Chapter 8

GOKU

"So now they're telling us 'we're not rivals,'" Vegeta snarled as they entered their room. "Well that's just great! And will somebody kindly tell me what will happen the next time that lunatic gets it in his head to hold a tournament? How will we win then, when we've spent all our time training another universe's fighters?"

Goku let the other man vent. He'd gotten used to Vegeta's temper years ago and knew the best tactic was to let him complain without interruption. Vegeta didn't even care if Goku was listening as he angrily removed first his gloves, then his armour.

"They're not even worth our time!" Vegeta went on, "There were much stronger fighters in the tournament than them!"

Goku settled on his bed, clothes discarded next to his boots, and wondered who it was that Vegeta was trying to convince.

"Aw, come on Vegeta," Goku eventually cut in, "They were fun to fight!" He sat up on his bed, ignoring the disgruntled look on Vegeta's face. "The first tournament was great! And even though they weren't the strongest in the Tournament of Power, those girls were really fun and they had other good fighters too."

"The tournament wasn't about fun, Kakarot," Vegeta snapped, rounding on him, "It was about surviving!"

Goku let Vegeta's anger wash over him, unfazed. Vegeta was only saying now what he couldn't say in front of Whis.

"And we did!" Goku reminded him. "And just think of how much universe six' fighters will 've improved!" Goku was excited just at the thought. Yes, fighting Jiren again would be fun, too, but so would fighting the saiyans from universe six. And Hit.

"You train them then! I don't need the distraction." Vegeta retorted, turning his back in a clear sign the conversation was over.

Goku didn't mind. He was far too excited at the thought of having more people to train with, long used to Vegeta's temper and tired enough that he was out as soon as his head touched his pillow.

CAULIFLA

Gods, that box was a bore! Perhaps she should have been more impressed by the fact that she'd just travelled to another universe, but that box was nothing but dull and there was nowhere to sit but the floor. Surely something a little more comfortable wasn't unreasonable? She'd seen the tricks Vados could pull off with that staff of hers after all.

Stepping out into fresh air at last, she couldn't help the burst of excitement she felt at seeing the two tall saiyans again.

It had been almost a year since the tournament and, despite the training they'd been receiving, she hadn't been able to shake the longing for another fight like those they'd had in the tournament. She practically itched to get started.

It didn't matter that they'd only be sparring, nor that she knew she wasn't a match for them, she needed to feel that thrill again.

Vegeta scowled at the three of them, barely acknowledging Cabba's bow, but Son Goku grinned at them happily and waved.

"Vegeta san, Goku san, please show our guests to their rooms." Whis directed before turning back to her group. "You'll have some time to settle in while Vegeta san and Goku san finish their chores. They'll be back to collect you in half an hour for lunch, after which we will begin training." Whis inclined his head as he finished, then turned and left with Vados, falling into quiet conversation.

"I bet you all need to pee!" Son Goku started cheerfully as they headed in the same direction Whis had gone. "I always do when I get here…"

She tuned him out as he continued, aware of Kale walking uncomfortably beside her. "It's definitely different, isn't it?" Caulifla murmured, linking her arm with Kale's.

"Huh?" Kale asked, a little startled.

"The tree." She elaborated, gesturing to their surroundings and the overbearingly large tree before them. .

"Yeah…" Kale answered musingly," What do you think that's all about?"

"No idea…" Caulifla admitted.

A few steps ahead of them, Goku looked back at them. "Isn't Champa's planet like this?"

Kale shook her head. "It's completely different." She whispered.

"Huh!" Goku scratched the back of his head, looking thoughtful. "I wonder why…"

"Maybe it's to do with their personality!" Caulifla laughed. "Champa's the spoiled fat housecat and Beerus is the scrawny feral cat. They definitely look the parts." Maybe the laughter was more for Kale's sake than because she found the statement particularly funny, or maybe it was the nervous excitement coursing through her, but Champa definitely deserved to be laughed at.

"Caulifla san!" Cabba exclaimed, "You mustn't say things like that where Beerus sama might hear you!"

Maybe he had a point there but the look on his face only made her laugh more. "Oh relax!" She told him, rolling her eyes.

The interior of the tree, when they reached it, was as bizarrely breathtaking as the outside: an enormous staircase spiralled around a central cavity, the open side lined with sprouting lilac crystals, the upper and lower reaches of the staircase fading away into darkness. Hallway after hallway branched off the staircase, each lined by countless doors.

"Where is everyone?" Caulifla asked at last, wonder clear in her voice.

"It's just us."

She nearly tripped at those three words, lurching to a stop and gaping up into the darkness in awe.

"There's nobody else here?" She demanded, her eyes back on the large man. It seemed impossible.

"Just us, Beerus, the Oracle and Whis." Goku nodded.

