"Alright Krillin," says Yamcha. "Don't go easy on me."
Krillin nods as he squares off with his friend for a sparring match. Despite the weighted clothing, he moves with grace while Yamcha remains constricted by his bandages. They trade strikes and blocks.
Bulma tinkers with some small electronic parts she zaps with a pen-like instrument. She wears magnifying glasses making her eyes too big for her face.
Yamcha tries to push through the early onset of fatigue, but Krillin insists he still needs to take it easy and not overdo it. They join Bulma and share a snack and drink.
"So what'cha working on now Bulma?" says Krillin.
"Oh I'm just messing with some of that alien tech again. Trying to see if I can figure anything else out with it."
Yamcha's eyes drift over to where Chiaotzu sits alone at the edge of the Guardian's palace grounds.
"You guys got any ideas about Chiaotzu? I've been trying to cheer him up but nothing is working."
Bulma stops what she is doing and sighs.
"I don't know. It must be so hard for him with Tien still in a coma."
"I can imagine," says Yamcha. "I suppose we'll just have to keep reminding him we're here for both of them. Back to training I guess."
"Hey you've already done all the physical work you're allowed to today," says Bulma.
"I know," says Yamcha with a smile. "That's why Krillin and I are going to do ki exercises and maybe some of that mental image stuff. Haha."
"Well alright then, but be careful still."
"Come on. You know I will."
Bulma gives him a knowing glance, and he grins. They lean in for a kiss. Krillin looks away after it doesn't end in a quick peck.
"Ooh-emm," says Bulma. "Maybe you're healing faster than I thought. Save some of that for later."
They look into each other's eyes before Yamcha finally follows after Krillin who is already walking away.
###
Piccolo dodges another slashing sword strike from Yajirobe. He counters with a forceful palm to knock the samurai away. Before he can reset his stance, Chichi moves in behind him with her pinpoint strikes.
He manages to slip out of reach of her numbing hands. He retaliates with a ki blast flattening her to the ground. Neither she nor Yajirobe get up this time. Piccolo crosses his arms over a chest that expands and contracts with deep breaths through the nostrils.
"You two take a break," he says. "I want you ready to go right away when I'm done with Gohan. On your feet Gohan! You're up."
Gohan snaps to attention at the barked order. He leaves Korin's guided meditation to approach his mentor. Chichi's fingers clench as her eyes follow her son's movement. Her stare relaxes a little when Gohan takes a confident fighting stance.
It turns into gawking awe as Gohan begins sparring with Piccolo. His movements are fast and precise. The scene looks like the boy she remembers Goku used to be. The memory cuts off when a punch knocks her son to the ground. She jumps to her feet.
"You're distracted," says Piccolo. "Focus and do it right."
"Don't you speak to my son that way," says Chichi.
She advances on the pair. Gohan waves her off and picks himself up.
"It's okay Mom," he says. "Mr. Piccolo's right. I am distracted. I can do better."
"Good. Again then," says Piccolo.
"Hold on," says Chichi. She kneels by her son.
"Out of the way woman," says Piccolo. "We have work to do."
Chichi lifts her eyes slightly to glare at him.
"You won't get the best work out of anyone when something important is on their mind," she says. "Now Gohan, what's bothering you?"
Piccolo crosses his arms and looks away.
"I…" he says. "I killed that man. Didn't I Mr. Piccolo?"
Piccolo turns his head back.
"Probably. But if you hadn't, the whole world would have been destroyed."
"I know that, but I don't like killing. I could feel all of the fear and hurt in him. He didn't deserve to die."
"Your ki sense isn't for empathizing with the enemy. Don't hold back just because you feel a little sadness from others. The Saiyans will be merciless and kill everyone you love without a second thought."
Gohan's head lowers and droplets start to run down his cheeks. Chichi pulls him to her chest.
"And I don't want to lose control like that ever again. I felt like I would do anything to survive. Like I would hurt anyone in my way to do it. Even you guys. And I couldn't do anything to stop it."
His words break off into crying gasps.
"Oh my poor baby," says Chichi. "I had no idea."
Piccolo watches the mother and son's embrace tighten.
"So you can remember what happened?" he says.
"Kinda," says Gohan.
"Then that means it's working."
"What is?"
"You're training. Before, you'd completely black out and not remember anything. If you keep practicing at it, one day you will be able to control that scary power."
"Really? You think so?"
"Yeah. But you can't be afraid to keep trying."
Gohan sniffs back some mucus.
"Okay. I'll keep going."
You're getting soft.
The old voice echoes from deep in Piccolo's subconscious
You care too much for the boy. You've forgotten he's just a tool.
Piccolo shakes his head by pretending to stretch his neck. They continue to spar before trading off to Chichi and Yajirobe again.
These weaklings can't give you a real challenge like I can. Why don't you let me out so we can get some real training done. You're not going to be strong enough otherwise.
Piccolo refuses to answer the voice. It eventually quiets down, as if yawning for a nap.
###
"Hey King Kai," says Goku. "It seems like my progress has slowed to a stop. Am I going to learn any special techniques at some point?"
King Kai opens his mouth but Bardock cuts him off.
"There's not a special technique alive that can save you against the Prince. Your power level is still pathetic. You probably haven't even broken through the triple digit slump yet."
"How would you even know," says Goku. "Don't you need scouters to measure life force?"
