(The Following Day After The Incident, Aoyama Residence. . .)
The once lush green grass was now covered in nothing more than layers of white, clear snow due to the sudden blizzard that came and went. For a morning meant to be quite a calm and peaceful one to be indoors in order to shield oneself from the cold weather outside, for a particular group. . .they didn't have the time for such a luxury. What was supposed to be a quiet and serene snowy land was now once filled with sounds of a ferocious and blazing sparring session as the vibrations from their punches caused the heavy snow from the trees to crash onto the ground. Though as soon as another pile of snow fell from a branch, a male figure was seen going right through that very tree as well as several others before skidding to a stop in the center of a glade that resided within the forest. He clutched his stomach as his former black hair that was now a golden blonde was covered with snow. He grunted, his green eyes mixed with a small curse though his lips curled up into a smirk of proudness.
"Gotta hand it to them. . .they're really trying to make me eat those words. . .," He muttered.
Even though he seemed relaxed, he was still on high-alert. For someone of his strength in comparison to his current opponent. . .or rather opponents, by now they would take any chance they could get to gain an edge over him. Flattering as it may be and knowing full well that it was more of high-competitiveness that comes from being part of a race of warriors, the young man's eyes scanned the forest multiple times with his eyes darting from left to right. Then expectedly enough, his ears picked up on the sound of twig breaking and smirked as he could clearly sense who it was. Without warning, he turned towards the source of the sound and thrusted his hand towards it, "You should be more about your approaches, Caulifla!"
In mere seconds, his aura flared with crackling lightning surrounding him as his Super Saiyan 2 strength was turned into a powerful energy wave that rocketed towards his target. Noticing quickly, he saw the feisty female leap into the sky above him before the blast even came close to connecting, her hair revealing to be extra spiky due to her being transformed into a Super Saiyan 2 as well. That aside, the energy wave itself impacted with the explosion extending far out towards dozens of trees that were left to become nothing but ash shortly after as the smoke rose towards the clouds.
"That was close. . .," Caulifla grunted, her visible distress becoming noticeable to the Saiyan below. Though, she seemed steeled as she looked down at her opponent's smirking face with his typical Gi flowing in the wind. She didn't even utter any more words before proceeding to fire multiple red-energy blasts down at him to test the waters even though she knew deep down it wouldn't do much since. . .she knew what he was fully capable of. Which was why she couldn't be direct about her next move.
As expected, the young Saiyan who hailed from this Universe that differs so much from her own looked up at her small army of blasts that rained upon him with confidence. It was as though he already knew what to do immediately, his feet digging into the snow before charging right towards them without a single chain of fear impaling him with hesitation. As expected, he twisted his body towards the left as he read the movement and varying speeds of the leading energy-blasts before ducking under the almost immediate follow-up until lasting performing a literal flip over the remaining ones. All of this happened in only a fraction of a second as it simply looked to her that he just flew right through them. But she knew that he must have performed some shifty maneuvers in order for the blast to literally explode on the ground below him as he rushed towards her with full knowledge of his power advantage. However, just as that very thought passed, she was still having trouble with reacting to his speed as his fist seemed to already have closed the distance between them. Quickly, she crossed her arms and braced herself with the expectation for him to attempt to punch through her guard. . .although in that split second it never came.
For a second she thought she had misjudged the timing but through the cracks of her guard that somewhat hindered her vision, she soon noticed that his fist only fazed right through her. Caulifla's eyes widened in realization, "The same trick the old man uses. . .!?" Just as that thought passed, she immediately felt a kick in the back of her head that pretty much shut down all control she had that kept her in the air. The hot-headed female warrior let out a cry of pain, her body falling towards the ground at speeds comparable to being tens of times faster than a rocket. She groaned during her descent, quickly taking a peak at the person responsible who stared back down at her. It was evident that he was definitely kicking up the intensity. Compared to her fight with Goku, he was much more like him in terms of fighting style though that's expected since he too focused more on martial arts than just simply being powerful. But unlike that fight, he was fresh out the gate and today of all days, he wasn't pulling much of his punches. But that said. . .she wouldn't have it any other way and she knew that she just had to keep this up.
