Chapter 126
With noon soon approaching, Ryoko is idling by gossiping with Haruna. Out of all Juraians she is the one she finds the easiest to talk to due to her low birth and having little opinion at the moment pertaining to Ayeka's engagement to Vegeta. She chit-chats with her mainly about their experience as two aliens on this planet when a gruff voice she knows all too well calls out within her skull. A telepathic message from Vegeta means it has to be something urgent and all he says is an order for her to fetch the energy gem. She teleports from the conversation with Haruna to get it as she senses Vegeta's energy in the most dangerous of places – Bulma's room.
Curious and cautious as to why he entered prior to her draining him of his excess ki and why so suddenly he needs it and cannot get it himself she phases through the set of rooms in direct line to where Vegeta is. Her face and head emerge through the wall and her elfin ears hear noises not from Vegeta. The rest of her body follows and she is quick to toss the energy gem next to Vegeta. By the bed he is knelt with an old woman in his arms collapsed from grief. Mrs. Briefs cries for her youngest child she tragically outlived. Vegeta had himself over an additional year to distance himself from Bulma's passing but for this parent it is still little over a year since she had to bury her daughter. All the commotion and noise, the stress of hosting, her grandson and son-in-law being back and realising how she was treating Sasami tipped the scales and so she finds herself at the foot of the bed where Bulma drew her last breath.
Vegeta is not here for his own grief. He places his hand on the gem Ryoko kindly brought and drains himself to a safe level just in case for his frail mother-in-law in his arms. Saiyan hearing hides little from him and his focus on this room had his attention when someone entered. This is not a room solely for his use for sorrow and the Briefs seniors have had to live in this building where their Bulma died and lays at rest a short distance away in the garden. He holds her in his arms and lets her have her release, safer now that his emotions – if they break through his control – should threaten her less.
Ryoko is at a loss at this scene. Her attention is Vegeta, more-or-less all she cares for is Vegeta, and so she is not prepared for having to deal with another person. She asks Vegeta if she should fetch someone, like her husband, since she does not reckon this to be something he is comfortable with. Doing this is Vegeta's duty however, he married into the Briefs and he was the one who failed Bulma, he asked of her for that gem and that is the total of what he requires from her. Ryoko takes a few steps back to give them room. This is how she wants to be there for Vegeta if he would let her, but guilt lingers at how she is taking advantage of Vegeta's newfound bachelorhood due to Bulma dying.
There is a soft knock at the door. This grabs Ryoko's attention as her hair whips about as she turns to look at the door as the handle is already turning to be opened before any answer of permission to enter this precious room. She flies forward to see who and to stop any trespass. Ryoko grabs the door handle from inside and gives resistance so the door stops half open. Looking at her are green eyes. Ryoko is confused why she is here. Washu calmly explains that Trunks called her to come here bearing that order from his father, and so here she is. Hesitantly, the rogue stands back and Washu walks in, her emerald eyes scanning this room she has not been in before and then walks over to Vegeta. She kneels down and says a soft 'hi' to Mrs. Briefs as Vegeta gently hands her over to her and stands, kicking the energy gem on the floor out of the open doorway.
He places a hand on the back of his mother-in-law in a firm pat and then walks out into the corridor. Ryoko follows after him, a bit at a loss as to why he is letting Washu in that holy of holies and choosing her to be there for Mrs. Briefs when they are practically strangers. Vegeta looks out a window he dove out of over a year ago in grief stricken rage and opens it, rests his arms on the sill and looks out. Seeing the same sadness overwhelm the always cheery Mrs. Briefs - the closest thing he has to a mother figure even with his own alive – that always threatens to beat him into submission is a sight more terrible to him than the wastelands of death he saw in his youth. He is still failing. He cannot keep this family together through his own merit and power. Maybe it is not the best day for this to be asked of Washu but there is none he trusts nor needs more than her in her aged wisdom, and her overflowing empathy towards any tragedy involving children.
In a whisper the pirate at his side asks to understand. Vegeta slowly explains that together those two share a bond in both outliving a child. Though for one it is a fresh scar and the other the oldest wound that haunts her still, both women are in dire need for a shoulder to cry on and another to talk to as Washu still struggles with the loss of Mikumo, and Queen Vegeta's actions only served to worsen that fact. Washu is qualified, she is kind, and she must understand that Vegeta asking this of her is also for her own benefit. Vegeta then admits the energy gem is not truly for himself. It was a safety net, that much is true, however there is another mother he shall tie together in this plan. Vegeta fluctuates his ki and raises it, which only confuses Ryoko more. The Saiyan Prince turns and walks to leave and distance himself from this area and Ryoko tags along to check that in all this thought of seeing to others he has not forgotten of himself or his own emotional welfare.
Curious as to this surge in power and of all the noise and commotion, an inquisitive young woman leaves talk with Jurai with no goodbye and instead has come to investigate this upstairs area. She recalls this room to be one she has been specifically warned of concerning her son defending this territory as if his life depends on it, but her son's ki has left. Queen Vegeta stands bemused as to why her son flared his ki here. She can hear voices. She can hear a slight pause in the conversation. Washu can discern from her short steps and the density of her body made for a higher gravity the one person who could be out there. Queen Vegeta likewise knows of that Tuffle's voice and can hear it even as shushed and muffled as it is. She can hear those raw emotions being unbridled and let loose the same way from when she taunted and broke her earlier, the loss and pain of her enemy. Queen Vegeta savours it and listens to enjoy it more.
The more she listens, the more she finds it bitter. Her sadistic joy in relishing Washu's misery is having issue getting fully stoked. The topic is not just one of Washu's pain, it is of the death of the mother to her grandchild. It is talk of the horrific grief of a mother. Pranis recalls what she asked of her son, and what he told her. Tarble is dead. Akin for her perspective as if he were a stillbirth which robbed her of everything she had. A child of her dead King, an unliving prince for her people exterminated like vermin, someone she fought and died for and could only grant but a sparse existence to. Everyone she knows is gone, her only surviving child a stranger to her. All those comrades she fought with to become Queen, all of her squad she went on missions with, and her friends in which she celebrated her pregnancy with. Tarble is the name given to her life ceased.