"But it's enormous!" Kale exclaimed, clearly just as shocked.

"It is pretty big, I guess." Goku agreed, then looked to Vegeta who was clearly getting impatient at the delay. "You'll get used to it. Come on, let's go! The sooner we finish the sooner we can eat!"

Caulifla gaped after him a moment, still stuck trying to process the fact that this entire tree - the size of a city - was uninhabited, and that fact that Goku was just so blasé about it. Then she pulled herself together, forcing herself and Kale into motion once more and continued the trek up the stairs.

CABBA

Cabba had spent years travelling around the galaxy, staying in various barracks on strange planets and ships alike, but this? This was by far the strangest yet.

He'd been given a bed in the same room as Goku san and Vegeta shishō. It wasn't unusual for him after all these years in the military to be sharing a room, but he suspected that Goku and Vegeta's… relationship, whether that be friendship, rivalry or even familial, was an old thing and he wondered just how he was going to fit into the dynamic, especially since his bed was smack-bang between theirs.

He didn't really want to admit it but he couldn't deny how daunted he felt at what loomed ahead of him. He had no doubt that this training would be intense: Vegeta shishō didn't seem like a man who did anything easy. Ever. And he himself had seen Goku san's ability to push beyond his limits and how excited he got at the prospect of a challenge. Cabba refused to let his shishō down, but he wasn't sure he was up to the same kind of trials these two men endured. He worried he would make a fool of himself.

And strangely, he worried for Kale, too.

He had no doubt in his mind that Caulifla would take care of her protégé, but he'd seen how tenuous Kale's self control was. Whatever her story was - and he was certain that there was one - Kale had issues.

They'd been training together regularly over the last several months and Cabba had learnt just how easily Kale could be pushed to breaking point. Physically, she could handle the training, but emotionally… Well, that was a different case some days.

And Cabba wasn't as fierce as Caulifla, but he had become an Elite to protect people. That included people like Kale. He didn't want to live with the guilt of knowing that his actions had drawn her into something that was beyond her capacity to handle.

Deciding that fretting alone in his room would get him nowhere, but also not feeling confident in his ability to navigate the behemoth tree, Cabba left the room and knocked on the next door along.

He only had to wait a short moment before the door opened, Kale stood nervously on the other side.

He had to bite down on a smile as he saw further into the room. In contrast to the impersonal room next door, the two women already had music playing from a small speaker, their small packs already emptied and things scattered around the room from tablets to makeup to stacks of clothes waiting to be put away. It looked far more welcoming than the other room where the only "personalisation" was the space between the beds and the spare set of clothes each of the men had stored in the small wardrobe.

"Am I intruding?" He asked Kale.

The grey eyed girl shook her head but looked uncomfortable. After several months of regular training with the young woman he was used to her nervousness and knew her discomfort wasn't necessarily a sign he was unwelcome, but he still didn't quite know how to react to it.

"Are you looking forward to training this afternoon?" He inquired, hoping to draw her into conversation.

"Ano…" she hesitated, looking down at her fingers as she fretted.

"Sure she is!" Caulifla cheered, clapping Kale on the back as she came up beside her.

Cabba wasn't so sure, but he didn't feel like risking an argument with the lively woman. To his surprise, Kale elbowed Caulifla and pinned her with a sidewards look, a small smile on her lips. Caulifla just grinned back at her and Cabba had to remind himself that, no matter how imbalanced their relationship appeared, the two of them were firm friends. More than friends perhaps.

Cabba was ripped from his thoughts by a bark of noise. "Are we going, or do you need more time for your mother's meeting?"

Cabba startled at the sharp sound of Vegeta shishō's voice, going slightly rigid in response, spine straight.

The older man was stood at the end of the hallway but made no move to approach any closer.

Cabba gave a quick bow but he hadn't missed the scowl on Caulifla's face at being spoken to like that. He just hoped she wouldn't say anything. They didn't need a fight breaking out before they'd even started training.

The way to the dining room was simple enough, but Cabba was sure he wouldn't be able to find his way back to their rooms without help: he'd simply lost count of how many times they'd rounded the gargantuan staircase and most of the floors looked the same.

This room was different though: the outer wall was rounded and filled with windows. Windows that looked out into the lake. It reminded him of a cat looking into an aquarium but in reverse.

In the centre of the room was a large table, veritably laden with food. He was relieved to see that most of the food was familiar, either from his visit to Earth or from home. He enjoyed trying new foods but he had a feeling it would be easy to get overwhelmed staying in a new universe.

That thought brought a wave of unease: nothing about these next weeks or months would be easy. But he'd faced everything up until now with a cool professionalism, he'd do the same now, too.

CAULIFLA

"I'm going to die…"

She knew it.

It was simple fact. No point getting upset about it.

