Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters. Just OCs.

So, my plan to make this a monthly update didn't pan out…obviously. Chapter had been planned, just it took me a while (a really long while) to get around to writing it. Anyway, enjoy this next installment. There's going to be quite a bit of action up in here :D

Once again I'm going to try a new system. As I'm winding down on some other, older stories, I'm having more time to work on these major stories that I've let lie for a while. I don't want to promise anything because I feel like every time I do, something doesn't work out and I leave us all feeling disappointed, especially with this story and Visions. Rest assure, though, that I am trying to lighten my load so that I can finish these older projects. A lot of my newer ones I've been breezing through, so let's hope I can push past whatever blocks there are. I thank everyone for their continued support and patience, and I apologize for all the readers who want to see these projects done and have been there from the beginning. Trust me, I'm getting impatient with me too…

Also, I've always had a DeviantArt page, but now I'm using it to give more real time updates on what's happening with my stories. I'm still getting used to it, but I'm hoping to use it to keep you all updated since I update my profile monthly and my plans for stories I'm working on changes. Plus, I sometimes end up posting the occasional drawing. So if you have a DA account, feel free to watch me. You can search Firestorm1991.

Anyway…

Onward!

"So, without further ado, I'd like to start this tournament. First match of the lineup, Sintia versus Tomala. Competitors, enter the ring."

Nappa walked out of the ring watching these two young girls enter the ring. On one side, there was Tomala, the Saiyan Prince Goku had taken a liking to and trained with before the start of the tournament. Unfortunately, on the other was a young child who worked for Frieza. She looked to be much younger than Tomala which disgusted the former general, but it also concerned him. This child had bested many competitors to get here. She would be no pushover. He could only wonder how the young Saiyan would fair. He hoped that this Sintia was not as vicious as the rest of Frieza's men.

Tomala casually strode into the ring, mentally preparing for this battle. She hadn't seen Sintia fight, so she knew it was best to study the other girl. To be honest, she probably had nothing on her. Her ki level was incredibly weak. It was amazing she had made it this far. They must have had some very weak competitors this year.

Up in the stands, Brenten watched his sister enter the ring, his expression horrified. He looked up where the royals were sitting and saw his smirking master. Back in the ring, Sintia walked in as if she was just going to train. She was excited about the fight, but probably because she thought she'd make a new friend. Frieza had played her, obviously, getting her to agree to this tournament. She wasn't ready. And even if she was, her abilities wouldn't get her through the tournament.

Sintia bowed to the Saiyan in front of her respectfully, smiling brightly. "Let us have a good fight," her small voice spoke, disarming Tomala. She was not expecting a voice so young or a being so polite as her opponent, especially because she was working in the Planet Trade Organization.

"Uh…" Tomala murmured. "Y-Yeah. Let's."

At that word, Sintia speedily disappeared from view, and Tomala tried to hone in on her. At the last second, she found her before he ki disappeared and Tomala got the wind knocked out of her and felt as if something warm and comforting had been pushed into her body. Tomala fought to keep her eyes opened wondering why the hell she felt so tired. She was ready for a nap and felt her body being lulled. Her eyes widened.

Was her power to force people to fall asleep?

That was certainly strange, but it made sense how she was able to get this far. She was fast and slippery, and if that move hit someone they were down for the count.

But not her.

The fight had only just begun.

Tomala forced herself off of the ground, staggering back slightly as she tried to shake it off. Her eyes were tired, dark, and drooping, but she was going to outlast this ability. She wouldn't be like the others. She would win the fight and not succumb to a cheap trick.

She launched into battle.

Sintia was shocked that her opponent had not gone down and instead charged after her. She had to phase out of the way quickly, practically disappearing again. Speed and her sleeping trick were not her only abilities, but she didn't want to use any others. The young, former princess was not a fighter. She and her brother were plucked from their world before Frieza destroyed it, and she was raised with the army, but she was not built like a fighter. If this other fighter landed an attack, it could rip through her like paper.

Green eyes hesitantly landed on the Saiyan, and Tomala could see right through her. The fear Little Sintia felt caused the other fighter to smirk. Sintia had to fight back, but Tomala took her by surprise, flashing behind her. "Accel Shot!"