"That's not gonna be enough to take me down, Kuzuku!" She exclaimed at him, her body twisting mid-air into a flip before her feet planted themselves on the side of a tree. Her right hand began to glow due to the gathering Ki surrounding it with her eyes glaring at her target, "Take this!"
With a roar, she fired an almost oval like energy blast that created a red trail of Ki behind it as it rocketed towards Kuzuku who watched from above. He was intrigued by the shape though from what he sensed clearly, it didn't have much power behind it. Knowing that, he quickly swatted the wave with a horizontal chop, his hand bending the attack until it was split into two before exploding into nothing more but glistening twinkles. As he faced forward, he quickly found himself being pursued by more of the same attack though just like and unlike before, his hands began slicing through the extra follow-up blast one by one but the more he did he always found himself fending off more. He knew something was up and quickly spotted Caulifla swing around the bark of the trees surrounding the clearing area while firing more blasts from another direction. He had to admit, she was moving really swiftly and smoothly around him and before long, identical energy-blasts surrounded him from all angles below and due to him being preoccupied with the initial assault, he didn't have time to dodge. It certainly was going to be a workout now and that made him smile.
The primal Saiyan flared his Ki, his golden aura and bio-electricity growing more intense as he began to perceive things carefully. He had to concentrate for this one, his fist first backhanding the blast from behind while smoothly turning into a kick that split multiple others in two. Using the momentum of his roundhouse kick, he spun into a reverse roundhouse kick that did the same for the ones that closed in from the front before subsequently elbowing and chopping away at more that came from his left. His movements and stepping were smooth, while now he was striking everyone with one of the blasts from all angles much to Caulifla's disbelief. She groaned but continued firing in order to keep up the pressure while keeping her feet moving. Though, Kuzuku was thankful that he didn't slack-off otherwise he'd most certainly have been caught by now as he noted to himself, "Practicing Teiryudo's stepping techniques really came in clutch. But, I have to hand it to Caulifla, she's becoming even smarter as a fighter. She's keeping her distance while using the trees as not only a way of maneuver but also cover. Not only that, while these blasts do lack power behind them, she made them dense and hard to destroy. . .impressive but. . ." His thoughts paused as soon as he split another blast in two before flying upwards only to stop as soon as he crossed his arms. His body began to glow as the blast closed in on him and for a second, Caulifla thought he had him until. . .
"This is still a little too forward!" Kuzuku shouted before uncrossing his arms into a mighty roar before the onslaught of energy-blasts closed in on him, his aura flaring, "HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
In a mere instant, the golden aura bursted into a large explosive wave that unleashed his Ki from all possible angles. One by one, Caulifla's attacks were engulfed by his tremendous explosion, the snow reflecting and almost turning gold by the bright light. However, that light dwindled down as Kuzuku calmed his Ki to normal with every single one of the energy attacks now gone from his sight with the only thing being small remnants floating around. He somewhat smirked though oddly enough, he noticed Caulifla smirking back at him. He just foiled her strategy. . .so why was she so-.
"Wait. . .!" He muttered.
He didn't have much time to think that as Caulifla shouted from above, "Now's your chance, Kale!" Before he could turnin in hopes to defend, he felt a strong kick slam itself right into his back. He grunted, this one actually hurting a good amount more as he rocketed in the center of the clearing area with a geyser of snow erupting as a result. Soon enough, Kuzuku aura flared, the force blowing away the powder of snow that lingered in the air. He was thankful for the somewhat soft landing though he definitely felt that one as he looked up at Kale's version of Super Saiyan 2. Though unbeknownst to him, Caulifla's eyes glistened at the opportunity for making him eat those words earlier.
"Good, everything is set!" Caulifla muttered, her arms swinging down as she shouted, "Crusher Web!"
