The Light to my Darkness

Chapter 22: Captain Frog

Gohan was carrying the dragon ball Vegeta had tossed away, as he and Krillin flew towards Dende. It didn't take them long to intercept the young Namekian. Guru had unlocked the child's hidden powers and instructed him to fetch out the two visitors from Earth, in order to help them summon the dragon and make their wishes.

"Hey, Dende, how're you doing, little guy?" The bald fighter grinned.

"Krillin, you're okay!" Dende beamed and then turned his attention to his half-Saiyan friend. "You too Gohan! That's great!"

"Yeah, we're fine!" The demi-Saiyan smiled, before frowning as he briefly explained the situation. "That's why we need to get to the dragon balls together, as soon as possible!"

"Right, let's do it!"

As the eclectic trio made a beeline for Frieza's ship, they stopped when they were about a dozen odd miles away, as Krillin and Gohan sensed something off.

"What's my father doing with that brute, Jeice?!" The half-Saiyan frowned dubiously. "And why's his Ki signal so- out of place?!"

"Only one way to find out, I guess." The bald man sighed apprehensively, his shoulders slumping. Why could things never go as planned?

Krillin quickly taught Dende how to mask his energy, and enjoined him to stay where he was, before taking off with his demi-Saiyan companion, towards Frieza's ship. He left the Namekian child with the dragon ball Gohan had retrieved, assuring him that he was safe and that they'd both return to collect him soon enough.

XXXX

Vegeta was outside the flagship, taking cover behind one of its serrated landing gear columns, as he sensed out his surroundings.

'The half-breed whelp's also heading this way, along with baldy.' He observed.

Just then, Jeice and Ginyu landed, the latter currently possessing Goku's body, having made good use of his bodysnatching technique, towards the end of their battle.

"Dammit!" The Captain scowled, as he observed the league of PTO corpses surrounding the ship. "Vegeta's been here! Just great! If that other Saiyan hadn't intercepted me, I could've stopped him!"

The Prince frowned, as he took in that bit of information. What the fuck was going on?! That didn't sound like Kakarot one bit.

"Goku!" Bulma yelled from out of nowhere, whereby Vegeta flinched. She immediately burst her way into the scene.

'Goddamn woman!' The Saiyan cursed mentally. 'I specifically warned her to stay inside!'

"Goku, it's you, you're really here!" She darted towards the fiend she'd mistaken for her childhood friend, before Vegeta abruptly appeared in front of her, causing her to ram into him. The heiress fell back painfully, on her rear. She may as well have run into a brick wall.

"Ow." She whimpered, rubbing her aching behind, as she glared up at Vegeta. "What was that for?"

"You fool!" The Prince growled. "You just gave us away! Could you be anymore stupid?!"

Dammit, here he was trying to find out what exactly had transpired, but that accursed woman had to go and pour cold water over his plans!

"Ahhh- Vegeta!" Ginyu smirked. "Good thing, I came here just in time!"

"Time for what?!" Vegeta asked, whirling around to face the Goku lookalike, his idiosyncratic scowl plastered on his face. "You're obviously not Kakarot, so who the fuck are you?!" He demanded, teeth grit.

"H-He's not- w-what?" Bulma asked dumbly.

Ginyu and Jeice both smirked evilly at one-another.

Just then Krillin and Gohan arrived. They took in the scene before them and then landed in between both parties.

"Hey Goku!" Greeted the bald warrior, heading over to his alleged best friend. "Me and Gohan were really worried about you! What took you?"

The Ginyu duo began sniggering, barely able to contain their laughter.

"You must have taken care of that nasty Captain Ginyu, huh?" Krillin smiled, before frowning at him in bewilderment. "But why're you wearing a scouter for?" He then peered at Jeice. "And why's this other guy with you? Did he switch sides, like Vegeta did?"

"Krillin, that's not my father!" Gohan yelled.

"Huh?" The bald man looked at the boy perplexedly.

"LOOK OUT!"

BOOM!

