Moments after the breathtaking vista of Aethelgard was revealed beyond the dissolved light-arch, the initial shock began to wear off, replaced by typical Saiyan restlessness. While attendants attempted to guide the group towards the assigned guest wing with practiced, gliding steps, Mori’s sharp eyes caught a flash of vibrant color and the sound of distant, melodic chimes emanating from a side passage carved like interwoven branches dripping with soft light.

  "Ooh, what's that?" Before anyone could react, she darted off, a black-haired blur vanishing down the intriguing corridor.

  "Hey! Mori, wait up!" Gogeta yelled, instincts overriding protocol as he immediately bolted after her, not wanting to be left behind or let her explore alone.

  Altos let out a weary sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. He subtly activated his internal comms link. "Lyra."

  "Acknowledged, Super Elite," Lyra’s smooth voice replied instantly in his ear, though outwardly she merely stretched languidly, her tail giving a slow flick.

  "Keep eyes on the children," Altos ordered, his voice tight. "Ensure they don't demolish anything... structurally critical. Report any major incidents."

  "Understood," Lyra replied, a hint of amusement in her tone. "Containing the miniature whirlwinds." She detached herself from the main group and strolled casually down the same side passage the children had taken, letting them get well ahead.

  Scene 2: Crude Intentions & Saiyan Squabbles

  Elsewhere, Korg and Bruz lounged on delicate, flower-woven furniture in a waiting area, already leaving slight scorch marks from their boots. Nearby, the beautiful Aethelgardian attendant Lilia, with her cascade of purple hair, polished a floating star-chart orb, trying to ignore the Saiyans' presence. Her younger brother, Ren, nervously adjusted decorative wall panels nearby, casting worried glances at his sister and the hulking warriors.

  "Heh. Still thinkin' about that purple-hair?" Korg nudged Bruz, gesturing with his head towards Lilia. "Prime stock for a backwater planet like this."

  Bruz chuckled darkly. "Better than that scaly broodmother on Xantus we 'liberated', eh? Least this one looks clean."

  Lilia flinched, her polishing faltering. Ren froze, his hands clenching into fists, helpless fury warring with fear in his young eyes.

  Just then, the stern attendant, Master Lorin, entered. "You!" He pointed at Lilia. "Refreshments. Sunpetal Nectar. Immediately."

  Ren started, "Master Lorin, I can-"

  "Silence, boy!" Lorin snapped. "Tend to your panels. Don't think a kind word from the Princess's botanist excuses you from lowly duties. You're lucky to be here at all." Ren flushed and looked down. Lilia gently touched his arm, whispering reassurance before gliding away to fulfill the order, her graceful movements belying the tremor Kael saw in her hands.

  She returned with the carafe. Korg leered. "Pour it slow, pretty thing." Bruz slapped her hard between the shoulders, making her stumble. "Show respect!" Korg leaned in, whispering his crude suggestion. Lilia cried out, recoiling, dropping the tray as she tried to flee. Bruz grabbed her wrist. "Not done yet!"

  "LILIA!" Ren roared, pulling his crystal focus and igniting an energy blade, lunging at Bruz.

  "FOOL!" Lorin intercepted Ren, smothering his blade with a containment field. "Stop!"

  Korg and Bruz laughed. But before they could menace Ren further, High-Class Varek appeared in the doorway, taking in the scene with an expression of profound distaste. He looked from the terrified Lilia held by Bruz, to the furious Ren restrained by Lorin, to the sneering Low-Class Saiyans. He didn't move to intervene directly but activated his comm-sphere with deliberate slowness.

  "Master Altos, Varek reporting," his voice dripped with bored contempt. "The Low-Class vermin are... attempting to fraternize inappropriately with the local staff near Guest Sector Gamma. Causing a typical disruption. The local attendants seem pathetically unable to manage them." He almost sounded amused.

  Altos' voice came back, cold and clipped. "Acknowledged. Document their designations for infraction report. Ensure they return to quarters, Varek. Immediately."

  Varek deactivated the comm, a cruel smirk playing on his lips as he looked at Korg and Bruz. "You heard the Super Elite. Back to your kennels. Your... recreation is over."

  Korg and Bruz visibly paled at the mention of an official report to Altos. Muttering curses, Bruz roughly shoved Lilia away – she collapsed weeping to the floor – and the two grunts stomped sullenly out of the lounge, shoving past Varek without a word. Lorin quickly helped a sobbing Lilia up, while Ren glared daggers, first at the departing Saiyans, then at Lorin. Varek watched them all for another moment, sneered at the general display of weakness and crudity, then turned and walked away himself, clearly finding the entire affair beneath his notice.

  As Korg and Bruz rounded a corner, another Low-Class Saiyan, leaner and with a nasty scar across his lip – Zorg – stepped out from an alcove, grinning maliciously. "Well, well," Zorg drawled. "Heard you two finally got tagged by Command? Word travels fast."

  Korg growled. "Shut your mouth, Zorg!"