Before Kuzuku could register, the lingering bits of energy all suddenly began to glow slightly brighter, the light causing him to look around in order to see what was happening. One by one and rapidly, the small bits of Ki began to connect into thin lines until it began to form a spherical web that surrounded him. He was trapped and what made it worse was that he saw Caulifla close her hand with a smirk, the gesture signaling for the now web-like cage to close in on him immediately. With quick thinking, he thought to teleport out of there though it was too late. Unlike Goku, he simply didn't have the precision to use instant transmission without his typical gesture. Which was why the web wrapped around him, his body suddenly being weighed down by the tremendous weight of the technique. He grunted, his arms and shoulders raising in attempts to get it off like any sticky web but it was far heavier than he expected. If not before then Kuzuku was most certainly impressed as he thought, "I see, even though I destroyed them, she simply reused the remains in order to construct this trap. . .I guess all that control training we did gave her ideas. I owe her an apology letter or somethin-!"
"Alright, time to finish him off you two!" Caulifla interrupted his train of thought with her shout.
Instinctively, he looked up to see not just Kale but from behind her a figure leapt out of the forest to reveal the very same outfit that they lent him this morning. Ever since he joined in on Kuzuku's personal training, his previous clothes aside from the slightly-flame pattern pelt he wore were ruined completely leaving him with next to no spare clothes to wear. This was partly why now he was wearing a freshly new Gi design courtesy to Chi Chi. He must admit, she's really good when it comes to speed sewing now Gi with fabric materials given by Bulma. If the two worked together more often then perhaps Capsule Corp would also have a pretty good fashion line other than just slapping a logo onto things. Regardless, his white Gi that covered over a sleeved, black latex shirt that went all the way to his biceps before the rest was covered by what seemed to be black bandages had proven to be durable and warm enough for him. Around his waist was his trade-mark sash while the snow that fell off his red shoes that were strapped to his feet along with a crimson scarf flowed behind him in order to keep his face a bit more warm.
Though needless to say he didn't have a lot of time to admire his attire any further as he noticed his two adversaries were wasting no time in preparing their big attacks with Kale bring her hand stretched out behind her before forming a spinning disk of green and golden Ki akin to the same attack that Kefla tried using to finish off Goku while the space-traveler himself opted for a large energy-ball that easily towards over numerous trees with it's magenta light. In little time, Kale pushed her hand forward and fired, "Gigantic Rave!"
"Take this!" Ryo roared along with her as now, the legendary super saiyan who hailed from Universe 6 had unleashed a large swirling beam that hurled right down towards Kuzuku alongside his blazing magenta energy ball.
The young Saiyan watched from below at the impending destruction that was heading straight towards him. He quickly began to weigh his options, "Well this isn't good. If I don't do something quick then I'll not only need a new Gi after this but a Senzu Bean too. . .!" Knowing full well on how long they take to grow in the first place. . .he definitely couldn't afford the latter.
"Guess I have no choice. Just gotta make sure I control this. . .," Kuzuku muttered at the sight of the attacks getting closer. He took in a breath and exhaled to relax his body. Knowing full well that his arms were preoccupied from getting crushed completely by Caulifla's cage, he knew he had one other option left. Quickly he focused, his energy settling down until his right leg began to tense from a gathering wind that began to swirl around him and thicken so much that it reflected an pure-white gusts that they could visibly see. One so familiar that Ryo immediately knew what was coming before Kuzuku muttered, "Teiryudo. . ."
As soon as those words left his mouth, the wind began to surge and swirl around him faster and faster with the snow beneath his feet being blown away. However, just as soon as the descending energy attacks were only several meters away, that was when Kuzuku roared and unleashed it, "Kechuku!"
It was so fast that they didn't even have time to register his leg swinging at a force like no other. A power that immediately bisected the two blasts along with the web-cage that weighed down on him in just an instant while also chopping down several trees in the process with a immensely powerful and fast burst of air-like energy. Though, the destruction not only seemed to stem from doing that but it even managed to send several trees flying as well in the process along with a large amount of snow several hundred meters away. That said. . .Kuzuku immediately went pale at the sight in front of him as there was nothing more but a split path whose width was greater than multiple trucks and length that stretched clearly miles into the distance but at least he was improving. . .
"Oops," the Saiyan male muttered, his leg retouching the ground as he held his balance. It was a bit difficult but this was definitely the first time he's unleashed it without the motion of his arms. Though, that thought clearly made him realize, "I guess if I don't do the complete motion then I'll end up screwing my control over. Man, it really does feel like I'm back at the basics."