Sintia was pushed back by the blue-white wave that would definitely cause damage at such close range. It was scary, but she used her energy to form a weak shield as she was propelled to the floor of the ring, her muscles twitching causing her body to shake. Tomala touched down on the ground in front of her, arms crossed and standing proudly. "So, you really aren't much, are you? You only use cheap tricks to down your opponent."

"No," Sintia admitted, running a hand through her medium-length brown hair. She looked into Tomala's eyes, hers haunted, and Tomala nearly staggered back. "Please, just let it work. Don't make me fight."

Tomala was probably the only one who could hear that whisper. "What? Make you…?" And then it hit her. She worked for Frieza, and she was using one trick to fulfill her master's wants. Did she even want to be here? "S-Sintia…"

But Sintia flashed out of view again, taking advantage of Tomala's momentary distraction. She reappeared behind the Saiyan, the two exchanging blows, Tomala struggling to keep up with Sintia's speed. This was more difficult than Tomala had expected, but she wasn't done yet.

As Tomala attempted to attack her opponent, Sintia phased out of view quicker than lightening. The former princess then reappeared behind the Saiyan and struck her with a pink energy sphere to blast her away in an enormous explosion. There were thankfully shields around the stadium, as Bulma had prepared, protecting the onlookers from an attack; however, the biggest concern was for the two in the ring. Smoke began to clear, and Little Sintia was still standing, gasping for air. No, it was not from the strain. The child fell to her knees and started crying. Bulma watched her with sorrowful eyes. Frieza's snickers alerted her, the human looking over to the monster. He looked incredibly pleased.

For only a second.

Tomala was still standing despite the damage she took from the attack. Her eyes widened in shock as they met Sintia's tear-filled, horrified ones. "W-What…the heck was that?"

"Cosmic Illusion," Sintia breathed out, her brow furrowing in fear. "No…that was supposed to work. I mean, I'm glad it didn't, but…"

Tomala didn't waste time. She couldn't listen to this kid. She needed to take her out fast. First, though, she had to put some distance between her and Sintia. It wasn't difficult for Sintia was having some sort of mental break in the middle of the ring. Tomala hated what she was about to do, but she had to get the other girl out of the ring. If she pulled back the power of her blasts, maybe she'd have a chance for a ring out.

The female Saiyan brought her arms to her sides, her ki charging up, before throwing her hands forward firing consecutive energy blasts as possible. She needed this to work, especially knowing it could drain her own ki level. It was effective for dealing damage and forcing one's opponent back. Of course, she needed to save just a little bit of energy, but for right now Tomala was desperate.

Sintia was wilier than Tomala gave her credit. The girl managed to ascend and avoid most of the attack even in her miserable, wailing state. She cried as she moved to attack, ramming into Tomala at breakneck speed, knocking the Saiyan off her feet. In the fighter's stands, Little Vegeta was watching with his arms crossed, his finger tapping in anticipation. Come on, Tomala. Use it. You have to beat this girl.

Though Tomala could not hear her rival, her mind was on the same track. She took advantage to been forced back, getting ready to launch the attack the prince had taught her. She drew her hands back, curling her fingers as she placed both her hands towards her chest, both facing the same direction. Energy began to gather, and, quickly, Tomala thrusted both hands forward, her energy focused into a single, large, fuschia-colored beam. She could hear cries out in the stadium. It made sense. Tomala had just used a move specific to royal house, one that could be used to destroy planets if enough energy was put into it. That wasn't her intention, though. Her aim was to force her opponent out of the ring.

She succeeded.

Tomala heaved a sigh of relief, falling to her knees against the tiled ring as Nappa announced her victory. She was breathing heavily, already having put so much energy into the tournament. She couldn't believe how difficult this first fight had actually been. Her eyes shifted to her opponent, Sintia out of the ring and unconscious. Honestly, she was worried about the girl. There were still tear stains on her cheeks. She really hadn't wanted to fight and use her abilities. This girl, who looked to be around her age, worked for Frieza. Tomala looked over to the royal seats and noticed the evil leader's angered expression. By that point, though, her energy left her, and the effects of Sintia's moves took hold. Tomala fell just as the medical team came to remove her and Sintia from the ring.

