Chapter 70

Neither of the two male kids are too impressed with the sight of Goku and Chichi kissing, and seeing his mom and dad doing something like that grosses Goten out. The Saiyan Prince is fuming silently in the background. Continually he glares at Goku, actively willing him to leave his house immediately. Still with a blush, Chichi bends down and picks up her hair ornament that Vegeta tossed to the floor and sets about fixing her hair for the second time. None of the adults are comfortable commenting on Gogeta's final actions. Goku reaches for some of the last snacks remaining on the tray Sasami is holding. A gloved hand restrains Goku from reaching the food.

"My house, my food. Get your own, Kakarot, or I'll send you to Otherworld." Vegeta is acting territorial. He will have this low class Saiyan off his property after the humiliation of fusing.

Sasami reaches further with the tray so that Goku can easily take the few remaining morsels. Ryoko senses ki rising.

"Oh, thanks for reminding me. Mr. Goku, it has come to my attention that you can traverse to the afterlife freely. If it were not to be too much of a bother I have quite an interest in visiting there if you would escort me." Misaki will take this opportunity and mention of Otherworld to move past Vegeta's growing aggression. Washu is quick to speak up that she wants to come too and steps forward with the Queen.

The monarch and scientist are blocked. Chichi stands with one arm possessively holding her husband and the other barring the two wanting to visit the afterlife. She firmly shakes her head and denies them. This is not something she will allow.

"Goku's not going back there. The gravity's too strong in that place anyway. Sorry, but no."

That horrible place has stolen eight years from her marriage. There will be no ninth year, or even one more day that her husband leaves her for the realm of the dead. Chichi resolutely shakes her head again and continues as Goku tries to speak up to Chichi about this. She will not be all alone again. Misaki is confused at why she is so strongly being deterred from visiting, her partner in crime for this is not.

"I was born same as Goku and Vegeta on a planet with 10G as the norm and Misaki is strong enough to handle it. He's gonna have to come back to bring us back. You don't need to worry about that, I'll bring my Yamcha along to see his friends there and make sure your Goku comes home to you." Washu sees through all of Chichi's fears and reasoning for not wanting her husband to leave to Otherworld. She will observe and report on this ethereal realm. Writing any thesis on proof of life after death will cement her for all eternity, for the umpteenth time, as the undisputed number one scientist, if she finds any appropriate time to publish such a devastating document. She disarms Chichi of her argument as Goku reassures Chichi he will come back soon.

Whilst they try and persuade Chichi to budge on this issue, Ryoko keeps her eyes on Vegeta for any reaction about travelling to the place where his wife permanently resides now. The Saiyan Prince walks away from Goku and sees Ryoko and Ayeka's eyes on him. He examines Ryoko to check for any signs of danger that she might suffer a relapse and thinks she is in the clear for now and he raises an eyebrow at her discerning look pointed back at him. He calls for Trunks to come train with him. His son does not move to this offer for he hears a different one that sounds too tempting to pass up on. Vegeta calls again. The people who have been living in this house now pick up on the great danger that Misaki has carelessly caused with her change of topic. Vegeta places all the blame for this on his rival's head.

Trunks collapses unconscious into his father's arms. A glare is sent to Goten to halt him from coming to his friend's aid. Vegeta stands engulfed in the energy of a Super Saiyan with his aura crackling in a large bonfire about him. With one hate-filled word he tells his rival to go. In those blue eyes Chichi sees the same pain that accompanied her for years, this has become a much larger issue than her own personal insecurities. Misaki is standing down from pressing her want. Her selfish request she tried to use to defuse a situation got her grandchild hurt. A look of disgust is shot at the queen by the father for making him go to this extreme to stop his son straying away from the living. Sasami rushes up to her injured friend and Vegeta haphazardly releases Trunks onto Sasami. He stalks off past the crowd and into his training room. The small girl struggles with Trunks' limp body till Kiyone and Mihoshi get up from their seats and help her.

Yamcha puts a reassuring hand on Chichi's shoulder and says that they better head off now before they require the dragonballs for the return trip. His hand then goes to Goku, the first priority is to remove the hated foe from the equation before Vegeta comes to attack, Goku nods. Washu grabs onto Misaki's hand and onto Yamcha, completing the chain of physical connection. Chichi does not like this. She gives Goku a strict order to return within an hour or for every second he loses a meal, this should do the job in ensuring his prompt return to her and Earth. He reassures her he will not be late even though he has no manner of time keeping device on his person. Raising two fingers to his forehead he bids farewell and the four vanish from the room.

"But, but I wanted to go too..." Sasami sees her mother disappear and complains that due to Trunks she has been left behind. She looks to Ayeka for help. These were supposed to be the days they spent together as family and she wants her mother to come back.

"Maybe when you are older, Sasami. It's … it's not a place for children and Mrs. Chichi said that there is strong gravity so you would get hurt. Mother will be back shortly so why don't we take care of Trunks?" The Crown Princess talks Sasami out of her want to accompany their mother and plays off her strong sense of hospitality to shift the focus onto the knocked out Trunks.

Ayeka knows that if her mother wanted them to accompany her then that point would have been made. Misaki did not deem it an appropriate place to take her daughters and Ayeka agrees with that opinion. For herself she does not want to leave with Goku for she is sure Vegeta would not approve and she feels she might be needed to pacify either Ryoko or Vegeta given their current moods. Her younger sibling has an additional reason for not being allowed to venture with Goku to see Otherworld. The fate that previously was Ayeka's is now Sasami's, she shall grow up and become the head priestess to the deity Tsunami. Promoting and serving their faith and religion cannot be properly done if Sasami has seen the other side and it differs from their scriptures, a heresy will happen if she tries to speak out about what she has seen from her position when older. She goes over to the policewomen and her sister to see how Trunks is doing. Knocking him out was probably the right call given the circumstance for Trunks would have fought for the right to see his mother and it would not have been pretty with the high emotions flying about.

