Four months had passed, and everyone was exhausted.
Every night, Aria's muscles screamed out in agony, while she wore a sly smile.
As the training progressed, she learned more and more. Each time she fought, Aria came to realize how much of a master tactician Vegeta was. Each blow he dealt during a battle was precisely aimed to disarm and disable a foe. Prior to and after a battle, Vegeta would exercise his mental strategy. Discreet body language, cast off as nothing, could mean the difference from one feeling to another. He watched her like a hawk, taking in her subtleties, making sure he knew every strength, flaw and weakness of her character. This helped her decide against exposing her mental abilities to him, as she needed at least one advantage.
Soon, Aria adapted his technique. Vegeta was infinitely harder to read, as he was always completely self-aware of his movements and words. Ever so often, a rare opportunity would arise for her to catch him slightly off guard, seeing his true nature for a split second. It took her months to find a crack in his cold exterior. She couldn't even be sure that she saw it, but one day, when she mentioned Bulma's tenacity regarding some mundane task, an infinitesimal smile broke his lips for an instant. She cherished these moments with pride.
But now, Aria had hit a plateau. She could match Vegeta's movements exactly under 400 times earth gravity, but could not even move under 450g. No matter what she tried, including going Super Saiyan against Vegeta's instruction, nothing made any sort of dent.
Her mental regimen was no less difficult. Each evening, after a rigorous workout, she entered Comatose. A different challenge presented itself within her mind every time. Constantly, she confronted her innermost thoughts and desires, driven to the edge of madness. She could not get past her sneaking suspicion that this was as far as her body would go, consequently blocking any mental progress.
Despite the constant barrage of exercises and mental strain, Aria remained ever distracted. On occasion, when she exited and entered the GR, she would catch a glimpse of lavender locks in the corner of her vision. At dinner, with just the Briefs family, a flash of two periwinkle eyes would enter her gaze. Throughout the year, she found herself becoming increasingly preoccupied with thoughts of Trunks. He was a very handsome boy, with a striking jaw line and strong features. Aria had never felt anything like it. As time progressed, it grew harder and harder for her to expel him from her head.
Trunks trained just as fervently, and he too was caught up with visions and thoughts of Aria. But these were envious. After seeing his father swayed so easily to take on someone he barely knew, when he had to claw his way to the slightest of his approvals, something snapped. Trunks had worked himself to within an inch of his sanity, barely able to get up in the evenings to get into the gravity chamber. Some days, he skipped training altogether, and confined himself to his bed.
Aria was quickly becoming one of the strongest warriors Vegeta had ever seen. Every day she grew closer to his skill level, without even seeming to try. Her ease infuriated him, reminding him of his old adversary, Kakarot. Yet, in a way, his pride grew stronger as she did. Much like with Goku, he would only refer to her as her Saiyan name, Katal. It was a mark of respect for his race, and contempt of her human influence. He was rapidly approaching the next level, so close he could almost taste it. Still, he detested the barrier he could not break. The next transformation remained elusive.
Bulma's idea for a day at the beach delighted all involved, save Vegeta, who disdainfully accepted it. All of the Z fighters, including Bulma and Bra, decided to skip training for a weekend of winding down and relaxing. While they did want to relax, playing Saiyan-Scale Football and Midair Frisbee would attract a bit too much attention in the more inhabited areas, so they were thrilled to find a gorgeous, untouched white sand beach about sixty miles outside of West City. The waves washed over the warm sand, and seagulls cawed overhead. Bra and Pan played gleefully in the water, creating large waves as they splashed about. Bulma was busy setting up the picnic, with food piled up to fill the Saiyans' massive appetite. She watched fondly as Goten, Gohan, Goku and Krillin toss the Frisbee at blazing speeds over the sand, bursting into laughter as Krillin tripped, ramming headfirst into a dune. Vegeta and Piccolo watched with their arms folded, mirroring each other's scowls at the earthen banter. They glanced at each other as Krillin tumbled into the dune, tiny smirks playing across their faces. Trunks took to walking on the edge of the sea, gazing at his father who stood near a reedy hillside, scoffing as always. Trunks grinned to himself, and picked up the volleyball Bra and Pan had left unattended. Just this once, Vegeta could he be bothered to have a little fun. He lifted it up above his head.
