Solaris, the Solar God

by Kronium345

Two races, having their strengths and weaknesses. One driven by the sun, the other a fighting spirit. A union between these two beings bring forth a being whose power knows almost no match. The sun shall be his solace, and his aura shall shine through the heavens themselves. A boy shall grow and take up the mantle of Solaris, the Solar God.

21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21:

Mai groaned, suddenly, coming to. Her throat felt constricted slightly, making it hard to breathe. She immediately coughed, rubbing her neck and feeling the bruises on them. Her eyes strained, picking up the sound of grunting and running water. She moaned, doing her best to sit up. She stretched slightly, turning around to see where the sounds were coming from.

Mai saw Cado, and a jolt of realisation ran through her, along with remembering how she wound up here. She shook slightly, amazed that she was alive. All she could do was remember the crushing sensation of her throat, the sudden helplessness she'd felt, then nothing.

Cado shot fists and kicks at an invisible opponent, his gravity belt set at the normal fifty times normal Earth gravity. Rivulets of sweat ran down his body as he continued running through each rep, pure focus on his face. Mai watched him, transfixed. She watched his training, and he didn't seem to waste any unnecessary movement. Every strike and jab was precise, sharp and fast. She could even see the shockwaves produced from his punches and kicks. His fighting style seemed to be a mix of different arts. She could see some semblance of pressure points and takedowns similar to her own fighting style, yet it seemed to blend in with numerous other stances and attacks that it left her baffled.

"So, you're awake," Cado uttered, making her jump slightly. He paused, removing his shirt and dropping it. She blushed at seeing his incredible muscular body glistening with sweat. She particularly focused on each rise and fall of his chest, his pectorals bouncing slightly. Her mind especially went numb at looking at his six-pack of abs.

Andy doesn't have a body like that..., Mai mumbled mentally, awed. She shook her head frantically. No! Don't focus on that!

"You see something you like?" he teased, making her blush even further. "I thought you were into your bird-looking fiancé."

At the mention of Andy, Mai frowned. Seeing this, Cado sighed. "Look, if you're looking to fight with me again, I'd advice against it."

"No, I know that you'd defeat me easily," she admitted. "I just...""I get that he was close to you, and I may have gone a tad bit overboard," he admitted, getting a deadpanned look from Mai. "Okay, I went very overboard. But, to be honest, I was mostly angry at his brother."

"Terry does have some stupid moments..." Now, it was Cado's turn to deadpan. "Okay, many stupid moments."

"Glad we got that cleared up." Cado jumped into the water, making Mai jump in shock. After a few more minutes, he resurfaced, soaking wet. He shook his head, water whipping from his hair. She had a disgusted look on her face, shielding it. "Hey, hey! Don't get it all over me!"

"You are practically naked, you have nothing to get wet but your skin," Cado scoffed, making Mai sputter.

"T-This is for my kunoichi training!" she retorted angrily.

"I've seen kunoichi, and they don't expose so much skin that they look like a stripper." Mai's jaw dropped.

"I am not a stripper!"

"Could've fooled me," Cado chuckled, making Mai fume. "Also, cut it out with that flame trick. I've already seen enough dumbasses challenge me with fire abilities that I'm started to get annoyed."

"Who else apart from Terry, Andy and me have you fought?" she asked, confused.

"Some dumbass... Kai? Koi? Kiu - whatever," Cado waved away. He clenched his fist, summoning his ki, which appeared as a golden-blue hue. His body heated up, the water steaming.

Mai raised an eyebrow. "Interesting trick. You used your ki, didn't you?"

"Aren't you clever?" Cado retorted sarcastically, making her scowl.

"You don't have to be so rude," she growled.

"How can I when weaklings keep on challenging me and interrupting my training?"

"I am not weak!" she retorted heatedly, growling.

"To me, you are," was his response as he squeezed the sweat out of his gi top, ignoring her anger.

"Then I'll just defeat you and prove you wrong!"

Cado laughed loudly, dropping his shirt as he clutched his stomach, doubling over.

"Stop laughing at me!" Mai yelled, stomping her foot angrily.

"But, y-you're just so funny!" Cado chuckled, still laughing. "You could never defeat me! You could train for a thousand years and you wouldn't even be able to scratch me."

"I so could!" Mai got into her stance, whipping a fan and placing it in her hand.

"Okay, where do you keep your fans?" Cado asked, curious. "Because I don't see a lot of room for you to hide anything. And, for the record, you can't." Taking his shirt and wearing it again. "Now, I'm off to go train in peace. Be happy that I spared you. May we never meet again."

