Dragonball 1/2

Chapter 13: Unexpected Connections

Vegeta's reflection rippled in the pond, a stranger staring back. She gritted her teeth, muscles taut with frustration. The bucket of steaming water sat beside her, wisps of vapor curling into the air.

"This has to work," she muttered, plunging her hands into the scalding liquid. The heat seared her skin, but she held firm, waiting for the familiar tingle of transformation.

Nothing.

Vegeta yanked her hands out, droplets flying. "Damn it!" she snarled, clenching her fists. The pain was nothing compared to the ache in her chest, the weight of her unchanged form.

Her mind raced, pieces clicking into place. Goku's wish. The new "rules" of their curse. A more controlled transformation, he'd said. But this...

"Permanent," Vegeta whispered, the word tasting bitter on her tongue. She paced along the water's edge, each step precise, measured. Controlled, just like her new body was meant to be.

Her reflection caught her eye again. The proud Saiyan prince, reduced to this. She halted, staring at the unfamiliar curves, the softened features.

"Is this what you wanted, Kakarot?" she growled, addressing her absent rival. "To make us... manageable?"

The thought sent a surge of defiance through her. She might look different, but inside, she was still Vegeta. Still a warrior. Still royalty.

"I won't be tamed so easily," she vowed, chin lifted in determination. "This new form... I'll master it. Surpass it. And when I do, Kakarot, you'll see the true power of the Saiyan Prince."

---

The kitchen hummed with activity, the air thick with savory aromas. Goku's sakura-pink hair bobbed as she chopped vegetables, her movements precise and focused. Chi-Chi stirred a pot nearby, stealing glances at her transformed spouse.

"Goku, can you pass the ginger?" Chi-Chi asked.

Goku's brow furrowed in concentration. "Sure thing!" She reached for the root, carefully grating it. "Like this, right?"

Chi-Chi nodded, a smile tugging at her lips. "Perfect. You're getting better at this."

Goku beamed, a warmth blooming in her chest that had nothing to do with the steaming pots. "Thanks! It's kinda like training, y'know? Gotta focus on the little things."

A chuckle escaped Chi-Chi. "If only you'd applied that focus to housework before!"

Goku joined in the laughter, the sound light and unfamiliar from her new vocal cords. She paused, struck by the moment's simple joy.

"Hey, Chi-Chi?" Goku's voice softened. "I never realized... cooking with you is pretty fun."

Chi-Chi's eyes widened, then softened. "Oh, Goku..."

Goku's mind raced, a flurry of new sensations and realizations. "This form... it's like I'm seeing everything differently. Not just battles and training, but... this. Us."

She gestured between them, her movements less sharp, more fluid. "I feel more... here. Present. Is that weird?"

Chi-Chi shook her head, reaching out to squeeze Goku's hand. "Not weird at all. It's... nice."

Goku squeezed back, a new strength in her grip – not of raw power, but of connection. For a moment, thoughts of training and rivals faded, replaced by the warmth of family and the sizzle of dinner on the stove.

---

Vegeta's fist slammed into the trunk of a nearby tree, bark splintering beneath her knuckles. She paced along the pond's edge, each step crackling with barely contained fury. Her reflection rippled in the water, a stranger's face staring back.