Chapter 057 - The Path To Super Saiyan

It had been a couple of months since they'd entered the room and it was an experience like neither of the two children had ever imagined. Both Gohan and Corset had eventually gotten used to the extreme changes in temperature and adjusting to the lack of air and the intense gravity, though that did not mean they were immune to it, rather that they were accepting that on some days they'd feel they were burning alive whilst on others they'd be struggling to stay warm.

The fluctuation in temperature was far worse compared to that of the ten times normal gravity. It had occurred to Corset this was almost the kind of training her father had undergone in that spaceship; her grandfather had installed a gravity machine which she knew her father had been using. Goku'd done the same when he was travelling to save them back on Namek. She felt she now understood the struggles her father went through during his training and in that sense had a deep respect for the amount of strain he and Goku were willing to put on themselves.

A couple of months had passed since the training had begun. No matter how hard they tried, neither had become a Super Saiyan yet much to their frustration. The longer it took them, the longer they'd be stopping Goku - probably the Earth's greatest chance of survival - from training seriously. It was daunting to know they were slowing him down. If he were to fail then would it ultimately be because of them? That was a thought neither child was willing to think about.

The sudden drop in temperature had gotten to Corset and Goku'd made note of her struggles to maintain a constant body temperature. It was something he was not willing to ignore and knew all-too-well the dangers of the room and a body which was unable to cope so Corset'd ended up having to spend a couple of days in bed recovering from a fever. She and Gohan seemed to be constantly getting them; whether it was due to their age or just back luck they did not know. Corset'd become bedridden and spent most of the day attempting to sleep though it was often interrupted by a bout of overheating; she hated feeling like this! Although she'd usually be able to deal with a cold or a stomach bug with ease thanks to her Saiyan genes, this felt different. Even she was certain her body was straining over the large amount of demands this room made.

No wonder Goku couldn't stand it being in it for more than a month when he was younger.

A couple of days passed; she was getting better now but still wasn't out of the woods. Needing to get something to drink, Corset'd crawled out of bed with her duvet wrapped around her still feeling a chill. As she made her way over to the pantry the ground began to shake at her feet though she wasn't particularly alarmed; Goku and Gohan were sparring somewhere outside the small building and she could just about hear Gohan shouting. Curiosity got the better of her and she ignored her thirst, instead wandering out to watch the father and son train.

Goku hovered high above the young boy, in his Super Saiyan state. He drew his hands back. "Ka... Me... Ha... Me..."

Corset gasped; his power was so high. No, it was too high! Was he really planning to fire that at Gohan? How was Gohan supposed to be able to stand up to such a magnitude of energy?

"HAAA!"

"GOHAN!" Corset screamed as the Kamehameha shot down towards him.

Gohan didn't run. Instead he held out both hands and powered up, the Kamehameha striking him within a matter of seconds. Corset couldn't quite see what was going on due to the brightness of the blue beam but she thought she could make out Gohan still standing, holding the beam at bay. The struggle continued for quite some time until finally with a scream, Gohan was consumed. Her heart lurched in her throat and almost cut off her breathing as blind panic swallowed her; he didn't stand a chance!

A twinge Gohan's power seemed to cause it to ignite and explode, suddenly becoming staggeringly high and baffling the confused onlooker. She peered through one eye to see the Kamehameha suddenly tossed back up into the sky, Goku narrowly dodging. Eyes fell back down to floor-level, widening.

She couldn't believe what she saw.

Gohan was glowing, a golden aura shimmering around him, his hair blonde and spiky and making an attempt to stand, though it was apparently too heavy to do so. Without much thought she rushed forwards, stumbling as the gravity hit her but regaining her balance. She had to confirm it!

Goku landed in front of his son, a smile on his face. "So, do you still think I'm too easy on you?"

Corset glanced at Gohan, gulping and taking a nervous step back when she caught the look of pure anger and agitation etched across his face. The blonde hair and green-tinted eyes was more than enough to confirm it.

"Wow... You're a Super Saiyan! You did it, Gohan!" She grinned ecstatically pleased for him. She couldn't begin to imagine the kinds of things he'd suffered attempting to transform. Goku'd constantly told them the transformation was triggered by a need to become stronger, not a desire. The small difference between those two words was incredibly frustrating to deal with.

"Gohan, you've got to calm down," Goku ordered calmly. "Try to focus your energy."

For a moment it seemed to be working. Then suddenly the transformation was cancelled and Gohan stumbled to the floor panting heavily, sweat dripping from his forehead.

"... You ok?" Corset asked concerned and uncertain.

Goku had also transformed down now and watched over his son. "I'm really proud of you, Gohan."