As the rest of the snow cleared, he rolled his shoulders in order to get rid of the stiffness that he was feeling before looking up at his opponents who looked baffled by what he had just done. He wouldn't blame them for that. Watching their best attacks and brilliant strategy foiled by raw power was something he was familiar with. I mean. . .fighting Jiren gave him plenty of experience in that regard. But that was a discouragement and the progress they made was definitely showing. Though for as long as they've been at it, Kuzuku thought it was about time for them to relax a bit, otherwise they'd be too worn out, "I think that's enough for now. We'll take a break and continue later!" Hearing this, he saw that they both looked at each other before descending down to land just several steps in front of him with Caulifla following suit with a clearly disappointed and annoyed expression. She really wasn't the best at hiding her emotions.
"Damn it, we had you right where we wanted and you just had to show off! Just what in the hell was that!?" She demanded.
The Saiyan of Universe 7 raised an eyebrow before realizing that he never really did tell her about it. Granted, he could have sworn they or at least she was watching him practice on his own but he supposed he never told them about the type of training he's been doing. That said, he timidly scratched his head, "How and where do I begin to explain this. . .? Okay, so I've been practicing a new martial arts style! Believe it or not, but it's a pretty ancient style that was created by a deceased friend of Goku's former master! It's incomplete so he left me with the task of completing it since Whis suggested I branch away from his style since it doesn't suit me."
"So, you've been holding out on us? Tch, of course you'd keep it a secret. You're scared that we might surpass you!" She accused.
"No, no, you got it all wrong," Kuzuku tried to appease her childish temper before explaining, "It's not an easy style to learn or more importantly, the safest. So far, I've learned that it takes a high-level of control and feel over your Ki just to even attempt it. That's not even including the movements you have to learn. I don't mean to offend you but compared to trying to achieve and perfect Super Saiyan 3; a form that requires constant Ki control training to master, this is on an entirely different level."
"Hah. . .? That's pretty vague if you ask me," Caulifla groaned from trying to wrap her head around it.
He knew she wouldn't get it and Kale was just another one to add, "Umm, I don't get it either. Could you please explain a bit more, Kuzuku?" He sighed into a smile as he was glad that she was finally dropping the honorifics around him. As a reward, he decided to elaborate a bit more.
"You see, it's a bit weird. Unlike how we normally use Ki externally to unleash more powerful attacks along with strengthen our defenses and manipulating it; For Teiryudo techniques, I have to focus the power more internally at the central point of my attacks. As a result, it feels like I'm producing something entirely different but it feels like a raging wind around me when I do it correctly. However, because it's a new type of energy, it's very hard to control, especially when I couldn't perform the proper movements before. . .," Kuzuku explained, pointing to the destruction he caused as an example, "It's like learning how to utilize Ki all over again."
As a practitioner of the same techniques as well, Ryo couldn't help but chuckle and add, "I can vouch for that. I still can't perform the same feat even though I practice with him as well."
"Tch, whatever, let's get right back to training!" Caulifla grunted, her feet now impatiently tapping against the snow.
Kuzuku raised an eyebrow at the sudden attitude though he kept his cool. He wasn't necessarily the type to get easily riled up. . .well only by certain people who seemed to emit an aura that if they ever wanted to piss him off then it'd be a fight right on the spot. Though that most certainly wasn't Caulifla and only his Astackian rival and a certain highschooler who was currently jailed had managed that. Knowing that, he had to ask, "You sure seem to be in a rush? We still got a good chunk of time to take a break and we've been at it since 4 in the morning. You should take the opportunity."
"Hah!" Caulifla immediately scoffed, "I'm fine! If anything, these two can take a break while you and I train in the meantime. We have no time to waste, remember!?"
He somewhat took a step back from those words. She was right, they had only a few days to prepare them for the upcoming battle. After that, they were probably going to be dropped in the middle of an already chaotic battlefield against beings whose exact capabilities are unknown. It wasn't the first time for him but it wouldn't hurt to be extra careful. However, the universe 7 Saiyan took note of the look in her eyes. He wasn't sure exactly what it was but it was familiar. Was it fear? Desperation? He couldn't tell but he was sure that the battle itself was the least of her worries and he knew this wasn't the time to ask directly.
