The sun shone brightly over the horizon, signifying a new day breaking over in the Kingdom of Central Tytania. For centuries the kingdom had flourished under the rule of a noble, gallant warrior race. If it wasn't for the marriage of King Adam and Queen Minerva three thousand years ago, none of this was possible.

Central Tytania was a city of abundance - everything was rich and in excess; even the poor lived a relatively comfortable life. Its main source, titanium, is located miles beneath the city itself, and even until today its sources had never run out. Truly, it was because of it that Tytania has flourished even until today.

Today was a significant day. Today marked the beginning of a new millennium, a new era of prosperity and power - Tytania's 3rd millennial anniversary.

A few miles away from Central Tytania is an enchanted forest, of which a hill and a mountain is located. This forest is known as the Garden of Arjuna noted for the rare and magical species that make it their home there.

Our focus now is on the hill, where a beautiful waterfall flowed from its sheer cliffs to the river below it. Catching the sun's early rays in its drops, the waterfall sparkled gloriously in the morning sun. Such was a magical display portrayed by Mother Gaia, of which was noted by the figure standing on top of it.

This mysterious figure stood on the edge of the cliff where the waterfall flowed, arms outstretched as he faced the sun. His flame-like hair billowed in the wind as he took in the delightful sight of both man- and nature-made creations were displayed before him. He closed his eyes as he felt the morning breeze on his skin. A smile broke on his face as he embraced nature's delights to him. Never had he felt so alive...

"GET YOUR ASS DOWN FROM THERE!"a voice bellowed from below, causing the man to open his eyes suddenly. He brought his arms down and turned around. Who was calling him?

"EARTH TO VEGETA! CAN YOU HEAR ME?" the voice shouted again, loud and clear.

Vegeta took one quick peek down. At a quick glance, he saw a figure of another man, weapon at the ready, on the side of the river bank. He didn't have to guess who it was - from the power level he sensed and his voice, he knew who that figure was.

"Be right down in a minute!" he called out.

"WHAT?"

Vegeta sighed. "I SAID I'LL BE RIGHT DOWN IN A MINUTE!"

"HOW THE HELL ARE YOU GOING TO GET DOWN, YOU DUMBASS?"

Hearing this, Vegeta rolled his eyes. He peered down at the cliff. It seemed like a looooooooong way down. But then, he really didn't want to go through the hassle of climbing back down. He looked down again.

"WELL?"

Vegeta smirked. He made up his mind. The quickest way to go required only a little Saiyan recklessness. He took several steps back, carefully treading the stones lest he slipped and fell the hard way instead. After he felt it was far enough, he stopped. Keeping his eyes to the horizon, he immediately dashed forward towards the very edge of the cliff and launched himself up in the air by jumping on the last step.

And he made a freefall.

The figure below was obviously shocked to see what his friend had done. "WAIT - WHAT THE - ? VEGETA WHAT THE HELL?" But of course, it was too late. Vegeta had plunged all the way down and dived headfirst into the pool, much to the horror of his friend who had now jumped in and swam his way towards where Vegeta had dived in.

"Holy crap! Vegeta! Vegeta!" he called out frantically. He really didn't have time for this - if Vegeta died, what was he going to tell his family? That he committed suicide?

"I'm over here."

The man turned round. Sure enough, Vegeta was behind him, laughing heartily at the sight of his friend acting like a frantic chicken looking for its drowned chick. He was, naturally, unhurt and very much alive.

"I will KILL you!" the man exclaimed in frustration.

"You should have seen the look on your face!" Vegeta teased as he got out of the water. His friend followed suit.

"You're lucky you're a goddamn Saiyan! If you die over there, what the hell am I gonna tell your old man? That you decided to kill yourself because you wanna die happy and this is the perfect day to do it?"

Vegeta was still laughing as he took of his wet clothes. Taking his bag nearby, he took out a towel and dried himself up, then wrapped it around his waist and took off the rest of his clothes. Reaching for the bag again, he took out another set of new, dry clothes to wear and hastily put them on, while his friend did the same too. "Your dad wasn't kidding when he said you panic too easily, Broly."

