All muscles have a breaking point. Use them too much and you will seriously damage yourself, there is a fine line between exercising them to perfection and torturing your own body. Vegeta sees that line and ignores it, haphazardly crossing it every day. Training into the early hours of the morning and waking up only a few hours later his body is screaming at him. Compared to some training sessions that was hardly anything and the all encompassing pain he feels is negligible to him.
Stretching his arms to warm his body up before another arduous day of training and spreading ki throughout his body to counteract all the cramps, pain and muscle fatigue, he lumbers down the stairs. Halfway down the stairs something ruffles his rigid hair and he looks up to confirm the sensed ki signature with his suspicions.
An arm dangling from one of the support beams. An arm attached to a peacefully napping Ryoko wearing a vivid red dress and black sash around her waist, complementing her figure superbly. Her faint breathing permeates the air as her elfin ears twitch and move in the throes of a dream. Curious about her unusual sleeping habits, Vegeta pulls himself up onto the beam by her feet; observing her rapid eye movement under closed lids, her fingers curling and uncurling and inaudible moans and words escaping from her mouth.
" Uh …mmm... V-Ve –" Clearing his throat he silences her mumbling. Violently she rolls to one side and wakes with a start landing in Vegeta's arms.
" Pleasant dream?" Still startled from the shock of falling, Ryoko drowsily opens her eyes to find herself in the macho arms of who she was just fantasising about. Yawning, she closes her eyes again and relaxes with Vegeta looking down at her.
" Come and join me napping if you like, I'm sure we can find enough room up there for the both of us … if not we could always go to your bed."
" I have no time for such laziness. If you want to waste all your time sleeping and throwing away your potential as a pirate that's fine by me." With that he gently as he can throws her into the air and out of his arms before continuing to the training room. A loud disappointed sigh from the floating Ryoko goes unheeded.
Sipping a nice steaming mug of herbal tea on the sofa, Ayeka looks and smiles at her prince - who completely ignores her keeping his focus solely on his destination. As soon as the thick metal slab slides back on its hinges and the reverberating sound of its lock rings through the living room Ayeka nearly spills her hot beverage in the process of grabbing the TV remote.
Ever since he rescued her from her fate of tying the knot with her own brother she can not stop thinking about the Saiyan prince, Yosho's words echoing throughout her mind of his alternate proposal. Maybe it was because of her father's over-protectiveness and her sheltered upbringing, but simply being around this man is messing with her feelings. Such a brute should never arouse emotions like the ones currently in her heart. Truth be told she isn't so certain about what she actually feels towards him, this being the first time she has held affection for someone outside of her own family how can she tell if it is the real thing or not. All she knows is that no-one must find out about his aspect visiting her dreams in a way no other man, fictional or real, ever has before.
" Why so eager princess? Do you enjoy peeping on him that much?" Masking the sound of her teleportation by that of the TV, Ryoko is now sat next to Ayeka with an eyebrow raised at her insinuatingly.
" I have no idea what you are talking about, I have no interest whatsoever in … peeping." Giving the cold shoulder to Ryoko both women turn to watch as best they can what Vegeta is doing on the display.
A gargantuan, red haired, green orcish beast with a long jagged scar down his barrel-like chest and a mottled green carapaced genetic hybrid spawn into existence. Bojack and Cell. Deciding only to go to the first form of Super Saiyan, Vegeta stands dwarfed before them. Today on the agenda for Vegeta is practising and learning the secret techniques that he has witnessed other fighters perform so he can add them to his wide arsenal at his disposal. His pride for a long time stopped him from doing so. Instant transmission proved a slippery slope. Without that technique his chances against Goku slim substantially, his time spent training cannot be wasted on him trying to recreate the wheel. Once he begins, his sadism takes over.
An hour or so passes as do many of the incarnated sprites of his training dummies, each felled by a unique attack. One decapitated by a destructo-disk, two bodies lay with a large hole drilled straight through them by a special beam cannon, another beaten into a mushy pulp on the floor after Vegeta finally mastered the Kaioken – the same technique he has long since hated for the part it played in his downfall from being the strongest Saiyan. Many annihilated antagonists lay still before him, the bodies beginning to pile up and the floor slick with blood and other fluids seeping from the mangled corpses.
" Solar flare!" Both women and hulking opponents eyes are overloaded by a brilliant pure white light emanating from the already glowing Super Saiyan. Bringing his spread fingers back down from his forehead and raising them like claws, he nimbly sprints towards both dazed opponents clutching at their eyes.