"Hey, dad! Think fast!"
Vegeta was clearly not paying attention, as the ball landed smack dab in the middle of his face. Trunks' stomach lurched, and he flushed pale white. That was most definitely not the kind of attention he was looking for. Vegeta had a distinct red mark in the middle of his forehead and nose. He tossed the ball up and down in his hand with a bitter smirk.
"THINK FAST, BOY!"
He shot the ball at Trunks like a bullet. It cocked the boy in the jaw, forcing him to land with a large splash in the cool ocean. He surfaced and coughed up some water, forcing a laugh as he did so.
Aria watched Trunks and Vegeta as she was taking off her tennis shoes, nearly peeling off her filthy socks. She let the sand filter between her exposed toes and shuddered as she removed her leather gloves, noticing a line of grime on her knuckles and palms. She slid off her tank top, and stepped out of her shorts, revealing a sporty, cerulean, two-piece swimsuit. A giant grin appeared on her face as she examined Trunks floundering in the water.
She ran to the ocean, and launched into the air when she reached the edge, tucking into a ball. Trunks looked up in shock as she barreled toward him.
"BANZAI!" she bellowed.
Trunks dove out of the way of the cannon ball, only to be swept up in the tidal wave that followed the colossal splash. He somersaulted once in the water, and jetted to the top.
Aria's tinkling laugh rung in the air as he broke the surface. Drops of water glossed over her shoulders and arms, and created an ethereal gleam on her face. Her smile was dazzling, appearing that much brighter when her back was to the sun. Trunks blushed, and ran a hand nervously through his sopping hair. She averted her eyes, only emphasizing the awkwardness between them.
"Lunch!" Bulma called out, bracing herself and the long wooden table.
What followed was a stampede of heavy footsteps, racing to get first dibs on the tender steaks and hot rolls. After the first hefty course, the table watched in silence and awe as Aria battled it out with Goku in a rice-eating contest. Goku fell backwards, completely stuffed. Aria smiled with her full cheeks, slurping down the last of her fifteenth bowl.
"Holy cow," Gohan breathed, "Goten and I combined couldn't beat Dad at an eating contest!"
She let out a large belch that shook the table.
"Thanks," she chirped, patting at her cheek daintily with a napkin.
They finished another course, and began talking about their experiences training. Goku went first, with Gohan and Goten chiming in. Goten had finally ascended to a second grade Super Saiyan, prompting congratulatory gestures all around. Trunks kept silent, as did Aria and Vegeta.
"I've always wondered," Aria mused as she bit down on a strip of sirloin, "What kinds of moves do you guys know?"
The question baffled the table.
"What do you mean?" asked Krillin, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.
"You know, ki style moves, like Goku's Kamehameha," she said excitedly, turning to Goku. "I'd love to learn that by the way!"
Goku scratched his head. He didn't remember ever mentioning the Kamehameha.
"Well—It's a little complicated..."
"We all have different moves," Krillin interjected, "Some are offense, defense, and some are good for a quick getaway."
He looked away in embarrassment.
"I hate to say that I'm the one that uses those most."
Aria giggled.
"I'd still like to hear some."
Vegeta scoffed.
"Asking fighting advice from a mere human?" he sneered.
Aria shot him a look.
"If there's one thing I've learned from you, it's that all moves are useful," she retorted, and motioned to Krillin to continue.
Vegeta rolled his eyes and slunk back in his chair, muttering to himself.
Krillin puffed out his chest, and reached his arms behind his head.
"Well, I've got a pretty nifty one. It can cut through absolutely anything! Wanna see?"
Aria grinned. This was something she wanted to put to the test. She nodded, and rose from the table.
"Let's all go, I've certainly got an itch to see Krillin in action again," Goku said boisterously, getting up from his seat. Everyone agreed, except for Vegeta, who was content to sit at the table and sulk. The group walked toward one of the rocky outcroppings on the beach, stirring with anticipation. Krillin cracked his knuckles, and stretched out his arms.
"I'm a bit rusty, but this old guy's still got a bit of spring."