  Zorg chuckled, blocking their path. "Oh, I don't think I will. Sounds like you got reported by Varek to Altos himself! Nasty business. Almost as nasty," he leaned in conspiratorially, "as when you reported me for 'improper use of demolition charges' on Rigel V after that little tunnel collapse incident. Funny how things come around, isn't it? Enjoy scrubbing the plasma conduits!" He roared with laughter as Korg lunged at him, easily sidestepping the clumsy blow before sauntering off, still chuckling. Korg kicked the wall in frustration.

  Scene 3: Conservatory Setup & Attendant's Thoughts

  Mori and Gogeta burst into the designated conservatory lounge, Lyra following a few moments later at a relaxed pace. The room was bathed in golden light, filled with fragrant, glowing plants and the soft sound of chiming waterfalls. Lyra immediately spotted a ridiculously opulent chaise lounge woven from living moon-vines and draped herself across it with a sigh of pure satisfaction. "Ahhh... luxury," she murmured, closing her eyes, tail beginning its slow, rhythmic sway.

  Lysander, the attendant assigned here, flinched as the children zipped past. Great suffering stars, they move like angry comets. He smoothed down his pristine silver tunic, forcing a polite smile. And these are the 'saviors' they speak of? Children. He remembered the hushed, terrified whispers from his childhood – tales of the Krylls, vast and numberless, horrors that could swallow armies whole, the reason his family lived in hushed shame. How can these bouncing, impudent little things possibly face the darkness below? They seem weaker than Great-Uncle Theron before he shattered. He approached cautiously with a tray. "Sunpetal Nectar, Young Masters?"

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  "Ooh!" Mori zipped over, grabbed a goblet, drained it, and literally bounced on the balls of her feet. "Yummy! More, please! More!"

  Lysander refilled it, his smile tightening. Demanding, spoiled, oblivious... Perhaps their Empire sends children because they value life so little.

  Mori finished the second goblet and whirled around, grinning at Gogeta who was impatiently tapping his foot. She darted over, slapped his back – "Tag!" – and instantly swept his legs out from under him.

  "Ow! Mori!" Gogeta yelped, hitting the soft mossy floor.

  "Catch me if you can, slowpoke!" Mori laughed, already weaving through the conservatory like a hyperactive hummingbird.

  Gogeta shot up, competitive fire lit. "Oh, it is SO ON!"

  The chase consumed the conservatory. Mori led him on a merry, chaotic path, her agility clearly superior. She ran up walls momentarily, swung from glowing vines over decorative ponds, slid down waterfalls of light, and used large crystal formations for cover, always staying just ahead. "Too slow!" she taunted. "Faster, Gogeta! Remember that giant mutant Crocodilian on Rygel IV? It almost had you for lunch!"

  Gogeta pursued, gritting his teeth, using ki bursts for speed but constantly being outmaneuvered. He chased her towards the ancient Arbor tree. Mori scrambled up its trunk, dancing along a thick branch. Gogeta followed quickly, hand reaching... almost there! Mori stood at the very tip, giggling. Just as his fingers brushed her tunic, she hopped off the end, floating casually in mid-air. Gogeta, expecting the branch to hold, flailed, forgot his own flight for a split-second, and tumbled down, landing hard on the moss below.

  Mori howled with laughter. "Haha! Forgot you could fly, didn't you?"

  "Young Masters! The Arbor! Please!" Lysander shrieked, rushing towards them yet again, hands flapping uselessly. "It's sacred! Do not climb!" He tried to position himself to block them, arms outstretched. Mori zipped down, slid neatly between his legs – "Tag!" she tapped his back – just as Gogeta charged forward again. CLANG! Gogeta’s forehead connected squarely with the back of the falling attendant’s skull. Lysander collapsed in a heap, groaning, "I hate... this assignment..." Gogeta rubbed his head, more annoyed than hurt, glare fixed on the laughing Mori.

  Scene 5: Escalation & First Blitz/Stop

  Gogeta had reached his limit. Playtime was over. He planted his feet, ignoring Lysander's whimpers. Energy crackled around him, raw and potent. Mori sensed the shift, her laughter fading slightly as she paused near the conservatory's main archway.

  Gogeta vanished. The air snapped where he'd stood. From his perspective, the world became a streaking tunnel, Mori's now wary face rushing towards him. He saw her anticipate, saw her muscles tense to dodge. Not this time! With a roar, he flared ki backwards, fighting his own momentum. He slammed to a halt inches from the archway, boots melting deep runnels into the crystal floor. The shockwave blasted through the room – furniture skidded, leaves were ripped from plants, crystal lamps overhead exploded in showers of sparks, and Lysander cried out as loose ceiling tiles rained down around him. Teleportation! Sorcery! his mind screamed.

  Scene 6: Illusion, Second Blitz & CRASH

  Gogeta stood panting, glaring at Mori, who leaned against the archway frame, looking impressed despite herself. "Wow, good brakes, Gogeta," she admitted, then couldn't resist adding, "Still didn't catch me, though."

  That smirk, that casual confidence after everything... it broke his control. Pure Saiyan rage surged. "NO MORE TRICKS, MORI!" he roared, power flaring wildly, less controlled than before. "NOW! I! TAG! YOU!"

