Gine landed delicately next to Gohan, handing him the last two dragon balls. She watched with numb detachment as he summoned the dragon, but before he could speak their wish, a familiar sound jolted through her ears, sending her heart into a gallop. Her eyes snapped up of their own accord to see Kakarot riding the nimbus toward them at great speed, waving and laughing. Before she could fully process what she was seeing, he had already jumped down and flung himself into her arms.

"Ma!" he shouted. "You're alright! Thank goodness!"

"That's my line, young man!" Gine scolded, holding him out at arm's length. His clothing was ruined, but other than that he looked totally fine. Relief squeezed her heart so hard it turned into rage, leaving her limbs weak and pricking her eyes with hot tears. Had Piccolo tricked her? Or, worse, had her own mind been tricking her? Had she overestimated her abilities and simply been unable to sense him even though he was there? Too many emotions warred for dominance and she shook her son hard, screaming at him even as she wanted to fold him in her arms and never let go. "What happened to you? I couldn't sense your energy anywhere! I thought you were dead!"

"I almost was," Kakarot said offhandedly, his only concession to the shaking being to grasp her wrists to stabilize himself. His total lack of concern at her anger had never infuriated her more than it did now. "But that's not important. Korin told me you defeated King Piccolo! Is that really true?"

Gine's righteous fury faltered.

"Well, I…"

"She sure did!" Roshi said, stepping forward. "It was incredible! I've never seen fighting like that in all my life!"

Kakarot stared at her in wonder, and Gine felt the rage give one last stab through her body and then ebb away. She didn't know why Roshi was being so kind. She hadn't defeated Piccolo. He and Gohan had had to seal him away because she had gotten distracted. Her son was alive, but through no effort of hers. She didn't deserve their praise, and she most certainly did not deserve the awe she saw growing in her son's eyes.

"If it weren't for your mother, we all very likely would have been killed," Gohan said, coming up to join them. Gine flashed him a warning look that he ignored. Kakarot, still dangling from her arms, opened his mouth to speak, but they were all interrupted by the dragon clearing its throat.

"I GROW IMPATIENT. SPEAK YOUR WISH NOW."

The flurry of activity that followed put the conversation permanently on hold. They wished back everyone who had been killed by King Piccolo and his children, and then travelled to Kame House to check on everyone there and fill them in on what happened. Roshi, Gohan, and Kakarot all filed through the door, greeted with shouts of joy from inside, but Gine couldn't bring herself to even step onto the porch. She could hear them in there, recounting the battle they insisted on calling her victory, and her shame made it impossible for her to face their gratitude.

Kakarot came out to join her after a few minutes, now wearing his staff, and he took her by the hand and lead her over to the nimbus. She climbed on, almost in a daze, and nimbus took off. Every so often Kakarot would turn back to look at her, as though checking to make sure she was still there. She smiled back whenever he did, still just happy he was alive and with her, but for most of the flight she was frowning, deep in thought.

Complacency. That was the problem. She had allowed complacency to creep into her heart and it had nearly cost her everything. Gine had wanted to be a fighter for about as long as it took her to get in her first fight, at which point it had become abundantly clear to everyone (herself most of all) that Gine was not a proper Saiyan and never would be. Being forced to come to Earth had turned out to be a blessing in disguise, for although she mourned her people, she had found fulfillment and happiness here on this alien world full of beings that were pretty much the opposite of Saiyans: weak and senselessly kind. And then when these weak beings had been threatened, when it had been up to her to protect them and repay them for everything they had done for her, she had been unable to.

Worse, for once in her life her power level hadn't been the deciding factor. If she'd managed to hold on to even a tiny fraction of the Saiyan killing instinct she had always shied away from, she would have done away with the Namekian in seconds. Instead she had allowed him to get inside her head and destroy her confidence, and she hadn't been strong enough to withstand his superior skill on top of the mental onslaught. This particular threat had now been neutralized, no thanks to her, but next time…?

And it would be foolish to think there wouldn't be a next time. Even if Frieza never came here, Kakarot had told her of several power-hungry Earthlings he had dispatched. What if one of them somehow grew powerful enough to challenge a Saiyan, or used technology to bridge the gap? Earthlings were weak creatures, but they were wily beyond anything Gine had imagined, and some of them were as blood-thirsty as Saiyans. She thought briefly of the peaceful life in the mountains she had led, engaging no foes more vicious than deer trying to eat her rhubarb, and knew, though she didn't want to admit it, that those carefree days were over.