Lowering her head she sees the energy gem by her feet. Like a cautious animal she whips her head about and senses all around to check not a soul but those two women are about. Then from a pocket pulls out the crumpled paper. The sole fragment she has left of the baby she bore and lost. An image of his face that she never saw. A document made to wound her that has succeeded many times. She blames this place. She blames this planet. She blames her aberrant son, the low class birth of Goku, the survival of Washu and her hormones from a pregnancy not long over for her body for what she feels the need to do.
Pranis hurries into the adjoining room with paper and energy gem in hand and feels the life and energy empty from her. As quietly as she can she drags and moves and stacks furniture into a corner to make a small den for herself, with a firm roof over the top to keep her safe. Having used the gem like she has sensed her son doing several times before, she tries to emulate further what he does to rid all this from her. He is a Super Saiyan doing his best to overcome this wretched pain that afflicts him so it might bring her some solace. Through the wall she can hear them and she keeps a hand over her mouth and her teeth gritted to ensure they have no way of hearing her. Two mothers share in their experience of losing a child whilst another in darkness can only witness it. What they speak of should not ring true for her but as much as she wants to reject this sorrow she cannot get rid of it for any amount of violence she throws out. She dare not go into that room. Her undoing would be final, they would have to perish, and she cannot talk of this to them, no words like that can come from her. Pranis cannot become as weak as that, as pathetic as the weeping she hears. Alone in a corner she makes a wretched huddle of herself and struggles with the emotions breaking through her mind all because of that one name; Tarble.
Downstairs, Prince Vegeta sternly informs Jurai and Dr. Briefs of what is transpiring upstairs. He delivers the warning that any who go within earshot of that room will be under life-threatening danger from his mother, she will strike out with intent to kill anyone who might dare to witness this fall from her Saiyan ways. Dr. Briefs would like to be there for his wife but he is assured by his son-in-law that Washu will do her best and when she has done just that then it should be safe to see her. Azusa can only question the mental stability of Queen Vegeta for the fraying threads are clear, especially if her act as a mighty Saiyan is slipping up when as a race children are but future conquerors to be sent to planets. Vegeta corrects him that if it were just the death of a child she would be functioning fine, this is 40 years of events and the universe moving on forgetting her as much as anything. At his waist Sasami gives him a hug to make sure that he is OK and he absent mindedly pats her head.
Following what feels to be an eternity for Pranis, she hears a long pause of silence on the other side of the wall and then the muffled sounds of movement. In an alarmed state of hurry, she wipes at her face, thinks about moving the furniture but leaves it as it will take too long or make too much noise, and as she rushes to leave kicks the energy gem back to its approximate place in the corridor. Queen Vegeta flies out of there before the other two women can even reach the door and she ensures she is unseen in entering her training room. Washu closely escorts Mrs. Briefs and together they have have a quiet laugh as the scientist alleviates the mood. Descending the stairs they find Dr. Briefs casually waiting and stretching his aching knees from having stood here so long. His wife is not one to often let her smile fade, but when it does he cannot regain his own till she is better. She thanks and leaves Washu as she goes to her husband who gives her a gentle hug and kiss on the cheek.
When a later than usual lunch rolls around neither Vegeta speak a word to the other. Queen Vegeta is neither boisterous nor arrogant. She keeps her head down and eats with sole purpose. He can sense ki, he can always know where she is and it is not idle chance that an energy gem just happened to be on the floor after he sparked her interest with his flare of ki. She was set up by her own son. She cannot deny anything if he decides to out this to others – unbeknownst to her that having already taken place to warn them to avoid where she was or speaking of this. Mrs. Briefs looks none the worse for wear at the moment. After several minutes of almost giving herself indigestion from shovelling food down her gullet so quickly, Queen Vegeta exits from the meal table to train with a few last snacks in her hand. She freezes for a moment as she hears laughter from the dining room, fearing it might be about her shamed existence and walks with greater urgency from there.
The other Saiyan royal is not there for much longer as he knows how much the upcoming hen-night and subsequent guard duty will impact his training regime. As he is walking out across the lawn to his training room and stretching he hears two sets of hurried footfall behind him. Turning his head he sees it is Ayeka half-dragging Kiyone with her in an attempt to catch up with him after he left the dinner table. She stops seeing he has noticed them and puts a dainty hand on her chest as she catches her breath.
"As part of my re-evaluation of my past self and the many thoughtless acts I lament having taken, I am here to seek proper forgiveness and reconciliation for all that my issues surrounding anger-management have caused for others. I shall be visiting each individual my reckless fury has wronged in turn, and thus, with Detective Makibi as my witness, I am here before you to face up to the crimes I have committed against yourself." Ayeka bows and releases Kiyone.
"... It is a dangerous extent to go to, involving the police here. I can only guess what holding a criminal record at your young age and in your position, would do to your future prospects. It would be dangerous, of course, if it were not a hollow threat as you know I do not use the law to seek the justice I desire." Vegeta muses as he faces her, wondering what she hopes to achieve through this. If she has wronged him she would know at that time and he would have made her aware and dealt with it immediately, if he has not said anything then it is not worthy of his time.
"Technically what she's asked of me is more ethics based than legal. That's what I'm judging on – I guess. We all know I have no jurisdiction on this planet, and whatever legal system gets set in place will be decided between Saiyans, Humans and Juraians first. If you do want to press charges and make a case against Princess Ayeka then you can raise that issue with me, but I'm not going to hold my breath for it to get sorted." A semi-annoyed Kiyone explains.
