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Things had not gotten better since the new facts were dropped into their laps.

Bulma had begun to notice the way everyone stared at her, in suspicion. No one said or did anything to her, but they did little to hide their derision for her. She found herself less inclined to go around the palace alone, anymore. Either Raditz or Nappa would be by her side most of the time. It added even more pressure and stress onto her, on top of the murders. More and more were discovered, over the course of the next month. Soon, the king had declared a state of emergency, enforcing a curfew and sending more soldiers into the city, for protection.

To make matters worse, Vegeta had been growing more and more frustrated that he hadn't been able to regain his legendary form. Bulma tried to compensate for it with the weighted armor, but that did little to resolve his anguish. He had begun training harder for longer hours, and she sometimes went days without seeing him for more than a few minutes. She had grown worried for his health. When she asked, he would just shrug and kiss her cheek, assuring her that he was fine. However, she could see differently – his posture had gotten worse, recently, and his responses were slower than normal. Everything happening all at once was overwhelming her.

Bulma had been walking with Nappa, one afternoon. She voiced some of her concerns about Vegeta and everything that had happened, in the recent months.

"He says he's okay, but I know he's probably just saying that." She sighed, and ran her fingers through her hair. "I don't know what I should do. I don't think I could keep him from his training now, of all times."

"That sounds about right," Nappa said. "Vegeta's stubborn, that's for sure."

She sat down on a small bench. "Do you think I'm worrying, too much? With everything going on, I don't want to burden him anymore."

"You're just concerned, is all." Nappa sat down next to her. "I don't think there's anything wrong with that. But you don't have to become neurotic. He's still a grown Saiyan, after all, and he's taken care of himself for this long. Just be there, for him, if he ever does need help. If you think something's going really wrong, then just talk to him."

She nodded, and pushed her curls back. "You're right. Like my dad always says: day at a time."

"Sound advice, if you ask me."

Bulma smiled. A thought came to her, randomly. "You know what, Nappa? You'd make a great dad. You're a good listener and you don't get upset easily. And you do plenty of that stuff for us – you'd be a natural!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Thank… you?"

"I mean it. I was surprised when I found out you weren't. What gives? Just haven't found the right girl, or what?"

He sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It was bad enough, when the king asked…" Bulma laughed, as he shook his head.

Vegeta threw the training bot against the wall, breaking it into bits. He somersaulted and leaped across the room, evading the laser attacks. He swatted at an oncoming laser, sending it back to the bot it came from, exploding it to bits. As two aimed towards him, he jumped into the air just in time, and they destroyed each other. He landed gracefully on his feet, rolling his shoulders back in preparation for the next wave.

He was growing ever frustrated with his lack of progress. He had been working for months to regain control of the legendary, and he felt further from it than ever. No training seemed to help. Whether he worked himself to death or strictly paced himself, it didn't matter. Had it only been a one-time event? The Grand Elder of Namek had told him he could harness that strength for himself, but he could have been wrong. What did a Namekian know of Saiyan legends?

No, he knew that was wrong. He could feel the power of the Legendary still course through his veins. This was his destiny, as the Saiyan Prince and heir to the throne. The Gods had gifted him this power to protect his people. Just a little more force, and he could harness its strength once and for all.

As the bots took their place, he began to power-up. His bright blue aura flared around him. He was on the cusp of greatness. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists tightly, concentrating his energy in this one burst. He could feel the temperature of his aura rising, and feel the tingling of the sparks that flew from him. Even with his powerful energy, it still wasn't enough. He was quickly reaching his peak, and he had not transformed.

Was this truly his limit? Had he worked this long, for nothing? Even though he tried, he might not be able to break through the barrier, again. He was failing his race and his family. He stood no chance against this cowardly murderer. The thoughts raced through his head, sparking a fury he had not felt in a long time. He threw his fists into the air, letting out a scream of all of his frustrations. For a split second, he felt himself break the barrier, but then it suddenly stopped. His aura dissipated, and he fell to his knees.

It was hopeless. No matter how hard he pushed himself, nothing came of it. If he couldn't break through the barrier, how was he supposed to put an end to these senseless murders? Would it be better to give up now, than to further pursue this fool's errand? He honestly did not know which option was worse.

He didn't get up to move, when he heard the door open and close. Let whoever was there see him, like this: the shame was the least he deserved.

A minute passed before they spoke. "Alright, get up. You've had enough time to mope."

Vegeta looked up to see his father looming over him, with his arms crossed over his chest. He stood himself back up, not looking directly at his face.

