Paths to Power, Part 1

"Good, that's good," Piccolo applauded.

Gohan stepped out of his fighting stance and dropped his shoulders with an audible exhale. He wiped the sweat that drenched his head and fanned himself with the collar of his purple gi. His arm could barely cool him down, every movement causing it to ache with strain. "Thank you for training me again, Piccolo. I really appreciate it. I feel like I'm starting to reclaim my former self."

"Of course," Piccolo said to the young warrior. "Believe it or not, training with you also helps me out as well. You've shown me things about myself that I never would have otherwise discovered through training alone."

Hearing those words from his teacher caused a big smile to stretch across Gohan's face. "Thank you, Piccolo. I'm glad I could help you, too."

Piccolo could hear an ever so slightly sullen tone to the man's voice and asked, "Something the matter?"

Gohan lowered his head in deep thought, a concerned look causing his brows to furrow. "Its just I have such a long way to go. I never would have imagined that there was someone as powerful as Lord Beerus. And even after Vegeta became a Super Saiyan God, he still couldn't defeat him. I have to get stronger to protect Pan and Videl. I can't let up on my training again, but it's hard to balance work, family, and training."

Piccolo could sense a storm of frustration brewing in the young adult. "You'll get there, Gohan. We'll find a healthy balance between the three. You surpassed your father back when you fought Cell. At one point, you were the strongest warrior in the universe, above Majin Buu, even. But do you know why you failed back then?"

Gohan fell silent as he reflected on both of his fights with Majin Buu. He failed to prevent the monster from hatching, and even after his powers were awakened, he failed a second time to finish off his enemy. His power far surpassed Super Buu in his Potential Unleashed state, and even he thought the fight was in the bag. It was only when Gotenks and Piccolo were absorbed that the tide turned and he found himself outmatched yet again.

That was when he realized exactly what went wrong. "It's just like with Cell… I was too arrogant and let my power cloud my judgement. Worst of all, I endangered you, Goten, and Trunks. Just how I put everyone in danger back when I was with Cell. If I hadn't been so arrogant, maybe-"

Piccolo silenced him with a firm, but friendly hand on the man's muscular shoulder. With a squeeze, he said, "Gohan, look at me."

Gohan tore his gaze away from the ground and looked at the composed, serious eyes of his mentor.

"We all make mistakes. I've done the same thing. Remember back on Namek when I fought against Frieza in his Second Form? I could have defeated him, but I was far too arrogant and tried to fight him by myself. I should have fought with you and Krillin from the very start. And the same thing happened with Cell after I fused with Kami. I should have done more to guide you instead of letting you handle it all on your own. Your power was so great and you had matured so much that I thought nothing could go wrong. It's easy to get drunk off of your own power, or even feel comfortable in the company of someone else's overwhelming strength. But it's that complacency that will be your downfall. Don't ever stop improving yourself, even if those around you reach heights so insurmountable that you may never be able to catch up. Because at the end of the day, you can at least die fighting for the things that matter to you. And don't ever forget: there's always someone out there that's stronger than you."

Gohan's felt the knots in his chest unravel as he breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Piccolo. Hearing all of that from you really means a lot. For the longest time, I thought I was the only one who really kept screwing up. But I guess I was just focusing too much on my own mistakes and not moving forward. I'll work on my arrogance, and one day, I'll become the best warrior I can possibly be."

"That's the spirit," Piccolo said as he helped Gohan up to his feet. "I think that's enough for today. It's getting late, and I'm sure you've got work to catch up on. Besides, Pan and Videl probably miss you, too. How are they doing?"

Gohan's eyes began to beam as he said, "Oh, they're doing great! Pan's already flying, and she's barely even a year old! She's got a lot of potential. So much that it's even hard for my dad to keep up with her sometimes."

"Speaking of your father, what's he been up to lately? No doubt training, but did he go with Vegeta to train on Lord Beerus's world?"

"No, actually. I thought he was going to, but Whis refused to take him. I don't think he's handling it too well."

"Please, if anything, that probably just motivated Goku to train even harder on his own so Whis will take him one day."

"I hope so," Gohan said. "I haven't seen him train this hard since we were in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber."

. . .

Goku fell back into the rich grasses of King Kai's planet. His chest deflated with exhaustion as he threw the ropes off of him. He looked back at the weights he dragged around the small world with a proud smile. They were far heavier than anything he pulled in the past, weighing in at over thirty tons. "Man, pulling those things sure does take a lot out of ya' when you don't go Super Saiyan."