Ayeka nods as Kiyone talks and then at the end formally bows her head low. She formally asks for forgiveness for the crimes she has committed against Prince Vegeta. Vandalisation of property, the theft of a few images she hid under her bed within his house for a time, the taking of Bulma's outfit from his hands as another instance of theft, several accounts of domestic abuse and assault when she has raised her hand against him and many occasions of slander and worst of all egregious usage of racist insults. At most of this it is water off of Vegeta's back, he breaks his own house more than her and her own attacks against him have never hurt nor been seeking his pain nor injury like Ryoko has. There is one standout though that his umbrage shall not ignore. He sternly warns her concerning her calling him a 'monkey' or similar, to never mention that word in his or his family's presence again, and certainly to think hard on that and her future word choice if she does choose to seek holding political power between Saiyan and Juraian. A racist ambassador will not work long before the few Saiyans left depose her.
This Ayeka is keenly aware of. Though she feels she is more reserved in her few outbursts of the word in comparison to some pirate with a cabbit spaceship for example, it is careless hurt she causes to a man kept in servitude by a tyrant who saw Saiyans as nothing more than 'monkeys'. She apologises again for the names she has called him and then looks up at him. If he did not know better Vegeta would say she is expecting him to mirror her actions. Beyond when he forced a kiss upon her at the beach as an effort to protect Ryoko during his mating season, basic threats and intimidation is really all he has done to her and any wrong he has done he has already spoken to her about.
Ayeka rushing to go see Vegeta after previously acting like the Ice Queen towards her does not fail to get a certain rival's attention. Having listened, she now floats down from above to make her presence known. She knows what is going on here, and she is looking forward to this. Her feet touch down next to Vegeta and she idly waves at the princess with a grin on her face. She flicks her hair about as she waits whilst Ayeka pauses resolving herself to continue this personal crusade no matter whom it is directed at. As the words start coming out with her head bowed to Ryoko of all people she starts to realise how dire this is becoming with Kiyone involved. Against Ryoko she has slandered and insulted her countless times, threatened her numerous times with violence, violently assaulted her on several occasions, ordered Washu to abduct and detain her against her will and to top it all off has made a direct attempt on her life when they both fought. Attempted murder is dirt she cannot shift.
"I count 2 more princess. You forgetting somethin'?" Ryoko chides. She holds up two fingers. "This all started as a young princess, with no formal combat training, or military or judicial authority, thought to bring one of the galaxy's most powerful war-ships to bear on me. You're a vigilante just like Gohan, ridiculous get-up 'n' all. And main thing is you making moves on my Vegey: that adds adultery to the list."
The Princess of Jurai is loud and firm to deny any statement that she is adulterous. Not caring for that, Kiyone has had her interest peaked. That instigating act that brought Ayeka to Earth is of interest to her and also to the Galaxy Police. Depending on where that happened Ayeka could still have been within an area of space where Kiyone could enforce the law. The issue of self defence is evident as Kiyone has heard all before how Ryoko shot first and then fled when Ryuoh started targetting back. Self-defence can only last as a defence if you do not chase down someone across space when they are no longer threatening you, and considering what Juraian ships can do she far exceeds any level of 'reasonable force'. Kiyone goes to ask Ryoko if she could access Ryo-Ohki's navigational history.
This question is waved off by Ryoko as she only brought that up for fun and adultery is the thing she is keen on getting justice for. Ryoko says that she is not Juraian, or sharing their beliefs, so this additional woman is too many for her and her committed relationship with Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince raises an eyebrow as 'committed' is stretching it. Ayeka snaps back that she was engaged to Lord Vegeta first.
"It's not adultery though. Adultery requires the offender to be married – or closest legal equivalent – to the victim and that they have engaged in extra-marital sexual relations. Ryoko, you might have the Saiyan tail contract with Vegeta but Ayeka hasn't had sex with Vegeta. And Ayeka is only engaged depending on what did happen during his mating season." The police officer explains to clear up what trouble Ryoko is trying to stir.
The pirate muses aloud that she thought adultery was like cheating but a legal word for it. Both herself and Vegeta live outside the law and pay little attention to its rules or the fine print describing what crimes they have committed. Ayeka silently nods in assurance of her own maidenhood. At this pause Vegeta grows bored and Ayeka has said what she needs to for clearing her conscience and goes to train. Ryoko would leave however Kiyone would like to get to the bottom of Ayeka using a weapon of war against as a non-combatant against a pirate who might technically be allied with the Planet Trade Organisation but has long since gone AWOL after the defeat of Frieza. Now hearing the seriousness in Kiyone's voice, Ayeka freezes and worry seeps in, and Ryoko can only smile at that fear.
It is not long after this that the first batch of expected guests begins to arrive. The times they were given hold only 5 minutes apart so as to get their arrivals matching and greet them at once. Washu sees that all things are on time and as expected. These are her guests afterall, the few she knows that are worth inviting. Having flown out here under Yamcha's power, she stands hands proudly on her hips at the lake-side Vegeta resided at for Kirito is parked here and so it is easier to handle all space-craft to be in one location. She smiles to herself, less so at the prospect of seeing friends again but more for having a larger audience to boast and gloat to about her getting married.
The first ship to appear is Yakage's. Compared to the dreadnought class ship that Kirito is it almost appear humble in design this Juraian tree-ship. Smaller in size and scale by a factor of 10 it is by far a large and powerful enough vessel for someone of his station, it being home to a 3rd generation tree that he himself is lucky to have the privilege to be bonded to. However, his ship differs from the majority of the Juraian navy, for it is not part of the regulated naval armada but his personal ship and so it is not strictly made of the sacred carved wood Kirito and Ryuoh are. Crystalline metallic structures not too dissimilar in appearance to the ones that make up Ryo-Ohki's form when transformed reinforce and cover parts of the hull and add substantial protection and areas for armaments and other apparatus to be attached. His ship keeps a respectful distance from Kirito and hovers in the air with its engines quieting their hum.
