Chapter 74
A circlet of silver, flashing lights and electrodes rests in his hands. The argument given is sound. He shakes his head. This is not something he wants to reach his goal. The power held within this device could so easily empower and corrupt him.
"There's your Saiyan side shining right through. All I'm offering is 5% of my data so you'll have a minimum viable amount of knowledge to get through most of what I need you to. Terms of the job, accept it, you won't get a gift like this again in your life." Washu's fingers clatter over multiple keyboards and tablets as she faces Gohan. She has given him her convection helmet of scholarship she used on his brother for him to download the necessary information to fulfil his role as her aide. His pride is stopping him, with that his doctorate and so much more will be unquestionably his without him earning it. "You didn't work for the Elder Kai's power, think of this the same. Defend those you can by accepting what you need... and I'll make sure your arrogance won't get the better of you again. It's only 5%. I'm not like your father, I don't want to train someone to surpass me."
From this scientist he has a job paying greater than any on Earth he could have achieved, vast quantities of data within his reach, a tutor to push his intellect like his father and Piccolo pushed his body and he has not even had a chance to tell Videl or his mother about it. He has read the files on Kain and Kagato and gone through Washu's extensive breakdown of Grah's biology. There is more he can offer than this. As a Saiyan he has far greater potential to aid in this quest than simply becoming smarter. Even without transforming his speed exceeds the computers around him and he has a solution to that. Washu told him that a few hours will be required for the convection helm to do its thing and after that a period of recuperation, before that he has a plan. He briefly lines out his idea to Washu and she consents for him to delay his use of the circlet, she presses a button and the exit appears.
For the price of her alcohol a favour is given. Her loyalty for people she met in the past is not too great. Ryoko is trawling through her century long life and listing off known criminals, hideouts, suppliers, fencers and dirty officers. Kiyone jots these down as Mihoshi fumbles to get her Galaxy Police inventory system to open up. The exact where she cannot give, and most of the information she is giving is decades old, and Ryoko waves off the details as the navigation data is either in Ryo-Ohki or one of the Planet Trade Organisation's servers. Names are taken, Kiyone paying special interest to the traitors among their ranks and asking for evidence and specifics. Selling people out to the cops is not that tasteful to her, she herself a victim of it, but she wants her drinks and with Vegeta in her life now a new leaf will have to be turned eventually. A distraction appears to get her out of the interrogation as Mihoshi finally manages to retrieve the first of many bottles.
"Yo, caught him already? If not back away from my Vegey, he's being bothered by enough guests and visitors as is." Ryoko teleports between Gohan and the training room door. She tuts and wags her finger at the scholar she brought here. Distractions are not allowed, they will worsen Vegeta's mood and that is not something she wants when the second half of his wedding video has yet to be played.
The elder son of Goku explains his plan and why he wants to request Vegeta's help for a short amount of time. More bottles clink down in the background and Gohan glances their way. Mihoshi calls back that they are working to cover herself as she lifts a spirit in the air.
"You Saiyans, you don't think anyone but yourselves can do anything. Yamcha can do it too, and guess what, so can I, Mr. Superhero. You want a lesson? I hear you've recently come into a small amount of money, and I forgot to charge commission. A small finder's fee should cover my expenses." Her feline eyes glimmer greedily. Ryoko can multi-form, the technique Gohan wants to learn, and having Earth currency will come in handy. She makes him feel indebted for the wealth he has through Washu as the jingle of coins ring in her ears.
Red eyes warily glare at the offending item held before her. She is unsure of this. Her mother looks on whilst flicking through the rails of clothing, feeling the different fabrics and looking at the alien patterns.
"Lord Vegeta, I am not comfortable with-"
"You asked for me to choose clothes. My fashion sense is limited so I shall stay within the confines of clothing I know. They are trousers, they do not reveal any flesh."
"Be that as it may they look like something Ryoko would wear and I am in no mind to emulate-"
"Of course they do, she was sensible and bought Earth clothing days after arrival, not months. These are Earth clothes, you are here to buy Earth clothes. What is wrong with trousers? Your mother is wearing trousers."