Cado flew up into the air, the wind whipping at Mai as she covered her face.

XXX

Cado dodged lasers shooting from the drones in the Gravity Room, which was set at seventy-five times normal Earth gravity. Red solar lamps were installed at full power, along with chunks of Kryptonite layering the walls, negating his Kryptonian powers. He moved, the lasers shooting at his feet as he dodged and jumped. Just as he jumped, he was blindsided by a drone that slammed into his back, launching him downwards.

Cado had sweat pouring from every part of his body, his body wracked in pain from the training and the large amounts of Kryptonite layering the room. He grunted, picking himself up quickly and avoiding laser fire. He clashed with one of the drones, bursting into a flurry of punches and kicks, which the drone mimicked. Dodge left, move right, slip under intentional overextended jab and leap upwards, shin-guarding against attack and kicking at chest.

Cado immediately created a platform to push his body away, avoiding another laser blast aimed at him. He charged at the drone, continuing at where he left off.

The creation of platforms was something that he had been contemplating on. This actually came to him when he was fighting the drone, and found it hard to move while he was under intense gravity. Flying in short bursts would help, but he'd be extremely limited. So, the platform-creation was something that he came up with. He used his intense ki control to instantly create ki platforms that he could jump and bounce off of, for more movement and better control of the battlefield. The amazing thing about this was that he could also do this while flying, adding another advantage when he had to fight in mid-air.

He kept on bouncing around, pushing off the platforms and moving around quickly, pushing back the drone. It punched forward, catching Cado off guard and allowing him to receive a face-full of fist. As his body tilted, he moved backwards, using his tail to wrap around its leg and fling it back, allowing it to fly. It propelled itself properly, shooting lasers at it while Cado dodged deftly. He was about to continue dodging when he could feel the Gravity Room turn off suddenly. The sudden shift from intense to normal gravity caused Cado to nearly lose his footing.

His eyes narrowed. There was only one person who would interrupt his training, despite him saying otherwise. "Bulma, what the hell do you want?!" he barked, annoyed at his girlfriend for interrupting him.

"Cado, get to the front door, now!" Bulma yelled, making Cado blink.

"A visitor - you interrupted me because there's someone at the door! You have legs, get it yourself!"

"Now!" she screeched, making Cado growl.

"Hell no! I'm busy! Unless it's another bad guy to fight, or the ant, I'm not getting out!"

"Do it or I'll dismantle the Gravity Room," she threatened, making Cado scoff.

"Please, I built the thing myself! I'll just make another one!"

"Do it or I won't make my mother cook any food for you!"

"... You wouldn't," he hissed.

"Try me."

Cado snarled. "You evil bitch... Fine! But if this isn't important, I'll blast both you, and that fool outside, into the sun!" Opening the hatch inside the Room, he flew out, feeling the rays of the sun wash over him as he ascended. He sighed, feeling his body heal from his training, ultimately increasing his strength as a result. He then looked down, using his sharp eyesight to catch Bulma at the front, with... her? What the hell is she doing?

Cado flew towards the front door, hearing Bulma argue with the woman he met before. "Enough!" he barked, getting the two to silence. "Now, Bulma. If this isn't important, I'll make good on my word."

"Tell this little hussy that she has no right to barge in on other people's property, and demand anything off of them!" Bulma yelled, pointing at the red-clad ninja woman, who scowled.

"And tell this blue-haired bitch, that I'm not a hussy, and that she has no right to treat me like this!" she responded in kind.

"Look, uh..." Cado frowned. "What's your name again?"

"Mai!" she barked. Cado nodded.

"Right, Mai. What the hell are you doing here?"

"I heard that you were living with the Briefs family," she responded, crossing her arms under her large bust. "So I came to visit you."

"Cado, will you explain how you know this hussy?" Bulma hissed, crossing her arms as she smiled sweetly.

"Calm down, woman," Cado responded, rolling his eyes. "It's not like that. We met when she idiotically tried to attack me, after I beat the shit out her bird of a fiancé."

"He's not a bird!" Mai retorted, but they both ignored her.

Bulma blinked. "Wait, you didn't kill her, or her fiancé?" She frowned. "Who are you and what have you done with Cado?"

"Oh, haha. I don't always kill those that I beat." She gave him a deadpanned look. "I don't!"

"Well, you killed Tao, most of the Red Ribbon Army, was about to kill Piccolo until Goku forced you to let him go, and that was just the ones I of," she listed off.