" Wolf fang fist!" A ghostly apparition of a savage black wolf with red eyes lit with the very fires of hell overlays itself onto the howling Saiyan as a hundred hammering blows ravage Bojack in an instant. All his bones and vital organs pulverised in the instant death takes him. Cell blinks away the dazzling light and through his burnt retinas takes his last sight: Vegeta mid leap with a rabid glare in his eyes with his hands forming the gaping jaws of deliverance.
Landing crouched, Vegeta stands up with a displeased look of distaste at the ease of what he has done. To the women less than a second has passed and after their vision has cleared enough to look back at the screen Vegeta has turned up the gravity in the training room and is doing bench presses, next to two fresh corpses. One so badly disfigured and bloody that it is no longer recognisable as humanoid – never mind Bojack - and Cell collapsing to his knees. Cold and quickly numbing fingers weakly grasp at the human sized hole through his massive bulk before finally giving up the ghost and fading away into non-existence with the rest of Vegeta's little mess.
The tedium of Vegeta's seemingly infinite capacity for exercise eventually dissuades the women from continuing to watch him, despite his skin tight Saiyan jumpsuit clinging to his body from perspiration and highlighting the curvature of his heightened musculature. What Vegeta also fails to notice is that, with that being his preferred item of clothing, it does not leave much to the imagination of the women in his house – styling a Linford Christie lunch box. It has been too many years since Bulma pointed that out to him, it is second nature by now for him to wear clothing easy for him to manoeuvre in and he cares little for modesty as he is not naked.
Ryoko hovers back to the wooden beam she has claimed and takes another cat nap, leaving Ayeka milling around the house with nothing to do. Wandering around the house aimlessly, the purple haired high-born of Jurai finds company in the lavender haired child of Vegeta. Trunks is gnawing on one end of a stubby pencil and looking stumped at the worksheet before him, although gifted with the intelligence of his mother he just can not work out the answer to this question. Seeing the look of confusion on his face, Ayeka tries to be a good Samaritan and offers to help the struggling lad with his schoolwork.
" You'll help me? Great! Although I would prefer it if it were Washu helping, she's a lot smarter than you are …" Trying furiously to stifle her anger at the insult, Ayeka continues to smile at Trunks, although it is now forced.
" Here take a look, oh wait you can't read sorry. I guess I'll read it to you then: In the year 461 what was the mythical Piccolo war and how was it stopped?" The smile fades from Ayeka's face. A history question, she might recognise the name Piccolo but apart from that the few days she has spent on this planet are hardly enough for her to be able to answer that question.
" I-I'm sure your father will know the answer to it, you just keep on working hard." With that she leaves the child to his questions with a slight twitch in her eye at the insolence of him, dead sure he did that on purpose to irk her.
Sparks fly and throw shadows across the dimly lit room, illuminating the dark tiled recess of the lab. A bright blue flame lowers and superheats a small metal wire, welding it in place. Giggling at her ingenuity, Washu mans the controls of the robotic arms and manoeuvres them as delicately as a surgeon performing an operation as her little toy she is making begins to take shape.
" Lunch is ready!" The chirpy voice of the gastronomic genius draws forth the training Saiyan. Calmly walking into the kitchen in the same state that he left the training room, he takes his seat. A small puddle of sweat pools around him on the floor mixed with a few bright drops of a sanguine fluid. As Ayeka wanders to the call of her sister she gasps when she sees Vegeta and hurries to his side.
" Oh Lord Vegeta, you're hurt. You can't just sit here looking like that." He slowly turns his head so he can see her out of his good eye, for one is now badly bleeding and closed behind layers of coagulated blood. Trickles of crimson are all over his body, dark gore spattered all over his clothing and deep gashes rake his back and arms. Not one part of him is without injury or damage.
" Tis but a scratch." With that he reaches across the table to grab some of the delectable sandwiches piled up on one of the plates. Sasami gapes in horror as his dirty hands contaminate her food, then she nearly faints as his still bleeding arm drips onto all nearby dishes.
" A scratch? You look as though you are on death's door itself, please get those wounds treated I wouldn't want you to get a nasty infection."
" I've had worse." Continuing to stuff his face, he hardly seems to care or notice when Ryoko's head pops through the table then disappears, reappearing fully on the other side of Vegeta.
