Chapter One

Toma stood there with both her husband and son, the two most important men in her life, for what she knew was the last time. They were both heading out to the battle and she wanted to be there and tell them goodbye in their final moments before leaving.

She hugged her son tightly, not wanting to let go, her eyes shut. She finally did let go however, and kissed him on the cheek, running her hand through his soft, pale lavender hair. He returned the gesture, being careful not to hurt her small aging body. She then went to her husband and, in a rare display of respect and submission kneeled before him. King Vegeta bent down, took her hands into his own and lifted her to her feet. It was clear from the large tears that rolled down her face that she was crying as she embraced him, and openly kissed him tenderly on the lips. It was the first and last time since their wedding day that they did that.

Toma was still crying when they entered their space pods and blasted off towards the green planet. She continued to look on as more and more space pods took off, all heading in the same direction. The sky was full of white streaks, a beautiful display on such a somber day. She knew deep inside that they would never be seen again and hoped that they had enough time to say proper goodbyes to their families and loved ones.

Toma breathed in deeply, closing her eyes for a few moments in silent meditation. With a nod of her head, she left the launch platform and went back to that old structure where she worshiped to fulfill her promise from the night before.

Prince Burian glanced at the timer which showed how long until they landed. In the silence of the pod he had time to think about the approaching battle but his mind was elsewhere. All thoughts were focused on the one person who ever showed him kindness and tenderness. His mother worried him a lot, and he couldn't concentrate on what was at hand.

At first she was very defensive and protective of him, but, this morning, she seemed resigned. Her faded dark eyes had a look that disturbed him, even frightened him and he couldn't focus on what he had to do. It was almost as if she – He shook his head, deciding not continue that train of thought. He just hoped that he'll be able to focus on the fight once he got there.

The old heavy wooden doors groaned loudly as Toma pushed them open. Inside looked pitch black to her unadjusted eyes, as she walked in, closing the doors behind her. Blinking a few times, her eyes soon adjusted and the familiar windowless room came into view. It was very large and round with a high ceiling. The walls were lined with large heavy cloth of different colors, upon which different principles and saiyan laws were embroidered. There were several large marble statues looked ominously down at her, rekindling the feeling of discomfort she always felt whenever she came here. As she walked towards the doors behind which the smaller shrine chambers lay, dust rose with each step from huge ornate rug on the floor.

Toma stood before the small old shrine in the side chamber, her head bowed and her hands joined in prayer. She then approached the walls of scrolls and pulled down the rolled scrolls on the wall, pinning them down so that their words were clearly visible. Tearing off a piece of her garment, she dusted the old statue then anointed it with the scented oil and powders she carried with her. In one corner of the room, propped against the wall lay an old pillow used in the ceremonies which once took place here. She brought it out and shook out as much of the dust from it as she could then placed it in the center of the room, on the ancient faded symbol of the temple on floor.

Toma opened windows to let some light into the otherwise black room. A soft draft of clean air entered the room, stirring the dusty blood red and black curtains into the room. She then lit the candles that still remained, arranging them carefully so that they illuminated the text on the scrolls where the sunlight could not reach.

Having completed the preparations, she took her place seated on the pillow facing the wall scrolls and began to read.

Burian looked at the ice-jin soldiers ready for battle before them. 'They were waiting for us,' he thought absently, surveying the numbers which he estimated at about 30,000 strong, give or take 5,000. He glanced at his father, who's expression was grim and yet oddly excited. He too felt that way. It thrilled him a little that this was going to be the fight of his life. It was situations like this that they lived for, and by the looks of things, this situation would surly not disappoint them. Burian could feel the rush of battle coursing through his veins, heightening his excitement. All his senses were on high alert, his body ready to move into action at a moment's notice.

A stray movement caught his attention and his eyes darted towards the source. He spotted the ice-jin royalty advancing towards them and stiffed, making sure to stand tall and look proud, a perfect mirror of his father.

"You made a mistake coming here Vegeta," King Frost said looking at him and his army when he finally arrived, his overconfidence clearly evident in his voice and demeanor. "Hehehe," he chuckled, his voice irritatingly high pitched and laced with disgust. "To what do we owe this pleasure Vegeta? You're early, and I thought you apes hated traveling."

"By the looks of things we came here right on time. Preparing for an invasion are you?" King Vegeta smirked.

King Frost sneered at him, and then a smile twisted his lips. "It looks like you're the one doing the invading. This is suicide you know."

King Vegeta said nothing, but looked the ice-jin squarely in the eye, his gaze unwavering. Burian smirked when the ice-jin king frowned. "I guess we found out didn't we? Disappointed that we saw through you? Your plans are as transparent as the ice hole you live in. Then again you're very predictable."

"Disgusting monkeys, you will eat those words!" he sneered lunging for King Vegeta's throat. And with that the battle commenced.

Princess Serenity had been waiting for a long time now, for someone, anyone to show up. The windowless room was illuminated with candle light and a strange glow of unknown origins, which cast an eerie shadow on the sparse but nonetheless beautiful items in the room. A faintly glowing eight-point star was painted on the floor and she sat there in the middle of it on a large white pillow.

Her heart rate was a little faster than usual, making her feel like she had just run into the room. The bare white walls had onyx cloth scrolls with different prayer painted or embroidered in silver on them. She couldn't tell which since they were too far away. She didn't dare move from the spot where she was since her mother sternly told her not to.

Serenity didn't know why she was even here. All she knew was that her mother sent for her then gave her to the attendants. They bathed and dressed her in these odd garments and heavy jewelry, then brought her to that room. Her mother guided her sit down and told her not to move but meditate and pray, then left. And that was, she supposed, hours ago.

