Chapter 11:

The Weight of Love

Sagie lifted her head up from the ground feeling dizzy and confused. Looking left and right, she tried to process what had happened. Vegeta was a good fifty feet away from her, fighting some unknown man that she couldn't process at the moment. He was tall, wearing red and black, and his hands were huge. On the edge of her hearing, she caught the Grand Priest announcing the elimination of Ribrianne's two followers, making her smile faintly.

Cabba must have won his battle with Roasie, she thought, and taken down the freaky beast chick at the same time. That left only the most annoying of the three, Ribrianne, for them to take out before they set their sights on the male members of Ribrianne's team, but for right now, she was pretty sure she shouldn't move.

"What are you?"

Sagie opened her eyes and turned her head towards the sound of Ribrianne's voice. In the epicenter of some clearing smoke, much to Sagie's surprise, was a no longer transformed Ribrianne. She was back to her tiny, petite form, looking insignificant. Wiping a bit of dirt from her chin, the small green haired woman didn't bother to stand up from her spot, legs sprawled behind her on the ground, but she did speak.

"You really are evil," She whispered and her untransformed face, burnt and slightly blackened, looked furious. "A demon."

"Demon?" Sagie laughed slightly to herself, pushing herself up with aching hands until she was sitting up on the ground. "I've been called worse." Growling, she forced herself back to her feet, knowing that she couldn't show any sign of weakness in front of this devil-spawn.

Ribrianne chuckled and glanced up to her eliminated team members in the stands. "Either way," She spoke slowly, "This is your lucky day, Dark Warrior of Universe 6."

Becoming exasperated, Sagie grimaced. Her head was starting to pound. The headache from earlier was overtaking her senses and this woman's idiocy was making it worse, "When will you get it through your thick, green haired skull," She brought one hand up to her head, trying to hold in the migraine dancing against her temple, "This is not a manga."

"No! It isn't!" Ribrianne screamed angrily. "This is the weight of love falling upon my beautiful shoulders!"

"Give me two seconds," Sagie started to take a step forward, "And I'll—shit!" She actually screamed as she felt something snake up her leg entangling her.

"Got you." Ribrianne smiled sadistically. "Big armor attack!"

Sagie tried to struggle as the pink rope ran its way up her body until it reached her neck, transforming into a heart that swallowed her whole.

"Great love is binding." Ribrianne told her as she continued to hold the rope like energy attack in place under the ground. "You can't escape my love now."

"Everybody—," A voice cried out from above in the stands, "Use this!"

Sagie raised an eyebrow as Kakunsa from universe 2 gave the directive to her team. Twisting to face them, Sagie's eyes widened as they held up what looked like the wands she had seen in the Magical Girl manga's Bardock read.

Jaw falling opened, Sagie tried to wrap her mind around what she was seeing, "Is their universe," She sweat dropped and quirked an eyebrow, "Really a manga?"

Suddenly, Ribrianne began to glow on the ground. The slight shimmering catching Sagie's attention.

"This is everybody's love? Thank you." Ribrianne spoke sweetly from the bottom of her heart. The glow was just now starting to fill her whole body, making her face, arms, hands, torso, and legs glow in soothing light. "I can feel everyone's love burning." She continued to speak softly as she leaned her head back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Love is enveloping my body."

Raising a shaky eyebrow, Sagie grimaced, "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Love is wonderful." She whispered as the glow completely overtook her body, lifting her up and off the ground as it grew and grew in size until it morphed into a gigantic pink heart.

The heart hovered over the ring for only a few seconds before Ribrianne took shape from it. Her body, a thousand times bigger than before filled nearly the entirety of the ring. Wings lined her back, like a butterfly, and a new dress adorned her body, pink and yellow as well as giant white bloomers.

Feeling absolutely dazed and confused, Sagie couldn't do anything except shake her head, "That is just downright ridiculous."

"So long as love exists in the world I can fight." The gigantic Ribrianne spoke evenly, but due to her size the sound ripped through the void. "I can fight for love." She opened her eyes and smiled brightly, "Love will save the universe." She looked down at Sagie, hatred in her eyes, "This is the end for you Dark Warrior."

Sagie felt a strange sort of helplessness start to overtake her. It was a feeling she could honestly say she had never experienced before in her life. But then—just as quickly as it came—something filled it up that she hadn't been expecting.

"Sagie-san?"

A soft voice, sweet, melodic, and filled with unmistakable love rang in the air all around it. It was so loud that she thought it was real for a second. She could have sworn it was there and that the person who said her name that way was there.

"Sagie-san—you will be careful, won't you?"

Gulping, Sagie blinked back what might have been a tear. Memories flashed in front of her mind that she kept hidden in the most private part of her. No one knew of them except the person who lived in them. Bardock and Kakarot both probably didn't even know, suspect maybe, but there was no way they could know for certain—never.