Left with only her son as conscious company that she is familiar with, Chichi walks over to check on Trunks with Goten already there at his friend's side. A bump on his head is all that Kiyone and Mihoshi can find and given time he should come round as they know Vegeta did not act with the intent to harm his child. Sasami looks to the adults to see what she should do, and with most of them lacking any parental skill they in turn look to Chichi – the only parent here not locked in the training room. The ice bag she used on her near broken toe is placed on Trunks' sore head, she makes sure his neck is supported properly and asks for a blanket to cover him whilst he rests. Sasami obliges and is quick to comply yet is beaten to this by Ryoko and her teleportation powers, the pirate shall aid her morning companion. Ryoko faces Chichi and examines this woman. A wife of a Saiyan, her goal is to end up in the same position as this raven haired human.

"Yo, got a minute?" Ryoko calls out to Chichi and nods her head towards the kitchen.

She gets a wary look in response, followed by Chichi telling Goten to be a big boy and look after Trunks and then she motions towards the kitchen as well. Ayeka watches wondering what Ryoko might say given the bad foot those two have got off to each time they have met. The television gets switched on and the Crown Princess stays with her sister so that Sasami does not suddenly feel like all her family is abandoning her.

"Is this about what happened? If it is I won't talk, my Goku's always been safe and I have no clue what you are doing still here after something like that from him of all people." Chichi starts off quickly as soon as she closes the kitchen door to firmly plant her flag on what she assumes Ryoko's want to talk to be about. Saiyan mating seasons she will not discuss. She knows what she needs to, and a good portion of that originates from Vegeta due to her husband having no knowledge on the Saiyan race. Ryoko eyes her and Chichi feels no threat or anger.

"My choice is mine, won't bore you with the details but I ain't forgiving him. Was my mistake as well teleporting to him after his warnings, main reason you stay safe and I wasn't. But … you've been in the position he's in-"

"No. Don't make it sound the same, it's not. You couldn't understand."

That is not a comparison that Chichi will humour. You cannot equal one person's death to another. Her widowing and Vegeta's are very different matters. She will not talk to a stranger about one of the most challenging times of her life. Chichi can see where this is going and it is wrong, the thinking of Ryoko is not correct if she even thought approaching her for this was right in the slightest.

"He trained for over a year in some weird time thing. Nearly 2 and a half years. It's still a big thing, massive, haunts him. I just want to know how long till there's some let up." Ryoko presses her question again with the justification of time. An answer to the question of Bulma is what she wants. She sees Vegeta's pain, witnessed it first-hand and she is beginning to think that his deadline is not something he can reach, not with his extreme reaction to her mistake in wearing that outfit.

Chichi gives a look of disappointment and shakes her head. This woman knows nothing. As if she could just give a time frame for this, as if things like that exist. The death of a loved one cannot and should never be simplified to that. By association this is degrading her agonising 7 year wait for Goku and she will not have this. But for the fragility of Ryoko she would leave this talk right now.

"I loved Goku the same after 7 years as just before he went to fight Cell. You can't ask that question. That's not how it works. … You had an experience of this when he died a bit ago, what was going through your head then? How often were you trying to do what you are forcing him to now? Did you contemplate forsaking him with any seriousness or moving on? What you felt in your grief is how it is. It doesn't change. You just cope, or try to ... And not to mention the children."

"I know 'bout that. He wants me to be mates with Trunks and- and I try but he don't like me that much. But, Vegey promised us at the tournament he'd make his choice, me or princess. You saying that's just another of his lies? Please, don't. Kinda all I got right now."

"I can't speak for him. He's a strange Saiyan that does what he wants. If he said that he'll probably do it."

"That's- that's not exactly reassuring. What ain't you saying? You think-" Ryoko breaks off and floats her head through the wall and calls for her partner in crime to come. She touches back down onto the wooden flooring with Ayeka entering the room. "Ayeka, is- Chichi's saying Vegey won't love us when he chooses. She's wrong, right?"

" … That possibility exists. It's not as though this is something we could or should force, grief is a natural process. Lord Vegeta, he... he said he wants to move on and I trust his words." Ayeka sees why Ryoko summoned her, this is not a talk she wants to get dragged into nor should be happening. Chichi will not have these answers, and neither will Vegeta until it is time, Ryoko's vulnerability will not find solace here.

"See! Just because you didn't choose to get a new lover don't mean that our Vegey won't." The pirate is quick to accept the few words Ayeka said on her side and ignore the rest. Her exclamation does nothing to change the conversation. Insulting Chichi's faithfulness does not make her any friends.

That was not the point Ayeka was trying to make. Whilst keeping her own personal hope she does realise that rushing this onto Vegeta will only cause more resistance and more pain for themselves in their unrequited love. This is not something Ryoko is willing to hear. Security is needed, a definite fact, Ryoko has been hurt too much to put faith in Vegeta or rely on it. She wants to know when his hurting will stop and when she can have this nightmare end. Chichi and Ayeka look at each other.

"She really doesn't understand this does she?" Chichi sees reason in Ayeka and heard what she was saying and not what Ryoko heard. To fail to grasp such an important concept is not going to help this relationship, not withstanding how Chichi is against Ryoko's choice to stay following such abuse.

"Miss Ryoko's life has not included the luxuries of family, nor that of long term friends nor men she has had lasting relationships with. … Like me. She is like me. Vegeta's death was the first death I have had to mourn for. Even then we knew that his return was but a short wait. Forgive us for not being able to properly comprehend the emotions that surely you shared with Vegeta during such horrendous circumstances."

"Don't sound too enthusiastic about becoming an expert on this. Dragon balls cannot change everything. Stick around here too long and there's a good chance there'll be another death."