He sighed and placed a hand on his hip as he gave her an amuse smirk, "Fine, but don't tell me that I didn't warn you. We'll be doing some conditioning and strength next so get ready to use the Gravity Bracelets." She didn't utter another word and oddly enough, Kale decided to accept her period of rest alongside Ryo but Kuzuku could tell that perhaps she was getting the same feeling he had.
(Meanwhile, In West City Home Of The Brief Family. . .)
The brief family's living room that held it's balcony strong was eerily quiet. Though this was mostly due to it being vacant ever since the incident the day before, the normally loud and cheerful baby and her older brother were kept out of the room while their guest rested upon the couch. It was reasonable to say that given her condition, she needed quiet and plenty of rest. Especially after everything she's gone through, then it was well needed. They couldn't imagine what unruly things are occurring on Planet Sadala as they prepare. Though not too long after the last bird chirped the final verses of their song, the unconscious woman began to churn and stir in her sleep. She let out a groan that was low and muffled, signifying the discomfort she was in until the woman must have unconsciously realized she was actually alive. In one motion, she shot up from the couch in a cold sweat, her eyes now wide open and shaking as if she had woken up from the worst nightmare she had ever dreamt. She took a shaky breath once she realized that she wasn't dead. If she were then she could have sworn she'd be in an unfamiliar world where the dead are laid to rest instead of what looks to be some living room.
"Thank heaven. . ." She muttered before muttering in wonder, "Where am I. . .?"
Before she could ponder on it, a voice from behind seemed to answer her question immediately, "Well, I'm not sure whether to call you or Queen Chaya but to answer your question, you're in my living room." Instinctively, she turned her head in shock to know that she wasn't alone. She was still in full battle mode despite being safe from those. . .things, however, she calmed down once she saw the casual look on the blue-haired woman's face who wore her lab coat while taking a sip of her now near afternoon coffee. It was clear enough by her frame and lack of muscle like her that she was no threat so the Queen of Sadala refrained from blowing her up along with the living chair she sat on.
"I see. . .am I-" Chaya began to ask a bit hesitantly, though the woman could understand she was still in a state of shock so she decided to be as polite and clear as possible.
"In Universe 7? Why yes, my name is Bulma Briefs. Whis and his sister dropped you off in pretty serious condition and interrupted my shopping," Bulma answered jokingly as the Queen stared at her with a blank expression. Placing her mug down on the table, she stood up and walked over to her to get a better look at her injuries as she continued, "You've been out for roughly fifthteen and a half hours now. Even so, it's surprising you've recovered so quickly. I can't tell if it's that Angel magic or just your Saiyan biology being flaunted over me again. Ah, I would kill for prolonged youth like yours."
Her rather casual way of speaking made Chaya feel even more relaxed. For some reason, she felt that they would get along just nicely but this wasn't really the time for her to be friendly even though she typically would be. She was sent here for a reason at the expense of. . .She frowned at that, one so noticeable that Bulma stopped examining the bandages around her arm and lower waist, even though she most likely didn't need to apply new ones. With no further seconds wasted, Chaya looked up at her with hopeful eyes, "You are aware of my race so. . .please tell me. Is my son here!?" Bulma looked at her briefly before smiling warmly with a nod.
"Yes, he's here. But-" Bulma affirmed before getting cut off.
"Can you please take me to him!" Queen Chaya pleaded.
The Queen's hands clasped around the arguable current 'princess' of Saiyans's more slimmer ones, her body jolting forward enough for her to feel a tinge of pain that made her body shiver and ehr face contort enough to let out a weak whimper. With her ears catching whim of the displeasure with her eyes still showing concern and sincerity, Bulma quickly assured her, "Slow down, you don't want to reopen your wounds now. You were barely alive when they dropped you off." Heeding her warning, Chaya slowly controlled her breathing as the blue-haired scientist continued with a sigh of slight relief. Can't have her reopening her wounds and dying now. Especially since the dragon balls are on their annual cooldown ever since the Frieza incident.
"Okay, as I was saying, I can take you to him but. . .," Bulma said, pausing as she looked sideways, "Currently, Lottus is busy with trainn-!"
