Prologue

Vegeta watched as they carried the dead Seer's body from her small home. He shivered as he remembered her keening wail. He finally made up his mind, and allowed his hatred and resentment to fade. He knew he needed to work with Kakarott. He wandered over toward the place where he lived. Vegeta had always respected Kakarott, but he had never allowed that mutual respect to develop into a friendship. He now realized the only way they could beat what ever horror was coming was to work together.

Kakarott was sitting at his table waiting for Goku and Gohan to come back when a knock came at the door. He casually walked over to it, but his jaw dropped as he saw who his visitor was.

Vegeta smiled ruefully at Kakarott's shocked expression and said, "I probably deserve that look. Can I come in?"

Kakarott bowed low, "If it pleases you, your majesty."

Vegeta winced, "Please dispense with the 'your majesty' stuff. Please. I'm here as a...friend."

Kakarott nodded and allowed Vegeta to come in. Vegeta walked in and sat at Kakarott's table.

"I was just visiting the seer," Vegeta said suddenly, "she told me something bad was coming, then she dropped over dead. She said the only way we could win was if we banded together."

"Dead?" Kakarott asked.

Vegeta looked up, and shook his head as if to clear it. "Yeah, dead. The sight must have been too terrible for her to handle."

Kakarott stood for a moment in stunned silence, and then he said with a shaky grin, "Well, you can count on me when the invaders come."

Vegeta smiled, and the two young Saiyans shook hands. Then the door opened.

"You were right, Dad," said Gohan's enthusiastic young voice, "I feel so much better balanced, and it's almost as if power if flowing from my tail. Do you think you can make the transformation yet? I wonder what..." Gohan's voice broke of as he and his father entered the kitchen. They stared in surprise at the two Saiyans whose hands were still clasped. They immediately dropped them in embarrassment.

Goku however, seemed to know what was going on. "You can count Gohan and me in as well. No matter what's coming, we'll face it together."

Vegeta stared in shock at the older Saiyan. "How did you know what we were talking about?"

Goku grinned, "The news is all over the streets. The seer's death, the warnings she's been giving for months. It's all finally sinking in. Plus, I couldn't think of anything else that would bring you two together."

Kakarott laughed. Then he turned toward his bedroom. Kakarott and Vegeta faces melted into surprise as they saw his tail. It was large and well-furred. He turned and winked and said, "The operation worked."

"Dad," Gohan said, "that's not why they're surprised. They're wondering why your tail is golden."

Goku looked at his tail and shrugged, as the other two Saiyans nodded in question. He waggled it, and then smiling again, left the room.

The three younger Saiyans looked at each other and sighed. "He won't tell me either," Gohan said, "the doctor almost had an fit when he yanked it out and it was shining gold. Mine's just normal brown."

Vegeta looked enviously toward the bedroom where Goku was. Then he turned his attention to the two younger Saiyans. "Shall we go spar?" he asked.

They both grinned in response and left the room.

Goku looked at his tail. It was so nice to have it back, it was as though a hole had been filled. Chichi would be surprised when she saw it. He grinned in anticipation. Then the smile faded as he thought of his wife. He missed her. After this, he thought, I'm going to spend some quality time with her.

Then he concentrated, and felt the power of his tail flowing into his body. He didn't know why it was golden, but he knew eventually, he would understand. He began to work on his transformation again.

Vegeta, Kakarott, and Gohan were fighting hard, and no one was letting up. Vegeta was on the verge of being a Super Saiyan, Kakarott could tell. Gohan was already an ascended Saiyan, while Kakarott was on the verge of being a Super Saiyan 3. The power differences didn't make a difference in intensity though. All three fought as though they were perfectly even. They were all smiling. There is nothing more enjoyable to a Saiyan that to feel the adrenaline rush that flows through your body when you're fighting. They were born and raised a warrior race, and they would die a warrior race. Suddenly, a huge power level jerked them out of their fighting. They all turned toward Kakarott's house.

"That's Dad," Gohan said. Saiyans all over were pausing in their activities as their scouters went nuts. They began to rush toward the house. Goku stood in the midst of rubble still powering up. He screamed as another door broke open and an untouched power source poured out. Goku's hair began to grow longer while the hair on his tail grew brighter and brighter. His eyebrows vanished as his hairline was pulled back. The ground began to shake and only those who were hovering were unaffected. Finally, he stopped and stood in front of them, shimmering in strength.

He had become Super Saiyan 3 just in time for trouble.