Broly huffed in disdain. "Shut up - you just remember, I'm not your official escort. I could bloody care less if you die because of your recklessness!"

Vegeta smiled as he squeezed away water from his wet clothes. "This is the only time I get to be reckless, Broly. I'll never be able to to do anything like this in the next few years."

Broly huffed. "Can we go now? I don't wanna stay here any longer."

Vegeta nodded. He slung his bag around his shoulder, and was about to walk before he noticed something. "Where are my gunblades?"

"What?"

"My gunblades."

"Didn't you keep them in your capsule?"

Vegeta gave it a thought. "Oh right. I forgot. Oh well, let's move on."

They both walked out towards the forest, heading for home.

They had reached the edge of the Garden and was out on the road leading towards Central Tytania. It was already mid-morning. They chatted as they walked along the road when Broly's eyes shifted their focus.

"What is it?" Vegeta asked.

"There's the chapel." said Broly, pointing towards the road. Vegeta looked at the direction and saw a charming little building perched on the side of the road. It looked like one of those rustic village houses, only it had a bell tower on top and a symbol of a sword shaped like a crucifix. He remembered that the chapel also doubles as an inn - it was a place travelers would stop by to rest for a while before they headed off to the city.

"You wanna stop by? Maybe we can grab something to eat." Broly suggested.

Vegeta shrugged. "Sure." he said. They then headed towards the chapel.

Once there, they opened the door. The chapel was serene and almost empty, save for a few people lingering about. The priest was stationed at the altar, reading a holy book. Behind him was a large stained glass window depicting the creations of God. All around the chapel were statues of angels and saints.

The priest looked up and saw them walking towards the altar. "Welcome, dear children of God. How may the church be of assistance this morning?"

Vegeta smiled and bowed. "We just returned from our travels and had nowhere to stop. We'd like to have something to eat before we go on our journey."

The old priest gave a knowing smile and nodded. "Come with me, good sirs, and the cook will give you what you need. You must be tired from traveling all night."

"We sure did." Broly muttered to himself.

They were lead to the guest dining room, where the cook was busy setting the table. She was a jolly old woman, and she seemed really busy. "Ah, hello, boys!" she greeted them. "Fancy having something to eat?"

Broly broke into a smile. "Oh, we sure are!"

The priest laughed. "I believe you do. Please help yourselves. I must return to my prayers." He then left the room while they sat down to a hearty breakfast.

The cook, knowing at an instant that they were Saiyans from the way they ate, did not hesitate to add more as the dishes were emptied, and they had 4 servings before they were finished. "Thank you!" said Vegeta heartily. "That was really delicious!"

The woman laughed. "Oh, it's nothing! I'm glad you boys at least have something to eat before head off. Don't forget to say your graces to God before you go!" she said as they rose up to leave.

They entered the chapel again, and saw the priest. Kneeling down towards the altar, both Broly and Vegeta stayed silent as they prayed.

Broly was the first one up. He slung his bag and lingered while Vegeta was still praying. When Vegeta was finally done, they said their goodbyes to the priest and walked out of the chapel and continued on their way.

Broly whistled. "It's already noon!"

"Yeah." said Vegeta. "By right, we should reach there at 3 or something."

"Unless we encounter a couple of monsters."

"Broly, I'm getting so tired of fighting them. Let's just skedaddle if we ever encounter them, okay? I just want to get back as soon as possible."

Broly shrugged. "Whatever you say, Boss."

But before they can even take a few steps forward, suddenly out of nowhere, a stone whizzed past them, taking them by surprise. At the chance, five bandit bodkins jumped out of their hiding place and circled them, ready to attack.

"You were saying?" said Broly in a mocking tone as he gripped the hilt of his sword. He brandished it in front of them, causing the bodkin bandits to stop. In Broly's hands was a big sword, large enough to take on all five of them. With ease, Broly swung the flat side of his blade at them, creating a powerful gust of wind that knocked the three bodkin bandits facing him off their feet.