"You know how I worry about you—someone has to, right?"

"Fist of love," Ribrianne pulled back one of her gigantic, yellow-gloved hands, unaware of the memories running rampant in Sagie's mind.

"And—I—um—when all of this is over, the tournament—."

The voice seemed to be whispering right in Sagie's ear, just as it had in reality right before Vados whisked them away to the world of the void.

"Do you think—you and I—could we finally—?"

Sagie's eyes snapped opened as rage filled her entire body. Screaming at the top of her lungs, forcing her energy outwards, the yellow coloration of Super Saiyan flew throughout her aura. Her hair spiked up a bit further. The yellow color dominated it, highlighting it as her eyes turned blue, darkening with strength she thought was lost to her. How she had accessed this energy after taking on the power of a God of Destruction not moments before was impossible to understand.

Overwhelmed by the energy of a Super Saiyan, the Big Armor attack's heart broke into a million fragments before literally disintegrating.

In the stands, the people of universe 2 sat dumbfounded by the sheer amount of energy that was suddenly coming off of Sagie in waves. Up above her Ribrianne's face contorted with her own shock, but she didn't halt her attack. Her fist continued to sail downwards towards Sagie who was readying her own, pathetically small by comparison, fist.

The two connected. The shockwave actually sent other warriors flying, helpless. Sagie's feet sunk into the ring from the force of Ribrianne's combined power and weight, cracking the supposedly dense and strong material.

"Why!" Ribrianne yelled down at Sagie's dwarfed body as the two struggled to maintain dominance, "How can one without love have so much power?"

"How can someone so big," Sagie screamed up towards Ribrainne, "Have such a small brain?!"

Bringing her other hand back, Sagie drew all the power she had to the surface and then forced it into her fist. The energy shimmered, spasmed, and shook as she let a roar rip from her throat before sending it into Ribrianne's fist. Instantly, Rihrianne's hand ruptured as it was thrown backwards. Bending at the knees, throwing herself as high into the air as she could, Sagie borrowed her next attach without any guilt.

"Ka—me!" She screamed the first two syllables as she brought her hands to her side, the action catching everyone from universe 7 and, shockingly, 6 off guard. "Hame," The energy turned bright, blue, blinding and hot. "Hame," It grew in size, shoved between her hands tightly as she flew high above the giant Ribrianne's head, "Ha!"

The blasts exploded from her hands, big enough to take down an entire solar system. Ribrianne's final screech filled the void as she was blown backwards, gigantic feet going up and over her head as well as the edge of the ring into the void.

-break-

Standing nearby, observing as he regained some of his power, Goku felt a smile overtake his face as he watched Sagie. The energy from her Kamehameha dissipated, and she lowered her arms. The aura of the Super Saiyan seemed to sparkle once brightly before slipping off her body. She was panting, obviously exhausted, but he couldn't help but feel impressed by her. He had seen a lot of impossible comebacks in his life. Hell, he had been the main participant in most of them, but to see her body, completely drained, gain access to Super Saiyan once more showed a lot of talent and inner strength.

"She's good," Goku commented as he watched her collapse to one knee.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Eighteen studied the recovering woman with a critical eye, "She used your technique." The android stated the obvious even though the very mention of it created a very complex conundrum.

"So did her sons," Seventeen added to his sister's statement mildly. "Seems that she is very similar to someone from our own timeline."

"Huh?" Goku pointed at himself and tilted his head to the side, "You mean me?"

Smiling faintly, Seventeen grunted, "Who else?"

"She is the one difference between their universe and our own," Eighteen began to speculate. "It seems only logical that you two would have a connection."

"The question is," Seventeen continued on, narrowing his eyes darkly, "Is the connection the obvious one or not?"

Shaking his head slightly at the conversation, Goku was about to weigh his own two cents worth when something caught his eye. Appearing seemingly out of nowhere, three men surrounded Sagie, forming a triangle with a fifteen-foot radius around her kneeling body. She was watching them closely as she continued to pant, considering it had been at least 30 seconds or so since she had untransformed, the fact she was still panting spoke volumes to her physical condition.

Instantly, Goku's body seemed to pulse, instinct driving him. Fist clutching at his side, he twisted to look at Seventeen and Eighteen, "We have to help her!"

Both androids glanced at one another, "Why?"

"Because," Goku motioned towards Sagie who had gotten the will to stand but was wavering on tired legs, "She's defenseless."

"She's the enemy." Seventeen told him bluntly in response.