Vegeta holds the pair of jeans for Ayeka to take as per her request of him selecting an outfit for her. She continues to look at the denim as if it were a rabid animal. Misaki makes a small point that her outfit is hakama and not a simple pair of trousers but an item of legged clothing all the same since she enjoys mobility and sports which skirts and dresses normally restrict. The Saiyan Prince is not too sure what clothing Ayeka deems proper or improper but he knows for a fact that these jeans are one layer thick compared to the 3 he estimates for Ayeka's robes. His son stands watching, having already bought all he needs following his small growth spurt, and wanders to Misaki to fill in the blanks of Earth's fashion.
The jeans are thrown across and Ayeka catches on impulse. She is about to grumble and complain as a top half to this outfit follows and lands in her arms. Trunks pipes in for his two cents saying that her battle outfit is not a skirt, and Ayeka mutters that normal regal outfits and ceremonial battle gear are separate matters. She turns and marches off to the changing rooms. In his head the Saiyan calculates it will take her around 10 minutes to get her current outfit off and grudgingly put on some simple trousers. Quietly Misaki slips away to the section for women's underwear. Sasami runs up and tugs on Trunks' arm to follow her since her mother is otherwise unavailable.
He leaves a pile of alternate clothes, some more feminine in nature, some more up market, a full variety, outside the curtain that Ayeka is behind. His ki senses the small tingle of a barrier as a second layer beyond the fabric. He cannot remember from the time the laundry had to be hung up outside the nature of Ayeka's underwear – or more to the point if that is comprised of several complex layers – and so throws some of her size on the pile before walking away. That will raise a fuss yet this matter is always stepping on glass when dealing with Ayeka. Vegeta aimlessly walks back to the entrance and looks down on the exiled cabbit pawing at the glass to be let back in as it seeks what shade it can. He steps outside and takes it back home to Ryoko and Gohan before returning.
Trunks runs up grinning and copies what his dad did to Ayeka. The item of clothing is not caught, Vegeta does not make any effort towards it as it lands and hangs on his shoulder. In the blink of an eye Trunks vanishes with a mischievous giggle. Vegeta looks at the thing thrown at him and a deep sigh resonates out. Misaki approaches, red faced at the few teasing insults Trunks called her. He could waste time commenting and having fun with his sadism yet he can tell how dangerous it would be to push Misaki at this given time. His hand picks the leopard print bra from his shoulder and he gives it back to the Queen without a word.
"It's – it's cute like an animal!" Misaki shows where Ayeka inherits her demure nature from as she tries to explain this overt choice of underwear with a blush on her face. Vegeta raises an eyebrow. He tells her the cup size for those is lesser than she requires and tells her what the symbols for the correct numbers look like then walks back to the changing rooms.
She admires herself in a full length mirror, her face showing she is not sold on this style. Adjusting the waistline and twirling to inspect from all angles, Ayeka is not comfortable with her legs being enclosed within trousers and showing off her body shape as they do. A pair of black jeans accentuates her slender and long legs, hugging her skin in places she is not accustomed to. The top is equally simple, a long sleeved white t-shirt with a frill running at a small diagonal angle around her chest, an unobtrusive black emblem on the lower right of her stomach and enlarged sleeve openings similar to her robes. For Ayeka it is as if she is only wearing her under-layer of clothing. She finds her seashell necklace on her pile of removed Juraian clothes. Worn and scarred hands lift it.
Red is on her face just like her mother's as she turns about and lifts her purple hair up. This feels intimate, he does not touch her but his hands are so close. He fastens the necklace about her and she faces him, shy and her vanity showing. The obvious question hangs there.
"Refreshing. You are slimmer without several layers of fabric, trousers should allow you to fly and this should somewhat aid against hot weather. …. There are other outfits more suited to a warmer climate but at the cost of more skin on display." Vegeta gives a brief compliment, more for Ayeka than the fairly bland clothes he picked, and waits to see what her next move will be.
"I saw … . Too risqué, too Ryoko-like. I intend for my skin to stay as fair as it is." Her hands play with the silver chain, baring flesh is a step too far for her.
"Forearms?" He questions and she shakes her head. "Shins?" Ayeka declines again. "Midriff?" She states her stance on revealing outfits again. "How about feet then? Surely there can be little complaint to not having socks on, your footwear is open as is."
