Learning Curve

The next morning Vegeta awoke with a start. It wasn't light that had caused him to wake, nor was his rest interrupted by sound; Bulma had accounted for both in the modifications she made to his room. What her soundproof walls couldn't block out were the prince's highly tuned senses. Since childhood, he had trained his mind to detect anything out of the ordinary while he was sleeping. He surmised that this was the reason he had been able to acquire the ability to sense energy with such ease. Of course, the disturbance he sensed now was unmistakable; surely it could have even been noticed by someone as weak-minded as Yamcha.

Vegeta looked over at his alarm clock, the red digits revealing it to be barely 3:30. The prince of Saiyans was early to rise himself, but it seemed that his son had beaten him this morning. "What in the name of Frieza is he doing up training at this hour?"

The prince was more frustrated at himself than at Trunks. The thought that anyone else was more dedicated to training felt like a challenge. Though no one else would have even noticed, Vegeta couldn't stand the feeling of being outdone. Frustrated, he swung his legs out from under the covers and onto the soft brown carpet of his bedroom, then began to dress in his training garb. A simple pair of blue form-fitting shorts and shirt sufficed for everyday activities.

"Stupid, lazy, routine. It's that woman's fault. Before her, I would have been up training just as early as Trunks."

As he walked outside into the cool dawn air, Vegeta noticed the familiar hum of the gravity chamber inside the Capsule Corporation ship. "That's right; you'd better use THAT training room." Ever since Bulma had repaired the Bringer of Death, training had been much more productive. His ship's built-in shields allowed him to let loose at a level that the Capsule Corporation vessel simply couldn't handle.

Suppressing his energy to undetectable levels, Vegeta walked over to one of the portholes on the ship and peered inside. Trunks appeared to be jogging in place, swinging the occasional jab, but was obviously extending very intense effort to maintain his exercises.

"Hmmm. 300 times the gravity of Earth? Is that all he can handle?" Disappointed, the prince opened the door and walked right in. Had it been anyone else, the training equipment would have automatically disengaged, but Bulma had programmed it to resume Vegeta's last training level whenever he entered. Immediately the ship's engines began to whine, the gravity machine suddenly humming twice as loud.

"Good morning, Father," the boy said, not surprised by Vegeta's sudden entrance. Within seconds, however, Trunks began to feel the overwhelming effects of the increased gravity, stumbling onto his hands and knees. He wasn't sure what had happened, but the presence of his father left no doubt as to who was responsible.

"Getting in a light workout before you get to the real stuff, son?" Vegeta taunted. The last setting the chamber had been on was 500Gs – it was quite clear that this was more than Trunks could handle in his base state. Vegeta stood motionless, frowning, with his arms crossed.

"What's the matter? Having trouble standing, boy?"

Trunks knew this was the type of push he had been waiting for. As hard as he was on himself, he hadn't had true accountability since Gohan had died. Now, perhaps with his father there to drive him, he could make actual progress, something he felt he hadn't accomplished in a long time. But it certainly wouldn't be easy.

Inwardly, he fought the pain, trying to will himself to his feet with every ounce of mental discipline he had. 'I have to do this! I can't let my father think I'm a weakling right off the bat. Whatever it takes, I MUST earn his respect!'

Trunks gritted his teeth, clinching his fists and forcing himself up onto one knee. From there, he made sure he had his footing just right. One tiny slip and a three foot drop could easily snap his neck or break his back. Completely focused on not being a disappointment, Trunks finally stood. Every movement took extreme effort. When he had, Vegeta made no acknowledgement but merely leaned to his right and began stretching as if there was no gravity at all. The boy's eyebrows shook as he struggled to continue standing, refusing to appear weak.

'I could easily handle this by becoming a Super Saiyan, yet I know my father would simply view that as a cop out. No, I will hold on no matter what.' As he continued stretching, Vegeta spoke again.

"How about a quick spar, then, to get the blood flowing?" Trunks heard the words leave his dad's mouth, but the thick air made them sound distorted. The boy was amazed that his father was so strong, but as much as he wanted to spar with him, he already felt himself beginning to slip. It was all he could do to stand. If the gravity didn't subside soon, he would lose consciousness. With all his effort, he somehow gathered the energy to reply.

"Actually, Father," he spoke through his teeth, "I prefer to do my sparring in the afternoon. Mornings are better for practicing my technique."

Just as the boy finished speaking, he felt his left knee give way. He began to stumble but shifted his weight just in time to prevent a devastating fall. 'Please, Father, I can't hold this much longer.'

The prince eyed his son with scrutiny. He wanted to make sure he pushed Trunks to the very limit of what he could stand before leaving. The sweat that had been beading on his son's face before was now a flow, soaking his clothing completely. Every muscle in the boy's body was quaking and shivering under his own increased weight. Vegeta knew that Saiyans were particularly susceptible to increased gravity due to their increased muscular density; he could tell that Trunks was feeling the same sensation that he had felt only months before. He would expect no less than he did from himself, so he continued to wait, under the guise of stretching, forcing the young man to find even deeper reserves of strength.

As he felt the boy's resolve beginning to falter, Vegeta finally responded. "Hmmph. Suit yourself, son." With that, the prince of Saiyans casually left the gravity chamber, which immediately resumed a 300G setting upon his exit.

Right away, Trunks felt immeasurably lighter. He could finally focus on something besides standing, yet when he tried to walk over to the central console to adjust the settings he found that his legs wouldn't budge. The gravity had taxed his body far beyond what he ever had before – not surprising, considering that Vegeta had been responsible.

Trunks reached deep into his reserves of power, but he found nothing there. He suddenly realized that he was still in danger at only 300Gs; for a brief moment he wondered whether he would make it out alive. 'Did father intentionally do this to me? It was as if he sapped me completely dry and then left me. Perhaps, this is the only way to get stronger.' His energy suddenly and entirely abandoned him as both his knees gave way. As he felt himself slip, his body collapsing towards the ground, his mind flooded with images.

He saw android 17, his cruel cyan eyes watching in delight as Gohan died. Android 18, with her deadly beauty, was laughing viciously at him. They stood side by side in front of his home, which was now completely engulfed in hot red flames. Suddenly through the dark haze of smoke, he heard the screams of his mother, the vision seeming more real and terrifying than death itself.

