4.1 (Xomniac)

"So you see, exponents can be used to simplify very large numbers. This method is known as scientific notation. You use it by-"
FLASH!

The students blinked in surprise when a purple flash of light illuminated the front of their classroom, and stared in confusion once the light was gone, revealing that their teacher had disappeared.

Scootaloo blinked again in numb shock before shooting Diamond Tiara a dumbstruck look. "What just happened?"

"Hay if I know, but I ain't gonna look a gift manticore in the mouth. Hey, Apple Bloom, would you mind helping me with something? I think I've got an idea for when he gets back..."

-o-

FLASH!

"-Multiplying numbers by ten to the power of-! Hm?" A tentacle ceased writing in the air when its owner realized that he was no longer in front of a chalkboard.

A large, bulbous head twisted around as its owner searched its surroundings curiously, light reflecting off its banana-yellow skin as it looked about.

"My my..." The creature mused idly in a clear, masculine voice as it brought one of its tentacles up to tap the area of skin below its large, toothy smile. "This is quite the strange land... nothing but white rocks and dust as far as the eye can see... no air... temperature well over one hundred degrees celsius... constant night sky... hmm... I suspect that this is..."

The creature's grin widened by a few teeth as he tilted his head back and took in the blue planet hanging over head. "The moon. Or rather..."

Its grin grew to encompass the whole of the bottom half of its head as it looked down... and took in the massive, gaping expanse of nothing that was mere inches from his tentacles. "What I left of it, anyways. Nyufufufufu..."

FLASH!

"Hm?" The creature's skin shifted to a lime green as it glanced over its shoulder. Its grin hitched up to a smirk when it caught sight of the six horned, winged and hooved individuals standing behind it. "Ah, Princess Twilight! And your friends! I must say, it's a pleasure to see you again! The class is doing well, just so you know. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom in particular are making rather impressive progress. Though, really..." Its skin became a mix of green and yellow stripes as its pinprick-like eyes narrowed into slits. "You should have scheduled a proper appointment with me. You took me while I was in the middle of teaching class. That was very..." Its skin took on a slight tinge of red. "Very rude of you."

Twilight took a definitive step forwards, the Element of Magic flashing on her brow. "Enough charades, Korosensei." She demanded firmly.

"Hm?" The red left the pseudo-cephalopod's skin as its yellow and green stripes became much more prominent. "Korosensei... A pun based on the Neighponese words for 'unkillable' and 'teacher'. A nice nickname. Very appropriate. I should try and teach it to my class when I start to teach them about other languages. But still, it's not my name. My students call me Professor Tentacles! Nyufufu..." It let out a light chuckle as it brought one of its tentacles up to its upper lip. "Are you sure you aren't starting to go senile from immortality, Princess? I realize you're young, but-!"

"Cut the crap, you overgrown piece of sushi!" Rainbow Dash demanded as she stomped her hoof firmly.

"I'm afraid that I have to agree with Dash, Mister Korosensei..." Fluttershy nodded meekly, yet definitively. "Normally, we respect the privacy of Stealth Anchors and Loopers, but..."

"Equestria is a Sanctuary Loop, Korosensei." Twilight stated imperiously, shooting a cold glare at the multi-limbed threat. "And you were awake and fully aware of your actions when you devastated our moon and threatened our world. We won't risk you endangering it, under any circumstances."

"Hmmmm?" The being's stripes tilted on an angle and began to spin up its body like a barber pole, and its grin curved up to cocky, self-assured smirk. "Anchors? Loopers? Loops? I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. Mayhaps I should bring this matter to Princess Celestia, hm? But nevertheless..." The creature slowly began to slid its tentacles back towards the edge of the abyss. "I really must be going. Class is still in session you know, and I really don't want to have to rework my lesson plan. Maybe some other time?" The teacher started to turn around...

"Hold it right there, varmint!"

And was halted by a lasso of gummy, rubbery matter falling over him and tightening over his shoulders, kept from touching him by his robes.

"Hm?" The creature poked at the lasso with one of his tentacles, and barely reacted when the tip of the limb melted slightly upon contact. "Nyufufu... a lasso of anti-me materials... intuitive." The stripes on his body began vacillating between yellow and green. "Most definitively impressive."

It also didn't flinch when the blue alicorn suddenly appeared before it without warning, her glaring eyes inches away from its confident eye slits. "Wipe that stupid smile off your face, you overconfident octopus. You're fast, yeah, but I'm one of the fastest things in the Loops. Out here? I can go almost five hundred times faster than the speed of light. You don't stand a chance against me."

Without warning, the tentacled individual's skin stopped shifting. It settled on a firm and constant yellow, its grin shrunk down to a simple crescent, and its eyes returned to pinpricks. "Almost five hundred?"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Fine, about four hundred times. What of it?"

"Well, it's just that it's interesting how you worded that. For you see, if you're almost five hundred times faster than light..."

"GAH!"

