Chapter 1: The Simple Act

AGE 774 - Sacred World of the Kai

"Mercy, a terribly simple act, one that has the potential to change the very fabric of the universe for better or worse. It can bring people together or tear them apart, it can turn enemies into friends or friends into monsters. The impact of even the tiniest display of mercy may seem insignificant but it has the power to change the very course of the universe itself."

The words of the late Queen Skadi, mother of Frieza, ran through the Frost Demon's mind as he struggled to hold back the enormous sphere of crackling pink energy that was slowly pushing him down into the charred ground. Risking a quick glance behind him, Frieza could just barely make out the golden form of his hated rival turned begrudging ally. Goku had not moved since their hopeless battle began, gathering energy to hopefully tip the battle in their favour. That had been nearly ten minutes ago and the Frost Demon could feel his immense well of power finally beginning to run dry.

"What the hell is taking so long!?" Frieza roared at the top of his lungs. How long did it take for that blasted new form of his to gather energy? This thought was ill timed however, as the brief loss of focus coincided with another surge of ki delivered by the horrendous pink abomination, pushing his Planet Burst attack and Frieza deeper into the sacred world's crust.

Bracing against the blistering heat and tremendous force of this devastating attack, Frieza racked his mind for a solution while slowing his painful descent. He knew that they could not continue fighting at this pace forever and then there was the planet itself to consider. The Sacred World of the Kai was unfathomably ancient and had weathered countless millennia but the Frost Demon could tell that their battle was pushing not only themselves but the very planet to the absolute limit.

"Damn it all, if I can't stop this blasted attack then the planet's history!" Frieza hissed, the seemingly endless fighting of the last few days were finally taking their toll on the battle-hardened Frost Demon. He knew that if the planet was destroyed, he would survive however the same could not be said for others. There was no guarantee they would be able to withstand the blast and they certainly wouldn't survive the harsh vacuum of space. They were in a no-win scenario that Frieza was all too familiar with, having used a similar strategy against the very person he was now fighting alongside.

"Come on Frieza, just hold on a little more" Goku growled, glaring at the sadistic creature that was cackling madly at the former despot's attempts to push back his attack. Glancing down at his own hand, Goku felt a growing sense of dread that had been eating away at him since the battle began. Try as he might, he couldn't gather ki fast enough to replenish the amount that Super Saiyan Three burned through. He couldn't risk reverting back to his base form either as the sheer energy cost to make the leap to the third form was far too great to risk. They had no Senzu Beans and Dende had been taken off-world to Namek for his own safety. The worn out Saiyan hated to admit it but they needed a new plan.

While Goku desperately tried to think of a way to turn this battle to their favour, Frieza was driven further into the ground by the pink sphere of death that was burning away at the palms of his hands. Reaching out with his senses, the former tyrant tried to see if any of the others were in any position to help. Another pain filled moment later and Frieza grit his teeth as he realised, he was on his own. Goku was somehow burning through his ki reserves faster than he could recharge them. Vegeta's seemingly broken body was still being watched over by that obnoxious buffoon and his mutt and then there was the fat blob, who had become yet another unlikely ally, who was now more than likely dead.

Another surge of energy rushed through the planet buster, driving Frieza deeper into the crater and blocking out the surface entirely. Dropping to a knee to brace against the attack, the Frost Demon was quickly weighing his few remaining options. He couldn't deflect the attack or force it back in that obnoxious monster's face and if he let it push him down any further then it didn't matter what he did, the attack would detonate and take the planet with it regardless. That just left one option and Frieza detested the very notion.

"Look, I know you probably didn't have the best role models growing up to teach you this but it won't kill you to do something selfless every once in a while." The memory of Aayla, the woman who had warmed his frozen, bitter heart echoed through his mind. His thirst to prove himself superior to Goku may have been what drove him to become stronger but it was her that pushed him to be a better person than anyone, himself included, thought possible. She had been the most important person in his life and she had been taken from him just as so many others by the pink freak cackling away above the battlefield.

Gritting his teeth over what he was about to do, Frieza snapped his head upwards to stare directly into crackling mass of pink energy. With a sudden flash the Frost Prince unleashed a pair of piercing bolts of energy from both pupils. The moment the beams pierced through the surface of the sphere, Frieza had to turn his head away to avoid being blinded as the immense sphere of ki changed from vibrant pink to a blinding flash of white.

"Frieza!" Goku cried out in shock, watching helplessly as the sphere erupted in a massive explosion. The catastrophic blast devastated the area for miles around, flattening trees that had stood for thousands of years and shattering boulders as old as time itself. At the epicenter of the devastation, a cavernous crater over a mile wide now marred the once hallowed landscape. The supercharged Saiyan could just barely hear the cries of King Kai echoing through his mind, the stressed-out blue deity could only watch the battle helplessly from Other World.

The manic cackling of the pink aberration only grew louder as Buu's latest incarnation drifted back to the ground to survey the damage of the premature detonation. It hadn't been his intent but it was still fun to watch for the deranged creature. With a lazy kick, the Majin sent a small rock tumbling down into the crater that he believed would now serve as the Frost Demon's grave.

