"So, Zarbon told you to come back here while he took care of Vegeta. How convenient." Frieza said.

"Yes, sir," Nashi said, starting to get up.

"And where do you think you're going, Nashi?" asked Frieza. She looked around, confused.

"To assist Zarbon," she replied.

"Oh, no you don't - you're staying right here," Frieza said.

"You think Zarbon can take on Vegeta alone?"

"Of course not."

"Wha..?" she gasped. "But, then Vegeta will have the dragonballs and... and ruin everything..."

"I can take care of Vegeta anytime I want to."

"Then why don't you?!" Nashi gasped as she suddenly realized her error. She closed her eyes. "Oh, gods..." she whispered.

"What was that?!" fumed Frieza.

"Uh, then... why don't you just let us get rid of Vegeta now, once and for all?" she tried, eyes still shut. Frieza walked over and took her chin in his hand. She winced, opened her eyes, and, trembling, looked at Frieza.

"You had best watch your mouth - it's not wise to anger me any further..." Frieza then removed his hand and struck her across the face, and, spinning around, hit her with his tail, sending her flying into the dome window. She slid down the window and slowly got up. Frieza powered up and began shooting numerous blasts of energy at her.

"Get out of my sight!" raged Frieza. Nashi flew, for her life, out the still-damaged window wiping the blood from her mouth.

Just ahead of her she saw Vegeta battling Zarbon, who had transformed. She watched as Vegeta rose up, followed by Zarbon, and threw dust into his eyes, blinding him. Zarbon! Vegeta was about to strike Zarbon when Nashi came from above, kicking him in the face, and slammed him into the ground with a double-fisted punch.

"That's a dirty trick to play, Vegeta! You need to learn how to play nice!" Nashi growled. She shot numerous blasts at Vegeta, trying to buy some time. Vegeta shot up and engaged in hand-to-hand battle with her. Vegeta planted a solid kick to her stomach, knocking her down to the ground. Zarbon came in and he and Vegeta went at it again. Nashi struggled to remain conscious and tried to get up. Tears of rage ran down her face. She then noticed two other beings watching the battle: a trembling, blue-haired girl and a short, bald man - the latter holding a dragonball. She looked over her shoulder at the fighting when Vegeta landed a fierce punch to Zarbon's stomach - his fist breaking his armor and entering his flesh.

"Zarbon!" Nashi cried.

"Huh, I told you you were no match for my saiya-jin powers!" Vegeta said, fist still embedded in Zarbon's waist.

"Vegeta! Stop!" Nashi rose in the air. "Let him live. We'll help you. You should know you'll need all the help you can get against Frieza."

Vegeta laughed. "Hah! I don't think so." He started to power up.

"Vegeta! Please!" Nashi landed atop a butte. "I know Zarbon is too proud to ever beg, so I do it for both of us." Nashi dropped to her knees and clasped her hands in front of her. "Vegeta - please, I beg you to let him go. We'll help you - I give you my word."

Vegeta looked at her and laughed. "Yeah, and how good is that?"

"Better than yours."

Vegeta smiled. "Hmm... get me that dragonball - then I'll let him go."

"Let him go now..."

"Heh, very well." Vegeta threw Zarbon to the ground. He landed at the foot of the butte and promptly leaned over, groaned, and coughed up an amount of blood. Nashi rose, worried about Zarbon's condition.

"Don't you worry about your boyfriend there, he'll be fine - if you get the dragonball." Vegeta smiled.

Nashi pulled herself away and landed in front of the earthling girl. She grabbed her throat.

"Struggle," Nashi quietly commanded.

"Nani?" the girl said.

"I don't want to hurt you," she said as she lifted the earthling up by her neck, but not choking her. The girl complied and pretended to struggle.

"Wait!" the man exclaimed. "Here, take it - just... don't hurt her."

Nashi looked over her shoulder and lowered the girl to the ground.

"Osore'irimasu," Nashi whispered into the girl's ear. Nashi took the dragonball from the man and walked over to Vegeta. She stopped in front of him. Nashi tensed. Will Frieza still kill me if I bring this back?

"Don't even think about it, Nashi," Vegeta said. Without turning he raised his hand and took aim at Zarbon who was barely conscience. Nashi glared at him and shoved the dragonball into his arms and continued to walk by him.

"Heh, remember - play nice, Nashi," Vegeta smirked. Nashi stopped, raised her right hand, and backhanded Vegeta across the face. She continued to head toward Zarbon.

"Ow. I guess I deserved that." Vegeta said.

Nashi kneeled by Zarbon who had transformed back and was lying on his side. He looked at her.

"So, now we're going to help him? Frieza will kill us."

"Frieza will kill me anyway. You'd be dead now too. I guess we're kinda buying some time." Nashi sighed. "I'm sick of always being under someone's command: now we're under Vegeta's!" She clenched her hands closed her eyes. "It's just not right!" She felt a hand touch her cheek and she opened her eyes. Zarbon smiled at her.

"Don't you worry - we'll get outta this." He wiped away a remaining tear.

"You two better keep up if you value your lives," Vegeta said as he took flight.

"But, Vegeta! Wait! He's injured! Oh..." she helped Zarbon stand and helped him to fly after Vegeta. Why is this allowed to happen? It has to end...

"Come out, come out wherever you are," Vegeta called. He had stopped and was looking down on the surface for something. Nashi, still helping Zarbon, stopped behind him, finally catching up.

"What's wrong, Vegeta?"

"My senses tell me something is here," he answered, still looking. "Whoever you are, come on out: there's no escape from me," Vegeta ordered. Nashi led Zarbon down to the ground, where they landed and sat. They looked up at Vegeta who, losing his patients, had begun to power up. They then heard someone holler 'stop' and looked over. A young boy climbed up from beside a butte.

