The Princess
Chapter 3: Training
By: senzubean
I do not own Dragon Ball Z in any way. I make no profit from this story. I just wrote it for fun.
"So, when are you going to train her?" Trunks asked as he threw a punch at his father. It had been three days since the incident. Trunks and Vegeta had both concluded that training was necessary for Bra's safety. But Vegeta hadn't made any effort to train his daughter at all. It was partly because he himself was still in shock over the strange technique that his daughter had been naturally bestowed with. No saiyan had ever been capable of such a thing to his knowledge. Vegeta was nervous of this technique because he had never seen it before. He had no idea what kind of damage it could do. Bra's body shut down because she couldn't handle the small amount of power she'd absorbed. If she absorbed too much, then maybe she would shut down for good.
Then there was his wife. Bulma had been treating Bra as if she was made of glass. Pampering her and not letting her do anything besides go to school. Even though Bra was as healthy and energetic as she'd always been. Vegeta just didn't feel like fighting with Bulma over this. But that was just an excuse and Vegeta knew it.
Vegeta growled with displeasure. "I'll train her when I see fit." Vegeta replied as he blocked Trunks' punch in his palm, twisted his arm and threw the young man behind him. Trunks twirled around to face his fathers back, and landed softly un harmed. Vegeta's mind was definitely somewhere else. This had been the easiest sparring session with his father since he was nine.
"You can't wait forever." Trunks replied. "I think you should start right now."
Vegeta threw a ki blast his way as he turned to face him. "Mind your own business!"
Trunks batted it away and un transformed from super saiyan to normal Trunks. He knew that his father was afraid to test the limits of that power his sister possessed. But they both knew that it had to be tested.
"Look, Dad. The longer you wait, the harder it will be for Bra to adjust to the training. You should start now while the experience is still fresh in her mind. I'll stay and help if you want today?"
Vegeta growled. Both Trunks and Bulma were expert naggers. Why couldn't they be blunt like Bra or himself. If they wanted something , why couldn't they say "Do this now!" instead of giving him reasons, reasons and more reasons.
"Fine, if you will stop pestering me!" He opened the doors to the gravity room on the control panel and stepped outside. "But be forewarned, she is not pleasant to train!"
"No way!" Bra practically yelled at her father, who was standing in front of the television she was trying to watch.
Vegeta turned and switched it off.
"You are going to train with your brother and I and that is final." He stated sternly and crossed his arms over his chest.
"No, I am not! I am never fighting again! Ever! And that is final!" She got up and went in to the kitchen. Casually she opened the fridge and began to rummage through it.
Vegeta observed her patiently. Wondering just how he ever allowed himself to be treated like this. Bulma told him time and time again that he was spoiling their daughter, but he never thought he'd done that much damage.
Bra rose from her bent position and closed the door. Vegeta was right there, glaring at her. "What?" she asked holding an armful of snacks. Bra was confused, usually he would just give up when she was assertive with him.
"Get out in the training room." Vegeta ordered. Enough was enough, her manipulation ended right there.
"No." Bra replied casually and turned her back on him.
That did it.
Vegeta grabbed her round the waist and slung her over his shoulder. She dropped her food all over the floor, making a huge mess.
"Look what you've made me do! Put me down!" She demanded, not bothering to struggle physically against her father. It wouldn't do her any good against Vegeta.
"No." Vegeta said, mimicking his daughter's previous refusal.
"MOM! DAD'S TRYING TO MAKE ME TRAIN!" Bra yelled at the top of her lungs knowing her mother would be displeased. She hoped that her mother would come in and annoy him. Most likely he'd leave to escape Bulma's scolding.
"She isn't home." Vegeta informed her as he stepped outside. Bra's jaw dropped. Not knowing what else to do she resorted to what always worked for her.
"But Daddeeeeeee!" She whined. "I don't wanna train!"
"Hmph!" Vegeta chuckled, amused that she could be so conniving. "Too bad."
Bra gasped. She couldn't believe that didn't work. That always worked. Ever since she could remember. If she wanted something, or didn't what something all she had to do was find Vegeta, whine in his presence, and her every whim was catered to.
Trunks laughed as he watched Vegeta and Bra approach. He was barely able to stifle it before they arrived.
Once inside, Vegeta threw Bra on the floor. Not very gently either. She watched in devastation as the door slid shut.