Washu begins to fret over her appearance since unlike most meetings her age and physical body is static in time and in excess of any age she is likely to showcase to others. Beside her Yamcha flares his energy for a moment and a gust blows at her and messes up her hair to get a grumble from her at his teasing. He wears only a navy shirt and white trousers whereas she has a long red dress and an even longer white lab coat over the top since she believes it to be an important part of her aesthetic. A smaller craft large enough just to house a small family, merely a shuttle next to the behemoths of Jurai has plenty of space to land between the hulking ships of wood. It is shiny, metal, and pragmatic in its design for entry in and out of atmosphere. Plastered on its side is a rather gaudy logo of a yellow circle with a blue letter on it, a kind of blocky lower-case 'n' with a flick coming off its end. Yamcha looks to Washu and asks where the third ship is since she listed 3 guests. She explains that Yume has always had a strong fascination towards Jurai and its technology, even having had many plans and a few attempts to gain a ship for herself, and so he can take a guess as to who she hitched a ride with.
The smaller shuttle has far less to do to shut itself down and park, and hardly any distance for its travellers to cross to exit the ship as opposed to the Juraian craft. A wing door at the side depressurises and lifts up with a small ramp extending down to the grass. An old and fairly short and rotund man steps down surveying the landscape, sniffing the air and looking about at the Juraian ships. Underneath overgrown grey eyebrows his left eye is replaced with a cybernetic, appearing black until light shines on it to glint back a dark gold. His large and styled beard curves upwards along with his greyed hair to form 8 curls around his head. His aged face has a wide nose, large lips, deep and wizened lines and a sharp glare to his eye. His robe is red with a yellow ring around his sleeves and hem, with a short and pointed navy mantle on his shoulders and a tall and rounded black hat sporting a similar logo to his ship.
By his side is his robotic companion named Zero. Appearing fairly simplistic and limited in articulation by the providence of having no separate legs merely a solid bulk or a lower half, Zero is a red painted and mostly humanoid shaped machine. All of its parts are rounded, with a dark display screen where a face would be showing only a blue line in the centre displaying it is turned on and observing. Rudimentary arms are attached to ball joint shoulders, where its neck, waist and forearms are thin cylindrical tubes at most. With no working hands, feet or much of anything it is hard for Yamcha to say what that machine is of use for, apart from it belongs to Dr. Clay for the same logo is plastered front and centre on its chest.
Dr Clay walks forward beckoning Zero to follow, who does so by gliding over the floor. Some muttering comes from the aged doctor about this rural landscape and scientists of their standard so much as meeting in some random patch of countryside. As he gets to them he greets Washu in a fairly cold and distant manner and looks to Yamcha by her side expecting him to introduce himself first as he lets out a slight complaint about expecting a bit more of a location when he gets urgent summons from Washu of all people. Washu explains to Yamcha as she introduces him that Dr. Clay is more-so a very long standing professional colleague than a friend. Which Clay grunts in agreement. 2 massive egos like theirs can only clash too many times and though they can work together neither seek the other's company – with Clay blaming her spate of pranks on him when he was learning in the academy for a grudge he can mostly remember.
Green glows from beneath Yakage's ship as the transporter beams down its occupants. Dr. Hakubi reassures Dr. Clay that this is merely the parking lot and from his scans he must know there is more to this planet than this. He raises an eyebrow as his scans did not show any technology of note on this distant outback world. Zero stands before Yamcha who is a bit unnerved by the single dot of blue in its face observing him. Washu claps her hands to gain Zero's attention and warns that she know how to 'differentiate' and so to not try what it is thinking. It moves aside for Dr. Clay who goes to Yamcha and with fairly formal speech opens dialogue with this strange man from a world yet to be catalogued by science and of a species he is unfamiliar with.
A Juraian man and a small girl emerge from out of Yakage's transporter. The female tries to stand with pomp and grandeur yet besides Yakage she does not look impressive. On average most adult Juraians stand over 6ft and her diminutive height makes her appear like Sasami besides her mother. Yakage begins to briskly walk over with his gait and pace quickly leaving behind Yume. Even before he gets close Yamcha can tell that this guy is strong for a Juraian, now he can distinguish his energy from the trees. Yakage is a tall and imposing man who knows how to fight and has trained in more than just the usual Juraian martial ways. Piercing eyes lock onto Yamcha from under a large and sturdy wooden headband keeping Yakage's long and flowing light brown hair from getting into his face. He holds a serious expression upon his face, with a scar running diagonally across the right hand side of it, and coming before the couple he unfastens his heavy outer cloak and lets it drop onto the ground to reveal a long sleeved set of light and loose robes that is quite close in nature to the gis those trained under the Turtle hermit wear. Dark greens and browns colour his legs and arms whilst lighter natural hues decorate his plain by Juraian standards top. About his neck and chin he wears a dark red bandana pulled just low enough to show his mouth.
He does not look like someone who would usually run within Washu's social circles, but Yamcha can hardly judge since he is not either. From what Washu has said Yakage for a short period – but what he assumes is longer than he has been alive – studied under Washu as an apprentice of sorts before branching off and becoming independent hell-bent on perfecting his own craft. Now he works as sword-smith, though less making energy swords for Jurai and more researching and honing their design and usage.
"Forgive my impudence, but I have heard that you are a great warrior. It is not often that I find myself before such strength, and as such I would like to take this opportunity to test my craft." Yakage asks with a slight bow of his head.
Having seen Juraian weapons and being able to sense Yakage's ki that shows no signs of being suppressed, Yamcha sees little reason to not have a bit of fun and so nods with a friendly smile. Washu sighs. She invites people to her wedding and the few she does this one speaks to Yamcha and has not so much as even looked her way. Yakage has always been quite single-minded, and she does not think Earth will serve well in showing him how far he has to go to make the weapon he desires.
The two men walk to distance themselves, with Clay looking mildly curious. In the background Yume has gotten herself distracted by examining the parked Kirito and intrigued by the shipwreck of Ryuoh and what a treasure trove that could be. Yamcha undoes a few buttons on his shirt so he can move freely and rolls up his cuffs. They take 10 paces from the other, now safely away from the others, and Yakage takes the wooden hilt of his sword from his belt. It has no cross-guards and is sturdier than even Azusa's sword. Its hefty pommel is encrusted with a gem as is the hilt where a long shining cerulean blade erupts. He holds it with one, then two hands as he shifts his stance to be defensive.