Ginyu backfisted Krillin across the face, sending him flying back towards Gohan. Luckily, he was able to regain momentum and land on his feet, at the very last second.

"You're tougher than you look, but I'm not interested in either of you." Smirked Ginyu-in-disguise, much to the confusion of his foes. "Where's the challenge? I could easily dispose of both of you in an instant." He then turned his attention to the Saiyan Prince. "But Vegeta on the other hand: hmmm, now that really sounds like fun."

The Prince gnashed his teeth. This guy sounded an awful lot like- Ginyu! He goggled at the Captain, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Could it really be him?!

"Goku! Have you lost it completely?!" Bulma yelled in reprimand. "Why'd you hit Krillin for?!"

"Bulma, that's not my father!" Gohan told her.

"What are you talking about?!" Krillin knit his eyebrows, totally at a loss as to why Goku had attacked him out of nowhere.

"Krillin, that's not dad, believe me!" The demi-Saiyan insisted.

"What do you mean?" The bald warrior asked quizzically. "That's obviously him Gohan!"

"No, it's not." Gohan shook his head, standing in front of his companion, battle-ready. "I can see it in his eyes and I can sense the evil brewing within him. It's not my dad, trust me!"

Ginyu laughed.

"Very perceptive kid." He affirmed smugly. "Let's just say, I'm taking dear daddy's body for a test drive."

Gohan's jaw dropped, as did Krillin's and Bulma's.

"It's Captain Ginyu!" Vegeta exclaimed, grounding his teeth together, as realization suddenly dawned on him. "It's his voice! I remember now! I've heard rumors that he possesses the ability to switch bodies with anyone!"

"WHAT?!" The trio from Earth scream in unison, staggered by the news relayed to them.

"Hahahaha Now you've got it Vegeta!" Ginyu laughed. "What say we get this little show on the road?!"

"Wait, s-so that means, m-my father-" Gohan stammered, unable to say the rest, unwilling to believe it!

"Oh, I wouldn't be too worried about him if I were you." The Captain smiled evilly, before turning to Vegeta. "Now then, are you ready little Prince?"

"What a waste of time!" The Saiyan sneered. "Your endeavors were wasted Ginyu! I could finish you off without even breaking a sweat!"

Gohan and Krillin looked at Vegeta in disbelief, jaws ajar.

"What?!" Ginyu roared, completely outraged at the Prince's flagrant contempt for the awesome power he now possessed.

"You're not even worth it." Vegeta replied, waving his hand dismissively, before turning towards Gohan and Krillin. "I'm sure the two of you can take care of this weakling by yourselves!"

"How dare you, Vegeta?!" The Captain snarled. "I'll show you!"

Ginyu pounced on the impudent Saiyan, who was rooted to the spot, arms folded pompously, only for Gohan to appear in front of him and kick him across the jaw, sending him skidding along the cloddy grass.

"What the?!" Jeice was immediately alarmed by what he'd just witnessed.

"Krillin, Vegeta's right!" The half-Saiyan exclaimed. "We can take him together!"

"A-Alright Gohan!" The bald warrior made his way over next to his younger companion and the two stood together, assuming their stances.

"Woman." Vegeta looked towards Bulma who was still having trouble digesting it all. She turned his way. "Find some place to hide, now!" He ordered in a hushed voice, so as not to draw attention.

"O-O-Okay." She instantly scampered away, not needing to be told a second time. Luckily, everyone's attention was diverted elsewhere and she was able to hide behind a slab, as she viewed the battle from afar.

Ginyu stood up and glared daggers at his Earthling adversaries.

"How dare you?!" He scowled angrily. "I'll show you! With this new body, I estimate my fighting power to be 250 000!".

"That's where you're wrong Captain- Cocky!" Goku suddenly arrived on scene, clasping his wounded chest, whence purple blood was oozing. "I understand that body- a whole better- than you!"

"Kakarot?!" Vegeta looked at the younger Saiyan and Goku forced a strained smirk at his rival.

