Hey everyone! Sorry I'm late. But I actually have a good reason! I've been writing, A LOT. I've been in a slouch for a while and am starting to get out of it and into a creative writing mood again.

We check in on our heroes on Yardrat, but what of the Prince and his disappearance? Will we see more of what Vegeta is up to? Can something or someone stop him from completing his goals? Find out that and more on this chapter of Dragon Ball: BtG!

Location: Yardrat

"Are you sure about cutting corners like this Shep?" Shepard sat on the ground, so deep in meditation that he could sense the brothers fighting above, but couldn't hear so much as a sound. His hair was gold in color and his aura pulsed around him as he concentrated. He had been at it for the last couple of months, especially after giving up on locating Vegeta. The Prince had masterfully hidden his ki once he had teleported to wherever he was now. He was still pissed that Vegeta had given them the slip. Goku was nonchalant when he found out. Raditz just shrugged, stating that Vegeta would either return when he failed or they had better be prepared in case he brought an army with him. It was painfully obvious to Shepard that the Prince wanted subjects to rule over. He just wished Vegeta could see that he didn't need to enslave and lord over others with his power. But he took Raditz's advice seriously, which was why he wasn't fighting at the moment.

He was trying to master the Super Saiyan transformation.

"I'm not…Look I'm not cutting corners, more like I dunno… shaving the edges?"

He was coming across a lot of roadblocks in his quest. Trying to outright bring out the raw force of the transformation so early nearly ripped his body apart when he attempted it a couple of weeks ago. He was so glad he had the BanHammer…

"Shaving edges, cutting corners, smashing the whole thing over with a hammer…Point is, you're thinking too far ahead."

"Marc we are gonna need to master it sooner rather than later."

"Yes, but you're cutting out a very essential part of the process. Think about it this way. You've toughened your body up to the point your base strength can handle most attacks around that level and then some because of the Kaioken. But…"

Shepard continued to meditate, contemplating Marc's words. He appreciated that his alternate didn't give up all the answers, but he did have to figure this out. He could feel his body slowly succumbing to the natural anger the Super Saiyan brought out. Only making it close to 6 hours, he finally let the transformation go. Sweat poured off of his face as he opened his eyes, hearing the clashes from above…

"HAAAAA!"

"YAH!"

BAM

BAM

BAM BAM CRASH

The Super Saiyan brother's blows echoed as their forearms came across one another.

"Well, brother. Let's turn this up, huh? Hahahaha!" Raditz laughed in his brother's face before they both started phasing around each other. Impacts echoed across the sky as the brothers violently looked for any openings.

BAAAAM

"Been waiting for you t-to say that, Raditz! HA!" Goku hit Raditz's crossblock, sending the bigger Saiyan back. Goku came in fast, clocking Raditz across the jaw with his fist before turning, twisting himself upside down and catching Raditz's chin. Raditz was flung wildly away as spit left his mouth, recovering quickly enough to parry Goku's next attack away, slamming a knee into his brother's chest. He hurled Goku away before he began charging pink energy in both hands.

"DOUBLE SUNDAY!" Raditz fired toward Goku. Goku saw the blasts coming out of the corner of his eye. Recovering as he flipped over one of them. He got caught by the other, luckily putting his arms up to block the damage. Flinging it away before it slammed him into the ground, Goku shook off his arms.

"Wow, Raditz your blasts are getting much stronger now. That one hurt!"

"Hmph! That's all you have to say? This would be much more interesting if Shepard would get his lame ass up here!" Raditz said. They both looked down at their rival. Shepard had turned back into a Super Saiyan once again, ignoring the protests from his body as he got back into a deeper state of mind.

Raditz and Goku both dropped to the ground, the older Saiyan picking up a small rock, tossing it up and down a few times.

"All that meditation can't be good for the body. I get why Piccolo does it, but it just never seems to work for me." Goku said as Raditz tossed the rock at Shepard's head. Raditz was surprised when Shepard's hand reached up, snatching it a foot away from his face.

"Meditation is not just a training tool. It can help with a multitude of things. Finding your center, drawing out as much of your potential as possible. It can be used to gain clarity. For instance. Trying to master the Super Saiyan transformation while actively fighting is not working for me. So I'm meditating and trying to find clarity in what I'm doing wrong. The power from the transformation is so overwhelming to the body that the power itself can't find a release except out. We end up losing more power than using. And trying to outright pull all the power from it is ripping my body to shreds right now. We can transform now with little need for a trigger. It's maintaining the form through rigorous battle without a continuous trigger that's the problem." Shepard explained.

"Wouldn't you get more out of actually fighting with the form than just sitting there?" Goku asked as he scratched his head in confusion.

"You play checkers, I play chess. The enemies we may face in the future will have power and stamina. I want to be prepared for the long battle instead of trying to end it in one shot." Shepard wasn't strong enough quite yet to draw out the ascended level of Super Saiyan, at least not without consequence, so he wanted to try to tame the raw power he currently possessed. If he could do that, it would give him a better advantage against the androids. He knew they were coming. He did NOT want to be caught flat-footed against them.

"Whatever. Let him do his thing Kakarot. We will see just what this meditation crap does for you in a short while, yes?" Raditz smirked as Shepard opened an eye, smirking in return.

"Sure, dude." Shepard closed his eyes, feeling the massive bundle of golden energy in his core. He had been prodding and poking at it, willing it to release its restraints. If he could handle the influx of power, then maybe he could start working to control the full force of it. He felt his body starting to strain as his muscles slowly tried to expand. His body started to protest almost immediately, straining to the point he could hear it internally. 'Nope. That won't do it. Maybe Goku is right. Right now we have to get used just to fighting in the form. Without the BanHammer, I don't think I could last as long in battle as the other two right now. Or that pointy-haired fuck. Screw it.'