Ryoko is being talked about and not to. She does not see the intricacies she does not comprehend. In all the films she has seen death is sad and then it gets better, and when Vegeta died she was sad and then it got less. Ryoko nods to herself and holds up her hand and says that she read Vegeta's mind and she knows exactly how his grief is. A quick reply from Chichi concerning the facet of a lessening grief appearing in his mind rebukes that. That was not something she saw – not that it was something she was looking for when browsing through his pain and taste. He will not let her read his mind again so she cannot check. Ryoko wants to know. If Vegeta will not love her how can she possibly be chosen: this thought terrifies her. Everything is riding on that single decision of his. All this fear, the night terrors, the constant effort, she does this for that light at the end of the tunnel. For it to be extinguished means she will have no easy reprieve. Ayeka places a hand on Ryoko's shoulder.

"Then it's a challenge. I'll defeat Vegey and and defeat Bulma, I will win." The pirate's resolve will not be broken or dissuaded. Even if it causes more pain in the short term she will fight tooth and nail and claim her prize. Neither woman can truly fault her words for concerning the Saiyan Prince they sound about right, though Ayeka notices she has been omitted as a foe she has to defeat.

Chichi shakes her head, having had enough of this and leaves the room. The cyan haired rogue defiantly crosses her arms. Ayeka points out the small fact that she is currently leading in their competition and will be the one to have that victory. Ryoko retorts that beating her so far is not too much of an accomplishment since she has thrown up on Vegeta twice already this morning, Ayeka's mouth curls in disgust. Her voice lowers and the pirate unable to firmly empathise with Vegeta's grief states that she will have her special date with him, her walk down the aisle, and the princess reminds her a date should be enjoyed by both parties and ones where actions are forced on the other leave a very sour taste in the partner's mouth. They leave the kitchen with that hanging there.

Ringing comes from the wall mounted telephone. A young girl reaches high and grabs at the electronic device and hears a voice coming from it and so puts it to her ear to hear better. Sasami states who she is and that she is living in Vegeta's house. She nods and smiles and confirms that she is friends with Trunks and politely greets the person on the other end of the line. The onlooking adults are not sure that Sasami should be taking phone calls intended for Vegeta and his son but since she seems happy in this conversation they let her talk. Nodding, the freckled lass tells them that her mummy is visiting, then without lowering the phone or covering the receiver she asks her sister if they will be busy tomorrow. Ayeka knows of no plans, her mother is not staying an additional night and her own dates with Vegeta are not tomorrow, she tells Sasami that she does not think they will be and her sister relays this down the phone. Sasami looks at the still unconscious Trunks and then she wanders past whilst nodding as she approaches the door to the training room and she knocks on it – all the while informing the other party of what she is doing and that she is getting Vegeta.

The metal door swings open and the line goes dead. The circuitry that Washu installed to safeguard the many electronics from being destroyed by energy activate at Vegeta's transformed state. He looks down at Sasami as she asks down the phone why they have gone silent. With her own eyes Chichi sees the great potential of the multi-form technique: this will be so useful to her and her family, and she is sure she might have seen Piccolo do this. Vegeta unceremoniously takes the phone from Sasami with his energised self now training and he redials, gruffly states his name and title and the reason the call was cut. Curt one word answers are given. With no more explanation the phone gets given back to Sasami and she continues talking, questioning what they wanted Vegeta for. The Saiyan Prince has already gone back to training. What is mentioned makes Sasami happy. After a minute more of chatting she passes the phone to her sister and says they want to talk to her and Ryoko. Ayeka questions who she will be speaking to. Picking up a bad habit from her mother the twin tailed girl gives her answer.

"It's Uncle and Auntie Briefs, Trunks' Nana and Grandpa." Giving familiar titles like the Queen of Jurai does, her daughter likens Trunks' grandparents to a relationship easier for her to understand. She offers up the phone and waits as both Ayeka and Ryoko pause at this daunting phone call.

Ryoko takes it and mimics the way that Sasami was holding the device. There are two people on the other end, an older man and a woman by the sounds of their voices. She walks outside the house for some privacy as she tells them who she is, already knowing the reason they would hold interest in conversing with her. Leaving the house becomes essential as they apologise for Vegeta's actions against her during her mating season. The only response she can think of after a minute of silence is that she is equally sorry for the death of their daughter. Whilst she is making awkward conversation about quite personal matters with people she does not know, Ayeka asks Sasami to tell her what the telephone call is about. Sasami smiles and says that they have been invited to go visit them tomorrow and Vegeta said yes to it. This surprises Ayeka, she knew that Vegeta holds a strong want to visit his wife's grave following his training but this is sudden. Outside the window she sees some large arm movements from Ryoko, the talking is stressing her out and the Crown Princess does not need to guess what the topic is. Chichi watches and checks on Trunks who seems to be rousing ever so slightly.

Teleporting into the room and throwing the phone over to her rival, the cyan haired woman decides that she will not talk over the phone any-more and lets Ayeka have her turn. Gracious in her polite greeting and self introduction she gives thanks for the kind offer of being able to visit. Through chatting to them she learns that another in-law will be there for her to meet. Mrs. Briefs saw no reason not to invite all her family and so her surviving daughter will be there, Tights the elder sister of Bulma. Business eventually calls Dr. Briefs away as retirement can only bring him so much peace without Bulma to take care of Capsule Corporation any-more. She places the handset back on its wall mount now that the call has finished and looks across to see that Trunks is regaining his consciousness steadily. A glance upwards shows an empty rafter, Ryoko is elsewhere. She hears a clatter from the kitchen. Ryoko will be searching for a long time to find any alcohol in there.

The son of Vegeta is woozy as he sits up. Before his eyes are fully open he has scanned his surroundings with ki and can sense no trace of Goku. His head aches. Trunks still has a Plan B to fall back on. With Goten and Sasami by his side he scratches at his head and gets off the sofa. Lavender hair lifts up and becomes a golden blonde. The cops and Sasami step back from his transformation. Goten asks his friend if they are going to be sparring together hence the use of Super Saiyan. A glare from Chichi dissuades Goten from that thought as does Trunks taking his transformation to the next level. Electricity swirls around him and Goten looks in awe at this cool power. Chichi asks Trunks what he is doing powering up and he ignores her. There is a ki within the kitchen with no defence. A ki belonging to a person who has the power to both sense ki and teleport.