The sniggering creature's mirth was quickly interrupted as that very rock was sent hurtling back towards him at the speed of sound. Unable to react in time, Buu's face was torn to pieces by the rock that had just broke the sound barrier, leaving a gaping hole where his right eye used to be. To a normal being the damage done would have been a death sentence, however the Majin monstrosity simply reformed his punctured face back to its original shape which now sported an enraged grimace.

"I didn't expect such a small pebble to do much damage but at the very least it shut you up" a raspy voice emanated from the rocky crater. Taking a shaky step back, Buu was shocked to see a ghostly figure emerge from the cavernous cavity. Rivers of purple blood ran from cuts and scrapes across his body, his entire form was littered with bruises and welts and the pristine white flesh around the right side of his face had been scorched by the heat of his adversary's Planet Burst attack. However, despite all these injuries and his own fatigue, Frieza sneered at the pink creature before him, rising into the air to look down upon the repugnant little beast.

"You stand before Lord Frieza, the most powerful being in all the cosmos and you actually have the gall to think a worthless attack like that would finish me? Ha! You can't even kill off a mere Saiyan, what in the universe makes you think you could ever reach my level?" Frieza chided down at Buu who was glaring daggers at the boasting Frost Demon. Plumes of steam began erupting from the creature's pores covering his body showing just how truly enraged he was.

"A mere Saiyan? Watch your tongue before I tear it out, Frieza. There is nothing mere about me."

Shocked further, Buu turned around to see the heavily injured Saiyan prince limping towards the pair. His arm was hanging limply by his side and blood was steadily dripping into his left eye from a cut running across his forehead but the proud prince of all Saiyans, Vegeta the Fourth, stood firm holding his ground against the creature who had, just minutes ago, beaten him within an inch of his life once again.

"Oh my, you certainly are a glutton for punishment" Frieza smirked, knowing full well that Vegeta would understand the meaning behind his verbal jab. The years had formed between the pair a tense comradery that neither were truly willing to admit to. They were both personally glad the other was still alive, if only so that one could best the other in the future.

"Tch, look who's talking Frieza, you..." Vegeta's snide retort was cut off by the ear-piercing screech of the pink creature standing between the bickering princes. Now with both warrior's undivided attention, Buu clenched his fists prepared to lash out at either of these pests.

"What a loud mouth" Vegeta scoffed brushing bits of dirt from his tattered body suit, if only to get under the Majin's skin that little bit more.

"Oh most certainly, I believe we've stalled long enough however, what say we put this creature down?" Frieza chuckled, powering up once more, his purple ki swirling around him in a violent maelstrom. His reserves may have been almost tapped dry but they needed to continue stalling for time so that Goku could once more join the fight. If Goku's assistance couldn't tip this battle then Frieza was truly uncertain of what could possibly work against the creature. Destroying the planet was a fruitless option and would simply cost them a battlefield and conventional fighting simply wasn't working. Still if there was one thing that Frieza had learned over these last few transformative years it was that there was strength in trusting in others even those he once considered enemies.

"For once I'll have to agree with you, this bastard's lived long enough" Vegeta replied, glaring daggers at the pink abomination he had come to hate so venomously. With a savage roar, Vegeta unleashed his own reserves, transforming into a Super Saiyan with a golden flash of light.

Preparing for one more push against the Majin menace, Frieza thought to those that they had lost and those that were still relying on them. It still never ceases to surprise the former despot when he fought for something other than himself, though this fight had become very personal. This pink freak had taken everyone they had come to hold dear and Frieza wanted them all back.

Locking eyes with each other, both Frost Demon and Saiyan charged forward simultaneously to engage the universal threat and to buy Goku as much time as possible. United in battle and common cause, they were the last line of defense against the Majin's terror, they would not fail because that wasn't an option to either prince. They would reclaim what had been taken from them and no wad of sentient chewing gum would take that from them. They were Son Goku, Prince Vegeta and Lord Frieza, saviours of the universe.

"One simple act of mercy, many times its impact will go unnoticed. But sometimes, once in a lifetime it can change the very course of history."

AGE 762 - Planet Namek

Pain, unbelievable, excruciating pain courses throughout Frieza's body, well almost throughout, he seemed to have lost all feeling in his left arm as well as the lower half of his body. The wounded Frost Demon struggled to open his eyes as the rush of memories came flooding back to him. The intense fight that tore the landscape of Namek asunder with each blow, the Saiyan's attempt to leave once he felt as though the battle had already been won and the climactic moment where Frieza's own Death Saucer bifurcated him from behind were clear as the horrid agony he was feeling.

Concentrating as hard as he could, Frieza used his telekinesis to keep his internal organs inside his now exposed body before they could spill out. While Frieza was known to be able to rip entire mountains from their foundation with just his mind, in his current state, the small act of keeping his guts from spilling onto the scorched Namekian soil was quickly diminishing what little reserves he had left. Frieza could only lie there in pain and wait for death to claim him, gasping in this fresh hell he had been subjected to.

"It's a shame that you had to die like this Frieza. You have no one to blame but yourself for the miserable position you're in."

