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Today was a special occasion at the Son household; Son Goku, the family patriarch, was turning thirty-five, or at least that was the age that everybody had guessed he was. It was hard to tell anymore given his Saiyan genetics. Even by the age of fifteen he still looked like a small child, and in his older years, he still looked like a young man. Son Goku himself was never quite good at remembering his own age even in his youth. Even so, it was an excuse for the kind-hearted Saiyan to spend time with his extended family and chow down on good food, so in his mind and everybody else's, that was good enough.
The family was enjoying themselves quite nicely, having a picnic outside the Son's house. Everyone was sitting down on the grassy plains, situated on blankets and eating a delicious feast prepared by Goku's wife, Chi-Chi.
Goku, Goku's youngest son Goten, and Chi-Chi's father, the Ox King sat together on the same blanket. Goku was, of course, digging into the food, while his son Goten rapidly ate along with him to try to try and match his speed. Bits of rice and meat flew into the air as Goku and Goten's chopsticks were basically shoveling the stuff into their mouths, much to the amusement of Ox King.
"Man, I keep forgetting how fast you guys fork it down. Reminds me of me when I was still a young prince," the large man commented with a hearty laugh. "Hey Chi-Chi, take a load off and come enjoy yourself with us already!" He then called through an open window of the house, where Chi-Chi was still preparing the day's meals.
"I'll just be a minute, Dad! You know just as well as I do that we're gonna need a lot more than what we started off with!" Chi-Chi replied from the kitchen, referencing how Goku devoured nearly half of the first courses in less than five minutes. "Besides, the rest of us don't want to be starving, do we?" She added, hurriedly dicing vegetables and boiling a pot of hot water.
Meanwhile, Goku's oldest son Gohan was eating with his girlfriend Videl and her father Mr. Satan. Satan was on a usual tirade of how awesome he was at the last Tenkaichi Budokai where he, of course, prevailed as the champion for what seems like the thousandth year in a row.
"Let me tell ya, I was mowing through all the competition, squashing every single one of those guys like they were a bunch of peeled grapes! Why, this one guy taller than a skyscraper tried stepping me up in the semi-finals, but I took his sorry butt out with one punch!" He boasted.
"Uh, heh heh, that's very impressive Mr. Satan," Gohan nervously said. "Um, don't you think your father's getting a little overexcited?" He then whispered to his visibly annoyed girlfriend.
"Of course he is. Still, it wouldn't stop him either way," Videl said. For all his bragging, the truth was that Mr. Satan relied on luck and tricks to get by as a martial artist, as well as making sure that his pink, gelatinous friend Majin Buu challenged him in the finals and let him score a win. But, despite that, Gohan and Videl continued to nod their heads and smile at Mr. Satan's tomfoolery.
Overall, it was a fun if not hectic day for the extended Son family. However, the party was about to get a little more complicated…
Behind the bushes surrounding the outskirts of the forest surrounding Goku's land, a mysterious figure was waiting in silence, eyeing the vicinity with calculated thoughts. He shimmied his way around the group, totally unnoticed and unheard. He eventually made his way across from Goku's eating spot.
"Yes… I have you now…" he whispered to himself, eyes peeking through the leaves. But before he attempted to make himself known, his shifting knee accidentally broke a twig on the ground, letting out an audible snap.
"Hey Dad, did you hear something?" Goten then asked his father, the sound reaching his ears and making the figure curl back slightly.
"Huh?" Goku put a hand to his ear. "Uh, no, I don't hear anything. Here, son, dig in!" He then handed Goten another bowl of rice.
"Oh boy!" the young child exclaimed in delight, forgetting about his slight inhibition entirely, doing as instructed and chowing down on the rice.
The figure, while grateful that he was not caught, could not help but sigh internally at the cluelessness of the father-son pair. And soon enough, he decided to make his presence known.
"HA HA HA!" The figure laughed evilly as he suddenly jumped out of the bushes, making everybody in attendance stop what they were doing and notice his presence. He revealed himself as a man with long black hair and wearing a set of brown armor on his body, as well as sporting a halo over his head.
"Wait… Raditz?!" Goku called, recognizing the figure as his older brother, and one of the first adversaries he fought as a young man. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Other World?"
"Surprised to see me, Kakarot? I've come to take my revenge on you, fool!" Raditz boasted, arms crossed over his chest and laughing maniacally. "And I assure you, this time around, things won't be as easy as they were before. I've become much more stronger than I was in our first encounter!"
"Are you serious?!" Goku asked in bewilderment.
"Of course I'm serious! What, are you so frightened by me that you must ask such hopeless questions?" Raditz mocked his brother, feeling that his reappearance
"No. I meant are you seriously gonna try to fight me when we're not even in the same league anymore?" Goku asked, leaving Raditz to gawk at his obliviousness.
