Blecker x Dragonball

Focus! Call to the beast inside

Cross closed her eyes, breathing slowly as a pink aura enveloped her. Her words were slow and deliberate. "Call to the beast inside."

Everyone, including Cross, was in their cat form.

"If this form connects you to an animal spirit, it may not be the spirit you naturally would have, but it is a spirit we can all share. We can all reach in and find a spirit with the same difficulty. This form is designed to suppress the beast, but if you can find it past the layers of control and stability, past your feminine instincts, and bring it to the surface, you can transform yourself with the power of the beast. Repeat after me: call to the beast inside."

"Call to the beast inside," the group echoed.

Vegeta and Nappa took small breaths, a thick growl escaping their lips as they dug deep within their spirits, past the walls of civility and decorum. A beast, in contrast to the very nature of this form, which taught one to embrace civility and femininity as the pinnacle of a servant, wife, mother, and woman.

"Free the tiger," Cross commanded.

Her body began to change. Her face pushed out into a muzzle, her hands became more like claws, and her feet stretched and twisted into full hindquarters, though she still stood upright. She transformed into a creature half-human, half-beast, a fully anthropomorphized tiger with white fur and pink stripes. She opened her eyes, revealing startling pink irises.

With a soft purr, she stood and walked down the line of allies, leaning in as Goku gave a soft growl, trying to reach the beast inside.

"I know it may seem hard at first. You're trying to reach past barriers this form was designed to put up, as well as contact a spirit that has been altered by the form. Normally, none of you would have feline spirits, but because of this transformation, you all do. This makes it easier to unleash the beast. Now, Goku, can you feel the beast? Can you hear it? Reach out with your hand and grab its collar, pull it into you."

She roared, her eyes opening into a haunting teal as she shouted, "Free the tiger!"

In an explosive transformation, Goku transformed into a tiger girl with orange fur and black stripes.

Cross purred, licking Goku's nose as she passed her head. "Good girl."

Goku stood and practiced some katas, getting used to the feel of this new form as Cross moved down the line.

Gohan was already ahead of everyone else, mastering and controlling her beast form. Cross reached her and let out a large primal roar. "Unleash the cheetah!"

With a transformation that followed the style of her father, Gohan also took on the form of an anthro cat, seeming to age up a few years and looking more like a teenager. Cross purred as Gohan let Cross lick her nose and patted her head. "Very impressive, Gohan."

Gohan purred back with a broad smile on her face. "Thank you, Cross, but I couldn't have gotten this far without you and your initial training."

Cross purred and walked onto the next one. Puar was an interesting case, given she was already a cat before using the transformation. Puar did not disappoint as she softly mewled, "Return to myself."

She simply became a more human-like blue cat, clearly inspired by her true form, causing Cross to chuckle.

"I don't think either of us were expecting anything else."

Puar laughed and nodded. "Nope!"

"Rise up the lion!" Chi-Chi transformed next, opening her haunting yellow eyes and looking around at the group. A pit formed in her stomach. She hated to see her husband and especially her son embracing this side, but she knew the alternative was that last yellow-haired form. She didn't like either option, but at least she understood this one better.

Cross nodded. "I understand your feelings. This is not the path you thought your family would go down, and the alternative is even worse. But I'm not a fan of what I must do either."

Chi-Chi broke the ritual, pulling Cross in for a hug and holding her tight. "I know you have a big heart and you're only trying to do the right thing. When this is all over, when the androids are dealt with, maybe we can forget all this animal madness and Super Saiyan nonsense."

Cross gave a weary smile. "We can hope."

The catgirl transformation, by its nature, made one appear soft and feminine, which was a stark contrast from what Nappa normally looked like. As she roared out, pulling the beast to the surface, her form took on a mix of lion and bear, but also bulked up to her normal size. "Let loose the limeon!"

Cross purred softly as she looked up into Nappa's sparkling blue eyes. "You'll be a treat for some young man one day in that form."

Nappa laughed. "If he can handle me, that is!"

"Pounce, snow leopard!" Chiaotzu transformed next, and Cross came her way. The pair shared a momentary nuzzle.

"Good girl!"

"Thanks, Cross. It's so weird having a body like this."

Cross smiled. "You wear it well."

Yamcha became a regular leopard, Krillin took on the aspects of a house cat, Raditz a mix of lynx and chimpanzee. Tien became a panther, keeping her third eye. Piccolo was more like a bobcat, maintaining the signature antennae of all Namekians. Vegeta's beast resembled a mix of puma and horse. Future Trunks transformed into a purebred, ancient bloodline of sabertooth tiger. This brought them to their two alien allies who had joined them at the tournament before Namek and had stayed long after Frieza's defeat.

Cross leaned into the first one. "You joined our crew to take down Frieza, not even believing we could accomplish it, and yet you stayed with us long after his defeat. Why are you still with us, Brisket?"

The catgirl growled, still trying to draw out the beast. "You're right, I didn't think you could defeat the tyrant, and then you did. Now you face an even greater threat I didn't think was possible. I am curious to see just how far the potential of the people of this planet can go."

Cross nodded. "And your beast will fight with you, I presume. Don't give up. The key is perseverance, just like with all the threats we've faced before. Never give up, never surrender, and take that power with your hand. You will have to deal with heightened instincts and animal desires, but you've come this far; they will not conquer you."

Brisket nodded, then roared out, becoming a mix of a serval and a shark.

Cross purred as she moved to the final character, the other gladiator who had joined them. "And you, Chorizo, why are you still with us?"

Chorizo growled, seeking her animal spirit. "After everything I've seen you guys do, I want to see what hidden power you can awaken in me."

Cross nodded as the final warrior let out a bellow of animal rage and transformed into a mix of jaguar and fox.

Cross stepped back, looking over her new pride with a small smile. Beyond the wall of the gravity pod in which they were training, the world was under siege, and it hurt her to ignore it, but she knew none of them were strong enough yet to stop the androids.

"All right, everyone, get into positions. We're going to square off and spar. Get a feel for these bodies, and as soon as we have that understanding, we'll make another go at the androids. Remember, I need you guys to focus on restraining them so I can get close and... undo their brainwashing."

"Do we have a backup plan in case these new forms still aren't enough?"

Cross gave a warm smile. "I do, in fact. Do you see the team of all girls? There is a special technique that we can use, and I just happen to have the right equipment to make it happen. If these forms are not enough, I'll give the signal. Revert back to your forms, and you will follow my lead as we take out our special ace."

The group nodded, hanging on every one of Cross's words. They then paired off and began light sparring to get a feel for their new bodies. Some adapted quickly, while others struggled, going full beast. But that was why they were training—to hold the form and take advantage of the power granted to them.