After the altercation with the Pilaf Gang, Goku would go on a personal journey of training by himself. During this journey, he would continue to best himself before the next time he would meet his friends at the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament. Ayote, in this story, also goes on her own personal training journey, partly to gain further insight, but also to explore more of the world. But her journey would take her somewhere she didn't quite expect.

Age 752, two years after Goku and Ayote left on their own personal journeys. Ayote had went through a bit of self-reflection after meeting her mother for the first time since she was three years old; now seventeen years old, reaching eighteen within another month, the female Saiyan did undergo a minor growth spurt between the two years, appearing more mature than her young adult self before. During this time, she saw all kinds of sights between the Land of Korin where Goku trained at, though never met Korin, and the big cities like West City, home of Capsule Corp. and Bulma. She ultimately didn't stay long though as the training she was undergoing was more mental than physical. During her time alone, she thought about the tournament and her fight with Elery; while she didn't mind the peace around her, her Saiyan blood for challenge did itch as those kinds of fighters were the exception rather than the rule. People with remarkable skill and talent are rare on Earth and the reality is that none of them truly held a candle to the likes of the upper echelons of the Frieza Force. She didn't know for sure, but from what she had heard about the likes of Dodoria from her mom, Frieza may even be worse than that. There was no telling what would happen if Frieza ever came to Earth, and especially if he found Saiyans living on the planet… But she shook the intrusive thoughts out of her head - Frieza's day will come. But for now, Ayote had to concentrate on the here and now… Of course, in her internal monologuing, Ayote found herself in front of a beeping car as a man shouted at her to get out of the road.

Ayote: "Oops! Sorry!"

She jumps out of the road before looking around at her surroundings… She was in some run-of-the-mill town called 'Ginger'. She shrugged as she explored more of the town, not really seeing a lot to it other than some guy shouting that he won the lottery and became the richest man in town. Her level of care for it was at an all time low.

Ayote: "Nice place and all… But Ginger Town isn't exactly the most happening town, huh?"

She asks no one in particular as she dusts off her sun dress. She continues her exploration through an alleyway, finding a sight that caught her attention. A couple of kids messing with a homeless man; the kids appeared to be twins with one having black hair while the other was blonde. The black haired boy wore an ascot with a black shirt and torn shorts; the blonde girl wore a sleeveless torn blue jacket with black shirt with white sleeves underneath. Both the kids didn't appear any older than fourteen yet they clearly weren't the most pleasant duo.*

Boy: "You heard me. I saw you get some zenni from that guitar playing earlier. Either cough it up or we kick your butt."

Homeless Man: "You think you kids deserve mah money? I earned it, you spoiled kids."

Girl: "Ugh, what a drag. Lapis? Is it really worth a couple of zenni? Why not just rob a bank or something?"

Lapis: "Because I don't like this guy's face. And when I don't like something… I smash it."

Lapis grabs the homeless man by his collar before reeling back a punch. But as he sends his fist at the man's face, in a split second, the fist is caught. Everyone, including the homeless man, was shocked as they see a girl in a really nice dress and hat combo with a monkey tail just catch the boy's punch like it was nothing. Lapis backs away, letting go of the homeless man.

Ayote: "That's awfully rude, trying to attack a man who's already down on his luck. Not to mention, very low."

Ayote motioned the homeless man to leave as she kept her eyes on the twins, which the man immediately took as he grabbed his hat full of zenni and ran. The twins stare back, initially shocked but soon calmed down.

Lapis: "Check it out, Lazuli. Some chick with a monkey tail. Hey, you just leave the circus?"

Lazuli: "I like the outfit she has on though. I've been looking for something to wear to the beach."

Ayote: "So one of you makes very lame taunts while the other is more observant. I see which one wears the pants in this relationship."

Lazuli… couldn't help but chuckle at this comeback as Lapis got irritated. The boy ran at Ayote, jumping to punch her. And she took it… and didn't even budge.

Ayote: "...Can't say I'm impressed."

Lapis: "Wh-what the…!?"

Lazuli was dumbstruck; she and Lapis thought the fist catch was just some trick, but… Ayote took Lapis' punch head on and didn't even flinch. But the stubborn boy kept attacking, landing hit after hit. But these attacks did nothing against a radically more powerful Saiyan. Eventually, Lapis just collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily from exhaustion.