Cado grit his teeth, knowing that she had a point. "Whatever. Anyways, what do you want?" he asked Mai.

"I want you to train me," she responded, making the two blink.

"Come again?" he asked, confused at her response.

"I want you to train me to be a better fighter," she clarified.

"Huh, déjà vu," Cado uttered.

"Why do you want Cado to train you?" Bulma asked this time, curious.

"At first, I wanted to defeat him to avenge Andy," she explained, drawing a bored look from the Saiyatonian. "However, I also want to get stronger for myself. I want to bring honour to the Shiranui clan, and..." She shuffled her feet. "I-I want to better myself, so that I can win the next King of Fighters Tournament. I haven't won any of them. At all."

"Not surprising," Cado remarked, earning him an elbow in the side that he didn't even feel from Bulma.

"That's why... I want to be strong!" A fire lit up in her eyes as she stared at the two. "You're said to be the strongest person on the planet, correct?" At his nod, she continued. "Then I want to be strong. Stronger than I've ever been."

Bulma had an understanding look on her face, while Cado had a thoughtful one. Despite her infatuation with the birdman, he could see her resolve and spirit. But still... "Why exactly should I help you?" Cado asked, getting a shocked look from the two women. "Despite your obvious drive, I have no actual reason to help you. I have my own training to do, and I'm not so eager to cut into that time."

Mai glared at him. "You bastard! Are you so selfish that you won't help someone who begs you for help?!"

"Yes," Cado admitted bluntly, shocking her. "I don't do things for free. If you have nothing to convince me with, then I'll take my leave." He turned back to leave when Mai yelled out, "W-Wait!"

"What?" he asked, annoyed as he turned around.

Mai sweated, trying desperately to think of something to convince him with. The chance for a better opponent was out. She knew of no one strong enough to face him. Seducing him wouldn't work, as she was with Andy, and he had his own lover. What else? ... Wait, she did know one thing...

"I-I can offer y-you food!" Mai yelled loudly, making the others blink.

"Is that your best?" Cado scoffed, about to leave, when Mai scrambled for more offers.

"Wait! Foreign food! Food that's never been seen before! I-I can introduce you to chefs that can make food that's blow your mind! Food that you've never seen before!"

"Food that I've never seen before?" Cado questioned, curious. Bulma's mother was a great cook, but she usually did make the same kind of food over and over. He was happy with it, as he'd eat it anyway, but new food that he's never tasted before? He's travelled around quite a bit, and tasted a lot of food. So, he'd be hard pressed to find food that he's never heard of before.

"Y-Yes!" Mai nodded frantically. "I guarantee you! It'd blow your taste buds right out of the window! All you have to do is train me!"

Cado hummed, considering it. Just as he was about to say something, Bulma intervened. "Can you excuse us for just one second?" Grabbing Cado, she dragged him away, the Saiyatonian allowing himself to be dragged, confused.

Shutting the door, she stared at Cado. "You're not actually considering going, are you?"

"The offer of food sounds tempting," Cado admitted, humming.

"You'd seriously go with her?! Alone?! For FOOD?!" Bulma yelled, making Cado wince as he held his ears.

"Woman, what is your problem?" he asked, annoyed. "I haven't even said yes yet. And what's your problem with her? She's annoying, sure, but you seem to hate her." After looking at her for a minute, he came up with an answer. "You think I'd leave you for her, don't you?"

Bulma flinched, knowing that he was right.

Cado sighed. "Bulma, I'm not going to cheat on you. She has her own fiancé anyways. And even if she didn't, I would never do such a thing to you." Frowning, he held her close as he kissed the top of her head. "Actually, there's something that I... need to tell you."

"What?" she asked, looking up at him in confusion.

"... You know that I'm half-Saiyan," he said, slightly nervous. She nodded, concerned. He never looked nervous. Ever. "Well, on Planet Vegeta, they..."

"They what?" she questioned, feeling slight dread.

Sighing, Cado decided to just say what he intended to say. "On Planet Vegeta, the Saiyans had more of a... polygamist relationship." At her blank look, he continued. "The Saiyan males took on multiple mates to produce stronger offspring. Namely, more of the high-class warriors."

"W-What?" she questioned, still confused about the whole thing.

"It's true. I can remember King Vegeta had multiple women he was married to. About six, I believe. I don't know how many children he had, but his son, Vegeta, was the oldest, and therefore the rightful heir to the throne. But that's besides the point. Bulma, I love you. I know it's been quite quick since we've... gotten together. I never thought that I could find myself drawn to you, but I have. But, me and Kakarot are the last remaining Saiyans left. Even though I'm a half-breed, by all rights, I'm considered a Saiyan. Kakarot wouldn't be able to find himself a woman to mate with. If he did, I'd be surprised. So... I want to bring the Saiyan race back. It helps, since I always did want a big family."