"NOOOOO!" he cried, jolting him back to reality. Wild Super Saiyan energy suddenly erupted around him, his power shaking the room. Now he could move with ease. The boy floated mere inches from the ground, amazed that he had been able to ignite the transformation with so little power left. He was saved, once again, by his mother.

As he planted his feet in the gravity, he felt the intense aches of the past five minutes of training. "'No wonder my father is so strong. If he constantly puts his body through stuff like this, he can take so much more damage on the battlefield. His stamina must be incredible!" Trunks wondered if it would be wise to continue training or if he should take the time to heal. If he accidentally reverted out of his Super Saiyan state, he would find himself stuck in deadly gravity once again with no strength left in his base. Yet the boy had a renewed determination to push himself beyond what he or anyone else considered 'safe'.

"I can't afford to waste any time healing until I really have nothing left to give!" he shouted, beginning to practice his kicks. He flew around the console over and over, violently spinning his legs through the air. "Each move has to be precise. Every attack I have is one I'll never get back, and I can't afford that loss against the androids."

Vegeta ordinarily felt a sense of pride when he entered his ship. It was really quite fantastic – the sleek design, the luxurious fittings, the overall classiness – the ship had it all without sacrificing versatility or utility. This particular morning, however, he barely noticed his surroundings. As he walked to his own gravity chamber, the prince kept repeating the story of the future that Trunks had told. "Surely I can become more powerful than these machines! I must."

Before King Cold had arrived, the prince had felt as though he may have hit a bit of a ceiling in his training. Gravity workouts had become less effective than before and the only real growth he experienced was in the area of stamina. "I must find a way to overcome this…upper limit! I know it can be done, the only question is...how?"

As he cranked up his own gravity machine, he began to set the gravity to his usual 450G's (though his chamber was programmed to displayed it as only 45G's), but paused. There was always a chance that Trunks would interrupt him; he wanted to make sure he was far above the level his son had been training with. After all, he had said he would allow the boy to watch him on occasion. He increased the intensity to 650Gs and began his routine. The gravity was just high enough that he had to concentrate on more than technique alone. The resistance made his mind work twice as hard, adjusting automatically just as it did during battle. His mind also had to analyze the fight from the day before.

As usual, Vegeta would meditate through one of the many great battles of his life. Though Vegeta's pride was unsurpassed, he was too conscientious a warrior to think that he had no room for improvement. In his mind, he had never achieved an ideal or flawless fight. So, by going back and examining every facet of his thought process, every aspect of each move he had made, from every missed jab to his most tactically placed energy blast, he could find a way to make that battle 'perfect.'

The prince had re-lived every fight of his life at one point or another, from the battle he had lost against Recoome to the very fight where he had defeated Frieza himself. Each time he worked through these scenarios, improving his battle tactics further and further, it seemed as if his new skills would allow him to advance even more. He had reworked so many different clashes in his life that if he ever had a chance to go back and do them over, it would seem as though he were psychic.

Not only did the prince rethink his strategies and moves, but he also practiced the exact steps he would have taken, even down to the most minute detail. He focused countless hours on attacks that would have allowed him to overcome whatever limits or barriers he had faced at the time. His eternal philosophy had indeed become that there is no such thing as a 'no win scenario'. The more he practiced, the more he would find even better solutions than his previous ones.

Today, he had extensive new material to go over. His fight against King Cold had revealed new weaknesses in his techniques that, despite his constant mental and physical preparation, he had not yet accounted for. Now, each one had to be fixed. There had to be a counter, an alternative solution, and he would find it. "If only I decreased the necessary charge time on my Final Flash, I certainly could have…wait…no, that alone still wouldn't have worked. Perhaps if I developed a move that would allow me to constrict Cold myself, an energy trap of some kind. Yes, hmmm. Then I wouldn't have required Kakarott's assistance to pin him down in the first place. And that reminds me. I cannot allow his new 'instant transition' whatever-the-hell-it-is move to get the better of me. How can I circumvent it?'

As the prince strategized, continuing both his mental corrections and physical implementations, time slipped away from him. All that mattered was resolving his weaknesses and eliminating any wasteful movements. He refused to entertain the notion of pausing until he was confident he had learned everything he could from his mistakes.

Vegeta finally exited the ship two and a half days later, completely famished and utterly exhausted. The moment he stumbled out, he was greeted by Bulma and C47. As the blue haired woman started to open her mouth, the expression on her face revealing another eminent lecture, she suddenly gasped. The prince had collapsed onto his knees, too drained to even make it inside the house.

"Oh, Vegeta. Are you alright?" She rushed towards him, catching his head in her arm.

"Of course, woman. I'm the PRINCE of all…" His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he passed out from fatigue.

"Diagnostic analysis: Well, 'woman', it appears that the master has pulled yet another of his typical 'push to the very limit of capacity' sessions."

The droid had taken to calling Bulma 'woman' just as Vegeta did. Unfortunately for the machine, he had initially paired this with his normal term for organics, but 'meatbag woman' hadn't gone over well. For some reason, Bulma had found the phrase perverted; she had socked C47 right in the photoreceptors with a tire iron. Despite the droid's insistence that his mechanical nature made him incapable of being perverted, Bulma's acetylene torch had convinced him that altering the phrase was, in fact, the best strategy.

Since then, he merely called her 'woman' – Bulma still didn't like it, but she allowed it on the condition she could call him 'C', a term equally loathsome to him.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. I'm SO glad you're here to tell me these things!" Bulma replied. As much as she enjoyed her banter with the android, she really hated seeing Vegeta in this condition. Of course, she was used to it. It had been more emotionally taxing when she had seen Trunks in a similar state. The prince had still been in the gravity chamber at that time, and so she had been able to put Trunks in the healing tank immediately. Now, it seemed, Vegeta would require the same thing.

Groaning, the prince momentarily opened his eyes, revealing that he was at least somewhat conscious. Arresting her tears, Bulma quickly cleared her throat. "I suppose you should get 'Lord Vegeta' into the healing tank then, C. We wouldn't want him to be permanently damaged or anything, WOULD we?!"

As the blue-haired woman stormed off, C47 helping Vegeta onto his shoulder, the droid let out a mechanical sigh.