King Kai's face twisted in frustration as he looked at his lawn that had been decimated with unsightly tracks. "Yeah, well it sure does do a number on my yard, too!"

"Aw, c'mon, don't be like that," Goku moaned. "You're a Kai! You can fix it in a snap, can't you?"

"Just because I can fix it in a snap doesn't mean I want to!" screamed the North Kai. "I've gotta say, Goku, you've really been taking me for granted lately. You haven't even wished me back yet!"

Goku laughed nervously and explained, "Well, you see, I was gonna do that when we summoned Shenron a few months ago when Lord Beerus came to the Earth, but the poor guy was so scared that he took off before I could ask him! Don't worry, though. I promise I'll wish you back as soon as I can!"

King Kai turned away from the man and grumbled under his breath. He could tell the Saiyan was lying through his teeth. "Yeah, you'd better," he grumbled under his breath.

"Hey, you got anything to eat? I'm starving," said Goku as he patted his empty stomach.

"Eat me out of a house and planet, why don't you?" complained the Kai as he retired to the kitchen. "Give me a second and I'll whip something up for you."

Goku thanked the Kai as he continued to relax in the grass. He watched the golden clouds roll by and reminisced how just a year ago, he was being thrown around like a ragdoll at the hands of Lord Beerus. How anyone could have been capable of such power that could far exceed his own was still a mystery to him. But he remembered that all of those times when he was the strongest in the universe, someone stronger would always show up. He never imagined someone as strong as Lord Beerus existed, but it also excited him to know that there were new heights for him to aspire to beyond Super Saiyan 3.

The thought of having the ritual performed on him, however, depressed him. Becoming a Super Saiyan God was a rather interesting thought to him, but as long as it could only be obtained through the ritual, it was just going to stay a thought. He pondered ways to achieve it on his own, and came back to a realization that he was already well aware of. If he wanted to reach Super Saiyan God without the ritual, then training with Whis would be his best bet. However, the Angel had already refused to train him multiple times.

"C'mon, Mister Whis! Aren't you finished yet?!" Goku pleaded.

Whis looked up from his meal with Bulma and aimed a sharp glare at the man. This was the ninth time he was asked that question in the span of five minutes, and he had enough. "That's it, Goku. I warned you about your impatience, but you just refused to listen. You have potential, maybe even more than Vegeta, but I cannot train you while you act like this. Please, leave us alone."

Since then, Goku had taken up a somewhat prolonged residence with King Kai, pushing himself harder each day. His strength increased considerably, but he could feel that something was missing. He found a new resolve to try and master his current Super Saiyan forms. His first Super Saiyan form had already become quite natural to him thanks to his training with Gohan in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, and the second form was well on its way to being mastered. But he had quite a bit of trouble with the third form, as it still put a tremendous amount of stress on his body no matter how much he trained with it.

As King Kai set up the dinner table and began to bring out pots of food, he saw the Saiyan nearly drowning in thought. He could tell by the perplexed look on the man's face that he was thinking about how to better himself yet again.

They both sat down to eat, and while Goku viciously scarfed down plate after plate, King Kai watched him. The only other thing he'd seen Goku excited about aside from fighting, was eating. But as King Kai observed his pupil devour his cooking, he began to think about the man's training regiment and how he fought. He knew a staple of the Saiyan race was their ability to transform, whether it be into a Great Ape or into a Super Saiyan. However, in many of Goku's fights, King Kai observed something quite critical about him.

"Goku, have you ever thought that you may be relying too heavily on your transformations to win fights?" King Kai questioned.

Goku looked up from his plate of food, sauce all over his face, and asked, "What do you mean? Going Super Saiyan is how I get stronger and win fights."

"I realize that, but what I'm asking is, are you really training yourself, or just your transformations? Think about it. When you meet an opponent you can't defeat in your base form, you transform into a Super Saiyan, multiplying your strength. But if you're having to transform against every enemy you encounter pretty early into the battle, you're not really getting that much stronger. Instead of training the transformations, you should train your base strength. That's the only way you'll truly get stronger when you transform."

Goku put down his plate and thought back to his previous fights since learning how to transform. What the North Kai said was very true. Against Android 19, he wasted no time in transforming, and the same could be said when he faced Cell and Majin Buu. Even when he trained in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Goku never thought to increase his overall strength in his base state, but only to ascend to a higher strength. It hit him that he really had been relying on his transformations this whole time, and while they were powerful, he realized that he had been overlooking the true potential that could be brought out from his Super Saiyan forms. The weights that he dragged around earlier were heavy in his base form, but he knew they would be nothing to him if he were to transform.