Goku tightened his fists at his sides. The androids were right. She was their enemy. They had no reason to go after her, but he couldn't shake the feeling that their reaction was wrong. He knew it was deep, down inside of himself. This woman—she had to be protected at all cost, and he had no idea why he felt that way. He really didn't. It wasn't the same feeling he got with Chichi or the same one he had for his sons or even for his friends. Something else inside of him that he couldn't even begin to comprehend told him to go to her, to fight for her, to protect her.

"Sorry," He told the two androids as he rushed forward despite the sounds of their protest.

Even he realized that his actions made absolutely no sense. He was weakened himself from his battle with her sons, one of which he had just eliminated. Going in to help her after defeating Bardock, in a debilitated state, was stupid at best. But he couldn't help it. His feet moved before he actually could comprehend the action.

Landing in front of her, already sunk down in his fighting stance, Goku eyed the one opponent he could see in front of him. The other two, due to the triangle, were out of his visual sensing range. Still, he knew that Eighteen and Seventeen would be sure to keep an eye on them now that he was here. They understood the state of his body; they would be fools themselves not to give him some backup.

Behind him, shaking a bit, Sagie narrowed her gaze suspiciously at the Saiyan from universe 7, "What are you doing?"

"Helping you," Goku addressed her without looking at her.

Raising an eyebrow as she looked at the outline of Goku's hair carefully, Sagie felt her heart clench, memories of a different man with similar unruly hair unnerving her, "I don't need your help."

"I know," Goku told her as he edged his feet further apart. "But—that doesn't mean I can't give it, right?"

Sagie's eyes widened a bit, narrowed, and grew annoyed, "Dear lord," She shook her head a bit and jumped towards him. Landing just beside him with her stance facing the opposite way so they were back to back, she glanced at their opponents, "You better be useful."

Laughing, Goku tensed slightly, eyes staring at the man right in front of them, "I'll try my best."

-break-

"What is Goku doing?" Tien blinked all three eyes at the man on the tournament floor beside Sagie. "He's helping the enemy."

Pursing his lips, glasses reflecting the light of the attacks, Master Roshi frowned, "She may be the enemy—but she is also someone I believe Goku admires."

"Admires?" Krillin muttered and turned to his master.

"She is formidable." Master Roshi continued on. "Her power is on scale with his own—he probably feels a connection to her of some sort."

"There probably is a connection of some sort," Beerus grunted, arms crossed tightly over his chest. "They are from parallel universes. It's highly likely that the difference between the two universes lies in them."

"But what is the connection?"

"Siblings maybe?" Tien tried. "She could be Goku's sister in that universe—or something similar."

"Maybe," Master Roshi whispered, a very different inclining in his head telling him otherwise.

Suddenly, Vados appeared along with Bardock, a grumbling Champa, and the Kais of universe 6. She smiled as she sat down beside her brother. Her cheerful voice was warm, "If our universes are conspiring," She bowed her head slightly to Whis who returned the gesture with a bow of his own, "We should sit together, no?"

With one, unseen, colluding glance Whis agreed, "Good idea, sister."

"Like I would want to be even a hair closer to Beerus!" Champa complained but sat next to his brother who looked just as displeased.

The kais followed suit, not seeming bothered as they greeted the Elder Kai and Shin respectfully. And, last but not least, an awkward looking Bardock plopped down on the same bench a few feet away from Krillin, Tien, and Master Roshi.

The group went silent as they studied Goku and Sagie. The two were tag teaming rather well, pushing back the male members of universe 2 with surprising efficiency. Behind them, the androids were following suit. Eighteen and Seventeen were easily pushing back the yardrat despite the alien's amazing use of Instinct Transmission. Even an amateur could realize that universe 7 and 6 had universe 2 on the run. It wouldn't be long before the panic of potential defeat made them sloppy.

Trying to pay attention to the fight, but utterly distracted by the presence of Bardock, Krillin glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. Goku's profile met his gaze as did his hairline. The two were remarkably alike, which made sense if Bardock was the equivalent of Goten from the other universe. Goten looked exactly like his father, so it seemed logical that Bardock did as well. Still, when he had been fighting, the similarities had been only physical. Now that Krillin could see Bardock sitting, adrenaline under control, he looked even more like Goku. His posture was a bit slouched and haphazard. His face had a natural, albeit slight, smile on it, and his eyes were opened up, kind.

And that brought up the universal question that had been plaguing everyone since the tournament's start: How was this kid connected to their Goku?

"Um—excuse me," Krillin worked up the courage to speak to the boy. "Bardock-san?"

The boy didn't respond. He only continued to track the fights with his eyes.

Clearing his throat, Krillin decided to try again, "Bardock-san?"

Still no response—.

"Boy," Master Roshi poked the boy lightly in the side, "Pay attention! Krillin keeps calling you!"