Frieza's eyes widened in absolute shock, it was him, that rotten Saiyan, Son Goku! Frieza couldn't believe that he was still there, much less talking to him. He was wasting time on a defeated foe even though Namek was mere moments from annihilation. Clearly the sentimental fool's naivety knew no bounds. Wanting nothing more than to glare at his Saiyan adversary, Frieza coughed up a wad of bloody phlegm trying to crane his neck. Even the act of something so simple has become a herculean task.

"I tried to warn you Frieza but you wouldn't listen to me, and now you're gonna share the fate of this planet" Goku sighed, looking down on the ruined form of his enemy. The Saiyan's words seemed to accentuate the pain coursing through what was left of Frieza's body, every inch of him burned in agony as the damage and exhaustion from the past few minutes ate away at him. Was this why he had remained? To taunt and goad the fallen prince in his last moments? Having known the Saiyan for only the briefest of time, Frieza knew that wasn't in the battle-hardened man's character.

Then, over the roar of wind and thunder, Frieza heard the sound that would haunt him for years to come, the sound of his footsteps leisurely walking away. "I'm tired of fighting, I'm going home… Goodbye, Frieza."

His stride continued onwards each step echoing in Frieza's mind. How could this be? He was leaving, after everything that happened between them and he was willing to just leave him. He knew the monkey was leaving him there to die but the fact that he hadn't simply finished him when he had the chance gave Frieza an opening. This Saiyan was not like Vegeta, he had a heart, a conscious both of which were exploitable.

Through painful, labored breaths that burned through his chest Frieza spoke as quickly as he could. "Please, help me" he wheezed causing Goku to stop in his tracks. "You can't leave me here... You can't let me die like this." The Saiyan was standing there perfectly still with tense shoulders, it seemed as if he was going through some great inner turmoil. In reality he was, in the form of a portly blue deity practically screaming in his mind. His expression unreadable as he grappled with his own morality and common sense.

"Don't do it Goku! You're don't have enough time as it is, don't waste it on him!" King Kai's telepathic scream echoed in his Saiyan pupil's mind all the way from his small planet in Other World. He already knew what Goku, the kind hearted Saiyan warrior, was going to do and try as he might, the Kai of the Northern Quadrant could do nothing to influence Goku's decision, this was for him alone to decide.

Feeling senses begin to dim, Frieza redoubled his efforts, he only had mere moments before his body would give out and his blackened soul would slip away to the afterlife. "You have to help me… Don't let me die." After no response from the golden-haired warrior, fear began to grip at the Frost Demon's heart. Had he expected too much of the Saiyan? Did he really think that the Saiyan would actually attempt to save the one who had killed so many, who had turned him into an endangered species when he destroyed Planet Vegeta?

"Please... have... mercy" Frieza rasped desperately, not as part of some ploy but a genuine plea for help. His plea was instinctual and pure, the words of a living being that feared the great unknown that awaits all when their time finally comes. These were also the words that reignited the Saiyan's molten fury.

"How many people begged you for their lives and you killed them anyway!?" Goku shouted, his voice rising in anger with each word. Energy began flowing into the palm of his hand ready to put an end to the tyrant right here and now. "Did you show me mercy when I begged you to spare my best friend!? Krillin's dead because of you and he didn't deserve it, you even tried to kill my son!" Goku's raw fury and sorrow was unmistakable his power rising with each shouted word.

Frieza couldn't tell if the ground was shaking due to the enraged Saiyan or because of the planet's imminent destruction. In the end it didn't really matter, the Saiyan's outburst was as close to a death sentence that he would get. Whether Goku finished him here and now or he perished along with Namek when it would inevitably explode, it seemed that this fight was well and truly over.

Despite this feeling of utter defeat, Frieza's own fear and the desire to survive pushed him onward. With the last vestiges of energy in his ruined form, Frieza closed his eyes and managed to gasp out what he thought were to be his last words.

"Pl-Please… Forgive me."

The torrents of howling wind and the crackle of thunder as it tore through the landscape of Namek slowly began to fade away. The trembling ground beneath the dying despot seemed to calm itself. The smell of magma and ionized air drifted away and no matter how hard he tried the Frost Demon could not open his eyes. Frieza's breathing became even more ragged until it became a shuddering death rattle. He could feel one of his lungs fail and the other was barely holding on. Finally, there was the pain, or lack thereof, the most excruciating pain he had ever felt in his entire life began to slowly drift away, leaving nothing but a cold numbness in its wake.

"So, this is the end?" The Frost Prince thought to himself. Taking what he believed would be his final breath, Frieza solemnly embraced the coming void. However, fate, or to be more precise an angered Super Saiyan had other plans and with a sudden surge of energy everything roared back to the tyrant. Sight, smell, sound, taste and pain rushed back to him in vivid clarity. The pain had returned tenfold but the pain let him know he was still alive and the Frost Prince welcomed it.

He felt rejuvenated, if only marginally, but how? Surely the Saiyan wasn't truly foolish enough to actually let him live? Eyes snapping open Frieza stared up and there he was. Goku now stood over the defeated dictator with a glowing outstretched hand and a look that was a mixture of so many emotions, anger, pity, regret, determination and sadness. He looked like a man who had made the worst decision of his life but would do so again without question.