Brenten could not believe the direction the first match had taken. His sister usually could knock out any opponent, which was usually necessary for Frieza would have wanted her to use her deadlier attacks. This Saiyan child was lucky she was as strong and as skilled as she was or Sintia could have killed her. Though that would have disqualified his sister, that would have left one less Saiyan in the tournament. Frieza desperately wanted to have his fighters take out all of the Saiyans.

Seeing his sister unconscious brought Brenten back to reality, and he stood up, about to race after the medical team and sit at her side. He froze mid-run when he felt a familiar energy flare. He looked towards the stands, his silver eyes meeting Frieza's. The tyrant was seething in anger, and his gaze struck Brenten to his core. He put his other foot down, his shoulders hunched as he accepted the unspoken command. He returned to his place on the bench, elbows against his legs as he buried his face in his hands as he prayed to the deity of his dead planet that Sintia would be all right and that Frieza would not kill her for her failure.

Tomala had sustained a ton of damage during that battle. She hadn't felt it due to the rush of adrenaline, but at the battle's completion she was down. A group of Saiyans came to take her away to the infirmary on a stretcher so that a team from Rescue Star could treat wounded competitors. Bardock was there beside her, asking questions, but she was too tired to answer. As they were exiting the stadium, Tomala was slightly surprised that Little Vegeta was standing by the exit. He looked completely stoic, but his tail was thrashing in agitation. Was he bothered by her state? She mentally scoffed. He was probably annoyed that she let herself get hurt this much.

"How could you let her hit you like that?" the prince demanded.

Tomala smiled. Yeah, that seems about right. Though, he didn't sound irritated. He sounded…worried. He was attempting to hide it, so she too played it off. "Don't worry about that. I'm fine. You better go win. I expect to fight you in the finals."

Instead of smirking at her taunt, Vegeta's expression went grim, but he nodded his agreement anyway. He intended to win his match. It didn't sit well that this kid from Frieza's team managed to do that much damage to the one who rivaled him in strength. He intended to take down the alien's men, he didn't care how. Something was going on, and his competitors seemed to have a very devious side to them. As the planet's prince, he wouldn't allow this trouble continue. It wasn't just Tomala's narrow victory, but the defeat and injuries sustained by some of the Saiyans and their allies during the preliminary fights.

The commotion from the previous battle had finally died down after the girls were taken from the stadium. Nappa looked to Vegeta, wondering if he should announce the next battle or not. The king appeared calm, but Nappa could tell by his eyes. Vegeta was just as surprised as the rest of them. It was a relief that Tomala had not been harmed terribly by Sintia. Sintia didn't want to harm her opponent. That was something everyone could gather. Still, the fact of the matter stood. She was a child, and though she had been defeated, she had been defeated by one of the strongest energy attacks in his and his children's arsenal. And she was a child. If this was how strong a child under the command of Frieza could be, Vegeta was loathe to see what a grown fighter could do, especially since his son could end up being the opponent. That is, if Prince Goku could beat Turles. As much as Vegeta took pride in his son's strength, this was not a battle he wanted the boy to win.

"Now that the first battle has drawn to a close, I will introduce the next two competitors," Nappa called out. "Second match, our own Turles versus Prince Goku. Fighters, enter the ring. You may begin when you're ready."

Turles had been lounging on the bench, his hands behind his head, but when Nappa called his name he sat forward. He wasn't exactly looking forward to this fight for many reasons. One was that he didn't want to pulverize the prince, and another was that he was concerned that he'd be the one pulverized. After watching the last battle, everyone probably had the same idea. This tournament was no place for children. They may have been unaware of the danger, but that battle alone set the scale of the tournament. It was life or death despite the no killing rule. Frieza just wanted Bulma and her invention. He didn't care if subordinates were disqualified, as long as a Saiyan was taken down. If Turles didn't know any better, he probably ordered the kid to do something self-destructive, but she never got the chance because of Tomala's counter strike. All that training with Vegeta's kid had paid off for her.

Prince Goku entered the ring, arms crossed as he waited for Turles to enter. Once the older fighter was in front of him, he bowed respectfully before getting into stance. His eyes told Turles what he already knew. The boy intended to win, and so he needed to go all out himself. If he held back against the kid, he would be in for a world of hurt. He refused to underestimate him.