"What was that?!" Raditz yelled angrily. "Don't insult me! I already told you that I'm much, much stronger than I was in our last encounter. I didn't spend my time in the Other World sitting on my ass after all!"
"I kinda doubt that. It's been years since we last met, and my dad hasn't been slacking off either. Not in the slightest," Gohan spoke up.
Raditz whipped his head towards Gohan's direction. "Hey, I didn't ask for your input, so why do-" He stopped mid-sentence when he took a closer look at his facial features. "Wait… you're that brat who broke my armor!" Raditz yelled, remembering young Gohan's fatal blow to his chest after being angered by his treatment of Goku.
"Hm, yep. It's me." Gohan said, actually feeling a bit glad his uncle recognized him for some strange reason.
"Hey, what's he talking about Gohan?" Videl asked, not informed of Gohan's early escapades with Dragon Balls and aliens.
"I'll tell you later, Videl. It's a long story," Gohan assured.
"Tch. So you grew up, did you? You still seem like a litt-" Raditz once again stopped mid-sentence when he took notice of the small boy next to Goku's leg. "Hey, wait, there's another brat?!"
"Oh yeah. I forgot to mention, this is my other son, Goten," Goku said nonchalantly.
"Hi there mister!" Goten said, waving to his uncle. "Say, you seem kind of grumpy. How come?"
"Gr! This one is more annoying than the last one," Raditz said quietly. "Gah, we're getting off track. As I was saying, I'm here to take my revenge!" He reminded the group.
"Come on, Raditz, you can settle down now," Goku said. "I can honestly say that you would not do as well as you did when we first fought."
"I'm getting tired of you saying that. How can you be so sure that you're stronger than me? Here, let me just use my scouter. Then we'll see just who is stronger than who!" Raditz said, tapping the side of his head.
"Uh… Raditz? I think your scouter is missing," Gohan pointed out, the green device that was once on Raditz's ear indeed now missing.
"Huh? What the-! Is it really gone?" Raditz asked.
"You didn't notice it was gone when you went to Other World?" Goku said. Funnily enough, Raditz' scouter was removed from his face after he died fighting Goku.
Raditz become flustered, not being able to sense ki naturally, and despite all his bragging about getting stronger, he didn't bother to learn. Nor how to strengthen his tail...
"Uh, well, uh, let's just assume that we're around the same level. A-after all, with the amount of training I've done, that is s-surely accurate!"
Just then, Chi-Chi come outside carrying a bunch of bowls and plates. "Okay everybody, we've got more food incoming!" She then stopped and noticed that there was a new face among the cast. "Ooh! Hello. Were you invited to the party?"
"Was I invit-gh, no!" Raditz said in anger. "You must be Kakarot's Earth mate. Allow me to introduce myself before you meet your demise: I'm Raditz, Kakarot's brother, and I'm here to destroy you all!"
"G-Goku's brother! You mean, you're the same person who kidnapped my Gohan and killed my Goku all those years ago?!" She said in horror.
"Yes, yes, that's right!" Raditz said, her reaction pleasing him after being treated like a joke. And after a pause…
"Well, if you're hungry, you're still welcome to stick around," Chi-Chi said in a homely manner.
Raditz could do nothing but fall to the ground out of pure frustration, before quickly rising back up with a vein popping out of his forehead.
"That absolutely tears it! What is the matter with you bunch of morons?! I am Raditz, for crying out loud!" He said, devolving from a serious Saiyan fighter to a upset man through a tantrum.
"This is a complete nightmare. I'm not even getting a chance to show Kakarot how strong I am now. My plans are going up in smoke. What the hell am I supposed to do?" Raditz said to himself, his back towards the group and trying to salvage what was left of his sanity.
"Uh, you okay over there Raditz?" Goku asked, scratching the back of his head.
"Hey Uncle Raditz, if you're still grumpy, I think you'll feel better if you eat something!" Goten suggested in all his innocence.
Raditz growled and turned back to everybody. "Playtime is over. I'm through being the butt of your jokes!" Raditz said, surrounding his body in a light purple aura as he gathered his ki.
"Hey, wait a minute. Your power really did increase!" Goku said, getting a clear read on Raditz's now ascended power level.
"Ha-ha-ha! What I was trying to say earlier was that I may not have been able to learn how to sense energy, but I still figured out how to suppress my power level. I just figured I'd give you a surprise. It's for your birthday, after all. Ba-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Raditz laughed.
"Whoa, whoa, easy!" Goku said, now being slightly alarmed. "Look, Raditz, I don't get why you're so mad-"
"That just makes it even worse, you moron!" Raditz roared, his ki flaring out even more, causing the ground to shake a little.
Goku finally got the notion that things were getting serious. "Gohan, Goten! Both of you should be able to take him on!" Goku said to his two sons.