Using his newly bestowed energy, Frieza rose to meet the Saiyan, his enemy, face to face. "Why?" Frieza croaked, his mouth still stained with the taste of his own blood. When Goku looked as though he would not respond, Frieza moved forward pressing him for an answer. "Why did you give me your energy?" Frieza hissed, he was more confused by this act of mercy than the monkey's transformation to the golden-haired warrior that had bested him so thoroughly.

"You asked me to, I will always help those in need" Goku replied through grit teeth. A long pause stretched between the two as Frieza tried to understand the Saiyan's behaviour before the golden-haired warrior continued. "Even those that don't deserve it" he stared straight into the red eyes of the despot with a determination that put Frieza on edge. Despite his resigned exterior Frieza could see through it, he could see the firestorm of rage and fury burning within the man.

"Consider this a second chance Frieza" Goku stated before turning his back once more to the galactic overlord. Pausing for the briefest of moments, Goku let go of a breath he had not realised he was holding. "I suggest you don't waste it" the Saiyan muttered before taking to the sky, no doubt searching for a functioning ship to escape the doomed planet.

"He's really just going to leave, going to let me live" Frieza muttered to himself, staring after the golden warrior. Looking down at his own bloodied hand, purple electricity arced from one finger to the other. It was then that Frieza realised just how much power Goku had given him. He could concentrate a blast and attack the monkey right then and there with his back turned, he wouldn't see it coming. Raising his hand to point directly at the retreating Saiyan, Frieza felt the energy build up. It was dirty and underhanded but oh so tempting, he would show him what happens when one is foolish enough to pity the most powerful being in the universe.

Despite the opportunity, Frieza slowly lowered his hand back down. An attack capable of killing the Super Saiyan would require every once of energy her had left and by doing so he would leave himself defenseless when Namek finally erupted. Despite this Frieza was still heavily tempted to launch his attack anyways but the fact was that there was no guarantee he would even hit the Saiyan from this far away. Whether successful or not attacking now would seal the Frost Demon's fate and that was not something he could afford.

"Beneath that battle-hardened exterior beats a kind and gentle heart" Frieza muttered to both himself and the warrior who was quickly fading from view. "One day such a disposition will cost you dearly" the hiss of the Frost Demon's voice was barely audible over the eruptions of lava and ash exploding from what had once been a salt water lake.

Turning around the wounded prince located his severed arm and lower torso, beaten and bloody just like the rest of him. Using his telekinetic abilities, Frieza levitated his limbs next to him and turned to gaze around at the ruined landscape, the sight of his greatest defeat. Spitting a wad of blood and phlegm onto the scorched ground Frieza took to the air as well, he had enough of this wretched dirt ball, it was time to leave.

"Goku I know this was your decision to make but I really don't approve of it" King Kai grumbled through his telepathic link to his Saiyan pupil. He had watched that entire situation unfold, helpless from his tiny planet and was now torn between urging Goku to find a way off-world and reprimanding him for letting Frieza live.

"Look King Kai, I just... it was the right thing to do alright?" Goku hissed, swerving to avoid a pillar of molten rock. He still needed to find a way off Namek before it exploded and having a conversation with King Kai was having a serious impact on his ability to fly and avoid debris. Trying to answer back telepathically was out of the question so he had to respond out loud and hope King Kai got the message. Luckily the blue deity was honed in on Goku so that wasn't an issue for him.

"I know you're all for second chances but Frieza definitely doesn't deserve one" King retorted, stomping down the paved road that circled his planet. He had seen firsthand exactly what Frieza was capable of and having Goku just let the tyrant go was driving King Kai crazy. By sparing one life Goku condemned thousands, possibly millions more.

"I'm sorry King Kai but it's too late to go back on it, he's already left the planet" Goku responded feeling the Frost Demon's distinct ki signature leaving the atmosphere as he put on another burst of speed. He knew Frieza's ship was around here somewhere but it was impossible to get his bearings. The once peaceful landscape of the Namekian countryside had become a hellish inferno. Goku was going to need to get lucky if he was going to find the ship, assuming it hadn't already been submerged in lava.

"Just hurry up Goku you're running on borrowed time as it is!" King Kai urged desperately. Goku's window to escape the planet was closing faster than the martial arts instructor wanted to admit.

"I'm trying my best here!" Goku exclaimed, watching an entire island break apart and sink into the boiling lava below him. "Hey King Kai, do me a favour!" Goku shouted, passing through a plume of ash.

"If you want me to tell your family you love them you can do it yourself when you get out of there dummy!" King Kai shouted, not wanting to think about the consequences of Goku failing to escape the doomed planet.

"No, it's not that... but if I don't make it, you wouldn't mind if I use you to contact them from Other World, right?" Goku laughed, passing over a cliff and setting his eyes on a familiar saucer shaped craft.

"I am not your phone! Get your butt on that ship and get out of there!" King Kai yelled, not particularly enjoying the Saiyan's sense of humour at the moment. Goku wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed and the blue deity feared that piloting an alien spaceship, one that Vegeta had already blasted to hell was going to be a little outside of his wheelhouse.

