Through the Looking Glass

Barging into the palace, Gira wasn't entirely sure what she expected. What she most certainly did not expect, however, was to be immediately leapt upon by the person at the table. They became a Super Saiyan before their attack, causing Gira to instinctively take on the golden glow of her own Super Saiyan form once she felt her attacker's boost in power. Thankfully, their first attack was off the mark, missing the teen Saiyan before it could make contact. She wasn't off the hook yet, though. The Saiyan swung her tail around, aiming to knock Gira in the face with it as though it were some kind of club. Thinking on her feet, Gira dodged quickly, leaving behind an afterimage that was soon struck by Zuqetta's tail. The appendage cut clean through the image, causing it to vanish soon after as Gira reappeared near the entrace. Cracking her knuckles, followed by her neck, the Super Saiyan smiled.

"Great attack. You almost caught me off-guard there." She smirked proudly at her progress. She had worked hard over the course of many conflicts to hone her battle instincts, and now it was paying off. A sudden attack like that may have actually worked on her back when she was bound to Earth. 

"Hey, not that I don't like a good fight, but I would like to know exactly why we're fighting. All I did was ask where the Queen was? What, do you think i'm an assassin or something?" She joked as she made stealthy ninja poses. After throwing a high kick into the air and holding it there, she smiled again at her attacker.

"I'd be a pretty crappy assassin if I just barged into my target's house and asked the first person I saw where they were." After saying that, a sudden realization washed over her face as she took a good measure of the power her opponent's Super Saiyan form gave her.

"Wait... with power like that, you've gotta be the Queen! Right? Jeez, sorry. My manners could use some work." Clearing her throat, Gira bowed deeply in respect, remembering her first meeting with Ticoga. Kaci told her that people in positions like that had to be dealt with using a certain degree of etiquette. 

"Hello, Ms. Queen Zuqetta. My name is Gira, and it is an honor to be met by you."

She tried her best. 

"Um... anyway, what's with the fist throwing the second I walk in?" She scratched her head, confused.

"Not gonna lie, i've been wanting to fight you to see how strong you are, but I figured we'd talk a little first."

---

TWC: 776


Power Level: 2,214,000 (Super Saiyan)


Hit Points
▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 270%

Ki Points
▰▰▰▰▰▰ 4 / 6 (-2)

Momentum Points
▰▰▰▰▰▰ 2 / 6 (+2)

Resources
Sparking (1 / 1)
Saiyan Pride (OFF)
Antisense (OFF)
Burning Ki (1 / 1)

Gira had hoped to gain some understanding, but all she got from Zuqetta's response was more confusion. She understood some of the implications of what the Queen said, but the young Saiyan couldn't help but feel that Zuqetta knew something that she didn't. She called her a usurper, and indicated that she had heard of Gira through her sensei, Gandigan.

"Jeez, what did Gan-sensei say about me? It's true that i'm after the throne and all, but I wouldn't exactly call myself a usurper." Gira thought for a moment before a giggle escaped her lips.

"Although, if i'm looking to take the throne that you're currently sitting on, I guess the label fits." She crossed her arms, seemingly relaxed in this situation. She didn't see a reason to be tense just yet. Gira didn't sense any murderous intent from the Queen. Her stance was defensive, like she was waiting on Gira to make the first move. While she felt an intense urge to give the Queen what she expected, she knew that any fight between them right now would be far from a friendly one. It seemed there were a few things that needed to be ironed out first. First of all, regarding her appearance here in the first place.

"I'm not here with the Mazoku though. It's just me. If I happened to be here to challenge you for the throne right now, don't you think i'd at least bring moral support?" A confused expression was on her face as she asked the question, but she quickly smiled once again as she continued.

"I'd at least ask my friend, Zuci to attend. She's my rival. I definitely wouldn't want her to miss that." She decided to step away a bit from the subject of her desire for the throne. For now, anyway. No sense making things even more tense for the Queen. 

"Anyway, I don't know what you're talking abou--" Lottus. The realization suddenly hit her. She was talking about Lottus. It couldn't be anyone else. She had gone to Namek recently and found that Maxsuz and Yangcong had managed to capture the murderer of her sensei, making an ice sculpture out of him with something they called the "Blue Flower Virus" or something like that. She voiced her misgivings about the situation back then, and she still didn't feel any better about it now. 