Shepard opened his eyes, standing up and stretching as he heard the BOOMS from above. He did feel much calmer than before. The rage that came with the transformation was in the back of his mind. Not realizing also that his aura had smoothed out tremendously compared to the raging golden auras above, his hair a white gold, far paler than before. Taking a breath, he summoned the power.

"HAAAAAAAA!" A short shout sent his power erupting in all directions, his golden aura spiking out far higher than he would've imagined. His power ate up the ground around him as he looked up again, smirking as he put 2 fingers to his head.

Zzt

Zzt

BOOOOOM

Shepard brought up both forearms to block both brother's punches.

"Finally decided to give training a try for once asshole?" Raditz smirked, pushing his fist into Shepard's forearm, but it didn't budge.

"Now it's gonna get interesting!" Goku said in excitement. Both brothers broke off before each went for a kick. Shepard phased away, appearing behind them both and kicking each in the back. They both recovered before flying in fast, colliding with each other in a tangle of limbs high in the sky!…

Frieza Planet 297

The energy blast pierced the soldier from behind as the man laughed gleefully at his success.

"You won't submit yourself to my future rule then YOU WILL ALL BE DESTROYED HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"VEGETA!" The prince turned his head as another Planet Trade soldier dropped to a knee.

"SIRE PLEASE STOP THIS I BEG OF YOU! WE ALREADY SWORE OUR-"

Thew

"AUCK!" The soldier fell with a smoking hole in his chest.

"You didn't say, King or Emperor, pathetic weakling." Vegeta looked around at the many bodies that lay before him, chuckling as he did. 'This Instant Transmission is a marvelous technique heh heh heh heh heh. I've done more damage to Frieza's army in two months than I did in twenty years! With this one technique! Unbelievable!'

Another soldier flew in, preparing a blast from his hand cannon, overloading it, and launching the ball of energy at the Prince who casually scoffed at it, knocking it away with no effort.

"Brave of you, trash," Vegeta smirked, phasing away before the soldier even made it to him. Appearing behind him, the Prince had enough time to decide how to kill the weakling. Igniting his purple Ki blade, he sliced through one of the soldier's arms, sending it falling away as the soldier screamed in agony. Falling to the ground, he painfully scurried away from Vegeta.

"Hahahahahahaha! Yes, peasant. The Planet Trade decided to toy with my rule here, so you will all suffer the same fate!"

WOOSH

Vegeta held out his hand to gather energy.

"Enjoy your life in Hell, worthless scum!"

The blast fired away, getting to its target in less than a second, but a smaller, faster green ball of energy hit his blast, making it explode before it made contact.

"What the-"

"So this is what you've been up to? Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk...Prince." Vegeta barely had a chance to turn his head before a cloaked figure slowly walked by, his long, confident strides not stepping a fraction to acknowledge the Prince otherwise. Vegeta tried to get a handle on the stranger's power, but he couldn't grasp quite what he was sensing. 'Wh-what is…He?' Confusion turned to anger as Vegeta went to grab the man's shoulder to turn him around forcefully, but the man phased away already, making the Prince grab for air.

"How is he…so fast?" The soldier was whimpering in pain on the slab of rock he laid up against.

"A-A-Are you…c-coming to help us?" he weakly asked as the cloaked figure, now taking his hood off of his head, bent down to a knee. He looked down at the dying soldier for several seconds, confusing Vegeta as he spoke softly. He couldn't quite hear what was said, but only moments later, the Prince thought he saw a small, purple ball of energy in the stranger's hand. The soldier said nothing as the pain was too great, gasping as he slowly faded away.

Vegeta got a good look at the man as he turned around. His spiky hair was wild, now gray in most places as his cloak billowed in the wind. If Vegeta didn't know any better, he would assume this man to be a relative of Shepard. Their hairstyles were eerily similar…

"You care to explain what you've done to my prey?" Vegeta asked coldly, clenching his fist and looking at the man. The man was taller than him. His cloak was brown and long, reaching just below his knees. But there was something about the man's face…

Vegeta's eyes widened in recognition. "You…You're that Saiyan…the one from my childhood? Vegeta asked, his body trembling. 'What is this old fool doing in space? Aside from the other Saiyans on other planets? What are the odds? He has no tail, but neither does that clown Kakarot, or that…that piece of…maybe I can turn this fool onto my plans.' Vegeta thought to himself.

"One. What I did to your…prey doesn't matter. And two. Yes, I am. And to add, no. I'm not joining your pathetic crusade." His deep, smooth voice penetrated the Prince's ears.

"Wh-What was that? I am your Prince! You will do as I say or else! Are we clear?" Vegeta was already growing angry at the man, who sighed and shook his head.

"Not! Because I say you are about to be humbled. Severely, boy!" The man smirked, clearly finding this whole deal amusing. Vegeta however, seethed, nearly breaking his teeth as he grinded them in hatred. His eyes turned teal as he stared down the old Saiyan. 'B-Boy? Who does he...I…can't get a feel for his true power.'

"You don't…know who you're dealing with, old fool! You will accept my proposal and join my Saiyan Trade Organization OR ELSE!" Vegeta yelled with conviction, scourging the ground around him. His aura turned golden, threatening to spill into his hair, but he refrained. The Saiyan's power felt like nothing, and yet. Vegeta felt an odd chill go up his spine at the older Saiyan's indifference.

"Are you fucking…kidding me? Saiyan Trade Organization?" The Saiyan asked slowly, raising an eyebrow and blinking for several seconds.

The man had a perplexing range of facial twitches before he suddenly started laughing, bellowing heartily.

"HAAAAAAAAAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The old Saiyan fell over, holding his stomach, rolling back and forth, laughing so hard he started to cry. Vegeta was so stunned that he couldn't even figure out what to do, or say as the annoying laughter started to finally register in his brain. And he could barely hold his rage together, his face growing more and more angry as the old man's laughter didn't stop. He had made his way to his feet, holding his stomach and still twitching.