Turles fell into his own stance, searching the prince for any opening. It was in that moment that Little Vegeta took advantage of his elder's distraction, using his speed to confuse the man. He focused on moving fast, quicker than lightning, creating a series of afterimages that left Turles bewildered. It only took a minimal amount of energy, but it was such an efficient move for hiding in plain sight. The prince smirked when Turles stood there frozen, looking in many different directions. He circled the Saiyan to make the illusion all the more difficult to break.

Meanwhile, Turles was struggling to find an opening. He knew he was going to have to think of something fast before the prince got bored and attacked him. This move is so juvenile, Turles thought, his teeth gritting, but it's effective. How am I supposed to find the kid? Even his energy is all over the place. I need to end this.

He figured the only way to dispel Goku's afterimage was to hit him. Since he couldn't figure out where the prince was, he shot an array of blue and purple ki blasts in all directions to knock the prince off balance. Little Vegeta saw it coming, momentarily pausing to push the energy away with a surprisingly strong kiai. As soon as Turles's ki was disperse, the prince resumed his running around the ring, afterimages being left in his wake.

The move was impressive, but it infuriated Turles. The prince was trying to play him for a fool and disorient him. Well, his refused to let this continue. He regrettably had to use the recent teachings of his twin to do so. He closed his eyes, clearing his mind, and he decided not to even bother sensing the prince's energy. Instead, he focused on listening to the movement. In a strange form of meditation, Kakarot had taught him the art of listening to his surroundings and timing movements. When he did this, he was able to hear each second the prince's footsteps echoed directly in front of him. Smirking, he held his index and middle finger together and shot out his finger beam. He heard the prince call out in surprise and then opened his eyes to charge in to attack.

Prince Goku was ready for him, the two exchanging blows at a fast speed. Turles was impressed by the prince's speed and by his ability to deflect each hit with minimal effort. The exchange went on for a while before Little Vegeta opened his fist and send a purple ki sphere Turles's way. The Saiyan backed up to avoid the close-range blast. "Meteor Flash!" the prince shouted alerting Turles to the attack. The prince began to fire a barrage of ki blasts rapidly at Turles. The fighter lifted his arms in front of him, defending against the barrage and the explosion that followed. As he was was pushed back, all he could think was that the kid was relentless. The determined expression he wore before firing suited the young warrior. He was not going to let Turles win the fight.

Bulma was horrified seeing how fierce her son could be. It didn't surprise her. He was Vegeta's spitting image. Still, she did not want her child to defeat Turles. The older Saiyan was one of their soldiers, and he knew full well what this tournament was truly about. The queen did not want to burden her children with the truth. She knew that if the boys knew, both Trunks and Goku would be even more brutal. At least she knew that her son would not do any permanent damage to Turles. That was at least a relief to her racing heart.

Are you all right?

The queen did her best not to react to her husband's mental communication. Still, his voice in her head made her jump. She kept her eyes on her son to keep up appearances as she communicated back to her mate in the privacy of their minds. I've never seen him fight like that.

Mentally, Vegeta agreed. Tomala's battle got to him. It seems he has grown closer to the girl than I had anticipated. That was clear when she used the Galick Gun.

You aren't mad that he taught her, are you? Bulma asked. She knew that Vegeta held that move in high regard. She had been nearby when he taught the move to their sons.

Of course not, he replied honestly. She did it perfectly, meaning she was deserving. It does not change the fact that it is a move created by the royal family. My grandfather taught my father who then taught me, probably the only useful thing I learned from my father.

Bulma nodded slightly, but still kept her eyes on the boys. She did her best not to appear as if she was responding to her mate. This was another reason she did not like Frieza so close by. She was tense. So, you think he took her defeat personally?

I think our son is starting to realize that this tournament is more than just a friendly competition between worlds, Vegeta explained. Frieza's men have been brutal, and though the girl did not seem to want to fight, she could. Goku is suspicious.

We can't let him find out, Bulma remarked. If he does, then he'll get angrier. I don't want it to affect his fighting.

If he ends up fighting one of Frieza's subordinates, we better pray he or she keeps their mouth shut, the king growled. In any case, where I would love to see my son win, I hope Turles defeats him. That way, we won't have to worry about that.

I guess we're on the same page, Bulma thought feeling guilt. It feels wrong to be rooting against our son.

Don't worry, woman, Vegeta reassured. We're only hoping for what is best.