Bra's eyes furrowed in anger. She-did- not- want- to-TRAIN. Desperate times called for desperate measures. She sprang to her feet and stood there with her shoulder's hunched over and her arms straight against her sides.
"Daddy!" She said in the most threatening voice she could muster. "I refuse to train with you! This is my life and I am going to do what I want with it! And I have decided that I an not going to waste my time training when I could be doing more important things!"
"Like watch T.V and stuff your face." Vegeta asked unimpressed and getting very impatient.
"No!"
"Well that's what you were just doing!"
Bra shook her head furiously and threw her arms down in rage. "WHAT-EVER! I'M STILL NOT TRAINING WI.."
Vegeta's backhanded slap to Bra's face silenced her. She was thrown to the floor a few feet away.
"DAD!" Trunks exclaimed , not believing what he'd just witnessed.
Bra turned her tear-streaked face to confront her father. "Y..you hit me." She stated as if she didn't believe it actually happened.
There was no question that Vegeta felt bad about striking her, but he did not regret it. "Yes." Vegeta replied almost gently. "To show you how important I think this training is for your safety."
"What are you talking about?" Bra asked angrily, turning away from him and wiping her face in the sleeve of her sweater. She hated to let her father and brother see her cry. It just reminded her of how much weaker than them she was.
"That power, Bra." Vegeta stated. "It's dangerous.."
"So," Bra replied and pushed herself off the floor, but kept her eyes there. "If it's dangerous to me then why would I want to use it again?" She made eye contact with him wondering what answer he'd have to that.
"It's dangerous because you can't control it. By training with you I hope to provide you with a means of preventing what happened to you again, Bra." Vegeta lowered his eyes, not wanting to admit his fear. "It has the potential to destroy you."
Bra was shocked by that. She looked to Trunks for confirmation. He nodded once slowly in agreement.
"Well, I guess I have no choice." Bra stated defeated and a little dumbfounded.
"No, you don't." Vegeta replied. "It's hard not being able to choose your own path." Vegeta philosophized, almost absentmindedly. He raised his eyes to his daughter's. "When you have mastered your power, you may cease your training if you choose."
Trunks' eyes widened slightly. The statement took him completely by surprise. He never thought his father would allow one of his children to give up what saiyans lived for.
"Thank you." Bra said in appreciation. She understood how hard it was for him to do that.
Vegeta didn't respond and merely set the gravity machine to about 100G. Bra could handle up to 200 or so.
"I think the best way to start off is to just spar." Vegeta stated as he took a position on the floor facing Bra. "Two on one." He looked to Trunks. "Ready boy?"
"Fine by me." Trunks replied and took his position behind her.
Bra growled with dread, noticing that he had not asked her opinion, and took her favorite fighting position.
"Ready?" Trunks asked Bra as both he and Vegeta assumed similar stances.
"Hmph! I suppose!" Bra snapped at him, she was embarrassed enough that he was there to witness her defeat by her father. Undoubtedly he was elated by it. He was so jealous of their relationship.
Immediately, Vegeta lunged at her, then Trunks behind. Bra shot up into the air and flung some ki blasts at them, then prepared herself to block their blows.
"Enough blocking!" Vegeta complained for the millionth time that week. He punched Bra hard in the arm to get his point across.
"OW!" Bra yelled and swung at him in rage. Vegeta caught her fist. He could predict her every move.
"You're being sloppy." He chastised.
"So what?" Bra spat back and swung with the other hand. Vegeta caught that one too and held it. "I thought we were trying to 'master my power'." Bra quoted her father bitterly. "Seems to me like you're perfecting my fighting skills."
Vegeta threw her away from him." You have no skills to perfect!" He said accusingly. "All those years of training and you've learned nothing!"
Bra's face fell. She was obviously hurt by Vegeta's cold statement.
Vegeta knew that he would dislike this. He didn't want to hurt his child like that. This technique he was using was reminiscent of his childhood training with his father. His father was a ruthless trainer and his favorite method was making his student feel like garbage. Vegeta always felt that he wasn't good enough for his father. That nothing he did, training wise or not, was satisfactory let alone pleasing to the king. He hated the man for that. That treatment got him into so much trouble as he grew. Always trying to be better than the best, so he could stop feeling worthless. He'd vowed that he'd never treat his children like that.
Vegeta cursed in his head. He was breaking that vow to himself. He was hurting Bra's pride, but he didn't know what else to do. A week of steady, intense training had gone by and not once had her power manifested. Desperation caused him to do this. In the fight at the arena she wanted desperately to beat her opponent, now she just desperately wanted her training to be over with. Somehow, Vegeta needed to create that same scenario at the ring. He needed to make Bra believe that she wanted to defeat her opponent, desperately.