"EEP!"

"WOAH NELLY!"

"OH MY!"

"YEEP!"

"HEY!"

"You're almost half as fast as I am."

The Alicorns shrieked in surprise when they were suddenly lifted into the air, their bodies clutched in the grasp of numerous unflinching, inescapable tentacles. Even teleportation was somehow in vain.

Through their shock, the ponies were able to identify their captors: six perfect duplicates of the individual they knew as Korosensei, each grinning in their maddeningly calm way.

The original remained where he was, the lasso not even moving an inch from his shoulders.

"Y-you-GRK!" The rainbow-maned pegasus's words were choked off by the tentacle around her neck tightening viciously.

Upon hearing her friend's cry of pain, Twilight's form lit up with furious violet energy. "Let. My. FRIENDS. GO!" She roared, unleashing a blast of pure magic at the being holding her.

A vast majority of matter would have been vaporized by the blast, their atoms torn apart from one another and scattered to the winds.

The creature didn't even so much as flinch. He merely lifted a tentacle and wrapped it around Twilight's horn.

A pitch black tentacle, to match the obsidian tone his face had taken on.

"Now now, Princess, we'll have no more of that. Now... it's my turn to talk. And you. Will. Listen."

The alicorns stiffened visibly as they felt an impressive weight fall about them. The lunar dust around the creature known as Korosensei's tentacles began to stir into a small storm as veins pulsed upon his skull. His being was rendered almost completely invisible by the backdrop of empty space.

"Let me make something very clear to you all..." The pseudo-cephalopod grit out in frigid fury. "This little stunt you pulled interrupted my class. That is not something I will tolerate. In fact, it ranks just below actually endangering any of my students. Still, somehow, despite my warnings, this fact appears to have eluded you. So let me make things absolutely clear."

Suddenly, the alicorns were inches from the creature's face, each held tightly in one of his own tentacles.

"IF YOU EVER DARE INTERRUPT MY CLASS AGAIN, I WILL DROP YOU SO FAR OUT IN DARK SPACE THAT IT WILL TAKE YOU A FULL MILLENNIUM OF FLYING BEFORE THIS SUPERCLUSTER IS SO MUCH AS A STAR IN THE DISTANCE! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!?"

The Mane Six were silent before slowly signalling their comprehension.

"Perfect!"

The ponies gasped in relief when they were suddenly released, and could only stare in shock as the being returned to its previous jovial state.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be returning to class. I've been gone long enough as is. Applejack, Rarity, I'll see you at Parent-Teacher night, as usual. Until then!" It waved its tentacles airily. "Bye bye!"

And with a blast of dust, it was gone, leaving the alicorns to pant and process their defeat.

-o-

The door to Ponyville Elementary banged open as the teacher swept in.

"Pardon my impromptu disappearance, class! It appears that the Princess was a bit overzealous in wanting to-!"

TWANG!

"EEP!... my my, a hidden hypersonic crossbow? Applebloom's engineering, but Diamond Tiara's design. I'm impressed! But still, you'll have to do better than that! Understood?"

"Yes, Professor Tentacles..."

"Good! Now, where was I... oh yes! Scientific notation! To use it, you must multiply..."

4.2 (Awesomedude17) Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo Beauty Awoke, and found herself to be the only looper here. The group was looking up at Bo-Bobo's latest foe. She sighed slightly, wondering what this guy could be. "Alright, strange mysterious foe that I might have met before, how about you show us who you are!" Bo-Bobo demanded. "As you wish!" Bo-Bobo gasped. "What, who is it Bo-Bobo?" Beauty asked with some worry. "I cannot believe it! It's my friend's sister's uncle's brother's monkey's mother's owner's niece's wife's father's uncle's brother's former roommate's sister's friend's nephew's dog's father's drinking buddy's son's wife's brother-in-law's clone!" "YES, BOBOBO-BO BO-BOBO! IT IS I! KRATOS! AND YOU WILL FALL TO THE MAGNIFICENCE OF MY ABS!" An unawake Kratos said as he turned around to reveal the magnificent, oiled up, and well chiseled abs that he had. "Dear God, those abs are so magnificent, I cannot look away!" Don Patch screamed. "Neither can I!" Jelly Jiggler confirmed. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! YOUR ABS ARE TOO AMAZING!" Bo-Bobo screamed, trying to look away, but cannot. Beauty's eye just twitched. 'I'll die next loop by trying the ryncol if I can.' [hr] Bar episode "And that's what happened last time Kratos and I were in a loop together." Beauty chugged her ryncol, and then fell backwards. "Barkeep, I'll have two ryncols." Kratos said as the other loopers were laughing their asses off at the ridiculous tale of Kratos' magnificent abs.

4.3 (Xomniac)

"PRINCESS TWILIGHT!" Twilight Sparkle jumped in shock when the doors to the Fortress of Friendship's throne-room were blasted off their hinges and something or someone slammed into the ground in front of her throne, kicking up a cloud of dust.