" See, this is what happens when you reject my offer. Would you like me to kiss it better?" With Ryoko's tantalising and sensual lips rapidly approaching him and disturbing him from his food his image flickers and in one hand he holds a small green bean. He eats this Senzu bean to quiet the women down, not for his own well-being, and scoops up the last few snacks on the table. Ryoko's lips however are still encroaching on him as he forgets that the speed of his actions means that both women's brains haven't processed that he is once again in peak physical condition with all injuries gone.
He stands in the doorway with his gloved hands on his hips, Sasami who was about to clean up skips past him when she sees that once more Vegeta has tidied away and washed up in the bat of an eye.
" Ryoko, Ayeka. Outside, now." The faint after-image of Vegeta dissipates. Mystified by this most unusual of requests, the two ladies look at each with puzzled expressions, their minds still adapting to living with this hypersonic presence known as Vegeta. The intentions of Ryoko to get to this meeting before her are all too predictable for the highly educated princess. In the nanosecond that the air around Ryoko starts to vibrate, her dainty hand lashes out and grabs her wrist forcing Ryoko to teleport her as well. If only she had known what she had gotten herself into.
Re-entering existence only fifteen metres from where they departed, Ayeka tears her hand away from Ryoko and clutches at her heaving stomach. First time teleporting is always nasty business and takes a while of getting used to. Nearly doubling over in pain and swallowing down the bile that had risen in her throat, Ayeka looks weakly back up.
Having left Ayeka to sort herself out, Ryoko is by Vegeta, 50 feet up in the air above the lake, both looking down at her. Slowly lifting from the ground and traversing through the air she joins them. Surveying the two femme fatales; the pale face of the still queasy Juraian blue-blood and the devilish smile of the expectant galactic buccaneer, he begins.
" I've gathered you here for a certain reason, there has been something niggling at me since I woke up. I thought about keeping it to myself but, no … I will declare it now …" His face as dark and cut off from emotion as always he pauses for a second, summoning courage for what he is about to say. Both levitating women have perked up immensely at these words with their faces shining in optimism at the prospect of their deepest desire being granted.
" … I … I-I want, I would like …" Stammering under the immensity of what he is about to say both women fly and lean closer to him, daring not to breathe lest it will spoil this most precious of moments. " … Teach me. I need to know your techniques, both of you are women of power – mere insects to me – but powerful in your own way. Help me train." With their hopes crushed and dreams dashed to the four winds, the two devastated women hide their great and utter disappointment in his request.
" I'm not asking for any charity, you teach me your special skill and I will teach you one of mine. Ayeka, you have demonstrated the feat of being able to channel a huge proportion of your energy into forming a barrier of either protection or containment – that is what I would like to learn from you. Ryoko, you have the ability to make your physical body non-corporeal this I would find to be most useful." Still with blank, despondent and mournful eyes looking at him he elects to spark a little life back in them. The torn and battered soles of his bloodied boots land back on the shoreline.
" What say you? Who wants to go first?" Right on cue the announcement brings the women to their normal selves. The rivalry between those two women foreshadows that even of Vegeta's to Goku and trouble begins to brew. Toying with them is such an easy thing, he wishes Bulma was that easy to manipulate. The simple pleasures of life pass him by but a good cat fight between those two never ceases to amuse him. Like a fledgling sparrow versus a hawk, Ayeka loses any advantage over Ryoko she had in the aerial combat and is swept aside. Shoved away with her concentration broken, the deep water looms welcoming her.
Cancelling out gravity as her luxurious ponytails dip into the water, a wave of disturbed water splashes over her. Drenched to the bone, the pits of hell and damnation themselves look more welcoming than the furious wrath awoken within the aristocrat. Giddy on behalf of her little victory over the snobby princess, Ryoko skims across the water, splashing water high in her wake.
" Me first, me first. Me!" Slamming into Vegeta she swings around his neck to hug him from behind, delight and jubilance sparkling from her ravishing eyes. Snuggling and nuzzling his face with hers, a cold shiver shoots down Vegeta's spine. Drifting his eyes from Ryoko to the soaked and dripping princess' stabbing stare of malice seething with both freezing, unpitying hate and the roaring emerald flames of envy. Averting his eyes from her in her disgraced sodden state, he concedes and nods at Ryoko, replying with a squeal of unbridled joy and the warmth of her bosom squishing between his broad shoulders.
" Very well then Ryoko, what would you like in exchange for this knowledge?" Regretting his poor choice of words as soon as they leave his mouth, a suggestive smirk takes over Ryoko's face.
" Oh I'm sure I can think of a little something you could do to - I mean for me."