Suddenly she noticed they were flying in the wrong direction to be going back to the mountain.

"Where are we going, Kakarot?"

Kakarot spun around on the cloud, looking at her eagerly.

"I'm takin' you to Korin's Tower! I want you to teach me everything you know, and then he'll teach us everything he knows, and then I'll teach you the Kamehameha! I had no idea you were so strong, ma! If I'da known that I woulda taken you to Korin's earlier."

Gine had only a vague idea who Korin was. Her son related events in order of interest, not chronologically, and he left many things out entirely. For instance, until the day before she had assumed Launch was merely two sisters and Kakarot had forgotten one of their names. Unless she was mistaken, which was very possible, Korin was some kind of con artist, or possibly a healer. Considering she had only ever heard of him through the lens of Kakarot's storytelling, he was just as likely to turn out to be a cat.

Still, Gine couldn't quite bring herself to tell her son to simply take her home. She reached out and stroked his hair, and he leaned back into the motion, and for just a moment he was her little baby boy again. She knew it was an illusion, but she couldn't help but hold onto it even so. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why Saiyan mothers didn't grow attached to their young. Allowing herself to love him and then let him leave had turned out to be a sweet kind of pain that only grew harder to bear after nearly losing him for good.

Soon they came to a large tower that stretched far into the sky, and it turned out Korin was indeed a cat, and a martial arts master to boot. He also seemed able to read minds, and he gave Gine a knowing wink when Kakarot requested that he train them.

"Sorry, pal, you lot are stronger than I know what to do with. You're going to have to speak to a higher power if you want someone to train you now."

"A higher power?" Kakarot repeated.

"That staff you got there ain't just for beating people with, you know. It was originally the thing that connected this tower with the sanctuary that floats high above it. The sanctuary that houses… God."

Gine tried not to giggle, she really did. It was hard to take him seriously when, not only was he speaking of deity as though it existed, but he was also, well, a cat. The cat gave her a sour look. Kakarot merely looked confused.

"What're you talking about?"

"It'll be easier if you just go up there and see for yourself," Korin said. "Both of you are so strong that God is the only one who can train you now."

If the Earthlings thought a Namekian was a demon, there was no telling what their God might turn out to be. In spite of herself, Gine grew curious.

"Okay!" Kakarot sang out happily. "How do we meet this God guy?"

Korin pointed heavenward.

"Simply place your staff in the sconce on the very top of this Tower and extend it all the way up. And take this bell as proof that you come with my blessing."

Kakarot took the bell and did as instructed, Gine following, bemused. Before Kakarot made the staff extend, however, Korin had one last piece of advice for them that sobered her considerably.

"Oh, and when you get up there, don't worry. Your eyes aren't playing tricks on you, but remember: neither am I."


Korin's words fell into place the moment she saw Kami's face. He was waiting for them, standing next to a rotund person in a turban, but both she and her son only had eyes for the tall green man who looked exactly like King Piccolo.

"Greetings," he said, but was able to get out no more than that before Kakarot shouted ferociously and leaped forward. Gine had just enough presence of mind to grab him by the tail and yank him back.

"Who are you?" she demanded, holding her son upside down by his tail. Korin's assurances notwithstanding, if his answer wasn't satisfactory she would let her son go and join him in battle.

"I am Kami," the Namekian said, and Gine could see that his eyes held no cruelty. "I suppose I can't blame you for mistaking me for Piccolo, but I assure you we are two separate beings, though this was not always the case. Long ago, he and I were one. In order to become Kami I had to expel all the evil from my heart, and that evil became Piccolo. This has long been my shame, and in gratitude to you for defeating him, I will grant you any request."

Kakarot finally squirmed out of Gine's grip and landed lightly on his feet.

"I want to train with you!" It was as though his previous aggression had been totally forgotten. Gine had time to smile at his innocence before he pointed at her and added, "And so does my ma!"

The smile fell from her face, and she opened her mouth to say— well, something, but before she could, Kami nodded, stroking his chin.

"I see," he said. "Very well."

Kakarot danced around, delighted, and Gine tried to think of some way to politely decline. Kami caught her gaze and gave her a knowing look, and although his face was kind, it also put her in mind of his evil counterpart. His horrible laughter echoed in her ears, and she swallowed down her objections. Next time she wouldn't flounder. Next time she would be ready, and if that meant training with this old Namekian, so be it.

Kakarot looked up at her with an expression of such pure joy that it was impossible not to answer it with a smile of her own.