When the dust dissipated, there was a figure kneeling before her, head touching the ground.

A tentacled person.

"Koro-!" Twilight hastily caught herself. "Er, I mean, Professor Te-?"

"This isn't the time for to quibble over names, Twilight!" Korosensei blubbered miserably, crawling on his tentacle-knees before her. "I need your help! Please, I'm begging you! I swear on my honor as an educator, I won't ever destroy Equestria again for any reason, just please please please help me!"

Twilight stared at the super-terrestrial in shock, trying to connect the pleading character before her with the hitherto unbeaten Anchor she'd known until now. "I... it depends... what exactly do you need?"

Korosensei's head snapped up immediately, tears and snot streaming down his quivering face. "My Baseline got an extension! I need you to wipe my memory of it! Now and for as many future Loops as you can! I can't know what's in my future beyond that point!"

Twilight blinked in shock. "Korosensei, I realize that Baseline can be rough at times, but-!"

"NO YOU DON'T!" Korosensei suddenly roared, his skin flashing pitchblack before he fell into tears again. "The information I have is incomplete! And because I have it, my outlook on my class has changed drastically! I can't teach them anymore!"

The purple pony frowned at the miserable teacher. "I... I don't know what's so shocking, but... regardless of your actions, you're still a great teacher. I'm sure that whatever the issue is, you can-"

"You don't understaaaand..." Korosensei moaned pitifully. "I literally can't teach Class 3-E anymore! I haven't been able to for the past two dozen Loops!"

"Huh?"

Korosensei looked away miserably. "The... information is pertinent to one of my students. And because of it, no matter how much I try not to, no matter how I try to hide it... I look at that person differently. And even if it's just a minute shift, that person picks up on it and then..." He buried his face in his tentacles as he sobbed. "AND THEN I CAN'T TEACH MY BELOVED STUDENTS ANYMO-O-ORE!"

Twilight watched the sobbing being for a moment before standing up and slowly patting him on the back. "There there... But... why are you asking me?"

Korosensei sniffled miserably before giving Twilight a sad look. "This is the first fused loop with a magic user I've had since the extension... I'd ask Mister Potter if I could, but... well, you're the next best option. Please... if there has ever been a time to demonstrate the truth in your claims that Equestria is a sanctuary... this is the time to show it."

Twilight pursed her lips hesitantly for a moment before nodding. "Alright. I'll... see what I can do." Her horn started to light up. "I'll need your permission to enter your mind and I need to know what I'm blocking."

Korosensei sniffed and wiped his face with his tentacles. "T-thank you... You have my permission. And... you'll know it when you see it."

Twilight nodded definitively.

Her horn flashed purple, and the tentacled teacher's world became a blissful blank.

4.4 (leviticus wilkes)

"Hi!"

Ichigo Kurosaki, walking around the Soul Society, turned around when he heard the greeting that was obvious addressed to him. The speaker was a small boy with a red cap, a white shirt with a blue stripe, and a ludicrously large nose. "I'm Billy. Wanna play?"

Ichigo spent all of zero seconds entertaining the notion of playing with Billy. MLE! MLE! WE'VE GOT BILLY! FIND AIZEN AND GET HIM OUT OF HERE!"

Ichigo broke into a flat sprint, tapping into the Speed Force and hurtling to where Rukia was. The soul reaping looper was already moving. "What is it?"

"Billy! Grab Aizen and run, we can't let him find-"

Rukia and Ichigo ground to a halt, staring at the abjectly terrifying scene in front of them. There was Aizen Sousuke, false mastermind of a million plans, standing in front of Billy, MLE. Billy was speaking. "Hi."

Aizen, keeping up the appearance of a fairly nice and nerdy guy, replied politely with his own "Hello."

"Hi."

"Hello."

"Hi."

"Hello."

"Hi.

"Hello."

Rukia and Ichigo began to ever so slowly creep towards Aizen and Billy. "No sudden moves. No loud sounds," Rukia whispered.

"Gently... gently..." Ichigo murmured, raising his Zanpakto over his head.

"Hey, do you like fire?" Billy said, now holding handfuls of fire.

Ichigo, Rukia and Aizen froze. "Oh no," Ichigo said.

"MLE crashes our loop and we end up in Eiken. How's that fair?" Ichiko grumbled.

Rukia didn't answer. It was because she genuinely lacked an answer, and because she was too busy focusing on not over balancing. Her dexterity was shot thanks to her spectacular and sudden increase in cup size that was mandatory in Eiken.

Ichiko kicked a rock across the school courtyard. "I fucking hate this loop."

Rukia, momentarily self-assured that she could walk without falling over, did reply now. "Ichigo, at least Aizen hasn't shown up. Be glad for that."

Ichiko growled quietly. "I'll believe that when I see what home room is like."

