A/N: Eeep. Sorry this took so long.... I sorta lost interest in this one for a bit as I was working on Day of Darkness. And then a couple new Original Novel ideas came to mind so I started on them, then I started Unrivaled, Return of Recoome, and then The Darkness Overcomes you, and I've got a girlfriend too, and... Life is hectic. Fun, but hectic.

Chapter Fourteen - A Glimpse of Gold

The four warriors stood motionless for a moment before Koshou suddenly shot forward. Ha-bu brought his arms up and blocked her punch but was still knocked backward a few feet. With a cry he lunged in at her and the two began to exchange blows. "What are you waiting for!" Ha-bu called back to him. "Get moving!"

"I will not ru..." Vegeta was cut off by a loud crack and fist slamming into his face. Shio had decided to quit just standing around and get involved in the fight. Vegeta stabilized himself just in time to block another punch from Shio, much to her surprise. Vegeta grinned as he brought his knee up and smashed it into her jaw. He swung a fist at her but she dodged around to the side and then threw a kick of her own. Vegeta ducked under it and then smashed a fist into her stomach.

/This isn't possible.../ Shio thought as she pulled back holding her stomach. /How is he able to keep up with me? Well, no matter, I can fix that quickly enough./ Shio smirked and drifted back from Vegeta clenching her fists. Her aura flickered to life and then she threw her arms and head back with a loud scream. Energy rippled out about her as her muscles bulked, her hair waving in the wind she was making.

Her five foot from began to stretch then and Vegeta watched on in shock. After a moment she was seven and a half foot tall and her muscles were far more obvious. Her skin tone had deepened considerably to a midnight blue, her orange hair was now red and her eyes were purple. "Now, where were we?" she asked smirking.

Vegeta drifted back. A common trait among call creatures was the ability to transform but he'd never encountered it beyond that Saibaman from before. Vegeta shot in with a cry and swung his right fist at her face as hard and fast as he could. It connected with it's target with a loud crack but Shio didn't move. Vegeta's eyes widened and he drifted backwards. "Wha-what! There's no way!"

"I told you to go!" Ha-bu shouted down. With a growl he turned back to Koshou and clenched his fists. Ha-bu let out a roar as his body suddenly bulked up. His muscles bulged larger, he grew four foot taller, went bald, and his eyes turned pure red. A bright red aura pulsing about him he shot in at Koshou. Shio noticed his transformation and launched up to help her sister and the three vanished from sight.

/What! They're that fast that I can't see them!/

"You really should go know, while they are distracted." a voice said from behind Vegeta.

The prince turned and his eyes widened. The man standing before him looked so much like him and his father. His skin was a bit more tan, he had a mustache but no beard, his hair was blonde, and his eyes green, but otherwise... he was a spitting image of them. "Who... are you?"

"An old friend." he replied. "I don't know how you got here while still alive but you really should go."

"I can't just leave. I have to finish this... challenge, whatever the hell it is, first. Otherwise the portal wont open."

"Portal? Challenge? Wait, were you sent down here by a talking frog?"

Vegeta arched an eyebrow. "Frog? No, it was a cat."

"Figures. Stupid Kais, they did this, didn't they?" The blonde looked up at the three fighting figures. "So, what are they up to now? Hmm? Why send you down here?"

"Training." Vegeta replied. "For the coming war."

"War?"

"The Demons are free again and they are trying to revive Buu." Vegeta growled. "I can't even stand up to these three! I need to become stronger to defeat the Demons, I'll never win otherwise. Not on my own at least." There was a light crackle above Vegeta's head and he looked up. The space was distorting and shifting as a hole began to open.

"Looks like you accomplished what you came for Vegeta." the blonde man said. "To discover and admit to yourself that you can't do this alone and that you aren't unbeatable. I should know, I had to learn the same thing myself a long time ago. Don't forget this, and don't let your ego or pride get in your way either."

Vegeta looked at him for a moment but the man suddenly vanished. With a last glance at the flashes of light above him from the battle Vegeta lifted up and passed through the opening which closed behind him. He passed up through the tunnel of darkness quickly, eyes locked on the pin of light above him. Slowly it grew larger and larger. Despite how fast he was climbing it still took him a good ten minutes to emerge into the lower chamber of the tower.