Jumping, Bardock looked straight towards Master Roshi, surprise clearly written on his face. He blinked a few times, glanced towards Krillin, and then blushed. A shy expression crossed his face that hadn't been there the entirety of the tournament. "Sorry, Krillin-san," Smiling lopsidedly, he brought one finger up to scratch at his cheek absently.

"It's okay, Bardock-san."

Lifting an eyebrow, the younger man seemed to fill in a blank from Krillin's words, "I'm not used to you calling me—um—Bardock—," He glanced towards his mother on the tournament floor, "In my universe, you call me Goten."

Shocked, the bald man pointed at himself, "You know me?"

Bardock nodded his head, "I know all of you." He looked towards Tien and Master Roshi, "You're friends with my mother."

This surprised Tien who leaned towards the boy, "We know Sagie-san in your universe?"

Flinching, Bardock half-smiled, half-frowned, "I wasn't—never mind." He shook his head, "It doesn't matter." Turning his attention towards the fight, he quickly changed the subject, "I've known all of you since the day I was born practically."

"If that's the case," Tien spoke bluntly but with a respectful tone, "Then why aren't we here fighting for your universe?"

"Cabba only needed a few spaces filled when he showed up on Earth looking for us." Bardock shrugged, "So—it was pretty easy to just go with the Saiyans." He glanced towards Tien and Master Roshi, trying to word his next thought carefully, "We decided it was best not to—bring anyone out of retirement."

Growling, Master Roshi wished he had his cane, "I should hit you for that, son!"

Laughing good-naturedly, Bardock rubbed the back of his head briefly in the most familiar way, "Krillin-san's wife just had a baby," He looked down at Krillin, "That's why you're not here from my universe. Judging by your appearance and Eighteen-san, I guess Mirin wasn't an issue?"

"No," Krillin filled in as he tried to process this information, "She's old enough to leave alone in our universe." Blinking, Krillin thought that his own answer was strange. In their universe, Mirin was currently with Goten—and Trunks of course. It was awkward to realize that this man was, apparently, Goten as an adult.

"Really?" Bardock leaned backwards, propping himself up by placing his elbows on the raised seat behind him. "Our universes are similar and different all at the same time, huh?"

"I guess so," Krillin acknowledged while eyeing the boy's nonchalance. Other questions collected on his tongue, but he couldn't bring himself to ask them. It would be far too awkward to blurt out, do you know Goku, to a boy he felt he really had never met.

In the end, Krillin didn't have to.

"That man," Bardock questioned as he pushed himself forward, placing one elbow on his knee so he could rest his chin in the palm of his hand comfortably, "His name's Son Goku, right?"

"Yeah."

Bardock looked down at his mother and the strange man who were ducking and weaving, doing their best to dodge and counter with skill he just didn't have yet, "Was he born on Vegeta-sei?" The question caught the z-fighters off guard.

"Yes, but from what we can gather, he was sent off planet as an infant," Master Roshi managed to answer, being the most collected, surprisingly. "Frieza destroyed it almost immediately after."

Bardock turned towards the old master, lifting his chin off a surprised hand. "But he was already born?" He spoke more to himself than to them. Growing somehow pensive, an expression that they had seen on Goku's face only a handful of times in a fight, Bardock's eyes turned back to his mother, "Similar," He muttered and brought a hand to his chin, rubbing it, "And different."

Looking towards Master Roshi and Tien, Krillin paused only a few brief seconds to get the go ahead from them before he asked Bardock his next question, "Um—can I ask one more question?"

Coming back to himself, Bardock dropped his hand from his chin, "I don't see why not."

Gulping, Krillin prepared himself for the potential negative ramifications of what he was about to ask, "Have you ever met Goku in your universe?

No malice appeared on Bardock's face. He tilted his head to the side and looked out across the expanse of ring and shook his head, "To my knowledge—no. I've never met Goku before." He filled in and then shifted almost awkwardly, "But—he looks like someone I've never personally met, just heard about."

"Really?" Krillin, Tien, and Master Roshi leaned forward, not realizing that the other people around them who had been silent throughout the conversation had grown pensive as well, especially the two angels.

"He died before I was born," Bardock crossed his arms over his chest. "But—he supposedly looked exactly like me according to Ma."

"Who?" Master Roshi pressed the boy.

Looking at the master out of the corner of his eye, Bardock smiled faintly, "My Opa."

The three humans exchanged an awkward glance. The word was obviously Saiyan, a language none of them spoke at all. Clearing his throat, Krillin, fulfilling his rule as group ambassador, managed to ask for clarification, "What's an opa?"

"Ano," Bardock looked up and to the right trying to remember the word for it in standard language. His eyebrows drew tight as he struggled to find the right translation. There were some words in Saiyan that he had honestly never asked for the translation into Standard Language. This was one of those words, "I think it's—like an Ojii-san?" He dropped his chin back down and rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward laugh. "To be honest, I'm not really sure exactly how we're related, but I'm pretty sure he was my mother's brother."