Caulifla wasn't even sure she'd had enough breath or energy for even Cabba to hear her, and he was barely two steps away.

The months training with Vados paled in comparison to this.

Vados' training had consisted predominantly of teaching her and Kale form. Neither of them had ever had any kind of formal training, something Vados claimed had worked against them in the tournament and put them approximately thirty-plus years behind their universe seven counterparts. Even Cabba had received several years of training in the military. Caulifla's only experience came from brawling: something she'd done plenty of. Kale had even less experience than that.

That meant that the last year had been spent cramming in as much training as possible. Countless different forms and styles so that they at least had a base upon which to build. There hadn't been time for anything else.

Now, Whis had them carrying blocks around the perimeter of the planet.

When Caulifla had seen the block she'd naively assumed that it wouldn't be too terrible. The position in which they'd have to carry it looked challenging, but the block itself was small and wouldn't be too heavy.

Oh, she'd been wrong.

Whis had explained that each block's weight was tailored to their own strength; that theirs were smaller to match their stature, but that that didn't affect the weight; that indeed, each of them had a different weight, though he hadn't specified who had what.

Whis had also explained that for the first three days, there was no time limit to the task, but that after that grace period, the time limit would be very tight indeed, so they should do their best to keep moving at all times.

That had elicited a grumble of complaint from Goku.

"No fair, Whis san! You nearly let the ground disappear from under me, my first day. And that was after doing chores!"

"Yes, indeed, Goku san." Whis replied with a nod. "But what's unfair is that for that comment you will have to go twice as fast as normal, today."

"What?!" Goku whined, gaping at the Angel while Vegeta laughed in that cruel way of his. "Come on Whis san, you don't mean that!"

"I do. And the same applies to Vegeta."

Vegeta's laugh cut off abruptly and he shot a glare at his friend as he hurried into position at his block.

Goku too leapt into action, mirroring the same stance.

Caulifla had shared a slightly apprehensive look with Kale, then moved to do the same.

When Whis had given the command to begin, she'd waited momentarily to watch Goku and Vegeta since both of them had more experience, and was confused to see the strained looks on their faces as they moved off at a slow shuffle, clearly struggling to lift the blocks. Bracing herself, Caulifla had tried to lift her own block. Only to find that she couldn't.

She'd looked sideways to see Kale and Cabba had also both failed to so much as lift their blocks. But as she'd watched, Cabba had taken a deep breath, bracing himself once more, and had lifted the block, a strained groan escaping him. By the time he'd taken just a single step, sweat was begging to break out on his forehead and he was trembling with the strain.

Not one to let herself be outdone and not wanting to watch long enough for the looming sense of dread to settle in, she'd braced herself for another go.

Finally, on her third attempt she'd managed to lift the block, just moments after Kale had succeeded in lifting her own.

Together they'd started their staggering lap of the planet.

At first, she'd paced herself to stay with Kale. Her protégé had incredible strength but struggled with stamina, and this task was definitely a matter of endurance. Now, halfway to the first corner, she was struggling for each and every step, convinced that this time, she'd collapse; this time her racing heart would just give out.

She could hear Kale's loud breathing not far behind her and, had she the energy to turn her head, she was sure she'd see a look of purest strain on Cabba's face where he struggled on. He was abreast with her now, just a couple of steps to her left.

Goku and Vegeta were long out of sight.

'What am I doing here?' She asked herself. This was way beyond anything she was capable of.

They'd started half way along this side, now she was half-way to the corner. One sixteenth. One sixteenth. That's all she'd done, and she already felt like she was at her limit.

'Don't. Think. About. It.' She told herself. 'Just one more step. One more. Now another. Another. Another.'

And so, she made her slow, agonising way forward.

Caulifla

Caulifla felt like she was hallucinating when a pair of shoes appeared in her line of sight. Confused, she looked up, her vision swimming and her thoughts fuzzy.

There was a man in front of her.

A blue man.

Her mind couldn't comprehend what she was seeing, too focused on keeping going, one step after another.

The man tapped a stick on the ground and Caulifla stumbled, then fell backwards onto the ground.

The weight was gone.

How-

She blinked up at the man, dazed, and heaved in breath after breath. She tried to make sense of what was going on and failed until she saw a person stagger into view beside her.

Kale, her mind supplied. That was Kale.

Whis tapped his staff once more, Caulifla's mind now beginning to fill in the blanks from moments before, and Kale's weight also vanished. Kale fell to her knees, her breathing ragged, and Caulifla took in the state of her friend's arms.

Angry red bands outlined where the edge of the long cuffs had been and her fingers were an unhealthy shade of purple. Caulifla looked down to see that her arms had fared no better. Then she looked up, taking in her surroundings for the first time.