*BOOOOOOOOM!*
Of course she was cut-off by another daily bang that sounded so bad that she feared for the damage afterwards. Though this time around, she wasn't the only one startled by it as Chaya's eyes were wide open in a comedic manner. Chuckling at the reaction, she gave her a nervous smile, "Well, I suppose that loud noise should have spelled it to you. But since you're so insistent on seeing him, I'll help you to their training area."
Shock lingering behind her slow nod, the Queen of Sadala allowed the bluenette to help her off the couch and out of the living room, much to their initial struggles due to the fact that her human helper was definitely not as physically fit as her. Despite that, they managed to maneuver through the halls as Chaya continued to use Bulma's shoulder for support as she looked around. The hallway was as white as the clouds and so polished that the light had reflected off the floor. She was impressed to say the least, that whatever planet she was on, their architecture was in a way on par if not superior to Planet Sadala thus far. Nevertheless, it was only an afterthought, since as of right now, she couldn't seem to strike a conversation with Bulma to an understandable degree which led her to taking in her surroundings a little more.
However, eventually the two found themselves to a glass door that automatically opened to reveal the snowy white scenery that covered the Capsule Corp president's front lawn. It was completely new to her as the Queen's ears ignored the bustling sound of busy streets that remained active under the bright gray sky from above. She let out a breath, immediately taking notice of the temperature was low enough to cause her to let out a cloud of smoke from her lips. Thankfully, she wasn't bothered, something that Bulma expected for a Saiyan. She had to wonder if they were just naturally able to adapt to such temperatures and if so, maybe they really didn't need a coat all the time. Just another thing to add to the race that can perform many crazy things as minimal as it was.
That thought in mind, she took the chance now to walk her towards the separate building that she had constructed on the right side of her already huge lawn. It was a pain but totally worth it now that she wouldn't be woken up by the sound of something exploding inside her own home to where she had to run down to the lower levels of her home in order to make sure her more secret projects were safe. She frowned inwardly at that thought, her face reflecting such irritation when she found out that it was just her husband pulling another crazy stunt because he pushed himself into a corner. She was thankful that he hadn't broken the damn machine due to his lack of self-control which was part of the reason why she hadn't given him the bracelets over Kuzuku. At least he could help with reprogramming a bit unlike him—!
"Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"
Her mental train of thoughts were cut off by the shrill cry of pain that reverberated from the building. She blinked, only catching the faint glimpse of a body shooting out through the wall in a way that made her cringe as the blur flew past before crashing into the snow. She was worried. . .not for the body but more so on HER WALL! She had just repaired that last week and there it goes again! Another whole added to this year's current number count! Grumbling and before she could dart daggers towards the only person inconsiderate enough to do this, Bulma immediately shifted to the right out of instinct as another blurry figure was hurled right through a separate hole that was made; it's solid form slamming into the snow not even a few feet away from the first one; the impact itself causing the white substance to explode into a frosty cloud of powder.
Seeing this, Bulma shook her head as soon as the very person responsible began slowly walking towards them as though the thick debris of smoke didn't matter to his Saiyan battle armor that was modified to his standards. His black, flame shaped hair was a trademark that she had come to actually enjoy about his appearance though not enough to stop her from snarling at him, "How many times do I have to tell you, Vegeta! This training room isn't as indestructible as you!" For a split second, he acknowledges her presence before returning his attention back to the cloud of snow without addressing her complaints. Though at the same time, Chaya could have sworn that he resembled someone a lot but she couldn't make out on who. She only stared at his stern and serious expression that seemed to be unwavered by anything. So much so that at the same time, the bluenette next to her took notice that he was a bit more focused than usual.
Normally, Bulma would have gotten a snide remark as a response but this time he merely grunted and gave her a brief sign of acknowledgement; something that her husband didn't do unless his mind was truly deep in thought. Noting this, she relaxed her face and waited for what he was going to do next as the smoke cleared to reveal two golden hair, foreign Saiyans that hailed from another universe laid out in a dishevield manner across the ground. They both groan, wondering whether they were alive or the sheer force of their current teacher's attack had killed them finally. They wouldn't put it past him. It was either they got too cocky when they thought they had him or he accidentally upped the ante on them a bit too fast. However, the sound of his voice reassured them, much to their small dismay, that they weren't dead.
