DRAGON BALL Z
AT ANY COST
CHAPTER IX: THE RULES OF THE GAME
BY
Sgamer82
LOCATION
Paozu Mountains, the Son household
"He did what!?!"
"Goten hijacked a space pod, stole the Nyoi Bo, and headed out to space to chase Frost." said Goku, updating Chichi on the current situation.
"How could he do such a thing?" she asked, more to herself than Goku, "Why would he do such a thing? Goku, did you encourage him to do this?"
"No, I didn't!" Goku said, holding out his hands in front of him, "I feel the same way you do Chichi, I did't want Goten involved either! I even told him he couldn't go to Frost's tournament."
"Y...you did that?" Chichi asked, more than a little stunned.
"Yes..."
"Well, that's good to know." said Chichi, "Why didn't you want Goten to go to the tournament, Goku?"
"I wasn't sure what he would do if he went and I worried he'd do something he'd regret. Besides, only one person from each race is allowed and I thought Gohan would be better suited to fight."
"Oh no, Goku...don't tell me you actually said that to Goten..." said Chichi in a worried tone.
"Um...yes, of course I did."
"Goku, you fool, do you know what you did!? You all but forced Goten to go!"
"I did?" asked Goku.
"Yes, you did!" Chichi said angrily, "One thing Goten truly cares about is your approval! The minute you said to him that you thought Gohan would do a better job than him he became determined to prove you wrong and show you he has what it takes to be a fighter! Now Goten's going to enter that tournament not only to avenge Trunks! But to prove himself to you!" She then underwent a complete reversal of attitude and became very sad.
"My poor little boy's gone out into who-knows-what thinking that nobody has any faith in him." She went through another mood swing and turned on Goku, "Goku! Were you planning to use that teleporting, instantaneous whatever and get him back?"
"I was, but Goten's keeping his Ki down and he's in a very small spaceship. So there's no way I could fit inside with him. I'd have to wear a spacesuit to get him."
"Well you're doing no such thing." Chichi told Goku.
"Huh?" asked Goku in surprise.
"I know Goten better than anybody, even Trunks. His personality is a lot like yours Goku, but he's never had your confidence. I'm sure it really hurt him when you said Gohan was better qualified. He's gone out there now because he wants to prove that he can do it. Not just to you but himself. If you bring him back he'll be miserable because he'll never know if he could have done it or not. And he'll think that you felt he couldn't do it. Do you understand?"
"I think I do...you want Goten to fight in the tournament?"
"No...but whether I want him to or not, it's the right thing to do to let him fight. It's the only way to show him we care about him, and believe in him." Chichi said with a resigned sigh.
Outside the Son's house Gohan had heard the entire exchange. He had been ready to open the door when he heard his mother yelling. Gohan was shocked at Chichi's words.
Dad ordered Goten not to fight and Mom is encouraging him to fight. Things have really been getting strange.
* * * * *
LOCATION
Unknown
&Frost stood in front of an image transmitter, ready to once-again broadcast to the universe. The past Polaris week Frost had kept track of his targets as well as the attitudes of other beings and races that had recieved Frost's tournament broadcast. With only a few exceptions, many of the universe's races were getting ready to compete. Now, with the seven Polaris days up, Frost prepared to reveal to the competitors the location and rules of his little game.
"You are now transmitting, my lord." said a robot created to run the camera.
"Good." said Frost. He began the broadcast of the location and rules of the tournament.
"This message is being sent out on all frequencies to all races that can recieve it. I am Frost Dai-Kyokuchi-ou. I am here to tell you where the Uchuunakaichi Budoukai will be held. You will find a spacestation in the Old Namek system, among the remains of the original Planet Namek. In the center of the spacestation is a sphere that will act as the arena for the battles. Only the representative for a race will be allowed on the station, and each race's representative will participate in elimination rounds until there only sixteen of you left. Those sixteen will participate in battles that will be broadcast throughout the universe.
"The rules of the tournament are loosely based on those of a tournament held on a backwater world called Earth. These rules are, you will lose if you are rendered unconsious or killed. You can do anything you wish to achieve this victory, weapons, armor, trechery, you name it.
"By the end there will be two finalists, who will placed in a different situation then they had before. A three-fighter-free-for-all with the third opponent specially chosen by me. The winner of that battle will move on to the final match, me. If I am defeated, then the victor will have earned the title of strongest in the Universe and the right to rule it as he sees fit as well as the knowledge of where to get your truest desires granted." With this, Frost displayed the Namekian Seven-Star Dragon Ball.
"If I am victorious, then I will battle each competitor until a champion does appear. As I said, I have no interest in rule, and these balls do not interest me either. The tournament will be held in three Pola weeks. You have that long to reach the station. If you do not, well, you won't compete."
Frost made a gesture with his tail, a signal to the robot using the camera to shut if off.
"That should be sufficient." Frost said, more to himself than the robots, "Those who want a real fight will show up. As will those who simply want the Dragon Balls for themselves. My targets will be there as well, for their own reasons, but they will fight. This will go wonderfully."
Frost let out a loud, deep laugh that echoed all throughout the spacestation he was in.
* * * * *
LOCATION
Earth, Capsule Corp.
Vegeta, Krillin, 18, Rutega, and Piccolo all got into the spaceship Bulma had prepared, the one Vegeta had stolen many years ago, and began their journey to Planet Namek.
Gohan watched them go from the ground. He had been convinced, if not ordered, by his mother not to go to the tournament. In a way, he was secretly relieved, he had not wished to leave Videl during this delicate stage of her pregnancy. If Goku hadn't spoken up at the first broadcast, he would have suggested Goten go to the tournament.
As Gohan saw the spaceship leave Earth's orbit, he couldn't help but wonder what his brother was doing.
* * * * *
LOCATION
Unknown
Goten had been awakened by the ship's hibernation timer an hour before Frost's second broadcast had taken place. His joints felt stiff from being in one posistion for four days straight, but he moved past that and quickly input the directions that had appeared on the screen as Frost spoke. The coordinates to Old Namek had been input into the ship's navigation and Goten had to wait for the ship to get there. The navigation computer said that it would take three more days to get there.
Goten had had a feeling weapons would be allowed in this tournament, it's why he had stolen the Nyoi Bo from Karin Tower. Now Goten wouldn't be at a disadvantage against an opponent who used a weapon in a fight.
Now for three more days like this. Goten thought as he wondered how Vegeta could ever stand doing this for nearly a year.
END OF CHAPTER IX