"Y-y-you like… couldn't be mo-more original? Hahahahahahahaaa! Come on, son. You're far more clever than this. Maybe you-"

"THAT'S IT!" Vegeta snapped, cutting off the old Saiyan as he could barely hold his anger at bay.

"SHUT UP YOU OLD FUCKING BASTARD! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! LIKE YOU HAVE ANY RIGHT TO TELL ME ANYTHING! WHY DON'T YOU TRY BEING ENSLAVED YOUR WHOLE LIFE AND SEE HOW THAT FEELS! AND THEN TAKING MY REVENGE AWAY JUST NOW? HOW DARE YOU! I WILL HAVE WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY MINE!" Vegeta roared out, rushing the old Saiyan and readying to take his head off. The old man had raised an eyebrow, shaking his head and blowing out a quick breath before smirking.

WOOSH

Vegeta's fist busted through the air, sending dirt flying from the force of it. "W-WHERE DID HE-"

WOOSH "If I didn't know any better-"

"HAH!" Vegeta turned with haste, throwing his fist that once again missed its target, the old Saiyan now more than a hundred feet away.

"You will submit to my rule! If I have to force you to kneel to my boots, then that is what I will do!" Vegeta flew in fast, screaming as he started throwing punches at the old Saiyan who casually weaved around Vegeta's attacks. Vegeta phased above the Saiyan, throwing his leg down, hitting nothing but the ground, destroying it as the older Saiyan had backflipped away already. He tried sweeping the Saiyan's legs from under him but the older Saiyan nimbly jumped above Vegeta. Smirking as he did, he put his finger under his eye, gleefully mocking Vegeta's voice as he said, "I am the Prince of all Saiyans rawwwararrrr!" Vegeta started seeing red, finally started to become disgusted at the older, more supposedly senile Saiyan. The fake roar finally sent Vegeta over the edge, making him yell out.

"Y-YOUUUUUUUU!" Vegeta was losing his cool, part of which came from the fact that a Saiyan of all beings was mocking him! And he still couldn't get a good grip on this guy's power…

"By all means, boy. Let us see what the best of the... heh heh heh... Saiyan Trade Organization has to.. heh heh heh...offer hahahaha!" The Saiyan continued to mock him, making Vegeta sneer in vitriolic hate.

In just a short few minutes, Vegeta could see his hard work slowly crumbling before his eyes. He had already taken 4 planets prior, having honed his senses so he could detect power levels further out in space than the others. He wasn't nearly ready yet to proceed with his plans for Universal domination.

'D-Dammit! Who does this bastard think he is? How dare he! No! Nooo I will not let him ruin all of my precious work! Nooo! NOOOOO!' He could transform at will now for the most part, and now he didn't have to think about what Frieza had done to him his whole life. No, he was thinking all about what the old man was trying to take from him now.

And it was more than enough motivation. His eyes became teal as his hair and tail both turned gold. He yelled as he flexed his power, sending out a golden wave of concussive force, shattering the ground around him. The old man didn't budge an inch as he looked on with an eyebrow raised.

"HAAAAAAAA! You have done it now, fool!" Vegeta laughed with feral glee as he flew in far faster, igniting his Ki blade.

Swinging, he nearly shouted in delight until the form of the man and his cloak faded, blowing away with the wind.

"Is someone a bit angry at their dream being rendered useless? Crying like a whiny, petulant child?" A voice stopped Vegeta short, looking over as the man sat plopped on top of a rock.

"I-I will tear you apart for this! You will not insult me any longer and destroy my plans for Universal domination!" Vegeta dissipated his ki blade before he started raging, firing a litany of yellow blasts at the old man. Explosions started lighting up the ground around where he had sat as Vegeta kept firing. Vegeta didn't stop until smoke from all the explosions overcame him. With a flex of his golden aura, the smoke whipped away from him and where the Saiyan had sat.

"Your awareness is awful." The Saiyan said in Vegeta's ear. Vegeta turned in rage, quickly flying back with his arms to the left. "DIE ALREADY! GALICK GUN HAAAAAA!" Vegeta planted his feet into the ground, cratering it as the weight of his power burst through his hands. A purple, violent wave of energy was approaching the older Saiyan. He only looked at it for a second before scoffing. With a wave of his hand, the blast was sent away and skyward.

Zzt

Vegeta timed it perfectly, smirking as he pulled the trap. Using Instant Transmission to get behind the older Saiyan with his ignited Ki blade, Vegeta expected a lot of things. Perhaps to see the old taunting Saiyan's head fall. A gasp of shock and pain? Anything more than what he got as the old man had turned before Vegeta could swing down.

BOOOOM

Vegeta was thrown hundreds of feet away before crashing into the ground, viciously tearing apart the ground beneath him as the old Saiyan's outstretched hand exerted a force far beyond the Prince's capabilities, pushing Vegeta until he was finally rag-dolled into a now abandoned building, sending it crashing down on top of him.

"Whoops. Might have overdone it just a taste." The old Saiyan said to himself as he chuckled for a few seconds. He didn't move as the ground started to shake underneath his feet.

"Hmm?"

BOOOM

"YAAAAAAAH!" Vegeta screamed out as his golden aura destroyed the rubble around him. He walked out of the destruction, blood flowing from his mouth. The new battle armor that he had traded for the Yardratian one was spider-web-cracked, the spot where the forceful hit occurred hurting immensely. 'H-He did that…with one…one hit? But he didn't even touch me! Did he only use his energy? I couldn't tell, but for a split second his..his energy spiked higher than I could…could…DAMN IT! H-How strong could he possibly…be? Is my Super Saiyan form truly that inferior?' Many thoughts rummaged through Vegeta's head, racking his brain at what he could do to kill the old man. He considered retreating, but he had a feeling the old Saiyan would find him somehow again.