"Dad?! Dad, is that you?!" Gohan whimpered, as he envisioned his father in that repugnant mutated body, riding with him on Nimbus and eating dinner with the family. The thought nearly made him cry. "I can't stand seeing you this way daddy!"

"Oh, look what the cat dragged in!" Ginyu smirked wickedly at the young Saiyan, "I must say you're one tough customer!" He let out a mirthful chuckle. "Now then, it's time to unveil the true powers of Captain Ginyu!" The mutant chanted loudly.

Ginyu immediately began powering up, bellowing as a radiant yellow-orange aura flared around him. After what seemed like a few tense-ridden moments, he ceased charging his Ki and looked up towards his underling.

"Jeice, check out your scouter display and give me a strength reading!"

"R-Right." Responded the Trigocian.

Jeice froze in complete disbelief, as he observed the read-out on his Captain's power level.

"You're at- uh- 23 000." He answered in a quavering tone.

"YEAH!" Ginyu cheered and turned to Gohan, Krillin and Vegeta, "You three are toast! You pint-sized pukes don't stand a chance against me!"

After a while his smug expression transformed into complete horror, as realization kicked him like a mule on steroids.

"Twenty-three?!" He asked, completely dumbfounded.

"And- uh- getting w-weaker." Stammered the red warrior.

"Looks like you lose Ginyu." Vegeta chuckled arrogantly, before turning towards Gohan and Krillin. "Kick his fucking ass!"

"Let's do it, Gohan!"

Though reluctant to disfigure his father's body, Krillin eventually persuaded his little companion to fight on and the two of them began pounding Ginyu.

Goku walked over to the Prince.

"Hey Vegeta." He greeted in a raspy voice, clutching the bleeding dent in his chest. "Were you- able to rescue- that girl?"

The Prince cocked an eyebrow at the younger Saiyan, looking at him, as if he'd grown another head or two. He cast his gaze aside, grunting in irritation, as he finally figured out what his rival was referring to.

"Well?" Goku pressed.

"Mind your own business you fool!" Vegeta sneered at him, immediately changing the subject. "Thanks to your stupidity, Ginyu has control over your body! What a waste! I warned you something bad would happen if you didn't finish them off right away! But you didn't listen, did you?!"

The younger Saiyan looked guiltily at Vegeta and released a dejected sigh.

"Just as I thought!"

Goku scowled inwardly, mentally kicking himself. Vegeta was right! He had the chance to destroy Ginyu but he'd let it slide! As always, his conscience had gotten the best of him! Now he'd lost his body and couldn't possibly be of any help against Frieza! If only he'd heeded the other Saiyan's words!

"Jeice, don't just stand there!" Ginyu admonished. "Maybe you could help me a little bit here!"

"Right- uh- coming!"

Jeice began tottering towards the Captain, only for Vegeta to appear in front of him, blocking his path.

"Hey Snow White, how about you pick on somebody your own size?" He smirked.

Jeice snarled at him, infuriated by that nickname! He let out an exasperated huff, before composing himself and smirking right back.

"I thought you'd learned your lesson the last time, Vegetable-breath."

"Apparently not!" The Prince tittered. "Care to teach?"

"Sure thing, monkey-boy!" Jeice lunged forward and shot his fist towards Vegeta's smug face, only to hit thin air. The Prince was already behind him and yanked him by his long hair, eliciting an acute cry of pain from the Trigocian.

"Hey Jeice, I think you're long overdue for a haircut!" He promptly sliced a large chunk of his hair right off, using his hand as a Ki blade.

The red-skinned warrior cried out, gasping as he patted the back of his head, only to find a large portion of his beautiful white hair missing. He whirled around, redder than ever before and prepared to destroy Vegeta, only to find that he wasn't there!

"What's the matter? Can't find me?" The Prince taunted, behind him yet again. Jeice cursed the Saiyan and attempted to attack him, only to hit absolutely nothing. This time Vegeta was floating above him. What the hell was going on?! How had that Saiyan rat gotten so quick all of a sudden?! "Jeice you fool! Are you really so blind?! I'm just toying with you! I could've killed you ten times already!"