Vegeta could only assume a fighting stance as he had no time to take his gunblades out of his capsule. One bodkin bandit jumped high into the air and launched a flying kick at Vegeta, who blocked it with ease. When he saw his chance, Vegeta launched a powerful punch towards the little bandit's gut, knocking it out cold instantly. However, he wasn't aware of the other bodkin bandit, who had gone behind him and launched a successful kick on him, causing Vegeta to fall on the ground. He immediately got up, and before the bandit could go in for the attack, he immediately kicked it away as his hand reached for the capsule in his pocket. Clicking on it immediately, a cloud of smoke exploded out of it - and as it cleared, Vegeta held in his hands his two gunblades. Not giving any chances, he raised one of his gunblades and fired a shot at the hapless bodkin bandit, hitting it on the chest. The little critter died on the spot.

Broly, on the other hand, had his critters to take care of. Before they could get up, Broly smirked, and slammed his hand onto the ground. Immediately sparks of electricity formulated from his hand, and before they knew it, the earth rumbled beneath them, and a large mound of rock suddenly shot up beneath them, throwing them far, far away.

The bodkin bandits being defeated, Broly dusted himself off. "That wasn't so tough." he said. He turned to Vegeta, and was surprised to see him blasting a hole on the ground. Vegeta picked up the dead bodkin bandit and buried it. Placing a stone on the makeshift grave, he patted the ground as a last respect, and got up to face Broly. "So that his friends know he died a brave bodkin." he remarked as he noted Broly's astonished face, and walked past him. Broly took one last look at the grave, smiled as he shook his head, and followed Vegeta as they made their return towards Central Tytania.

They had finally reached the gates of Central Tytania, a few minutes later than they estimated. Vegeta sighed with satisfaction. "Finally." he said. He looked at Broly. "Well, shall we?"

Broly shrugged. "We're home now - why not?" They walked through the archway into the city.

The city was bustling with activity. Crowds of people were passing by carrying out their daily activities. Children ran about playing tag, laughing cheerfully and squealing happily as they played with their friends. Hawkers and sellers called out to prospective buyers to visit their stores and browse the wares they had to offer while women, young and elderly alike, gathered together huddled in a group sharing the latest gossip. A few guards were stationed around the city square, keeping a vigilant eye on the people. Vegeta made sure he hung his head low so that the people won't notice of his presence.

"Broly, I better go now - I don't want them knowing I'm here." he said.

"Huh? Okay, well, see ya round." said Broly with a shrug. They both gave a 'brofist' before parting their ways - Broly headed off to Marauders' Manor where he lived with his father, and Vegeta headed off towards the palace.

Vegeta had been a covert expert in what he liked to call 'hiding in plain sight' - nobody had noticed him as he walked past them towards the palace. Now he was going to utilize his talent in sneaking into the palace - something he had already been good at ever since he was young.

Stealthily, he chose a spot where people are less likely to notice. A window was perched above him, and luckily for him, it was open - perfect. Stealthily, he climbed up the ivy covering the walls and made his way up as fast as he could, scaling the walls with practiced agility and ease. Once he reached the window, he climbed in and smiled. He knew choosing the place as his room was a great idea. Nobody would notice him leaving or coming in. Quickly he placed his bag down and hastily made for the wardrobe, planning to change into his bedclothes and pretend he had just woken up. But before his hand even touched the handle of the wardrobe, another hand stopped him from doing so. In shock, Vegeta looked up. His eyes widened when he realized who it was.

"Where have you been all morning, 'Your Highness'?" King Vegeta asked in a very irritated tone.

"F-Father." said Vegeta, completely flustered. How did his father know he was away? He even made sure his power level remained low so that nobody could sense him! He stayed silent as he looked away.

"You haven't answered my question yet." King Vegeta remarked arching an eyebrow at his son. "Have you any idea how worried we all are?"

Vegeta sighed. "I just went to see the sunrise at the waterfall."