"Your cousin is a psycho and a murderer, but I had nothing to do with that!" She shouted in protest, her golden energy flaring around her as she felt the rage boil in her veins. Her emotions always ran high when it came to Lottus, and being a Super Saiyan made it even worse. She thought that after all this time, she would be a bit more levelheaded about the Saiyan, but it appeared that the loss of her sensei weighed on her still, and she hadn't forgiven his killer yet. Still, she tried to calm herself a bit, continuing on at a more appropriate volume. 

"If it were up to me, I would have beaten him fair and square. The Saiyan way. I wouldn't have turned him into some stupid ice sculpture and paraded him around like he's some kind of trophy. No matter what he did... to me and to the Mazoku... someone who fights as hard as he does deserves more respect than that." It was an odd feeling, to simultaneously hate someone with all of her being and yet respect them and their abilities. 

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not a friend to the guy. I've... never killed anyone before and I don't plan to, but if I got my hands on him..." Her voice dripped with venom. She didn't know what she'd do in that situation. Gira found the idea of taking someone's life disgusting. Before Gandigan's death, she'd never imagined a situation where she would do something like that. But when she thought of her sensei's last words to her... it filled her with a longing to see his murderer pay. She thought that after she and her friends defeated him that day on Namek, her desire for revenge would die down, but no. This brief conversation with Zuqetta reminded her just how much she hated him.

More than that, how much she hated reliving the memories of the day her sensei died. Every time she allowed herself to dwell on that sadness and anger, it became more and more difficult to stop. Though Gira was not quick to anger, her anger was extremely explosive when it finally reared its head. She had been spending all this time trying to keep it bottled up... but she clearly had a lot more work to do if she truly wanted to conquer it. She took a deep breath, the golden aura around her fading as she brought her emotions under control.

"I'm sorry for... all of that. He killed my sensei, and i'm still upset about it. There's no way you could have known that I wasn't involved in his capture." She was upset about other things too, but Zuqetta didn't seem like the right one to talk about that with. Gira nervously rocked back and forth on her heels. So far, this meeting wasn't turning out how she expected.

---

TWC: 1656


Power Level: 123,000 (Base Form)


Hit Points
▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 270%

Ki Points
▰▰▰▰▰▰ 6 / 6 (+2)

Momentum Points
▰▰▰▰▰▰ 3 / 6 (+1)

Resources
Sparking (1 / 1)
Saiyan Pride (OFF)
Antisense (OFF)
Burning Ki (1 / 1)

Gira was hopeful at first at the mention that they had a mutual friend in Zuci. For a moment, she thought that, perhaps, she could turn all of this around. She could talk to Zuqetta, and maybe they could come to some kind of understanding. Maybe all three of them could even be friends? 

Unfortunately, all of that went out the window when she mentioned her sensei, seemingly rubbing her nose in the fact that Gandigan, the warrior she idolized and who molded her into the fighter she was today, was in hell. Gira felt something in her mind snap. As she processed the insult, she was barely listening to what Zuqetta was saying. The personal insults to her, the accusations leveled against her friends, questioning her motives... none of it mattered. Her cousin had killed her sensei, and now the Queen was out to tarnish his legacy. The young Saiyan, realizing she had been clenching her fists excessively hard, loosened her grip. Blood dripped down onto the stone from the Earthling Saiyan's hands as she stood in silence. When Zuqetta gave her condolences and an ultimatum to either leave or fight, she didn't respond. She paused a moment more, her unblinking gaze shifting over to the drops of blood that were spreading out over the floor. She would utter only a few words, so quiet that Zuqetta would have to try to hear her. 

"You don't know... anything." She looked back up at the Queen, finally showing the tears streaming down her face. Her voice was a mix of anger and pain as she seethed at Zuqetta. 

"You didn't know Gan-sensei at all. Not like I did. You don't know what he went through. What I went through." Clenching her fists again, Gira was shaking with visible rage. She knew that Maxsuz and Yangcong could be varying levels of messed up, but Gandigan always told her that she was just what the Saiyans needed to curtail their destructive habits. He was honorable and wanted safety in the galaxy. He was even going to let Gira challenge for the throne herself... without an army. That alone proved his honor to Gira.

'These are lies. All of what she said... it's nothing but a lie...' But she wouldn't know for absolutely certain unless she saw for herself. Normally, she wouldn't invade someone's mind without permission. But right now, Gira was beyond asking nicely.

"YOU'RE A LIAR!!! AND I'M GONNA PROVE IT!!!" Gira roared in anger and agony, her violet aura flaring around her. Something was different about it, though. Compared to the power she was able to showcase before, what she was outputting now was nothing compared to what she had before. As a Super Saiyan, Zuqetta likely knew how powerful of a weapon rage could be for their race. However, it wasn't power that Gira was aiming to gather. Locking eyes with Zuqetta, the two Saiyans would feel a strange sensation as their gazes were connected, as if time stopped all around them. 