He leaned to his side into a lunge.
"Hey, Goku. Could you grab a rock?"
Goku nodded and headed towards the edge of the outcropping, picking up a boulder the size of his entire upper body with ease.
"Just say when," he called out.
Krillin smirked and bent his knees, raising his arms into form. His legs were positioned a little wider than shoulder width apart. One arm was tucked in, and the other was held straight above his head, palm facing up. Aria folded her arms, something she always did when she concentrated. Krillin summoned a flat disk in his hand.
"Alright, go!"
Goku heaved the stone into the air.
"Destructo Disk!"
Krillin summoned a large golden disk in his palm, and hastily threw the glowing scythe at the rock. Aria gasped as it sliced through, causing the boulder to split neatly in two. The two halves of the rock fell to the ground with a thud, and the disk disappeared. A small applause broke out among the group. Krillin clapped his hands together, and stood back to show off his feat.
"You're getting pretty good with that," said Gohan, examining the two fallen halves of the boulder. Aria rubbed her chin. It was a very impressive technique. She'd never seen something cut so precisely. Even better, it wasn't too difficult to produce.
"Let me try."
Krillin laughed, as did the others around her.
"It's not something you can just whip out," he chuckled.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Why not?"
Krillin's laugh subsided. He looked at her quizzically. She was being serious.
"It's a technique I've worked on for a long time. It took me years to get it right."
Aria smirked.
"Then you can correct me if I mess up."
She got into form. Krillin's eyes opened wide. Her form was already very good, and she'd only seen it once. Trunks eyes switched from Krillin to Aria.
"I don't know about this," Trunks murmured to Goten, who was standing beside him, "This technique is kind of dangerous."
"You don't really think she'll get it right off the bat do you?" Goten replied skeptically.
Krillin scratched his head.
"Well Aria, you can try it. I don't know if you'll be able to make one, but—"
"DESTRUCTO DISK!"
The glowing frisbee appeared in her hand. It was perfectly rounded, and teeming with power. The group was in awe of her feat. She leaned back and aimed it at a rock out on the ocean. Just as she was ready to release it, she suddenly began to stumble on the sand. The disk had a mind of its own, and was pulling her whole body backwards. In her panic, she tried to let it go forward, but it slid out of her hand and began careening towards the frantic Z fighters. They split away from the disk as it sliced through the sand, heading straight for the dinner table.
And Bulma was directly in its path.
"Mom, look out!" Trunks cried.
Bulma turned around and let out a horrific scream. Vegeta whizzed toward the woman, and swept her up just as the disk cut the table in two, scattering food and shattering the dishes all over the grass. The energy beam slit the hill, and exploded a hundred feet later, sending up dust and debris.
When the blast ceased, everyone glared at Aria.
"What was that?" Vegeta roared, "You almost cut my wife in half!"
Aria put her head in her hands.
"I thought I've trained you better than this!"
Vegeta's eyes bore into the skin of her face as she looked at him. Guilt tore through her like wildfire. There was fear in his eyes! If there was one emotion she never felt emanate from Vegeta, that would be it. Her knees began to shake the standoff chilled the air. The afternoon sun suddenly did not seem so bright any longer. She looked desperately around the group, only to be met with a hostile glance from each one. Even Trunks couldn't stand to look at her. Aria eventually retreated from the group, taking off toward the mountains. An eerie silence descended on the company. The sun began to head towards the horizon as many minutes passed without a word. To everyone's surprise, it was Krillin who followed after her. The former monk found Aria on a cliff a few miles from where they were. When he landed, her eyes were wet with tears as she gazed out onto the oceanic horizon. She hardly even bothered to find a suitable place to sit, as the craggy cliff left scrapes against her skin. He took a deep breath before approaching and squatting next to the forlorn Saiyan.
"To be fair," he began.
"Krillin, don't," Aria hushed him, wiping a damp cheek, "It was all my fault, and I take full responsibility."
"Don't be so hard on yourself. It took me years to master that technique. You can't expect to get it on your first try."
"I almost made cold cuts out of Bulma!"
Krillin winced.
"Yeah, there was that. But you aren't just going to give up, are you?"