Miraculously though, Aizen did not appear to be in home room. Not a single student had a recognizable mark that identified them as Aizen Sousuke, and when Ichiko asked for Aizen, no one answered. It seemed they were in luck.

...until their substitute teacher arrived, half-drunk and badly hungover. "Oka-hic! Okay class... free day," their teacher said.

One of the students, Lin May, raised a hand. "Uh, Sousuke-Sensei, are you... uh... drunk?"

Aizen Sousuke, substitute teacher, looked at Lin May. "Sweetheart, I have seen some real shit. I need this."

In the back, Ichiko and Rukia picked up their backpacks, put their faces into them, and screamed their lungs out.

It was the loop after that Ichigo saw something strange. Aizen was, again, drinking. But Aizen didn't remember Billy. Ichigo had searched Aizen's mind to the point that Aizen was under the impression that someone was reading his mind, but couldn't find a trace of Billy.

It was the same one loop later. And the loop after that. Ichigo couldn't explain it, not at first. Eventually though, Rukia offered the best answer.

"It's Billy. Aizen's memories get wiped every reset, but he's drinking to scrub everything else that remains."

4.5 (firestorm blade)

as Beauty looked at the replacement for Bobobo for this Loop, she wondered what the heck she was seeing
'I'm not sure who's weirder, Bobobo, The Tick, or.. this guy. still, at least he's using an actual weapon'
while a somewhat short man with a large, pink nose and oddly shaped chin, wearing rainbow suspenders, a propeller hat, and a red fanny pack (though he preferred to be called "belly bag") who was attacking with a giant mallet that shot lasers might freak out others new to the loops, beauty hung around with Bobobo, so this was nothing special.

"SUPER FIST OF THE GRANDPA! LASER MALLET!" the man shouted while his hammer shot more lasers.

4.6 (jcogginsa)

"Hey there!" a jaunty voice called out. Kyubey turned in surprise and saw Son Goku, standing there with a smile and a large fish.
"Hello...Goku" Kyubey said in an emotionless way that said that if he could feel emoton, he'd be nervous. "How are...you?" He said, trying to distract the incredibly powerful looper.

"I'm fine. Got me a fish I'm gonna take home. How about you?"

"I am...adequate."

"Good for you! Listen, you're not planning to turn anyone into a witch or anything?"

Well, technically he turned them into magical girls. They turned themselves into witches. So he wasn't even lying. "No, i am not."

"Good, if you were i'd have to stop you. But since you're not, wanna come over to my place for dinner?"

Kyubey tilted his head sideways "You would consort with me? Do you not condemn me for my past actions?"

"Nah, I don't really hold grudges. Heck, i forgave Frieza and Cell. Couple times anyway, they're okay guys when you get them past the evil thing. Besides, you don't seem to have any friends. I figure if you had one, you might change."

Kyubey considered his options. It would be a waste of time. On the other paw, Goku was likely the only looper here who wouldn't just end him on sight.

"Very well."

4.7 (wildrook)

"I'll be honest, Kakarot," a young voice said, helping out with the second giant fish, "blue was always more of my color."
Goku then smiled. "I usually keep spare orange uniforms in my Subspace Pocket, Vegeta," he replied. "Still, what made you, the Prince, decide to 'assist' me, a low-class grunt, in Planet Trading?"

"Personal curiosity. I've heard stories from Bulma on how you, the Ex, the bald one, and she grew up together, but I was waiting for an opportunity to see it for myself."

Vegeta wasn't kidding. Not only was he Awake, but he was Goku's age minus the Saiyan Armor, although he was wearing a darker version of Goku's outfit. So, much to the ire of Frieza and the surprise of his Father, he decided to take a Saiyan Pod and follow the "Low-Class Grunt" to the planet he was supposed to eradicate.

Still, had someone who knew them think that this was a bit of a surreal sight, them getting along early, but they tend to spar every now and again. That, and the benefits of Looping has them keep their power levels from last time.

"Well, let's hope the replacement can put up a fight in your place," Goku replied. "Also, this is where I usually meet Bulma. In fact, you may want to dodge right now."

As they both jumped out of the way of the Capsule Corp vehicle, Bulma was a bit surprised to see TWO figures there...then she realized who the other one was.

"I knew I sensed two pings," she muttered, "but I didn't expect to see you this early, Vegeta."

Vegeta then smirked. "Well, call it personal curiosity, Bulma," he said, "but I'm pretty sure we can take on this planet and win."

"Keep in mind we're doing things baseline," Goku replied. "At least, until the other Saiyans show up, but that's a given unless the others are Awake."

Vegeta nodded. "For all we know, the Saiyans in those variants might show up, or worse, Broly."

Bulma gave out a grimace. "Yeah, I've heard about that piece of work," she muttered. "Goku, you have the Dragon Ball?" Goku nodded as he brought out the Four-Star Ball. "Great. Hope you guys packed your stuff."

"So, you used to ride the Nimbus before learning how to fly?" Vegeta asked Goku, restraining the urge to maim Master Roshi.