Vegeta emerges from his training room in the form beyond that his son cannot reach and stands as the impassable barrier he is. He descends down to Super Saiyan 2 for it is all that he needs. One solid concussive blast blows Trunks out of the house without Vegeta having to touch him. Instinct kicks in and someone else transforms. Vegeta does the same to Goten without pause or hesitation. They shall control themselves or they shall stay out of his way and out of his house. Ryoko is under his protection. He will not allow his son to try and reach the Otherworld, even with his flawed plan since Ryoko is a murderer like him and so cannot reach where Bulma is. Him and his son glare at each other from a distance. If his son wants to get this he will have to earn it like any Saiyan does, through force. Trunks ushers Goten for them to practise fighting so that he can gain the power he needs. Chichi cannot hear or see this, and her focus is on the man who assaulted her son.

"I never laid a finger on him, take it or I will dispose of you like I did him." Vegeta threatens Chichi to be silent before she can complain about him throwing Goten from his house.

"Like you could. I don't even need Goku to protect me here, you can't hit me with Miss Ayeka and company about. … This is not the way you should be dealing with your son." His bluff is called out, Saiyan might does not intimidate Chichi and she will not abide this attitude.

"Enlighten me then. If after Cell someone other than Kakarot had Instant Transmission how would you have talked either of your brats from making the wrong choice, would you have talked with your fists like I do perhaps?"

There is no answer Chichi can think of to give if she were placed into the same shoes as Vegeta. Thankfully she was spared this. Gohan she could have talked and reasoned with easily enough, her son is intelligent and respected Goku's wish to remain dead in the first place. Her youngest now outside with the current trouble maker she might have had to enlist Gohan's strength to prevent a child making an ill judgement. She tells Vegeta that there is no harm in trying to reason and discuss this with Trunks. The prince scoffs. He talked for a year, if his message was not heard then his training will serve him better than wasting his breath. A head pokes through the wall followed by the rest of Ryoko. She has a suspicion as to where her alcohol might be and strangely enough Vegeta is outside the training room. Ryoko asks him if he stole her liquor and Vegeta reminds her she bought it with his money and it is his to do with as he will. She growls at this affirmation that Vegeta has rid her of her sake and beer as some form of punishment. An off-pitch whistling comes from Mihoshi, the accomplice in this task.

"Alcohol impaired your brain so that you almost got killed by my training room, with your current level of decision making this bad habit will be stripped from you. Also, Ryoko, be careful. My son's earlier friendliness towards you might not last. He knows I will not do so, and with the clown already there you are the only one capable of taking him to Otherworld. Keep yourself safe and away from him." A stern warning is given to her concerning the aims of his son. His strength will be there to ward off Trunks yet if she antagonises matters there is only so much he can do to guarantee her safety with her no touching rule in mind.

"What if I don't? He can't beat me up worse than you did, I won't take him there. Listen, I don't need you treating me like some baby to be-"

"Do you honestly think my son has the same level of control over his power as I do? Or that when he will be fighting to see Bulma he will be of a calm mind? You will not make my son a murderer by giving him this opportunity." Vegeta hears her facade of bravado but will not humour it for this is a serious matter. Once she has shown her ability to protect herself from her own actions then he might have some faith in her defending herself from others.

Her feet touch down on the floor. Ryoko will stand down. This is part of the grieving process she apparently does not understand and she has no want for Trunks to attack her after their time of bonding this morning. She nods and agrees with Vegeta that she will do her part to stay away from Trunks until this is sorted, the alcohol on the other hand she does want returned. Vegeta turns to head back to continue training now that the matter of his son is somewhat dealt with. A pouting girl with her hands on her hips is stood blocking his way. He transforms back up to Super Saiyan 3 purely for his training to master it but Chichi misinterprets and steps in between him and the young girl. The wife of Goku he does not care for, a possible fall out with his cook he does.

"You're being mean to Trunks, aren't you? No more bullying, mister. Why can't you let Trunks be happy and go see his mummy?" Sasami is trying to follow the heady topic of Bulma's existence in the place her own mother is now visiting, she does not see why Vegeta attacked his son to keep him from seeing the mother he loves. It seems wrong to her for him to be stopped and attacking is bad in her books.

"Because … because, Sasami, my wife is dead. Visiting her will change nothing except opening wounds we need to heal." He pauses to allow Chichi to stand aside – there is no threat for her maternal instincts to defend Sasami from – and composes the best simplistic way he can say words that still hurt him.

Ryoko watches. She feels eyes on her. Mihoshi is acting shifty. The pirate starts floating over to this woman with a sneaking suspicion she might know where to get a glass of something strong. Ayeka is taking this all in and observing, for this is not a place she feels welcome interrupting even to put her sister in line, she keeps an eye outside also on Trunks who appears to be sparring rougher than usual for the small portions she can perceive.

"But he misses her and wants to see her."

"Having dished out my fair share of death I can easily say that death cares naught for the wants of others. … She is not coming back, Sasami. He's not the only one who misses her. Why don't you go and play with him to take his mind off of things, he cannot seriously train against Kakarot's weakling. … My son shall see his mother tomorrow." There is more that is needed to be said to explain things properly to Sasami but Vegeta will not divulge them. Speaking such weak things is embarrassing enough as it is. If she wants to learn more she can ask Trunks and force him to come to terms with his own wants, Sasami will be in no danger from Trunks unlike Ryoko.

His training resumes and Sasami goes to her sister for clarification, Ayeka provides what she can for such a sensitive situation and repeats what Vegeta said for her sibling to go play with Trunks and help him calm down. She abides as she wants to go play, and the pacifist trait in her wants the sparring of the boys to be stopped. Chichi carefully watches Sasami's approach to the two Super Saiyans. They power down when she nears and with her and Goten there as well they hope they can keep Trunks under control. A small yelp comes from Mihoshi as Ryoko grabs at the the fluffy bobble on her outfit. The threat of whether Mihoshi is more scared of Ryoko or Vegeta is given as Ryoko has no clue how to operate this device and so Chichi uses her strength to give it back to its proper owner.