She had gone over the things in the room, each time noticing something different. Like that statue in the corner. Didn't its finger point in the other direction….

She shook her head, in an attempt at clearing it. "Get a grip Serenity," she whispered to herself as she tried to keep her imagination under wraps. She studied the wall scrolls, finding that while they were written in the old style language, she could oddly enough read them.

She tilted her head a bit and began to read them one by one. The first one was a prayer for release of the spirit for rebirth, which she thought was strange. The next one asked for purity of the body, mind and soul. The next one asked for a unity of the previous elements and for power to defeat the enemies which stand before. The last one was simple. It was odd really, until she said it out loud.

"Release the chosen one?"

She instantly regretted those words.

He was tired. His body hurt in places he didn't know he had and he was losing power. How may of those ice-jins had he killed anyway? 1000? 2000? He wasn't sure, but he did know that they were quickly multiplying like flies and this wasn't even their home planet! But this was, by far, the most fun he had in a very long time, even if he was losing. The ice-jin prince was proving to be more formidable that he could have imagined. But even with things looking this grim he felt more alive than he ever felt when he was back home. It was an odd feeling.

His hair blew in his face as he and that ugly ice-jin stared at each other. An odd thought struck him in that instant. Why hadn't he bothered to find out his name anyway? That didn't matter now anyway. They both were in bad shape and they both looked at the end of their limit. Night was already upon them but the moon hadn't risen yet and he didn't know if he could last that long without it.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as the ice-jin once again transformed. His eyes widened as he finished. He looked as good as new, and here he was not even sure if he could last into the next hour.

Toma slowly read each scroll, letting their meaning sink into her. Her resolve started to waver a bit when she read the second one but all she had to do was think about her vision from the night before and it was strengthened. Clearing her throat she read the third one out loud, echoing its words in her mind.

Burian cried out as he slammed into the ground. He heard some of his bones audibly snap and he closed his eyes. He would die here. He felt awful that he promised his mother that he would return in a fit of over confidence. He wanted to give up, but his will to fight and keep his promise to his mother made him get up again despite his tormentors snide and jeering remarks.

Every muscle protested as he literally dragged himself off the ground. If something didn't happen soon, then they would be finished. He scanned the sky for any sign of the moon but saw nothing. It was too overcast to see anything except the thick blanket of clouds which hung in the sky.

'There goes our brilliant plan' he thought as he barely dodged another blow by the ice-jin beast.

With the last scroll to be read, she stopped suddenly and closed her eyes. She shared a special bond with her son, one that only exists between a mother and child; she cleared her mind waiting for the moment when he needed her most.

He gasped for air and desperately tried to break free as he was lifted off the ground by his neck to be eye to eye with his assailant. He felt the life drain out of him as his vision darkened due to the heavy abuse and the extensive loss of blood his body had suffered. He was dying, his body growing cold and weak with each moment. His struggling started to slow down until they all but stopped.

He felt himself being slammed back into the ground, even more bones breaking from the impact. It was over, that much he knew and his one thought was of the mother he left behind.

'I'm sorry,' he thought as he started to succumb to his fate and the welcome embrace of death enveloped him.

'I'm sorry' Toma heard faintly in the back of her mind. 'Burian!' her mind screamed. It was time. Opening her eyes she quickly finished the ancient prayer. "Release the chosen one!" she cried out hoping that it wasn't too late to save him.

Burian felt an odd sensation. He thought he was dying, but suddenly he felt power coursing through him. After a while his injuries didn't hurt anymore and he was able to stand up. He saw surprise on the face of the ice-jin and smirked. But all too soon his smirk faded as whatever was powering him up didn't stop. He felt it surging into him, getting stronger and stronger. His heart rate quickened as he forced himself not to panic.

The power started to consume him, and he felt like he was on fire. His aura flared up a bright and very angry red which made the ice-jin take a step back in surprise. All fighting stopped as everyone gazed at the saiyan prince. He cried out trying anything to stop what was happening. He opened his eyes and they made contact with the moonlight, the clouds dissipating from the shear power radiating from his body.

It was all too much for him; he started to change and felt his power grow even more. Rage took over as his eyes grew blood red and the beast inside was unleashed.

As Toma slumped to the floor, her life leaving her, she knew she had done the right thing. She only hopped that he and her husband would forgive her for leaving them.

Burning. Her flesh seemed on fire, like she was being consumed from within and without. It was so hot, it felt like she had been doused with oil and set on fire. She did the only thing she could do, in a desperate attempt for help and relief.

She screamed.

Somewhere in a room similar to the one where her daughter was in, her mother closed her eyes for the last time, knowing this was for the best. She had done her part and had no regrets. She only hoped that Serenity would forgive her for what she had done.

His transformation didn't help ease the pain he was in. Soon after reaching his oozaru form the pain intensified. He doubled over, and then started to destroy everything around him, in a blind rage. Saiyan and ice-jin alike ran for cover in vain to get out of Prince Burian's way. King Vegeta just stood there in shock and awe of the sheer power his son radiated. "He is the legend," He whispered, staring.

But all too soon he realized that his son was out of control and that he would definitely destroy the planet itself. So he ran, with his fellow soldiers back to the ships to find one that was not too badly destroyed. By luck he stumbled upon the one that had brought his son here. King Vegeta quickly got inside, keying in the co-ordinates for his home planet. As the doors closed, he glanced at his son one last time, and saw him transform again.

He had turned golden!

A few space pods streaked towards the planet Vegeta-sei as the entire planet exploded in a brilliant display of light.

Inspiration for this story suddenly struck me while talking to my friend saiyagurl and since she's started writing again and made me feel guilty! I felt it was necessary to update. I know some of you guys out there want me to update another fic of mine but right now I'm a bit too discontented with it to finish just yet.