Lapis: "D-Damn it… What's she made of, iron?"

Ayote: "Nope. Flesh and blood like you."

Lazuli: "Ugh… Come on, Lapis! Let's just go before some cops see us stir up trouble!"

Lapis: "No way! Her face pisses me off and I want to leave a bruise on it!"

Ayote looked at the duo, contemplating what Lapis said. An idea formed in her head as she shrugged.

Ayote: "I mean, you're welcome to try. But don't expect to succeed."

The Saiyan then walked away, leaving Lapis angry as he stands up with Lazuli's help, clenching a fist in anger.

Shortly after that encounter, Ayote left Ginger Town, feeling nothing of interest in the town to warrant her stay. She stops at a river and dips her tail in the water in order to catch a meal. As she does this, her senses go off as she hears the bushes rustle despite the wind conditions being fairly light. She looks towards the bushes to her right, only to hear a familiar voice battle cry from her left.

Lapis: "I got you now!"

The boy connects his punch… but again, Ayote was unmoved as she just turns her head to look at him.

Ayote: "You scared my food away…"

After a second, Lazuli comes from the bushes that rustled earlier to see her brother knocked out with a large bump on his head, his eyes swirls as Ayote held him by his left foot with her tail. Lazuli was worried for her brother… but the sight of seeing his ego knocked down a peg was funny to watch.

Lazuli: "Told him that wouldn't work. If the last few minutes of him thrashing wasn't going to make you even budge then I don't see how a sneak attack would."

Ayote: "Well, I do see perfect synergy between you two. You obviously look out for one another and I respect that."

Lazuli: "Thanks. But hey… How come you're so strong? I mean, most of these other weaklings hardly give us any trouble, unless it's the cops coming to arrest us."

Ayote: "Simply put? I'm a martial artist. Among other things, but that's as much as I'm telling."

Lapis: "Yeah? That shouldn't make you invincible. We've beaten some showboaty guy who claims to be a martial artist before and he was much easier to beat."

Ayote turns to the boy she was still holding with her tail before dropping him to the ground, he hitting the ground a resounding 'Oof'.

Ayote: "Like I said; my secret to keep. Name's Ayote by the way."

Lazuli: "The dork on the ground is Lapis; I'm Lazuli."

Lapis: "And we do what we want, when we want."

Ayote: "In other words, a couple of delinquents."

Ayote says as she crosses her arms before thinking about her next move.

Ayote: "Alright. Lapis? You said you wanted to bruise my face, right?"

Lapis: "...? Yeah? Why?"

Ayote: "Why don't you train with me? I've been wandering the world a lot and I personally could use a break in my travels. You train with me, and if you can land a solid punch on my face that actually leaves a mark… We'll consider that even."

Lazuli: "Are you sure you want to do that? You've seen what this bozo is capable of when he gets angry."

Ayote: "I've seen, yes."

Lazuli looks at the older girl before realizing what she was trying to do. But her interest was at least piqued.

Lapis: "Tch. Fine. A wall breaks eventually; your face will break even easier once I'm trained up."

Ayote: "We'll seeee~"

And so Ayote began to train Lapis the same way she herself was trained by Master Roshi. Though with Ayote, she improvised by using Ginger Town to do a few odd jobs, though with the intention of tempering Lapis' bouts of anger. At first, Lapis wasn't too happy about doing menial labor since he didn't see the benefit in it, but after a few weeks of doing it, he did start to appreciate the kindness people gave him when he did a good job, either from Ayote or from a random stranger. One job he enjoyed in particular involved walking pets for a pet shop, though he tried to hide his joy from his mentor. Lazuli was usually watching from a distance not really interested in doing odd jobs… That is until she saw Lapis actually doing them without Ayote's asking, which made her curious enough to try them on her own. Ayote was certainly happy to see the two work together in more than crimes or general bullying. One day, as Ayote was preparing a meal for the twins for their hard work, as well as a surprise for them, the Saiyan sees Lapis leap at her from the trees, going in with a punch to her cheek - a greeting that Ayote was all too familiar with now. But this punch, while it still didn't leave a mark, did move the Saiyan's head.

Lapis: "Heh. That got you good, didn't it, Ayote?"

Ayote: "Hey, Lapis. Everything go okay with milk delivery?

Lapis: "Some jerk tried to trip me up, but I caught the milk before any of it could spill."