Prying open the hatch to Frieza's saucer, Goku took off at a sprint for the bridge, he had mere seconds left before the planet's destruction. "Keep an eye on Frieza for me" Goku requested, hoping his mentor heard him and blasting open the door to the ship's bridge with a small ki blast.

Back in Other World, King Kai watched his pupil try desperately to get the damaged ship working. "I'll do it, just focus on getting out of there!" King Kai shouted, he wished he could help more but he was just as technologically challenged as his student. All he could do was watch the Saiyan warrior try and breathe life back into the damaged ship. Whether Goku survived this situation or not, King Kai knew one thing for sure. He would keep an especially close eye on the Frost Demon who would undoubtedly hunt down the Saiyan to exact his revenge.

Floating in space was a sobering experience that few, save for Frost Demons, could truly appreciate and detest. No sound but one's own thoughts and an all-consuming blackness that stretched on for eternity. With no idea of which way was home and knowing he was running on a very finite pool of energy, Frieza was forced to float in miserable silence, gazing back at Namek.

With nothing else to do Frieza made himself as comfortable as possible given the circumstances just outside Namek's expected blast radius with his limbs held in place by his telekinesis. The destruction of a planet and the fireworks display that resulted from it always brought the Frost Prince a great deal of enjoyment, there was no other sight quite like it in the universe. However, much like any fireworks display, the time it took to start the festivities always seemed to approach at a snail's pace. This gave Frieza time to reflect back to the events that had transpired on the green world over the past few days.

Presently he was thinking specifically about the five minutes he had given the planet after connecting with his Death Ball. Either Namek was tougher than it looked or Frieza had seriously misjudged the power of his world ending attack. Both options agitated him, but then again almost every moment on that dirt ball had gotten on his nerves. Each event and mishap all culminated in this one moment, with the Emperor of the Universe waiting for an already dead planet to finally surrender and collapse under its own weight, why hadn't he simply thrown a second Death Ball?

"I wonder if that monkey was able to get…" Frieza's own thoughts were cut short once he spotted an attack pod, most likely one of the Ginyu Force's, leaving what was left of Namek's quickly deteriorating atmosphere. "Well, I suppose there's my answer" Frieza thought to himself dryly. Raising a single finger, the Frost Demon prepared a Death Beam, the pinprick of purple energy shining with a deadly light in the void. Tracking the ship on its departure, Frieza smiled to himself.

"It would be so simple, you stupid monkey, I don't even have to hit you directly. One shot and that damn pod will explode and then I can watch you writhe and perish in the vacuum."

The thought was so tempting and the action would be so easy. He, Lord Frieza, would win and that simian would lose, death being his only reward for his foolish lapse in judgement. The tip of his finger crackled with energy as the digit tracked the retreating pod.

"Please have mercy."

Frieza's own plea ran through the Frost Demon's mind, the defeated tone forcing the Frost Prince to lower his arm. Sighing to himself inaudibly, Frieza turned away from his foe letting him go just as Goku had for him. "I will have my revenge; mark my words I will show you who is truly the mightiest being in the universe" Frieza vowed to not only himself but to the very universe itself. The image of himself standing atop his defeated adversary in victory brought a wicked smile to the tyrant. He would reclaim his standing using the simian's lifeless corpse to stand above all those who would dare oppose him.

Frieza's visions of triumph and grandeur were suddenly interrupted as flashes of light began to emanate from Namek forcing Frieza to shield his eyes. His eyes quickly adjusted to the increased brightness allowing the Frost Demon to watch the planet enter its final death rows.

The surface of the doomed planet was exploding outwards sending massive chunks of rock and dirt into the quickly deteriorating atmosphere, Planet Namek had finally lost its futile battle.

"Here it comes" Frieza thought to himself excitedly. He leaned in to give himself a better view of the grand spectacle which had never failed to entertain him in the past. Planet Namek burst forth, releasing a cascade of energy, fire and debris in all directions. Frieza felt the force of the blast push him back but that hardly mattered as he watched the tempest of fire and colour cascade out into the void. The explosion was over almost as quickly as it began and in the planet's place was a swirling cloud of debris.

The explosion was in fact quite magnificent, one of the most splendid he had ever witnessed even though it was short lived, yet all Frieza felt was disappointment. He had hoped the detonation of the celestial body would help take his mind off the past few days, but now that it was over all Frieza felt was empty. He had failed to obtain the Dragon Balls, he had failed to gain immortality, he failed to kill that damn dirty ape, he had lost one of his oldest ships and he lost Zarbon, Dodoria and the entire Ginyu Force.

He couldn't even take satisfaction in the knowledge that he had killed Vegeta. Somehow the prince was alive even after Frieza beat the defiant warrior mercilessly and blasted a hole through his chest. The insubordinate Prince of all Chimps had shown up during his fight with Goku and quickly vanished mere moments after his arrival much too both combatants' confusion. The same could be said about the Namekian brat that made both the Dragon Balls and their accompanying dragon vanish before disappearing himself just as Vegeta had.