"This is the second time something like this has happened Krillin," Aria murmured, "First I almost blew up Capsule Corp, and now I could have chopped someone in half. I lost control, again!"
She slammed her fist into the ground, creating cracks in the rock.
"I just…feel so useless."
She buried her head in her knees. Krillin chuckled, and put a hand on her shoulder.
"If there's one thing I know, it's what it feels like to be useless."
Aria turned her head to the side to look at the monk.
"Seriously," he grumbled, "I have the power level the size of a pea. You can blow up planets with a flick of your finger."
Aria giggled.
"But I never gave up though. I couldn't help much, and even got killed a couple of times. Still, I jumped in where I could, usually to help with a hasty retreat. Oh! That reminds me."
He stood up and examined the sun inching its way towards the horizon. Aria squinted her eyes, wondering what he could possibly be up to.
"This technique's a little safer, and it's a great move for buying time."
Aria gave him a quizzical look.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that this isn't the type of technique you use to blow someone up."
She got to her feet.
"Then what does it do?"
Krillin grinned.
"I'll show you."
He floated up towards the sun until he practically disappeared into it. Aria shielded her eyes from the glare, trying to make out his form. His hands were near his head, and his fingertips lined the edges of his face.
"I apologize in advance," he called.
"Apologize for wha—"
"Solar Flare!"
All Aria could see was the scorching light. She let out a wail, and dropped to the ground. Her eyes snapped shut, and began to water profusely. There was nothing but the pain as her eyeballs seared in her sockets. That bastard blinded her!
"Your vision will come back in a couple of minutes," she heard Krillin's voice in front of her.
She figured that a punch to the face would suffice enough, despite the fact that she wanted to kill him. To her shock, she only hit air. It had to be impossible. He was right in front of her! Surely he couldn't have…
"Missed me," his voice said softly, behind her this time. She would have wrenched her arm backward to slice Krillin, but quickly realized that something was amiss.
She couldn't sense his power level.
When she tried to open her eyes, she could only see a blur of blue and brown, where the cliff and the sky blended together like shoddy watercolor.
It slowly started to clear, until she could make out where the cliff ended and the water began.
"What the hell was that, Krillin?" she snapped, "And why was your power suppressed?
"Noticed that, eh? It's key with using this trick. I picked up that little gem from an old friend. It's the Taiyouken, or "Solar Flare" technique. As you can see, it blinds your opponent."
"Yeah, I can see that," she spat, "But aren't you incredibly vulnerable with all of your power suppressed?"
"Not exactly. The beauty of this move is that no matter how weak you are, it will render your opponents' attacks useless. No one can hit something that they can't find."
Aria's vision returned to normal after a few seconds of muttering and clawing at her eyes.
She had half a mind to reach out and strangle the man when he entered her gaze, but in her rage, she knew that this new move could turn out to be very useful. And she did need a good kick in the ass for her mistake back at the beach.
"I can't seem to hit anything even when my eyes are open," she grumbled, restraining her urge, "Except the things I try to avoid."
Krillin laughed, and began to float above the cliff. He gazed back to the white sand in the distance, squinting his eyes to see the gang as little more than tiny dots.
"Come on," he held out a hand, which Aria hesitantly grasped. "Let's go."
Aria took a deep breath, and followed her unexpected mentor back toward the beach.
When they touched down, Aria noticed a distinct decrease in tension. As much as she wanted to run and hide, her body disobeyed. Instead, it and helped her to stand tall and face her shame.
"I'm sorry for what I did," she said, lowering her head, "It will never happen again."
She had never meant that statement as much as she did now.
"I will make sure of that," Vegeta's voice said gruffly from the rear of the pack. He walked to the front, and stared her down.
"When I'm finished with you, not one blast you throw will be off its mark."
Aria gulped and nodded, bowing to her teacher.
While everyone was uncomfortable with Aria for a time, they all conveyed a tacit forgiveness. By the time the sun had set, the mood was once again pleasant. The fire was crackling as the gang roasted marshmallows, poking fun at old battles past and comedic moments throughout the day.
The stars were out that night, glittering gentle hues of green, blue, and gold.
So many distant planets, so far out of reach.
Yet so close.