"How long are you too going to lay miserable on the ground? Pathetic! You ask me to push you only a teaspoon harder and this is what you show for it!?" Vegeta barked.
Groaning, the two of them began to scramble almost pathetically on the ground with Lottus being more irritated by his words than anything. How couldn't he? Before, the two of them would normally spar him while in Super Saiyan ever since he learned how to transform. Eventually, after managing to push himself to Super Saiyan 2, the two thought that maybe they could actually one up the universe 7 Prince for once. But no. . .they were now back to square one and to make matters worse, he hadn't even begun to show a glimmer of gold around his body nor his hair. It was unbelievable but it was most certainly a fact that led to the question. Is the gap really so huge that it got to the point that he can transform against them whenever he is in the mood? As humiliating as that sounds, that seems to be the case and it only enticed a small bit of his pride in order to stand up on his feet first with Cabba following suit. He panted, ignoring the soreness of his body that weighed down on him with his green eyes fixated on the indomitable opponent before him. Although, despite the determination in his eyes, Vegeta still found a way to scoff it off as though it were meaningless.
"Hmph, pitiful. Training dismissed!" Vegeta spat, his sudden proclamation earning multiple shocked raised eyebrows. But in a typical Vegeta fashion, he ignored their wide stares and simply began to take strides through the snow and towards the warm interior of his Earthly home before muttering rather loudly, "Feel free to struggle and train yourself from here on out."
Confused and more so pleading, Cabba couldn't help but cry out as he transformed back into his base, "Bu-but, master! We can still keep going! Please, we're nowhere near our limit!" Hearing this, he paused and turned in silence to give him a strong glare. One that was so sharp and laced with emotions that the young Saiyan soldier couldn't even begin to describe. Especially since no words came out of the older and more experienced Prince's mouth in response to his cries. It was that thought alone that made him begin to think.
"Is that glare even intended for me. . .?" He wondered. Cabba didn't know how long it was when time seemingly stopped around him but it was at that very moment he realized that those eyes weren't necessarily for him. He turned his head, immediately noticing the snarl on Lottus's expression as he continued to take heavy breaths. Was he really that exhausted? If so, then why? Typically speaking, the two of them were definitely comparable to each other and as humble he was to admit it; Lottus was superior in terms of power while he had the advantage in experience from being on the front lines as a captain and all. But if that's the case then how come he looked more tired than he was? It was puzzling but his pondering was cut off by the sound of his own Prince's voice.
"What's wrong with you!" Lottus spat in exasperation in between breaths before continuing, "Don't think you can end training whenever you feel like it! We're not-"
He stopped mid-sentence as Vegeta's gaze grew sharper so fast that he could have sworn if he were to stab him, anything less than that wouldn't come close, "You're not what? Done? Tired? Well then, I am all for someone to push themselves whether they realize they are at their limit or not but the way you two have been training recently has been piss poor! It's almost laughable."
"Piss poor?" Lottus growled, "How could you say that when we're in the middle of a crisis! Planet Sadala is on the verge of destruction and the last of our people are going to be wiped out! Knowing that, do you really think we're going to half-ass our training!?"
The two princes, both of the same race yet of different universes were now in a stare off. Much to Cabba's surprise, Lottus wasn't even budging in the slightest, his green orbs locked onto the mysterious dark ones that watched him like a hawk. But soon enough, the prodigy soldier caught a faint glimmer of Vegeta's trademark glint in his eyes. He was up to something, and he knew it, his expression indicating that he figured something out as his eyes narrowed in. But before he could so much as dwell on it further, Vegeta decided to address his point in the most plain and condescending tone he's heard.
"Who in the hell said I thought that?" Vegeta inquired as he folded his arms. He didn't bother acknowledging the looks of confusion on the younger Prince's face but he knew he shut him up enough for him to gain his attention, "Hmph, if anything I admire your tenacity to push yourself beyond your breaking point. It just makes it all the more enjoyable to beat you down and build you up again even stronger than before."