The old man got into a stance, waving Vegeta forward with a smirk. "Show me all that you have, boy. Don't do yourself a disservice by holding back."

Vegeta didn't need to be told twice, growling at the continued disrespect, he ran forward, throwing a straight side kick which the Saiyan parried away with ease, followed by Vegeta's follow-up backhand which the old Saiyan shook his head at. Vegeta gritted his teeth, throwing his hands forward with the intent to sever the man's soul from his body, but the man slowly backed up, blocking away and parrying everything off with confident ease, smiling as he twisted his body away from an axe kick that Vegeta hammered into the ground, destroying it. "Close, but well, not really heh heh heh." Vegeta torqued his body, putting all his energy behind the next sweeping kick. The Saiyan blocked it, grabbing Vegeta's leg and tossing him away. He didn't hurl him far because Vegeta landed a short distance away on his feet and was right back on the offensive. He threw a straight punch at the Saiyan's face but was shocked when he only put up a finger to block it. Vegeta tried pushing forward with all of his energy but he couldn't push the old Saiyan back.

"Still pushing with all your might, Prince?" The old Saiyan smirked, making Vegeta stop instantly. There was something not right here…

The old Saiyan pushed back with his finger, walking forward, forcing the Prince on the backfoot. In seconds, he was pushed back into a rock, his golden aura slowly cratering it outward as he pushed his energy to the max.

"W-W-What…are you? Why c-can't…I…HAAAAAA!" Vegeta roared out, trying to pull out even more energy. The older, stronger Saiyan pushed his finger forward more, pushing Vegeta's elbow back into the rock. Vegeta reacted instantly, making a purple Ki blade out of desperation with his other hand and swinging towards the old Saiyan's head, only to gasp in shock and near resignation when the blade didn't make it close, being caught between 2 fingers.

"When will you learn, boy? I am…so much stronger than you are right now. I'm not even transformed in any way. And yet, you are in desperation already and I haven't even warmed up. The difference in power is more than you could bear. It would render you shocked. You…could be this strong. Someday heh heh heh. But not like this. You'll never grow strong enough to beat me if you continue to lust for absolute power. Have you forgotten all that I told you when you were but a small child? Has Frieza truly twisted your mind into craving such dark desires that you've lost the plot before you could even get to the second chapter?"

"L-L-Like you would know anything! Get off…OF ME! Vegeta yelled, sending out his aura in all directions. It didn't affect the old man as he released Vegeta, jumping back and using his energy to land lightly on the ground a short distance away. Vegeta charged in, sending a kick at the man's head. He moved his head to the side and parried away Vegeta's follow-up punch, making Vegeta stumble to the side. Off-balanced, Vegeta awkwardly turned but didn't have time to prepare for the old Saiyan to charge in faster than he could perceive, palming Vegeta's cracked armor and pushing him back before he was already waiting for the Prince to fall backward from the old Saiyan tripping his legs. As he fell back, he was smashed into the ground by the old man using his finger, driving into Vegeta's forehead and smashing him headfirst into the ground. The ground shattered beneath the force as the elder warrior lightly jumped back a few feet.

Vegeta lay in the crater for several moments, seeing stars. His head swam with pain, as well as his back. Frieza had not hit him close to this hard and the other Saiyans he had been training with were nowhere near this graceful. 'A-Am I…truly…out of m-my depth here?' Vegeta didn't have much time for thought as the old Saiyan filled his glassy, dazed vision.

"Ya know, your father was also quite hard-headed and had to be put down almost the same exact way. He seemed to learn the lesson, unlike you." The old man chuckled, making Vegeta see red. He yelled on the ground, flexing his power and making the old Saiyan fly away out of reflex.

"Y-you invoke my father as if that would sway my desires! You've made a terrible mistake! AND YOU WILL DIE FOR IT!" Vegeta raged as he got to his feet, clenching his fists.

He was pissed.

He was done.

He was going to do everything he could to rip the old man apart. He started to run toward the Saiyan, throwing his fist forward. The old man knocked it away. Vegeta wasn't deterred, continuing his assault. His right punch was blocked, his kick was swiped away with ease, followed by the elbow he tried to implant in the old Saiyan's cheek. That was caught in the man's hand. The man grabbed Vegeta's hand, bending his elbow back, forcing Vegeta to the ground to avoid breaking his arm. He threw a knee up, but the man had already phased away, getting back into his stance. His left arm was up with his palm facing himself. His right hand was underneath his left arm in the form of a claw, facing outward. His feet were spread shoulder width apart, the left slightly more forward than the right. Vegeta bristled as he stood, trying to find any weak points in the old man's defense.

There were none.

Vegeta snarled, flying in regardless. The old man quirked an eyebrow but gave nothing else away as Vegeta stopped short of him, firing a quick blast in front of him. He smirked as the smoke covered him, disappearing as Vegeta slammed into the ground where he was just, floating back as Vegeta attempted to hit him. Moving his head to dodge a series of punches, he turned, moving around Vegeta smoothly, bonking Vegeta in the back of the head with the palm of his hand. Vegeta was sent stumbling forward, turning in anger and throwing a massive roundhouse kick, but the man caught it, throwing it aside and spinning Vegeta around again, this time giving him a smack upside the head. Vegeta kept trying to come forward but after a short offense, he kept getting turned, flicked, smacked, and even kicked on the ass. Finally, after about the 4th time, Vegeta had had enough, yelling in humiliation and rage and quickly firing a Big Bang Attack instead of charging in again. The man caught it in his outstretched hand. He looked at it for several moments before he stared down Vegeta, shaking his head. Vegeta let out a sinister laugh, holding his hand out and closing it, expecting a big explosion. He stood there for several moments as the ball of dense energy didn't waver, even after opening and closing his hand several times.