Plus, I think some Kryptonians did the same thing, but I'm not planning on mentioning that, Cado thought to himself. Best not to overwhelm her.

Bulma didn't say anything, seemingly digesting the information. "D-Does that mean that you... would need to have... more than one m-mate?"

"Yes," he said slowly, but then he quickly responded. "Just know that I'm not doing this because I want to. If I had it any other way, I'd stay with you completely. But... reviving the Saiyan race, and bringing honour to it... has always been one of my goals. You know this. I just... want you to think about it. If you don't want it, I'll... respect your decision."

Bulma was silent, making Cado slightly nervous. After a long minute, she said, "C-Can you... give me time to think about it? I-I just want to sit down?"

"Do you want me to stay with you?" he asked, holding her close.

"N-No, I... I just want to be alone." At his flinch, she said, "I'm not mad at you. I just really need to think about this. Go with Mai. Maybe training her will help you get rid of... all the worry."

At her look, he nodded slowly. "I'll be back soon," he assured, leaning down and kissing her gently. After a few minutes, he separated. "I love you. Never forget that." At her nod, he walked outside, meeting Mai.

"I-Is everything alright?" she asked, worried. "I-If you want, I'll leave. I-I don't want to intrude."

"No, it's fine," Cado waved away, a small frown on his face. "I'll train you. But I want to have those foods first before we start anything." At her nod, he carried her close to him, making her blush.

"H-Hey, hold on! W-What are you doiIIIIIIAAAAH!" she asked, yelling near the end as Cado took of to fly.

XXX

"S-So good!" Cado exclaimed, devouring another dish of tempura with gusto.

"L-Lady Mai, what is going on?" Iho, the head chef of the Shiranui clan, asked. He was stunned at the amount of food Cado was devouring, especially at the rate he was going.

"I-It's a t-treat, for a friend," Mai quickly assured, a disgusted look on her face as she gazed upon Cado pigging out. He was finished practically half of the entire sitting. Where did it all go?!

The Saiyatonian placed a stick of yakitori in his mouth, slurping all of the meat in one go. He held up a bowl of meat, soy sauce and vegetables. "Hmm, what is this dish?"

"T-That's sukiyaki, young man," Iho answered, making Cado gum even more. He devoured the entire sukiyaki, drawing disgusted looks from the chefs around.

"Mmm, that's good!" he exclaimed happily. Thankfully, he said this after chewing. He clasped his hands towards Iho and the other chefs. "Please, teach me how to make more of this wonderful food! I have to have more of it!"

"E-Eh?" Iho managed to utter, shocked.

XXX

"So, will you begin training me?" Mai asked, her and Cado standing outside in an open field, a fair distance from the Shiranui clan temple.

Cado smiled a little. "Yeah, yeah. You did offer amazing food, so a deal's a deal. I did manage to pick up several training equipment." Reaching into his pocket, he plucked out a DynoCap from his pocket and pressing the button on top, throwing it to the ground. It burst into a cloud of smoke, revealing several turtle shells and a Turtle Hermit gi.

"H-How did you do that?" Mai asked, amazed at how he was able to fit such large items in such a small capsule.

"Technology. Now, wear these." He picked up a turtle shell and gi, handing it to her.

"Okay, I kind of get the shell, but why the gi? I already have my outfit on." She gestured to what she was wearing.

Cado raised an eyebrow. "That's because you'll basically fall out of those clothes when training. I, for one, do not want to see your naked body while training."

"Hmmph. Why? Too embarrassed?" she mocked, striking a pose and putting her body in a provocative position.

Ignoring her body, Cado stared at her. "No. It's because I know of your seduction training, and I'm not going to fall for that. Now, wear it."

Grumbling at being ignored, she took the gi, moving to her temple to change. Minutes later, she came back in the orange gi, picking at it. "This feels uncomfortable," she muttered, irritated.

Cado blushed slightly, seeing her breasts straining in escaping the gi. Not to mention that the gi was much more tighter on her body, highlighting her curves. Dammit, Grandpa. I knew having a female-tailored gi would no doubt escape his notice.

"Just stick with it for now," Cado ordered, giving her the turtle shell. "Now, place this on your back. It'll help with your training."