"Amused Statement: I do SO enjoy it when that woman yells, don't you master? It's rare for a meatbag to be so domineering and argumentative. Honestly, I find it soothing."

Vegeta chuckled despite his pain. His thoughts mirrored those of the android. Though he would never admit it, the woman's strength and challenging attitude was what made her so attractive to him. She was so different from all the others – brainless giggling girls, devious young sirens with an eye toward fame and power, and even the submissive, respectful types.

As Vegeta climbed into his healing tank, finally allowing himself to enjoy the tickling bubbles of the Saiyan broth as they began to knit his muscles back together, he thought again of his training. "I cannot allow that woman to distract me from my goals. She is already under my skin, but I mustn't allow her to hinder me anymore, not if I want to ascend." The prince finally closed his eyes, smiling as he felt the energy of his son training nearby. The boy was noticeably stronger than before, seemingly having achieved a significant power increase in the past few days. Pride was the last thing to cross Vegeta's mind as he drifted off to sleep.

Several weeks later…

At the base of Mount Paozu, two other Saiyans were locked in a fierce clash. Goku was determined to make his son a Super Saiyan, especially since he now knew for a fact that it was not only possible, but had indeed already happened in one future. The boy was still hesitant and uncertain, but now to a much lower degree. Goku could tell that his son was growing up, hoping that his own power would make a difference. This time, Gohan intended to be one of the major contenders.

Joining them almost every day was the reformed Namekian; Krillin even dropped by from time to time. The latter had mistakenly thought that he would be able to train evenly with Gohan while the other two warriors trained at a higher level. To his dismay, Gohan was even with Piccolo, who was only half as strong as Goku in his normal state. He still came, intent on checking everyone's progress. There was also a part of him that was incredibly lonely. His efforts weren't entirely in vain, though; he was now certain that he was strong enough to challenge the likes of the Ginyu Force.

"Not like that, Gohan." Goku instructed. "Because of your size, you can't kick at the same angle as I can. First, your legs are much shorter. If you want your blows to be effective, you're going to have to force me to block your kicks low with my arms, which will free up my face for jabs. Like this…" He began to demonstrate on Piccolo, whose height difference was similar to the one between him and Gohan.

The boy watched as his father concentrated on misdirection attacks, each feint turning to strike the center of Piccolo's body. After a few examples, each attack breaking through the Namek's defenses, Goku continued explaining.

"The trick is to make your opponents think you are targeting another area; use the angle of attack against them. Piccolo thought I was aiming to kick him in the chest, but I was actually going for his gut. The split second that it took him to adjust his block allowed me an open shot at his jaw."

Gohan nodded, soaking every bit of it up. "Right, dad!" he shouted.

"All right, it's your turn. Now you try it on Piccolo, but make it original! He's already seen what I just did."

The Namekian grinned as his former pupil charged. To his surprise, training the boy with Goku's help had been quite exciting. Not only was Gohan eager to learn, but he had enough strength to leave bruises. Piccolo easily blocked the first attack. "Good, Gohan," the green-skinned warrior said, "but you didn't sell your first attack well enough. Your opponent can sense the energy in each of your blows, so don't hold back. Your misdirection blow needs to have the same strength as your target attack. But maintain control; you don't want to get sloppy. Your opponent might expect a feint, and it's your job to make them pay for sacrificing their guard."

Gohan charged again, determined to break through Piccolo's defenses just like his father. He kicked low, aiming for Piccolo's knees, and then used the anticipated block to launch himself upward. Immediately, he began charging a new attack that Goku had taught him. "Ka-me-ha-me…" Gohan raised both his fists and Piccolo lifted his arms to block, but suddenly realized that the attack wasn't being charged in Gohan's hands. The boy kicked his sensei cleanly in the chest, screaming "—HAAAA!" and releasing the wave from his feet. The resulting explosion sent Piccolo spinning to the ground, leaving a trail of smoke.

Goku smiled proudly. Not only was his son demonstrating true battle instincts, but he also showed great versatility. He had only recently learned the Kamehameha wave, yet he was already using it in creative ways similar to what Goku himself had done when he was younger. The memory of using that attack against Piccolo in the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament brought warm feelings to the mind of Earth's hero. 'I certainly did have a lot of adventures back then.'

As Piccolo dusted himself off, flying back up to Gohan's position, he also clearly remembered Goku using that technique against him. 'Hmph. Just like his father…and I fell for it again.'

"That was brilliant, Gohan."

"You think so, Mr. Piccolo? Gee, thanks!"

"Absolutely. All we need to do is make you into a Super Saiyan before these androids show up and you'll be unstoppable." Piccolo had agreed with Goku's proposal of training Gohan to unlock the transformation, believing that having a fourth Super Saiyan might make a huge difference. Yet, without firsthand knowledge of the ability, he left those instructions up to Goku.

Piccolo also conducted his own training, hoping to at become as strong as Frieza had been. His fusion with Nail had allowed him to train far beyond his former limits. All three warriors were growing in power, though Piccolo and Gohan both rose in strength somewhat faster than Goku. To his dismay, he found that his increments of increase were getting smaller, just as Vegeta had found. Of course, Goku was still training in his normal state almost exclusively; using the transformation against Piccolo or Gohan would have the very definition of excess.

Perhaps, Goku surmised, training with another Super Saiyan in his transformed state would be more effective. It wasn't something he had considered before, seeing that the chances of Vegeta ever willingly training with him were virtually nil. But maybe Trunks would be more interested…

"Hey, guys – great work! Keep training hard. I'll be back before too long!"

Lifting two fingers to his forehead, Goku focused on the young Saiyan's energy and disappeared.

"Heya, Trunks!" Goku greeted the young Saiyan casually, as if teleporting halfway across the planet to meet the half-alien time-traveling son of your archrival from a parallel universe was an ordinary, everyday occurrence. The boy had just returned to Capsule Corporation after taking a stroll through the pristine city. "How's the training coming?"

Trunks, though surprised by Goku's sudden appearance, was nonetheless glad to see him. Thanks to his mother's stories, he had always thought of Goku's good-natured competitiveness as a counterpart to his father's relentless lust for battle. He had hoped to be able to spend time with Goku, but he was worried about what his father would think.