"Lord Vegeta, I am not-not that confident around … I shall purchase a few of those clothes. Wearing them- wearing them will have to come later." Necessity and time will dictate if she can wear human fashions around Vegeta, at this time there is no way she could. Issues around physicality are too close to the surface, her mother is present and the last time she wore such clothing she had to bite his tongue. Ayeka will concede only so much as to allow them space in her wardrobe
"Fine. There are Earth style gowns you can try next, most of the dresses are sleeveless but improvisation can make it work."
Thinking that prestigious and ostentatious outfits more akin to her normal attire might make her feel more comfortable, Vegeta picks up a hangar with a long flowing ball gown on it. Her eyes immediately notice the lack of shoulders or sleeves. A pair of full length gloves partner with it, that is the best improvisation he can manage without ruining the aesthetic. Ayeka shakes her head in declination. There is another issue at hand if she were to try and put that on. The Saiyan loosely hangs it back on the rack and before Ayeka can stop him he goes to the pile of her removed Juraian clothes. As he thought there are still items missing from what should be here, her under clothes are still being worn and as such would easily show up and be outlined in a dress such as he showed her. Already there are 3 layers of robe here, she cannot combat any heat in her new clothing if she still dons her many layers of undergarments. Vegeta states thus and she shifts uncomfortably. He reiterates the main goal of this excursion.
Instead of obeying him Ayeka picks up a different ensemble of clothes and retreats back into the changing room and away from any potential talk involving her underwear. The barrier is summoned again. Not too long after, Misaki rounds the corner with her daughter in tow and her own selection to try on, luckily other customers are entering and distracting the workers from interacting with the aliens in their midst. His son is bored and has wandered out of the shop to seek other means of entertainment as Misaki has her guard up now and any more antics like that would pushing it too far.
The Queen of Jurai changes quickly and efficiently and draws back the curtain of the changing room to reveal how she has embraced Earth fashion more than her eldest. Dark green silk cascades mid-way down her calves, size has proven a factor to contend with but she pulls it off. She stoops to get under the curtain rail as the Queen has found a pair of stiletto boots that lace around her exposed legs. The cut of the collar is moderately deep, the straps of the dress cover her shoulders and her extremely long blue ponytail conceals the revealing back but she lets her arms be bare. A vivid red ribbon is loosely tied about her neck to contrast with the green. She smiles at this outcome and her appearance. Her worries over appearance lesser than Ayeka's for she publicly competed in fighting tournaments wearing sporting gear and she no longer has to keep the purity of maidenhood.
She towers over Vegeta now that she is wearing high heels and as she smiles at her future son-in-law she hopes he does not ask whether she is wearing what she retrieved from him - for she is. One of her daughters also exits but it is not Ayeka. Sasami skips out having found not clothes for children but instead clothes for women who are sharing in Krillin's stature. The young girl mirrors her mother's choice except her dress fits her and has several frills and decorative sequins adorning it. Her mother compliments her greatly and Sasami is enjoying this game of dress up. The Saiyan rolls his shoulders and nods his head to the still occupied changing room and tells the mother to aid Ayeka. Misaki does not have to guess the reason Ayeka is taking so long, even for a Juraian princess she always was shy and conservative in her nature. Sasami goes to Vegeta to have him compliment her appearance whilst Misaki calls to her eldest and bows beneath the curtain rail.
Cerulean greets the Queen for a second before it dissipates. Her firstborn stands half dressed. The white top is hung up along with the jeans, a lace cream dress is in her hands yet she makes no move to put it on. This would look good on her however she cannot wear it. Her top half is still completely covered by a pure white bodice embroided with several green Juraian designs, no skin shows from above half way down her thighs to her shoulders. Opaque tights conceal her legs to make up for where the bodice terminates. Underneath this is a corset, not constrictingly tight but it aids to lessen the bulge of the layers of clothing people of her status wear. Her final layer is her actual underwear. Wearing this dress would show her underclothes massively, removing what she deems to be her underwear would leave her improperly dressed in a manner not befitting a princess.