"Right!" They both replied, Gohan and Goten flaring up their own ki
"Come on everyone, we need to get back!" Videl called to her dad and in laws. Chi-Chi and Ox King nodded and ran inside the house. Mr. Satan had actually been keeping his distance for a while, but went unnoticed as he was hiding under the picnic blanket. Videl sighed and dragged his cowardly self inside the house as well.
Locking the door behind them, Videl and the others stayed in the main room with the nearby window as their vantage point to observe the goings-on.
"Aw, heck, I ought to be out there too! I'll drop that long-haired freak on his sorry butt!" Mr. Satan boasted as soon as he was inside and out of Raditz's earshot.
"Dad, please, this is no time to get a big head. Gohan and the others can handle that guy," Videl assured.
"I'd listen to your daughter, Mr. Satan," Chi-Chi said, clearly afraid.
"Yeah. It'll probably be a cake walk for Goku and the boys, but we'd be sitting ducks out there," Ox King said after.
"Come on, now! I'm the world champion! I can handle anything!" Mr. Satan replied. However, upon taking another look at Raditz outside, his face began to sweat a little.
"Uh, err, then again, I think I might have a stomach ache. Guess I was enjoyin' the food too well and ate too fast," Mr. Satan said, rubbing his stomach and sitting down on a nearby chair.
As Videl put her palm on her face in frustration, Raditz and Goku's sons were about to square off outside.
"Sending your brats to fight me will do nothing but prolong the inevitable, Kakarot." Raditz mocked, now focusing on his nephews. "Your Uncle Raditz is going to give you nice little spar. Heh heh heh…"
With the two young boys gritting their teeth in suspense, Raditz began to charge.
"I'll have my revenge yet, you-GACK!" Raditz cried, suddenly stopping in his tracks. Goku and co. was puzzled at Raditz's sudden freeze, and so was Raditz himself.
"W-what the-huh?" Raditz craned his neck back to where the sharp pain he felt was coming from. It appeared that somebody had grabbed a hold of his tail. It appeared that Raditz was conveniently placed close enough for whomever it was to reach out from the bushes and seize his weak point.
"H-hey, let go! Let go!" Raditz said, squirming around and trying to break free of the arm wrapped in a red wristband.
"Raditz, you IDIOT!" A voice boomed from the bushes. Immediately after, the arm pulled Raditz back into the bushes.
Goku, the boys, and even the group inside stood dumbfounded as they heard the various sounds of Raditz being beaten so fierce combined with his shrill, overdramatic yells. It was almost like something out of a cartoon…
Moments later, Raditz was flung into the air and back out into the open, landing on his stomach. This body was covered with bruises, and his messed up face held a silly expression as he lay and drooled on the ground from his half open mouth.
"Well, I'll be darned. Its looks like I was right about it being a cakewalk," The Ox King commented from the house.
"Yeah, but that clearly wasn't Goku or the boys who did that," Chi-Chi said.
Then, the bushes began to rustle, signaling the arrival of another person.
"Uh, hey, you there, what gives? Are you supposed to be with Raditz?" Goku called, bringing himself forward to confront this person, but stopped in his tracks when the figure appeared.
"Hmph. Sorry about that. He wasn't supposed to do any of that nonsense," the person said.
"Huh? Hey Gohan, how come there's two of Dad now?" Goten asked, referring to how the person made it seem that Goku was looking into a mirror.
"Wow. He really does look like Dad. Sort of," Gohan noted, the person being much older than Goku, and wearing the aforementioned wristbands along with a matching headband and green Saiyan armor.
The Goku-look alike chuckled after taking a closer look at Goku. " I have to say: you really have grown up, Kakarot," he said.
"'Kakarot'? How come you know my Saiyan name?" Goku asked.
"Well, its pretty simple: I gave it to you," the look-alike answered.
"You… gave it to me?" Goku asked. Before he had a chance to continue, he was interrupted by the sounds of more rustling and another voice.
"Heeeeey, I thought you were gonna wait up! I've told you before that you're too fast for me!" cried a more feminine voice. This person then stepped out of the bushes, taking a second to catch her breath and dusting off the leaves and dirt from her pants.
"You seriously need to give me a break once in a while. I'm not exactly on your tier of crazy stamina if you haven't noticed," the woman in yellow and pink Saiyan armor pouted to the look-alike.
"Hmph. Maybe it's a sign that you need to work on yours, Gine," he said with a smirk, making the woman pout even more.
"Uh…" Goku tried cutting in, and soon got the couple's attention once more.
"Oh my, you must be Goku!" "Gine" said in shock. "You've gotten so big, and you look exactly like Bardock!"
"B-Bardock?" Goku asked, still growing confused, along with everybody else clueing into the conversation.
"Oh, that'd be this guy," Gine said, grabbing the arm of "Bardock". "Why haven't you introduced us yet? We literally just got here," she added, clearly annoyed at Bardock.
"Well, I was going to before you showed up and interrupted me," Bardock groaned.