  He launched again, faster, a projectile of incandescent fury. His hand shot out— "TAG!"

  —and passed through nothing but shimmering air. The Mori leaning against the archway dissolved into harmless light motes. An afterimage!

  "Boo!" Mori's real voice chirped cheerfully, suddenly right beside his ear.

  He whirled mid-blitz, shock momentarily overwhelming rage. The real Mori hovered there, grinning. She tapped his shoulder lightly. "Tag! You're really it!"

  "WHAT?! GRRRRAAAAAAAH!" The surprise, the final taunt, the sheer frustration – he lost it. The immense momentum of the second blitz, combined with his uncontrolled whirl, sent him careening wildly off course. He desperately tried to correct, to stop, but it was like trying to halt a charging meteor barehanded.

  He slammed into the archway structure with devastating force.

  KRA-KOOOOM! BOOOOOOOOM! SCREEECH! CRUNCH!

  The light-construct exploded. He tore through the reinforced marble wall behind it, vaporizing ancient murals. He smashed through the adjoining Tapestry Hall, reducing priceless, millennia-old weavings depicting Aethelgard's history to scorched threads and memory. He punched through a third structural bulkhead before finally crashing to a halt somewhere deep within the Citadel's damaged framework, the multiple impacts shaking the entire spire and sending secondary explosions echoing down the corridors. Citadel-wide Klaxons blared at maximum intensity, bathing everything in frantic, pulsing red emergency light.

  Scene 7: Amidst the Rubble & Arrival Prep

  Thick clouds of acrid dust and pulverized crystal billowed from the ragged tunnel Gogeta had carved through the Citadel wall. The air tasted like shattered stone and ozone. Alarms shrieked relentlessly.

  Mori flinched hard at the final, catastrophic impact, all traces of playfulness gone, replaced by wide-eyed horror. "Gogeta?!" she yelled into the dust cloud, her voice shaky. She hovered near the gaping hole, peering in anxiously. "Gogeta?! Are you okay?!" Ancestors... he really did it this time. That's... that's really bad. Father is going to disintegrate me.

  Slowly, coughing plumes of white dust, Gogeta floated back out of the ruin. He looked dazed, covered head-to-toe in grime, but miraculously seemed unharmed beyond maybe a new headache. He rubbed the back of his head. "Ow..." He blinked, looking back at the tunnel of absolute destruction leading into the heart of the castle. "Whoa."

  Mori zipped over to him, her expression a mixture of relief and dismay. "Okay, okay!" she said quickly. "Maybe... maybe that was too much! Look what you did!"

  Gogeta scowled, brushing dust off his tunic. "Grrr... You tricked me!" he mumbled, though the anger was fading, replaced by the dawning realization of just how much trouble they were likely in. "And you started it!"

  Lyra was now on her feet, surveying the multi-layered destruction with a critical eye and a long, suffering sigh. "Well," she muttered dryly. "'Structurally critical' might be debatable, but I believe 'diplomatic incident' is definitely applicable." Lysander remained mercifully unconscious nearby.

  Disciplined Aethelgardian Guard squads were converging rapidly, arriving on silent energy discs. They ignored the children for now, their movements precise and economical despite the chaos. They established glowing energy-field perimeters around the breach, scanned the damaged structure with handheld devices, and relayed calm, technical damage assessments into their comms, their faces grim but focused under the flashing red emergency lights.

  (Interstitial Moment - Charlotte)

  Meanwhile, in another wing of the palace, Princess Charlotte was walking briskly towards the guest conservatory sector, two attendants trailing slightly behind her. Two Saiyan children, she mused, a gentle eagerness in her expression. Their energy signatures were staggering even in the throne room. What must their lives be like, to wield such power so young? Father says they are weapons, but... they looked so small. Perhaps... perhaps I can offer them just a moment's peace, show them the Sunpetal Garden. Just as she rounded a corner, the Citadel was rocked by the distant BOOM of Gogeta's impact, followed instantly by the piercing shriek of sector-wide alarms. Charlotte froze, her eyes widening in alarm. "What was that?!" She quickened her pace immediately, worry replacing eagerness as she hurried towards the source of the commotion, her attendants rushing to keep up.

  Scene 8: Ending Note

  Princess Charlotte arrived at the ruined conservatory entrance breathless, just as the first Guard squads were fully securing the scene. She stopped dead, her hand flying to her mouth, stifling a gasp. The scene before her was one of utter chaos under the flashing emergency lights: the colossal, smoking hole torn through multiple walls of her home; the efficient, armed guards moving amidst the rubble; the unconscious attendant lying pale on the moss; the strangely calm, almost bored-looking Saiyan woman observing nearby; and floating right in the center of the devastation, covered in dust and looking incredibly small and sheepish, the two children she had been eagerly coming to meet. The alarms wailed. Slowly, her initial shock warring with a wave of disbelief and an unexpected surge of intense curiosity, Charlotte took one hesitant step forward onto the debris-strewn floor, her wide, nebula-coloured eyes locked firmly on Mori and Gogeta.