" Ryoko, what you are thinking about are techniques and skills that have nothing to do with the field of battle. It's out of the question, I will certainly not demonstrate them to you. Come now, you already can fly, teleport and shoot basic bolts of energy I'm sure you can think of something that the feared Ryoko could use to spread her infamy across the universe." Let down by his mind being set against showing her his other kind of prowess her mind scans the past few days she has spent in his company, trying to pinpoint the one thing she could use against him.
" OK, how about that thing where you can always tell whether I'm near you or not."
" The ability to sense power levels and ki signatures? Fine, so be it. Begin, show me this skill of yours." Reluctantly, Ryoko slowly lets go of Vegeta and manoeuvres herself so she that she is stood in front of him. Having taught herself this a long time ago it is not that difficult for her to explain the complexities of this technique and the way in which you have to flow the ki through your body. She demonstrates to him phasing through part of his house and then it is time for Vegeta to try and master it.
Raising his left hand he gradually edges it closer and closer towards the wall of his house, channelling energy into his palm, fingers and wrist, he edges his hand towards his house. He has observed Ryoko doing the same and mimicry is no challenge. Clunk. The tattered rags of his filthy glove impacts the floor. Looking from his hand to the glove and back at his hand, he groans at the obvious intentions of Ryoko.
" I don't recall your clothes falling off every time you fly through a wall. It's as though you taught me the wrong way so that mine would. … Now tell me the right way or else I'll show you how my fist goes through your guts." Her wicked smile timidly fades away, thwarted yet again this time she teaches him the proper way to phase through solid objects so that undressing is not a prerequisite. As he sinks through the terrain and bobs up again the proud instructor applauds her first pupil.
" You've upheld your end of the bargain and I shall do the same and train you in the ways of detecting the life force of others." They stand close to each other, less than a foot apart. His eyes never leave her face.
Witnessing all this from not to far away, Ayeka continues to glower, the blazing inferno of scorn having long since dried her off. They might not notice her but she sees them. One of these days, she thinks to herself, she will have her rightful place at his side: free from Jurai and to live out her own life with this man who fought for her to be master of her own fate. However, all she can do at the minute is project nasty thoughts at the she-demon and watch her tail wag like an excitable puppy.
" Are you ready? Or is that temper of yours getting the better of you again?" Her slight perturbance by his sudden proximity to her is overshadowed by the grudge she is still holding on to. The musky and tangy odour of the man behind her mixes with the fair and aromatic smell of what perfume was not washed off her. With predatory precision she keeps an eye on her nemesis whilst the voluptuous rogue lifts off to bask in the glorious midday Sun on the sloping roof. Not lighting her mood in the slightest, she curtly turns and nods at Vegeta, raising a shimmering cerulean sphere around herself. Her arms raised before her, the near transparent globe wavers and continually flickers.
" Honestly, I expected more from you. Is this truly all the power of Ayeka the princess of Jurai? Now Ryoko on the other hand …" Her glare intensifies under his derision and jeering, if he were but a mere mortal this gorgon-like gaze would have petrified him and crumbled all other men to dust. The energy shield glows azure and starts to crackle into power, bolts shoot out from it, the princess can hardly be made out through this encapsulating barrier. Vegeta steps through the shield, it bursts like a bubble as twinkling shards of the brightest blue fizzle down.
" I actually felt a slight tingle walking through that, I congratulate you on your fine efforts but please, stop with all this nonsense now. Goading your anger seems to be the only reliable way to get you to do anything." Her flames of emotion die down to embers, always there and ready to be stoked back to life at any given time, seeing that he didn't mean those mean words she softens. Staying mad towards Vegeta is not something she would ever be capable of, him stood there so close to him yet his heart so distant and far. Lowering her arms and hugging them close to herself, the tedious task of explaining how it is done starts.
Taking mental notes he easily takes in all the relevant information and permanently locks it deep within his brain. Nothing as radical as cancelling out the physical properties of his body, he feels confident in experimenting to see whether he can form a defensive shield around himself. The air hisses and crackles with static discharge from the building energy. The energy starts to solidify in patches then rips itself apart. Frowning, Vegeta tries again and with a blinding flash a dark violet hemisphere forms above his raven hair as it slowly descends and the base seals to the ground scorching the grass.