"Whoa, Goku, you surprised me! That technique of yours is really something. I've been training in the gravity chamber for the past few days; it's amazing how quickly my reflexes are improving." Trunks had just changed back into training gear, but still had his sword slung over one shoulder. "We never had the opportunity to train in higher gravity; the androids destroyed all the ships we had when I was still just a kid."

"Care to do a little sparring with another Super Saiyan? I've been training with Gohan and Piccolo, but I can't really transform against them." Goku's eagerness was evident in his voice.

Trunks started to assent, then paused. "Well, I'd love to, but I'm not sure what my father would think. It seems like he still kind of views you as an enemy. Is there somewhere else we could go?"

"Sure! I know just the place. Want to experience Instant Transmission for yourself?"

Trunks had no sooner begun to nod when the older Saiyan placed a hand on his shoulder. Instantly, he saw the room around him dissolve and felt a strange sensation, as if someone was pulling the air out of his lungs with a vacuum cleaner. The feeling passed in a moment, and he found himself standing on a pristine green lawn. He immediately lurched forward before catching himself; though well-used to much higher gravity, the sudden increase had surprised him.

Looking around, Trunks realized he had arrived on a tiny green planet hanging motionless over a uniformly glowing orange cloudbank. "Is...is this...heaven?"

"You guessed it!" said Goku, grinning. "This isn't the part of Otherworld that most people see, though. Besides myself, only Piccolo, Tien, Chaotzu, and Yamcha have been here – at least, as far back as anyone knows. This is the planet of King Kai!"

The rotund deity emerged from his house upon hearing Goku's voice, followed shortly by Yamcha. The scar faced bandit was yawning and stretching as he exited the small house, revealing that he had apparently been training 'very' hard. Both immediately noticed the new visitors.

"Hey, King Kai! Bubbles, Gregory, Yamcha." Goku waved pleasantly, as he had become accustomed to dropping in uninvited to see his former master. Trunks smiled awkwardly, unsure of whether or not Goku would introduce him.

"Oh, hello Goku," the Kai replied. "What brings you here today? Maybe you came here to light a fire under Yamcha, here," the King rolled his eyes and pointed a thumb over his shoulder at his other guest. "He apparently doesn't understand that he was allowed to keep his body so he could TRAIN."

"Hey, that's not fair, King Kai! I HAVE been training; it's just that I have a delicate system. The kaioken hurts too much for any normal person to master it."

Goku chuckled at the answer. It was indeed a difficult move to master, but he could tell the main issue holding Yamcha back was a lack of motivation.

King Kai could stand no more of the complaints and excuses, but restrained himself upon seeing Trunks. "Oh, I see you've brought a guest, Goku. That is very unusual, as you do know that my planet is a sacred training ground, reserved for only the most powerful and righteous warriors to ever live. I take it this newcomer is worthy?"

Trunks blushed, not realizing that King Kai was merely joking. Afraid that he might not be welcome, he dropped silent.

"Yeah, of course!" Goku laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "This is Trunks, the one who helped Vegeta and me to defeat King Cold."

"Ah, yes, now I remember. You've, eh, cleaned up a bit since then," the Kai said to Trunks. "When I was watching your fight, I wasn't sure if Goku and Vegeta were helped out by another Super Saiyan or just a crazy looking homeless guy." The god snorted loudly at his own joke.

"Uh, yes sir," the boy politely responded. "I've had a haircut and a change of clothes, so I understand the confusion. Your statement that I looked homeless isn't far from the truth, I'm afraid. In the future I come from, most of the people of Earth are still living off scraps in the streets. I didn't feel that being stronger than them entitled me to look or live any differently."

The Kai's expression sobered. "Not a great sense of humor then, I see? Oh well, I'm sure if you're with Goku for any amount of time, you'll get one soon enough!"

"Actually, sir, I've just never had much of a reason to laugh. There isn't too much that's funny about your entire world being terrorized by maniacal androids."

"Wow, tough crowd," the Kai said, disappointed that his jokes weren't being appreciated. "I guess you should go ahead and tell me the entire story, Trunks."

"Sure. It all started three years from now…"

"Wait a second, Trunks. So you're really the son of Vegeta and…and Bulma?" Yamcha's face showed a distinct sense of betrayal.

"Uh, that's right, Yamcha. I guess I'm sorry things didn't work out with you and my mom." Trunks tried to be polite, but he was quite glad that his father was Vegeta. Bulma had spoken at length of the difference between her two suitors – Vegeta, she said, was like a wild tiger while Yamcha was like a distracted, dependent dog. Having now met both, Trunks was inclined to agree.

Yamcha pouted. "Yeah, well I guess it's not really your fault. So what are you doing here, anyway?"

"That's a good question, Yamcha," King Kai said. "I've been wondering that myself. I'm always pleased to have visitors, but what do you need?"

Goku grinned. "Right down to business, then. Can we train on the other side of your planet? The gravity will give us a slightly better workout, and it's not like we can hurt anyone here, right?"

"Are you out of your mind?!" shouted King Kai. "You'll tear the place to shreds! Besides, I have a four-way call later on today, and I do NOT want to be disturbed."

"Oh, come on, King Kai," Goku begged. "We'll be really careful, I promise. And we'll break for lunch whenever you have the call!"

"Well, fine." The old god was clearly miffed. "You take one pupil, and suddenly he thinks he owns the whole place..."

"Awesome!" exclaimed Trunks. "Let's go!"

The two Saiyans both lifted off the ground, flying low over the grass. Yamcha followed, mildly curious to see in person what Super Saiyans were capable of. Within moments, they came to a stop on one side of the tiny planet.

"Well, let's power up then, shall we?"

Goku and Trunks each set their jaws and clenched their fists, concentrating their energy. Trunks pictured his own mother waiting for him in the future; Goku pictured his family back on Earth. Two golden flashes of light exploded around them, their auras filling with Super Saiyan power.

"Whoa, that's what it looks like?" said Yamcha, dumbfounded. "I didn't realize it was so…shiny. That's an unreal amount of energy."

Goku shifted into his classic fighting stance, his right fist raised. "All right, Trunks – let's see what you've got!"

The young man instinctively reached for his scabbard, then paused. "Uh, I guess I shouldn't use the sword."

"Actually, go ahead." Goku relaxed, and then raised one finger in front of his face, filling it with energy. "I don't mind a little dueling."

