Chapter 25 - The Realization

                                    

                                          
Sorry for the slow updates. As you all know, volume 4 is BORING. Meaning that I'm doing my best to make it not boring. However, that means it's going to take longer to make chapters because of me having to think of new ideas and actually writing them out. If I'm being honest, Volume 4 will probably only be around 3-4 chapters, mainly focusing on Yang and Vegeta, because Blake and Weiss' part of the story doesn't really contribute to the Saiyans' character development right now. (This also means I'm gonna skip a whole lotta stuff just because I really don't like it. And you'll just have to think that it already happened off screen like Weiss escaping Atlas or Blake fighting that one Grimm on the boat.) Also Jaune will always be the beloved side character he is, meaning I'm giving all the screen time to Vegeta and not him. Also published this a little behind schedule... Sorry about that!
Vegeta soared through the ruins of Beacon, his thoughts wandering back to the past year that he and Kakarot had spent on this planet. As he flew, he couldn't help but wonder about the well-being of his loved ones back home. Was Bulma safe? Had anything happened to Trunks? His thoughts were momentarily interrupted by the relief he felt, knowing that Gohan had taken up his training again and was keeping Earth secure in their absence.
Losing his strength had been a humbling experience, one that had taught him to appreciate the power he had earned through relentless training and practice. He had always taken pride in his strength, so learning that a god had stolen his rival's body had been a frustrating and infuriating experience.
But despite the challenges they had faced on this strange planet, Vegeta had to admit that he had enjoyed his time here. For the first time in his life, he had experienced a "normal" childhood, attending school and living a modest lifestyle. It had been a refreshing change of pace from the constant battles and conflicts that he had known before.
And though the threats they had faced had been daunting, they had also served as a powerful training regimen. Vegeta knew that he and Kakarot were one step closer to regaining their full strength thanks to the battles they had fought on this planet. But there was one fight in particular that still bothered him: his one-sided battle with Cinder. If only he had trained harder, if only he had been stronger, maybe the outcome would have been different. It was a regret that lingered in his mind, even as he continued to fly through the ruins of Beacon.
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Yang entered the room where Goku was being kept, hooked up to machines to keep him alive after Cinder had sliced his heart in two. Atlas' best doctors had replaced his heart with a "bio-mechanical" one, but he remained unconscious. Yang approached his body slowly, feeling guilty for what had happened to him. "I'm so sorry," she muttered softly.
She knew there was nothing she could do but wait and hope for his recovery. Even though she had lost hope for herself, she still had hope for Goku. After taking one last look at him, she tried to close the door behind her using what remained of her right arm, which had been amputated. The phantom pain from her missing limb overwhelmed her, causing her to fall to her knees as she tried to calm the pain.
Once the pain subsided, Yang awkwardly used her left hand to close the door before sighing and walking downstairs. 
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Vegeta descended to the ground and observed that the Grimm were behaving differently than usual. Instead of mindlessly destroying everything in their path, they appeared to be more organized and purposeful, as if they were searching for something specific. Interestingly, they seemed unconcerned with Vegeta's presence, perhaps because he showed no fear. Their attention was so consumed by whatever they were looking for.