" Two tries? It took me that many years to make even the most basic rudimentary barrier. A most remarkable achievement my prince, I am so proud of you." The pride is showing on his face, a bold grin of confidence from Vegeta. Lowering his hands the shield remains stabilised and continues humming. With a violent swish of his hand the shield coalesces into a ball and is jettisoned off over the horizon.
" I thank you Ayeka for those kind words, now to the matter of your payment – what's it going to be?" A second sun appears and disappears in the far off distance shining light on the jovial smile of Ayeka.
" You've already done so much for me and my sister I would hate to impose. If it is not too much of a bother I would enjoy a few more lessons on flying, Lord Vegeta." Her radiant beauty and peaceful soul soothe Vegeta who nods at her, smiling in agreement. Before the two can take to the skies the scientific virtuoso Washu runs out of the house with something hidden in her hands. Stopping in front of Vegeta, she opens her hands revealing her device she has secretly been working on.
So many old memories are brought back to the warrior. The times he spent with his other Saiyan comrades obliterating all in his path: killing, burning, annihilating, exterminating and enjoying every minute of it. A reminder of his days before Earth, before humility. He takes the offered device and clips the small eyepiece onto his ear. The red glass covering his left eye begins to flicker numbers on its heads-up-display as it turns itself on. Clicking the small button on the top of the main body of the scouter its sensors begin to locate the two women stood in front of him and analyse them.
" The greatest genius in the universe has a power level of … 9, as to be expected. The might of the daughter of Jurai is 263 … Ryoko!" Ayeka seems quite pleased with a triple digit score, that is until the intergalactic brigand appears stood next to her and hears her power level. " … Ryoko your power level is 378…" Seeing the relic from the days of her servitude to the tyrant Frieza does not bring as many good memories as it does for the elite class fighter. The embers in Ayeka are stirred by the bellows of Ryoko's higher score. " … and Ayeka's has jumped up to a new high of 332.".
With the arguing between the women reaching inevitability, a fuzz ball of cute, brown fur hops into sight followed by the smaller princess of Jurai chasing after the scampering critter. For the hell of it he scans both of them, Sasami getting a good 42 and Ryo-Ohki getting …
" 1,500. Ryo-Ohki has a power level of 1,500. Raditz would die again if he saw this, oh this is priceless, ha-ha." The women stare at the cabbit in alarm as Vegeta chuckles to himself at this turn of events, chucking the scouter back to Washu.
" Over 1,000! There's no way that's right, such a small animal can not have more power than me, a princess of Jurai. Washu obviously must have built that thing wrong." Ayeka cannot and will not accept this. The owner of the spaceship picks her up and coos at her little pet, both purring contently. With the adversaries in the field of love distracted, Washu equips the scouter whilst Vegeta flies out over the lake. With great anticipation Washu clicks the one and only button on her old invention she has radically improved, its capabilities enhanced so maybe it could give an accurate reading on Vegeta. Her jaw drops.
" 54." The surprise on Ayeka and Ryoko's faces is all too plain to see as Washu continues to click the button to see if it would yield a more likely number.
" So 54 is as low as I can possibly go, first time on Earth was when disguising or suppressing power levels was first brought to my attention. It proved most valuable on Namek, now bear witness to what a true Saiyan is capable of." A strong gust of wind blows and encircles him before blasting outwards. His body begins to glow faintly as he calmly looks down at the women. The numbers on Washu's scouter suddenly change.
" 7-70,000?! Wait no it's still rising, 150,000 … 300,000. I-it's going too fast I can't read it!" As his power exponential increases and grows the lake beneath him starts to form a concave shape, like Moses all the water is being repelled from his proximity. The wind dies down and the lake calms itself, a faint splash can be heard as a pebble falls into the lake.
" 6,500,000. Th-that's not possible! Even stars don't output that much power -" Washu and the women gape at this incredulous figure and a smirk plays across Vegeta's face for in one fell swoop he erupts in gold. Blonde locks flowing past his waist, Neanderthal like thickset brow and heavenly aura, he awaits a final verdict of his power.
" 11 digits … his power level has 11 digits. Not- n-n-not possible, can't be …" Tripping over her own tongue in disbelief at the raw power shown before her, Washu falls to her knees with the scouter bleeping rapidly still, her mind reeling at this most inexplicable data she has gathered. Dropping back down to his everyday life level of power and the green Earth he strides past the astonished women. With a puff of smoke the scouter detonates itself, all its core wiring fried, its insides blackened and Washu's ear thankfully unhurt.