'Now, let's see what the truth really is...' Gira could feel herself drifting towards the Queen when suddenly reality itself shattered all around her. She was now floating in an endless void, her expression changing to a look of determination as she dove downwards. She could see a bundle of energy in the distance; Zuqetta's subconscious. In this part of her mind was where all the secrets she wanted to keep hidden were. She wasn't entirely sure how this technique would work in practice, but she knew in theory what was about to happen. Breaking through a ceiling of light, the young Saiyan fell through a black fog, dropping onto a pure white platform. She looked around, only to find that where she had landed was an absolute mess of staircases that led to doors standing alone on platforms, some that led nowhere, chasms so deep she couldn't see the bottom, and towers off in the distance that gave the Saiyan an ominous feeling. 

"What..." Gira could merely look around, her mouth agape in confusion and wonder as she looked around at the landscape. It seemed so... empty. Was this really all there was in her mind? The teen began to walk around, coming across several doors. She tried each one, but they were all locked and wrapped in heavy chains. However, she did find one door after what felt like hours of searching. In truth, time did not exist in the mind as it did in the real world. The way Gira's technique worked, this was all basically one big waking dream, with the time dilation to match. Taking a look at the door, she noticed that it was showing much more wear and tear than the others. It wasn't like the weather in here did this, so Gira wondered what exactly the condition of the door meant. Grasping the door knob, Gira entered into the room, unsure of what she would find.

---

TWC: 2483


Power Level: 123,000 (Base Form)


Hit Points
▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 270%

Ki Points
▰▰▰▰▰▰ 6 / 6

Momentum Points
▰▰▰▰▰▰ 4 / 6 (+1)

Resources
Sparking (1 / 1)
Saiyan Pride (OFF)
Antisense (OFF)
Burning Ki (1 / 1)


ACTIONS

Gira uses her [UT] Perfect Mind Walking technique! (FINALLY)

Gira had managed to escape whatever being was approaching. It appeared that this was the one place the shadows of Zuqetta's mind would not tread. As she entered the door, it slammed shut behind her, causing the young Saiyan to squeak with fear at the suddenness of it all. Turning her attention back to the room, it appeared to belong to a small child. Based on the decor, anyway. Her gaze turning to the bed, she spotted a small girl sprawled out, reading a book out loud. Based on the tail, they were very clearly a Saiyan.

The sudden door slamming seemed to scare the child, too, as she sat up and held the book in front of her like a shield. She asked who Gira was, and declared that this was "Zuqq's" room. It became clear to the young Saiyan in that moment that she was looking at the mind's owner when she was a small child. Was this a memory? Or something else? She didn't think that people from memories would even be aware of her existence. Staying where she was to put the child at ease, Gira found herself smiling warmly at her, though there was a hint of nervousness in it. 

"I-I'm Gira. Sorry, I think I took a wrong turn somewhere. I didn't mean to intrude into your room." Gira looked around at the place.

"It kinda reminds me of my own room when I was little." She mused to herself as she took a step forward.

"So... uh... Zuq, what are you reading? It seemed like a funny story." Gira figured she would try and befriend the small child. Somewhat out of guilt for scaring her, but also because she may have some information that Gira would want. Regardless of her age, she was still a product of Zuqetta's mind. Why she was here, however, and why the shadows avoided this place, was a mystery.

Was this innocent little girl really the Saiyan Queen whose mind she invaded? They seemed like they couldn't be farther apart personality-wise. However, she did see the resemblance. Maybe this girl really was Zuqetta after all.

---

TWC: 2841


Power Level: 123,000 (Base Form)


Hit Points
▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 270%

Ki Points
▰▰▰▰▰▰ 6 / 6

Momentum Points
▰▰▰▰▰▰ 4 / 6

Resources
Sparking (1 / 1)
Saiyan Pride (OFF)
Antisense (OFF)
Burning Ki (1 / 1)


ACTIONS

It appeared that Gira's casual and friendly demeanor won over the little girl for now. Little Zuqetta hopped off of her bed and rushed over to Gira, eager to show her the book she was reading. It happened to be a fairytale that Gira recognized. It was among the many bedtime stories her mother would tell her as a little girl. The tiny Saiyan looked down at the book as the little girl presented it to her. A small smile crossed her lips. The wholesomeness of the entire situation lifting her mood a bit.

