A soft pulse of energy flickered through the pod's interior, gradually pulling Celes from her deep stasis.
Her mind stirred, consciousness returning as the hum of the pod's systems filled the silence.
"Wake-up sequence initiated."
Her glowing eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the dim light. She blinked, stretching her small Saiyan limbs, feeling the unfamiliar yet powerful body she now inhabited.
"Raphael… status update," she instructed, her thoughts still sluggish from sleep.
The system responded immediately.
"Analysis complete. Summary of developments during stasis:"
Genetic optimization finalized. Saiyan physiology upgraded to Legendary Saiyan potential.
Great Ape rage neutralized. Transformation now fully controllable.
Metabolism enhanced. Reduced food intake required while maintaining energy efficiency.
Legendary Super Saiyan transformation unlocked. Awakening sequence prepared for physical activation upon necessary energy surge.
Conceptual frameworks for Ultra Instinct, Ultra Ego, Kai Kai, and Shin's Healing Technique progressing as scheduled.
Pod trajectory stable. Estimated time to landing: 2 minutes.
Celes sat up slightly, absorbing the information. Everything had gone as planned, her body was refined, her abilities were growing, and now… now, she was about to arrive.
Earth.
Her new home.
She took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders as she prepared for the descent.
"Alright then… Let's do this."
Her journey was about to begin.
As the pod's descent began, the faint hum of its engines vibrating through the cabin, Celes felt the familiar presence of Wisdom King Raphael at the edge of her thoughts.
She had prepared herself for this moment, her body optimized, her abilities in development, and her arrival imminent. But there was one last thing to set in motion.
"Raphael," she commanded internally, "begin researching a way to make Legendary Super Saiyan a permanent state instead of a temporary transformation. Estimated time to completion?"
The system responded immediately.
"Acknowledged. Initiating advanced genetic analysis. Estimated time to full integration: 3 years."
Celes nodded slightly. Three years—a necessary wait to ensure the transformation wouldn't drain her energy or become unstable.
But she wasn't stopping there.
"While we're at it, start researching the progression to Legendary Super Saiyan 2. Estimated time?"
"Acknowledged. Estimated research time: 1 year. Practical application dependent on physical and energy thresholds."
A slow smirk spread across her face.
She was already far beyond a normal Saiyan, but soon? She'd never have to revert back to her base form. She'd wield unmatched power, efficiently refined for endless battle, evolution, and mastery.
The pod trembled slightly, planetary atmosphere contact.
"Wake me fully when we land," she instructed.
"Affirmative."
The pod groaned as it settled into the earth, the impact having left a small crater in the clearing. Steam hissed from its damaged frame, cracks running along its surface where the landing had been rougher than expected.
Celes stirred, blinking against the sudden rush of fresh air as the pod's hatch slowly disengaged. Her body felt stiff from stasis, but her instincts were sharp, her mind immediately adjusting to the new world around her.
Beside her, Kakarot squirmed, his tiny limbs stretching as he woke up from his own deep slumber.
She took in a slow breath, feeling the crisp air, the unfamiliar scent of grass, dirt, and life beyond the artificial silence of space.
With some effort, she pushed herself up, crawling toward the edge of the pod.
The frame was warped from the impact, but she managed to climb out, tumbling onto the cool earth beneath her.
Kakarot followed, sort of.
Instead of carefully crawling out, he tumbled forward, his balance off from still waking up.
THUD!
His head smacked against a rock on impact.
Celes winced instinctively. Oof… that's going to-
Kakarot, instead of reacting like a normal child, simply blinked in confusion, rubbed his head for a second, then started giggling.
Celes stared. Is he… okay?
Before she could dwell on it, she sensed movement nearby.
Turning her gaze toward the treeline, she spotted an older man approaching, his posture steady, his expression one of curiosity and concern.
Son Gohan.
Celes immediately relaxed, recognizing him. He wasn't an enemy. He wasn't a threat.