To Caulifla's left, Cabba was collapsed against a tree, drinking - or rather spilling - water from a cannister held by a trembling arm. His face was flushed and he gasped for breaths between each gulp. Caulifla wanted to be angry that he'd beaten her, but she didn't have the energy left for that.

A few meters further along than Cabba, Goku and Vegeta were doing press ups, their weights now on their backs. Both were sweating but neither of them looked fazed by the lap they'd done, and Goku was chatting happily in spite of both the intensity of the workout and Vegeta's palpable lack of interest.

"We-" Caulifla croaked between gasps, "we have to-" she cut off again. She couldn't even form the words: she didn't have the breath to speak them nor the energy to complete even one press up with that weight on her back, and voicing it just felt like signing her own death warrant.

Luckily Whis answered without forcing her to elaborate further. "No Caulifla san. You may both have a moment to rest, then all three of you are to run five laps, this time without the weight. When you return you will all be continuing your strength training, though I believe I should perhaps reduce the weight. Vegeta san and Goku san still have several thousand repetitions to go, so you have time."

Caulifla felt the world swim around her at the mere thought of all that exercise. Just a single lap had pushed her to a level of exhaustion she'd never known before, and now she was listening to what she'd have to do next. Then she felt even worse as reality fully reasserted itself, her brain finally getting enough oxygen to work fully: this was just the first task of the day, with several more to follow. And this was only the first day of many.

Caulifla had known this would be hard - incredibly hard - but she'd never expected to be pushed to the edge of delirium by the warm up! She felt sick. A mixture of exhaustion, shame and horror churning in her stomach.

Caulifla didn't know how she was going to do this, but she had to. And somehow she'd have to get Kale through this too.

GOKU

Goku had watched as the three universe six saiyans had shuffled and wobbled their way along the final stretch of the lap and wondered whether Whis was being particularly harsh today or if they really were this unused to training.

Whis had certainly been pushing him and Vegeta during their lap: giving them both heavier blocks than previously and then making them move at almost double speed. And it wasn't as if their training was easy in the first place. But Goku supposed that Whis was actually rather generous in not hurrying the new three, which probably meant that training at this intensity was new to them. He felt a stab of sympathy for them: he remembered his first day's of training with master Roshi and just how tired he'd felt after those first milk runs, then decades later, his first day of training with Whis. This training wasn't just about strength, but stamina. If you'd never done it before then it didn't matter how strong or fit you were, this would push you to your limit.

The only difference between him, Vegeta, and the three universe six fighters, was that both he and Vegeta had been training and fighting at their limits for years: their bodies had learnt to recover faster and to pace themselves,even during such gruelling tasks. It would take the others time to reach the point where they could that hard and then recover quickly enough to move on to the next task.

"Tch!" Vegeta scoffed beside him, and Goku turned to glance at his friend before continuing his push-ups. "Whis is going easy on them. They're no challenge at all if this is the best they can do."

"Yeah…" Goku conceded, closing his eyes as a drop of sweat ran down his face, "but he took it easy on me my first day, too."

"That just proves my point," Vegeta insisted sullenly, "You're no challenge either."

Goku chuckled to himself at Vegeta's protests. All it would take to make Vegeta blow a fuse would be to remind him which of them had won the tournament, and Goku would be sure to do just that later on while they were sparring. No point in wasting such great material now. "You've gotta admit: they did well just to finish."

"Hmph." Vegeta either didn't agree or couldn't argue with that.

"If you two have got the energy to talk, perhaps you should be working with heavier weights…" Whis sounded as serene as ever as he strode up to them.

In lieu of answering, both of them shut up and started going faster.

"You may be right, Vegeta," Whis said a couple of minutes later, having stayed in position as he watched the three younger trainees drag themselves up and begin running. "Perhaps they haven't got what it takes to do this training or to give you a challenge. Perhaps they do. Imagine yourself from twenty years ago being dropped into the Tournament with only hours notice and no former training - like Caulifla and Kale - or having had only a year - like Cabba. Could you have achieved as much as they did? Could you have completed that lap this morning, carrying the same weight as your first day here?

"Perhaps they don't have what it takes, but they have earned the right to try." With that, Whis turned and walked away.

A/N: So... I promised I'd try to get this chapter up the same weekend as the last one. That didn't happen. I'm sorry. I swear 2019 is going to be over and I'll have missed it if I just blink too slow! So, in light of that, this is three weeks later than promised and I don't even know how that happened. At this rate the next chapter will be up in October simply because I'll lose track of time.

That aside, a huge thank you to all of you who have favourited or followed this story, it makes me so happy. Reviews even more so! I really hope you're all enjoying it and I really will try harder to get the next chapter up sooner - I have a week off now so maybe I'll get that polished up between all the lesson prep that needs doing. I'll try, at least.