Gohan barely managed to raise his head, "... I'm so... sorry... It's just so hard..." He truly looked the image of exhaustion.

"Nah, it just takes a bit of practice. Let's take a break, ok?" Goku offered, taking a few steps forward and reaching down to his son's head. "... I think I'd better cut your hair; if it gets any longer I might lose you under there!"

Whilst Gohan was getting used to controlling his Super Saiyan form, Corset was still trying to transform for the first time. A week passed and still no luck. The pressure was well and truly on now, Gohan's transformed and Goku was already starting to spar with his son; the speed of their serious training now rested on her success on transforming. Each failed attempt just slowed them down for longer and she despised it. She hated being the one to drag them both down and at times felt disheartened. Was her being trained really worth it?

Once again Corset fell to her knees short of oxygen and muscles shaking. She'd been at it for over half of the day and still nothing! What was it she wasn't doing right?

"You were really close that time," Goku said trying to encourage her. "Remember, the power comes to a need not a desire. You need to create that need."

"It's just... so difficult..." Corset huffed thoroughly short on breath. "... I'm just... slowing you down... What if... I really can't... do it...?"

"Hey, let's stop that talk right there; you can do it," Goku was quick off the mark. "You need to just find your trigger. Think of something awful; use the pain of loss."

"... But I've been trying that this whole time!" Corset answered frustrated. "Nothing's working! It may have worked for you and Gohan but it's not for me!"

"We just need to keep working at it," Goku replied studying her for a moment. "... So what's really bothering you?"

Corset frowned, stuttering a little as she tried to find the right way to put it. "... It's just... well... Dad said I couldn't become a Super Saiyan... so isn't it just a waste of time you training me to become something I can't?" She looked up at Goku looking a little defeated.

A strong hand was placed upon her shoulder as Goku looked down at the troubled girl.

"I want you to forget what Vegeta told you. Trunks said himself that in the future you managed to become a Super Saiyan, right? So what's gonna stop you from doing it here too? Don't worry; it will happen. You've just gotta believe you can do it."

She took in his words. It wasn't easy; she didn't feel as if she'd be able to achieve it... Yet that strange sensation she'd felt those last couple of times. It felt as if she could almost reach out and touch it yet something was stopping her. She had to find a way to get it... but how? How was she supposed to be able to achieve it?

"What was going through my mind?" Gohan repeated. He and Corset were on a break from training in order to take a small snack break, both sat at the table watching Goku as he trained outside by himself.

"Yeah," Corset nodded. "I can't seem to get enough motivation to transform... but it feels like I'm really close to it, or at least I think I am…"

"Well..." Gohan thought back for a moment, "... I just thought of all those times where I've let people down and how I needed to get stronger so I don't lose all those I care about. Then it just happened... I had to fend off a Kamehameha from my father at the same time as all this so it wasn't easy."

"Yeah, I remember seeing that," Corset leaned her chin on the table, slouching in her seat. "... Maybe I could try that..."

"It might work," Gohan agreed. "Hey, maybe Dad and I should come at you both as Super Saiyans. Maybe that might help trigger it off!"

Corset's head bolted off the table and she stared wide-eyed at Gohan, "... I don't wanna die trying, you know!" She spluttered.

"I had to make Dad be tough on me; being soft won't help!" Gohan replied sternly. "How about I just come at you instead? I can control it now so it might help... Then again maybe Dad's a better option. I'll go talk to him."

"No, it's alright... I'll go find him," Corset decided, rising off her chair and wandering towards the blank and vast white outside. "Thanks, Gohan," she waved as she left.

"Good luck." The boy replied, his curiosity making him stay seated.

Goku was up in the air shadowboxing. He quickly noticed Corset and came down to meet her. "Hey, feeling any better now?" He asked.

"Yeah, a little," Corset nodded. "Gohan gave me a few pointers and said maybe you ought to go all out on me."

"I had a feeling he'd say that," Goku chuckled. "Well, it worked for him so maybe it'll work for you after all." He got into a fighting stance, "come at me whenever you're ready."

Corset's nerves began to set in as she put up her defences but she pushed them away with her determination. She couldn't afford to slip up; Goku could be a deadly opponent when in the right mood and she knew she'd have to give this all she had.