Sitting side by side, out of the eye line of the conversation, Whis and Vados looked towards each other worry etched on their face.

"His uncle?" Vados mouthed to Whis who turned a little bit white in response. "That can't be right."

Whis felt some of his composure slipping from the very thought. If there had once been a man in universe 6 who looked like Goku—was a version of Goku—then they were in big trouble.

-break-

Skidding to a halt beside Goku, Sagie smirked. Out in front of them was Zirloin just barely pulling himself up from the dust that had consumed his body when Son Goku had, for a split second, transformed into Blue and crushed him with a kick to the back. Even though Zirloin was a decent opponent with surprisingly strong hits and speed, he was no match for Blue. Unfortunately, Son Goku's initial burst of power had been just that, a burst. There was no way he could push that much energy to the surface again.

Beside her, Goku panted a bit. He was feeling pretty damn tired at this point and going Blue, even for a second, had required more effort than he cared to admit. Bringing up his arm where one sweat band still rested, he wiped some of the sweat from his cheek. There was a bruise forming there, but he was pretty sure it was from Kardock, not Zirloin. Zirloin wasn't strong enough to do that much damage to his steel body.

Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, Sagie tried to catch her own breath, "You're pretty good for a male," She growled at him, but the sound was good natured.

Chuckling, Goku knew better than to respond with the same sentiment. He was pretty dumb at times, but he wasn't moronic, "Do Saiyan women not think much of men?"

Sagie popped her neck and turned her attention towards Zirloin. He was staring at them without moving. Something was going on in that head of his, something cunning, "Don't you remember your mother?" Sagie grunted, "She probably beat the shit out of you and called you a chauvinistic pig at the same time—its what Saiyan women do. Got to keep you boys in check."

Watching Zirloin with the same absent intensity, Goku bit the inside of his cheek, unobservable to her, "I don't really remember much about her, so I wouldn't know."

Turning towards Goku, a bit surprised, Sagie tried to put together what she was missing, "What do you mean?"

"Well—," Goku tensed, Zirloin was getting ready to move, "Get ready."

Sagie snapped her attention back towards Zirloin, but she couldn't let his words go. Looking at Son Goku out of the corner of her eye, Sagie allowed herself to take in the familiar profile of his face. He looked different in this universe. His eyes were wide opened, honest and kind. There weren't any scars from battles or tension lines around his mouth and forehead. He was an entirely different person from the one she had known with this face.

An explosion sounded nearby, a blast from another fight. Zirloin took that opportunity to throw himself backwards, landing high above them. Appearing almost out of nowhere, two of the other males of universe two landed beside them, the three forming a dangerous triangle of energy.

Narrowing her gaze, Sagie immediately tried to find the androids. They were supposed to be in charge of taking on these two guys. Her eyes swept the ring, trusting in Son Goku to keep his eyes peeled on them. She found Eighteen in seconds, but was surprised by the woman's clothing. There were tiny holes lining her sleeves, almost like gun shots. Taking a second too long to watch the androids, Sagie put together the problem in only a few seconds.

As Eighteen jumped out of the way of a hit, Sagie caught sight of the tiny blasts: sniper.

Shit, she thought as Seventeen went by, ducking and dodging the Yardrat fighter. Both androids were out of commission, taking on opponents.

"They must have jumped in, so these two could join Zirloin!" Goku grumbled in front of her, drawing her attention back to the fight at hand. "We'll have to be careful."

"Don't have to tell me," She grunted loudly as she licked her lips calculating.

High above them on the out cropping, Zirloin finally screamed down at them, "No matter how many times we fall," He opened his hands wide to indicate the other two men on his left and right sides, "We'll just keep getting back up again!"

"We can hear the voices of the people," Zaburto, the oldest of the three, added as he closed his eyes, hearing his people far away in their universe, "Cheering on our victory."

Blinking dryly, Sagie grunted, "I think that's a hallucination."

"Sagie!" Goku chastised her without even thinking.

"What?" She whipped around to look at him, dumbstruck, "Do you hear anything? 'Cause I sure don't!"

Goku couldn't argue with that.

"What we bear," The last of the three, a tiny man with blue and red skin named Rabanra, cried out, "Are the hopes of every person in universe 2"

"It's heavy—," The old Zurbuto whispered for just a second as his body was dragged down by the emotion, "But this weight is also love!"

Clutching a fist, the gigantic Zirloin turned to his companions, "Let's turn this heavy love," He jumped down, flipping in the air. Landing in front of Sagie, he growled towards her just as Zurbuto landed in front of Goku, and Rabanra landed behind them both, "Into power!"