"Ayeka, no man has the right to pressure you into wearing something that you do not want to. Do not feel as if you are forced into showing yourself off for him. If you are wearing clothes that you are comfortable in you will be far happier and this happiness will lend a greater beauty than any fabric." She is not here to force her daughter into parading around in clothing she does not feel comfortable wearing, Misaki smiles down at her timid daughter and reassures her.
The top of her head pokes above the curtain so she can easily see the Saiyan on the other side waiting for some progress to happen on this shopping trip. Sasami's curiosity around his new tail keeps him distracted. Her eldest is not seeming relieved by her words. A seashell necklace hangs loose over her bodice as she looks at the fashionable clothing of this planet. He is not directly forcing her to don this, more he is in his constant state of pushing her into raising her limits and breaking through to the next level. For many reasons she will not heed Vegeta, Ayeka will not wear this though she cannot come out of this family excursion with Vegeta empty handed.
"I know. Though for all my want to dress as is appropriate it does not solve the issue of that oppressive heat. My- my want is to be with Vegeta- s-so … so I require clothing for this environment and for the colder winter when it arrives." That goal eludes her as to how she can deal with the heat when not being able to expose her skin or remove certain crucial elements of her ensemble. Ayeka voices her wants. Misaki pauses for several seconds as a pang grips her heart.
"Your dream is to stay on this planet?"
"... If I marry Vegeta I will live with him. He is not welcome on Jurai, and this is his son's planet, I see little alternative for a good many years. I do hope at some point that we could reside on Jurai, for now I am still in my years of education but … but when they end I cannot stay here in any official manner and will have to return to Jurai." She timidly nods as she faces her mother and sees the attempt to hide the pain at hearing her daughter will separate from her. Earth is the place Vegeta will stay, and so Ayeka shall as well until the hellish battlefield of that sector of politics has been won and time has passed to cool down the emotions from Vegeta's actions in the Cold War. There is time, this is not the pressing issue, the fact that Earth's climates do not mix with her is an issue.
From her vantage point on top of her stilettos Misaki glances across to this man taking her beloved from her. The shirted Saiyan exudes an air of impatience and of hostility to this social environment he dislikes. From one of the opposing changing rooms the high voice of her youngest calls out for Vegeta to help her as the zipper on her dress has got caught. With one hand he covers his eyes for the sake of Sasami and the other he reaches behind the curtain to her ki. Her diminutive hand finds his that has claimed so many lives and guides it. With his strength he yanks it free and limits himself so no damage comes to the fabric. Before he retracts his arm it is being used by Sasami as support to lean on and hold. His discomfort is clear, this is not something he ever had to do for his own child, but Vegeta puts up with it and helps Sasami. She hops out in a brightly coloured t-shirt and shorts with her blue hair loose. Sasami asks Vegeta to tie her hair up in a fancy fashion like Ayeka's was in yesterday, this is not a skill that Vegeta has and to that she responds as to whether or not he can do it. That crux of his ego forces his hand into attempting, his wife styled her own hair and it was a lot shorter than Sasami's.
"An embassy, integration into or at least alliance with the Juraian Empire and Lord Vegeta's agreement in handing his new home planet into our hands. Those matters are a while away yet, before then I shall have to secure Sasami's future as High Priestess to Tsunami and see what comes of Yosho's marriage. Nana Seto is on your side, my Little Ayeka, we will make it work." After his reaction to news of a peace deal, talk of conceding this planet to Jurai will have to come well after her daughter has won his heart. Misaki can make that future come to pass.
"Mother, don't. I'm not 'Little Ayeka' any-more. I'm … I'm trying to be an adult."
A step back is taken from the mother taking up most of the space in this changing room meant for one. The daughter shakes her head. Those words spell out a death to the independence she fights for. Her childhood is over, aid she can accept but not this level of mollycoddling hand holding. Ayeka is facing adult matters, issue over her body, her status, physicality of relationships and the darkness of Vegeta and she cannot be treated like Sasami. Misaki's smile does not falter.
"No matter your age nor your size you will always be my Little Ayeka. I will try and stop calling you it, but you being my beloved daughter will never change. It would not be so wrong for you to show off a different side of yourself to Vegeta for a short while, there are no others close enough to see. Don't force yourself but if the man you love wants to see your beautiful self you can spoil him."