With a yell Corset charged towards Goku tossing her fist forwards, Goku dodging it and blocking off her next punch. The two began to rapidly move around the ground, Corset on the attack and giving it all she had. This wasn't right; he was just blocking and dodging! Was he mocking her or just not taking it seriously enough? Corset drew one fist back and tossed out a ki attack. Goku slapped it straight back at her; barely having enough time to blink let alone react, Corset narrowly dodged by the skin of her teeth as it skimmed past her hair. The movement had taken Goku out of her visual field; when he reappeared she found herself open to Goku's oncoming kick. Reflexively she flipped backwards somehow stopping the kick with both her hands before springing back onto her feet, tapping the ground as she shot forwards again. Goku was ready for her and leapt over her as she closed in-

Her vision blanked for the briefest of moments as she belly-flopped to the ground, stuck down in the back by Goku's cupped fists. Her stomach was numb for a couple of seconds before finally pain struck almost crippling her as it radiated through her back and stomach. She attempted to stay focused as best she could, rolling to the side as Goku slammed his feet down into the floor inches from her, transforming into a Super Saiyan in the process. The shockwave caused by the transformation knocked Corset across the ground a couple of extra rolls but she sprung back to her feet.

Goku's movement was far faster than before and it was all Corset could do to dodge and block, her speed no match for Goku's. She was knocked backwards and sent crashing across the ground, suddenly rolling backwards onto her feet once again. She couldn't move fast enough as Goku kicked her up into the air drawing blood, Corset shooting up before freefalling back to the floor, twisting through the air as she fell. Her jaw was almost numb from the attack and her balance was rapidly deteriorating.

With a heavy crash she struck the floor again.

Despite blurred vision, panging injuries and against her better judgement, she forced herself back to her feet, wiping her chin. Blood was falling from her lip judging by the dark red smear on her gloves.

Goku was suddenly in front of her; before she could react he'd forced her back through the air with a kiai. Corset fell backwards once again. Her frustration at being constantly pushed back started to overpower her and give her much-needed strength; she stretched both hands out pushing herself upright against the ground. Flipping upright she once again made contact with the ground and pushed herself in the opposite direction back to her opponent. She once again charged in at Goku, teleporting her way towards him and swinging her leg out. It was effortlessly caught by Goku before she was once more tossed to the ground with a heavy thud.

Face-down once again. It was becoming a very repetitive and irritating situation but it was one she couldn't seem to stop from happening. By now her body was taking damage to the point it didn't respond so well. It wanted to give in but her mind screamed out for her to continue. She had to continue if she wanted to transform. There was no other way around it.

Shakily she tried to move her limbs and rise once more, her body aching from the damage she'd taken and loss of energy. Her ribs still stung and her back cried out as she shifted her body weight onto her hands and knees. 'C-Come on... Get up! You've gotta do better than this!' Determination overpowered her body's desire to stop and she finally rose to her feet. Her senses picked up Goku's ki; he was above her charging up a Kamehameha. Just as he had done before Gohan transformed. Was he planning to see if it'd work on her?

"Ka... Me..."

Corset widened her stance and held her palms outstretched and forwards, starting to gather her own energy into her palms. Her nerves had once again kicked in but it was met by her willpower to not give in and once more (against her better judgement) she stood ready to recieve whatever it was Goku had in store for her.

"Ha... Me..."

The only hope she had of defending herself against Goku's powerful Kamehameha was for her to unleash her own attack. The Kentoka Flash was the best she had; there was no way around it. Sure she could dodge but that would not help, fleeing would not make her stronger. If being pitted against an attack that could easily have killed him worked for Gohan, surely she'd have just as much a chance?

'So it's down to this, just like it was with Gohan... I've gotta do this!'

"HAAAA!"

The blue jet of light shot straight down towards her. She'd only have a couple of seconds to make her own move count.

"KENTOKA FLASH!" Corset screamed, firing off her own blue beam towards Goku's oncoming Kamehameha. The attacks collided and a beam struggle ensued. Corset felt the pressure of the Kamehameha strike her own attack and struggled not to falter, her feet sliding back against the ground. She could tell she was very overpowered by the Kamehameha as the beam from above pushed her attack back. She clamped her eyes shut desperately trying to pull out all the energy she had against him whilst pushing herself to transform. She had to get stronger! She had to stay alive!

It was too much.

Her attack faltered and was obliterated by the Kamehameha. In the little seconds she had left Corset jumped backwards to dodge as fast as she could.

The beam hit the floor and exploded with a deathening roar, Corset knocked back uncontrollably by the shockwave of the explosion. She crashed onto her back heavily winding herself before she was engulfed in thick smoke. Her lungs choked with dust and dirt as the oxygen fluctuated; cuts and bruises adding to the confusion. It felt as if all of her insides as well as her outsides were stinging and in pain, she couldn't make heads or tails of her surroundings or the passage of time. For a moment she lay unsure of where she was, how she was or what was happening around her. Had she drifted into unconsciousness or was she still awake?

A sudden need to expel smoke from her lungs gripped her and she coughed, she was almost convinced she could feel clouds of smoke coming out from her mouth! Her balance swayed as something moved her.