Reluctantly, she tried to carry the turtle shell, only to fall down to the ground, just as the shell did. She grunted, trying to pick herself up while carrying the shell, to no avail. "Grrr. Urgh, h-how much does this weigh? It feels like a tonne!"

"That's because it is," he answered, making Mai look at him in shock. "Now, hop to it."

"Y-You can't be serious! I-" she started to say, only to squeak as a kunai shot by her neck, drawing a scratch and making her bleed.

"Oh, but I am," Cado answered in response, grinning darkly. Mai shivered at the grin. "Now, start."

XXX

"Urgh!" Mai grunted, walking upside down on her hands, with the turtle shell on her back. She was making her way to the end of the forest, sweat pouring from her body in buckets as she crumpled to the ground in a heap, panting harshly.

"I... *pant* can't *pant*... go on!" she complained, her body feeling bone tired. A shadow appeared over her, making her pale.

Cado stood over her, swinging a kunai with his finger. "That's such a shame. Looks like you've earned yourself five-hundred more metres for you to walk."

"A-Are you *pant*... joking?!" she yelled at him, annoyed. She winced as his smile widening.

"Run," he said simply, eyes glowing red. She screamed as she quickly stood up, avoiding a blast of heat vision that burnt the ground that she was previously on.

XXX

"Aaah!" she yelled, dodging pebbles shot at very high speeds. She cried out in pain as she was pelted with more than she could dodge, getting welts on her beautiful skin. "Stop, stop!" she cried out, cradling her injured arms.

"Oh, come on. That was a love tap!" Cado scoffed, scarfing down another bowl of sashimi. "I haven't even gotten you blindfolded!"

Mai paled rapidly, dodging the rapid-fire spray of pebbles that obliterated the ground before her in a spray of earth. Minutes later, Mai collapsed to the ground, covered in welts, bruises and wounds. She moaned weakly, on the brink of unconscious.

Feeling slightly bad for her, Cado fished out a Sensu bean from his stash. He walked towards her, placing the bean near her mouth. "Here, eat up. It'll replenish your energy and heal your wounds."

At this point, Mai didn't hear anything else, only 'heal' she desperately scarfed down the bean, chewing it before swallowing. After a few seconds, her eyes widened as her wounds healed up instantly. She shot back to her feet, stunned.

"Sensu beans," he simply answered. "Heals you of any wound, and even makes you full for ten days. Now..." Cado grinned evilly. "Back to training."

She whimpered, whether it was a blessing or a curse that she had eaten that bean.

XXX

Right now, the two were meditating, sitting in the lotus position. "Focus your mind on your centre," Cado instructed, his voice seeming so far away to Mai. She tried to empty her mind and focus on inner peace or whatever she was supposed to find. But unfortunately her thoughts kept wandering. Why wasn't she just allowed to train longer? Even though Cado was an unholy sadist summoned straight from hell, she couldn't deny that his training definitely had results. She was much stronger and faster than before, along with being more durable.

"You're not focusing," Cado interrupted, breaking through her thoughts.

"How would you know?" Mai demanded angrily. There was no way he could know that her mind was wandering.

"You're wondering why you can't spend more time training instead of wasting your time with mediation," Cado said simply, making Mai gasp. How had he known what she was thinking?

"It's simple," Cado answered for her. "Your energy is erratic. It's not focused, not calm. You're so focused on simply getting stronger and impressing birdman that you can't meditate properly."

"H-How-" "I just know," he said simply. "It's good that you have a goal, but if you don't focus, you won't properly reach your goal. Clear your mind." He took her hands in his, making her note how rough and scarred they were. "Strength is nothing if you don't have a solid foundation."

Mai was stunned. She didn't know that this brash and arrogant fighter could sound so... wise. Nodding at his words, she closed her eyes. She reached deep inside her to the core of her very being. She felt warmth deep down inside her. She smiled, but seemed to still focus on the warmth. "I think I found it."

"Good," Cado nodded, smiling. "Now grab onto the centre you feel inside you and try to pull it to the surface."

Mai focused and her centre expanded, until it engulfed her whole body. Her skin seemed to visibly glow slightly as she continued to meditate.

"Now push the energy out through your hands," Cado said, knowing that the hands were the easiest place to summon your energy, apart from the feet.

Mai pushed her centre out toward her hands and opened her eyes just in time to see a flicker between her hands. A few seconds later there was a second flicker, then a third. Finally the flickering light solidified into a small ball of energy.

Cado grinned, seeing Mai's exhausted, but happy, face. "Good. Now, to properly use your energy..."