"Whatever you say." Trunks drew the broadsword in a single fluid motion, gripping it with both hands and extending it forward. "I won't hold back."

Dashing toward his opponent, the Super Saiyan from the future swung his blade down to one side and then forward, its gleaming tip slashing upward. Bracing himself, Goku caught the edge in the aura around his finger and deflected it. Trunks gathered his energy and spun, the sword swinging around to come at Goku from above.

SHINNG! SHINNG! Trunks swung the sword through a clearly practiced series of attacks, each one coming at Goku from a slightly different angle. At each point, the older Saiyan met the keen edge with his finger, the rest of his body motionless.

Trunks paused, his sword still held at the ready. "Wow, Goku. You're great! My last few moves would have turned that frost demon's first form into cold cuts – no pun intended."

"It's a lot like fighting with my old power pole, really," Goku replied. "A little different, being on the receiving end, but the idea is still very similar."

"I guess that's it for the warm-up, then." Trunks flicked his sword downward, the high gravity accelerating it quickly and burying it almost to the hilt in King Kai's lawn.

"That sword is magical, right?"

Trunks nodded. "Yeah, it really is something. It was a gift from a friend. The blade can destroy pretty much anything that's evil or wicked in some way."

"Why didn't you use it against the androids, then?" asked Goku, puzzled.

"I tried. It didn't work so well; I was lucky to escape with my life. The androids' power is mechanical, not biological. Not only is the sword useless against them, but I can't even sense their energy."

Goku reflected for a moment. "Gee, that's too bad. How will we be able to find them when they appear?"

"Oh, trust me, they'll find us." Trunks frowned, remembering what it was like to flee constantly from the mechanical monsters. "They're hell-bent on torturing and killing anyone who dares to oppose them, and they leave a wake of destruction in their path."

"I guess there's no time to waste, then." Goku shifted back into a fighting stance. "Ready?"

Trunks grinned. "You bet." Gathering his energy, he flew forward and swung upward with a kick aimed at Goku's torso.

The older Saiyan twisted out of the way and jabbed back over his shoulder with a powerful elbow that caught Trunks in the shoulder. The boy quickly recovered and flew straight up, his extended fist nearly catching Goku in the gut.

"You have to avoid telegraphing your attacks, Trunks." Goku cocked his fist and punched, but his opponent caught it easily. "See? You saw that coming a mile away." Suddenly, he twisted his entire body, kicking Trunks hard in the chest. "But you didn't see that, did you?"

Goku paused, giving Trunks a moment to right himself. "Learn to feel your opponent's moves – don't just react. When you attack, concentrate your energy so that each blow simply explodes outward, taking your enemy by surprise."

"Like this?" Trunks teleported behind him, landing a double fist to the middle of Goku's back. The blow knocked him forward, but he moved with the impact and spun around quickly with an energy attack. Unable to block in time, Trunks went flying.

"That's better, but you can't depend on surprise alone. Never let your guard down."

The duo continued sparring, the energy of their attacks reverberating around the small planet. Yamcha found it difficult to maintain his footing, let alone follow their movements. "Wow, these guys aren't messing around."

In only a few weeks, Trunks had increased his strength to the point that Goku had been during the fight with Cold. Goku was more powerful as well, but Trunks was catching up. Clearly though, the older Saiyan was still by far the better fighter.

"You've gotten a lot stronger, Trunks – I can sense it. But strength isn't everything. Being a Super Saiyan is a whole new level of power." Goku spoke between blocks as the two warriors furiously traded punches. "I was so accustomed to kaioken that it took me a while to adjust."

"Gohan tried to teach me how to control my power, but we never had much time for training. In the future, I mean." Trunks twisted away from one of Goku's blows and landed a solid kick to his opponent's ribs. "It's so hard not to just attack wildly."

Goku winced. "Wow, that had a lot of force behind it! Good job." It felt good to be able to fight another Super Saiyan; he could use all of his energy without holding back. He could already feel his technique improving, his senses sharpening to match his increased power.

"I try to make every blow count! That's the one thing that Gohan always reminded me of." Trunks pulled back, panting. "Ready for a break?"

"Sure! I bet King Kai has some food here somewhere."

Three months had passed since the defeat of King Cold. Today was the day that, according to Trunks, history had been forever doomed by the death of Goku at the hands of the vengeful Super Saiyan prince. Instead, the Z Fighters hoped to witness the opposite—a day of renewed hope and restored life.

With Bulma's dragon radar and Goku's Instant Transmission, finding all the dragon balls took less than a day. As hard as he tried, Goku couldn't lock onto the energy of the balls themselves, but he quickly learned to estimate distance using the radar and locate a suitable energy signature in the general vicinity. Before long, he was back at Kame House where his friends and family waited.

The narrow beach around Kame House was packed with people. Tien and Chaiotzu had flown in to see the dragon summoned and to greet Yamcha again. Trunks, Krillin, Piccolo, and Gohan were already waiting there. It was the first time Trunks had gotten to meet Muten Roshi; the old master's incessant questions about the future of the showgirl industry didn't make the greatest of first impressions. But the boy was familiar with her mother's stories about the old pervert – he knew that Roshi could actually be a hero from time to time.

Finally, shortly after Goku arrived, Bulma's helicopter appeared. Vegeta and C47 were both with her, the former sullen and silent. He considered the whole day wasted, given that the flight would take an hour each way that he could have spent training. The blue haired woman wouldn't even fly at top speed, much to his annoyance. However, this time at least, it wasn't the woman's nagging that had caused him to tag along; he thought it only appropriate that he be present when Oniya was revived.

Much the skeptic, C47 was eager to see the dragon for himself.

"Observation: This 'dragon' business seems suspiciously superstitious. To think that mere meatbags can undergo successful re-initialization as the result of some silly chant is patently absurd."

The droid was actually quite interested to see whether meatbag revivals were possible. Such a development could prove both annoying and rewarding; he would hate to see his enemies be brought back to life, but the thought of killing his most reviled opponents a second time was rather intriguing.

Anyone there – except, perhaps, Trunks – could have corrected the robot from firsthand experience. But they all ignored him, eager to witness Shenron's appearance. Besides, the droid would see for itself in mere moments.