"I see now, King Kai. So I've been using my transformations as a crutch. If I really want to get stronger, I need to increase my base strength as I am now, then that'll make my Super Saiyan forms stronger!"

"Well, that's pretty much what I just said, but yes."

"But then wouldn't that make Super Saiyan 3 even more of a strain on my body? Back when I trained with Gohan, we stressed our bodies by staying in Super Saiyan constantly, and now I don't feel any strain at all with it, and hardly any strain with Super Saiyan 2. But no matter how long I try to stay in the third level, it doesn't get any easier."

"I've been thinking about that, too," King Kai responded. "Tell me, have you ever considered growing out your tail again?"

Goku shook his head immediately at that question. "No way. It's way too dangerous for me to do that. If there's ever a full moon and I accidentally look at it, I could kill someone!"

"But you saw how strong it made the Saiyans when they came to Earth, didn't you? Even before they transformed. It's safe to assume that Raditz and Vegeta hadn't trained a day in their lives, yet they were about equal to or even a little stronger than you when you first fought them, and you had been training practically your entire life. Now, I believe their age had something to do with that since they were older, as well as the fact that they had been pillaging planets for years, but I also think their tail contributed to their strength as well. I think that your tail, or rather, your Saiyan power, could help you. Who knows? There may even be some secret within the Great Ape form that everyone is oblivious to. It's been theorized that form is the true appearance of the Saiyans back in ancient times, but that's just a theory."

"You're saying that there's something in the Great Ape form that we're all ignoring?"

"Again, exactly what I just said, but yes. Just, whatever you do, don't go practicing control over that form here! My planet is nowhere big enough to do that. If you wanna do that, try to find a remote planet with no life. Or even the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. The only issue you'll face is trying to find a full moon to look at to trigger the form."

"Don't worry," said a suddenly assured Goku. "I think I know just who to talk to for that."

. . .

Vegeta slipped on his new black battle suit and reported to the grounds for his daily training. The suit came with a white armor breastplate, but he had discarded it long ago. Armor made of such flimsy material wasn't going to be saving him from any lethal attacks anytime soon, unless they were from Nappa.

Whis appeared on the grounds just as Vegeta arrived. "Ah, good morning, Vegeta."

Vegeta bowed respectfully and bid the Angel a good morning as well. He rose and remained silent as he awaited further instructions from the being he had since come to call his teacher. It was a rather odd experience for him, as he had never allowed anyone to teach him anything in his entire life, not even his father or Bulma. But humbling himself was worth it if it meant he could one day surpass Lord Beerus and become the strongest in the universe.

Whis led Vegeta to an open area, a grassy field just south of the Destroyer's tower. This was where he did most of his combat warm-ups in which Whis would task the man with trying to hit him within two hundred strikes. Though Vegeta was never successful at this, it was a good way to get his blood flowing in lieu of stretching, and it helped to sharpen his senses for later exercises. This would take about an hour, or two if Vegeta was tired.

Once that was complete, they would move on to other exercises, chosen by day. Monday and Tuesdays were days he would work on improving his physical strength. This was done with activities like carrying a weight around the planet on a track with sections rapidly disappearing behind him. Each time, the weight would grow a little heavier, and the path would disappear a little quicker. The fact that he would have been thrown into a different dimension if he fell was more than enough of a motivation for him to keep up. Once Wednesdays and Thursdays rolled around, Whis would have Vegeta focus on his endurance. These were the days he would spend doing various chores around the grounds, such as changing Lord Beerus's sheets while he slept. Such a task would have been rather mundane, were it not for the fact that the Destroyer viciously tossed and turned in his sleep. His writhing would be so intense, that it forced Vegeta to focus on his reactions and movements to change the sheets and avoid waking the Destroyer. Though, Vegeta sometimes had the feeling that Beerus was definitely awake and toying with him. As if that wasn't enough, Friday and Saturdays would be focus solely on ki control and instincts. The training for those would vary from meditation to full on combat training with Whis. And finally, Sundays would be reserved for rest, something the Saiyan would desperately need by this point. No matter how much he tried to get used to the training, things would change, and his body would be stressed and ache in new ways he never thought possible.

As Vegeta attempted to strike Whis for his combat warm-ups, energy began to pour from his body like a faucet. Whis took notice of this and halted him with the palm of his hand. "Vegeta, what have I told you about keeping your energy under control? You're letting your energy flow too freely, and you're wasting it. You need to keep it inside of you to not only keep your opponent in the dark, but maximize your power."