"I still do from time to time," Goku replied. "Not exactly as practical as flying, but I've had fond memories involving the Nimbus. Glad you restrained yourself against Master Roshi, though."

Had Vegeta been petty, he would have made the Turtle Hermit's life a living hell, so restraint was considered an achievement in itself for the Saiyan Prince. Still, most Saiyan techniques were self-taught, like Raditz's Double Sunday, but it would have been interesting for him to learn the Kamehameha Wave.

"So, Oolong's place next?" Goku asked Bulma.

"That's how we got the next Dragon Ball," she replied, "but we're not doing the zany scheme this time."

"Can't be as bad as wearing a pink shirt," Vegeta replied.

Bulma rolled her eyes. "You're still on about that?" she asked him.

"Again, I'm a warrior, not a type of flower. And I could swear that shirt itself IS a variant."

"Eh, I've dressed in worse," Goku interjected. "But really, his transformations last five seconds, and he's an actual pig. Very easy to sniff out. Also, the girls he snatches tend to mooch off of him."

"Ah, so it's less of a rescue mission. Still, if I remember my Loop memories, isn't he the one that wished for..." Goku nodded. "Why do you keep him around?"

"Because the other option was world domination," Bulma replied. "You'll meet Emperor Pilaf, Shuu, and Mai on this trip."

"One of them kidnapped Trunks," Vegeta replied. "And they're not Awake. I'll try not to hurt them too badly when in Oozaru form."

Yamcha may not have been the strongest or bravest warrior of the Z-Fighters, but he knew when he was outgunned. However, there were questions on his mind, all of them involving the newcomer.

"That's Vegeta as a kid, right?" he asked Goku, who nodded. "And he's not destroying the world?" Another nod. "Not to mention he's experiencing our old adventures and waiting until the Saiyans show up to cut loose." Three times, Goku nodded. "Well, I'm a bit relieved, yet worried."

"We'll deal with the replacement Saiyan as it comes," Goku replied. "Until then, hang in there."

Yamcha nodded. "Well, at least I remember the Kaioken," he replied. "Still, how's Krillin going to react?"

"I've got that under control when we get back to Master Roshi's."

"You both realize I can hear you, right?" Vegeta asked them. "Oh, and before I left my Planet, I grabbed a vial of Saibamen. I want to see if you've learned a few new things, Bandit."

Yamcha cringed. "For the record," he said, "they can be sore losers."

"Under Frieza's rule, surviving their self-destruct means you're of use to him. Besides, I've heard of what happened when you, the Triclops, and the vampire went up against the Ginyu Force. I just want to see it for myself."

Bulma face-palmed. "If there's a male variation of 'The Missus and the Ex,'" she said, Chichi looking at her, "I'm experiencing it for myself."

"At least they're trying not to kill each other," Chichi replied, wide-Awake. "And I'm thinking the Red Ribbon Army doesn't stand a chance now."

"You're here early," Krillin replied, looking at the recently landing duo. "Then again, you and Bulma are close."

"And your power level's unchanged since the last time we met," Vegeta replied. "Although you look more fit."

Goku rolled his eyes. "Some things never change," he replied. "Hey, Krillin. Mastered the Kienzan?"

Krillin then chuckled. "Took a while to learn how to aim," the Strongest Earthling said, "but dodging is easy when you practice with inverted control." He looked at Goku. "Other than that, is Yamcha still alive?"

Vegeta gave him a look. "There's a difference between not liking a guy and wanting him dead," he said. "Guy took down ten Saibamen as soon as the Pilaf situation was over. Guess taking on the Ginyus in the Afterlife isn't just hot air."

"You don't keep those in your Pocket, do you?" Vegeta shook his head. "Great. Still, why are you here? I kind of thought you'd curb-stomp anything in your way."

"Normally, I would, but I was thinking of learning the Mafuba from the Hermit. That, and I wanted to see Kakarot's adventures with my own eyes. So far, I held back."

"Surprised me, too," a voice said, surprising them. "I mean, I can tell you guys don't NEED my training. Yet you STILL came."

"Wait," Goku said. "Master Roshi? You're Awake?"

The Turtle Hermit nodded. "Considering I don't remember Vegeta coming this early, I had a feeling something was up. I take it the Dragon Balls aren't involved?" All three of them shook their heads. "Ah, so it's bigger than that."

"Long story short," Goku said, "we're keeping a supercomputer that's beyond the Kais' awareness running. Bulma's the Anchor, hence Vegeta's Awake. Other than that, we use it to strengthen ourselves. Also, we try to keep from Ascending beyond the Kais because once we do, everything is destroyed."

"And in a way," Vegeta said, "we are technically immortal, even when we die."

Roshi nodded. "You got your wish after all, then." He then looked at Vegeta. "So, you learn the Kamehameha already?" There was a nod. "Well, I can teach you three the Mafuba. Talk about irony. However, you guys have to find Launch first."