" W-wait! Prince Vegeta! Have you forgotten your promise, you still have not given me more flying lessons." Snapping out of her daze just before he disappears into his house and leaves her, he disappears and is stood back in front of the women again with Washu slowly picking herself up off of the dirty floor.
" What do you need me for? You know how to fly, all you have to do now is to practise and practise with someone closer to your ability level." His eyes drift from the princess in light blue robes to the reprobate in the tight red dress. Ryoko looks back into the dreamy eyes of Vegeta then follows his eyes back to the other woman.
" No!" Both Ryoko and Ayeka exclaim in perfect synchronisation, turning to face away from each other and folding their arms in stubbornness.
" Why should I do it? It's not like I need any practise at flying, I've been doing it for years." Ryoko moves her hands to her hips whilst protesting against Vegeta's decision.
" Is that what you think? Tell me, out of all those times you have flown how many times have you landed or navigated without the aid of teleportation or phasing? Simply put you can fly, but fly like a wren when you could be a falcon with just some effort and motivation from you. This is not a request, you have no choice in the matter, either do it or next time Jurai calls round you won't be so lucky. Got it?" There is no negotiation to be had. Accepting their fate but not liking it in the slightest, the two grumble as they lift off and begin to put some distance between them and the ground.
" No misbehaving Ryoko!" Vegeta shouts at her, her toothy grin shrinks for he knows her all too well. Itching from a physical need to train, Vegeta walks up to Washu on his way to soothe his craving.
" How long do you predict it will be until they start to fi – Dammit!" With the words still leaving his mouth, he sees the two women tumbling out of the sky, firmly locked in battle with one another. He can not take his eyes off of them for a second and not for the reasons that the women would want. Ayeka truly should have learnt that she stands no chance in the air against Ryoko but credit to her for trying and her determination. Sighing to himself as they swan dive towards the jagged cliff face they had flown towards, he traverses the mile or so in nanoseconds, leaving behind a smiling Washu dashing off back to her lab with hairs she has just plucked from his scalp.
Grappling and tumbling on their way to the unyielding ground, oblivious to all except for the bane of their lives, a shadow falls from the sky. All their downwards momentum ceases as they are held in the air from the scruff of their necks by a very annoyed and growling Saiyan. Not even with Vegeta in the picture do they forget their feud against the other and struggle and writhe to set themselves loose and unleash their animosity in violence. Their feeble efforts mean nothing to him as he outstretches his arms so that they can no longer reach each other and he slowly descends flying downwards.
He does not take them back to the house instead he decides to cool them off, he finds that a cold shower is a good way to purge unwanted emotions so off to the lake he flies. Only as their shoes begin to take in the chilly waters of the lake do they see the predicament they are in as he pays no attention to what they say. They plead and beg for him to release them as he rotates his body so it lies horizontal, not wanting to take an early bath himself and commences the dunking.
Gasping for breath and with Ayeka's wet fringe plastered to her forehead and Ryoko's spiky hair flattened by the weight of the water he lets go of the two water-logged vixens. Dripping wet for the second time today Ayeka is not pleased, not in the slightest bit. Steam explodes from both of them as the water boils straight off of their energy charged bodies.
" What did I tell you? You damn fools, now stop acting like bitches in heat. Act up again and I will hold you down there until I am thoroughly sure you will cause no more trouble again. You should be thankful I am so merciful or else I would have blasted you to smithereens days ago. Off with you!" Zooming off he leaves the two quarrellers. Exchanging the briefest of glances they fly off into the skies with not so much as a word between the two.
The well worn down and smoothed floorboards of his house greet Vegeta with a squeak as his footsteps echo through the hall and into the living room. Lounged across the sofa with a sleeping Ryo-Ohki dozing in the parting between her two side ponytails is Sasami. Her pink eyes staring into space with the sure signs of ennui do not even register the new person in the room until he stands towering over her.
" You seem a little down in the dumps, you didn't have much say in the matter of staying here yesterday so … how are you settling in?" Adopting the manner of the courteous host he thinks of himself as, she blinks clearing her eyes before sitting up properly. Poor Ryo-Ohki has to think fast and lands on all four feet after losing her sleeping post when Sasami moves and darts off elsewhere in the house.
" Don't worry about me, I'm fine. As long as I'm with my big sister I don't care if we're on a different planet, I'm used to travelling a lot. But there's nothing to do here, I'm bored."
" Trunks has plenty of toys and the like, surely that should suffice-."