"Love!" They all three screamed and the ground underneath them crumbled, "Love!" It came again, the ground sinking underneath the weight. "Love!" The last combined scream filled the air as the three men began to transform.

"Formation! Zirloin—!"

"That's it!" Mimicking rolling up a sleeve, Sagie stepped forward fully prepared to end them before the transformation even began to take effect, "I'm going to—."

"No," Goku cut her off with a hand in front of her body, stopping her, "Let them power up."

Swinging her whole body around to glare at the male Saiyan, Sagie snarled, "Why?"

"Formation! Ra—ban—ra!"

Not wavering, used to violent outburst from women (Chichi—Bulma—Eighteen on occasion), Goku shook his head at her, not wavering, "Because it wouldn't be fair or very nice for that matter."

"Formation! Zur-zur—Zurbuto!"

"Are you some kind of After School Special?" Sagie brought a hand up to rub at her head, "You're worse than Bardock," She yanked at a strand of her hair violently but didn't dare rip it out. Saiyans only got one head of hair after all, "Both of you are the stupidest people—."

"Sending love! The happiness of all—Zirloin!" Zirloin's body shimmered one last time and the clothes of Ribrianne formed on his body, pink dress with green trim and all.

Jumping in front of him in a sparkly, blue glow, Rabanra finished his own transformation, "The howl of the wild! The roar of love—Rabanra!" A black body suit with a tutu like fringe at the waist appeared on his body.

"With dreams and magic," The last of the three jumped in front of Zirloin and Rabanra, purple glow and all, "The strike of love—Zarbuto." He appeared in the yellow and purple ninja outfit that had once belonged to Rozie.

"Transformation complete!"

Sagie managed to keep her composure for a grand total of two seconds before bursting into laughter, "I take it back!" She shrieked with laughter, holding her stomach. "I take it back!" Her whole body shook with hysterics, "They're stupider!"

Shaking his head beside her, Goku frowned, "That's pretty mean, Sagie."

Barely containing her laughter, Sagie wiped an actual tear from her eye, "How can you not laugh at that?" She threw a hand in their direction, waving it frantically, "They look like deranged Fairy Princesses."

Infuriated, Zirloin pointed an angry finger at Sagie, "Your luck ends here, evil doers!"

Finally gaining control of herself, Sagie sank in a fighting stance and shook her head, "Fine!" She called towards them, "Why don't you go ahead and take me out!"

Shaking his head, Goku placed his back to Sagie's as he tried to figure out what these three would do with their power.

"Be prepared," The three began to glow once more as they looked towards the two evil doers, "To face this love raised to the ultimate!"

Springing away from Goku and Sagie, the three glared down at them, energy already beginning to overtake their bodies.

"What—?" Sagie tensed. The hairs on the back of her neck were raising up, indicating a strong opponent was near.

Narrowing his own gaze, Goku tensed as well, the same sensation on his own neck, "That energy—its—."

"Take this! All that we have!"

Zirloin's goofy head piece, the same as its predecessor, twitched on his head as black hairs began to form around their bodies, "Let this emotion," He screamed into the void, the sound of his voice echoing violently. Rabanra and Zarbuto raised up their hands, pink hearts forming in their palms, "Reach you!"

All three sailed into the air, facing the hearts towards each other. They turned black, electricity of the same color flying away from their bodies.

"Love!"

They screamed as the hearts flew towards each other, dancing upwards in their air only to combine into a massive black heart that took up the entirety of the sky.

The wind picked up. Sagie's hair blew about her face, and she blinked actually impressed, "To think those idiots could make something that powerful."

On the edge of her hearing, Sagie caught just the end of the commentary from the God of Destruction for Universe 2, "Love that is too heavy can at times bind and torture."

The words resounded in her heart, making Sagie feel sick to her stomach. Memories that seemed to be from a life time ago hit her straight in the back like a stun gun.

"Those who have mastered love and control its weight can unleash that beautiful hidden technique of ruin!"

"Pretty Black Hole!" The three men called into the void before slamming their hands forward, sending the attack straight for Sagie and Goku.

-break-

"Did you see," Whis whispered towards his sister as they watch the attack crash downwards, "The look on her face?"

Vados' whole expression went taunt before slipping into utter sympathy as she put two and two together, "Sagie-san—."

-break-

"What the hell?" Sagie growled out as her body was practically flattened to the ground.

Beside her Goku growled as well while attempting to stand. "Damn," He cursed and just managed to lift his head to look up.

Through the blur of black, he could make out the three-man team that was going to crush them under the weight of the most ridiculous attack he had seen since he watched the Ginyu force pose for the first time. Pulling his hands to the side, he inhaled deeply through his nose, he prepared to form the first syllables of his kamehameha wave.