"We know where she is," Krillin replied, looking at Vegeta. "Might have to warn you that she switches personalities when she sneezes."

"So, she's a female Zarbon," he replied. "Minus the professional killer vibe. Eh, I've worked with worse."

"Yeah, we've met. Kind of owe you my life there..."

Vegeta and Krillin flew away, leaving Goku to talk with Master Roshi.

"God, that man was filthy," Vegeta muttered. "I now envy Baldy for not having a nose."

"You took him out quickly," Yamcha replied. "Good thing, too. He usually doesn't smell that bad."

Vegeta gave him a look. "Even when I worked with Frieza, one of the few things I did was bathe. Not even Nappa smelled that bad at his worst." He then looked at Krillin and Goku. "That reminds me, what's with the uniform?"

Yamcha then pointed to two familiar fighters...one of them being a Chinese Vampire, the other having three eyes. "They're Awake as well," he said, "and they wanted to see if I was bluffing. That, and I'm technically the bridge between the Kame and New Crane schools."

Vegeta gave out a smirk. "All we need is the Namekian and the boys, and the Z-Fighters are all set," he said. "That reminds me, I noticed a spike in Bulma's power level. You have something to do with that, Bandit?"

"Only because I'm technically on her level. That, and she's not..." He was choosing his words carefully because Vegeta, despite being mellow, can STILL cripple Yamcha.

Vegeta got the message. "One of these days," he said, "she needs to obtain Saiyan genes like Kakarot's woman. Other than that, her Dad replicated the Saibaman formula, so I can test their Power Levels after the tournament. They were with you when they fought the Ginyus."

"Take it Yamcha wasn't kidding," Tien replied, finished with his match. "And you've convinced Dr. Briefs to recreate the Cabbageheads? It's like you're preparing for war."

"We're half-expecting a replacement for Vegeta," Goku said. "For all we know, it could be Raditz, but the possibility of Broly or Turles exists. Then, there's Frieza and Cooler, and possibly Cell."

"That reminds me," Tien said, looking at Goku. "I know you can be pretty forgiving even to our worst enemies, so I'm kind of wondering...you ever befriended someone we'd usually despise?"

Vegeta groaned. He knew this question would come sooner or later. "There was the one Loop where he became the Ginyu Force's Sixth Ranger," he said.

Goku nearly tripped over his tail. "You were Awake during that?" he asked Vegeta.

The Prince smirked. "I still have photos, Kakarot. Seriously, bright orange armor isn't exactly well-liked for aliens with sensitive eyes."

Krillin gave out a small chuckle. "I'd be surprised if they entertained kids," he said. "Then again, they'd pass off as Super Sentai."

"Technically, they were Frieza's favorite entertainers before they got hired. However, I had a kinship with Frieza's brother, Cooler. At least, beyond the Abridged Loops."

"A mutual dislike for Frieza can do that," Vegeta said to the others, who understood the feeling.

Near the snowy plains that housed the base, Vegeta can be seen outside the Civilian Village Goku visited.

He then looked up and noticed a certain Nimbus as Goku landed.

"You're late," Vegeta replied. "Luckily, I haven't taken the castle yet."

"Bulma give you the Dragon Radar?" Goku asked him, getting a nod in return. "Oh, by the way, don't get shocked, but there's an Android in the base."

Vegeta cringed...then realized something. "Wait, Dr. Gero made Androids BEFORE his revenge?" he asked him.

"Yeah, but Android Eight is one of the nice ones."

"This shouldn't surprise me in the least," Vegeta muttered. "Other than that, anyone important I have to watch out for?"

Goku thought about it. "Well, there IS the Dr. Slump branch," he replied. "I meet Arale and the others while being pursued by General Blue. He's the blond one with the cap."

Vegeta nodded. "Right. First to the Dragon Ball wins?"

"If you want to play that way, but keep Eighter intact."

"Alright, alright. And I won't kill Gero for Baldy's sake, either."

With that, they sped towards the base, unaware of the change they might make in the future.

"Not much of a challenge, are they?" Krillin asked the others inside Baba's Palace

"Turns out the Leader was killed by his Second-In-Command," Vegeta replied. "After that, we kind of wrecked the place. Still expecting the Androids to show up due to Gero not being in the area, but something's been bugging me."

Yamcha was surprised. "Does it have anything to do with tall, green, and creepy?" ha asked the others.

Goku then face-palmed. "Oh right," he said. "Gero creates Cell. And considering an early visitor..."

"Well, it's been a while since we've had a good challenge," Vegeta said, getting grimaces from the others. "Yeah, I know. We're planning for that as well."

"Hopefully," Bulma muttered. "Although...Baba mentioned something about a last-minute change. Something about a warrior lost in time."

The others that were there just looked at her confused, but considering they already know of one change, they didn't expect another to happen this soon.