As the golden balls were placed in a circle with one ball at the center in the sand, the faint hum they emitted began to grow. Already, the mood was serious. Among those gathered to watch, several of them felt a shiver travel down to their toes, the goose-bumps on their arms causing the hair follicles to stand rigidly at attention. A healthy fear of the eternal dragon did seem appropriate.

Goku had discussed the exact wording of the wish beforehand with the others. They had forgotten about his intent to revive those on planet Yardrat. Bulma had feared that it wouldn't work, but Kami assured them that a request for revivals on multiple planets was not beyond the dragon's power.

Gohan had asked whether they could bring back Yamcha – after all, he had already been brought back once by Porunga. This concern, too, had been assuaged by Earth's deity; Kami explained that although Shenron could not return the same person to life on multiple occasions, due to the his limited powers compared to the original dragon of Namek, Porunga's prior resurrection of Yamcha would not pose a problem to Earth's dragon.

"Eternal Dragon, by your name I summon you…SHENRON!" Goku triumphantly yelled.

Immediately the sky began to dim, as if the sun had been turned down. When it had reached a full black, the dragon balls themselves glowing even more brilliantly than before, streaks of lightning appearing around them. Vegeta was reminded of the moment on Namek when he had revealed himself to Frieza after his revival. The look on the demon's face had been priceless, a memento the prince wanted to be forever engraved on his memory.

Suddenly interrupting Vegeta's reflections, Shenron burst forth from the dragonballs. As his dark green body snaked its way through the horizon, the entire form seemed to emit a feint light which made him distinctly visible against the black canopy. The great dragon finally finished positioning himself in the sky and began lowering his enormous head closer to those who had summoned him.

"Stunned Observation: It appears as if you spoke the truth, woman! I think I very much like this beast already. Do you see? His eyes are as red as a Laigrek's eye, just as my own!"

Shenron uttered a low growl. "Speak, he who hath summoned me, and I shall grant thee any wish of thy desire!"

Goku stepped forward, raising his head high, and spoke. "Please revive all the good people who have died on Earth AND on planet Yardrat in the past year."

The great dragon appeared to reflect for a brief moment, then replied. "This wish will require a moment of patience in order to be fulfilled." Apparently concentrating, Shenron's eyes began to burn with an even harsher red. C47's gears began humming with excitement, clearly impressed by the dragon. After a few seconds of this, the Z fighters all holding their breath in anticipation, Oniya suddenly appeared before them. As she opened her eyes, she found herself ankle deep in water, very near to the precise spot she had died. The pilot didn't recognize any of her surroundings, though; she merely remembered being on board the Bringer of Death when something suddenly had exploded around her. She blinked several times, adjusting to the darkness of the sky, until finally her eyes fell on Vegeta.

"My Lord!" She rushed towards the prince, falling at his feet in tears. "I'm so glad to see you. I thought I had died – that I would never serve you again!" As she lifted her head, looking up into the eyes of Vegeta, she could somehow sense that many things had changed since last she saw him. "What…happened, my lord?"

Suddenly, a splash was heard as yet another person was revived, the shape of Yamcha landing face-first in the ocean. Levitating up out of the water, the former bandit quickly tried to play cool. "What's up, everybody? Guess who's back? Haha!"

Immediately ignoring the weakling's remarks, Vegeta responded to Oniya's question. "When we arrived on Earth, you weren't at your post. The ship's shields disengaged early and we were attacked…" Oniya gulped, realizing her own negligence was the cause of her death, "…by that weakling over there." The slender blue alien turned, seeing the grinning Yamcha greet Krillin, Tien, Chiaotzu, and the others.

"I don't think I understand, my lord. Even if what I surmise is correct, that I indeed died and was somehow brought back from the dead, what would you still be doing on this planet? Did you not kill the one called Kakarott?"

Vegeta's expression hardened, as he looked away from Oniya. 'I would have, if it weren't for those damn androids,' the prince thought silently.

C47 suddenly popped into the conversation, oddly pleased to see his former crew member again.

"Explanation: The events that have transpired since your termination have been most unexpected. Most notable in significance is that the master defeated Frieza's father, the rumored King Cold himself!"

"Oh, my lord, that's fantastic! You truly are supremely unequal in power in the entire universe!"

Suddenly Oniya was interrupted by a thunderous voice from above. "Your wish has been granted! Now, farewell!" The green dragon suddenly turned the same bright color as the lighting that still swarmed across the sky, his entire body stretching into one glowing trail of snake-like energy. The light was sucked back into the dragon balls and all seven began to spin rapidly. When the dragon had completely disappeared, the balls exploded from their position, each arching away toward different locations on the planet. The sky returned to normal.

"Uhh, would someone please explain to me the nature of that bizarre aberration? Was that – dragon – just speaking?" Oniya asked.

"Never mind that, Oniya. I've some important news for you. We are staying on Earth for the time being. There may be need to make the occasional trip into deep space, but I suggest you make yourself comfortable here."

"Of course, my lord. Permit me to ask if you have any duties I can perform in your service during our stay?"

Without missing a beat, the prince began delivering instructions. He was, in fact, quite glad to have her back; she was the only servant who had literally met his every beck and call. "Maintain the ship, familiarize yourself with the upgrades that have been made, add improvements of your own, and make sure I am not disturbed in my training."

This behavior, getting straight to business and delivering orders, was completely typical of the prince. However, Bulma, who had been keenly observing the entire conversation, had not yet seem him address any of his other crewmembers in this way. She would never have imagined that such a beautiful and seemingly respectful woman would practically worship Vegeta. 'Whoever this pilot of his is, she certainly can't be as perfect as she appears.' Bulma thought, immediately jealous.

Feeling as though he had wasted far too much time already, Vegeta took to the skies, leaving behind a trail of whipping wind which disturbed the business of all those behind him. He loved doing that.

"Well, there goes Vegeta," Bulma said. "I guess we should be heading back soon as well."

Yamcha, who had greeted everyone else already, finally approached Bulma, albeit with great hesitation. "So, uh, Bulma…what's going on?"

"What's going on?" Bulma repeated sarcastically. "Is that all you have to say?" she huffed. "Oh, nothing much I guess, I'm just going CRAZY because I have a son from the future who lives at my house and I'm pregnant with Vegeta's child!"

