Niy lowered herself onto the dry sandy island. Nothing else surrounded the island but five hundred miles of deep blue sea. She hoped that would be enough.

"Are we going to train here Niy," Gohan asked politely.

"Yes," Niy answered, "I hope this spot is secluded enough from everything else. We're going to be involved in the most intense training you've ever done, Gohan." Niy looked out at the surf and how each wave seemed to crawl further up the shore. They were a reminder of her survival from drowning, and her stomach knotted with the memory.

"What's wrong Niy?"

"Nothing, kid, nothing," Niy said, changing her focus from the water and to leaning Rezan's limp body against a palm tree trunk. Gohan copied her actions and leaned Vegeta against another tree. Niy smiled, the kid was a fast learner.

The heat of the sun boiled overhead, and Niy felt her muscles stiffen so she began to stretch her arms and neck out, when Goku, Mia, and Piccolo appeared right in front of her.

"Piccolo, what happened," Gohan said frowning as he eyed the Namek's tattered clothing.

"Yeah, well it's nice to see you to," the Namek mumbled, but answered the boy's question. "I've been training her," he growled, jerking a finger toward the big purple skinny thing with crystal blue eyes, really long nails, and grey bat wings.

"Um, hi," Mia said, looking at the ground, totally unused to all the attention. "My name is Mia," she said softly.

"I'm Gohan," Gohan replied solidly. "Where are you from?"

Mia's expression brightened a little at the sound of a cheery voice. "I'm from a planet called Relia where everyone there looks like me but in different colors, and-"

"And how did your training go Mia," Niy interrupted rudely. "I see you've grown up while I was away."

Mia's expression immediately fell. Looking at the ground she muttered, "I don't really want to talk about it."

Piccolo's eyes narrowed at Niy. Who was she to question the status of his pupil? She was his child at the moment and he'd be damned if Niy pressured her into a groveling obedience.

"She did exceptionally well for someone who hasn't been trained before," Piccolo said, crossing his arms and catching Niy's eyes. "However, she still needs further training. She lacks the battle experience and mind-set. But, like you Niy, she has a very strong power, and I wouldn't be surprised that when her training is over she beat in you in a fair fight."

Mia looked up at Piccolo, almost teary-eyed with gratitude and care. But Piccolo refused to look at her and seemed to participate in a staring contest with Niy.

Inside of her mind, Niy was enraged. Mia was her child to look after, her child to teach, to manipulate in to something greater and more deadly than the universe had ever seen. And to suggest Mia would one day overtake her? That was extreme. Niy however held a serious, concentrated expression and replied, "We shall see whether you words have merit Piccolo. The day you have finished training her I will hold you to your words."

Gohan frowned at Niy, but was almost jealous inside. He had never had the chance to take out his fighting masters in a duel! What an excellent challenge.

Goku frowned at both of them. The fighting and generally uneasy moods made them weak, and from what he had heard they would need every last fiber of strength in them to defeat the Emperor.

"There will be a day when we can hold our own tournament, I grant you that," Goku said, "but what's more important right now is defeating the Emperor. We have to start joining together instead of this constant bickering. I'm going to revive Vegeta and Rezan here in a few minutes and then we'll have our hands full, so I will need everyone's cooperation." He scanned the group as he chastised them. Niy and Piccolo refused to look up at him for fear that they would feel that humble feeling they got any other time they looked into his eyes. Mia looked up at him and slightly smiled. Gohan beamed at his dad, full of pride. Rezan and Vegeta, well, they slumped against their palm trees.

"Okay," Goku said, now smiling. "I'm going to give Vegeta and Rezan halves of the last sensu bean I have. If you would Niy, please keep Rezan restrained for as long as you can before we can get some sense into her. Gohan, you back her up. I'm going to try to keep Vegeta at bay and Piccolo; I would appreciate it if you backed me up. Mia you can-"

A bright light flashed overhead before Goku could finish his sentence.

"Is it the Emperor," Gohan shouted above the sudden gust of wind.

"No", Niy yelled back, protectively blocking her face from the little dust tornadoes that popped up, "It can't be, it's too early!"

"I'll go check it out," Mia shouted, using the strength of her great wings to propel her quickly and with a steady grace through the air.

"No, Mia, wait!" Niy shouted for her, but Mia was already to far away to hear Niy's call. She flew after the glowing thing and watched it fall and plummet in a huge splash into the ocean. Not exactly knowing what she was doing, but following her instincts, she folded her wings and dove like a falcon from the air. At the last possible second, she opened her wings to their full surface area and put the brakes on her deathly fast decent. She flapped her wings, hovering above the water and noticed a metal, human-sized capsule bobbing up and down in the waves, but sinking fast. Inside it she saw the battered and bruised form of some living being. She leapt onto it, and using her long fingernails, cut the top glass bubble away from the metal frame. Even though she didn't weigh much, the capsule sank faster under her weight and it began to fill with water. She quickly cut the male form from the straps and lifted him out of the capsule. Using some of her ki, she caused her wings to grow and expand until they were almost twice her height. Even though they were of a reasonable size, Mia grunted under the strain as she flapped into the sky, carrying this man from underneath his shoulders.

As she was making her way back to the island, she heard the purple haired-man mutter, "Run, Mom, run and hide. I can't beat him. He's too strong! Too strong! The Emperor is too strong!"