"Daddy, I'm trying my best." Bra whimpered.
Dammit! Why did she have to go and say it like that!?
"It's not good enough!" Vegeta barely managed to choke out. He felt himself beginning to falter. In order to prevent him form caving he added, "You're pathetic!"Bra's jaw dropped as she was taken aback by the statement. "What?" She sobbed.
"You heard me!" Vegeta said crossing his arms over his chest. "Pathetic. You're brother became a super saiyan at the age of 8, effortlessly. You're twice that age and you can barely raise your power to that of one of these pathetic earth-fighters! You're a disgrace to the saiyan race. If this were the planet Vegeta you would never be Princess!"
Bra wanted so badly to bawl. She was the saiyan princess. She was his princess.
"You're such a disappointment," Vegeta added, wondering if perhaps he'd gone to far but he couldn't stop now. He could feel her ki rising, it was working. Time for the clincher.
"Unlike your brother."
Right on cue. Trunks dropped in from above them. "Sorry I'm late. The President of Rogul Corp. doesn't know when to shut up." He said a she removed his suit jacket.
Bra slowly turned to face him.
"Good!" Trunks said to her as he did some quick warm up stretches. "Dad hasn't finished you off for the day."
His sister's reaction surprised Trunks. She growled, viciously, then attacked him. Funny thing was, she was hurting him.
"Ow!" He complained as her knuckles connected with his jaw. "What's with you?" He wondered aloud. He somehow knew that his father had something to do with this.
Vegeta couldn't help but smile, this was too amusing. He had heard his mate tell Trunks when he was younger that he had better quit picking on his little sister so much. She had said that one day she would get him back. Today it seemed that Bra was getting her just deserts. For now, anyway.
It wasn't long before Trunks realized that Bra wasn't going to back off. She had forced him into the air, and no mater where Trunks flew she was right there with him. He saw the determination in her eyes. It was scary. She looked like Vegeta with that set gaze. She was just vicious. The only thing he could think of doing was to turn super saiyan. He did so, and with one swift punch he got her off him. Bra plowed into the ground, sending dust flying.
Vegeta was disappointed, he knew that that would happen though. Trunks hovered in the air, panting with his shirt in shreds. She had tired him out, he should've went super saiyan sooner.
When the dust cleared, Bra was standing. This was another surprise. It usually took her awhile to rise . Obviously she had been defeated, why wasn't she whining yet? Vegeta didn't know, and quite frankly, it was worrying him.
He opened his mouth to stop her from attacking , but she was too quick. Immediately she was back on Trunks, who was still a super saiyan. Vegeta could see that Trunks was getting frustrated with her persistence. The last attack was pitiful in super saiyan terms but if it had been executed with slightly more power than Bra would've been seriously injured. Trunks was getting the 'look' in his eye too.
"Don't you dare hurt her, boy!" Vegeta warned. He was sure Trunks nodded at him in accordance, but the "look " was still present.
Trunks angrily shoved her away after the last slap she dealt him scratched his face. "That's enough, ya little weakling!"
But instead of backing off, Bra lunged at him. Trunks dodged, but Bra still managed to slightly graze his shoulder. Then with a speed that no one, not even Bra, knew she possessed she attacked again and this time landed her punch. Trunks was the one sent into the dirt this time. This was such a shock to him that it knocked him out of super saiyan mode. And to add to his humiliation he'd landed right at his father's feet.
Vegeta watched as Bra landed, she was still looking angered but obviously triumphant. He hadn't been able to see the transference, but it had to have occurred. There was no way she could have felled Trunks in super saiyan mode if she hadn't, unless….
Vegeta cast his gaze down at his prone son, "Did you allow her to defeat you?"
"HELL NO!" was Trunks' response.
"So I thought." Vegeta mumbled and returned his attention to Bra. Before he could address her, she took off into the air with tremendous speed. Both he and Trunks watched her go. Vegeta had decided not to follow. His technique worked, but he felt an overwhelming feeling of regret.
And Shame.
"You really screwed up this time, Dad! Whatever it was that you did!" Trunks complained. "You know that she's going right home to whine at Mom. We're never going to hear the end of it!"
Trunks continued to complain as Vegeta stalked away from him in a very bad mood.