As Gohan reached the crater, his gaze lingered on the wreckage, then shifted to the two small Saiyan's standing in its wake.
A moment passed. Then, without hesitation, he bent down and scooped them up, cradling them in his arms as though he had already decided their fate.
"Well now," he murmured, studying them closely, a warmth settling into his voice. "Looks like I've got two little ones to take care of."
He glanced at Kakarot first, eyeing his bright, cheerful grin before nodding thoughtfully.
"Son Goku," he decided.
Then, he turned to Celes.
"And you shall be—Son—"
"Son Celes," she interrupted, her voice steady despite her young age.
Gohan blinked, startled.
Then, slowly, a knowing smile spread across his face.
"Son Celes, hmm? I like that."
As Gohan cradled the two small children in his arms, his warm gaze lingered on them, taking in their faces, their sizes, the strange wreckage they had emerged from.
Then, his brow furrowed slightly.
"Hmm?"
His eyes flickered downward, scanning their small forms until they landed on something peculiar, something unnatural.
Tails.
A soft gasp escaped him as he carefully shifted his grip, adjusting them slightly so he could get a better look.
"Well, now… that's certainly unusual."
The brown, fur-covered tails twitched faintly, reacting to his touch, causing Gohan's curiosity to grow. He had never seen anything like it before, not on human children.
"What kind of little ones are you?" he murmured thoughtfully, his voice carrying a mix of intrigue and care.
Celes, still adjusting to the situation, remained silent, allowing Gohan to process what he had just discovered.
Goku, however, simply giggled, clearly unbothered by the entire ordeal.
Gohan let out a low chuckle, shaking his head with amusement before looking toward the horizon.
"Well, strange tails or not, I suppose I'm your grandfather now."
And with that, he carried them toward their new home, unaware of the powerful destiny awaiting them both.
As Son Gohan carried Celes and Goku toward their new home, the warmth of Earth surrounded them, fresh air, soft grass beneath his feet, the beginning of a new chapter.
But elsewhere, across the vast reaches of space, their past was being erased.
Planet Vegeta.
Once a world of warriors. A kingdom of strength, ambition, and conquest. Now? It was moments away from annihilation.
A blood-red glow bathed the skies, the fiery aftermath of destruction already underway. Saiyan ships littered the atmosphere, some attempting to flee, others crumbling before they could escape.
And at the heart of it all—Frieza.
Floating effortlessly above the planet's surface, his sinister smirk remained unshaken, eyes gleaming with amusement as he raised a single finger toward the world below.
"Let's put an end to this little rebellion, shall we?"
The energy gathered, bright, pulsating, monstrous.
King Vegeta had fallen. The elites, the warriors, all crushed in Frieza's wake. There was no resistance left, no hope remaining.
Then, the blast was released.
A deafening roar of devastation erupted across the void as the energy collided, tearing through the core of the planet with unbearable force. The ground shattered, continents fractured, flames engulfed what was left of the Saiyan home world.
In an instant, Planet Vegeta was no more.
A once-proud race reduced to ashes, their legacy left only in the few survivors scattered across the universe.
But not all of them were gone.
Far across the galaxy, a handful of Saiyan's lived, unaware that their home had just been erased.
Prince Vegeta, away on a mission, surviving only because his status made him valuable. Nappa, loyal to his prince, unaware that he would never set foot on their home again. Raditz, Kakarot's elder brother, living in ignorance of the fate that had just befallen their people. And then, of course—Celes and Goku, quietly resting on Earth, their destinies ready to unfold.
Meanwhile, Frieza watched the remnants disappear into the emptiness of space.
"Such a waste... but necessary."
And as Son Gohan carried Celes and Goku toward their new home, Celes kept her expression neutral, but her mind churned.
She knew.
She had always known.
Her world, her race, gone.
But not all of them.
There were others. Survivors. Scattered, unknowingly lingering in the depths of space.
This wasn't just a fresh start.
It was all that remained.
(Word: 1414)