Yamcha edges his way close to investigate how Yakage holds himself and shifts his weight before darting in and expectantly sidestepping away from the blade coming to keep him at a distance. With an open hand he palms away the flat of the energy blade and as Yakage's arms start turning wide with this motion Yamcha half-steps in and kicks at the pommel of the sword – popping it right out of Yakage's hands. The inert hilt falls to the grass and Yakage looks in shock at how quick that all ended.
"You touched the blade?" Despite Yamcha being careful to not hit the edge of the blade he still touched the live energy of what should be the most powerful Juraian sword ever created. Not even a burn from touching its power so much as scratched this earthling.
The Juraian looks defeated as he goes over and retrieves and holsters his sword. He stoically accepts Yamcha's strength and how much further he has to go to improve his swords. When they return to the rest, he picks up his cloak he dropped and apologises to Washu that one of his creations no longer would be worthy of her as a wedding gift after failing so utterly. Washu does not want a sword, she can make her own. Yakage shakes Yamcha's hand and says that Washu has chosen a strong and honourable fighter, to which the the bride-to-be is quick to correct that she has chosen a kind and caring man. The pink haired scientist then looks to her short friend, calling out to Yume to bring her attention back around to the reason she is on this planet in the first place.
Coming out of her reverie, Yume saunters the short distance with all waiting for her. In terms of size she is marginally taller than Washu would be if still assuming the form of a child, though that is not saying much since Yume is doing nothing to alter her height and is not even particularly short for her species or age. Her face holds a smug and impish arrogance. Yume's skin is a light brown with long pointed ears double as prominent as Ryoko's and closer to Ryo-Ohki's for the tufts of darker brown fluff growing from its tips and along its edge with a lighter pinkish fuzz coating her spacious inner ear. Short canines stick out of her self-assured grin. Eyes wide and large with yellow irises and long and trailing eyelashes look with the same sense of self worth and ego as the woman before who commonly refers to herself as the smartest living woman. Yume's auburn hair is fringed over her eyes and is tied low into twin tails of a fair blonde that arc up above her head and back down below her shoulders. Yume's frame is slight and slender, and her basic anatomy standard to most humanoids. Large amber spherical jewels hang as earrings from her ears. A feminine white shirt that is decorated with a golden hem with a royal blue, shoulder-less cheongsam over the top with a side split revealing her slim legs, tied with a fancy white belt of Juraian design. In opposition her brown boots are neither refined nor worn for vanity, them and her baggy white socks are purely for comfort of moving around in and for travel.
"Yume, the greatest scientific mind in the universe, is here to grace you with her presence." She boldly proclaims, standing tall with her hands proudly on her hips.
"I guess you can call yourself the greatest 'single' scientific mind in the universe now, unless you've discovered some new field of science I haven't worked as your senior in." Washu can humour her friend this much. Her title is not one she shall hand over easily, no matter how much Yume yearns to achieve it.
"You're old news. These past 50 years I've overtaken you in leaps and bounds in both publication and patented inventions. So I am currently the greatest scientist, single or otherwise." With a smirk Yume pushes for her own intellectual dominance. Sure Washu has 20 millennia of work behind her that she has not lived long enough to rival but a genius can only proclaims themselves that for so long before they begin to slip.
"Well it is single, isn't it. And what achievement is it that for this spec of an instant you overtook a woman in a rut from extinction and the slovenly slow progress of dealing with Juraians. I did give you enough invites to bring those 3 created servants you have, unless you've broken up with your boyfriends now." The pink haired scientist teases her younger friend. She knows how much it riles up Yume to be pushed on anything romantic. With their levels of arrogance it is as if there were 2 Saiyans trying to boast about their strength to the other.
"They are not my boyfriends!"
"Oh so you-"
"I sent the Shinma Brothers off on that mission posted by the Emperor Azusa to hunt down that Tuffle Kagato you taught and mentored. At least I'm not the one who creates basic automatons to only sing my praise. Now pay up! We have debts to settle."
Grumbling to herself, Yume explains that her usual escort of 3 bio-engineered warriors and assassins she created and utilises are absent from Washu's wedding due to pursuit of Kagato. Prestige and success from gaining hint of his location will earn her much weight to swing around with Jurai, ever since she relegated herself to their bad books from a few less than wise plans and one all out attempt to claim power from them. Yume clicks her fingers and her personal holo-top materialises as she is serious about these debts. It has been a couple of years since they have last seen each other – Yume spending one of those in cryo-sleep – and much has changed and Yume never forgets what they gambled and shook on. Washu sighs as this is expected from Yume and summons her own holo-top. The money means little to them. Yume looks at Washu's holo-top and then presses a button from her holo-top to expand into having a second monitor.
Bets and deals begin to be listed off between the two as are stupid amounts of money and materials for most of these bets were not made without a little help from liquor. Half of these Washu has little memory of. With Yume she always fails and gets blackout drunk first despite her rival's small body, and Yume makes sure that Washu always remembers and has proof of what they bet. The largest bet is one Washu has to forfeit for she did proclaim herself once to be a forever bachelorette. All in all both geniuses win and lose about the same as each other, with Yume complaining about Washu being a traitor and betraying science and her research for a man.
The small and furry eared lady goes over to Yamcha to see for herself who this person is that dares to steal Washu's attention away from the brilliant work she does. Anything beyond his chest is a little high for her to properly inspect. He is friendly in introduction to her but she ignores it prodding at him and not seeing anything noteworthy other than before in how he overpowered Yakage. Yamcha takes a leaf out of Washu's book and decides to playfully flirt with her. Her ears show she is listening attentively and her inflated ego is feeding off the compliments. With her not responding he trails off as it becomes awkward though she seems disappointed when the flattery ceases. She looks to Washu and says that her fiance is strange.