Vegeta pulled back and examined himself. His ki was indeed spilling out of him at an alarming rate. Dissatisfaction in his mistakes caused his fists to clench. Had he not been wearing gloves, his nails surely would have dug into the palms of his hands. "Damn, I don't understand. It's been a full year and I'm still having this problem."

Whis tsked the man as he shook his head in discontent. "Now, now, there you go getting frustrated again. Look at yourself, Vegeta. You're wound up so tight that it makes you hard for you to move."

"But I thought tensing my muscles was the way to keep my energy inside of me," responded the Saiyan.

Whis chuckled. "Well, no wonder why you're so tense lately. Just because you seize everything up doesn't mean your energy will stay in. In fact, that may cause it to spill out more. You're approaching this with too much of a narrow mindset. Proper ki control is attained through a mastery of one's emotions and power. You walk through life with a chip on your shoulder, and this chip is quite the heavy one, is it not?"

Vegeta turned away and crossed his arms tightly across his chest. He only responded with a huff as the Angel continued.

"If I may, from what I've examined, you seem to be thinking an awful lot about that other Saiyan, Goku, haven't you?"

Hearing that name made Vegeta's face scrunched up and his teeth grind together. "You just had to bring him up."

"Well, of course I did," explained the Angel. "After all, he is the reason why you're here, isn't he? To become stronger and surpass him?"

"I've already surpassed him."

Whis could see the Saiyan tighten up even more, and his energy continued to pour out of him like a fountain. "But I can see the pain from the years of always being his second is still there. You told me a few years ago you resolved to start improving yourself for your own benefit, rather than just for the sole purpose of surpassing him. But just because you say you're going to do something, that doesn't mean you just automatically start doing it. It takes time to heal from this, and it takes even more time to change these habits."

"So what, you're saying I'm not trying?"

"Oh no, you're definitely trying," Whis admitted. "Just in the wrong ways is all. You approach things head on with your anger and arrogance, rather than remaining calm and focused. You apply this to all things in your life- training, fighting, and even everyday situations. It's why Goku is always one step ahead of you, because he takes a more practical approach to things. He uses his head."

Whis examined the Saiyan's reaction. He at first stood, baffled that the Angel would dare call Goku anything other than a moron. But Whis figured that would get a rise out of him, and he could see Vegeta's body continue to tighten up as his emotions swelled. Those words cut deep, but Whis knew they were something he needed to hear, and it was obvious that no one had ever told him this before. At least not in this fashion. "Your training begins with how you respond to this, Vegeta. Sure, you can get angry and dismiss it. Or, you can relax, and learn from this."

Vegeta's arms continued to cross tighter and tighter. He just about crushed his ribs as he struggled to swallow the Angel's words. His blood boiled with such rage and intensity that his face nearly turned red from the heat. But instead of stewing in those emotions and allowing himself to get even angrier, he did something that surprised the Angel. He took a breath, as he hadn't for a while. And with this breath, his shoulders relaxed, and his arms fell to his side.

Whis smiled. "Good. Now, we can really begin your training."

. . .

18 stood out on the balcony of her home. It was a two story house that had been mostly purchased with the prize money she had received from taking dives to Mr. Satan in multiple World Martial Arts Tournaments. She admired the view that her not-so-hard work had allowed her to have. From her balcony, she could see far out into Satan City. At times like the late evening, such as right now, the way the sun set over the horizon and reflected off the many skyscrapers gave the city an orange tint as if it were covered in beautiful flames. It also proved convenient, as her superhuman eyesight allowed her to keep an eye on her husband while he was out and about on his job as a police officer.

"Hey, 18! I'm heading out!" Krillin called to her.

18 turned back, expecting to see her husband dressed in his police uniform. But her eyes widened as she saw him dressed in his old Turtle Hermit gi. "Krillin, what's going on? I thought you had to work tonight."

Krillin chuckled nervously as he explained, "Ah, my co-worker's covering my shift for me."

Her face was rather still, though he could tell by her glare that she wasn't just going to let him leave it at that. After a few years of being with her, he'd learned how to read her mostly emotionless face and empty eyes. There were subtle hints that gave away her emotions, such as a small furrow of the brow or a corner of her lips curled up.

"That doesn't answer my question," 18 pressed with a dead tone. "Why are you dressed in your martial arts outfit? Where are you going?"