The feeling was confirmed when the figure had walked onto the ring...a rather...intimidating figure.

Vegeta's eyes widened as he recognized the hairstyle. "Kakarot," he said, "did you tell her..."

"No, I didn't," Goku said. "But I'm thinking I know someone who did."

The figure had walked into the light and surprised the others...and then gave a smile.

"Sorry I'm late," he said. "But when the woman offered for me to see my son for at least a day, I didn't think he'd be with Prince Vegeta..."

"Guess it's our first meeting, Dad," Goku said, entering the ring. "I have to admit, I was half-expecting my Grandfather to show up."

"Wait, THAT'S Goku's Dad?" Yamcha asked him.

"Paternal father," Vegeta replied. "The one who openly rebelled against Frieza. His name is Bardock...and in some cases, he's the very first Super Saiyan."

That shocked the others.

"You know," Oolong muttered, "when I asked if Goku was an alien, I was joking."

Both Father and Son sized the other up in power level. Considering this was the first meeting between the two (sans when Goku worked for Frieza in some variants), the tension was thick to the point you can cut it with a knife. However, the first blows were drawn as soon as the word "Go" was said, and it was easy to tell why Goku would hold back.

It wasn't the father judging the son...but rather...the son testing his father's character.

"Guess your training on Earth isn't wasted," Bardock replied. "I have to ask, considering I may have seen it a few times, but...are you strong enough to face my old boss?"

Goku gave out a nod. "I have to ask," he said. "How'd you end up as a Super Saiyan?"

"It's a long story, but I didn't expect to be sent to the past after facing him. How I was alive back then, I don't know, but during my fight against Lord Chilled, my anger went through the roof, and I beat him within an inch of his life. I just didn't think the legend would reach today, especially after Frieza blew up our planet. However...call it our Warrior Pride, but when I saw you go up against him...I smiled."

Vegeta was in thought at that point. 'Well, I know one thing,' he thought. 'I know where Kakarot got his tenacity from...besides, anyone who can take on Frieza's ancestor and invoke the fear of the Super Saiyan in his descendants is alright. Shame he's only here for a day...'

Vegeta gave Goku a look.

"What?" he asked his "brother" the loop.

"Your Dad's not exactly the typical mercenary," he replied. "I mean, really, he was one of the only Saiyans who had a healthy relationship with his team, one of the things that you inherited when it came to the other Earthlings here."

"That's the thing," Goku said. "I was once disgusted at my origin being that of a mindless killer until you died in Baseline for the first time. Now, after meeting my Dad and showing that he was helpless against Frieza, it kind of made me feel worse because he was one of the few that tried to stop him."

"It also explains why his squadron was one of the best back in the day. Not because of the kill count, but because they had each other's backs, and to a typical Saiyan, that would disgust every fiber of their being." And Goku knew that the Old Vegeta would have his pride insulted just by mentioning this. "Heck, I'm still kind of skeptical about us working together and myself holding back just to see what happens if Nappa has a replacement partner."

Goku nodded. "And I still need you to hold back on killing King Piccolo immediately," he replied. "Because unless he's used up all of his eggs, the Piccolo we know won't be born, Kami fades away, and the Dragonballs won't be used. As for his minions...well...one of them killed Krillin, so it's fair game."

Then Vegeta started to realize why Goku's letting him take the opportunity. "Oh, so THAT'S how you turned Super Saiyan against Frieza," he said. "You and the bald one are closer than your own blood brother."

"Didn't stop me from letting Raditz loose during that fused loop with the giant zombies and the walls," he replied. "Guy's got a shorter end of the stick than Yamcha, and I'm kind of hoping he'd Awaken one day from that Loop, but that's just wishful thinking on my end."

"Hey, guys!" a voice yelled.

Sure enough, Krillin was there...so they hadn't met Tambourine yet.

Either that, or Krillin had escaped him.

"Hey, Krillin," Goku replied.

Vegeta gave out his usual grunt. "So, Frieza wasn't the first you died?" he asked Krillin.

"Straight to the point," Krillin muttered. "Thing is, I was hoping you'd let me take on Tambourine while you guys take out the other ones. And yes, Goku, I know you need Piccolo's son in order to get him back, but..."

"Considering it at least lets us use the Dragon Balls in the future," Goku said, "I'm hoping I can force him to lay the egg."

"Wouldn't be the first time I've worked against an Evil Overlord," Vegeta replied. "But really, you want the gang back together. Hopefully, the Saibamen Bulma's Father reverse-engineered would act as better sparring partners than the ones we're used to."

"Yeah, I still remember the first time seeing them," Krillin said. "Yamcha's survived a lot of things, but taken out by a sore loser is a bit of a shock."

"What's more shocking is that I got hit on by the blond called General Blue," Vegeta said, cringing. "Considering Frieza's species is a one-gender race, I'm used to it, but it's the fact that he acts like Zarbon that drove me up the wall."