Lottus grunted, confused by the compliment despite the refusal of continuing their morning training, "Then. . .why—!" Before he could question him, Vegeta decided to elaborate further.
"But, that tenacity is only fueled by the smoke caused by what happened to your people. It's clouding your ability to focus on the training at hand in order to improve. In short, there is a big difference between training with your emotions and training in order to better yourself," Vegeta explained before darting his eyes over to Queen Chaya who watched from afar with his wife and pointed directly at her, "I mean just take right now for example. You didn't even notice that the one you cherished was watching you make a fool out of yourself."
Stunned, he turned his head only to see the somewhat wide eyes of his mother staring directly at him. For a moment, time froze, his eyes locked onto hers with his lips quivering out of the emotions he was feeling. An emotion that struck him so hard that he didn't even realize that his gold hair was now returning back into it's normal, raven color as he muttered, "Mother. . .". For the first time in a long time, he felt relief overtake him as Vegeta walked towards him before getting close enough to grab his shoulder as he was just halfway past him.
"I know how you feel but remember, we are dealing with something that may potentially be dangerous. I've been in far too many situations to know this and this is not the time to let anger take over our preparations," Vegeta said in a low tone that was loud enough for Cabba to hear. The young Saiyan soldier nodded in silent understandment, the gesture being acknowledged by the prince himself as he turned around to walk back inside, "Now, like I said, training is dismissed for now! Take this time to clear your mind! Until that happens, don't bother me!"
After making a loud grunt, he turned towards the path that led back inside, his eyes almost ignoring the two women in front of him as he walked by them without a second thought. Seeing this attitude of his really was something that Bulma could only let out a sigh about. Shaking her head, she looked over at Chaya who was a bit taken back by what she just witnessed. Laughing nervously, the blue haired scientist decided to speak, "Heheh, sorry you had to witness the grumpy prince in one of his moods again. He can be so insensitive sometimes but I know he means well."
"Ah, yeah. He kinda reminds me so much of my king that it's scary. . .," the Queen noted as she snapped out of his trance.
Bulma nearly gasps, her hand hovering in front of her mouth in surprise, "Really? Well that's one thing we have in common!"
The mere thought of someone having someone to relate to in the problems of living with a royal Saiyan was just relieving for the both of them. Shoot, if they had found out earlier then they probably wouldn't have left the living room for hours as they complained on and on. However, at the moment, Chaya couldn't help but retract that thought for a bit as she watched Lottus stand in the middle of the snow in silence as Cabba didn't know what to do. What this Vegeta character had said was too close to home and judging by her initial impression of the man, it was as though he was trying to teach something to her son that didn't involve punching his lights out although he seemed a bit dissatisfied by it. But, from his words alone, the Queen of the Universe 6 Saiyans could easily tell he was as prideful and noble as her fateful husband. That alone was enough for her to tell that maybe he was someone her Lottus needed as a mentor. Chaya sighed and looked up at the foreign, snowy sky above her, the breeze causing her hair to rustle lightly as one thought came to mind, "Sadala dear. . .Okara. . .please stay safe and hold on until our last hope arrives. . ."
A/N: Finally, got th is chapter done! Sorry for this being overdue! As wattpad readers may know already but this month has been one of the most draining and tiring months I've been through even though my semester was wrapping up. Though it was mainly due to the fact that despite me actually staying pretty darn healthy without any colds or viruses, I was getting hit with colds left and right to even right now I'm somewhat sick. This left me with like 0 motivation to write and granted, I would've posted this chapter earlier but everytime I came back to the document I found myself writing even more (Mainly because I don't like to upload chapters of lower quality and low word counters since I'm trying to add more detail to this story compared to Super Kai).
But that's enough about me and my excuses and onto this chapter itself. Not much to say other than I'm planning on developing both Lottus and Caulifla as characters since I've targeted Kale kinda already. Considering this is a Sadala focused arc and these two seem to be the forefronted leaders of their little group that came to Earth, I figured setting them up now was the best idea with Lottus being scolded by Vegeta first. Next chapter should be digging deeper into Caulifla's character but all in all, this chapter wasn't meant to be super long and it could have reached 9k words but that's albeit unnecessary. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Dragon Ball: Tenkai! Until we meet again!