King Vegeta let go of his son's hand and sighed. "How many times have I told you not to go anywhere without any guard escorting you? What if you get intercepted by the enemy?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Father, I'm a Saiyan, I'm 18, I'm an Elite Alchemist who knows a lot about Fire magic - why are you so worried about me?" he pressed on. He really didn't understand his father. By right, he should be the one who understood him and his bloodline the most. But he acted as though he was only a weak and feeble human - coming to think of it, everyone seemed to think so, even Broly. He opened his wardrobe and changed his top with a T-shirt. "You should be worrying about Ffenrir more than me."

King Vegeta chuckled and placed his hand on his son's shoulders. "How do you expect me to not worry when you are the next in line to the Tytanian throne? If anything happens to you, we will be in trouble!"

Vegeta shook his head. "You have Tarble and Ffenrir. Just choose between the two if I'm gone before I step on the throne! I just want to enjoy my teenage life like everyone else - like Broly, even. He gets to go everywhere while I can't even go to the grocers without having 15 guards following behind me!" he lamented.

"We've been through this, Vegeta." said King Vegeta in exasperation.

"And I'm going to keep going at it until you agree to at least give me some room!"

"You know that's not possible, and I will not allow it! You will remain in escort until you are 25, and now that you've defied that AGAIN I will tighten that rule on to you!"

Vegeta couldn't take it anymore. "Why can't you see that I'm not even a BLOODY KING yet? In case you forgot, Your Majesty, your prince here is still a young man who wants to explore the world before he doesn't have a chance to do so! You never let me grow up like all the children did, and now when I'm going to step into adulthood, you restrict me even more! For what? So I can grow up to be some worthless antisocial bastard who doesn't even know how to relate to his dog?" he exclaimed. With a frustrated grunt, Vegeta stormed out of the room.

King Vegeta placed a hand on his face, sighing deeply. "Maryssa, please guide me." he said to himself. "I don't know what to do with our son anymore."

Nightfall came, and the moon had long illuminated the city where its inhabitants have long visited the land of dreams. Vegeta, however, was the only person who hadn't slept yet. He spent the whole night gazing at the stars and the bright moon, as if searching for an answer to his ordeals. To enjoy the last years of his adolescence while fulfilling his obligations as a prince wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. It'll be only a few more years before he can kiss goodbye to his freedom.

He sighed. His life was never normal. Ever since he was a child, he had been groomed and trained to be a king. That was fine – it was the very thing he aspired to be anyway. But he didn't want to just BE a king – he wanted to be a king to the people.

His people.

This is exactly why he wanted to go out into the world, explore it and understand it as much as he could, so that one day, when he will be crowned King of Tytania, he would not be just a King to Tytania, but a King to the world.

He folded his arms on the window sill and rested his head on them. The moon was still shining, but from the horizon, he could see dawn breaking. He had been up for so long he didn't realize it was already morning. He waited a bit longer until he could see the rays of the sun peeking through the sky, then he got up and left his room. It was a good time for some morning workout.

He went all the way down towards the courtyard, greeting a few servants who were surprised to see their prince up so early. He stopped as he breathed in the fresh morning air, inhaling slowly as he cleared his mind. Then, he exhaled slowly, feeling calm and composed. His eyes closed in deep meditation, focusing on nothing more than clearing his mind.

As he opened his eyes, he assumed a fighting stance, like a skilled martial artist. Then, he threw one punch in the air, beginning a flurry of punches and kicks, moving swiftly, leaving little space between each move. He may be using weapons now, but he always found the old Saiyan way of fighting very convenient.

He continued to perform a few more swift kicks aimed at nothing in particular. He jumped high in the air and threw a spin-kick, then delivered a flurry of more punches to some invisible enemy. At last, he stopped, catching his breath. He wanted to practice a few Ki blasts, but decided against it. He remembered, with scorn and disappointment, what happened the other day. Due to blasting too many Ki blasts and throwing a powerful finishing blast in the gravity chamber that day, he collapsed of exhaustion. The doctor then informed his father that, unfortunately, there had been a genetic disorder that lay dormant in his body – and had been triggered by the excessive usage of Ki. In other words, too much Ki could kill him.

He wiped off sweat from his bow and walked back into the palace when he saw his father at the door.