XXX

Mai yelled, charging at Cado with high speeds. He blocked, still smirking. He had placed his solar watch on his wrist, along with having his gravity belt at seventy-five times normal Earth gravity. He pushed her back, advancing on her quickly. She pushed off against the ground, trying to fly. Scoffing, Cado lashed out with a kick to her abdomen, making her cough and be launched backwards.

She quickly used her hands to spring herself upwards, panting. She had finally managed to get a good grip on her turtle shell, and was even able to walk around with it normally after a ten days of non-stop training. Her fists lit up on fire as she charged at him, using several explosions to boost her momentum and power to attacks. Her elbow connected with his forearm. Disengaging, she swung out with a kick that Cado pushed away, allowing him to respond with his own.

She crossed her arms, flying back slightly. While in mid-air, she launched dozens of fireballs of him. Cado leapt up, several small platforms appearing before his legs as he hopped side-by-side, avoiding the fireballs. He kneed her in the gut, then performed a Tatsumaki Senpukyaku that made her be launched sideways, hitting the dirt and skidding slightly.

"Not bad," Cado commented, landing on the ground. "You're much more faster than before, and your strikes are more sharper."

"Still not enough to match you," she noted.

"Please, you could never match me," Cado teased, making her grit her teeth. "But you are getting better."

"Thank you," she noted, standing up. "Hey, are you and B-Bulma okay? If I did anything-"

"You didn't," Cado noted, his smile fading. Bulma had started talking to him after a week of considering his words. She said that she understood, and was willing to accept his offer, but with several conditions. First, she wanted him to wait before he started looking for any other women, so that she could spend as much time with each other as possible. And second, he had to actually know and like the woman, not pick her because she was beautiful or sexy.

Cado agreed with that, then kissed her immediately afterwards, happy.

He smiled again, catching her attention. "Anyways, I guess we can take a break for now."

"Oh, thank you!" She stretched, her chest jutting out as she bent her back slightly. She noticed that Cado discretely looked away after noticing, blushing. She couldn't help but smile happily after that.

Mai felt confused. She still loved Andy, or at least, she thought she did. Truth be told, she was happy with him. Quite happy. But even she could admit that Andy had his own flaws that made it hard to be with him. He wasn't very expressive. She could tell that he loved her, but he had trouble showing it. He was mostly stoic, only showing true passion when training or when he was with his brother. Mai could tell that it wasn't his fault, but she couldn't help but want him to show that he loved her.

When she was training with Cado, she felt... excited. Ignoring when he was a slave-driver 95% of the time, she could tell that he wanted her to do her best. He never explicitly stated it, but she could read it with her actions. He was also deeply motivated with his training. While she could say the same thing about Andy, Cado acted as if fighting was a true art to him, a burning passion. She could tell that he loved fighting, as evident by all the training he did.

But, aside from fighting, Mai also noted that Cado had a warm personality. He was definitely arrogant and cocky, but he was kind, in a way. Approachable. He could talk with her easily, finding any topic to talk about with her. Mainly fighting.

Another thing she had learned was that Cado was a genius, like his girlfriend Bulma Briefs. He had seen him write down several notes in a notebook, talking about several things like dimensional travel, energy transfer, and different bits and pieces on technology that flew over Mai's head. He even tried explaining it to her once, but she was left baffled.

But the thing she loved most about Cado was his passion. He loved what he did, and had no problem expressing that to her. Not verbally, but through his actions and fists. When they fought (more like 'played' with, since Cado always took it easy on her), she could tell that he always wanted things to be at the extreme, always wanted to push himself for his benefit.

She especially liked his smile. It was usually in the form of a smirk, but when he did smile, her body felt warm, like she enjoyed being the one he showed it to.

"So, you ready for more training?" he asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Y-Yes," she stammered, blushing. Best keep my thoughts to myself, she thought as they continued.

XXX

Cado and Mai were now at the King of Fighters Tournament, waiting for Mai to be allowed to enter. She was wearing a different outfit this time; a red-and-pink kimono that hugged her curves, and revealed only one leg. The kimono had a rose pattern to it that complimented the colours.

Mai looked towards Cado, slightly nervous. "D-Do you really think that I have a chance?"

Cado looked at her, smiling. "Of course. I trained you, after all. It'd be embarrassing for me to have you lose."

"Of course, you make it about your ego," she grumbled, making Cado chuckle. "Mai!" a voice called out, making her turn around and see who called her. Her eyes widened at seeing who it was. "A-Andy," she whispered.