Krillin's nervous chuckles did nothing to sway his wife's concern. Finally, after a long sigh, he admitted, "Well, I know we agreed to give Marron a relatively normal away from all of the fighting that we used to do, but I've been thinking lately: what if that Lord Beerus guy comes back? Or worse, something else? I couldn't even jump in and help out like you and the others did back then. So, I'm gonna go stay at Master Roshi's for a while and have him retrain me. Then I'll take responsibility for my own training, and aspire to get stronger like I used to! Maybe even train with Goku again."

18 folded her arms over her heart that skipped a beat. The corners of her mouth shifted, depressing into a small scowl. "Krillin, we've talked about this. I can understand that you want to get stronger to protect us, but you're not cut out for threats like Lord Beerus."

"Jeez, you didn't have to be so blunt," he pouted.

"I'm serious, Krillin," she stated sharply. "I'm lucky Lord Beerus didn't kill me, and you know how strong I am. You need to leave fighting guys like that to Goku and Vegeta. Just think about what could have happened if you jumped in and he decided to destroy you! Marron could be without a father right now."

"Thinking about that is why I've decided to start training again," Krillin answered. "18, I know you're concerned, but don't you trust that I can handle myself?"

18 turned away from her husband and retreated outside. She fixed her gaze out on the city, and within seconds, spotted a purse snatcher with a stolen bag tucked underneath his arms. She could already imagine her husband swiftly taking the thief down. At times, she would stand and watch him as he patrolled the city or chased after criminals. Never once did he return home injured. Maybe upset that the many lowlifes and scum he put away had the gall to do what they did, but there was never a scratch on him. But this is different, she thought. Majin Buu and Lord Beerus certainly weren't anything close to the kinds of jerks Krillin deals with everyday. She couldn't help but think about what it would have been like if Krillin fought Beerus. The image of him being destroyed played in her head countless times.

Krillin could see the conflict brewing in his wife, how her body became more rigid, and her arms were crossed tightly around her chest. He went to accompany her on the balcony. "Listen, I know you're concerned, but I've faced strong enemies before and came out fine. Besides, the more I train, the more I can make sure that you, me, and Marron will be okay!"

18 gripped the railing, nearly warping the metal underneath her hands. Her husband's naiveté frustrated her to no end. Despite that flaw, it happened to be one of the reasons why she fell in love with him. It was still hard to believe that he smashed the remote Bulma designed to activate her all of those years ago, and even went as far as asking Shenron to remove the bombs planted in her and her brother's chests. He even did these things against the wishes of his friends that he'd known for ages, knowing full and well of the consequences. But it made her realize that she could trust him, as he was the only one who stuck up for her.

"Fine," 18 said with a defeated tone. "But after you're done being retrained by Master Roshi, I want you to come back and train with me."

Krillin jumped. If he still had hair, it would certainly be standing on end right about now. Fortunately, he had shaved just before putting his gi on. "Y- You?! You want me to train with you?! I thought you only liked fighting for the money.

18 smirked at her husband and suggested, "Well, maybe I've got something to protect as well. Besides, if you really want to get stronger, then you should come train with me. Goku may be crazy strong, but knowing him and his recklessness, he'll probably wind up killing you. I've seen you fight, and I know all of your weaknesses. Train with me and I'll toughen you up real good."

Krillin rubbed the back of his shaved head in thought. "Well, you do have a point," he admitted. "Goku's all about power. I don't know how much stronger I can actually get, but if I wanna stand a chance against tougher opponents, then I've really gotta hunker down and work on my weaknesses as a martial artist and not just focus on strength alone. With Master Roshi's years of experience, maybe he knows a way I can put up a fight against stronger opponents."

"That's the spirit," 18 smiled.

Krillin's face began to turn a bit red as he confessed, "You're so much stronger than me. I don't know how much you can get out of training with me, but I promise I'll try to help you improve, too!"

. . .

"You're not nearly as impatient as that Gohan boy," the Elder Kai chuckled as he flipped through his magazine.

Tien chuckled uncomfortably as he attempted to avert his gaze from the piece of literature the Kai was reading, if it could even be called that. It had just been a little over twenty-three hours since the ritual began, and with every new page, there was a new woman in some sort of pose or scantily clad outfits. He caught a glimpse once and saw a woman's unmentionables, and since then, he struggled to not look. Such desires were distasteful and improper for him to swoon over, but he could certainly understand why the deity was so enthralled by these women.

