Bulma had grabbed a capsule earlier, before leaving her room, and once she'd gotten out of the palace she'd been glad she had. Now she was speeding across the open expanse between the palace and the Training Grounds atop her air bike. Behind her she could still hear the battle and she could see the fight before her. Not the actual combatants but the flashes of light from their blows, she could feel the gusts of wind and see the ground shaking below her bike. She surged up over a hill and then turned the bike sidways and pulled to a quick stop as she saw King Vegeta and Pug not far away.
She'd just started looking for Vegeta when an explosion of purple came from the ground. She missed the exchange of battle that followed but saw the Prince come crashing down as the other two walked toward him. From where she was she could only faintly make out what was said first by Cooler, then by the King, and then Pug. She did get the basics of it though, Vegeta was safe now it seemed. With a sigh of relief she climbed off the bike and capsulized it again as Pug made his way toward Cooler.
The Changeling grinned and laughed. "So then, the mighty Sai-jin Prince is sidelined by his father's lap dog? I thought you were going to tear me limb from limb. You're just as pathetic as my brother said." Cooler smirked as he saw the Prince's reaction to his comments but then turned his attention to Pug. "Well then, Rondo, do you actually think you can take me?"
"You're out of your league Cooler." Pug said stopping only ten yards away from the other. "Your brother and father may have been far stronger than I but your power is nothing I can't handle."
Cooler reached up and pressed his hand against his neck popping it. "You don't honestly think I'd come here if I didn't know I could win, do you?" he asked after a moment, crossing his arms. "I'm more than you or any monkey could ever hope to match."
"Your only chance at victory is destroying the planet." Pug said. "But that would have only worked with a sneak attack. Either I or King Vegeta could repel any attack you can muster, and even if you got lucky and took out the planet, King Vegeta would still survive long enough to kill you."
Cooler laughed. "Is that so? Well, I see it differently I'm afraid." he pursed his lips as he gazed at the three before him. "Tell me, do you know the history of my family?" he was silent a moment as he looked them over but got no answer. "No, I didn't think so. It's really quite intriguing. It was several hundred years ago that my grandfather was born. Frigid was born with more power than any Changeling before him but wasn't overly exceptional in power.
"You see, the leader of our people at the time could do what no other Changeling could do. He could transform twice. Blizard was the first Changeling in more than a thousand years to attain that level of power and was sure in his position as the strongest Changeling, even if Frigid was stronger than average. But as the decades passed my grandfather's power grew and grew. He gained access to the second form and Blizard took note offering him a position in his ranks. Frigid refused and defied him so Blizard had him put to work in the Crystal Caverns." Cooler flipped his tail about him as he smiled. "Frigid served Blizard for several decades until the one hundredth Tournment of Skulls."
"Tournament of Skulls?" The Prince asked scrunching up his face. He didn't really have any interest in the history of the Cold Family or any Changelings for that matter, but he was interested in how Cooler thought he could win. If that meant a history lesson then so be it.
"Yes. Once every fifty years the Tournament of Skulls was held on our homeworld. Captured traitors to the throne were pitted against each other in battles to the death. The winner of the Tournament was offered two choices. They could be sent to our world's moon to spend the rest of their days or they could challenge our King in hopes of taking his place as ruler. Frigid, as many before him, elected to battle Blizard after he won the tournament.
"The battle was fierce, both warriors in their second forms at the start. But Frigid was losing. It was then he revealed what all believed was his trump card. He transformed into the third Changeling state." Cooler smirked. "The battle turned in his favor for a while but eventually Blizard came back to his senses and transformed as well. The battle moved from the ring of the Tournamnet and out across the planet. No one saw what happened but during that battle Frigid revealed his true trump card. An all new transformation! He had done what none before had achieved. He had accessed the fourth Changeling state!"
King Vegeta narrowed his eyes. He knew Changeling history pretty well. Frieza had insisted on spouting his heritage every chance he got. But there was something with how Cooler was telling it, especially that last part, that he didn't like. /Is it possible? A fifth form? No, that's absurd. Besides, if Cooler could transform he'd have not put up with his brother's constant goading and gloating./
"Get to the point!" the Prince called.
"Patience dear Prince." Cooler said. "There's still much to tell." The Changeling arched his back cracking it before continuing. "With this newly unleashed power he toppled Blizard thus beginning the start of his own Empire. Father had already been born by this point, secretly, within the Crystal Caverns. His power was even more impressive than Frigid's. His first form was stronger than most Changeling's second forms, even at his young age.
"We're not sure what happened to Frigid, we have tattered records of a battle and narrow defeat somewhere in the reaches of space at the start of the Empire. But father took over, even as a child his power exceeded most others. He eventually attained access to his second state and then had my brother and I. I was born first but it was Frieza who first attained the second form. I followed a decade later but his power was growing in leaps and bounds. Neither of us matched the might of Frigid let alone our father but we were still more powerful than the average.