"Don't be a grouch, just introduce us already. I'm so excited!" Gine said with a short squeak, making Bardock groan.
"Okay, okay, really, just what's going on here?" Goku asked.
"Well, Kakarot… my name is Bardock, and this woman is Gine… we're your parents."
"My p-parents? You mean you're my mom and dad?" Goku asked, his eyes growing wide.
"That's right!" Gine said. "We're here because we heard that today was your birthday and we wanted to show up as a gift for you!"
"Unfortunately, that means we would have to bring your brother here as well," Bardock grumbled, bringing Raditz's downed state back into everybody's attention.
"Looks like you really did a number on him. I think you went a little too far," Gine said to Bardock as she went over to Raditz and tried to wake him.
"He deserved it for acting like a spoiled brat. Besides, he's a Saiyan; he should be able to handle it," Bardock replied.
"Um, wait, I'm still confused. How did you guys get here from Other World?" Goku asked, pointing at the halos that were atop his parent's heads akin to Raditz.
I can answer that! Said a voice that only Goku could hear in his mind.
"Huh… King Kai, is that you?" Goku asked aloud, looking up to the sky where King Kai was no doubt looking down from his planet in Other World.
That's right! All thanks can go to me. Well, don't thank me for Raditz; I didn't plan on him blowing a fuse. Heh. Anyways, I heard today was your birthday, so I decided that I'd give you something special: a reunion with your original family that you never got to meet. The catfish-faced god explained.
"Really? Well, uh, King Kai, I don't know what to say," Goku said, still coming to grips with what was going on and not sure whether to be happy or not. His knowledge of his Saiyan heritage was not exactly filled with good things…
I know this is probably weird for you, but I can honestly say that your folks are all right. Don't just take my word for it, though. Just ask 'em! King Kai said.
"Sure, King Kai. I will," said Goku, the transmission between him and King Kai ending.
"So, uh, Mom and Dad…" Goku started back with his parents, rubbing his cheek with his finger. It was funny to use those two words for the very first time in his life, the only other parent he ever known being "Grandpa" Gohan. Gine secretly hid her glee at Goku calling her "Mom" while Bardock continued the conversation:
"Let me first say that your mother and I were told about what Raditz did here on Earth. I can't say I'm proud of it. He could have at least died with some pride instead of trying to trick you into submitting," Bardock said, sort of harsh on Raditz's end even though he had a point.
"I wish you two could have gotten along better. You never even got a chance to play with each other when you were kids," Gine said with a heavy heart.
"Oh yeah, that reminds me: now that we've met, you can tell me about the Saiyans. I already found out some stuff about them, but maybe there some things you can clear up for me. I've never really had the chance to sort through it, and I'm kinda curious about what you know," Goku said.
"Sure! But first, let's get your brother up," Gine said, still unsuccessfully trying to wake up the bruised Saiyan.
Bardock sighed and walked over to his eldest son. Without a word, Bardock raised his leg up and kicked it straight into Raditz's ribs. Raditz's eyes shot wide opened as he yelped in back, rolling over to his back on the ground.
"Bardock..." Gine said, putting her hands on her hips.
"Your way wasn't working. You're way too soft on him," Bardock said.
"Well, you're too hard on him," Gine said.
"Uh, a l-little help?" Raditz asked the two. Gine then went to help Raditz stand back up to his feet, making sure to avoid eye contact with the nearby "Kakarot."
"Now, Raditz, I think you owe your brother an apology," Gine said, much to Raditz's chagrin. The Saiyan continued to sulk and keep his gaze from Goku.
"Raditz…!" Bardock barked, preparing to kick his butt all over again.
Raditz flinched, and immediately faced his young brother, though he was clearly still against the idea.
"I… gr… I'm sorry, Kakarot," Raditz said, quickly bowing to Goku before turning around with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Heh. No problem, Raditz. I'd probably be madder at you if you didn't just get beat up. But I'd say we're pretty even now," Goku said, making Raditz's hidden expression turn even more sour.
"Oh yeah, that reminds me. I should introduce you guys to my family!" Goku said. He then called everybody to come forward and meet his parents.
"Hey Videl, you and the others can come out now! It's safe!" Gohan called to Videl's group through the open window.
"Guh, er, should we really?" Mr. Satan asked.
"Calm down Dad. I can tell that he means it," Videl said, leading her cowardly father and her in-laws out of the building.
The group of Goku's extended Earth family felt a collective uneasy feeling, as did Goku's Saiyan family who simply stayed quiet. Neither of them were slightly familiar with the other, and the sinking feeling of another confrontation hung in the air, especially with Raditz, who chose to sit behind Bardock and Gine and sulk, still around. Goku, on the other hand, had gotten over his own uneasiness.
"First, these are my two sons," Goku said, bringing the two boys forward. "Boys, this is your grandma and grandpa."