With introductions and greetings out of the way, Yakage steps forward and broaches the topic of why the wedding invites sent out listed hazards and potential threat warnings and what dangerous gadgets she has set up for the ceremony. Washu matter-of-factly prefixes that she will not be discussing the maligned Kagato during her wedding and can deal with that later. Instead what the actual threats they have had a right to be warned of are shown. She turns her monitor about and switches it over to video recordings from the palace of Jurai surrounding Empress Misaki's Counteractor outburst and then onto interactions and attacks between herself and Saiyans. Clay immediately asks for dates of those recordings since nothing has been made public concerning Empress Misaki having a condition like that and more worrying Saiyans have not been spotted within the civilised galaxy ever since Prince Vegeta's pod was tracked at landing on a now destroyed Namek. Yakage also asks for clarification for Queen Vegeta, whom was shown should be dead along with all other Saiyans and Washu's planet. To which Yamcha casually replies that on Earth death is not nearly as much of a handicap as it used to be. Yume pauses in thought at what Yamcha said and questions if Washu is cloning herself a husband. Washu shakes her head and shushes Yamcha before he gives too much of the fun away.
"I shall reveal all. It's far easier to stop anyone contradicting me to see for yourself. Be careful and be on your best behaviour, or else it does hurt." The ancient scientist warns as she pops a capsule on the ground for a sleek dark red shuttle to materialise – which sparks the interest of both Clay and Yume for this efficient storage technology – and she asks them to get inside.
The mystery of the situation on Earth is kept as they come in for a landing over Capsule Corporation Headquarters. Yume does not like being kept in the dark and tries to press Yamcha for answers on his curious statement regarding death. All he says as an answer to stoke the flames is that he himself has died, properly died, and it is not thanks to anything as simple as CPR that he is alive and walking now. Touching down on the lawn they all disembark to see the Juraian Royal Family awaiting them a short distance away. Most know each other to a decent amount however Ayeka, Sasami and Haruna are fresh faces for the older guests of Washu since they do not deal with Jurai on the regular. They are courteous and as respectful as they must be to Jurai with Yume getting a teasing warning from Lady Seto surrounding their currently parked ships and to not try to capture them again. Yakage gets a personal request from Yosho regarding his sword and Yakage can only postpone such an item since Yamcha has shown how his current works fail. Clay asks where Misaki is, since Washu made a point about her presence with the recording and all of the royal family is here except this certain member.
"My daughter is currently undergoing harsh, but important, mental training, and not in lieu of our upcoming tournament but for the dastardly curse upon her soul. A blight Washu has assuredly let you know of, though its specifics we are still ascertaining and possibly … not divulging to yourselves." The mother of Misaki answers. Yakage humbly bows for he is Juraian and will honour these orders and Clay keeps silent.
Those scant recordings and flimsy warnings are not putting the guests of Washu to ease. A peril of death is not an expected element to a wedding. Yume discretely activates a contact lens variant of a scouter and yelps in pain as it sparks and she frantically removes it from her eyes as it starts watering. Washu casually warns her not to do that in the future, not with her inferior scouter technology. The red robot of Zero is getting confusingly high and alarming readings off to a hemispherical building within the expansive garden and at a nod from Clay goes to investigate.
Half-way to the training room Zero is stopped by a lance of red energy materialising out of thin air along with the woman holding it. Ryoko warns Zero not to do what it is thinking and to not interrupt her Vegey and make him mad. Zero halts, and watches Ryoko, deeply peering at her with a singular prick of light showing on its display. Alarm bells ring for Yume. A recording of a Saiyan is one thing, however that name is not something she can be anywhere near. That is the name of a Saiyan that has no confirmed death. That is the worst Saiyan name to be uttered, and incredulously she has to shout to ask if she heard right and that this woman dared to give a cute nickname to a Saiyan and dare say it without fearing death. Yakage has faith in the rulers of his people and how serene they are and shall not show them up. His interest is more in the weapon of Ryoko, until Ryoko forgets about it and lets it disappear.
It is not Ryoko's job to deal with Washu's guests or tell them all about recent Saiyan history, Washu can do that herself, so long as they get no closer to the training room then things are fine for her. A splotch of amber liquid hits the ground near her. This lifeform is sufficiently powerful and of an assumed position of closeness and power to a feared Saiyan. Zero begins its job. More reddish-brown liquid falls from the metal shell of Zero as its carapace oozes off. From beneath the goop cyan hair emerges, as do golden and feline eyes.
For her talk of not disturbing him, Vegeta is hearing a lot of disruptive arguing from Ryoko outside his training room. All he can hear is her voice back and forth shouting so much he cannot even discern who she is talking to. He raises his ki in a threatening manner so she can sense the warning, but it goes undetected. Ayeka's energy is outside yet at a distance and not raised in a rage filled manner which would be expected given Ryoko's yelling. The Saiyan Prince is unimpressed as he walks to the door to his training room and flings it open. Two Ryoko's turn to look at him, one pulling the other's hair and the other stretching the cheeks of the other.
He has to stop for a moment. This sight is beyond him. He knows Ryoko can multi-form like himself but to take it to such a degree that she attacks her duplicate and has it attack back makes no sense to him. The aghast noises of horror in the background is white noise to him. Vegeta does not want to touch whatever 'this' is, it can be a subject to talk about later with Ryoko. There is one thing he is acutely perplexed by and asks her how she has managed to perfect the multi-form technique further than himself by not diminishing her power by splitting.
"The hell d'ya mean multi-form! It's me!"
"He ain't blind, don't listen to the crap this damn robot's saying. You can tell right?"
"Robot my arse. Shut up and turn back before you become scrap metal."
"Try it, wannabe. My Vegey knows and'll end you."