"I broke through to the third form first but Frieza followed only two days later. More time passed and then Frieza followed in Frigid's footsteps and transformed into his fourth form." Cooler's tail lashed out and smashed into the ground. "Even after I did the same a year later his arrogance knew no bounds!" his expression turned to a scowl but faded to a smile as he started to laugh. "I meant to keep it a suprise until the coming Tournament of Skulls in about twenty years' time. I was going to rip that ego of his in half."
King Vegeta tensed. He did not like the sound of this.
"You see, he was sure the fourth form was the ultimate in Changeling power. He trained and trained for a long time and never got beyond it. Eventually he gave up trying to and merely focused on increasing his power in that state. Me... I never gave up. Fifteen years ago it happened. I followed in Frigid's footsteps by attaining a level of power held by no Changeling before me! I had intended my brother to be the first to see it but with him dead I guess that's not an option." Cooler smirked. "However that means you shall receive that honor. Prepare to see the ultimate power of the universe!"
Cooler let out a roar as he suddenly hunched over, his purple aura flaring to life about him and his body pulsing and rippling. Power washed out from him across the battlefield. The three warriors facing him shielded their eyes as dust and rocks flew about madly. Suddenly Cooler began growing taller, spikes grew on his arm armor, his shoulder armor grew up, horns spiked out on his head, and his eyes turned pure red.
The entire thing only took a moment and then it was over. He was now considerably larger than he'd been before and his grin far more menacing. Of the three warriors facing him only the Prince could sense his power and he growled. "Too much for you?" Cooler asked, his smirk growing. "Well, let's get this started, shall we?" With that a mask suddenly formed over his face and he shot in at Pug.
The Rondo recovered from his shock in just enough time to cross his arms in defense and block the powerful punch that had been aimed at his chest. The impact shoved him back a couple yards but he shook it off and charged in at the Changeling. Only feet away from him both warriors vanished. A second later the sky above the Training Grounds became alight with explosions as the battle resumed up there.
"How much power does he have?" King Vegeta asked glancing down at his son.
"He's a little weaker than Pug..." the Prince replied. With a growl he tried to follow the battle but was having trouble. "And he's still holding back."
"You sure?"
The younger Sai-jin nodded. "I felt a sharp spike during the transformation. Too short to know how high but it was higher than this..."
"And he thinks he can stand against me... and Frieza." The King turned his gaze back up toward the battle.
Pug slipped around a right hook and then slammed his knee into Cooler's stomach. Before he could follow up with another attack the Changeling's left fist smashed into his face knocking him away. The tyrant surged in toward the other and slammed his foot into his chest knocking him down into the planet once more. No sooner had he hit, he was flying back up toward his opponent. The two became little more than streaks of blue and purple as they arced through the sky attacking as they drew near each other.
Prince Vegeta growled and clenched his fists as his senses followed the battle. /How is everyone stronger than me? I am the Prince of Sai-jins, only my father should have more power than I! And yet.../ he shook his head as images flashed in his mind. Images of those who'd surpassed him. Everyone from Kakkarotto to Cooler. With a cry his purple aura flared to life around him and he surged up into battle, his cape billowing behind him, much to his father's shock. And that of the blue haired woman now standing only a few yards behind the king.
Vegeta pulled back his fist as he surged in toward the two warriors above. Pug saw him coming a second later and pulled back in shock. With a cry the Prince smashed his fist into Cooler's face with a thunderous crack but the Changeling didn't even flinch. "Want to play some more do you?" Cooler asked laughing. Another loud crack sounded as the tyrant's knee slammed into the Prince's stomach doubling him over and making him cough up blood. He then spun around and smashed his tail against the side of his head sending him sailing down toward his father once more.
The King barely even noticed as the light glinted off another object that fell from the sky and to the grass beneath the Changeling. He moved in quickly and caught his son before he hit the ground and laid him down softly finally noticing Bulma as she moved over to them. "You shouldn't be out here." he said glancing at her.
"What difference does it make if you don't win?" she said without even looking at him, simply kneeling beside the unconcious Prince.
The King frowned slightly but had to admit she had a point. So instead of pressing the matter further he left his son in her care and returned to watching the battle which had once more resumed. /I'm not sure how much power you've got in reserve Cooler, but I'll see to it that you have to use every last drop to defeat us./ Reaching up he released the clasps on his armor and his red cape billowed in the wind as it fell to the ground. In a flash of purple he surged into the air toward the battle.
Cooler saw him coming and brought his arm up to block a punch just in time to stop it from smashing into his head. The three floated there for a moment and then the battle resumed once more. Now with both Pug and King Vegeta to contend with Cooler was having a considerably more difficult time. Vegeta and Pug slammed their feet into Cooler's stomach at the same time and then slammed their elbows into his face knocking him back.
As he pulled to a stop he saw both of them charging again. With a roar he threw his arms and head back sending a shockwave of power out around him pushing them back and his power jumping up so that he was now a little stronger than Vegeta. Pug and the King glanced at each other a moment and then charged in again.