"W-What's this? Explode dammit! I-Impossible!" Vegeta was growing more disillusioned as the man reached out with his other hand, pulling his Big Bang Attack back as he started to slowly crush the ball of energy until it was the size of a piece of fruit.

"An explosive Saiyan, aren't you, boy? You should know, that the second this ball touched my hand, it became mine. I sensed your intent the nanosecond you fired it. Overriding the explosive energy was a simple matter. I guess what I am trying to say, is that there are levels to this shit, son. You are strong. Far stronger than you should be at this point. Congratulations on the death of Frieza. You have my respect for that. But do you seriously think you have reached the highest pinnacle of power? You have not. Not even close. I am here to humble you. You haven't even started to taste real power, let alone experience it. But when you do, I may be waiting for you. If there is one lesson that I can impart upon you." The man crushed the now small ball of energy into particles, phasing behind the stunned Saiyan Prince.

"You leak more energy than you use. Rather than adhere to your arrogance so much, pay attention to your surroundings a bit more. The other three Saiyans on planet Yardrat are already working on a bypass to the leakage problem. You have an exorbitant amount of stamina, which is a good advantage to have. However. You are so-," BOP the man flicked Vegeta in the back of the head with his fingers, sending him slamming into the ground, his face taking most of the impact as he slid across more than 500 feet.

"-Bullheaded, that you won't listen unless the reason is beaten into you." The old Saiyan phased over to the grounded Prince, bending down until he was within a foot of the Prince's groaning head.

"A King doesn't need land, or people, or wealth, or power! A King would give up everything for the sake of their honor. But if their honor is only as good as their false words and ill intentions, then they are as useless as their minuscule power!"

Vegeta had never been so utterly humiliated in his life. Earth had taught him failure. Failure through jolted pride and a gluttonous desire for the destruction of an inferior species. Then he went to Namek, fulfilled his pride, and transformed through his anger and desire for revenge. He had pierced the veil of power: The Legendary Super Saiyan transformation, believed to be the strongest in the Universe.

And yet, he was laid out flat on the ground, beaten by an old man, an old Saiyan who had given him something he could never realize was so invaluable: Hope.

His power, though still pumping, was starting to taper off. He could feel it slipping from his fingers as he heaved, gasping in pain. He looked up, expecting to see a jeering old man above him. Instead, he only saw compassion.

"Stop fighting me, son. This isn't a fight for your life, or a struggle to survive. This is simply a lesson. You've taken your first steps into the realm of power. However, you are but a toddler in diapers compared to me, and beings like Beerus. Take this failure, and learn from it. Give up these desires of grand empowerment. You are not Frieza. You are supposed to be better, than Frieza."

Vegeta had recovered enough, he had heard enough. 'W-Who does he think he is? How...How dare...he!' Vegeta ignited his power, using his energy to rise as the old man backhopped a few feet away, shaking his head. "I have heard...ENOUGH! You don't get to lecture me! You could have destroyed Frieza all those years ago! I could have had my Kingdom! I would be ruling now!" Vegeta had come to a stark epiphany. At that very moment, hate boiled deeply inside. The child in him that raged so much, destroying an entire mountainside in his rage at hearing of his planet's destruction. The child in him that had to endure suffering beyond any child's tolerance.

It all came back to this Saiyan. He still couldn't get a good feel of the stranger's power. But he urged to find out. He was going to kill this Saiyan someday!

"I could have. I could have ended the entirety of the Cold Clan in short order. I could have destroyed Arcos with a fingertip. But then, what exactly would you do with your Kingdom with no threats attached? Sure, Beerus would have awoken, eventually, and you would be destroyed. If I had killed Frieza back when you were a child, what do you think you would've become? Certainly not a benevolent ruler, or a compassionate King." The question stomped the Prince. He was still very angry, but the old Saiyan did have a point. 'What would I have become? Would I have been respected by the Saiyans of old? A King that subjects could be proud of?'

"Well?" The Old Saiyan urged. "What do you think you would've become?" He repeated the question, seeing the Prince's mind working in tumbles. But after looking at the curious, older Saiyan, he had one answer come to mind, and it was a bitter one.

"Your pathetic…PUPPET! I will not be…some… SLAVE that you can mold into your warrior! Is that what you wanted?" Vegeta started to tremble, thinking back on his childhood. What Frieza had stripped from him couldn't be replaced, but this Saiyan allowed it to happen. He allowed his life to be turned into ruin. He could have saved him! He could have saved Raditz even!

"You…chose…to allow us to be put through unspeakable hardship! I will make it my life's mission to destroy you! No matter the cost! NO MATTER, THE COST!" Vegeta yelled, enraged as the old Saiyan shook his head. He was left with no other recourse.

"You will understand someday when-"

"ENOUGH!" Vegeta yelled, flexing his power and raising it as high as he could. He had heard enough. He rushed the old Saiyan, attacking with a viciousness he had not felt since fighting Frieza. Even Shepard had not made him this angry…

The old Saiyan slowly backed up, moving his arms fluidly as he blocked and pushed away everything the angry Super Saiyan Prince threw at him. Vegeta realized he was getting nowhere, so while throwing a punch, he ignited and extended his Ki blade, yelling in rage as he flew forward faster. The old Saiyan saw it, allowing the Ki blade to touch his hand before he moved it forward, overriding the Prince's energy once again and breaking the Ki blade into pieces. He grabbed the Prince's hand, locking him into place.