" … But it's not like that." Ayeka's voice drops as she turns aside and crosses her arms across her chest.
"What has Vegeta done now?" Kind eyes sharpen. Misaki changes languages. She speaks in an Archaic form of a now extinct Juraian language that only few of the higher classes within Juraian society would know. Those words betray a hurt. Her daughter is in pain again over something Vegeta has done and this is not something she can piece together from what she has already been told, there is more.
"Mother that is most rude!" Ayeka exclaims back in retaliation to her mother purposefully changing languages to openly speak behind Vegeta's back without him being any the wiser.
"So is eavesdropping on private conversations. He is here spending time with you, wanting to help you be comfortable and-"
"I'm -I am not the one he thinks is more beautiful. In that aspect he has already failed me and made the wrong choice, rather he would gawk at the body he nearly took with force." She will not be so underhanded to speak this in the same tongue as her mother, her words Vegeta already knows and whether he hears them is irrelevant for he knows her opinion on this too. He would prefer to see Ryoko, despite him stating her lead this he has not retracted.
It hurts her pride, her vanity, her self esteem and her confidence in herself. She is lesser to a pirate, to a criminal, and her body is valued less than one almost savaged by rape. Vegeta gets to see Ryoko in revealing costume and he only bats an eye when that outfit belongs to his deceased lover, there will be no reaction to her showcasing her own body. The one she loves will not be moved by her beauty. Her fists curl at this inadequacy that she as a Princess of Jurai should not be facing. She can sum up the courage to wear these clothes and he would just nod and treat this as ticking off another box in his head. There is nothing she can do to fight it, opinion is opinion and Ryoko knows far better how to utilise her body even if currently neither of them can.
"Ayeka, you said that during-"
"It's not just about when he betrayed me and did that. He betrayed me later, I was a fool, when he accepted Ryoko's proposal – which I basically ordered him to – he told her and then me … he said I'm not grown up enough. Ryoko is beautiful to him and only now does he say those compliments to me in some vain feud between him and her."
Blue hair rustles over green silk as Misaki leans her head back and looks at the ceiling. Thinking on this there is no similar situation she can equate it to as herself and Funaho have the sense to never ask such a thing of Azusa. Her Ayeka is feeling as if her appearance is lacking towards her fiancé and Misaki analyses the words she says he used. Age is not something she can combat, the maturation of a Juraian body to adulthood takes decades. Many physical traits separate Ryoko from Ayeka and Misaki can easily see why Vegeta spoke of this one. She nods to herself. Telling Ryoko that her body holds beauty to him and is worth something following such abuse was a wise move.
"... I cannot judge such things on his behalf nor is it a choice I can agree on. Yet, as cruel as it was to you it is a very kind act on his behalf. That is a false reason he gave, it leaves you with the hope that you will be acknowledged as the Jewel of Jurai by him given a few years and seeing how Ryoko is it would have meant the world to her to hear something like that after such an atrocity. He walked the best path he could for both of you."
"A false reason? Is it another lie? Every action he takes I see the inner machinations and workings, the twisted plans and all I want is to see emotion like he shows to his wife." Her mother's words confuse her and dismay her despite their intention. Ayeka believed him, how could her mother who barely knows him like she does see through a lie whereas she cannot, this fact has tormented her for days and her mother brushes it aside as a necessary evil.
Misaki shakes her head. Her child was not listening properly to her words. Those perfect words were engineered for Ayeka so that there is no particular aspect of her self she would feel ashamed of and that a few years would win her a guaranteed victory in that battle whilst also doing the same for Ryoko of assuring her that currently there is no means for Ayeka to overtake her in this. Pointing out a specific trait would lead Ayeka to possibly take drastic measures to alter her appearance for her fiancé whether it be her hair or her weight, this gives her no such option. Ayeka despairs that with this and with Bulma's bunny outfit she cannot properly tell when Vegeta shrouds lies within his speech, the wall of his brutal truths veiling them from her. If this is a lie then she should have seen it, Vegeta's walls are deteriorating with his emotional stability over his wife, but neither her nor Ryoko did and Misaki knows why: they had no reason to look past it and analyse it as it presented them something they could accept. His scheme probably holds some truth as to his personal preferences which is what made it so infallible, Ayeka's body is in late adolescence and so as a man previously married to a woman full grown his tastes lie in that direction. Misaki puts a hand on either of her fretting daughter's shoulders.