"Wow, those are some big words. You're really smart, Zuq. When I was your age, I kinda had a hard time with reading. My mom would read to me before bed though. Stories a lot like that one." Her smile faded slightly as she found herself missing home. It had been a long while since she had been home for a long, unbroken period of time. She missed a lot of things about Earth, but she missed her mother most of all.

"When I was your age, I really liked "the Ugly Duckling." I felt different from my classmates when I was little. My... "weirdness" led to me not having many friends growing up. I guess the story made me feel better about myself."

---

TWC: 3059


Power Level: 123,000 (Base Form)


Hit Points
▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 270%

Ki Points
▰▰▰▰▰▰ 6 / 6

Momentum Points
▰▰▰▰▰▰ 4 / 6

Resources
Sparking (1 / 1)
Saiyan Pride (OFF)
Antisense (OFF)
Burning Ki (1 / 1)


ACTIONS

Gira couldn't help but laugh when the little Zuqetta tried to repeat the word "classmates," admitting that she had never heard of them before. "They're, like, kids your age that you go to school with." That was the most concise way she could think of to describe what a classmate was. Zuqetta did say that she had plenty of friends, though. Gira felt happy about this for some reason. Despite how she felt about the woman now, this innocent little girl had a pure heart and a sunny disposition. She had gotten Gira to laugh genuinely for the first time in awhile, so she hoped that she had plenty of friends.

Gira herself was lacking in that department growing up. Until Gira's childhood friend, Kaci began trying to get her to socialize more in middle school, Kaci was pretty much the only friend she had. Even going through high school, she could count the number of friends she had on one hand with fingers to spare. It wasn't until recently that she began making more friends. It was around this point when Gira realized that Zuqetta wasn't talking about other kids being her friends. One by one, she began to bring out various plushies, setting them down next to the young Saiyan. These were the friends the little girl was speaking of. Gira smiled as Zuqetta hugged a bunny plushie that appeared positively giant compared to her, pushing another plushie in Gira's direction and declaring that they were friends.

"Right. We're friends now." The young Saiyan gratefully accepted the plushie she was given; a yellow bear with a red shirt and black eyes. A warm smile was stitched onto its face.

"And since we're friends, that means we gotta play together." Gira realized that she was speaking to a mental projection, but this was still a part of Zuqetta, even if it was a part she kept buried deep down. Perhaps by befriending this part of her, that would translate into an actual change in their relationship in the real world? Besides, Gira didn't have the heart to turn the girl down just because she was technically a projection of someone's subconscious. 

Unfortunately, Gira and Zuqetta's playdate would be cut short. First, Gira detected the sound of footsteps approaching the door. Was it that thing that had been stalking her earlier? No, the little Zuqetta appeared to notice it, too. She said only one word, presumably a name; Potate. She looked away from Zuqetta and towards the door that led to the other parts of her mind for just a second.

"Zuqetta, what's--?" She looked back only to find that the little Saiyan was gone, having hidden under her blankets. At that moment, the lights in the room went out and the door flew open. Gira leaped to her feet, taking on a defensive stance in preparation to face whatever was coming. She'd protect Zuqetta if that's what it came to. To her surprise, however an older-looking Saiyan emerged into the room instead of some kind of monster like Gira expected. In spite of this, though, he still had a monstrous quality to him. He would not even look at Gira as he passed right by her, retrieving Zuqetta and incapacitating her by grabbing onto her tail. 

Gira recognized that this must be the memory that she initially stepped into. It was now beginning to play out the way it should. Still, in spite of this, Gira could see Zuqetta and her expression as she watched them go. It was an expression she had seen many times during her work as a hero; it was the expression of someone who was asking for help. 

"Hey!" Gira called out to the projection of the Saiyan man. She wasn't entirely sure what she was doing. It wasn't like she could stop whatever was about to happen. It already happened a long time ago. Still, Gira couldn't sit by and just watch this. The room began to shake as the Saiyan teen stepped in front of Zuqetta's tormenter, blocking his way to the door and holding out her palm towards his chest to prevent him from leaving.

"That's my friend you've got there. Let her go... and train with me instead." Gira locked eyes with the man. Hopefully, he was somewhat like the little Zuqetta and able to be spoken to.

---

TWC: 3787


Power Level: 123,000 (Base Form)


Hit Points
▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 270%

Ki Points
▰▰▰▰▰▰ 6 / 6

Momentum Points
▰▰▰▰▰▰ 4 / 6

Resources
Sparking (1 / 1)
Saiyan Pride (OFF)
Antisense (OFF)
Burning Ki (1 / 1)


ACTIONS