"Up early?" King Vegeta asked with a smile.

Vegeta smiled in return as he walked up towards his father. "Yes. I just…couldn't sleep." He sighed. "I had too many things on my mind."

King Vegeta patted his son's back as they both entered the palace. "Listen, son..I was thinking of yesterday."

"What about it? If you thought you had been too harsh on me, I've forgiven you."

"That's good to hear, but I was thinking more in the lines of something else."

Vegeta turned to his father. "What is it?"

King Vegeta smiled. "I know you, my son. You don't just want to be a typical King. You want to be able to know and understand your people greatly – and I think that's a clever move. But you must remember even though in peaceful times, enemies still lurk around, waiting for the chance to destroy us."

"And your point would be?"

"The Great Trials begin in three weeks. At that time, you'll be able to hone your skills and gear your body for the Trials later. If you make it to the finals, you have a chance to serve next to me and my men. That means you'll have greater opportunity to travel and learn more of this world's people – without having to sneak out." King Vegeta then stayed silent, waiting for his son's response.

Vegeta was stunned, digesting the information. Was his father for real? Would he finally have a chance at freedom to learn what the world had to offer? He broke into a smile and threw his arms round his father.

"Thank you so much, father. That's the best thing you've ever done for me."

King Vegeta returned the hug and placed his hands on his son's shoulders as he let go of the hug. "Don't thank me yet - thank me when all your efforts have paid off. And I have something else to tell you."

"There's more?"

"If you would follow me, then yes." King Vegeta walked past Vegeta as he led Vegeta to the northern wing of the castle. Curious, the prince followed his father.

The northern wing was off-limits to everyone except for the King. Nobody was allowed to come here unless with special permission from the King and approved by fifty members of the Council. Even though the wing was dimly lit and had seemed empty for years, it was well-kept. Not even a single dust lay on a statue or a portrait on the wall – a mystery since not even maids can come over to clean the place. The walls were decorated with tapestries and portraits of Tytania's past, and lined with statues of mythical creatures that Vegeta had never seen nor put a name to them. At the top of the walls, plaster carvings of gargoyles peer sinisterly at him.

Upon reaching a door, King Vegeta stopped. Vegeta stood beside of him, getting more curious. What was behind the great doors were beyond him, but from the dim lighting, he could make out what seemed to be a mural.

"Stay here." He ordered, and entered through the doors. Vegeta didn't really know why he listened, but he stayed anyway.

King Vegeta returned and closed the door, a small black rectangle box tucked under his arm. Nodding with a smile, he showed the box to Vegeta.

"This has been in the family for generations. I wanted to give it to you earlier, but I didn't have the time to."

"I understand, father, you were busy in those last three years."

"But now, I'm honored to be given this chance. Here." He placed the box in Vegeta's hand. "Open it."

Removing the lid from the box, Vegeta was stunned to see beautiful craftsmanship – in the box, cushioned with black satin, was a gleaming keychain shaped into a sword. Everything about it was made in great detail, from the small motif on the hilt all the way to the words engraved on the small blade: "Nil Desperandum".

"Never despair." Vegeta whispered to himself.

"His father nodded. "Our family motto. "That keychain was, from what I heard from my father, fashioned from a magic pendant owned by our family from long ago. To make it appealing to the male heirs, it was changed into a keychain."

"You think it could be magic?"

King Vegeta laughed. "I don't think so. If it was, I don't know how to activate it."

Vegeta looked at his father questioningly.

"It's yours now. Keep it and use it well." Said King Vegeta, putting his hand over his son's, the keychain between them.

"Thank you." Said Vegeta.

"Come, it's almost day. It's about time we have breakfast. And later, why don't you take Tarble and Ffenrir out to the Millenial Festival later on? They've been too restless last night."

Vegeta laughed. "Of course I will, father."

"And you'll be coming with me to greet the warriors who will reach here today for the Great Trials, yes?"

"They're coming today?"

"Yes, in great numbers. We shall give them a warm Tytanian welcome when they reach here."

Vegeta nodded. Somehow it was going to be a great day for him.