"So… about that promise you made me," the Kai brought up, "just when am I going to meet this Launch girl, hmm?"

"Soon, I promise," Tien said, lying through his teeth. There's no way I'd ever make Launch kiss him, even if he's the Supreme Kai. Hell, she'd probably shoot him if he even tried anything.

Elder Kai narrowed his eyes at the Triclops with heavy skepticism. "I do hope you're not lying to me. Goku and Vegeta said the same thing and neither one of them came back with their wives. How ungrateful of them!" he snipped. "I mean, honestly, we allow them to do battle on our sacred grounds and I don't even get a kiss?! You Earthlings sure are selfish."

Just smile. It's almost over soon, Tien kept telling himself. "I'd like to extend my thanks to you once more, Supreme Kai."

"Don't mention it," Elder Kai said. "We owe you for your bravery when you stood up to Majin Buu. If you hadn't intervened and distracted him when you did, things could have really taken a turn. I mean, they did anyway, but you being there helped, if not just a little bit."

"Thank you, but I would like to do more than just a little bit next time," Tien stated. "I don't typically ask for help like this, but if you can draw out my dormant powers, I think I can awaken the abilities of my Third Eye. I can't help but feel like something resonated within me when I fought Buu and Lord Beerus. It was like… there was this warm pressure."

Shin raised an eyebrow at their conversation, and couldn't help but interject. "I'm sorry, did you say a 'warm pressure?' That's very reminiscent of how divine energy feels. Are you sure you felt what you're describing inside of you and not emanating from Lord Beerus?"

"That's what I thought at first, but I felt it when I fought Buu, too. That same exact feeling. Even now as I sit here with you two, I can feel it. It's like something within me is calling out."

"Perhaps you have some of your own divine energy within you," Elder Kai suggested. "That Third Eye of yours can make you more naturally inclined to forge your own godly ki. Do you know the extent of its powers?"

"I don't," the Triclops answered. "I don't even know of anyone that could help me. My family and my clan all passed a long time ago when I was just a child. I'm the only Triclops left."

"You could always go to the Check-In Station and ask King Yemma to point you in the direction of your clan," implored Shin. "Who knows? Maybe you'll find someone that can help you."

"That's not a bad idea," Elder Kai agreed. "I'm just about finished up here if you want to take him, Shin."

"I'd be glad to, if that's something you're interested in, Tien?"

The Triclops shot up. "Yes, please!"

"Hey! You can't move while I'm doing this!" Elder Kai yelled. "You're lucky I'm pretty much done, or else we would've had to start this all over again."

Tien calmed himself and apologetically bowed to the Old Kai. "Please, forgive me. It's just been so long since I've seen my parents, the thought of seeing them again is exciting."

"Well, Tien, whenever you're ready, we'll go," Shin smiled.

. . .

King Yemma gazed down at the soul before him. His glare pierced through the small, white amalgamation as his voice bellowed, "You think you can get into Heaven when you cut in line?! Think again! Straight to Hell with you!" Before the soul could even beg or plead, the ogre's massive hand brought down a stamp on the soul's paperwork with a massive boom, and banished them from the Check-In Station. With a heavy, cathartic sigh, he pulled out the next folder and opened it. "Next up… Jaco! Seems here you were cut down by… bad pork? What a way to go. But for your service in the Galactic Patrol, I'd say you more than earned your own spot in Heaven."

When the ogre looked up, expecting to see a soul in front of him, he saw the black, spiky hair of a familiar nuisance. But he welcomed the nuisance with a smile, despite the fact that he was very obviously alive and had cut in line. "Ah, Goku! I wish you would give more respect to the rules here, but it's always good to see you. How can I help you today?"

"Yo, King Yemma! Great to see you too. I was wondering if you could look something up for me? I'm trying to find my father, but I don't know his name."

Curious, King Yemma sat back in his chair and pulled open a drawer from his desk. He began to comb through numerous files. "Well, this isn't going to be easy. I can tell you where your Grandpa Gohan is, but as far as your birth father… Do you know how he died? Or when?"

Goku scratched his head in thought. "Hm… I don't know when he died, but it would have had to be before I was born, at least. As far as how he died, I know most of the Saiyans were wiped out when Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta."

"That definitely narrows it down!" cried the ogre as his large fingers began to pull out a small collection of files. When a soul passes through the Check-In Station and they receive judgement from King Yemma, the history of their life is recorded, which serves as the catalyst for an acumen. Finding a specific person was difficult in and of itself, but as long as a time and day of death can be provided, even if it was an estimate, it would assist him that much more. His search continued for a few more seconds until he looked back up at Goku with a dejected expression. "Well, seems as if there's no record of anyone that appears to be your father checking in, but I do have a file for what appears to be your mother. Does that help?"