"Had I not been married in baseline," Krillin replied, "I was going to ask what happened to the FEMALE conquering overlords, but I think I'd expect the answer to be 'Frieza happened.'"

"And you'd be half-right," Vegeta said. "Some of them were Saiyans themselves."

"Well, at least you two aren't killing each other," Goku said, smiling.

The 23rd Tenkachi Budokai Martial Arts Tournament. Years after the fight with King Piccolo, Goku and Vegeta had landed onto the sidewalk during the rain, much to the surprise of those that had just arrived.

"This is going to take some getting used to," Oolong muttered. "I mean, you two just flying in like that."

Goku chuckled. "Well, we had to make sure Kami was still alive," he replied. "He's doing well, by the way. We're also hoping we'd meet our friend."

Vegeta then smiled. "You've developed quite well, Bulma," he said. "How's training?"

"Great, but I'm only up to five Saibamen," Bulma replied. "Kept the recipe in my Subspace Pocket just in case. Kind of wish I had the Zenkai boost you, Goku, and Chichi have."

"You and me both. Still, there's always the future."

Launch was a little out of the Loop, but being around a bunch of fighters makes her follow the conversation.

"Still, can't believe you two trained with Kami," Master Roshi replied. "By any chance did he recognize you?"

"Not really," Goku said. "He's still living, which means Piccolo's around. Any chance did Krillin tell you about the ping?"

"Yeah, and I felt something come this way. At first, I thought it was a high power, but when it didn't get closer, I kind of figured it must be a mental thing."

"In a way, it is," a voice replied, catching them by surprise. "And I'll be honest, I didn't think Vegeta would be here this early...not to mention complimenting Bulma on a developing power level."

Goku smiled. "I take it you're Awake, Piccolo?" he asked him.

Piccolo smirked. "And at full power," he said. "Still not used to being a Super Namekian without Nail and Kami in my system."

"Kind of like being a Super Saiyan at a young age," Vegeta replied. "That is, if you're not Broly. Still, you look like you're able to take on Frieza at full power in a stalemate."

"And I'm thinking you can handle Baseline Cell at Perfect Form, but that's only if Cell's power is baseline." He then looked at the approaching power levels. "And I take it they got the message."

"Yeah," Krillin said, being the first to land. "Nice to see you again, Piccolo."

Yamcha landed next to him. "It's not hard to guess why Goku was trying to get the Demon King to hatch you," he replied.

"Really hope you train our son close to home," Chichi said, landing next to Goku. "Speaking of, how's Mr. Popo?"

"Well, he's not the creepy version we all fear, at least," Goku replied. "Harsh taskmaster regardless, though."

"Better than Master Shen, at least," Chaotzu replied. Tien nodded. "By the way, I hold no hard feelings against you."

Piccolo nodded. "Yeah, I'll admit, my Dad was a bit of an ass," he replied. "And as much as I'd like to fight Goku without the whole pre-programming thing, I think I'd like to see how you guys developed considering he and Vegeta are almost God-Level."

Yeah, they remembered the recent baseline extension. Pilaf, Shu, and Mai were lucky to be alive every time they saw Vegeta.

"Other than that," Tien replied, "isn't Kami in Human Form right now? Or does he notice the lack of Darkness within you?"

"Oh yeah," Yamcha muttered. "Still a little angry about that...where is he?"

"Right here," a young man said, showing up in human form. "And to be honest, I'm surprised the offspring didn't take after the father that much."

Piccolo gave the man a glare. "Well, ignoring the grudge against Goku," he said, "I came here for a good fight." 'Besides, the guy dies on his own terms, not anyone else's. Not even the old Piccolo.'

"Then if that's the case, then I probably should let this man have his body back," Kami muttered. "And I was actually worried."

"Well, unless one of us fights each other in the Preliminaries," Goku said, "anyone else thinking the slots are filled?"

"Looks that way," Bulma replied. "Unless you guys are open for a bit of variety..."

"We missed the past few tournaments due to either being dead or out in space," Krillin replied. "Then again...anyone have any plans until the other Saiyans show up?"

Goku thought about it. "Well, for once, despite training him, I was thinking of being a decent parent to Gohan," he said, "but unless he's Awake..."

"I've taken care of Gohan when he was a crybaby," Piccolo replied, noticing Kami out of earshot. "If Raditz doesn't force you to sacrifice yourself, though."

Vegeta then gave them a look. "Sorry, but to me," he said, "I don't plan on being a father until after I take out the Cold Empire. Seriously, they don't know I'm still alive, and if they find out about Trunks..."

"I think we get the idea," Tien replied. "You've got the same look I had when I thought Chaotzu died for good."

Not to mention that a man by the name of Mark Satan had taken the whole Tournament when they were gone, but considering the new found peace and the arrival of an Awake Piccolo Jr, things didn't escalate as badly as they thought.

However, out in space, the Butterfly Effect would take hold as a Saiyan Pod was about to launch towards Earth.