Ayote: "And…?"

Lapis: "...I told him off. Don't worry, I didn't hurt him."

Ayote ruffles Lapis' hair with a bright smile before then noticing Lazuli's absence.

Ayote: "Where's Lazuli?"

Lapis: "She's trying to do a little extra work, saying that we might get a little extra money out of the deal."

Ayote: "Money is nice and all, but that wasn't really the end goal."

Lazuli walks in, carrying a little wad of cash with a smile before seeing the duo.

Lazuli: "What? I like having money."

Ayote: "...As long as you earn it the right way, I guess I have no problem with it."

Ayote says with a nervous smile, very unsure if she should try to teach Lazuli not to be greedy; though she did see this as partial motivation to work hard so she ultimately did not argue any further. She then clears her throat as she turns to the twins.

Ayote: "Alright, you two. I have a question that I want you to answer to the best of your abilities. Can you tell me why I had you do those tasks the past month and a half now?"

Lapis: "Um… Training, I guess?"

Ayote: "Yes. But it isn't physical training. I'll be truthful, I've been fibbing a little to you, Lapis."

She sat down, prompting the other two to sit with her.

Ayote: "This work you've been doing wasn't really to increase your physical strength, but to temper your ego. See… If I did try to train you, and Lazuli if she was ever interested, there was a chance you could kill someone with that kind of training. I wanted to try and temper your anger in a way that could prevent you from taking another life."

Lapis looked at Ayote, unsure of what to think. But he then looked back to himself before, then got a shiver at what kind of person he could become. Before he didn't really care if he killed another person; they were just garbage to him. But seeing people of both sides - ones who are still trash but aren't worth his ire, and ones who smile and greet him like an old friend. Where there was apathy towards those kinds of people, there was a sense of… clarity. He couldn't quite describe it, but he definitely felt better from the experience. Lazuli tried to hide it the best she could, but… she was smiling a bit at her brother's change, seeing this as a breath of fresh air for her.

Ayote: "And… There was a boon to this training too. By tempering your ego, you let out a punch that not only connected… but actually moved me. It still didn't leave a mark, but it shows that there was progress."

Lapis: "No kidding?"

Ayote smiled at the boy. He then recalled when he did get a reaction out of his mentor, the first that wasn't just mild surprise. Once this realization hit, he smiled at his progress.

Ayote: "Which brings me to the next step of your training."

Ayote moves to a nearby basket and pulls out a couple of outfits… A pair of gi, each tailored in a style befitting the twin's tastes. The twins raised an eyebrow as Ayote explained.

Ayote: "You two will be training for real now. And rather than tatter your clothes, why not wear something that would fit training better?"

The two looked at the outfits; they would never be caught dead in some random gi normally. But the more they looked at them, the more… heartfelt the gesture seemed. Lapis then turned to Lazuli.

Lapis: "What do you think, sis?"

Lazuli: "...I guess… they do look kind of cool."

Lazuli said, trying to be coy as she, deep down, did appreciate the effort the Saiyan was putting in to better the twins' lives. After a moment of privacy, the twins came out wearing the gi, with Lapis keeping on his ascot.

Ayote: "Now that looks exceptionally cool. Way better than I thought initially. Be ready, you two. For we'll be training a lot."

Twins: "Yes… Ma'am!"

The two looked at each other, catching themselves actually calling Ayote "Ma'am". But then… They simply chuckled. The first genuine laugh the two felt in a long time.

Months passed, seasons changed. Ayote trained Lapis and Lazuli nonstop in martial arts, increasing not just their physical strength, but their ability to control that strength. They didn't give up on the menial labor though; in fact, during times of rest, they'd get back to doing odd jobs, slowly seeing it as easy work compared to training with Ayote. Ayote herself took her lessons from Roshi and Elery to heart in order to train Lapis and Lazuli, effectively becoming an older sister to the duo… after reminding them that despite her mature look, she was only a few years older than them. It then came time to test the duo in their progress - a final test. Age 753, April 5th, just a month before the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament would begin, Lapis and Lazuli both came to train with Ayote again, but instead found her staring at the morning sun.

Lapis: "Yo! Ayote! Isn't it time to do more training?"

Lazuli: "Yeah. Let's go while I'm still fired up."

Ayote didn't turn to them, but she did respond.