'Vegeta's amazing.' Goku thought as he observed the Prince make a complete fool out of his opponent. 'Maybe we have a chance against Frieza after all! But still, I need to get my body back somehow! There's no way I'm gonna live out my days inside this hideous abomination!'

The Saiyan from Earth then turned his gaze towards the bodysnatching Captain, who was beginning to gain momentum in his battle against Gohan and Krillin. Dammit! Ginyu was slowly, but surely, figuring out how to use his body!

Jeice grit his teeth as he saw a smug looking Vegeta towering over him.

"Take a look at your scouter." The Prince said, overweening smugness lacing his voice and expression.

Jeice switched on the device and immediately had sheer dread writ upon his face, as he read the display: 80 000! That was impossible! The scouter must have been malfunctioning!

"NOOOO!" He roared furiously, taking off the device and crushing it in his hand.

"I think you broke it." Vegeta laughed tauntingly, before smirking solemnly at his foe. "What you saw was a mere half of my true power." The Trigocian lost 2 or 3 shades of crimson as he saw no lie in his opponent's murderous, charcoal eyes. "And unlike that fool Kakarot, I get excited at the prospect of finishing off an opponent who's weaker than I! And needless to say, you're much weaker!"

"This- this doesn't make any sense!" Jeice choked frantically. "You weren't anywhere near this strong when you fought us earlier!"

"That's right! A Saiyan's strength soars after he recovers from a fatal wound!" Vegeta had the cat-got-the-canary grin on his face, tone beset with pure malice. "You, Recoome and Zarbon, all did me a great service!"

"Z-Z-Zarbon?!" Stuttered a confused Jeice.

"That's right." The Prince nodded. "Only a few hours ago, my power level couldn't have been above 27 000, but thanks to the three of you fools, I've now reached heights it would've taken many years to obtain, had I continued to serve Frieza!" He let out a gleeful chuckle. "You have my deepest gratitude!"

"I- will- DEFEAT YOU!" The Trigocian began blasting Vegeta with everything he had, only for the Prince to emerge from the smoky haze, complete unaffected, as he fired a left hook straight to his opponent's jaw, before throwing a right uppercut to his stomach, digging his way inside.

"Vegeta! NO! NO!" Jeice pled desperately.

"SAY GOODBYE!"

With those words, Vegeta blasted right through his foe, leaving not a shred of the last of Captain Ginyu's underlings.

'See that Frieza?!' The Prince thought to himself, overwhelmed with a rush of crazed euphoria. 'No matter whom you send, I will always emerge the victor! It won't be long now, before I have your blood on my hands!'

XXXX

Goku, Krillin and Gohan were all fighting a lopsided battle against Ginyu, now that he had increased his grasp on utilising some of the Saiyan prodigy's massive reserves of latent energy.

The Captain attacked Goku with an inverted kick straight to the top of the head, sending him plummeting and crashing into the ground.

The Saiyan then looked on as an intense surge of Ki illuminated the very atmosphere surrounding them. It was Vegeta! He'd just snuffed the life out of Jeice! Everyone observed the scene in awe. Ginyu was currently holding a helpless Gohan by the collar of his shirt.

"Vegeta, no!" Goku cried out in protest. "You didn't have to go that far!"

The older Saiyan placed his fingers on his his eyes, shaking his head, as he let out a wry laugh.

"You're a fool, Kakarot!" He smirked at the younger Saiyan. "If you'd finished that parasite off when you had the chance, I wouldn't have to do that! You see, unlike you, I have no qualms getting my hands dirty!"

A wave of nausea suddenly attacked the Prince, as he attempted to tap further into his Ki. He could feel the energy dwelling within, but couldn't spring it forth and the harder he tried, the weaker he got. Dammit! It was all that blue-haired vixen's fault! Her sensual ministrations on his tail had had adverse repercussions and now the effects were beginning to to kick in! (A/N: Refer to the end of the previous chapter). Just fucking great! Why now?! He breathed in deep, cooling himself off, before turning his attention to Frieza's only remaining subordinate.