"Oh, come now, I know you can give me a better attitude than that. Straighten your back, square your shoulders, and look at me."

"Since when did you decide to be a drill sergeant?"

"I won't ask twice."

The serious tone his father had promptly shut up the rest of his snarky comments. He did as his father asked – rolled his shoulders back, straightened his back, and looked him dead in the eyes.

"Vegeta, you're a Saiyan warrior. We don't let a few minor setbacks discourage us from our goals. We live for these challenges. It helps us thrive. How can you do that, if you're so willing to lie down and give up?"

He raised a brow. "You're one to talk."

He shrugged. "Yes, I'll admit: I haven't been as proactive as I could have. But I didn't let the gap between us keep me from returning to my training. And, not to be arrogant, I think it has been going rather well. Now, what's your excuse? Your strength is beyond that of any Saiyan who's come before you. You've reached heights that I thought to be unobtainable. What could possibly be holding you back? Your own fear of failure?"

"I fear nothing," Vegeta said. He clenched his fists at his sides. "That coward murdering Saiyans should be the one that's afraid."

"Then why does he continue to attack us? Surely, he knows the risks. Perhaps he might be even stronger than you are. Then, what will you do? It could be any day now, he'll come after someone you hold dear: Nappa, Raditz, anyone. If you can't summon your strength to fight for them, then who will?"

How dare his father suggest such a ludicrous idea. There was no way that monster was stronger than he was. If that day did come, then he would fight them. But, the ideas still made his blood boil: that he was powerless against the enemy and the people he cared about were still vulnerable.

The king continued. "And what about Bulma? She might have gotten away once, but I doubt he would afford her that kindness a second time, if they were to meet again. What would you do, if it turned out you weren't strong enough to protect her? I speak from experience, Vegeta: that pain is hell on a man. Would you be prepared to deal with that, if that day comes?"

His father kept talking, but Vegeta didn't hear it. His head hung low, and he began to tremble with rage. His aura flared around him, and a pulse of energy hit the king pushing him backwards. Not that he noticed. The anger he had felt in his goading had gotten under his skin, sure enough. Had someone to suggest that he wasn't strong enough to protect the woman he loved before; he would have blasted them out of the room for suggesting such a stupid idea. But now, with all of the doubt and self-loathing he was feeling, it made him realize it wasn't out of possibility. The thought terrified him, and enraged him to his core.

"No," he hissed. "I won't let that happen! I can't!"

He screamed once more, destroying the protective shields on the walls. The king shielded his eyes, as he looked at him. His blue aura had changed to a bright yellow. His dark hair now shined a brilliant gold. And his eyes were a blue hue. He starred in awe, at the sudden transformation. A smile formed on his face. His plan had worked, after all.

His awe was cut short, when Vegeta swiftly punched him in the stomach. He let out a grunt of pain, before falling backwards onto the floor. Vegeta blinked when he heard the noise, and looked down at his father. When he saw him clutching his stomach, he noticed his fist was sticking out in his direction. He staggered backwards, not even realizing he had punched his own father out of anger.

He caught a glimpse of himself in a broken piece of the shields, lying on the floor, and nearly gasped, at how different he looked. He slowly raised a hand to his hair, feeling his new golden locks. They felt stiff and course, between his fingers. Was this it? He hadn't gotten to look at himself, while he was fighting Frieza. He looked the same, bar the hair and eye color. The legend had never been specific about what the transformation entailed, but the power he felt pulsing around him was a familiar one.

What else could this possibly be?

"Well, I'll be damned…" Vegeta looked back down at his father, as he staggered back onto his feet. He shook his head, as he chuckled. "You truly are incredible, my son. I never would have imagined you would be the one to achieve such heights, but I'm not surprised one bit."

"Father," Vegeta said. "I-I didn't mean to-"

He held up his head. "I know, boy. I knew what I was getting into, when provoking you. Now, if you remember that anger, that passion you felt, and channel it into your ki, then I believe you might be able to control it on your own."

That sounded smart. He had the power the whole time, and now he finally had the key to unlocking it. Vegeta looked back down at his fist. He flexed his arm upwards and smirked. He exhaled, and released himself from his transformation.

The king put a hand on his shoulder. "So get all of that doubt nonsense out of your head. You can do it, son. You can get stronger and put an end to these murders. I know you can."

"Thank you father."