Andy walked towards the duo, a slight limp in his gait. He had stitches across his mouth, but he looked the same as the last time the two saw him. He smiled, the image looking quite gruesome with his stitches. He was about to say something, when he looked towards Cado. "You!" he hissed, glaring.

Instead of responding, Cado started to laugh. "O-Oh, God. Your speech is much more hilarious last time! Now you fit the bird stereotype much more better!"

"Shu' it!" Andy growled... which only made Cado laugh even harder. Even Mai had a smile on her face. Seeing this, Andy glared at her. "You thin' this is f'nny?"

"N-No!" she quickly denied, trying to hide her giggles.

"An'ways, where were you?" he asked, angry. "While I was getting treated for my mouth-" Cado laughed even louder at that "-you weren't there!"

"I was training," she responded. "For the tournament."

"Tr'ning?" Looking at how close the two were, he frowned angrily. "So you were mee'ing with each other behind my back?!"

"What?! No!" Mai denied quickly, making Cado stop laughing and look incredulously at him.

"How c'ld you?! This is the same guy who put me and my brother into hospital! And you've been spreading your legs like a whore to him?!"

"Oi, birdman! Calm down!" Cado barked, drawing attention to the two. "She tried to avenge you by attacking me! Which didn't work, obviously, but the point still stands!"

"A lik'ly story," Andy muttered, glaring at him. "It wasn't enough that you had to humiliate me and my brother, but you also took my fiancée from me?!"

"Andy-" "Shut up, slut!" Andy roared, Mai wide-eyed in horror, while the entire crowd surrounding them went silent. He was about to say something, when Cado gripped his neck, choking him. He kicked out frantically, trying to break free as he gasped for air.

"I should rip out your tongue, and make throw you into the sun for that comment," Cado threatened silently, eyes burning red. Andy shook in horror. "The only reason that I don't make you fly like an actual bird is because I want to watch as you enter this tournament, and have Mai crush you like a bug." Cado dropped him on his ass, the blonde shaking in horror. "Now, scurry along, before I make good on my words."

Wasting no time, Andy scrambled up and ran inside the tournament hall. He then looked at the approaching crowd, looking at them darkly. That was enough for them to scramble in fear, running inside.

Mai didn't pay attention to any of that. She just kept repeating Andy's words inside her head, the word 'slut' ringing in her head. Tears came to her eyes, but a hand was placed on her shoulder. "Mai, don't focus on what he said."

"B-But he said-" "I know what he said," Cado interrupted, staring into her eyes. "And I know it's not true. When we fought initially, you intended to defeat me, even while knowing you had no chance against me. I still think you were an idiot for that. But I also know, that you loved that fool. Now, things have changed. I know he's hurt you, but you to promise me something."

"What's that?" she asked, wiping her eyes clear of tears.

Cado smiled. "Break him."

XXX

It was now the third round of the tournament, and Mai was now making her way towards the ring. It had a diner-like scenery, with the crowd on the side watching. Her opponent was Terry, who had bandages wrapped up on his arms, legs and chest.

"Round 3," the announcer, an elderly man, called out, hand raised. "Fight!"

Just as Mai was about to fight, Terry said, "Mai, what the hell's wrong with you?!" She stopped, a knowing look on her face. "How could you cheat on my brother like that?! Yeah, we lost, fair and square. But that doesn't mean that you should run off with someone else while Andy was unconscious! That's disgrac-"

Terry was interrupted as Mai instantly disappeared and reappeared in front of him, jabbing him in the chest twice. She followed it up with an axe-kick that connected with his collarbone, bringing him to his knees. The match ended when she connected a brutal front kick to Terry's chin, knocking him back severely and making him land on the ground, unconscious.

The crowd was silent for a moment, partly because of the quick takedown, and partly because they couldn't believe that Mai would win. The silence was interrupted by Cado's loud cheering and clapping. "Hell yeah! That's my student!"

Mai blushed under the praise as the rest of the crowd cheered as well.

XXX

Throughout the matches, Mai dominated each one, using mainly her speed and strength to pick apart any opponent she came across. Cado watched with pride at the fruits of his labours. He even smiled widely as she was particularly brutal by applying her fire to her strikes, burning most of her foes. I'm so proud, he noted, wiping away a tear at his work displayed beautifully. Every time she won a match, Cado's cheers were always the loudest, pushing Mai further.

Pretty soon, she came upon the ninth match, making Cado grin widely at the set-up.

"Round 9," the announcer called out, Mai and Andy standing on opposite sides from him. "Fight!"