The Saiyan listens as two perfectly identical Ryokos argue and plead at him to notice how they are the real one and to denounce the fake. Subtly using ki sense that hope is dashed as both are emitting the same ki signature. This is quite the feat of mimicry but not the time to be admiring it. The pair of Ryokos start pressing more urgently as the longer he pauses the more they suspect he actually cannot tell who she is. He holds up a hand to get them to be quiet and they talk over it, ignoring him, whilst in the background Yume dives for cover. Vegeta points to the Ryoko on the left and asks her why he cut his palm. Both Ryoko's eye him with anger. Asking personal questions to decipher the fraud means he has no clue at a glance who the woman who loves him is. The one on the left raises her own hand and answers it was for their promise that he made to her, the blood pact of being together. He then goes to ask the other one and instead Ryoko viciously prods at Vegeta and where she jabs her nails she describes where he got said scar.
Their anger is rising. Asking questions has not shed any light. Vegeta has to act fast before he just has two enraged Ryokos ripping into him. So, he sheds his own light. Vegeta transforms into a Super Saiyan. Sparks convulse around one of the Ryoko's as she collapses onto the floor. Circuit breakers and fuses protest against this surge in energy and static in the air as Zero writhes in pain as her robotic body cannot handle Vegeta's passive radiation and crawling away Zero ends the charade and reverts back to its original red robotic form. Vegeta nods. Power shall see him through.
Grabbed by the collar and lifted from his feet, the real Ryoko stares him down with ire before kicking him into his training room and marching over to his hovering form giving him a piece of her mind. He absolutely failed at knowing who she was when next to some robot. Vegeta is quick to say he had other methods but that his way he used was quick and efficient. She growls out that she guesses he was going to smell her next. Vegeta is silent. Ryoko's crimson aura grows and burns and her sword is unsheathed from the air. The sword comes down ineffectively on his collar. Vegeta's eyes narrow. He crushes the blade in his hands. Ryoko stays her hand as she hears that warning loud and clear that if she is freely hitting him in anger then he might not see it as fair that he does not retaliate in turn.
Zero hobbles back to Clay having failed, the old man does not see it as too much of a failure since the actual charade did manage to fool a Saiyan even if his power is not something currently they can contend with. The robot is passed as the small and lithe Yume feels empowered by the back-foot the Saiyan was just on and jogs up to the training room door and points towards Vegeta and proclaims in excitement that he transformed not into an ape. This man here is new, what he did is novel, he is an excellent subject and Washu has been keeping him all to herself. Yume is giddy at the prospect of what he might reveal for her as his threatening air is diminished by how close some non-Saiyan is in conversation with him, and of the noise of this city, and planet, still having its populace.
The Saiyan is paying minimal attention to her presence, save for her crossing that threshold and trespassing into his training room she can spout whatever nonsense in awe of him she feels like. Yume turns to Washu and has to ask why Saiyans of all people are at her wedding. Washu shrugs. It is by no means her first choice, or her preferred option, but this is how things have ended up. She answers it is either this or the alternative of the Saiyans attacking. There is more to it than that however Yume can question her friend later. This man broke her reinforced scouter. It should handle the Ginyu force's power and at least give warnings before overloading like it did. He has strength she must know of. Yume hurriedly introduces herself from her safe distance from the Saiyans and says she wants to know how powerful he is.
Vegeta looks at her quizzically. The power level reading of his absolute maximum he does not know. How much strength he can output is a good question. His ego does like the sound of finding out and having Washu's guests quaking in their boots, along with Jurai. Ryoko nudges him with her arm and warns him not to be stupid, however that ship has sailed. He is planning how to eke out as much strength as he can from his ki and has a plan. Vegeta smirks at Yume which sends a chill down her spine.
Distracted by the noise, the door to the second training room opens and a grouchy woman stands there surveying the fresh meat. She glares at them to make sure they know their rightful place even as Yakage does not look her way as Queen Vegeta's training gear is not what Juraians would deem appropriate dress. Her son calls out to her as Queen whether it is time that the full might of a Saiyan be witnessed. A toothy smile comes from her as she replies back for him to show her the heights she shall claim for herself. She struts over to get a closer look as she as Queen deserves front row seats. At her side Washu is also approaching Vegeta's training room. The scientist brushes past Yume whilst Queen Vegeta barges past the furry eared stranger not that much shorter than herself. At the main console Washu sets up what is required and a large monitor displays in the centre of the training room with 3 variations of '0' appearing on them for the different languages that can be read. She tells Yume to remember there is a reason she is not tackling Saiyans head-on, as she engages the scouter readings of the training room and Vegeta stood at a comfortable level for exercise is relaxing at several million.
Queen Vegeta turns to Jurai and shouts for them to remember this sight of their irrelevance, of the power of the beast baying at their doorstep. They keep their silence. With Washu exiting the training room to stand next to Yume they decide they should wager a guess on Vegeta's power. To keep things fair so Yume is not influenced by Washu's knowledge on Vegeta, she has her friend place her estimate first. A comparably large number over Frieza is what Yume thinks given this first glance. Washu tops it by a large magnitude by throwing some 0's on the end which has Yume just fall silent at what that could mean. That is not an idle guess, and that number should not be possible for a single entity to hold. Washu looks to Vegeta, somewhat unsure of her guess, and playfully shrugs saying that she guesses he will exceed her estimate out of pure spite.
His power level starts to fluctuate and the digits start counting up as he naturally is recovering from his prior exercise and exertion. Ryoko walks a distance from Vegeta to not be in the blast zone of him charging up, further than Queen Vegeta stands pushing her luck to maybe showcase her own strength at not being obliterated by her son's power. Prince Vegeta points to Yume and tells her she will learn to never underestimate a Saiyan again. He taps at the console and summons into being Frieza in his final form and bulked up at maximum strength. Next to his power on screen is Frieza's; 120 million. The tyrant looks to his side and in a flash of gold only one power level remains. As a Super Saiyan Vegeta stands with a power level eclipsing Frieza by a humiliatingly large factor and his fist is held straight through the back of Frieza's skull. The body on his hand goes limp and Vegeta's golden aura starts to grow and pulsate. Yume's guess at this point means nothing to him in Super Saiyan.