Vegeta came back into their room later that evening. Bulma glanced over at him, before she continued typing away at her laptop. "Hey, Vegeta. How was your day?" He said nothing, as he walked over to her. He shut her laptop, and put it on the table. "Hey, I was working on something!"

"And now you're not. Get up," he said. He took her arm, and practically dragged her to the other side of the room, by the window. He opened the door to the balcony with his free hand.

"Seriously, what gives," she asked, laughing nervously. "What are you doing?" He scooped her legs off of the ground, and wrapped his arm around her waist, before jumping up into the air. She screamed, as she clutched onto his shoulders. They took off fast, the city passing by quickly beneath them.

"Vegeta, you better tell me what the hell you're doing," she shouted in his ear. He didn't even wince.

"Calm down," he told her. "Just relax and enjoy the flight."

Her anger dissipated, when she heard his voice. He looked down at her for a moment, then back up to see where he was flying. She sighed, but began to relax in his grip, laying her head on his shoulder. The skies were clear enough to see the stars, and the crescent moon shined down from over their shoulders. The bustling city streets passed by, and there was nothing below them but the barren desert landscapes, only dotted by the occasional village huts. The sounds of the wind flying by and the warmth of Vegeta's embrace began to lull Bulma to sleep. She yawned, and shifted herself so that her head could lie against his chest. He said nothing, just shifted his arms so that she could rest comfortably. She hardly noticed this, allowing herself some much-needed rest.

When she woke up, again, she was sitting in his lap, his hand sitting on her back. She glanced around. They were completely alone, huddled up in a small cave. The only light came from the stars and moon that were coming in from the outside. There, she could see the edge of a small lake, with a thin ring of greenery surrounding it. They were certainly far from the palace – possibly the furthest they had ever gone, together. It was different, but nice. The tranquility was something she could get used to. Though, she wasn't sure about all of the dirt.

She sat up, to look at Vegeta. "Okay," she said. "You had to have brought me out here, for a reason. What is it?"

He pushed her off of him, and stood up, walking back outside of the cave. "Stay there," he said. "Don't move." Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but she nodded, shifting so that she was sitting cross-legged.

Vegeta clenched his fists at his sides, and sunk his feet into the dirt. His aura immediately flared around him, but only a blue hue. The ground began to shake, and debris slowly floated into the air. Then, his hair began to change color. Bulma sat up, leaning forward, to see what was happening better. The ground beneath him flattened out, and he yelled, a bright light consuming his entire body. She covered her eyes, shielding them from the blinding rays. She didn't look up again, until she was sure they were all gone.

When she did look, her jaw dropped. He was standing above her, his aura a dark gold, his hair blonde, and his eyes blue. As he smirked confidently with his chin high, Bulma pieced together in her mind what this meant. She gasped, and lifted her hand to her mouth. She stood back up, as she looked up and down at him.

"Is this… are you a Super Saiyan, Vegeta?!"

"The genuine article." He puffed out his chest, not even bothering to be modest about it.

She laughed, and a big smile formed on her face. "I knew it! I knew you could do it! I'm so proud of you!" She jumped up and down in delight, before she nearly tackled him in a hug, kissing him on the lips. His skin was tingling slightly, while he was in this form. She could actually feel his power. It was just incredible.

He returned her embrace, kissing her back with as much passion. He lifted her up suddenly, wrapping her legs around his waist, making her squeal. He walked them back into the cave, his aura illuminating the dark walls. He knelt down and set her back onto the ground, crawling over her and pushing her back into the dirt.

She put her hands on his chest. "Here? Seriously?! Why?!"

"Because I don't want any news to spread of my new abilities just yet." He lifted his armor over his head, and tossed it to the side.

"Yeah, but, couldn't you have picked a different place? Like, somewhere with a bed, at the very least?"

"Aren't you always talking about how we should try something more exciting?" He unbuttoned her blouse from the front, getting no resistance from her. He was still holding onto the legendary form while doing this.

She laughed. "Cave sex with a Super Saiyan wasn't exactly what I had in mind!"

"Do you want to stop? We can go back to the palace now, if you'd prefer."

She couldn't say that now, and he knew it. The smug smirk on his face told her that. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Damn, you're impossible..." Yet, when he kissed her again, she didn't complain. Truth be told, she loved it when he got a little playful. Vegeta was such a no-nonsense kind of guy that it was a nice change of pace when he relaxed a little bit. After the month they have had, this kind of levity was definitely needed. Pondering the nature of his transformations and the responsibilities of it could wait until the morning.

For now, they were just happy to be wrapped up in each other for the night.