On the side of a mountain sat a small, round house surrounded by rich forests, tall rock structures, and sparkling streams. Birds chirped cheerfully as the glided gracefully through the sky, their shadows scaring away glittering fish as they darted about the many brooks and streams carving the fertile soil. The ground shook on occasion, not due to any earthquakes, but to towering dinosaurs who ruled the land.
Inside the mountainside-home was a woman cheerfully cooking a mountain of food in the kitchen, an old, gigantic man wearing a horned helmet over his greying hair, a sleeping baby with spiky hair, and a young teenager surrounded by a pile of books. He read a page and scribbled a random calculus problem in his notebook, not really trying to focus.
He stared out the window longingly, rays of sunlight streaming invitingly through the glass as if beckoning him outside.
Soft, yet dominating footsteps tapped down the hallway and stopped outside his door, causing him to hurriedly fix his posture into an engaged pose.
"Gohan," the woman called, opening the door. "I brought you a little snack for working so hard on your studies." She held out a tray of juice, as was her custom on afternoons like these.
"Oh, thanks, mom," Gohan said, mustering as much enthusiasm as he could into his answer.
"You're very welcome," Chi-Chi replied. "Now how about you start on some chemistry?"
The way she asked strangely sounded more like an order than a suggestion, so Gohan wisely pulled out a chemistry workbook from the stack. "Okay, mom."
"I'm so proud of my son," Chi-Chi beamed. "I can't wait for him to grow up and be a world renown doctor!"
Summoning his courage, Gohan asked, "Hey mom, can I go out and train with Piccolo?"
Immediately her blissful face turned dark. "You know what I think about that, young man!"
"Just for a few hours! Promise! I'll study all night!"
Seeing her son's stubbornly pleading face, Chi-Chi relented. "Fine. But I want you back in time for dinner, and not a minute late."
Gohan's face broke into a smile. "Thanks, mom! You're the best!"
Before she could say another word, he disappeared, and the front door could be heard. The open and close were so close in succession that it seemed like a single click to the untrained ear.
Just then, a wailing sounded from another room. Chi-Chi rushed over, almost as faster than Gohan had run out the door, and immediately picked up the screaming infant. "There, there, Goten, everything's all right. Mommy's got you."
The spiky-haired baby quieted down and giggled, clumsily clapping his hands.
Chi-Chi rocked him gently in her arms. "You won't grow up to fight all the scary monsters and leave mommy at home alone, right?"
Goten laughed and attempted to grab her face, which was much too far to reach. Then, a small sphere of light shot from his tiny palm and blasted through a window.
A scream could be heard echoing off the mountains. "ALL I WANTED WAS A SWEET LITTLE BABY GI-I-I-I-I-I-I-IRL!
Miles away, a certain muscular, green man winced and covered his long, pointy ears.
"What's wrong Piccolo?" Gohan asked quizzically.
"Nothing," Piccolo muttered, "but I would recommend you weren't late for dinner."