"Do you try and get that crazy strong or is that just what happens when partnered to a Saiyan?" Ryoko does not like being overpowered, or this interference in her affairs of getting back her booze.

"It's what happens when you have to do laundry for weighted clothing, cook for Saiyans daily and trek across a mountain range for groceries. I'm not 'crazy' strong, just a normal mother providing for her family when her husband doesn't." Her standpoint has always been that she is not like the rest of the fighters, she is the grounding point of normalcy in her family and not some freakishly powerful person. Chichi explains away her power as a side effect of a lifestyle, being married to a Saiyan is not the reason for Bulma's physical strength never improved.

With the television switched on time passes at slow pace and Ryoko continually pesters Mihoshi to return her alcohol. The pirate occasionally feels a ki focused towards her from outside yet does not let it show and carries on as normal. Mihoshi makes the suggestion that whilst they wait they could play with the karaoke machine that is just sitting in the corner and Ryoko denies this as this is hers and she will not let Mihoshi use it till she gets her drinks back, and she makes sure to keep Ryo-Ohki from seeking attention from the cop.

The return of Goku and the gang happens well before the promised hour is up – much to Chichi's relief. A despondent Misaki sulks over and hugs onto the back of her seated daughter. Ayeka looks about at this surprise affection pinning her in place, something has managed to take the constant cheery nature away from her mother. Washu cannot escape fast enough and she cackles about how much data she has, Yamcha gives a glance and thinks it is better for him to stay out of her way. Goku smiles at his wife and looks over at Misaki with shock and confusion. He makes an unwise move and calls out to Vegeta.

Animosity blasts from the training room as the sweating Super Saiyan 3 is interrupted yet again from his life goal by the very hurdle he is trying to overcome. A brusque and irritated 'what' is grumbled by the prince. Goku sidles up to his transformed rival and drops his voice to a whisper.

"Um, you know of any secret power that Missy has?" What transpired in the afterlife is not something that Goku can explain, he asks Vegeta for information on this kind hearted woman. This is very interesting to him as a Saiyan, some hidden potential could explain what happened to the Queen of Jurai.

"Stop blathering nonsense you brain-dead fool. You can sense the same as me; her power is nothing and rusted with time." Vegeta sensed nothing when sparring against Misaki the day before, she has no untapped reserves of strength and this question makes no sense to him. Goku has a moment to pause and think.

"Well I took them to see Elder Kai and I thought he'd be happy seeing someone like Missy – I mean y'know what he's like - but … he freaked out and wouldn't look at her. Kept talking about some dark power. A destroyer of gods a … a counting- accountant-"

"He called her 'Counteractor', don't mean nothing to me. Neither me nor Goku's heard of it over there before." He shrugs as Yamcha provides the word Goku could not recall properly. Not in his short stint nor Goku's several years did this term crop up. It is mystifying them why such a person as Misaki caused this reaction from Elder Kai and why he refused to talk about it.

"Yeah, that's the one. The other Kais didn't seem to mind but he looked as if he had just seen Buu, or something worse than Buu." Goku continues explaining after Yamcha's addition and looks to Vegeta to see if he has any clues.

Their Saiyan blood is latching onto this. A being that can cause terror in a Kai has to be a worthy foe for them to challenge. Yet as they look and sense the energy of the moping Queen they sense nothing of the sort: no additional power, no malice or aggression, nothing pointing towards someone they could fight. Vegeta joins Goku in thought. Their voices are no longer whispers and Misaki flinches at the term and hugs her daughter tighter. Ayeka squawks at the constriction about her chest and the arms around her disappear.

Misaki is distraught. A deity has shunned her and likens her to a devil. She latches onto the next woman and luckily Chichi is strong enough to withstand Misaki's crushing hug. Chichi actively avoids talking about Otherworld so this is news to her, and Ayeka is equally as confused why her mother would be called such a strange term. Misaki moans. Being a religious woman who has always kept the faith, regularly visited the temples and lived by Tsunami's code, this branding hurts. The first Kais were amusing and enlightening to meet – the stewards of the universe and creators of so much life. She rejects the term 'Counteractor', she is not an evil person and would never try to kill any god. Chichi would comfort her if she understood in the slightest what was transpiring.

" … Ayeka, does Juraian religion mention anything called a Counteractor?" Vegeta passes the buck to the only other place the term might originate from. Nowhere in space had he heard of a powerful entity known as such – if he had Frieza would have made sure to destroy it.

Ayeka shakes her head, no Juraian scripture denotes a Counteractor. The Saiyans muse in thought. Yamcha goes over to Misaki and pats her on the back and tells her not to worry about it and he makes himself the next victim of her embrace. He consoles her more that the Kais make mistakes, and that Elder Kai is frightfully old and might be remembering wrong. Faith disallows her from holding a belief in opposition to a Kai. Vegeta is half tempted to start provoking her and to see if he can awaken this power, Ayeka's presence and the thin ice he is perpetually on dissuades him. It is somewhat insulting to him that the Kais never feared his existence to such a degree but this woman with a pittance of power leaves them cowering. He grumbles to himself. The Saiyan Prince asks the pertinent question of why Goku and Chichi are still within his house.

"Washu's gonna make a training room for Goku since he can't hang out with King Kai no more. Guess he's hanging 'bout till she's done." Yamcha provides the explanation, there was talk when they sojourned through the afterlife and the least Washu could do for letting her tap into this fountain of knowledge is to aid his training. Goku smiles and this causes a pause from Chichi – it would be an improvement if he had a specific room for training like Vegeta so then he never had a reason to leave far for his training, he would always be about the house.