"Trust appears to be the hurdle you are facing now. I know what it is like to have an oppressive force seemingly make moves with yourself and those around you like pieces in a game, your Nana Seto is very good at what she does. You have to learn to trust in them, their decisions may seem cold but that is their nature and they care for you all the same. Maybe she married me to Azusa to put a leash on me and control my wayward actions, maybe she wanted blood relation to the Emperor, maybe her intended pawns were children I was yet to have, to protect the Emperor, for me to gain a better generation of ship, to get closer to Washu, for an endgame I cannot see. She is my mother. She knew that I, though still young, was not faring too well in finding my own partner – my title as strongest Juraian dissuading several suitors as did a few of my more common class mannerisms, and she frightened off a fair few herself. My mother might have schemed but she made her choice due to her love for me and wanting for me to find happiness, which I have. Not even Washu bases her decisions purely off logic, emotion is always there. Vegeta knows how to bury it, to keep up his air of an aloof prince above everything else. His mind is not Juraian, he does not think like us, he still cares for you or he would not be fighting so hard to keep you or putting up with someone the likes of me. It might be hard right now but you will learn to trust him in this. His wife managed to see past it and so can you."
"He cried for her." Ayeka pauses before she replies with this fact. She cannot think of anything to say to respond to her mother so she just voices more of the pain of her one sided love. Her head comes to rest against her mother's chest.
Raw emotion of such a strength that it can break Vegeta, a love so powerful even he cannot conquer and overthrow it following two years of effort, Ayeka so desperately wants for the same. If his schemes are because he does hold a seed of emotion she needs it to grow and see the fruit it bears. Trusting him will take a long time following his sins. Her mother's words echo a similar sentiment to what he told her when she confronted him over this. She does not want him to plan, she wants pure reaction through emotion – the spontaneity of true love.
A comforting hand rests on her daughter's head and gives it a gentle pat. Most of her issues would be less urgent and pressing if he did indeed reciprocate this love. Years of marriage cannot be so lightly undone nor can that level of love be mirrored so quickly. She has taught her patience. The difficulties of Ayeka surrounding her fate came into being due to her own failings and greed as a mother. She knew the consequences of wanting a second child and how it would throw their plans into disarray. The suffering of Ayeka began as she failed to control herself – not that she regrets the decision of Sasami – and so she shall do all she can to protect her from any additional hurt. Her other arm goes about her daughter and Ayeka joins the embrace.
"That is unfortunately where the extent of my aid ends. And for all your efforts likewise he will see the intent behind your actions. He said that you are leading in your fight, rejoice in this for emotions can quickly snowball. So long as when he cries you lend him the support he needs, and not the support he accepts, and the same goes for Trunks. Someday those tears will dry and he will not forget the great kindness you have shown him, the love you hold welcoming him into a brighter future..."
"I … I will not be the villain trying to force him through that door. I-I do not want to hurt him, to-to make him cry by forcing him again and again to confront his grief and tackle it-it like he does his enemies. Like you said, I … I-I shall be the one welcoming him and taking his-his hand once he is ready. … Once he is ready, whenever that may be."
"Ayeka, dear, I had 3 years after my engagement to Azusa to prepare for our marriage, before the second had been reached I became his queen. Time to get to know your father, sister Funaho and Yosho, a grace period to learn the duties and get to grips with the complications of ruling Jurai. It took but a short few days for me to notice. Just like your prince, Azusa was a hard and harsh man whose affection was not easy to obtain. War. The war. It takes, and it has taken from both these men. They lost part of themselves to it, luckily my Azusa is slowly reclaiming back that part of his soul with this peace – bit by bit – but your Vegeta was born and raised in it, less a case of losing something than never having it." Misaki begins reciting the trials and tribulations she faced for her love over a man scarred by the same war. Loving a man who's default expression is a stern frown instead of a smile is a hard task. She strokes the back of her brave daughter's head as she recounts the time she spent courting her betrothed.