"If you will not learn through words, then you are going to learn through pain, you stupid fucking child! I tire of your hard-headed theatrics! I have things I need to do! You don't revolve in my world, Vegeta! You are not even a thought! But seeing you try to become a warmonger, I decided it was in the Universe's best interests to spare this life of severity and pain you would surely endure and cause if you continue this path." Vegeta tried to pull away, trying to use his Super Saiyan power to force the old man off, but he didn't budge. Instead, the old man moved Vegeta's arm, not giving the Prince a chance to put his other hand in the way to block, palming him full on in the chest with heavy force, nearly shattering the rest of his armor and sending blood shooting out of Vegeta's mouth as he stumbled back holding his chest. The man walked forward, catching Vegeta's desperate punch. He pushed it to the side and caught Vegeta's other hand, using his own hands to twist Vegeta's up. Vegeta made a ki ball in one hand but it was batted away effortlessly. The close-quarters combat was beyond the Prince's measure as he was knife-chopped in the shoulder, followed by a short palm to the chin. He tried to retaliate with a punch, but the old Saiyan caught it in his palm. Pulling Vegeta forward, he flipped him over as he let go of the hand.

BOOM

"AUCK!" Blood erupted out of Vegeta's mouth as the old man almost laid out completely, being supported by the tips of his fingers, sending a kick into the Prince's stomach before he could retaliate. Vegeta was thrown through tons of dirt as his body felt the ground give away with little resistance.

The old man flipped back up to his feet in a twist, phasing away.

Vegeta refused to quit, slamming his hand into the ground, flipping back and landing on his feet shakily holding his stomach with his other hand. "H-He's too…strong. D-D-DAMMIT!"

He heard the old man phase in behind him, turning and throwing a weak straight punch. It was caught in the Saiyan's palm.

"This fight is over, son. You've proven your mettle in battle, but you have so very far to go yet. Do not be discouraged. You are young. Time is on your side. Experiences, successes, failures. They are all for you to take in. To understand. I have already lived, experienced, failed, and succeeded in ways I pray you never have to go through yourself. But you will, maybe not like I have, but, you will. Your destiny is not in the stars, Prince Vegeta the Fourth. Your destiny lies on Earth, with a woman capable of driving you to madness, but is more than able to satisfy your reach for more power, and more of…Everything."

"BAH! Don't make me…sick! Why would I want to go back to that weak mudball of a...planet?" Vegeta weakly asked. The man lowered Vegeta's outstretched fist, putting a hand on his shoulder, looking upon him with compassion yet again.

"She has already driven you mad heh heh heh heh. You just don't know what you're truly missing yet. I can sense that you think about her, even now. I have one final lesson to impart to you, Vegeta." The man let Vegeta's hand go down to his waist. The Prince had no more fight left to give at this moment. His knees were starting to buckle. He didn't even have a chance to defend himself when the man raised his hand towards the center of Vegeta's chest, leaving his hand outstretched. He placed the tips of his fingers on the shattered armor of the Saiyan Prince.

"If anyone ever tells you that you don't know what pain feels like."

From an inch away, the man concentrated a large portion of energy, slamming a fist into Vegeta's sternum, blowing whatever was left of Vegeta's armor away from the front and back. He gasped as blood freely flew from his mouth. The Super Saiyan form left him a couple of seconds later as the pain filled his chest and reached into his shaking boots. He fought to stay conscious as the agony was overwhelming him. He didn't move as the man held Vegeta in place.

"Remember this pain, Vegeta. Remember it for the rest of your days. This humbling, crippling pain that you feel? It's not defeat. It's not failure. This? Is a lesson. I could have killed you in less than a second. But I want you to thrive. To flourish. To be a beacon for the future warriors that will come after you. You will pass this pain along when you are ready. But for now? It is yours to manage. Good luck, Vegeta... Sleep now, Warrior." Vegeta passed out moments later, still hanging over the old Saiyan's fist. Blood was dripping from the Prince's mouth as he was completely unconscious.

"Heh heh heh heh…someday Vegeta, you will be fierce. Unfortunately, I won't be around for much longer to give you the chance to return that pain." The old Saiyan tossed Vegeta over his shoulder before concentrating for several moments.

"Good. They're still there."

WOOSH…

"HAH!"

"YAH!"

"HAAAAA!"

Raditz, Goku, and Shepard had been battling fiercely for over an hour as energy blasts were hurled into the sky, leaving the sky looking murky. Raditz tried hitting Shepard with a Double Sunday, but the Rogue weaved around the blasts, catching Raditz in the stomach with a kick, driving him back before Goku rushed in. Shepard dodged back, coming back with his own punch but Goku dodged below. He tried a sweeping kick but Shepard blocked it. Shepard returned with his own kick but it was caught by Goku's blocking forearm. Goku flipped around, trying to catch Shepard in the side of the head, but Shepard knocked it away, flying back as Raditz recovered. The Super Saiyan brothers were attacking with ferocity, giving Shepard everything they had as they battled across the sky, but something was becoming apparent as the fight dragged on.

Shepard blocked one of Goku's fists before Raditz uncorked both fists into Shepard's stomach, sending him away as spit left his mouth in a rush.

"He wasn't nearly as capable a couple of weeks ago Kakarot! How is Shepard outlasting us?" Raditz said as he gulped in some deep breaths. "Hmmm, maybe…it has something to do with him…staying in Super Saiyan…so often," Goku answered through heaving gulps of air.

"Grrr…even still it shouldn't-"

Zzt

BOOM

"AGH!" Goku was violently smashed in the side of the head by Shepard, who also turned and whipped a kick into Raditz's jaw. "Come on guys! You're getting sloppy!" Shepard said excitedly. He was starting to come to a startling conclusion.

His training was paying off. In spades! He had been going full power as well, sure. But his breathing was still relatively even. His stamina was in check. 'Did I… Did I figure it out?' He asked himself as Goku and Raditz came in, blitzing Shepard with punches and kicks, forcing the young Rogue to block with difficulty. His hands moved so fast, but his eyes were faster. He could see what the brothers were doing, bringing him closer to the ground where they could crowd him better. He broke their plan to pieces as he dove below a grab from Raditz. Landing softly on his hands, he managed to leave a surprise behind as he darted away, flipping around as an explosion went off from behind him.