"Your sons, huh? Looks like you weren't just sitting here on Earth doing nothing," Bardock commented with a smirk. Goku, of course being as simple-minded as he usually is, did not understand what he was referring to.
"Whoa! I can't believe I'm a grandma!" Gine said, slapping her hands to her cheeks.
"Oh, but my grandkids are so cute! And this one even looks just like Kakarot!" Gine said, bending down to meet Goten. "Hi, there!"
"H-hi… I'm Goten," Goten said, blushing. "Hey, lady, if you're my grandma, how come you look so young?"
If Goten had said that to somebody like his mother, he probably would have been called out for being rude. On the other hand, his grandmother just couldn't get over how cute he was and giggled instead. "Let's just say I have a secret to looking like this, okay?"
"And what about you?" Bardock asked Gohan.
"Oh, me? My name is Gohan," Gohan said.
"That's right. I named him after the man who found me when I landed here as a baby," Goku said.
"Is that so? I have to say, you look like you'd make a fine fighter even though you kinda look more on the soft side," Bardock said, making Gohan grow kind of nervous in front of his battle-loving grandfather.
"Yeah, he's not really into fighting as much as I am, but he's still pretty strong," Goku said, allowing Bardock to give an approving nod. Gohan was able to loosen up as well.
"Thank you, Grandfather. It means a lot," Gohan said.
"Oh and he's so polite too," Gine pointed out. "I wonder where he gets that from."
"Ahem. That would be me, thank you," said Chi-Chi, sliding next to Goku's side.
"I tell you for sure that they certainly didn't get it from this guy," she joked, poking Goku in the arm.
"Oh, uh, and this is Chi-Chi. She's my wife," Goku said.
"Wife? You mean your mate?" Bardock asked.
"If that's what you call it, then sure," Goku said. "And this big guy right here, is her dad, the Ox King." Goku said, motioning to the main in question behind him.
"Hello there. Nice to meet you," the Ox King greeted.
"Hello," Bardock and Gine said, amazed by the Earthling's size and girth.
"So you married the daughter of a king. Does that make you a prince?" Bardock asked.
"Ha! Like that would ever happen," Raditz commented, thinking of how stupid the name 'Prince Kakarot' sounded.
"Shut it!" Bardock snapped, driving his fist into Raditz's head, which made him yelp in pain.
"Uh, nope, not really," Goku said.
"Well, I'm glad that you were able our Kakarot was able to meet someone to take care of him. Even big strong Saiyan men still need a feminine touch in their lives," Gine said with a wink in Bardock's direction.
"Ha-ha, I hear that. It wasn't too hard, after all. He might be troublesome from time to time, but he's still the silly, kind and handsome man that I love," Chi-Chi, quickly hooking her arm around Goku's, who could only chuckle embarrassedly in response.
"Aw. I wish Bardock and I could be like that. He's still handsome, but I'd have to replace 'silly' and 'kind' with 'grumpy' and 'mean' to be accurate," Gine joked, giggling to herself.
"Tch. I've no shame in how I am. I'm a Saiyan after all," Bardock said.
"Judging by that, he sounds more like Vegeta," Chi-Chi said.
"Vegeta? You mean Prince Vegeta?" Gine asked.
"Didn't Prince Vegeta survive along with you and Raditz?" Bardock said, referring to the destruction of the Saiyan home world, Planet Vegeta.
"He sure did! Not only that, but he left me to die on this dump of a planet," Raditz complained.
"That was your own fault," Bardock said, making Raditz grumble.
"Yeah, Vegeta is still around. He lives here on Earth, too," Goku said, going back to the original subject.
"He does?" Gine and Bardock asked at the same time.
"Yep. He and I didn't get along at first, or with anybody really, heh, but he's a much better guy nowadays. He even has a family of his own. He married my friend Bulma and had a son named Trunks," Goku confirmed.
"To think that the arrogant "Prince of all Saiyans" would end up settling down with Earthlings, let alone anybody that could stand him…" Bardock said.
"It's not that surprising to me if Kakarot turned out to be his friend. That reminds me of us, too," Gine said.
"Now you're just reaching. I don't know what you're talking about," Bardock said.
Gine sighed. "Of course not, you grumpy-pants. Oh, and who is this young lady? Is she one of yours, too, Kakarot?" Gine asked, noticing Videl.
"You mean me? Oh, heh, no," Videl said.
"Um, actually, Grandmother, this is Videl, and she and I are… well… we're, uh…" Gohan stuttered. Videl was finding it hard to even try to articulate what Gohan was already getting flustered about.
"Ha ha ha! Oh, I think I get it. You two look too cute together not to be that way," Gine pointed out, making both the half-Saiyan and the Earthling blush in unison.
"That reminds me, how old are you two?" Bardock asked.
"We're both seventeen," Videl answered.
"Hmm. Then it won't be too long until you might start a family of your own. It'll be good to keep that Saiyan blood alive," Bardock said, almost making Gohan and Videl have heart attacks.