No follow up comes from Vegeta. An increase in his opponent's potential to train will hinder him in surpassing Goku yet it so tantalisingly will increase his power to another level that Vegeta can follow and attempt to surpass. The staying in his house for longer is another matter. He scoffs and insults Goku saying that increasing his training will not allow him greater odds of victory in the tournament. Chichi is quick to speak on her husband's behalf and says that you cannot increase odds further than 100% anyway. This is why Vegeta does not welcome these people in his house. Energy pulses from his Super Saiyan 3 form. Yamcha palms Misaki off to sulk with Ryo-Ohki as the pet adores the smothering affection whilst her daughter sees if she can cheer her up.

"Why don't you two train together to pass the time?" A noxiously potent combination of words innocently flows from Mihoshi's mouth.

Every other person in the room freezes and dread runs down Chichi's spine. That was not a good idea to suggest. Ryoko gently slaps the back of Mihoshi's head for her idiocy. A glower of death is sent from Vegeta. Goku is quite for the idea, they both know that they are ideal sparring partners for the other and their training would accelerate in leaps and bounds if they trained together and not by themselves.

"I train alone. I need help from no-one." Vegeta states his refusal in a repressed roar.

Ayeka does not know whether to focus her efforts on her mother or to calm the rising anger of Vegeta. A mumbled insult from Chichi seals the deal:

"You need a whole lotta help."

Fury erupts. Vegeta grips the front of Goku's gi and the other Saiyan transforms to match his rival's power. His wife has landed him in this one – though he is always up for a fun fight like this. The fated two agree to a match. Vegeta reigns in what he can and lowers himself to Super Saiyan 2. This will not be the decider, it is an appetiser so he shall hold back some of his power for now. Goku descends and they enter the training room. Ryoko hovers over to the remote and switches the television over to training room cameras. She looks at Chichi and bets that her man will win and not Goku as she sticks out her tongue.

Aggressively charging his ki, the Saiyan Prince prowls about the room. Lightning discharges throughout the air with these two Super Saiyan 2's occupying it. His threadbare patience wanes as Goku inspects the training room console to decide what should be the more fitting arena for a sparring match. He asks if Vegeta has any preference and abuse is hurled back. Goku randomly presses a button and turns to face Vegeta. They both take up their favoured stances.

"Haven't been to this place, anything I should know about the planet called 'Blutz'?" With his ki maximising to the transformation's potential, Goku quizzes Vegeta on the arena he chose. Vegeta's already furrowed brow frowns this time in confusion.

"Blutz? What are you on about Kakarot? That isn't a place that's -. Descend now! No Super Saiyan!"

He Instant Transmissions towards the main console as he darkens his hair and lowers his power. Vegeta damns Goku's lack of knowledge surrounding his own race. Goku follows Vegeta's example and descends seeing the urgency and alarm in his rival, if this is a trick it makes no sense to create such a gap in power. Blinding rays of light burst from every angle of the room and scorch the skin of the Saiyans as Vegeta goes to turn off the console. Two massive contractions of his heart sends a dizzying amount of blood to his head. The base of his spine burns. Every beat of their hearts becomes stronger and painfully presses against their ribs. Vegeta scans over the many buttons with his retinas burning from the immense light to find the one for Blutz waves and goes to press it as searing pain lances through his skull and immobilises both him and Goku.

Radiated light gives them no shade or relief. Their bodies begin to react: first Vegeta and then Goku. Muscles tense and enlarge. Their pelvises are on fire as the intense light burns and penetrates into the slim slivers of tail both Saiyans have. Goku grabs at his head and grimaces. Canines enlarge into pointed fangs jutting from their mouths. Pupils and irises fade into a clouded nothing. Vegeta booms out an order to the training console. The machine displays an error message that the voice is not recognised as an authorised user. He damns and curses the scientist and within her lab Washu sneezes. Cartilage in their noses morphs and elongates into a snout with their jaws jutting out into a predatory maw. Every follicle on their body starts sprouting thick dark fur. The Saiyans grow a foot in height and then another and another until a sensor in the training room alters the surroundings to a rocky plain to contain their bulk. Power pulses through their mass. Vegeta's eyes rabid at the transformation darken to a red hue.

Ryoko's bladder almost fails her. Her eyes fix petrified on the screen as the living room is filled with the roars of two forced Oozaru transformations. Red eyes of Vegeta fill her vision. His anger and his power are all there. As the others stand there paralysed at this sudden twist, the pirate's body violently trembles. Red eyes glare. Her knees give way. Two sets of red eyes glow. A wail of terror erupts from her as the thunderous roars of Vegeta and Goku reverberate the house. Kiyone kneels down in front of Ryoko and blocks her view of the television and holds her and tries to distract her. It is of little use as Ryoko can sense the growing power levels. Kiyone keeps talking to Ryoko and tries to keep her hands on Ryoko as she shakes. Yamcha rushes off out of the room for Washu must have an answer or a solution to this. She studied Oozaru but one time, as they destroyed her people, she knows exactly how to start the transformation and has spent countless hours studying this terrifying transformation.

"... Goku? … No. Goku don't." Chichi is speechless as she stares at the screen. She has never seen her husband in the Great Ape form before. This is not like when he goes blonde, there is a grave danger to this, he told her what happened to Grandpa Gohan they named their firstborn after. Chichi is frightened, this is a side to Goku she thought she would never have to witness.

Towering dozens of metres in the air the two mighty apes lumber from their legs and onto their knuckles as the transformation completes itself. Tatters of clothing hang here and there stuck in their ragged fur, modesty is not something they shall have in this form. With one last roar Vegeta forces his unnaturally short spine to support his Oozaru form on two legs without the necessary tail he requires. The height difference between the two remains, as does the gap in power and there is no energy conservation Vegeta can use to gain the upper hand. It has been a while since he last took this form, it is not a welcome return for him. The Saiyan Prince speaks with his deep voice insulting the fool who caused this. Roars and enraged bellows echo from his rival. Goku slams his house sized fists into the ground and churns up his surroundings in a fit of bestial rage.