Unlike most of her matches, Mai didn't burst forward. She stared at Andy sadly. "Andy, why? Why did you say those hurtful words to me outside?" she asked, sadness on her face.

Andy glared at her. "You know why! I can't believe that you'd cheat on me! With him!"

"I've done no such thing!" Mai suddenly yelled, furious. "If anything, I only went to him for training because he could've helped me become stronger! For me and for you!"

Andy's eyes widened at that, a confused and slightly regretful look on his face. "I..."

"To think, that all of the effort I put in, to prove myself..." Mai grit her teeth, glaring at him. "And you threw that in my face!" She charged forward, tripping Andy and allowing the back of her fist to greet his falling face. She followed through with several rapid-fire flaming punches all around, making Andy stumble back. Andy charged, going for a sweeping attack.

Mai simply leapt upwards, the great height covered shocking the crowd. Though that didn't even come close to the shock they felt when they saw her staying motionless in the air, apparently flying.

"Y-You can fly?!" Andy exclaimed, stunned. Mai didn't answer, only raising her hand and charging up a very small ki blast. She yelled, shooting the attack downwards. Andy had enough sense to dodge, the area where he previously stood scorched. She kept on firing several weak ki blasts, forcing Andy to move. He responded by firing several fireballs at her, only for her to gently glide across the air, dodging them seemingly.

After cornering him in a particular place, Mai quickly descended downwards, her feet touching the ground. She dashed forward, her flaming fingers flying and poking and picking at several of Andy's weak points. The blonde yelled out in pain as he was launched out of the ring, body wracked in pain.

"Winner, Mai Shiranui!" the announcer called out loudly.

"YES!" Cado cheered, fist pumping high in the air. He jumped out of the stands, landing on the ring. He picked up Mai in a massive hug, swinging her around. "I knew you could do it! And I'm glad that you listened to me!"

Mai laughed alongside him, hugging him as well. "T-Thank you! Thank you very much! It was through your help I was even able to make it this far!"

"Of course, it was through my amazing skills that you were able to win," Cado scoffed arrogantly.

"And you had to ruin it," Mai sighed, the Saiyatonian putting her down. She frowned, looking behind her. Seeing her expression, Cado sighed. "Go. But if you get back with him, then you're an idiot."

"Thank you for your vote of confidence," she responded sarcastically. She then walked towards the downed Andy, who was being tended to by doctors. He looked up to Mai, a solemn expression on his face. "I screwed up, didn't I?"

"You did, yes," Mai nodded, surprised at how calm she felt.

Nodding, Andy smiled a little. "I see. I'm... sorry. I guess my humiliating loss, coupled with the fact that you didn't see me while I was recovering... I-I'm sorry... for my words."

Hesitating, Mai decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, if only due to the circumstances. "I accept your apology. And I'm sorry for not being there for you."

"No, it's fine." His eyes weakly drifted towards Cado, then back to Mai. "Are you going to stop pursuing me?"

Mai was silent for a good, long moment. She sighed deeply. "I... I don't know."

"Is this because of... him?" Andy questioned, voice tinged with a little bitterness.

"P-Partly. Your actions I may have forgiven, that did still hurt. And..." Mai was silent again, before speaking. "I've just been doing some thinking while training, about... us, and-"

"S-Say no m're," Andy interrupted, making Mai blink. "I-I know I haven't been the best to you, and I-I'm sorry. I guess that I've been so cons'med by my training and inferiority complex, that I hav'n't been focusing on you. And I s'rry about that. I-If he makes you happy, pursue him."

"H-He's already taken," Mai revealed, a pang in her chest at having to reveal that.

Andy blinked, but still continued. "T-Then pursue the one that you will love. One th't'll treat you... with the respect that I couldn't. And b-be happy."

Nodding, Mai stood up, smiling at Andy. "Thank you, Andy. And... goodbye." With that, she walked away. Her heart felt free for a long time... yet, there was an underlying sadness to it.

How can I be pursue that person... when he's already taken? she lamented, taking Cado's hand in hers as they walked away.

Done! Also a quick one, but been busy with some stuff, so this didn't come out yesterday.

Another casual chapter, with Cado taking on Mai as a student, and her dominating the entire tournament. The bit with Andy I felt appropriate, which managed to resolve itself in the end.

And also, Cado explained the ways of the Saiyans (and Kryptonians), and she's accepted! Fun harem time!

One more chapter or two, and then it's off to the Tournament. Hope y'all look forward to it.

Read and Review!