The worst part though was looking back on his own defeat. Cut to pieces by his own technique, Cooler would never let him live that down. The thought of the smug grin of his older brother sparked a surge of rage that ran through his body and into a condensed sphere of energy that he hurled soundlessly into the darkness of deep space. His thoughts were starting to spiral out of control now, remembering all his failure over the past few days brought him to the point of tears. "Bested by a monkey... Who pitied me enough to save my life." Frieza couldn't decide which was worse, the fact that Goku saved him or that he, the most powerful being in the cosmos, had begged him to do it.

The cherry to this entire situation was that he would soon have to confront King Cold. Frieza already suspected that his father was on his way to confront him as he had disobeyed his orders by going to Namek on this fool's errand. Despite officially being described as retired, the Frost Monarch was anything but. Opting instead to run his empire from behind the scenes and using his sons to act as enforcers to his will. At first this was a roll Frieza had come to relish however as his own thirst for real power grew so did his annoyance with his father's shadow management.

If the Frost Prince's sudden detour to the armpit of the Togatus Sector didn't catch his father's ever watchful attention, then the sudden destruction of not only Frieza's ship but also the listening devices planted on board definitely would. It was now simply a waiting game for the wounded prince.

A vein on the tyrant's forehead twitched at the indignity of needing his father to come get him. He was one of the most powerful beings in the universe who had been reduced to a teenager needing his father to come get him after being stranded because of his own poor decisions.

"Waiting for a ride from Father, oh this will be ever so much fun" Frieza thought dryly.

The seconds ticked by at an agonizing pace but eventually those seconds turned to minutes and those minutes accumulated into hours. A soundless sigh escaped the agitated Frost Demon at his woefully dreary situation. Trying to sleep away the time was out of the question as his dismembered body was constantly sending lances of pain racing through his entire being. He had briefly considered meditation however that was a technique he only vaguely remembered his mother trying and failing to teach him when he was younger. So, without the option to simply black out the coming hours, Frieza decided to take a more proactive approach.

He needed to plan for his destined rematch against the super simian that had left him in such a ruined state. He could not afford to take this second fight as casually as he had the first. Frieza didn't start truly fighting Goku until he had undergone his transformation into a Super Saiyan and by that point it was too late for Frieza. To make matters worse, Frieza already knew that Goku would not be satisfied with this form alone. The Frost Prince understood Saiyan mentality better than most and knew that Goku would strive to grow stronger with each day.

Frieza knew that in order to defeat the Saiyan, he too would have to become stronger. While the prospect of training seemed tedious, it was a small price to pay if it meant reasserting his dominance over the universe and those who would oppose him. His own brother trained extensively to reach the level of power that both he and his father were naturally born with. Frieza was certain that if his mind was put to the task there would be no limit to his power.

However, before any training could be done there was still the matter of repairing the horrendous damage inflicted upon him. His Death Saucer had left such a clean cut that he hoped the process would go smoothly, but that did not detract from the fact that he had been cut in half. Once he got home, he was positive his chief science officer and his team would begin working on that immediately. He hoped more than anything that they would be able to reattach the severed body parts, the thought of needing a prosthetic was beyond sickening to the Frost Prince. As for his tail that would simply regrow itself given enough time, judging by how much was missing he estimate that it would take roughly one month.

Once he was whole, Frieza could then turn his sights onto training, he knew that in order to surpass the Super Saiyan he would have to begin an intense regimen. Frieza had trained only sparingly in the past, small matches with his brother to teach him the basics on how to fight but nothing further than that. This had been a major factor in his defeat to Goku, it was clear that Goku had trained his entire life and was a master of using his technique to set up his attacks. At first that didn't matter as Frieza's speed and power advantage trumped Goku's skill, but once the playing field was leveled by the monkey's transformation, things quickly turned south for the despot. If Frieza could focus on actually fighting and improving his own overall technique then that would tip the fight ever closer in his favour and ultimately lead to himself emerging victorious in a second outing against the Saiyan.

Next was the matter of sensing energy, not being able to quickly turned into a catastrophic detriment once their scouters were destroyed. To make matters worse, even when they did have them, the blasted things exploded when they tried to read an energy level that surpassed their limits. Such a limitation was unacceptable at this point; therefore, the scouters were essentially worthless and a new solution needed to be found. If his science team could not improve the scouters then that left sensing energy.

The Earthlings were capable of doing it and had tried to exploit that advantage during their confrontation to varying degrees of success. The core conundrum was figuring out how to do so himself. Vegeta had seemed to learn on his own so surely if a simple monkey like him could figure it out then it couldn't be that hard. After some more deliberation on the matter, Frieza decided to file that away for later.

Then there was the matter of transportation, with his saucer now destroyed Frieza would need a new ship along with a new crew to pilot it. He already knew that Nadan and his team would be up to whatever task presented before them so acquiring a new ship was only a minor issue.

It was something of a petty request but with his own life taking such a drastic turn, Frieza felt it was time for change. Growing steadily more and more tired of the gaudy design of the saucer models, the Frost Prince would have to look into something new, something sleek and powerful. A ship that would strike fear in the hearts of his enemies before they even entered the system. The thought of acquiring a brand-new ship brought a smile to the Frost Demon, envisioning the look on his brother's face as he unveiled its hypothetical majesty.