Out of all the Saiyan transformations this is the one that Goku has never mastered. The primal gaze of the Earth raised Saiyan fixes on the threateningly high power level it can sense and bares its fangs and creates a show of power. Vegeta takes up a defensive stance. There is but one way that this can end up. Moving in such a bulky state is awkward, hindered further by him not having a tail to counterbalance his massive weight. He calls to Goku and the fellow great ape fails to make an intelligible response, only a snarl. If there is going to be a fight then he shall allow it.

Yamcha busts back out of the lab with Washu slung over his shoulders and plops her down to observe the scene she allowed with her modified training console. She turns and looks away. There is no issue here. Chichi and Yamcha both command her to end the training and override the main panel. The scientist refuses. She programmed this in for this very reason. If she can cause their transformation by artificial means then so can any foe and training them to have perfect control in it so they are no threat will be necessary. The logic they see but Chichi hates it all the same, this is not her husband just some mindless beast smashing away at the landscape. Ayeka seizes Washu's sleeve and urgently tugs at her to stop it for Vegeta is in danger of an out of control Goku. Once again this is not a reason Washu sees to end it as Vegeta wants to fight Goku at this moment in time. Chichi rushes over to the window and looks out at an empty lakeside. Unbeknownst to her and the others Trunks and the others flew off on a little excursion long before this fight broke out.

"The one time I want my son to be a Super Saiyan, and he's gone. Yamcha can you get him, or maybe Gohan – no he's working – Piccolo should be able to handle this." Chichi bemoans her wayward son that has flown off somewhere with Trunks and Sasami when they were not paying attention. She goes to the person she trusts, and knows can fly, and hurts Yamcha's personal pride by ordering him to find others more capable to sort this situation out.

"Y'know I've won this fight before. I can-"

"You're not going in there, Yamcha. It's far too dangerous. Your bigger concern here is Ryoko and wherever the children have gone, leave those Saiyans to do what is natural to them. Vegeta won't let anyone interfere in his fight." The scientist holds onto Yamcha and refuses for him to set foot anywhere near an Oozaru. He might be able to go in there and push a button but she will not risk him for this. She still faces away from the screen showing the transformed Saiyans.

Goku stomps fissures into the Earth and expels a ferocious aura of power off of him. The opponent he tries to intimidate stands firm and replies with his own roar. Out from his mouth spews a horrendous noise and then light. Firing ki from his mouth Vegeta lets loose the first attack. Furrows rip apart the earth as Goku defends himself with his elongated forearms and blocks the blast before shunting it off to explode elsewhere. Before the explosion can catch him he has thrown himself fully at his foe. Vegeta kicks at the barrel chest before him and performs several feints and pre-emptive blocks. His first kick lands unimpeded and the wild ape sprawls back. Less than a minute of the bout in and Vegeta is thrown off balance by how few of his anticipatory manoeuvres against this fierce foe are necessary. He has a handicap in both speed and strength yet so far this is in his favour. Taking to the skies and flying gives him the epiphany. Swiping his arm down at Goku his foe falls to the floor and leaps back up. Goku is not flying.

This is not a fight against the greatest fighting prodigy he knows. Anger fills his veins at this disgrace. This is not a fight against his rival. Without remorse he swats down and fires blasts at this imposter, punishing this mockery of a fight that wastes his time.

"You dare to challenge me with this pathetic show! You have lost what little mind you had! Fight me properly, damn you." Vegeta curses and bedamns this fight that is beneath him. With Goku's mind lost to the Blutz waves so too have disappeared the many techniques and formidable battle tactics of the most powerful Saiyan. He slams a hard elbow into the back of Goku and relentlessly lays into one he should not be beating so easily.

A soft push at the base of her robes gets the Crown Princess of Jurai's attention. Ryoko looks up at Ayeka and tells her to run and to get safe. Her golden eyes are not in the present, all she sees is the past and the blazing red ready to destroy her again. She has brushed past Kiyone and remains on her knees, Misaki is stood close by but knows better than to crowd someone so vulnerable and to make them the centre of attention. Kiyone has training and experience in dealing with victims of crimes but she yields this and nods at Ayeka who kneels and takes Ryoko's hand and shushes her telling her that Vegeta is in control. The growling voice of Vegeta is heard and the spewed forth insults and grunts of battle do not reassure Ryoko in the slightest, they all sound directed at her. Washu fails the test she set herself and shrinks half a foot as she makes herself younger. Chichi tries for Washu to stop the fight but Washu says that this is important for her husband to overcome and if she wants to speed things up then going in there and facing him herself will be beneficial.

Some cathartic punches to Goku's baboon-like face later and Vegeta is met by an image with no ki behind it. He is quick to react and catches the fist aimed at the back of his skull and his retributive kick meets a solid defence. If his face currently had lips he would smirk. Shock-waves blast apart boulders as Goku remains in the air with Vegeta and they clash hands and feet. The two wince as a spasm of pain jolts through their spines, starting from the base and lessening as it reaches their skulls. Vegeta seizes this opportunity and lays a beating on Goku though holding back in anticipation of the challenge when his rival unlocks more of his arsenal for him to face. He goads his adversary and charges some energy blasts to meet an equal response. A raucous cackle comes from him as they let hell loose upon the other. With each hit Vegeta lands he smacks more and more of the bestial way out of Goku and the honed instincts of decades of training begin to show.

Overwhelming strength and power crash into Vegeta. One of his canines falls out. The longer this fight drags out the worse off he becomes. With the lead he took minimally exploiting the mental weakness of Goku he has now found himself on the back foot with the speed and power of his foe being backed up by attacks he is struggling to compete with. Wounds mar both. An intrinsic ache grips their hearts in an unnatural fashion and labours their breathing yet beyond that the battle is the main component taking its toll on the Saiyans. Smashing into the ground, the two grapple and roll fighting for supremacy, limbs flailing and point blank blasts deflecting off into the sky. Wrestling his way on-top, Vegeta finds himself pushed back onto his feet as the two hulking beasts unleash all the brute strength in their muscles upon the other. Jaws clamp down into Vegeta's neck and collar. Teeth chew and crush their way through sinew as Vegeta roars in pain. He headbutts at Goku for freedom, utilising flight to prevent any further backwards momentum. A swift knee to the sternum of Goku followed by a lightning succession of blows on Goku's neck grants him freedom. Red soaks into his fur.