Yamcha had indeed already heard the news when Goku and Trunks visited King Kai in otherworld to train, but hearing it from Bulma's own mouth was the terrifying confirmation he had been dreading. He really didn't know what else to say to her, at least at the moment. "Well, fine then. I guess we're over." He turned away with an exaggerated slouch.

Bulma turned towards her helicopter and hopped into the cockpit; her small baby bump subtracting slightly from the gracefulness of her leap into the seat. "Yeah, I guess so." C47 had begun to board the vessel as well, followed by Oniya, who presumed that following the droid's lead was the obvious thing to do. Yamcha realized that he would want a ride back to Capsule Corp; he immediately regretted his attitude toward Bulma.

"Hey wait, can I get a ride with you guys?" the scar-faced bandit asked.

"Fine." Bulma wasn't entirely certain why she was so upset with Yamcha, but it probably had something to do with the fact that he hadn't tried to contact her at all since he died again. The thing was, she felt that she hadn't really been given the option to choose between him and Vegeta. The prince was simply there, and though he was irresistible, Yamcha had never attempted to compete. Was it guilt she felt? She didn't yet know. Already, though, Yamcha was kind of annoying her, so she believed her behavior was excusable.

Oniya had been noticeably silent since Bulma's announcement that she was carrying the child of Vegeta, not to mention the other bit about her son from the future being present. Once everyone had boarded the ship, Bulma and C47 sitting in the front and Yamcha and Oniya sitting in the back, silence spread through the entire group. Finally, Oniya turned to her right and spoke.

"So, from what I understand you were the one who killed me, were you not?"

Yamcha immediately blushed, as he did around any pretty girl. His reaction did not go unnoticed either, as Bulma glared at him through her rear view mirror.

"Uh, yeah I'm sorry about that. I was infected with the, uh, mist, and it turned me crazy. It's too bad we didn't meet under better circumstances." Yamcha's hopeful smile was laughably pathetic, causing Oniya to tactfully change the subject.

"I'm very curious as to the more specific events that transpired during my absence, C47. What can you tell me?"

"Interjection: I feel in this case I must start the recitation of events mere moments after your termination. Upon seeing your death, the master flew into a rage like I have never seen before, brutally murdering the idiot weakling now in our presence. The swiftness and creativity with which he was slaughtered caused me to experience a great deal of pride indeed."

Oniya was a bit taken back by this revelation. 'Did the master really react so emotionally to MY death?' She was flattered, though she had been carefully testing the waters to determine the current relational status of this Bulma with Vegeta. She was sure that, in her absence, many things could have transpired, not all which would be pleasant to hear. Perhaps Vegeta would even want to be with this woman, if only to properly raise his son.

Yamcha knew he had been humiliated by Vegeta again, but still found a comeback. "Hey, Oniya, it sounds like you and Vegeta were really close, huh?" The bandit was grasping at straws to annoy Bulma, but this time he had hit the jackpot.

Bulma angrily stepped on the copter's turbo, the sudden boost causing everyone to grasp their seats tightly. "Yeah, Oniya," the blue haired woman spoke, not even trying to conceal the hostility in her voice. "What exactly was your relationship with Vegeta?"

The alien pilot was extremely well mannered, trained in protocol for various star systems throughout the empire. This obvious attempt at provocation was a complete failure, although her silence drew a response from the not-so-subtle android.

"Explanation: Apart from acting as the master's pilot, she saw to his every need, particularly coitus. They made quite a racket, as I recall."

Oniya was accustomed to the droid's blunt answers. Though she knew he was attempting to be complimentary, his timing and phrasing were uniformly awful. C47 had unwittingly pushed Bulma's last nerve, but he kept going, oblivious.

"Observation: She is one of the few beings, besides myself, to have demonstrated true concern for the master's best interests."

Tensions were now at their height. Bulma was nearing her melting point. 'I can't believe Vegeta would just sleep with this…this…' Bulma had to admit that Oniya actually seemed to be wonderful. In fact, she appeared to be handling herself quite well. The blue-haired human was sure that she wouldn't be nearly this calm if she had returned from the dead to learn that another woman was pregnant with her lover's child.

Yamcha, who didn't really care about Oniya and whatever happened with her and the prince, interrupted this time. "Really, Bulma? You know Vegeta is the guy who killed me, right? And not once, but TWICE! And you decide to THANK him by bearing his child while I'm away?"

Bulma turned around, furious. "Oh, shut UP, Yamcha! If you weren't such a weakling, you wouldn't have died in the first place. It's not Vegeta's fault anyway, as you KILLED his dear sweet love toy." Surprised at her own outburst, she quickly turned to Oniya. "Sorry, no offense."

"None taken," replied the blue skinned alien. She was amazed at Bulma's temper, but had worked under similar types in her vast experience in the empire. Being submissive was her natural reaction.

Yamcha, however, began grumbling under his breath. He couldn't think of a good comeback, as he had never been able to win any arguments with Bulma anyway. "Well, you still didn't have to go and sleep with the guy!"

"What's done is done. Deal with it. And besides, if I hadn't we would all die soon, since my precious Trunks wouldn't have ever been born. Who would have warned us about the androids then?" Bulma always calmed down a little bit at the thought of her son. She began to take the ship in for a landing as she could see her large house rapidly zooming into view. Her rage-induced use of the turbo had shortened the trip significantly.

"Given the choice between this Yamcha and Lord Vegeta, I'm certain any woman would do as you have, Bulma." Oniya attempted to smooth things over. "No man I've ever met or seen in my extensive travels of the universe even comes close to him."

Bulma smiled at the attempted peace offering as the ship landed with a thud. At least the two of them could agree on Vegeta's immense superiority to Yamcha. "You know she's right, Yamcha."

"HEY! That's not fair!" he complained.

Both women laughed, disembarking together.

————————————

Greetings, everyone, and a happy Tuesday to you all!

First off, I will say we joked about naming this chapter "Yamcha: Epic Failure at Everything". There certainly was a ton of bashing; we hope it wasn't too much. Anyways, he is finally back to life. Some of you may be in disagreement about how he was able to return to life a second time, though.

As Kami explained to Gohan, we believe that Shenron's problem with reviving a person who has already died has to do with the dragon's inability to resurrect someone twice, not any particular quality of a person who has died previously. While the Z Fighters were discussing Dende's new guardianship of Earth, they imply that Dende's re-use of the Shenron model was the reason that his new dragon would be unable to revive anyone previously resurrected by Shenron.