"Stop! I surrender!" the boy said.

"Oh!" Vegeta smiled, "The son of Kakkarotto."

Nashi looked at Zarbon. "Kakkarotto?" she asked. Zarbon shrugged. Vegeta talked to the boy, intimidating him. He landed in front of the boy, talked some more, then put his hand on the boy's head.

"You and I are a lot alike, kid: we're the last of the saiya-jin. That means we've got to look out for one another, understand? You see kid, it's almost as if we were brothers," Vegeta forcefully kneed the boy in the stomach. The boy fell to the ground, shaking in pain.

"That's what you get for holding out on me - little brother." Vegeta laughed. "Come on!" he said to Nashi and Zarbon as he took off. They too took off. Nashi stole a last glance at the little boy who had stood up to Vegeta.

The three soon landed at the demolished village that Nashi and the late Oren had been ordered to search. Vegeta landed at the water's edge. Nashi and Zarbon rested at the side of a namek dwelling. Vegeta laughed.

"There it is - the seventh and last dragonball. Hah! And it's all mine!" Vegeta dove into the water. The dragonball was here? Nashi thought. She glanced at Zarbon who appeared to be sleeping. Nashi looked at his wound which was still seeping blue blood.

"We're going to have to patch that up," she said to herself. Zarbon opened his eyes, startling her. "So, you are awake. Here, we need to get that armor off so we can fix that," she told him. He nodded and with her help took off the shattered remains of the armor which covered his upper body. Nashi examined the wound. We need something to patch that up with. Ah! His cape! She ripped off the tattered remains of Zarbon's cape and fashioned a makeshift bandage out of it.

"That will have to do for now," Nashi said. She then quickly turned to the lake whose surface had begun to stir. Vegeta burst through the surface of the water, furious.

"Rrraahhh! I'll get you! You won't escape my wrath!" Vegeta screamed. He looked down at his two new followers. "Go to the butte across the water from Frieza's ship - the other dragonballs are there. Wait there till I return!" he ordered. With that, he shot across the sky.

"I think Vegeta's dragonball is missing," Zarbon smirked. "Rather amusing, actually." Nashi just looked at him.

"What?" he asked.

"You need to rest..." Nashi said.

"What? I think it's funny..."

Nashi looked up. Vegeta laid the sixth dragonball down with the other five. He sat down on the ball and looked over at the cliff face where Nashi was sitting, leaning against the wall. Zarbon was sleeping, his head on Nashi's lap. Her one hand was resting on his shoulder and back and the other lay on his head. Nashi looked like she needed sleep, but it appeared that she had resisted the urge: whether to guard the dragonballs or to watch over Zarbon. Vegeta leaned over and rested his arms on his knees, thinking. Just then, the ground began to tremble, and a blast was heard in the distance. Vegeta looked up. Again and again blasts struck, some hitting close to their butte.

"It seems Frieza's growing impatient," Vegeta stated, "But that's all right - I can handle him." A streak of red screamed across the sky above them, exploding a little ways off. "The only problem is, is that without a scouter it will be hard to find the kid. And if I leave here it's a good bet that Frieza's boys will spot me. I can't let him get the dragonballs. Gggrrrr, I have to sit tight." he growled.

"Still don't trust us, huh?" Nashi asked.

"I don't trust anybody but myself," Vegeta glared.

"Hmm..." Nashi nodded and looked down and brushed a strand of hair away from Zarbon's face. He stirred slightly. Vegeta looked questionably at her.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked. Nashi looked up.

"Nani?"

"I want to know what you're thinking. Tell me," the saiya-jin demanded.

Nashi sighed. "I guess I was thinking of how much I'm sick of this. I'm sick of this life. I want to go away and live a normal life... I want to live a normal life with Zarbon." She closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall. "I want to be given a second chance..."

"Well, you certainly can't be given a second chance," Vegeta stated.

"Nani?" He chuckled to himself. "How can you be given a second chance when you didn't even have one to begin with? Frieza's commands were all you ever knew your whole life. You weren't even given a chance - or a choice. If it's any consolation - Frieza's going down. And he's not going to be getting up."

Nashi looked down. "Hmm, yeah..." Vegeta closed his eyes and continued to think. Suddenly he stood up.

"Ah, I found you at last," he smirked . "And now that my senses are working again, it's only a matter of time - before the last dragonball is all mine." Vegeta laughed. "And then the entire universe will have no choice but to bow before my feet, and serve their new master." Vegeta turned and picked up one of the balls. He looked at Nashi and Zarbon. Zarbon can't go anywhere and she certainly won't go anywhere without him. Heh, they're weak, but that makes it all the better for me! He looked at the dragonball in his hands. "But first to the matter at hand: it's time to get the seventh and final dragonball, and then I can make my wish come true." He tucked the ball under his arm and was about to take off when Nashi called out.

"Vegeta!" He stopped and turned around. Nashi continued. "Frieza called out the Ginyu Squad."

"What?! The Ginyu?!" Vegeta thought for a moment, growled, and took off. Nashi looked at Zarbon and spoke softly to herself:

"Well, this is a fine mess I've gotten us into, isn't it?" She brushed his hair with her hand. Zarbon shifted and opened his eyes. He stretched and pulled himself up against the wall. He put his arm around her and took the side of her face in his other hand. He kissed her forehead.

"Don't you dare blame yourself for this, Nashi. It is in no way your fault." He sighed, shrugged his shoulders, and shook his head. "If it's anything, it's fate. What'd I say before? We'll get out of this."

"I hope so..."

"Come on - you need to sleep." Zarbon pulled her closer. She rested her head on his bare shoulder and placed her arm across his still-bandaged waist. He held her tight as she closed her eyes and relaxed - and promptly fell to sleep.