In but the short time that they have been distracted from the screen and helping to calm Ryoko the fight has descended into irreparable chaos. Teeth clash and splinter off the opponent's gnashing maws. Fully utilising the mouths they have in this shape they flay at each others faces and limbs. Wads of fur are yanked out as they grab the other. Each are however not using one of their limbs. Goku's right arm and Vegeta's right leg are seemingly unused and hanging limply as they wheeze each breath out between their attacks. Ryoko has covered her ears seeing the bloodied teeth and is finally responding to words being said to her. It is a good thing that the children are gone as the adults watch in horror at this devolved brawl. Chichi grabs Washu. She has seen her ignoring what she allowed. Chichi turns Washu to face the fight and yells at her to stop this before the unthinkable happens. The scientist avoids looking at the Oozaru and shakes her head reiterating the fact that Chichi's presence would help bring Goku around and end this successfully. Yamcha prevents her from utilising any further force but all the same Chichi shouts that something is wrong with their bodies and how they are fighting.

Lactic acid scalds all his muscles as his explosives pants fill lungs not supplying his mountainous body with enough oxygen. On the other side the rabid Goku roars and wipes at his eyes to rid himself of blind spots and blurred vision that accompanies his oxygen starved mind. Something has gone horribly wrong with this forced transformation. In all the previous times Vegeta used this he never felt a strain like this, their bodies are deteriorating – they should not be Oozaru. This is dangerous for more reasons than just his savage opponent. Tree trunk like arms thud against the other. Their movements have slowed considerably in light of their plight. One limb for each of them is not responding to any nervous impulse. He fires off a Big Bang attack to clear some ground for himself and push Goku back, with a flick of his wrist he modifies its trajectory towards the dodging Great Ape. Instant Transmission brings Goku immediately behind him and after a dozen or so teleportations each they sense their ki dropping an alarming rate. The limit they can carry on trading blows is shortening.

Chichi opens the door to the training room. She takes a deep breath as fear grips her staring face to face with this horrendous fight. Her ability to even watch their bout is all the evidence she needs that something is wrong. She takes a step in and recoils back out the room. The few patches of exposed skin she has are red hot and seared. Clutching at her stomach where a missing button has gotten her burnt she hears Washu chime in from behind her that the Blutz waves are still in effect at a dangerous level, Chichi growls that she could have been told that sooner. Blue light surrounds Chichi as Ayeka stretches out one arm and summons a protective shield around her, this might not work but it is all the princess can do. Misaki stands behind Washu and gives her a harsh poke, whispering something in her ear that Washu closes her eyes to and shakes her head.

"Vegey's hurting?" A quiet question comes from Ryoko as she sees the screen and the lethargic fight that the Oozaru can still manage to put up. He is visibly in pain and wounded, and she is not. She looks to the shield around Chichi and bites at her lip.

Ryoko stands and raises her ki, Ayeka watches her as she steadily makes her way over to Chichi and the princess drops the barrier so that Ryoko can enter it. An arm goes around Chichi and Ryoko tells her to close her eyes as she does the same, her voice shaky. As soon as the shield is reconstructed they vanish within the training room. For a split second it hurts and then she senses a second layer of ki, Vegeta has cast his barrier over them as he senses their presence and keeps Goku occupied with the shield of Ayeka vanishing as she has no easy way of tracking their movement. Massive furry bodies fly past them as Ryoko keeps them in the air. They are too close to the console. She could try teleporting there but the wild motions of Goku could spell their end so quickly. Ryoko drops Chichi over the two Oozaru and flees the dangerous room to recuperate her frayed nerves.

The ape-like foot of Vegeta plucks a screaming Chichi from the air. A few Instant Transmissions are all Vegeta can manage to buy some time from the pursuing Goku. He has no feet remaining to attack. By chance the equally fatigued and injured Goku makes a sloppy mistake in his attack and leaves an opening. Chichi gets swiftly placed upon his snout as Vegeta takes the full brunt of the blow. The failing vision of Goku fails to distinguish who or what is the ki on his face. He weakly shakes his head to rid it from him and Chichi stumbles and almost falls off if not for the wounds providing her with places to latch onto. She yelps. The motions of the feral Oozaru halt.

That is a sound that his ears feel he recognises. Through the incessant ringing in his head and his inability to focus he feels that is something important and a sound he should not let happen. Chichi struggles back to her feet and calls out to her husband. A low rumble comes from the Great Ape's throat. Something is triggering within his mind. The primal beast does not understand it, something about this noise is important, the words mean something to him. She yells his name again so loud with worry that her throat hurts. Vegeta maintains the shield around her, that is the most he can do as his heartbeat becomes irregular and his spine tightens. A faded and obscured memory tries to make itself known to the mindless Oozaru. He cannot feel his pulse. The following words she says he cannot hear properly but some part of him wants to hear them. Two grunts he makes. Those are not the correct grunts, he vocalises again and gets closer to the sound he cannot remember properly.

"Kee-kee"

Ryoko re-appears wearing the translation glasses and presses the button marked 'Blutz'. She removes a spare jacket she found from around her head to protect her face and eyes and turns about. Red eyes and blood. None of it is her blood. She meets the gaze. Ryoko nods at him and Vegeta's booming voice gruffly huffs out a thanks to her. She set herself the challenge, she will not let him or her fears beat her, even as she tastes bile in the back of her throat. With the emitted light now turned off the Saiyans start reverting back and Chichi hops from the snout of her husband with a small smile that she did manage to get through to him.