It's my belief that if Dende had created an entirely new dragon, THAT dragon would have been able to revive Goku and the others. Some of you may disagree with this, but that's okay; after all, it would have been a simple matter for Goku to have gone to Namek and used Porunga to revive Yamcha. You don't have to agree with us on everything to enjoy the story I hope.

I had a great time putting together the dialogue for C47 this chapter. He is such a fun character and his history with both Oniya and Bulma made him a great choice to include in the conversation. I also hope you all are happy to have Oniya back around. She really is a great character with tons of uses. The question is…how will her presence affect Vegeta, particularly his relationship with Bulma? She has always been there to support Lord Vegeta, but how would she fit into the future of DBZ? Feel free to tell us what you think.

We spent a lot of time on training in this chapter. David and I wanted to take this opportunity to get into the minds of the characters. DBZ has so much training, but it seems like something that is rarely explained in detail. Hopefully everything made sense!

Oh, and another thing. Those of you who are DBM readers probably recognized the fact that Gohan using the foot Kamehameha was curiously timed with U18 Pan's use of it against U13 Kakarotto. While some of you might wonder if we copied them, I assure you that part was written before the corresponding DBM page was released. Personally I just think it's a great strategy that could've helped the Z Fighters in a few tough spots, so that's why we included it.

Announcement: Next Tuesday, we will present the very first Bringer of Death Special Chapter! A lot of you have asked about the fight between Vegeta and Goku in the original timeline. We all know the result, but the details will hopefully be both interesting and exciting. It will not be told as a flashback, seeing that no one alive remembers it.

And now, we are pleased to respond to your reviews:

Q: I'm sad we only get a weekly update now but I do understand.

A: Thanks for understanding. We didn't want to sacrifice quality, and hopefully this will give us the opportunity to expand our chapter length as well!

Q: Although I think it is a good option to do a time skip, I also believe that it would be a good option to go more into the training they do in this time than Akira Toriyama did in canon.

A: We hope this chapter satisfies your request!

Q: When you give credit to "I-Am-So-Original" for fan art, can you provide a link as well, if only to better provide access to his work?

A: Unfortunately, the FanFiction website does not allow us to post links in stories. Sorry! You can find all fanart at our DeviantART under ~bringerofdeathDBZ as well as ~I-Am-So-Original.

Q: When Goku returned, he was stronger than Vegeta. I do not see Vegeta beating Goku, especially with Goku's newest Instant Transmission Technique. I also believe you put Goku at least 30 mil units ahead of Vegeta, but correct me if I am wrong here.

A: I'm not sure where you're getting this, but Goku is definitely weaker than Vegeta. Vegeta has been a Super Saiyan for 9 months and has trained incessantly; Goku has been a Super Saiyan for only 6 months, not to mention he was cramped in a tiny pod for several months of that. The difference in power levels is very clearly explained at the end of Chapter 26.

Q: Vegeta also seems earlier to recognize that there is a way past super saiyan.

A: It's definitely something weighing on his mind. The obvious question is, when will he discover it?

Q: Will #17 & #18 be stronger than their canon counterparts because of the events that have happened now?

A: All I can say is that the androids will definitely be a little different – but that's it!

Q: Does this mean Goku will die anyway from the heart virus? Or there's no such thing?

A: You'll have to wait and see!

Q: I like the fact that you made Future Trunks stay, I'm hoping some good three year humor and fighting sessions are on the way. Also, in your opinion, would a weakened SSJ Vegeta win against a recently transformed SSJ Kid Gohan?

A: We hope you liked the fighting and training in this chapter. To answer your question – Vegeta would have to be very weakened indeed to lose to Gohan immediately after his transformation. We think there is a limit to how strong a Saiyan can get before they reach SSj; Gohan would have to be very decisive in order to win.

Q: As for the Alpha Tokusentai, the only one I got was Gouda (every leader has a dairy product named after them, since Ginyu is a pun on milk in Japanese).

A: Good catch! All the members of the original Ginyu Force were associated with dairy products in some way; Ginyu ~ milk, Burter ~ butter, Guldo ~ yogurt, Recoome ~ cream, and Jeice ~ cheese. Because Guoda and Compte were from Jeice's family, they also got cheese-related names (Compte is a type of French cheese). The name Desann, of course, is unrelated.

Q: Why do you have krillin so weak? Against Frieza, Vegeta commented on krillin's and gohan's power, saying that between the three of them, they might beat 2nd form frieza.

A: Oh dear. Krillin has no zenkai ability. How in the world would he go from less than 20,000 to over 200,000 in less than a day? That's impossible.

Q: this fic is seriously the most in character ive ever read, i love it, keep up the good work!

A: Glad you enjoy it! We try very hard to stick to the characters as closely as possible.

Q: Jeice's family can't DODGE! Great chapter again, as always.

A: Glad you picked up on this! We both love that scene from DBZ Abridged.

Q: If Goku is killed by Vegeta before he comes down with the heart virus, then future Bulma/trunks would not know about it, thus no cure would be available. Uh oh...

A: Well, we're glad people are looking ahead! Don't worry, I'm sure they'll think of something.

Q: Frieza,in the anime,while fighting Vegeta,was only using 1% of his final form's Max...

A: Ah, there's your problem – the whole "in the anime" business. The 1% trope is a bit of an exaggeration. I suggest you read a little further to see what we think of the "basex50" idea.

Q: I thought the reason Gotenks could go SSJ 3 was because using the fusion dance grants special abilities.

A: You're right! The fusion dance DOES grant special abilities…like being able to fuse with another person and gain greatly increased power as a result! Haha. Gotenks was able to go SSj3 because he was much stronger as a fused being than either boy was ordinarily.

Q: I am now VERY curious as to how Cell comes into the picture. Even if the androids were stronger than they were in canon, if they were beaten somehow surely Trunks would have the power to defeat Cell when he returns to his own time? Before this chapter I just assumed that Trunks would behave the same way he did in canon and get killed upon defeating the androids and returning to his own time.

A: Hmm, great questions! You're right, these characters are all a bit stronger than they were in canon. How, then, would Cell enter the scene! What will happen to Trunks? You'll find out soon!