"Ka—me—," He drug out the sound as the familiar warm energy swirled around his hands. "Hame—hame," The energy swelled as he channeled it down his arms into his waiting palms. "Ha!" He screamed as he twisted his hands upwards to launch the energy into the sky. The beam made it all of three feet before twisting, glowing, and then being eaten by the black hole of a heart that was going to eliminate them.

"Well," Sagie growled out. "At least we know that won't work."

Above them, the three temporarily transgendered warriors laughed with absolute bliss at the pathetic attempt, "You can't mess with the weight of love!"

"God," Sagie groaned at the diatribe above them. "I'm really getting sick of them."

Goku winced under the weight but couldn't help but agree. He didn't know much above love. Love wasn't something he often talked or thought about. Hell, he preferred guts to love any day. It was why he loved Chichi, really. She was the gutsiest person he had ever met. She wasn't afraid of anything, especially him. That was the reason he had married her when she showed up out of nowhere at the tournament. To do that, he had realized then, had taken a hell of a lot of guts. He had been intrigued by that—had fallen in love with that. He wasn't sure if that was how love was supposed to work or not, but it worked for him and for her so he didn't care.

Forcing himself to a semi-standing position, back still hunched, he tried to compose his body. He was exhausted from the stress of fighting and Ultra Instinct, but he wasn't down for the count yet.

"I may not know much about love," He spoke just under his breath, talking to himself more than anyone else. "Hell, there's only one woman in the universe that would even have me."

On the ground, kneeling with one hand resting on her knee, Sagie glanced up at him. His words had sunk into her skin, into the nerve endings in her arms, and then up her body. A sense of knowing stabbed her in the stomach, and she grew dizzy.

Clutching his hands at his sides, Goku roared, "To be honest, I prefer guts to love any day!" The energy of Super Saiyan Blue rushed through him, but it wasn't enough to do more than just stand up against the gravity.

Above them, the three morons screamed as a collective. The energy of their attack slammed Goku back to his knees despite his blue form, "See that!" They yelled at Goku's collapsed form. "Your love is insignificant—you can't fight against—."

"Shut the fuck up!" Sagie shoved herself to her feet, straightening by pure will alone.

Zirloin snapped his jaw shut.

Goku turned to look at her, the blue aura making her appear hazy, but he could still see the telltale signs of something taking over her. That strange red glow, the one that had encompassed her earlier, was starting to spread over her body again.

"I'm sick and tired of your universe going on and on about love. You talk like you're in on some fucking mystical secret," Her eyes flashed red as her power began to grow around her. "Love this and love that! But you know what I think," She let out a wail as she gathered energy all around her, the black hole shifting as it was pushed back slightly by the heat of her body. "I think you don't know shit about love!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Goku's mouth dropped opened as her red energy engulfed them both, eating away at the black. He felt it tingle against his skin, but it wasn't painful. It was the exact opposite, he realized, eyes going wide. It was giving him strength.

"Love shouldn't be painful!" Her voice grew to a howl, the rage in her whole body seeming to swell out of every pore. "It shouldn't torture you or weigh you down!"

Tears pricked at the edge of her eyes as events from her own life swirled in a mist about her brain. She could see the man who fathered her children at the forefront. The love she had once known with him had been binding. It had weighed her down, stopped her from doing what she wanted to do, from fighting how she wanted to fight—and then—it had warped even further. It had bound her, gaged her, restrained every part of her.

That love had nearly destroyed her. But—

"Sagie-san."

—the voice that had called to her through the fog he had left her in had been sweet. She had been sweet. The one time she tasted her—she had overwhelmed her senses, filling her with emotions she had never thought possible. Feelings that no Saiyan had probably ever known.

"When all of this is over—the tournament, do you think—you and I—we could finally—?"

Sagie's eyes snapped opened, the red glow around her body felt like flames on her skin, but pleasant ones that were giving her more and more strength. Looking at the three fighters from universe 2, she shook her head. She felt sorry for them and she couldn't understand why. It was the strangest feeling, but it was real.

"When you find love," She told them and the energy around her changed much to the shock of everyone watching.

The red mellowed—turning almost pink. The flames grew in heat and intensity as she brought them under control, using that emotion to fuel her every movement.

"Real love," Her voice rose in volume until everyone in the ring could hear her, "Not the shit you keep parading around like a bad rash—."

Sensing the decisive moment of battle, Goku screamed beside her. Her energy was lapping at his skin, sinking into it in a way he had never experienced before. He had often borrowed energy from people when it was offered or needed, but this was different. It was almost like her energy was his energy and vice versa.

"That love—makes you feel like—," The scream issuing from Sagie's throat made every fighter tremble. "You're invincible!"

Sagie's energy filled the entire heart. Goku drew from it, not sure how this was working, but instinctively knowing to take from her. One aura wrapped around them both, her energy flowing into him and his energy flowing back in return.