The hours continued to crawl by and Frieza began to wonder if anyone was actually coming for him, true they were in the middle of nowhere but he was positive that it should not have taken this long to find him. However just as the boredom threatened to drive the wounded prince absolutely mad, a ship finally appeared amongst the debris field. A massive saucer similar to his now destroyed flagship. It hovered in place for a moment before deploying powerful searchlights and soldiers dawning the Cold Empire's signature armour. The massive saucer slowly began to scour through the detritus, it took nearly ten minutes for the ship's powerful searchlights to locate the fallen prince and direct the soldiers in environmental suits to his position.

As the soldiers closed in on his position, Frieza was nearly blinded by their headlamps and had to scrunch his eyes shut from the blinding light. That, coupled with one unfortunate soul grabbing him forcefully by the shoulder was all it took for Frieza to vent some of his pent-up frustration. Batting aside the reptilian soldier's arm Frieza fired a single piercing eye beam from his right pupil. The beam found its intended mark, piercing a hole clean through the scaled soldier's oxygen tank. The irritated Frost Prince watched with grim satisfaction as the panicked soldier tried desperately to plug the holes in his tank and upon realising the futility of such an act, began a frantic race back to King Cold's ship. He only made it halfway before going completely limp and drifting off into the void.

The other soldiers around the Frost Prince immediately turned off their headlamps and bowed to the injured tyrant directing him towards their Lord's ship. With a soundless sigh, Frieza flew towards the ship, towing his severed limbs with his telekinetic hold. The assortment of beings that made up King Cold's search party trailed after Frieza making sure to give the prince as wide a berth as possible given their situation.

Frieza entered the ship's airlock without issue, already feeling the vessel's artificial gravity pulling him towards the floor. Turning around Frieza briefly considered unleashing a small pressure wave to hurl his father's soldiers into the void but decided against it, they had done their job well despite the rough handling by one of their comrades. Before the weary Frost Prince could turn around however the airlock before him slammed shut cutting off the soldiers left outside from the ship.

"Father must be in a spectacular mood" Frieza sighed, finally being able to use his voice for the first time in what felt like days. The oxygen being pumped into the airlock was much appreciated and felt like it gave his weathered lungs new life.

Hearing the dull thuds of the soldiers banging on the other side of the airlock, Frieza considered activating the emergency release to let them inside. This thought didn't last long as doing so would only delay his arrival back home. The slow drip of Frieza's blood onto the cold floor of the airlock was all the Frost Demon needed to serve as a reminder that he was currently half the man he had been hours before.

A small part of him did feel pity for those left outside however they had signed up to serve directly under King Cold so each one of them knew the inherent dangers that come with such a position. While Frieza was not one to shy away from executing a soldier who did not meet his admittedly high standards. He usually did so with a valid reason whereas his father simply discarded potential assets at the drop of a hat. The Frost Monarch may have claimed that his son was a sadistic monster, to which he wasn't necessarily wrong, however Frieza knew exactly where those qualities had stemmed from.

The low hiss of the airlock opening alerted Frieza that it was time for his dreaded reunion with his father. Frieza had to admit that he was genuinely surprised to see his father actually standing in front of the door to the airlock to greet him. Being well over twice his son's height, King Cold towered over all those around him. This just help accentuate the difference between father and son. While Frieza personally preferred the slimmer and less imposing physique of his fully sealed and unsealed forms his father preferred to flaunt his stature and power above all those around him by staying in his bruiser form.

King Cold looked down on the wreck that was his offspring with only the faintest of sneers crossing his face as he did so. This was in stark contrast to the horrified stares of the soldiers around them which Frieza couldn't truly fault them for. It was the only logical way of reacting to the blood soaked, dismembered, horror that the Frost Prince currently represented.

"Welcome back son, I'm so pleased to see that you're still alive" Frieza had known his father long enough to recognize that tone. The disappointing drawl that the king spoke with was one he saved especially for his sons and had always left both brothers in a foul mood. To Frieza, his youngest and most powerful heir, there was nothing more degrading than being talked down to as if he were still a child. Gritting his teeth at the jab to his pride, Frieza managed to respond in a surprisingly calm manner considering his boiling fury.

"Yes, father I'm alive, please set a course for Fuar immediately."

A few of the soldiers around the pair took a tentative step back. They had all heard about the legendary temper of the Frost Prince and the murderous undertone of his voice set every one of them on edge. If he was anything like his father they knew to maintain as much distance as their duty would allow.

"Now now Frieza, you know full well that this is my ship and therefore I determine where its destination lies" King Cold responded with the smallest glint of a smile crossing his mouth. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the nervous looks on his subordinates' faces. The tension aboard the ship was so thick that many of the soldiers were nearly suffocating under the pressure of two of the universe's most powerful beings staring each other down.

"Well father be that as it may, we both know that you have business to resolve back home. I would suggest we quit beating around the bush and be productive with our time" Frieza responded icily, his worn-out state ironically contributing to his boldness. As much as Frieza would loathe to admit, his father was more powerful than himself. He, like Frieza, was born with an unnatural power unlike anything the universe had ever seen. King Cold had used this power to not only expand the Frost Empire like never before but also keep his sons in line.