As his feet clicked back down on the floor he heard soft applause behind him. "Not bad Vegeta, not bad." Korin said. "You pulled that off in only a week."

"A week! What are you going on about? I was there for a day at the most!"

Korin shook his head. "No, it was a weak. Were you ever knocked out while down there?"

"Yes but..."

"Then there's your lost time Vegeta, but either way you were down there for a week. Now, get moving, up to the Lookout with you."

"But what about..."

"Moving me? No need. You passed the challenge, that's just as good."

"Good." Vegeta said walking past him and towards the steps. He was jut about to begin climbing up them when he stopped and looked back at the cat. "This may sound strange, but... did a Frog have your position before you?"

"No." Korin replied. Vegeta frowned and turned to head back up the steps. Korin waited until he'd taken a couple steps before speaking. "Yaser, the Frog you speak of, held this position long before I was even born. He was the second to be here. I am the hundredth."

Vegeta stopped again and looked back at Korin for a long moment. Suddenly he began to smirk as he turned and climbed the stairs again.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Goku, Brolly, Krillin, and Yamcha all lay on the lookout staring up at the sky and panting heavily. Behind them sat Tien meditating. "Owwww." Krillin moaned again. "My whole body hurts now..."

"Yeah... great isn't it?" Goku asked grinning.

"You're a strange one Goku." Krillin muttered.

Standing a few feet away, arms crossed, was Piccolo. He was breathing heavily as well but not nearly as badly as the five downed Humans. "That was better." he said gruffly. Krillin and Yamcha had just spared against Tien while Brolly and Goku had gone against him. "But still not nearly enough. I have about as much chance at beating Cold as you two," he nodded to Krillin and Yamcha, "Have at beating me."

The two sat up partially, groaned, and then fell back down again. "Give us a break Piccolo!" Krillin cried. "We're only Human."

"Tien, Brolly, and Goku are Human as well." Piccolo replied. "So is Saiya and he can almost beat me."

Yamcha groaned again and sat up. "Man, if I'd known what was going to happen if I went Dragonball hunting with Bulma last month I never would have gone." He rubbed the back of his head as he climbed shakily to his feet. "How much longer until the Budokai anyway? I mean, we are still entering, right?"

Piccolo nodded. "It will be good training, but the tournament is still a few months off."

Goku suddenly sat up grinning. "Vegeta!" he called out. Piccolo grinned as the others looked at him and then around the lookout for any sign of the arrogant teen but saw nothing. Krillin was about to say something when Vegeta came up from below and landed on the edge of the lookout. "Yeah! I knew it was you sensed! Where have you been?!"

"I see you passed the Challenge." Kami said emerging from the Shrine. "And in record time I might add." He looked over to Popo. "Mr. Popo, if you will."

"Yes Kami." The man said before floating over and landing across from Vegeta. "Now you must take the same test as the others. Hit me with a KI blast, you get three tries."

Vegeta frowned at him as he looked over to the others. The others, save Tien and Piccolo, were watching with interest. Vegeta turned his gaze back toward Popo and raised an arm pointing it at him. A ball of purple KI formed in front of his arm and surged for Popo but vanished a few inches away. "What?!"

"It is harder to use KI here than down on the Earth." Popo explained. "Your skill and heart, among other things, will determine if the attack will work or fail, and how it will appear. Try again."

Vegeta raised his arm again and purple KI began to arc around his palm once more. And then he remembered what the other man had told him down in Hell and the reason he'd been sent on the Challenge. Suddenly the energy around his palm began to shift blue. After a moment longer he fired the energy and as it moved through the air it turned golden before slamming into Popo's outstretched arm.

"Nicely done Vegeta." Kami said. "You seem to be ready, come, follow me." He turned walked back into the Shrine with Vegeta following a moment later.

"Man, I can't wait until he's done with the main training. I could already feel that his power had increased considerably compared to before..." Goku said.

"Never mind him for now." Piccolo grunted as he uncrossed his arms. "Tien, you're up. We'll let these other weaklings get some rest."

Tien opened his eyes and floated up onto his feet. "Ready when you are Piccolo."