"I may not be touchy feely enough to 'sense another man's ki' or whatever, but I know what it feels like to block an attack that hits harder than another. Just like I can tell the difference between lifting ten pounds and a hundred pounds. And your power doesn't make the cut."
"Alright fine but what did you mean by slump?"
"There's a phenomenon in power levels where the closer one approaches a certain threshold, their increases greatly diminish. Those numbers tend to be one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand, and one hundred thousand. Few can make it to the third and even fewer can dream of the last one. You made it past the first gate and now you're stuck at the second."
Goku tosses his arms out to the side.
"Well how do I get through?" he says. "I've been training my butt off. I don't know what else to do."
"You're right. You've done all you can," says Bardock.
Goku sends him an inquiring look.
"But you're just not good enough. And you never will be. So there's really no point in continuing."
He lifts off the ground while raising a hand with curled fingers. Blue energy swirls around the palm. He rises higher as the energy darkens.
"I've still got a lot of repressed rage from being thrown away like trash!"
Goku can barely hear the shouting from how far away his father is.
"The death of my people, my friends, my wife. The anger has been eating me up inside for over two decades, and it's finally time to let it loose. So if you can't handle my fury, then the Prince's wrath is forever beyond your reach."
"You can't be serious," says Goku.
"No Bardock," says King Kai. "Don't do this. You'll be banished to Hell forever with no chance of redemption if you break our agreement."
"I don't care!" he says. "I've kept this pent up long enough. I'll never leave Hell anyway and he'll never beat Vegeta. So what does it even matter. Fainaru Supirittsu Kyanon!"
Bardock yanks back his arm, coiling at the hips. He unwinds while shoving his hand down upon Goku. A dark blue sphere bursts forth. A lighter aura engulfs it with a feathery tail following behind.
Goku looks at King Kai. The sunglasses on his face slide down the bridge of his nose. Goku returns his attention to the meteor hurtling at him.
He slams his cupped hands against his right hip. All of the energy he has access to condenses between his palms. There is no time to draw out any more from his reserves. He fires the Kamehameha.
The opposing energies collide in a shower of radiation, and Goku knows instantly his beam is not strong enough. The sphere plows into the wave deflecting it across its surface as the beam splinters around it. The friction slows its descent but not by much.
The weight crushes down on Goku. The burning in his forearms blazes down into his shoulders and pectorals, then down his back and into his legs. His hands droop to his face as his knees sink. Acid bubbles in his muscles, eroding them from inside. They cry for rest.
"I can't do it," says Goku.
He drops to one knee. His hands fall against his chest. His own beam sears his face as it passes by.
"He's still too strong. I can't handle this!"
Once the battle's started, rank and power don't matter. All that matters is who wins.
The words echo across his mind. Images of Chichi, Gohan, and his friends follow.
He digs in the ball of his foot with the knee on the ground. His calf flexes and engages the quads, hamstrings, and buttocks. He drives the leg up to a squatting position. His chin tucks to his chest as he forces his hands up against the tremendous weight. His triceps and shoulders ache with the effort.
The ki within his body swells as he tries to draw more out to match the attack. It presses against the inside of his muscles and organs threatening to burst them apart. Before his body can explode, he gives a mighty heave with his arms and legs. His body straightens, and the excess ki accesses a network of new channels to find never before used paths to his hands. The pressure safely releases skyward through his palms instead of outward from his vitals areas.
His beam doubles in width and surrounds the energy orb plummeting on him. He slows it to a stop before reversing its trajectory. Bardock stares in disbelief as his own attack races at him. He pulls back just in time to let the Kamehameha shoot by him.
He watches it until it disappears into the infinite distance. He looks at Goku who heaves for air on his hands and knees.
"I'll be damned," says Bardock. "He actually did it."
He smiles and descends to stand beside Goku. He slaps him on the back while laughing. Goku winces at the touch and gives a pained moan.
"Well done," says Bardock. "You made me proud, son. You broke 1,000. Probably a lot more too since I have no idea what I'm doing without a scouter. Never been good at holding back."
He laughs with Goku joining in between breaths.
As the Saiyans enjoy a jovial chuckle, King Kai watches. His face scrunches into serious thought.
Goku is truly a remarkable man. Somehow he instinctively tapped into the basis of my very own martial art. Even after many centuries, I have not mastered it. And yet Goku can perform the initial stage of it on pure intuition. Could Goku be the one to attain the full power of this technique? With my guidance he just might. What an honor it would be to finally see someone perfect my very own art. The time has almost come.
Author's Note 12/25/20: Hello and happy holidays to all of my readers! I've been trying to post weekly but things have just been so busy around this time with family and work that I cannot meet those deadlines. And I'll be honest, it's stressing me out. This is something I do for enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers. So for my own mental health, I'm going to take a couple weeks off before returning to finish up the Saiyan Saga in the new year. It's all written, it merely needs revisions which I was trying to do one chapter per week.
I've become more and more aware of how easy it is to get caught up in a work cycle of trying to keep up with life that we forget to actually enjoy the benefit of all that hard work. So if you can, take a moment to let yourself relax today and whenever you can. And in case no one has told you recently, you are doing awesome keeping up with school or work, your family and friends, and whatever else life has thrown at you. Remember, your thoughts and feelings matter, so pay attention to them and take care of them. Don't ever think your mental health isn't important enough not to prioritize first. I'll see you all in the new year so take care until the next chapter!