" They're all boys toys though." He ponders upon this, this is a problem worthy of his time. She cooks him food, lots of food, very tasty food at that and therefore she must be accommodated for properly. There is only one place he can think of where he might find the solution to her boredom.
The quiet roar of the waves lapping on the small tropical island greets him as he Instant Transmissions in the shade of a swaying palm tree. Just the man he was looking for is busy on the beach having a light sparring session with his stunning blonde wife.
" Hey, pipsqueak!" He announces his arrival whilst marching towards one of the few fighters that he can naturally look down on. Looking up from his training, he smiles and waves at his old comrade.
" Oh hey Vegeta, what brings you here?" The smaller man runs his hand through his short black hair and wipes the sweat from his face. The loose fitting gi of the House of turtle students seems a little bit worse for wear as Krillin is nowhere near the league at which his wife can fight and so normally suffers a bit more during these little bouts.
" I have a question for you, concerning your daughter … Marron I think. Well you see the problem is Sasami, the younger sister of one of the women temporarily staying with me, appears dissatisfied with the amount of enrichment available …." Trying to get this over as quickly as he can to spare himself the humility of his actions he just hopes Krillin picks up on what he is getting at.
" Ah, I see. Kids, what're they like? They always need something to do but I'm not the person you need to be talking to. 18 deals with all that stuff, only children I ever really knew were Goku and Gohan so when it comes to girls I have no idea what they like." Thanking the Kais that the human understood, he wanders across the fine, pale sands to Krillin's wife. She feigns not hearing him and does not acknowledge his presence instead focusing on the few sea birds floating on the surf.
" Look you oversized toaster, heed me now or suffer the consequences. I never did pay you back for that time you broke my arm so do not test me. I hear they are paying good money for scrap metal nowadays." His dislike of the half machine before him grows with each passing second as she continues to disregard him and his queries.
" Hey calm down now, I'm sure 18 will help you out, won't you 18?" The strongest human alive tries to alleviate the situation, hoping for his wife's sake that she will acquiesce. With a snap, the snarling prince disappears and badly frightens an otherwise preoccupied Roshi sat by his T.V with one of his 'exercise' videos playing. In the corner of the room in a world of her own messing with many assorted crayons and a colouring book little Marron is sat. Kneeling down beside the small blonde child a devilish smile splits his face from ear to ear.
" Marron!" The parents of the child rush into Kame house, fearing what Vegeta might do. He is too close, they can not get there in time.
" So Marron, I understand it's your birthday soon. As a friend of the family I was wondering what you might like for me to get you as a present." Krillin and 18 stop in their tracks, all their fears unfounded. Vegeta's tact of getting the information straight from the horse's mouth as it were proves to be a very effective one as the happy juvenile spills out a long list of toys and such. Remembering as many of these items and names as he can, he stands up and walks to leave the house with 18 and Krillin parting to get out of his way.
A cascade of highly multi-coloured boxes and containers crash to the floor of the living room. The abrupt noise makes Sasami jump and then she notices the large pile left unattended on the floor. Getting up off the seat, she moves to inspect it and her little childish heart bursts with joy and glee at the sight of so many different toys. Job done, Vegeta starts another simulation in the training room, a battle with Hirudegarn at 100 times Earth's gravity and dives into the fray.
Dusk falls on the surrounding landscape as dark amber hues cover the soon to be dark sky. Ryoko and Ayeka return back after several hours of flying with badly windswept hair. They do not care though. They do not care about anything except for resting now as they lumber exhausted into the living room with their feet dragging and collapse in a heap on the sofa next to each other. Falling asleep before their heads even touch the cushions, the tired women rest.
Finally the great carapace before him explodes and one of the limbs of Hirudegarn comes crashing down beside him. More of the beast splatters about, many chunks of armour plating like hide narrowly missing Vegeta. Barging out of the training room, gasping for breath in heaves and droves with even more holes, patches, rips and burn marks on his formally blue but now blackened jumpsuit. Copious amounts of blood flow onto the floor from the mighty savage gashes left in his body from the fight. He still has more power to gain from Washu's invention. Goku's strength still eludes him.
Out of thin air a Senzu bean is now in his hand, he swallows it whole and it undoes all the harm done to his body. Fully recovered, he goes to have a well earned sit down on his couch but can not for the two women sprawled across it. Surrendering the seat to them he fetches a blanket from his room and lays it across the sleeping ladies before heading outside. Sitting down cross legged by the black depths of the lake he closes his eyes and meditates whilst the world around him turns to blackest night.