"TRICKSTER!" Raditz shouted, scoff marks all over his face as he burst through the smoke, smashing his forearm against Shepard's as he pushed him back. Shepard knocked his arm down as Goku came in, throwing a punch which Shepard put up an arm to block. It stung a bit as Shepard grimaced, but was undeterred as the brothers continued to push him back on the defensive. The ground was broken in many places as the 3 continued to battle along. The booms and the echoes sounded for miles as the planet quaked under their feet every now and again.

Raditz and Shepard slammed their fists into the other. "Hmm?" Shepard saw Goku hurdle in behind Raditz, and immediately felt the pain as Raditz smirked, putting 2 fingers to his head, he disappeared as the Kamehameha from Goku rushed in, slamming into Shepard as he was driven back hard. He had his hands in front of the oppressive blast for a few seconds, trying to find ground. Finally finding it, he slammed his feet into the ground and refused to bend as the wave of forceful energy tried to make him break. The ground erupted behind him as the blast started to overtake him. He decided to try something risky. Releasing his hold on the blast with one hand, he put two fingers to his head. Allowing the blast to overtake him, he was pushed back hard, gritting his teeth as he concentrated.

"Auuugh! Come on COME ON! GOT IT!" Zzt

Shepard blitzed in as he came from Instant Transmission, using the momentum of the wave to slam an elbow into the back of Raditz's head, driving him away in a shout as Goku let go of the Wave.

"He got away?" Goku said, stunned as Shepard waved at him from a handful of feet away, smirking. Goku smirked in kind as the two disappeared. Reappearing 20 feet away, they came together in a collision of blows. Pushing off of one another, they collided again, this time in the sky. Coming together again, a violent exchange of fists and kicks was thrown, each grazing off of blocks as they steadily got closer to their targets. Goku caught one of Shepard's punches, turning and throwing him over his shoulder. Shepard was hurtling toward the ground before Raditz Instant Transmissioned into the side. Shepard barely had time to put up a block as Raditz hammered him with an axe kick. The ground exploded as his back hit with extreme force.

Raditz and Goku both phased down to the ground, already looking to put Shepard in more danger, but to their dismay, he had somehow vanished out of the crater.

"Kakarot!" Raditz looked up just in time as Shepard from above had gotten the drop on them, using his Instant Transmission and beginning to hurl green blasts down to the ground in mass. Goku and Raditz both put up their arms to block their heads as the energy blasts exploded upon them.

"Alright, here we go!" Shepard clapped his hands, immediately forming 2 dense, blue balls of energy. Slamming them together, he flew back.

"PEREGRINE SHELL!" It was as big as Shepard's body as it flew with incredible speed. The smoke that had already gathered from the previous energy blasts went up as a grandiose explosion sent even more smoke into the air.

Zzt

Shepard turned expecting to see one but was surprised when Raditz let go of Goku's shoulder and both brothers went to punch him. They hit his haphazard block he threw up and sent him away.

"Don't have…much left Kakarot…You?"

"Uhh…uhh...about the same." They were both gasping for air, lungs desperately screaming for more. Before he knew it, the Super Saiyan power left Raditz. It was so abrupt he almost lost his flight but managed to stay afloat.

Zzt

Shepard's fist was an inch from Raditz's face, still in battle mode before he gasped. Goku's Super Saiyan form left also, unable to defend Raditz in time.

"Shit, Rad! Are you done, man?" Shepard was lightly breathing, hair still a crisp gold white. "Dude you about got cranked."

"Uhh..uuh…How the..how the hell are you still even going? Blast it all!" Raditz was still heaving, taking a knee.

"And...your hair? It looks different from before. Maybe…maybe you unlocked a new form!" Goku was almost out of breath but was giddy at the prospect. Shepard himself quirked an eyebrow, reaching up and pulling one of his long locks down to see. Sure enough, it was white gold, indicating he had reached a level of mastery.

"It worked?" Shepard asked, dumbfounded before calming himself down from the fight. "Dude, did I seriously fucking pull it off? MARC!"

"Keep shouting and I'll lock myself in a soundproof bubble heh heh heh heh. Let's see here, hmmm…. Still have an abundance of power in store, check. The hair is pale yellow, check. Not sensing any lost power or leakage. No anger. Dude, I wouldn't get your hopes up quite yet, but I think you may have found a pseudo-form of sorts. You still can't access the full power of the transformation, but you've got the emotional edge in check. Hmmm, so you mastered the raw power of the basic level of Super Saiyan but you still haven't ascended successfully?"

"It looks like it. I've tried three different times to break through but my body starts hurting, a fucking lot man. You think I should try with the BanHammer?" Shepard could feel Marc wince at that suggestion.

"What's insane is that you could probably pull it off that way, buuuut let's not dude. Let's do this naturally. So it's not Full Power Super Saiyan, but you've mastered the emotions, hmmm-"

"Mastered Super Saiyan?" They both said at the same time.

"Just maybe, dude. Hell, run with it."

"Who knew sitting around doing nothing would do so much for you heh heh heh," Goku said as he scratched his head. He was laughing for several moments before a loud eruption emanated from his stomach.

"Heh heh heh heh well, let's talk about it over some food. I'm starving!" Goku said.

"If I see another sweet potato again today I think I'll lose my mind," Raditz said as he groaned. Shepard himself was kind of getting tired of the Yardratian diet himself, until he thought for a few seconds.

"DING DING!"

"Fuck off Marc!" "Maybe not. Let's get back to the base. I got an idea!" Shepard said. Raditz put a hand on his shoulder as well as Goku.

"Let's see here...alright."

Zzt

Shepard's idea was a success! He had found the Capsule Pod capsule on his desk in his personal room, taking it outside where there was more open space. When he got the Space Pod out, he went in and got lucky, finding a dozen of the Saiyan meals, close to 500 pounds of meat that was still frozen, and nearly a ship full of rice. The Saiyans didn't complain at all, eating inside the ship until they were full.