"Uh, that's still a long ways away, Mr. Bardock, sir," Videl said through a nervous voice.
"She's right. We're not ready yet. We haven't even… well… er…" Gohan was finding it increasingly difficult to talk at the moment. Videl showed signs of choking up completely.
"Hey, hey, hey, wait a gosh darn minute!" Mr. Satan blurted, suddenly butting into the conversation. "Ain't no way that my baby is gonna have her own babies unless I approve of it!" He then turned to Gohan. "And don't let me catch you trying any funny stuff either. I know what goes on in your mind. I was a boy once too, ya know!"
"W-what?! I-I assure you, Mr. Satan, I'm not like that at all!" Gohan said.
"And this is?" Bardock asked.
"Oh, that's Mr. Satan. He's Videl's dad, and the World Martial Arts Champion," Goku said.
"World Martial Arts Champion? For a title like that, he doesn't seem like much," Bardock said.
"'Scuse me? Hey listen here, Bandana Boy, I bet I could turn you inside out!" Mr. Satan said.
"Really? Well, I like the sound of that. How about you and I go a round?" Bardock asked, always pumped up for a fight, something that made Mr. Satan's anger/bravado quickly turn into fear.
"Uh, gh, er, w-well, uh, actually, Mister, uh, Bardock, is it? I, er, I can't fight right this second. I'm coming off a really bad stomach ache," Mr. Satan said, reusing his life from earlier and rubbing his belly. "So right now, I ain't at one hundred percent, and I sure ain't ready to tussle with anybody."
"Oh. Well, all right. Maybe later then," Bardock said. "Actually, that reminds me: Kakarot, would you and your sons like to go for a spar?"
"Really? Right now?" Goku asked.
"Sure. I've wanted to test your power for a long time now. Think of it as my birthday present to you," Bardock said.
"Oh wow, that sounds great! What do you say, Gohan and Goten? Do you want to spar with me and your grandpa for a little while?" Goku asked his two sons.
"Sounds like fun!" said Goten.
"Yeah, it sure does," said Gohan right after. "But um, Grandfather, maybe you and Grandmother could join us in our picnic first? We can talk more and get to know each other better," Gohan asked politely.
"Oh yeah, and I can ask you about the Saiyans and stuff!" Goku said, not stating the other half of his agreement, which was, of course, so he could eat more.
"And I can ask you your secret about why you look so young!" Goten piped up, making Gine giggle and cement Goten as her favorite grandson.
"Hmm… well, I could use a meal. We haven't eaten all day," Bardock said, not able to ignore his own insatiable appetite not only common to Goku, but all Saiyans. It helped that his stomach began to quietly rumble after Gohan mentioned the word "picnic".
"I could use something to eat too," Gine said, then turning to her other son. "Raditz, if you're willing to be a good boy, you can come eat with us, too."
"Bah. I'm fine. I don't have any interest in talking to Kakarot's family anyway," Raditz grumbled from the mouth, but not a second later did his stomach begin to grumble too, just as Bardock's had. Raditz grew nervous, his Saiyan roots coming back to haunt him. Grumbling once more, he stood up.
"Er… well… maybe I'll have a bite after all… but after that, Ireally am going to fight Kakarot. Don't think that I forget that I still need to prove myself to you, little brother," Raditz said.
"Well, okay, but don't cause anymore trouble, alright?" Goku said somewhat teasingly, making Raditz already regret his decision.
In any case, the party guests now increased by three, the extended Son family sat down, ate Chi-Chi's feast, and conversed with one another.
Bardock and Gine joined Goku, Goten, Ox King and Chi-Chi. Goku and Goten went back to their usual pace of eating, but found Bardock to be a worthy opponent as he scarfed down food twice as fast as they were going.
"Oh my. I have it bad enough for Goku, I'd hate if he ate like his father," Chi-Chi joked, with Gine nodding in approval.
"I'm lucky that I worked in the meat distribution business for a while, or else I wouldn't have the skill to keep that man fed," Gine joked back. Neither Goku, Bardock, or Goten for that matter were able to clue in, their faces too stuff and their minds fixated on their bowls.
Meanwhile, Raditz was sulking over at his blanket with Gohan, Videl, and Mr. Satan, not really trying to get into conversation. Though really, his expression matched the expressions Gohan and Videl wanted to show, as they were once again playing into Mr. Satan's ludicrous tournament stories.
After devouring a bowl of Chi-Chi's cooked fish, Goku remembered that he wanted to ask his parents some questions.
"So, uh, Mom and Dad… what happened to you guys? And I mean, like, how did you die?" Goku asked, somewhat somber do to the heaviness of the subject. Bardock and Gine also looked to be affected by the shift in tone, but they explained anyway.
The two Saiyans started from the beginning, explaining the details of their individual lives as well as their last days on Planet Vegeta and working for the evil overlord, Frieza.