"Yes, I suppose you're correct my son, I do have to check on the siege of Pavides. After you decided this excursion was more important than your duties to the Empire, I was forced to assign your brother to the task" King Cold explained with a calm demeanor that Frieza saw straight through. His father was furious and doing his best to maintain his composure in front of so many witnesses.

"Cooler is more than capable of handling any task set before him" Frieza responded noticing the subtle flare of his father's nostrils.

"Well Frieza, be that as it may, the operation was less than successful" King Cold responded, throwing Frieza's previous tone and words back at the prince. Taking a step forward the King looked down upon his injured son with an irritated glare. "Because of your brother's and your own failings, I must now step in to pick up the slack" The King continued forgoing the coy attitude he had been using before.

Every soldier around the pair took a fearful step back as Frieza let the telekinetic hold on his severed limbs go. The hunks of flesh smacked against the floor spraying bits of blood and muscle across the once polished surface. Slowly Frieza rose into the air so that he was face to face with his father. He had just gone through absolute hell these past few days and he was not about to tolerate his father's repugnant attitude.

"I do not care if you've been inconvenienced by this turn of events. If you haven't noticed half of me is currently lying in a heap on your floor!" Frieza growled, his voice rising steadily. Glaring at his father Frieza nearly flinched as flashes of the nightmare that was Namek, flashed through his mind. "You will bring me home and you will do so now otherwise I will destroy this entire ship and leave us both stranded!" Frieza concluded pointing his remaining hand towards the floor and prepping a crackling sphere of energy.

Frieza half expected the soldiers around them to panic and run for environmental suits however it seemed that they were all so shocked by this turn of events that they were frozen in place. King Cold on the other hand simply regarded his son with a menacing scowl. After a full minute of horrible, gut churning silence King Cold turned to the soldier on his left.

"Inform the captain to set a course for Fuar."

Wasting no time, the terrified private leapt into action sprinting for the bridge of the saucer to deliver the monarch's command. Turning back to face his son, King Cold cocked an eyebrow before folding his arms across his chest. "Well are you happy now?" The Frost Monarch remarked, giving a brief nod to his son's still outstretched hand and the sphere of pure energy it held.

"I will be once I am whole once more" Frieza replied, letting the energy in his hand dissipate.

"Ah yes, now that reminds me" the Frost Monarch responded once more adopting that coy tone of voice that Frieza detested so much. The Frost Prince didn't believe for one second that his father had almost forgotten anything. "What happened to you to leave you in such a pathetic state?" The sickly-sweet tone his father used was making Frieza want to gag, it didn't take long to recall why he hated talking with him so much, the man could be insufferable.

"I will handle this matter myself, father" Frieza replied curtly, this was a personal matter, one that Frieza wanted to deal with on his own. Frieza could hear the thrum of the engines indicating that they were indeed moving which meant all that was left was to wait a few more hours and then he would be home. Swallowing his pride, Frieza gave his father a brief nod of thanks before he began to drift off in the direction of the guest quarters. However, his path was suddenly waylaid by a large hand gripping his shoulder, exerting enough pressure to keep him in place.

"Please son let's talk, I insist." His voice made it perfectly clear there was no way around it.

Once more Frieza considered blowing up the ship which became more and more enticing by the second. After all, if they were both in the vacuum of space he wouldn't have to listen to his father's voice. However, such drastic actions would no doubt lead to his own death and so, very reluctantly, the Frost Prince conceded and floated along further into the ship with his father at his side. All the while his limbs dragged behind him once again, pulled along by his telekinetic hold and leaving a trail of dark purple blood in its wake. This was going to be a long trip.

"Once this is over and I'm back to full power I'm coming for you monkey, just you wait."

Author's Notes: Hello everyone! I know it's been a long time coming but I have returned to the realm of the living! These past few years have been a really hectic and busy time for me and it's been extremely hard for me to find the motivation and time to write. This has changed my life's back in a great place and I felt that spark once more.

As I had stated before my hiatus, I will be completely rewriting the entirety of Frieza: A Simple Act of Mercy from start to finish making it into a story I can honestly say I'm proud of. I have taken down the previous chapters so that there isn't any confusion as I'll be releasing these updates chapter by chapter starting with this one. It's a bit of a controversial decision I know but I felt like it's the best thing to do and will hopefully get more people interested in the story.

With the release of Dragon Ball Super and the Broly Movie, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Xenoverse 2, the upcoming Kakarot Game and my recent love for Dokkan Battle there has just been so much Dragon Ball hype and content that its been a lot to take in. It's all helped give me a better idea of how the story will progress and the avenues I can take it.

I sincerely hope that you all enjoy this story as I have put a lot of love into it and I can't thank all my fans for their patience. Seriously the fact that there were people still requesting updates is beyond crazy to me after I left you all high and dry for so long.

A special thank you to my loving girlfriend Becka who, despite knowing very little about Dragon Ball has been the most supportive person in my life. She went with me to the Broly Movie and loved just watching my reactions to it and was even kind enough to proofread the final draft of this and future chapters to ensure their quality. If you read this hun, you are the light of my life!

Once more to my fans thank you thank you thank you for being so patient. Dragon Ball may have one of the most divisive fanbases around at times but everyone has been so supportive.

I love you all and I'll see you in the next chapter!