Ayote: "Actually… I think I've taught you everything I needed to. Everything I can think of anyway. You two have progressed so well that… I think it's time to give you a final test."

She then turns to the duo with a serious expression; one that actually scared the two as Ayote was radiating with such power; even if they couldn't feel ki, they could at least sense that Ayote wasn't planning on going easy on them anymore.

Lapis: "A-Ayote?"

Ayote: "I want you to throw everything you have at me. Coordinate your attacks… And strike me down!"

The duo felt a sudden push of air as they braced themselves from being pushed off their feet. They then got into a fighting stance, different from their usual street fighting style they were so accustomed to. They lunged at Ayote, Lapis striking high while Lazuli struck low. However, Ayote blocked both attacks, Lapis' with an arm and Lazuli's with an open palm. She then grabbed Lazuli's hand and tossed her to her brother, slamming them to the ground. They quickly got up and launched themselves at Ayote again, this time going for a roundhouse kick to Ayote's stomach. They missed as their mentor jumps over their kick and slams down, grabbing them by the face and slamming them into the dirt. Ayote then stood back up calmly after releasing her hold on them.

Lapis: "Damn it… Sh-She's serious… She's not holding back…"

Lazuli: "Yeah… What do we do…?"

Lapis took a moment to think. Abrasive attacks weren't going to get them far, no matter how coordinated they were. They had to strategize, something they often didn't need before now. But with a cooler head, Lapis could think of one thing.

Lapis: "Alright. I got a plan. Lazuli? You trust me?"

Lazuli: "What kind of question is that?"

Lapis: "Then… Let's do this."

Ayote was curious what the two had in mind as she readied herself for their attack. Lapis lunges first, going in for a straight punch at Ayote's jaw, which she blocks. Lazuli comes in from behind with a kick, but Ayote catches easily. Lapis jumps over Ayote's arm, going into the air as he tries to land an axe kick; Ayote blocks with an open palm as Lazuli gets loose from the older girl's grip. Lazuli runs in for a drop kick, but Ayote blocks with her leg. Lapis, smiling, drops to the ground after his kick fails as he rushes at Ayote for a gut punch. Ayote braces for a block, only for Lapis to change his attack at the last second; he leaps over Ayote's attempted block with a readied fist, slamming it right on Ayote's cheek. The force was strong enough to not only cause Ayote to react, but spit out blood as a bruise was left on her face. The twins immediately backed away as they started to breathe very heavily. Despite all their training, their stamina had its limits; Ayote was just way too strong compared to them.

Lazuli: "One hit? That's all you could muster, Lapis?"

Lapis: "Yeah, shut up. If I'm going down, I at least went out leaving my mark."

Ayote took a moment to register the hit that struck her and where it struck her. She then rubbed away the blood from her mouth before looking at the twins. As it looked like she was about to retaliate with vengeance… She just smiled, much to the confusion of the twins.

Ayote: "You passed."

Lapis: "...Huh?"

Ayote: "You. Passed. It's just as you said; you left your mark. After all the times you've punched my face… This time, it hit true. And I couldn't be prouder."

Lapis and Lazuli looked at Ayote as they lowered their fists. The Saiyan approaches the twins before pulling them into a hug, showing just how proud she was of them.

Lazuli: "A-Ayote? Come on… This is so embarrassing…"

Lazuli says, smiling as she felt like crying right now. Soon, Ayote releases them from her hug as she smiles sadly at them.

Ayote: "I'm leaving…"

Lapis: "What!? B-But why!?"

Ayote: "It's not for anything involving you two. It's for me. See… I still have things I need to do for myself. Things that… Well… I still have to figure out. But even as I leave… Know that I do love you two from the bottom of my heart. You two went from a couple of punks to my first, and maybe best, students… And very dear friends. Never forget the lessons I imparted to you. And never stop growing."

Ayote smiles as she slowly turns away and walks towards where the wind would take her next. But as she left, Lapis called out to her.

Lapis: "Hey, Ayote! Next time we meet, I'll do more than rough up your face! I want us to go all out, you and me!"

Ayote: "I look forward to it, Lapis!"

Ayote flashes the duo a quick thumbs up as she smiles. The pair watch on as Ayote vanishes, unaware of what fate may come to them soon. Though how would this interaction with the Saiyan change the course of history? Only time would tell…