"Behaviour bred for combat, for survival, rage, mountains of stress, and the crushing fear haunting them each day they fought. He could have had his leg regrown by Washu but he swore that until his empire has been restored to the glory it once had before King Cold and Frieza he shall bear the same cost as that of his empire." She pauses. "It took over a year for me to break through to Azusa to a level even somewhere close to Funaho could. I am no great strategist, my mind is of little help to planning wars and campaigns, administration is difficult. I found what I could do for him, what he needed me to do for him, and I earnt his love. All he needed was someone to be there to put a smile on his face and care for him - not to say sissy Funaho was failing there but she had her work as well. For our marriage we held a tournament to celebrate, I faced my new son Yosho in the finals, it was close but I held my crown. Through all that struggle, hearing Azusa's night terrors, his phantom pain, the insurmountable grief he felt each time a citizen died, of aiding Funaho and becoming her dearest friend, at the end of that my fight was won. I claimed my prize for winning. It was a hard road, my own love did not come easy, but I reached the light at the end. I do not regret any of that fight. How could I, with my precious prize right here. And you will succeed as well, it just is a long road to take but I will be here every step in case you need me as Nana Seto was there for myself."
Misaki hugs her wedding present. She accidentally let slip one fact she hopes her emotional daughter shall overlook – that of knowing of Azusa's night terror's before she was his bride. That is her story, if it is of any consolation to Ayeka she will divulge more and more, for breaking through to those afflicted by war is never easy. The two sides of the same coin and the hard fought for victory at the end, Misaki shushes her child. Uncontrollable tears break not from Ayeka but from Misaki as the mother hears her eldest speak her love for her doting parent. She is scared, so scared for her child and controlling it is no longer an option for her.
Sasami's hair is nowhere close to what Ayeka's looked like the day before as the Saiyan Prince has two bobbles to work with and no knowledge of what he is doing. For her use of Archaic Juraian he still heard the proper nouns such as his name for Misaki could not translate those. He lets Sasami's hair down and shrugs off this failure. A voice enters his head and he begins to listen whilst partially humouring Sasami. King Kai sounds worried and anxious. Hoisting the girl up he wanders through the aisles of clothes as information is relayed to him and he probes back. The topic herself cannot utilise telepathy and King Kai has no want to dare open up a link with that mind following what he has learnt from Elder Kai. His other self still training is receiving the same mental message but leaves replying to the one not focusing on harnessing the ki of a Super Saiyan 3.
The teaching of Ryoko is coming to a close as she and 2 other copies of herself instruct Gohan on multi-forming. A fourth pirate is sat next to Kiyone and Mihoshi with all her drinks neatly stacked and arranged around her. Her accessory tail wags. Feline eyes narrow on her opponent. Kiyone lifts up the electronic writing pad and continues making more notes. The company of police is not her first choice yet Ryoko has little option and they have mostly acclimatised to her. Both women wait for Mihoshi to finish preparing. Being extra careful around the sole picture on the table, the dark skinned cop lays out the four pieces of paper with complete blue prints drawn out, one page for each floor.
To pass the time in some fashion other than television or video games the cops remembered a game they played years back in the academy and this added twist of Ryoko could potentially be very insightful. Ryoko's keen eyes scan the maps for this table top game. Mihoshi has drawn out a basic bank design with a basement, ground floor, upper floor and roof and the two competitors now bat for their specific faction. Kiyone has the job of guarding this pretend bank whilst Ryoko is devising how to best steal everything not bolted down. The rules were simple enough for Ryoko to easily follow. Both teams are set an allocated amount of currency with which they can buy people and equipment that they think they will need in preparation for when the game starts and neither know what the other has selected. All requests go through the game master of Mihoshi unless Ryoko is willing to spend half her currency for a reconnaissance ability that enables her to see Kiyone's defences before she bumbles into them when play commences.
