Across the Veil

Gira nearly dropped her candle when she heard a familiar voice address her directly. Turning towards the source of the voice, her heart felt like it leapt into her throat when she saw the visage of her sensei. He looked just like he always did, though it appeared he was wearing some kind of hood before he noticed her. "S-Sensei?" Tears filled the young Saiyan's eyes. "Sensei!!" Leaping towards the Namekian, Gira would attempt to wrap him in a hug. After babbling incoherently through her sobs for almost a full minute, the young Saiyan finally calmed herself down enough to actually speak. "I, uh... I got a Guiding Candle from a Namekian guy. He said I could use it to talk to you. He was... kinda vague though about what it would actually do. I didn't expect to actually be taken here." Remembering why she even went to such lengths to speak to him, Gira finally got to the point. "Sensei, Lottus is on Namek. He hasn't done anything to threaten it yet, but I don't see why else he would be there." Gira paused as she considered why he didn't just kill them all in their first confrontation. "I think he might just be enjoying himself first." She looked downward shamefully. "I don't think we have what it takes to beat him as we are. Even if we get stronger, I don't think that's enough. His worldview is so twisted that he isn't limited by things like preserving his comrades' lives or even his own." She sighed. "I just don't know how i'm supposed to beat someone like that. I might be a Saiyan, but he and I are hardly the same. For better or worse, I guess." There was some part of Gira that wondered that if she was more like Lottus, would she have what she needed to win against him?

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TWC: 626

Combat Statistics

Power Level:74,500 (Base Form)
HP: 270 / 270 | KP: 6 / 6 | MP: 0 / 6 

Resources: Saiyan Pride | Burning Ki

Her sensei was right. She wouldn't have to face Lottus alone. She had the help of the rest of the Mazoku Kingdom's mightiest warriors backing her up. When she allowed herself to look at it that way, they fared far better in the odds. However, she wanted to be able to fight him alone. Why that was, she didn't know. All that mattered in the grand scheme of things was that he was defeated. However, whether by some quirk of Saiyan biology or her own wish to avenge Gandigan by her own hands, she wanted their battle to be one on one. Relying on others was simply something she had to learn to do, though. Lottus was an opponent that could not be beaten one on one by her. As much as she hated to admit that to herself. Maybe if she trained with the others, she would find the strength she needed to do this on her own? Her sensei gave her much the same advice, to continue her training with the others... and offering her a place in his kingdom, along with a name of his people. Looking Gan in the eye, she gave him a big smile. "To be honest, sensei, i've felt like i've been part of the Mazoku for a long time. So, of course I accept! I'll wear the name with pride."

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TWC: 856

Combat Statistics

Power Level:74,500 (Base Form)
HP: 270 / 270 | KP: 6 / 6 | MP: 0 / 6 

Resources: Saiyan Pride | Burning Ki

Gira was surprised to learn of her sensei's plans to escape the afterlife. Was such a thing even possible? He mentioned that Lottus had managed it once before. If he could do it, then her sensei definitely could! However, what he said next shocked her. After they handle the threat of Lottus, Gandigan planned on turning their attention to Planet Plant next. But that wasn't the most surprising part. The most surprising part was that Gan wanted Gira to take on the mantle of Saiyan Queen when all was said and done, likely to put Gira in a position to change Saiyan culture by placing her at the head of it. Gira was very much aware at this point that she was unusual for a Saiyan, likely having to do with her upbringing on Earth in an otherwise normal family. She had the Saiyan love for battle, but for the sake of self-improvement, not destruction. She also had a gentler side that wasn't present in many Saiyans growing up on Plant, leading to her competitive side coming off as more light-hearted than someone like Lottus. She wasn't sure if she was the right person for the job, though. Would she be able to effectively lead a group of people like the Saiyans? The thoughts were quickly pushed out of her head. Her sensei believed in her. Now she had to believe in herself. "I'll do it, sensei! And if i'm not suited to the job at this very moment, I promise that I will be by the time we go to Plant! I'm just... not sure if they'll follow me. But if I get strong and prove myself to them, then surely they'll respect me enough to at least let me try and change things."