"… My entire team was wiped out. One of them, still alive, told me it was Frieza's men who did it. Then I took his armband and wore it across my head, his blood soaking in and turning it red," Bardock said, pointing at the garment around his head. The more impressionable ones, such as Gohan, Goten, and even Mr. Satan was impressed by Bardock's heroism and his overall "coolness".
"I took out a squad that was nearby, but the leader got me when I was distracted. Barely alive, I tried asking the other Saiyans for help. Nobody believed me, and I couldn't get to your mother for help either," Bardock said, making Gine frown.
"But regardless, I was determined to put an end to Frieza once and for all. I flew up to the outersphere of Planet Vegeta, fought back against his cronies in my way, and confronted him on his spaceship all by myself. I came close to finishing him off… but…" Bardock stopped, his pride as a Saiyan being jilted by the remembrance of what came next.
"But what? What happened next?" Goku said, having been on the edge of his seat since Bardock and Gine began, and so was the rest of the attending family (sans Raditz, who again, was still sulking).
"But then…" Bardock continued. "Then Frieza summoned a giant ball of energy and hurdled it towards me. I was caught in the blast, and so were some of his men. The ball consumed me and took Planet Vegeta along with it too. I guess you can say that's it's my fault Planet Vegeta was destroyed..." Bardock sighed.
"No, it's not your fault. Not at all! You were the only one that was even willing to stick up for Planet Vegeta and our entire race in that moment. Besides, Frieza never trusted us. You have to remember that," Gine said.
"True. Frieza always saw the Saiyans as his puppets, just like the rest of his spineless minions. The only difference between them and us, however, was that Frieza thought everybody who worked for him was below him. But the Saiyans? We were above him and everybody else for that matter. And he knew it. He was just biding his time until he realized how much the scales had tipped in our favor," Bardock said in return.
"Come to think of it, I remember that when I fought Frieza on Planet Namek, he said I reminded him of a Saiyan that rebelled against him," Goku brought up.
"He did? Well, looks like my prediction came true," said Bardock.
"Prediction? What prediction?" Goku asked.
"Well, before I died, I remembered that I had sent you away to a distant planet and that you'd be able to live on. Then, I saw what I know now to be a vision of the future: you, standing up to Frieza and putting an end to him. It was then that I believed that you would be the one to avenge the Saiyan race," Bardock said with pride.
"Wow… well, I'm glad that you put your faith in me. And I'm glad that I was able to do good for the Saiyans. I didn't really like the Saiyans at first, mostly because of what Raditz told me. No offense," Goku awkwardly interjected, with Raditz shrugging it off in disinterest. "But after I met Vegeta, and he told me about how Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta, I decided to inherit my own version of Saiyan pride, I guess," Goku said.
"Well, considering all the battles that we've seen you been in, I can say right away that you definitely have it. Plus, you're definitely your father's son too," Gine cracked, making Goku and Bardock simultaneously rub the back of their heads, furthering Gine's statement. Though while Goku had his usual goofy grin, Bardock did not, but he still managed to have a small smirk.
"Kakarot, you mentioned that you fought Frieza just now. How did that come about exactly? How did you find out about him?" Bardock asked.
"Oh, well, that's a pretty long story," Goku said.
The orange-clad Saiyan then relayed the events that led to his destined encounter with Frieza, starting from the beginnings of finding out about his heritage from Raditz and so on.
"… Then he killed Vegeta with a single blast. Before he died, Vegeta told me what had happened to our race. I was reluctant at first because I did not want to be a merciless thug like he was, but then I realized how much Vegeta truly suffered under Frieza, and in a way, I could at least understand that enough to share in some of his pride. Then, Frieza and I fought, and-"
"And then you turned into the Legendary Super Saiyan!" Gine suddenly blurted out, quickly covering her mouth as everybody was surprised by her outburst. "Oops. Sorry. It's just that I got so excited when that blue fish-man first told us about that part."
"Oh, you mean King Kai told you about that?" Goku asked.
"That's right. He didn't tell us much. Just that you realized the legend. But how did you do it? And why?" Bardock asked.
"Well, at the time, Frieza just killed my best friend from Earth, Krillin. I got really angrier, even angrier than I was at all the other horrible things that he did, that I just snapped and turned into a Super Saiyan," Goku said.
"Hmm. According to the legend, only those with a pure heart triggered by rage and a great need for some kind of action can unlock the power. Based on your personality and what happened on Namek, it makes sense that you of all Saiyans would do it. Very impressive," Bardock said.
"And to think our son is the only Saiyan in at least a thousand years to become one, too!" Gine said.
"Well, uh, that's not exactly true," Goku said, making Bardock and Gine do a double take.
"After I become a Super Saiyan, Vegeta become one too. And so did my sons Gohan and Goten and then Vegeta's son Trunks. We're all Super Saiyans."