The battle continued below, Turles growing desperate to defeat the prince. He knew the way tyrants like Frieza operated. If it was their own former king, he would be intrigued by such power in a being so young. To be honest, the king had been wary of his own son's power at birth. That was probably the reason he sought to find a device that limited energy output. Frieza was already interested in their queen. He didn't need to be focused on the young prince. Goku needed to be taken out now.

Turles charged the prince, managing to knee the boy in the air. He flew up quickly and then struck the prince in the stomach, Goku coughing up blood as he was smashed down to the ring. And Turles didn't stop there. He charged down at the prince, kneeing him in the stomach again, mentally praying that Vegeta wouldn't have his head later for brutalizing his son. Goku cough again, his closed eyes opening just in time for a column of ki to descend down upon him. His eyes widened as the beam reflected in his eyes.

Energy exploded around the ring, those in the stands even feeling the impact. Vegeta's muscles twitched as he moved to stand, but he fought those protective instincts down. Frieza couldn't notice his concern. If he did, he had no doubt he'd go after the boy.

Though Turles had taken it up only just a notch, the fight became a bit more brutal than even the king was expecting. He could feel Bulma's distress which amplified his own anxiety. He knew that his friend would not do irreparable harm to his son, but the attack had been overly combative. Goku had yet to emerge from the smoke.

Turles was breathing heavily, his heart racing and his mind full of worry. He hadn't meant to release so much of his energy on the child, but it needed to be done. The prince was a lot stronger than he had anticipated. Even though he hadn't truly underestimated the boy, there was no way to assume that he was already ready to battle elite soldiers for training. Is this why he and Tomala had gone off training on their own? Were they no longer being challenged by Kakarot's course? It didn't matter. It was over now. He hoped that the prince would forgive him for such an assault.

"Was that supposed to hurt me?" Little Vegeta questioned, relishing in the look of pure horror on his opponent's face.

Turles shifted to fully face Vegeta, his eyes full of disbelief. "There's just no way…" Turles remarked. "How…that was a direct hit?"

The prince crossed is arms and smirked. "Was it? It felt like no more than a dust storm. I phased out of the way at the last possible second. After all, it just adds to the drama."

"Just adds to the…" Turles began before he snickered, his chin dropping slightly. "You really are your father's son, kid. But this match is far from over."

"You're wrong," the prince countered, dropping into stance. "I'm about to end this."

"I'd like to see you try, boy," Turles challenged, also falling into stance. If Goku said it, he knew it meant something. He needed to be ready.

This time, though, Goku flashed out of sight, taking flight into the air. From above, he readied himself. Turles didn't notice where he went, and he no longer had the sounds of the boy's steps to go by. With that advantage, Little Vegeta flew closer to Turles, crying out which made the adult look to him. That was the move that ended the match, Vegeta using the move he had perfected with his rival, his Rock, Scissors, and Paper attack. He delivered a strong punch to Turles's gut, a poke to his eyes, and then struck the man with his open palm. Turles was sent hurtling to the ring, tiles crumbling beneath him upon the impact. The match was decided.

Turles's defeat came as a shock to the Saiyans. They all knew their prince's strength, but he went far beyond the skill of a child. Even Vegeta was astonished, but he managed to taper his reaction. Still, Bulma could feel it, and Frieza could see the shock plastered on her face. He smirked. It seemed the queen was very protective of her children, as most mothers were. He would keep that in mind. Whoever in his arsenal ended up fighting the prince would be instructed to inflict as much damage as possible, both physical and psychological. He would destroy the woman's son as her punishment for forcing his hand and making this farce of a tournament necessary. She should have just handed over her technology when she had the chance.

Nappa watched as the prince made his way over to Turles and extended his hand, a respectful gesture, the prince most likely thanking and praising Turles for such an incredible battle. It was bittersweet to see how far the young prince had come through all his training. The princes were the pride of their people, so it was hard not to be proud of Prince Goku. Unfortunately, his accomplishment meant that he would possibly end up fighting one of Frieza's more dangerous subordinates. The former general could only hope along with the rest of his people that Prince Goku did not draw one of those combatants during the second round.

He finally broke out of his thoughts to call the match and announce the next fight. "And the winner of this round goes to Prince Goku. There will be a short break before the next battle takes place. When we return, Dodoria and Prince Tri, enter the ring."