"Sure!" Goku beamed. "I didn't even consider that. Where is she?"

King Yemma grabbed the file and flipped through it. His voice lowered as he shook his head with a bit of disdain. "My, seems she's in Hell. Though, most Saiyans that came through the Check-In Station were sent down there. Rough group of people, they were."

"Well, she is a Saiyan after all. Even after all the good Vegeta had done, he still got sent to Hell when he sacrificed himself against Majin Buu."

"One act of good doesn't erase years upon years of bad," King Yemma added. "Same for your mother. Looks like she was a fighter in her earlier days and helped pillage some planets, but calmed down in her later years."

"No kidding?" Goku asked with an interested smile. "Man, I bet my dad was a fighter, too!"

"Perhaps you can ask your mother when you see her. Her name is Gine."

"Gotcha. Thanks a ton, King Yemma! See ya later!" With a touch of two fingers to his forehead, he was gone in an instant.

King Yemma turned his attention back to the long line of souls that stretched as far as the eye could see. "Anyway, where were we?"

. . .

It had been quite a few hours since Goku touched down in Hell. He continued to trek through the depressing landscape of dark, dull colors. Though nothing had really changed since his last visit many years ago, via taking a fall off of Snake Way, the place was still rather interesting. There were plenty of mountains to climb, and the blood fountain still retained its coppery smell. Aside from the few ogres that worked throughout the realm, bodiless souls aimlessly roamed the lands. Since passing through to the Other World and being judged by King Yemma, many of ill repute were deemed unfit to keep their bodies, and their existence was reduced to nothing but a small, puffy cloud form that was similar to a small Flying Nimbus. Hardly any of them had memories, and most were subjected to an eternity of wandering. Only a few could talk, but those that did, seemed only to be capable of incoherent mumbling.

He clutched his stomach as its roars of hunger echoed throughout the mountains like the roar of a lion. His stomach continued to howl and soul approached him, seeming to be attracted by the sound. The soul pranced around him, as if it were happy to see him. "Oh, hey there! Maybe you can help me? I'm looking for someone, but I don't quite know his name or where to find him."

"Oh, Bardock!" cried the soul. "It's been an eternity! I was beginning to think I would never find you!"

"'Bardock'?" Goku repeated. "Uh, sorry, but I think you've got the wrong person. See, my name's Goku."

The soul stopped and looked up at him. Then it looked him down, and then up once more. With a huff, it questioned, "But your hair? And your… face…" It suddenly fell quiet as it gazed at the man's face. Its voice suddenly took on a rather feminine tone as it asked him for his name once again. Goku repeated his name, but she huffed and clarified, "No, your Saiyan name."

"Oh!" Goku chuckled. "Sorry, it's rare that I get asked that. My Saiyan name is Kakarot, but I go by Goku. I was raised on Earth by my grandfather, Gohan."

"K- Kakarot?! Truly?!" the soul cried.

Goku could sense a rising emotion within the soul he now felt comfortable addressing as a female. "How'd you know to ask for my Saiyan name? Can you tell that I'm a Saiyan?"

"Well, I would hope I would be able to! I was hoping you would know who I am, too! But I know the last time you saw me was when you were a baby, so I can understand. Also… I don't quite have a body, as you can see. But what in the world are you doing here, Kakarot? Don't tell me my son is dead?!"

"No way!" chuckled Goku as he pointed to the top of his head. "See, if I were dead, I'd have a halo above my- WAIT, YOU'RE GINE?!"

"Yes, silly!" giggled the woman. "I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know that you aren't dead. But what are you doing down here?"

"Oh, gosh!" exclaimed Goku as he grew a bit red with the wave heat and blood that rushed to his face. "This is so weird! I can't believe I found you! I was actually trying to find my father because I needed to ask him something."

Gine let out a disappointed sigh and revealed, "I'm sorry, but I haven't seen your father down here at all. What did you need to ask him?"

"Well, back when Vegeta and I fought a long time ago, he said that my father was an average warrior, but a brilliant scientist. I needed to ask him about artificial moons and tails!"

"Oh," chirped the Saiyan woman. "I'm sure I could be able to help you out! I did help him figure out how to create an artificial moon, after all."