Bardock and Gine's jaws almost dropped to the floor. Even as children, they recognized the legend of the Super Saiyan as something of great value, something so ancient and inaccessible to the normal Saiyan that the activation of such a power was at least a thousand years apart per generation. It made Frieza fear the Saiyans so much and what eventually led him to order their genocide… and yet now, it seems as though anyone could become a Super Saiyan. Maybe even them if they tried hard enough…
"Wow… kinda hard to swallow, huh Bardock?" Gine asked, Bardock simply nodding in agreement.
"Uh…" Goku started.
Then, Goku told his parents about the advancements he and the others had made with the Super Saiyan form down to the very last detail. The two Saiyans from a generation far gone almost fell back on their butts in sheer amazement.
After everybody had enough time to eat and talk, the extended Son family took the opportunity to spar as planned. Goku, Gohan, Goten, Bardock, Raditz, and even Gine took part while everyone else watched from the sidelines.
Raditz, while being the weakest of the bunch, surprisingly right below his mother, still managed to go at Gohan and Goten with a fair chance at overpowering them. However, they were equal. It was at least enough to impress Bardock, who also got the chance to fight with Raditz… and just like before, he pummeled him. But at least he was still impressed with Raditz's strength regardless. He was much more formidable then when he grabbed his tail, after all, though Raditz made sure to keep his tail away from Bardock's grip.
Goku and Bardock's match was the best one of them all. Bardock had a decently hard time against his grandsons, but Goku almost proved to be too much for him. However, ever the upstart, Bardock asked that Goku use his Super Saiyan power against him. After he and Gine admired the appearance of Goku's black palm-tree-like hairs floating up into a golden, glowing scene of beauty, Bardock had to be pulled away from Gine before he got himself seriously injured. This of course, made Bardock upset, but it still got a laugh from the rest of the fighters. Even Raditz.
The time then came for the denizens of Other World to say goodbye to their new family. Goku promised his parents that he would continue to work harder and become stronger, and of course, they were proud of their son for showing such resolve.
Raditz himself was so moved, he promised that he would watch over his little brother and improve his own fighting skills in the process. Obviously, he did not actually say it in that manner, but in his own Raditz-y way, meaning that he scoffed in Goku's direction and nothing more. Still, the message was clear in his eyes, which had become softer compared to the menacing stare he had kept for the majority of his visit.
It was hard for Gine to pull away from Gohan and Goten, showering them with last-minute affection in the form of multiple kisses and crushing hugs, but eventually, Bardock pulled her off, and afterwards, he gave another sly remark about Gohan and Videl "doing the deed", and this time, Mr. Satan did not object. That he did not want to, but because it might spark Bardock to challenge him to another spar, something he was thankful he was able to get out of the first time thanks to the wearied Bardock fighting Super Saiyan Goku.
The last thing that transpired before Bardock, Gine, and Raditz took their leave was Gine suddenly tearing up out of nowhere. Goku asked her what was wrong, and instead of responding, she wrapped Goku into a hug. Gine told him that she was sorry that he had to grow up without a father or a mother and how much she had missed him since the last time she had saw him as merely a toddler.
Goku may not have been the sharpest tool in the shed, especially when it came to things such as this… but in his heart, he understood how his mother felt. He returned her hug and said not to cry for him, because even though he was left alone, he was able to meet someone who took care of him, and led him to more people he would call his companions and loved ones, while at the same time helping him to grow into a kind-hearted hero. He also pointed out that none of that would have happened if she and Bardock had not have been kind enough to send him to a distant planet and evade the genocide of the Saiyans.
Even Bardock couldn't help but cry at that point. By then, everybody was hugging each other. Goku, Gine, Bardock, and even Raditz, who had ironically been crying the loudest out of all four.
And with that, Goku received the best birthday present that he could have possibly gotten, and in return, his family received something as well: They were together.
Hello everyone still reading my fanfics, which I imagine is probably only like three people. lol Thank you so much for reading my newest fanfiction. I've been super busy for a while now. I'm currently in college and about to move out of my place and into an apartment near the campus, which is way far from where I am now. So yeah, haven't had much time to write for fun, while ironically, I've been writing plenty of stuff for my course in Creative Writing. Just my luck, huh? Well, anyways, hopefully this is signs of things to come in the form of me being able to write more often. And now some last notes about the story: I've had this idea sitting around for a while and I figured I'd do something more light-hearted in comparison to my first DragonBall Z fanfic, which was a lot more action-oriented. For this story I figured I'd focus more on character interaction and, well, comedy. With a little sappiness thrown in at the end. lol Still, I do admit I rushed myself a little bit, mostly just to make sure I'd have it finished by the next century, but I think I did okay in the long run. However, if you disagree, you're welcome to tell me otherwise. I'm always open to any feedback I receive, not only as a writer of a fanfiction, but a writer in general. :)
- Read and Review, AJrax