"Brace yourself Ginyu, for the true might of a Saiyan warrior!" He chanted and lunged straight towards the Captain. Ginyu threw Gohan aside and tried in vain to defend himself against the Prince's relentless assault. The royal Saiyan was ravaging him badly and with one final double axe handle to the stomach, followed by a volley of Ki blasts, Ginyu looked just about done. As Vegeta was about to dive in and finish him off, however, the shrewd Captain smirked, opting to use his ultimate technique once again.

"CHANGE NOW!"

The Saiyan frowned in bewilderment as a beam flew from Ginyu's mouth and headed straight towards his. He couldn't move! What was happening?! Fortunately, Goku had intervened a second before the beam collided and the switch was avoided! All was back to normal! Goku had his body back and Ginyu had his!

The Captain hit the ground with a nasty thud.

"What's this?! My own body?!" He appraised his hands in horror, before glaring accusingly at Goku. "It's you!"

"I did it." The young Saiyan released a difficult chuckle. "I've got my own- body back!"

"What's going on here?!" Vegeta asked no one in particular, as he witnessed the exchange that ensued. "Is that Kakarot or is it Ginyu?!"

Gohan took a closer look and smiled, as he observed the light gleaming in his father's eyes.

"Krillin look, it's my dad!" He said cheerfully. "He's back in his own body again!"

Vegeta narrowed his eyes, as he locked onto his rival's Ki. Yes, it was indeed Kakarot! That could only mean-

"I need to find another body!" Ginyu huffed in frustration, clenching his teeth painfully, as he grasped his wounded chest. "I need Vegeta! He's the most powerful fighter here!" He then turned towards the Prince. "Come here hot shot! I want a piece of you!"

"Over my dead body!" Goku stood to his feet with great difficulty, breathing heavily as he attempted a Kamehameha. His vision began fading and he barely managed to fire the beam with what little Ki he had left. Ginyu easily evaded the blast and Goku gave into his fatigue, falling on his back, into the dry mud.

Vegeta powered up and dove straight towards Ginyu. The latter attempted to change bodies again, only for the Saiyan to vanish and rush him from behind. Punches, kicks, elbows and knees were all delivered spot on and with one final uppercut, Vegeta sent Ginyu propelling upwards and back, before landing a double-axe handle on his stomach, following up with a sickening blow from underneath to the vertebral column and finally stomping hard on his opponent's mid-section, causing him to nosedive. He then began firing blast after blast at the battered Captain.

Ginyu staggered as he got on his feet. His entire body was covered with bruises, burns and lacerations, but it was all part of the plan.

"Impressive." He said in a jeering tone, smirking at his Saiyan adversary.

The Prince snarled angrily and took it up a notch or two, pushing himself to his limit, as high continued savaging Ginyu, only for the latter to taunt him further. Dammit, his power was only getting weaker!

Vegeta tossed Ginyu up into the air by his horns and rocketed towards him, ready to deliver the final blow. Just then the Captain attempted his body switching technique. However, as fate would have it, Goku had managed to spot a frog nearby. He grabbed it and threw it towards the beam emitting from Ginyu's mouth and just under the wire, Vegeta was saved and the flamboyant Captain had unwittingly exchanged body's with the tiny amphibian.

Gohan and Krillin tended to Goku, when Vegeta came by, demanding what had just materialized. As his son and best friend held his burly figure in place, the younger Saiyan explained how he'd been able to use the providential frog to prevent the switch that was about to Prince chortled, as sauntered over to the hapless Captain, contemplating whether or not he'd squash him under his boot, but eventually deciding that life as Captain Frog would serve as a crueler fate to the once proud leader of the most 'illustrious fighting squad in the Universe'. The idea of him hopping around in that amphibious body was nothing, if not hilarious. He picked up the frog, gripping it firmly.

"Stupid Ginyu." He scorned, amusedly. "Serves you right! What goes around comes around!"

Goku let out a rasped chuckle.