This goal had been on the young Saiyan's mind for quite some time, but now she had to attain the legendary Super Saiyan form as soon as possible. If she attained this transformation, then that would only strengthen her claim to the throne in the eyes of the other Saiyans. Here soon, she would also have to pay a visit back home to Earth. After her ship's most recent upgrades, the journey would be far more quick and bearable than the initial trip to Namek. She had to go either way, though. After leaving home and gaining more experience in the outside world and confidence in herself, a lot of the things she was told as a child about her heritage were not adding up. Mainly, why she appears to be a full-blooded Saiyan, when her mother insisted she was a half-breed? If she was indeed a full-blooded Saiyan... and the Earthling, Kara Norms was not her mother... then what did that mean about where she came from? If she came from Plant, then that would also strengthen her claim. Little did Gira know, her noble Saiyan blood would also possibly add to her legitimacy. All her teenage years spent watching medieval political dramas were finally about to pay off.

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TWC: 1361

Combat Statistics

Power Level:74,500 (Base Form)
HP: 270 / 270 | KP: 6 / 6 | MP: 0 / 6 

Resources: Saiyan Pride | Burning Ki

Her sensei's words of encouragement brought a smile to the young Saiyan's face. She nodded with renewed determination. "You're right, sensei. I'll do my best. I've just gotta believe I can do it." Strength of arm and force of will. Those were two things Saiyans respected. If she managed to bring a healthy dose of both of those traits to the table, there wasn't a doubt in her mind that she could do this. And if they actually pulled it off, this could mean a new era for all of Saiyankind. Maybe even the entire galaxy. Gira actually hadn't been given a chance to think beyond just how she was even going to gain the throne in the first place. It was just as important for her to know exactly what she was going to do with that power when-- or if-- she obtained it. And speaking of power, Gandigan brought up a very important point that Gira had not considered all that deeply. By the time they decided to make a move, she could very well be a Super Saiyan. Up until recently, she had never even seen one of the legendary warriors in person. The transformation was just a means to more power in her mind. But now that she met Lottus and truly felt what a Super Saiyan was capable of, she had begun to understand the mindset of the golden fighter.

"It means... that i'm gonna be really strong, of course. But i'm also gonna be in danger of giving in to my darker nature. The temptation to give into it is gonna be stronger than ever before. But that's why I came to Namek in the first place! To learn to be the one to control it instead of the other way around. I've trained lots. I've met tons of people who have not only taught me to be a stronger fighter, but also a more mindful person. I guess I haven't just gotten stronger since leaving home. I might have gotten more mature too." She blushed slightly in embarrassment. "Or something like that." Looking up at her sensei, Gira gave him an excited grin and nodded enthusiastically. "Heck yeah i'm ready, sensei! I'm gonna become a Super Saiyan, we're gonna beat Lottus, and then we're gonna bring our way of life to the Saiyans. If we work together, there's no way we're gonna fail!" 

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TWC: 1761

Combat Statistics

Power Level:74,500 (Base Form)
HP: 270 / 270 | KP: 6 / 6 | MP: 0 / 6 

Resources: Saiyan Pride | Burning Ki

"Right. I'll train with the others. We'll be ready when the time comes. You just gotta be sure to make it back to us, sensei. We'll be waiting for ya." She hoped that that her sensei would be back in time to help them take on Lottus. However, she knew that she couldn't count on that. Who knows how long it would take to find a way to escape death itself? She knew that Lottus found a way, and that gave her confidence for Gandigan's odds. However, the Saiyan had no clue how long it took him or even how he did it. If she knew that this information would be important, she would have asked him about it. He was definitely the type of person who would gloat if given the opportunity. But that opportunity had passed. Now she had to play with the hand she was dealt. "Goodbye, sensei. I'll see ya soon." Giving her mentor one last smile and a wave, she brought the candle near her face and blew it out. The darkness that enveloped her was just as sudden as it was all-encompassing. As quickly as she was brought into the afterlife, the scene vanished before her, and she was brought back into her ship, with the only sound being the Namekian wildlife that called into the bright night, audible through her vessel's open door. The young Saiyan let out a sigh, as if she had just been allowed to drop a heavy burden from her shoulders. Being able to talk to her sensei helped her mental state tremendously.

Now, she wasn't single-mindedly focused on revenge. She had a clear goal in mind, and avenging her sensei was just one step in a grand plan. Gira floated up into her ship's upper level, then stepped out of the doorway and into the wilderness. She had parked on the shore of a lake. This spot in particular reminded her of a trip she took with her mother when she was seven, before she had to really hide who she was from the people of Earth. Being allowed to fly freely over the open water gave Gira a sense of freedom that she had trouble replicating until recently. Gira looked out over the surface of the water, pondering what she and her sensei discussed. She tried to imagine herself as a Super Saiyan... as a Queen... but that image didn't seem to match up with her image of herself. Especially the whole "royalty" thing. Still, her sensei believed in her... and now, she believed in herself. 

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Final Word Count: 2190
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