"You did?" Goku asked with a smile. "Oh, wow! Okay, well this is great, then! I've got an idea. How would you like to have your body back for about… 24 hours?"

"Oh, that would be lovely!" she gushed.

"Alright, then grab on!"

"I don't have hands, silly."

"Er, right," Goku said as he carefully took the soul into his arms. He had never held one before. Her essence was so warm and familiar that he almost didn't want to let her go. In a flash, he teleported him and his mother right to the Check-In Station. Much to the chagrin of King Yemma, Goku had popped up at the very front of the line once again.

"Well, that didn't take too long," King Yemma said. "I see you found her. But why did you bring her here?"

"Do you think you could give her a 24 hour pass to have her body back?" Goku asked.

King Yemma looked down at the spirit Goku cradled in his arms, and he began to bear his sharp teeth at the man. "Goku, you can't just bring spirits from Heaven or Hell like that and just expect me to do what you want! We have rules and regulations to follow! Do you have ANY idea how much paperwork that is? We can't give those passes to just anyone!"

"Aw, please?" pleaded Goku as he held out his mother's soul. "C'mon, I just wanna spend some time with her! I've never even seen her before!"

Though Gine had no body, and therefore no face, King Yemma could tell she was putting on her best puppy-dog eyes, as was Goku. "You two sure do act like you know each other by the way you're both begging me. I'm sorry, Goku, but the answer is no."

"But what if the world is in danger?" Gine suddenly questioned. "Would you allow me to help him then?"

King Yemma gave the woman's soul a curious glare. "Danger? What sort of danger?"

Goku smirked at his mother, having felt mischievous intent within her. "Oh, yeah, King Yemma! There's this, uh… real bad guy, you see! And he's gonna take out half of the universe with a sort of… um… a gauntlet! Powered by Dragon Balls!"

"H- Half of the universe, you say?" questioned a quivering King Yemma. "Good Heaven and Hell, that's almost just as much paperwork as when Majin Buu rampaged around the universe! And you say your mother here could help you?"

"Yeah! She sure can," Goku insisted. "C'mon, King Yemma, you'd better hurry! We only have a day to do this and we need all the time we can get!"

King Yemma quickly rummaged through the drawers of his mahogany desk and pulled out his massive stamp. Beads of sweat were already pouring from his head as he frantically searched for the necessary forms. The second he found them, he stamped them and shoved them aside. "There! Now hurry and go before half the universe is wiped out!"

"Thanks, King Yemma," Goku said with a snicker. He wasted no time in teleporting out of the realm and back into the world of the living. They appeared on the Lookout, underneath the midnight sky of the Earth. There was a sudden weight in his arms. He looked down to see his mother had gotten her body back, and he now held her. She was a rather slender woman, and her hair was long and wild. A brown, furry tail fell from her lower back, coming out of a hole in her traditional black Saiyan armor. "Oh, wow! You really are a Saiyan!"

Gine looked up at her son, and then up towards the sky. It was nothing like the reddish-pink tones of planet Vegeta, but she could at least tell it was well into the night. "Where are we?"

"This is Earth; it's where I grew up!"

"My goodness," said the woman as she hopped out of her son's arms. "The gravity is so light here! I feel like I could just fly away like a balloon if I'm not careful," she said with a chuckle. "Now, where is this, exactly?"

"This is the Lookout," Goku stated. "Its where the Guardian of Earth lives. He watches over the entire planet from this place."

Gine wandered over to the edge and looked down. The only thing she could see were thick mounds of clouds. "Wow, your guardian must have great eyesight if he can see all the way down there!"

"Well, he can sense energy, so he doesn't actually look down."

Gine turned to the man with her eyebrows rose a notch. "What do you mean? You can actually sense energy? As in you don't need a scouter?"

"Nope!" Goku declared. "Funny thing, whenever we would power up or transform, those things would always break anyway. They do a pretty bad job of sizing someone up."

"Transform?" asked the woman. "Ah, you must mean into a Great Ape! That's only to be expected. Such a sharp increase in power was always difficult for the scouters to read."

"Oh man, I've got a lot to show you."

AN: Hey, everyone! I just wanted to thank you all for the positive reception I've received on the rewrite so far. As a reminder, OC submissions are still open and will not be closing any time soon. Previously submitted OCs for the Galactic Patrol and newly-submitted OCs for Cooler's Armored Squadron are set to appear around chapters 5 and 6. This story will progress a lot faster than the rewrite, so I'm in high need of OCs this time around. If none are submitted, then submissions will be closed. So spread the word!