Hours later, the evening had come, leaving Raditz alone to his thoughts. Washing his long hair in the shower, he thought back on the day's fights. 'Kakarot and I are about the same. He might have more stamina with the form but I have more strength. But Shepard's stamina is insane! He hasn't fought in nearly two months and he was able to outlast us! Unreal! There is something I'm missing. I'll have to observe him a bit more to discover his secret.'

Walking out of the bathroom, he dried himself, putting on the under uniform of the Yardratians. He had gotten comfortable with wearing it, but he still missed his armored shirt.

WOOSH

THUMP

Raditz turned in a hurried rush, defensive stance ready at the sudden intrusion. "Wh-What the-Huh...Vegeta?" The Prince's limp body had been thrown onto his bed, not making a noise as he fell face-first into the soft covering. Raditz looked up from Vegeta's unconscious, beaten-up form, to the man who had dropped him, and gasped. 'H-He's a...A Saiyan!' The Saiyan turned his head to the side, eyeing Raditz for a few moments before giving a small nod of approval.

"Raditz...I am happy to see you have grown from your visit to Earth." Raditz was still in his defensive stance, undershirt half buttoned up as he ignited his aura.

"And just who do you think you are, old man? What happened to Vegeta?" Raditz asked, trying to sound intimidating, but a quick energy check about drained him of any fight possible. 'He's completely relaxed and yet...Yes, of course, it has to be!'

"I happened. Vegeta is not a warlord, nor should he try to be." The man looked from Vegeta's prone body, setting a smooth gaze on the long-haired Saiyan. "You have grown quite strong from the small child I remember on that planet so long ago."

The air grew tense for several moments as Raditz really looked at the Saiyan. He still couldn't come up with words as the man also eyed him too, an amused, even wistful smirk on his face.

'He...Could he be...Him? But...' The man took a few steps over toward Raditz, piercing his soul with an intense gaze. "Yes...You survived. And you overcame. You've only just begun to taste power. Don't let it go to your head like that one did." The man said to Raditz, pointing back towards the bed. Raditz couldn't stay in his defensive stance anymore, not seeing a reason to fight. The man reached out, touching and lightly squeezing Raditz's shoulder. The taller Saiyan was too slow to move as the man brought him in close.

"Don't give me a reason to torch your hair like I did Nappa's." He said in his ear, backing away and walking over to the bed, putting a hand on Vegeta's back. Raditz saw white wisps of energy leave the man and go into the Prince.

"I didn't heal him all the way. But he should be up by the morning. Good luck, son." The man gave him a salute, similar to what he did when Raditz was a child. It kind of reminded him of Shepard...

"Is-Is my...My mother...Okay?" Raditz held a hand out, not wanting the Saiyan to leave just yet. The man looked away for a few odd moments as if trying to observe something that no one else could see. A small smile graced his lips as he fixed his gaze on Raditz.

"She is well. And I'd be careful if I were you. She feels like she might be stronger than you." The man smirked, giving a wink.

"W-What? Is she-"

WOOSH

He disappeared into thin air, leaving a stunned Raditz to look at the space the Saiyan just occupied.

BAM

"WHERE IS HE?" Shepard yelled as he burst inside barely 10 seconds later. He was busy cleaning up when he thought he felt his energy in Raditz's room. But not his energy. The only time he felt that was when his older self was around.

"He...He just...vanished. Dropped off a present." Raditz said sarcastically, waving his hand dismissively at the unconscious Prince.

Shepard quirked an eyebrow as he walked over to the bed that Vegeta lay in. Shepard could see bruising through the damaged armor. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, he lightly kicked Vegeta's side. The Prince groaned weakly but did not stir.

"Was that necessary?" Raditz could care less, but he would admit he was a bit curious.

"Totally. Asswipe was probably out doing his precious conquering to make himself feel powerful." Shepard said no more, walking past Raditz in a huff. Raditz could only shake his head in confusion. Throwing his old used-up shirt over Vegeta's unconscious form, he ignored the Prince and went back to the ship outside...

So I hope you guys weren't mad at me for pulling the Old Man off the bench, but he had to stretch his legs :D give our Prince a good, wholesome beating! The alternative was allowing Vegeta to roam the Universe and gather more warriors under his fold to do God knows what (Conquest of the Universe, what else is new!) So the Old Man had to intervene and put a stop to it before it went further. I imagined Kratos calling Atreus 'boy' so much in the previous God of War I was just writing and it felt funny to me as I did.

So as far as 'Mastered Super Saiyan goes, no, it is not the Full Power Super Saiyan Form, but Shepard's answer to dealing with the pure raw energy of the Super Saiyan form that he can access right now. There's a reason why it took years for the Saiyans (with the exception of some hybrids) to pull out the raw power and ascend to the next level. Or at least the next stage. Shepard can't pull out the Ascended Super Saiyan forms just yet because the power is already so much for his body to handle that it could backfire on him. In a way, its just another offshoot much like the Ascended or Ultra Forms, but focused purely on stamina and closing off the pores which allow the power to escape through the body so much. Will Shepard eventually tap into the next stages? It'll be interesting to see how he applies this new 'Mastered Super Saiyan' form but I've already given a small taste of what could happen. Anyway, next chapter, we will be heading back to Earth and checking back in on Gohan. Did Piccolo survive that Dragon Helix Cannon? Find out on the next time on Dragon Ball: BtG!

Power Levels

Goku: 230,000,000 (Super Saiyan)

Through Battle: 185,400,000 and dropping (Losing Energy)

Raditz: 225,000,000 (Super Saiyan)

Through Battle: 175,000,000 and dropping (Losing Energy)

Shepard: 220,000,000 (Super Saiyan)

Through Battle: 215,000,000 (Very little loss of energy!)

Vegeta: 4,400,000

Super Saiyan: 220,000,000

The Old Saiyan: ? Holding back