza's gone. I doubt anyone in the universe rivaled him in power. It's possible Gohan may never have to transform like that again." He added hopefully.

Beside him Cooler, in his base form, laughed mockingly.

"Ahahaha! You think my brother will be the last threat this universe will ever face?" He asked with a snort. It was clear the question was rhetorical and Piccolo crossed his arms, glaring in response. He couldn't deny the man's words, though infurating as they may be, were most likely true.

Aside from the kais, Cooler and his family probably knew more about the universe than any living entity, as they had conquered half of it. "No, there are ancient terrors lurking on the edge of our universe, deep within the void. Monsters that even my father dared not trifle with." He said seriously. "Not to mention the sheer number of Frieza force extremists out there that will likely be vying for the boy due to his part in my brother's death."

"I was thinking along similar lines." Vegeta admitted with his eyes closed. When he opened them again he looked at Piccolo. "Believe me, despite the fact that he is a true saiyan, I wish nothing more than for the boy to have his own choice on whether or not he would walk the path of the warrior. But for his own sake, just as much as all of ours… He must learn to control that darkness. Or he will lead himself down a path of self destruction that will cause him to lose everything."

It was clear that Vegeta was speaking from a place of great wisdom and personal experience. The kind that could only be brought about by life itself. He had walked that path himself not long ago, and it nearly had cost him everything. All for the sake of a little more power.

The ironic thing was, now that he had opened his heart and let people into his life, his power had truly become amazing. He had become the stuff of legends; the Super Saiyan.

A small part of him wished for whatever reason, that his father could see him now. But the former king had always been absent in the man's life.. even before he was gone.

"Very well. I don't like it but it seems like there's no other choice. We use this year to train and prepare Gohan to the best of our abilities." Piccolo said sharply. But then his grimace turned into a slight grin. "Whether by some impossible measure of luck, or by divine intervention.." He paused for dramatic effect looking between the other two warriors.

"We just so happen to have the group most suited to do it. We have the only other Super Saiyan in all the universe, the most durable sparring partner we could ask for.." He gestured to Cooler who scowled. ".. And myself who specializes in mental discipline and mind training." He reasoned. The other's couldn't help but chuckle in response.

This year could prove to be rather fun.

???

"Huuuuhhhh-eeeeeeeh!!"

Kakarot sucked in a deep breath, gasping and coughing as he finally found himself able to breathe once more. He put his hands under his chest and pushed himself up to his knees. Dirt fell from his hair and soot clung to his clothing. The ground beneath him looked like cracked volcanic rock. It was reddish brown in color and riddled with craters.

He looked up at the sky and stifled a gasp. It was a strange pink in color and red lightening occasionally danced across the bubblegum like clouds.

"Where the hell am I..?" He muttered in confusion. This certainly wasn't the otherworld that Piccolo and Kami had described. Deciding that doing nothing would get him nowhere, he stood to his feet and dusted himself off.

Realizing he was hopelessly lost, he picked a random direction and began walking. He sensed several powerful, yet unfamiliar Ki signatures nearby. Although they were nothing compared to him, they were still relatively impressive.

A few minutes later he rounded a large jagged stone and located the source of the Ki signatures he felt. He stopped dead and his eyes widened. "Ohh" He mumbled.

Roughly a hundred feet in front of him, a fight had broken out in front of a large pink lake. Subconsciously, Kakarot couldn't help but wonder if it was lemonade flavored..

Kakarot watched as two blue ogres and a red one joined together to battle a massive purple monster. The ogres were at least seven feet tall and had varying numbers of horns on their heads. They wore strangely human clothing, resembling a tank top and shorts with some type of lettering stitched into the shirts. Given their muscular, barbaric appearance they looked admittedly intimidating.

However, next to the five meter tall monstrosity they now fought, they may as well have been children.

Kakarot frowned. It was hard to get an actual gauge on their power levels. Something about this place was interfering with his senses and Ki control. From what he could tell, all the three Ogres combined were roughly as strong as their foe, and all three of them would be a challenge for he himself to overcome if they worked together.

Against the monster they now fought, Kakarot was sure he would stand little chance of defeating and walking away unscathed.

Surprisingly the three fighters were handling themselves rather well against their overwhelming enemy. But Kakarot knew it would only take one misstep. A single direct hit from the monster would take any one of them down.

He watched on as the Ogres were pushed back by the ferocity of the monster's attacks. They jumped back to formulate a plan and create some distance as the creature barreled towards them. Using their superior speed and coordination the trio formulated a joint attack, which they had obviously practiced extensively. Their teamwork was flawless.

The two blue warriors distracted the purple creature while the red one dashed in behind the beast and delivered a devastating kick to the back of its knees. Having been caught off guard, the creature's eyes widened and it shouted in pain.

Due to the gravity of this place, which was easily ten times that of Earth's, the sheer size and weight of the monster became a detriment as it crashed to the ground. The Rick beneath them rumbled before cracks fanned out in spider web like patterns. The Ogres didn't stop there, pressing their advantage as the three leapt up into the air.

There they gathered energy in the form of three spheres. They grew larger and more chaotic until the three merged, becoming a large singular blast of Ki which they then launched at their downed opponent. There was a massive explosion and Kakarot shielded his eyes, taking a reflexive step back. When the smoke cleared he grinned and placed his fists on his hips.

"Looks like I didn't need to step in after all." The saiyan chuckled. He slowly began walking towards the group, his pace and posture relaxed in hopes to show that he came in peace. With his signature closed-eye smile and wave, he shouted over at the Ogres, "Heyo!"

The Ogres jumped, having been caught off guard. People were most vulnerable after a hard fought victory, after all. They were obviously tired, but their instincts were sharp as they all three put up their guards in unison. The three warriors stared quizzically at the spiky haired man, trying to decipher his intentions.

"Identify yourself!" The red Ogre demanded.

The goofy man merely grinned before introducing himself. "My name is Kakarot. I'm a saiyan who was raised on planet Earth." He explained. "What is.." He leaned forward slightly and frowned. At this distance he could make out the words written on the shirts of warriors before him. ".. HFIL?" He finally finished, scratching the back of his head lightheartedly.

The three Ogres shared a confused look before relaxing their stances. "Ahh, I see. A recently deceased then. You should probably come with us. We have much to discuss." One of the blue warriors spoke. His twin stepped foward, adding to his brother's sentiment.

"After we've explained the situation, we'll answer any questions you may have. They always have questions." He said, shaking his head in an exahsperated manner. "First things first, let's start with the obvious. You've died and been sent to the afterlife. Specifically, you're in hell."

Oh and.." He added as an afterthought. "...Don't drink out of the lakes..." The blue, muscular man chuckled as if reading Kakarot's thoughts. "...It's made of blood. Not lemonade."

End of chapter 63