Vegeta lowers his arm and unclenches his fist and the simulated Frieza falls off him dead on the floor. A chance has to be seized. Queen Vegeta needs to do this. She leaps at the opportunity and is upon the corpse of Frieza in an instant. This revenge she was denied is taken as she desecrates the simulation of Frieza in glee. Her joy is short lived as she gets blown back by Vegeta's overwhelming pressure. Golden hair has lengthened and his eyebrows recede. Static electricity crackles at the air and Yume begins backing away further in shock and terror at how the number of his power level is still not stopping.
Not understanding the complexities of power levels, Ayeka wonders to herself what Vegeta can do to reach Washu's estimate as he is still a large margin off. Ryoko openly laughs about this short coming until it dawns on her how unbelievably stupid he could be in raising his power to meet that number. Vegeta takes deep breaths and his Super Saiyan 3 transformation maxes out and his numbers stabilise for the most part. He braces his legs and arms and focuses. His muscle mass and size dramatically increase and his power takes a huge leap as he adds his ascended bulked up form that he fought Cell with on-top of Super Saiyan 3. Right now achieving his goal has become a race. Super Saiyan 3 is not efficient, and this additional strain of power has tipped the scales against all his efforts in achieving efficiency and stamina in his transformed state.
The inside of the training room fades into an expansive craggy wasteland. Vegeta takes to the skies of the arid land so that it should be mostly safe for his observers. With raw power being the only stipulation and goal these tactics he would never think of using in real battle can be tried. Ryoko is shaking her head knowing what will come and disapproving of it. Queen Vegeta guards and blocks with her own ki to be on the ground beneath her son and not tossed aside by his strength. Prince Vegeta spreads his arms and starts charging and gathering power in either arm as a Final Flash. Violent spheres of energy manifest in his hands. The number on the monitor ticks up and ever up as his attack takes shape and his roars echo off the simulated landscape. He will need to charge this as fast as he can before the exertion saps his zenith from him and his power drains. His energy is ripping apart the landscape and scalding the air.
"Idiot." Ryoko mocks as red blinds all.
Shouting both Kaioken and then Final Flash, the ultimate attack is launched. In a heartbeat it is all over with a flash of light meaning none could see the monitor. Washu opens and uncovers her eyes after protecting them from an expected flare. Crashed on top of the smoking and scorched body of his mother is a Saiyan warrior drawing haggard and laboured breaths with his body seized up and trembling in terrible muscle spasms.
1 underneath Washu's guess is the final total. By the narrowest of slivers his absolute peak could not reach Washu's goal. Multiplying his power as far as possible with techniques and transformations he reached an astronomically large figure. Spent, his body is thrashed and Queen Vegeta fares little better having been so close to the blast. Ryoko stands tense peering in at doorway to the training room making sure she can see Vegeta's chest heave and breathe. He should know far better than to mess with a Kaioken like that. There was no reason to risk exploding his heart and crippling himself just to showboat to strangers. That number he managed to generate though is stupidly and dangerously high. This pain his body is wracked with he deserves for making her worry.
"We're all doomed." Is all Clay can stutter out, flabbergasted at something that can stand above Frieza in power like Frieza stood over the rest of them. This is a fresh terror he has not felt for many years. He looks to his side at Yakage and puts a worried hand on his arm. "Wouldn't it be prudent to cut him down with your sword now when he cannot move?"
"Senseless violence will not avail you. Striking out simply because you think you have an opportunity to kill, all that would do is show yourself to be more morally bankrupt than these Saiyans who have all opportunity to vanquish yourself unopposed and are not taking that same chance you press upon my fellow Juraian. Maybe you might see them for the threat they pose, and they certainly only see themselves as the true military might Jurai shall hold when, and not if, they are part of the larger galactic community, however we as the Juraian Royal Family will not stand idly by against those who would threaten such high valued diplomatic targets." Attacking out of fear at a frightening prospect of an evil power strikes too close to home for Ayeka ever since she had to stand up and rebel against a Kai themselves hoping to end her own mother's life. With her stern words said there is nothing that Yakage can or will do to take action against the Saiyans.
Taking a moral high ground is not a path Dr. Clay regularly chooses, but he has no path to eradicate the horror that is the Saiyans by himself or with his assistant Zero. Ryoko does however notice how quick Ayeka was to jump in to save Vegeta there, maybe not speaking of any attachment but she cannot hide her underlying motives from her rival. This is all far too exciting for Yume. Breakthroughs like this do not just happen overnight. Saiyans continue to exist, and they are so delightfully interesting to her. She has to ask Washu at her side to ensure she has no strict binding contract with the Saiyans for them to be unavailable for Yume to have her own fun. Prince Vegeta is roughly shoved to the side and a sharp gasp of pain comes from Queen Vegeta at the motion of her wounded body. On all fours she glares up and seethes out that neither herself nor any of her blood will ever be bound to a Tuffle – needing to speak that line even if her knees and hips are not letting her stand.
The mother then crawls over to where she pushed her son and grabs at him on the floor and the best she can do is let herself half fall onto him to headbutt his face. She is brimming with joy and pride at his accomplishment and how at even her distance from him she was so close to perishing from an attack he fired away from her. Yet he failed. Queen Vegeta berates the prince for not surpassing Washu's target and showcase Saiyans as beyond her own reckoning. He pushes and rolls back to wrestle against her and take the dominant position. Neither having the strength or energy to do much. She asks why only the minimal Kaioken and why charge for so short a time and why not use the grand might of the Great Ape to bolster himself. The fact that he cannot stand and thoughts are taking a long time to manifest in his head should clue her in enough as to why he could not push further. Higher multipliers of Kaioken would have given a large value by far but also another tally to his death count. Charging the attack further would have only weakened the attack, Super Saiyan 3 drains energy fast and charging in the state he was would not have brought him any strength. As to the Oozaru form it is not something he has experience doing any of those techniques in, nor any bar to estimate how far he can push or control the strength his tail could give him. He dares her to try it herself and she pushes back as the two wrestle weakly for she wants him to teach her and educate her on those techniques for her to do herself. Eventually the effort is too much for the Saiyans and they collapse exhausted.