Prelude To Darkness - "The Journey"
By: Thomas

Author's Note: Prelude To Darkness - "The Journey" takes place during the Frieza saga, just moments after Namek exploded. This introduction is merely my interpretation of what Goku went through during his trip from Namek to Yardratt.

It was quiet. It was so quiet. His muscles ached. He was so tired. An image of the dark lord appeared like a phantom in his dream world. He spoke aloud, unaware that he was seeing his nightmares and not reality.

"I'd rather be a brainless beast than a heartless monster like you." he whispered to the stars. Things kept on coming back. "If having feelings is a weakness, why am I the only saiyan left?" he recalled. "I am the hope of the universe. I am the light in the darkness...ally to good, nightmare to you!" His thoughts were pouring in like candy. "I don't care if you're a million times stronger than me! Mark my words, I'm not going to let them down!" They were so clear. "You must be Frieza, the one responsible for the horrible chain of events that have happened on this planet." He remembered every word. "Now die!" he screamed in his visions.

These images, the sounds associated with them, and even all logical thought stopped. After a brief moment of nothing, Goku started to hear the voice of Frieza.

"The proof is in the pudding, don't you think?" he taunted. "He was just a monkey, just a monkey." Frieza was even more vivid than his own personal flashbacks. "Now learn what happens when you mess with the most powerful being in the universe!" Goku unknowingly clenched his teeth at this moment in his head. His forehead tightened. And then, another image formed. "This time you won't come back!" he screamed. It was what the dark lord said just before destroying Krillin. And then, "Now say goodbye to Namek!" Goku clenched his fists. He was angered even in his sleep. "You dirty saiyan!" Frieza screamed. Goku retorted in his sleep by saying, "It takes one to know one!" The images kept on haunting him. The battle that they waged was incredible. Now that Goku pondered on it in his state of sleep, it truly was a great battle. Besides, Goku had turned into the legendary super saiyan.

The taunting images of battle stopped. They were replaced by those he loved. First, he saw Piccolo. The lone namek stood out in his mind especially. For it was Piccolo who had guarded his son during his death, and it was the same namek who would fight Frieza before him to avenge the loss of his fellow nameks. Piccolo had changed so much. It was only a year ago that Piccolo was ready to kill Goku. Then when Raditz arrived, they were forced to team up. After that, Goku knew that Piccolo had changed. Even when he arrived on the battle field against Frieza, he knew that Piccolo had changed. He felt how powerful he had become, and more so, how evident his stance was. This made Goku smile, for Piccolo was one of them.

The next to enter his mind was Gohan. His son had matured a lot since the beginning of it all. He decided to join Krillin and Bulma in the search for the dragonballs. He even fought the Ginyu Force, and later on, Frieza. Goku was proud of his son for surviving such battles. And when Goku himself arrived to face the horrible menace himself, he glanced at Gohan. He knew that his son was strong. Now it was time for him to finish the job. Goku would avenge Vegeta's death. He would avenge the hardships endured by his son and friends. He would even die for them. Goku would die to protect his son.

After this moment of father-son bonding, Goku's mind turned to his eternal friend Krillin. Frieza would smite him into oblivion, but that could not erase his memory. Goku recalled how happy Krillin was after he had thrown the spirit bomb at Frieza. He recalled how truly right it felt. Goku started to speak again, still asleep nevertheless. "Krillin...I didn't let your sacrifice be in vain."

Goku stopped speaking. He drifted off into a deep sleep, a dark black sleep that could not be looked through. The Ginyu space pod he travelled in shot through space like a bullet launched from a gun. A planet came into view. Goku was heading straight for it. Lights flickered on the space pod's computer instruments, but Goku remained unturned in his sleep. The pod entered the atmosphere. It was the planet they called Yardratt.

Next: Prelude To Darkness - "The Meteor They Saw"