Illia's Talent

Training was going well, for the most part. Mira was easy to teach. She listened and observed, and learned. She had profound grasp of tactics, and she used it ruthlessly. Her training was simple, basic, and well used.

Illia on the other hand was very difficult to teach, simply because she had so little to learn. At six she was able to best her father in a fight, fair or not, and she adapted to situations so quickly that there was no need to teach her tactics. She didn't need them.

Not only that, but the sheer volume of the power she held was astounding. She made all the Z-fighters but Goku and Vegeta look like complete weaklings. She may have been a child most of the time, but when she fought she was so focused that it became scary.

While Mira seemed more nemekian than sayian, Illia was a sayian down to the core. That was the problem. Gohan had been one thing, but he was half-human. Illia needed a sayian teacher, and the only one available was Vegeta. Piccolo had thought of asking him earlier, but never had gotten around to it. Now at the tournament, after Vegeta had watched her fight, Piccolo was going to ask him to mentor her.

"Mira, Illia," Piccolo called now, "Come here. We're going to have a two on one exercise. Myself and Mira, versus Illia. Is that okay?"

"Thats fine," Illia stated, "I have to get some practice in, and maybe together the two of you might even make me break a sweat."

Piccolo ground his teeth. She was a cocky little brat and she was beginning to get on his nerves. All the more so because she was right. Alone she didn't even break a sweat before she defeated them.

"Illia," he said, "You stay here. Mira and I are going to hide in the forest, and attack. If you can incapacitate us both, you win."

"Got it," she said and waved them off, "Lets get started already."

Piccolo and Mira retreated into the woods. He quickly outlined his plan.

"I'll come at her from behind," he told her, "Once I have her attention, use an energy blast to take her out."

"And if that doesn't work?" Mira questioned, "What do we do then?"

"We lose, more than likely," Piccolo told her, "We only have the advantage as long as we have the element of surprise."

Mira grimaced, knowing it was true. They moved off in different directions, in hopes of taking her out in one blow.

Of course, they weren't that lucky.

Piccolo came out behind her, and as he launched his attack he realized that they weren't the only ones with a plan. Illia turned to meet his charge and dropped to the ground. He realized too late what she was planning as she launched a vicious upper cut into his abdomen. He doubled over, her small six year-old body packed as much of a punch as Goku's adult one. As he began to double over, she brought her knee up and slammed it into his face.

Piccolo flew backwards and Illia deflected Mira's energy blast, brushing it aside as though it was nothing more than a fly. She turned and launched her own barrage of energy blasts into the forest and Mira jumped out of her cover and into Illia's line of sight. Mira started to stand, but lost consciousness as Illia hooked one of Mira's ankles with her own, pulled her off balance, and over backward onto the side of Illia's waiting hand.

Piccolo had picked himself back up and watched as Mira slumped to the ground. He started launching energy balls and watched as they surrounded Illia.

"Hellzone Grenade!" he shouted and the orbs of energy surrounding Illia exploded, engulfing her in a brilliant light.

He almost believed that he and Mira had won. Then he saw that Illia had not been caught in the blast. He started to turn, but as he began the movement his vision went black, and he passed out.

"Too slow, Papa," Illia murmured as her father fell senseless to the ground.