" Oh come on quit being such a baby, it's only a few tests. I need to see what the data for a human-Saiyan hybrid is, then maybe you could get that friend of yours to stop over and enable me to increase my sample size." A very scared Trunks flees from the pursuing Washu. Easily able to outrun her but not wanting to just abandon the house, he continues to run up the stairs, back down the stairs and around every room in the house from the manic cackles. She stops when he enters the vacated training room and turns on the artificial gravity. A shallow victory for him and a loud commotion for the tired Ryoko and Ayeka as they rouse themselves. Wearily they notice the blanket caringly draped over them. Looking out the wide window they see Vegeta alone in the darkness. Standing up Ryoko phases and Ayeka treads softly out of the room and house.
Contemplating and pondering with a cleared mind as peaceful as it ever will be, Vegeta sits in silence but no longer alone. Ryoko sat down on his right hand side and Ayeka approaches on his left. She hesitates and then excuses herself as she carefully seats herslf. Not opening his eyes, he feels them looking at him, just looking and watching him. The minutes drift by as they enjoy the simple pleasure of being in his company, sitting next to him under the wide expanse of the stars above.
His right hand starts to glow a most brilliant pure white. With a throwing motion he releases it and it begins to hurtle high into the atmosphere. The power ball stops a few miles up then expands rapidly illuminating the lake like a flare. Opening his eyes Vegeta stares at the bright globe of his own personal artificial 'moon', Ryoko and Ayeka's gaze never leaves face. Dropping his eyes to the reflections in the water before him he sees the two doppelgangers of the women by his side.
"The moon. It still holds a deep power over me and my Saiyan blood … even with the disgraceful loss of my tail. It calms me, soothes me, fills me with peace and tranquillity. When it used to call forth the beast within it now subdues it. I arrived on this planet an elite warrior of the high echelons of the most powerful military force ever seen. Now I am a father, a widower and constantly being outdone and outclassed by that clown Kakarot. My great Saiyan pride is withering. I don't kill for sport or pleasure any-more I spend all of my time cooped up inside training and training so that one day … one day I will finally regain my intended and rightful place as the superior warrior. Yet for 14, no, 16 long years I have strived for that goal with everything I have, surpassing all of my limits and even death itself … still victory continues to forever elude me, always there just beyond my reach. Dancing ever close yet always snatched away, it's probably what I deserve."
Pouring out his heart and soul to the women their eyes begin to mist over. Their hearts both saddened by his tale yet elated that he is choosing to share his innermost thoughts and feelings with them. Lashing out with his fist in a burst the power ball in the night sky is torn asunder and blows up, plunging the three sat down into night. His muscles tensing, teeth gritted and fists clenched he desperately tries to contain or control the ever present all consuming rage. With no hint of fear from this display in Ryoko leans forwards and hugs one of his Herculean arms each. Not shying away from her touch or hold, he continues to stare into the now reflectionless lake. Ayeka sees the touching, something she does not feel she could reciprocate.
" … I thank you for your company and for listening to me. But you must know that I am still not over the death of my wife … I will need time, I don't know how long but when the time comes I will let you know."
Wanting to seize and make the most of the magical moment, Ryoko begins to lean close. She likes this progress, few men have truthfully opened up to her, trust is a rare commodity in her line of work. Ayeka desperately does not want to be left behind, her jealousy burning and also a large part of her wants to repay Vegeta for the brilliant gift of hope he has given her. She has found asylum here and he had no agenda or motive to save her from her future betrothal but he did. He has saved her people from enemies they knew nothing of. She edges closer. Sympathy for his story she convinces herself that this is the least she can do to show her appreciation as long as it is only the cheek. He feels the warmth of their feminine bodies and every exhalation they make. The women's eyes close as they lean ever closer still, slowly going to kiss him on the cheek. Vegeta cracks a smile. The full and moist lips of Ryoko meet the red and luscious lips of Ayeka. As they open their eyes to look into the eyes of their kisser, they find that to their shock and horror Vegeta leant backwards at the last moment. Violently pulling away from each other they sit on the grass turning a very deep shade of red. Ayeka rubs at her lips trying to remove any evidence of the deed she has just done before going to the waters of the lake whilst Ryoko just stares mortified.
" Well if that's the way you two feel about one another I won't get in your way, I'll just leave you to it then." Smirking, he vanishes off into the night leaving the women extremely embarrassed and ashamed. A panic in his chest begins to calm. There is great pain there. Their efforts instead of quelling it have stoked flames.