Playing it between themselves was always fun and constituted some practicality to their jobs in learning easy exploits and simple plans by putting them in the mind of the criminal but here with an actual accomplished thief they can see how it would really unfold. Ryoko faces the difficulty that her actual means of robbery are not incorporated in the rules as teleportation and phasing through walls are unquestionably broken tactics that Kiyone would have no way of stopping. To lose to the police here would not do her image any good. Mihoshi lets nothing slip as she manages the set up. Her partner is busy deliberating over a split decision of a costly laser grid on a possible entrance or building wide optic and thermal surveillance. Gohan re-enters and heads back off into Washu's lab with Ryoko merging back into one. There is an evil twinkle in her eye as she now has a lot of real Earth money to play with and she could use this to get one step closer to her want of her and Vegeta owning their own property.
Gohan places the convection helm of scholarship on his head and lays down on a flat table as Washu instigates the download. The psychological weapon of the Oozaru and Kagato's crusade against the Saiyans is ignored by her. Insults of her own intellect being misused by her pride and her great failure of letting her people die. She is busy breaking down each segment of Kagato's genome and from his genetic structure digitally reconstructing a copy of his physical brain as it would be without any environmental factors. Predicting his next move is the puzzle she is playing with. Kain and Grah were both direct but so different in the style of approach. Scanning the solar system she sees 3 asteroids have been dislodged from the asteroid belt on a trajectory to Earth. That is a crude method and nothing more than something to steal her attention for valuable minutes. Yamcha stands over her and watches as she works.
His scientist fiancé is not speaking to him. She seems to be actively avoiding engaging with him in any capacity since she received that threat from Kagato. They both are thinking on the same decision. It means so much to Washu that he will not callously voice it, he will let her have her time and indulge in her work. The tournament is a major risk but before that is also their wedding which will concentrate all his targets in one position. It might not mean much in the bigger picture but for what it is worth Yamcha goes off to train with the equipment within Washu's lab so that he can hopefully play some part in safeguarding their future together. Washu taps a button and one star of a binary pair gets forced into a supernova state. The communications and attacks of Kagato cease for a full minute. Several crippling virus spread into his systems as he predictively falls onto a nearby backup relay that Washu has already bugged. 15 minutes of respite from Kagato is gained this time. The student will not take down the master so easily in this battle.
A white aura blazes around him before it transitions to red. He gets mercilessly swatted back down to the ground again. Groaning, he sits back up with his tail wrapping itself back around his waist. Sweat pours down his body. Goku takes up his stance again. Cell's arms are crossed, his foe is unimpressed and getting bored with this pitiful show when he knows Goku can do so much better. His hair is black, his eyes also black, Goku pants heavily as he attempts the impossible in training against Cell without using any transformation. This fight is not going his way. Kaioken only lasts a heartbeat and the power it grants him is not enough to bypass the superior speed of Cell. The insectoid foe goads Goku into transforming but Goku does not require any training in his first Super Saiyan form and going any higher removes any difficulty. He keeps sensing for his wife's ki to make sure she is not around as he can expect quite the reaction from him doing such reckless training.
Vegeta stands surrounded by power. His aura burns tightly around his body as he concentrates his ki and tries to reduce any excess radiation. In one hand he squeezes his own tail and deals with the excruciating pain of beating his weakness into submission. With this protuberance from his lower back he has found that sit-ups are fairly uncomfortable with the angle of his tail and how weak it still is. He knows both he and his rival will be rid of their weak spot by the time they fight. However, he has never seen his nemesis fight using his tail and Vegeta is calculating as best he can how Goku's fighting style might change to incorporate this additional prehensile limb.
Hovering above Satan city a lone fighter is none too happy. For the second time her boyfriend has gone gallivanting off with some other woman leaving her all alone in her patrol. The woman who teased her and asked her so much about sex with Saiyans going off with her Gohan for great lengths of time two days in a row is not putting her in a good mood. So far nothing has happened in this city for her to take action but if it did she would greatly prefer it if the bullet proof Great Saiyaman were present as he can stop cars with his strength whereas she has a bit more trouble being only human. Videl, the Great Saiyawoman, grumbles to herself at where Gohan has gone. She has yet to find out her partner in both senses of the word is temporarily foregoing his cape and overtaken her in terms of wealth. Videl presses the comms link in her helmet and again gets no response. This is just as Chichi warned her when it comes to relationships with Saiyans.