White wrapped around them both. The red that had once outlined Sagie's body dissipated, overtaken by the white that was coming off of Goku. Their hair flashed in unison, white just barely licking at the strands.

"Ka—me," Their voices combined, both of them moving without having to think, "Ha—me," They both brought their hands backwards, to the hips. "Ha—me!" The blue energy of the Kamehameha wave flooded into twin palms, "Ha!"

They launched the attack simultaneously, the two bodies moving in perfect unison. The heart attack spasmed from the influx of energy, the combination of Sagie and Goku's Kamehameha too much for it to take. In a burst of black and white diamond like ripples, the heart exploded in the air, flying in every direction.

Pushing forward, Goku and Sagie both snarled, the sound of the Saiyan beasts that rested within all of their people, filling the air. Out of the corner of his eye, Goku caught the shimmering remains of another blast just like his own. Gohan, he realized, but he didn't have time to think that through any more than he already had.

Above them, the last three members of universe 2 lost their footing, flying backwards from the force of Goku and Sagie's combined attack. There was nothing they could do; their options were extinguished the second Sagie's unknown power had swallowed her up. With one last scream, their bodies flew over the edge of the ring. Goku's Kamehameha weakened, vanishing as his arms dropped. Sagie's own energy faltered, and abruptly, she fell to one knee. The white aura that surrounded them both, connecting them, shimmered once and then disappeared completely.

-break-

Vados' grip on her staff faltered to the point that it should have fallen from her hand, but Whis' quick reflexes prevented it from clattering to the ground. Both of their hearts were beating wildly from what they had just witnessed. The other angels around them weren't in much better shape. Silence reigned amongst their kind, realization inching up their backs.

Hands shaking almost violently, Whis had to force himself to keep the lump that was forming in his throat from swelling even further. As much as he hated to admit it, he had been scared until this moment. He had been petrified that he and Vados had miscalculated when they choose these two, but now, as he looked at the clearing smoke, revealing the damage inflicted by their combined powers, he knew they had been right.

Whis' brought his hand to his sister's shoulder, gently squeezing, and she nodded her head in understanding. Up above them, their father smiled while allowing his eyes to sweep over all his children. Some of the angels were standing to get a better look. Other's were just trying to keep their composure. It wasn't proper for an angel to look out at the tournament stage in disbelief, but that didn't stop some of the younger ones from doing so.

And, truthfully, the Grand Priest couldn't blame them. Most of them were too young to remember the last time this had happened. It had been at the beginning of time, after all.

-break-

"You okay?" Goku asked as he looked down at the panting woman. He was exhausted. His muscles felt like they were about to tangle in knots.

"Yeah," Sagie continued to pant for a second, breath coming out in huffs. In the distance, she heard someone cheering her on from the stands. The sound gave her strength. Inhaling deeply once more, she managed to make her way to her feet, although standing proved painful on her aching muscles.

"Son Goku," Eighteen called as she approached the man in question.

"Eighteen," Goku straightened a bit more and smiled at the approaching woman. "Did you take care of the sniper?"

She smiled, un-apologetically, and nodded, "Easily."

"All participants from universe 2 have been eliminated," The Grand Priest kept his voice so chipper that it sounded cruel. "Zeno-sama," He turned around to look at the two comical, yet powerful, boys behind him.

A wave a tension went through the ring, everyone feeling the enormity of the oncoming moments. Turning back towards the stands and universe 2, Sagie, Goku, and Eighteen watched silently as universe 2 said their last heartfelt goodbyes before disappearing from existence all together.

In the quiet that followed the eraser, Sagie blinked and licked her lips, "How's that human song go? It's in English." Sagie whispered as she stared at the vacant spot where universe 2 had been just moments before.

Goku turned to look at her, not sure what she was talking about, but in the end, Eighteen knew. Laughing quietly to herself, Eighteen clicked her tongue, "Another one bites the dust."

Immediately, Sagie's face formed a twisted smile that mirrored Eighteen's own. It was morbid, but it was the truth. Another universe had ceased to exist. They were all one step closer to safety, which truly meant, they were one step closer to being enemies again. The smile slipped from her face.

"I don't get it." Goku looked between Eighteen and Sagie perfectly confused by the banter.

"It's a song," Seventeen informed as he pulled on the edge of one of his gloves, securing it more firmly.

Not catching on in the least, Goku furrowed his eyebrows, "About biting dust?"

"It's figurative." Eighteen rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"What's that mean?"

"Forget it."

Sagie watched the exchange with cynical eyes even as the corner of her lips twitched. She only knew the song because Chichi sang it on occasion while cleaning the house. She hadn't really gotten what it meant either until the other woman had patiently explained it one day while Sagie lounged unhelpfully on the couch.

An odd thought occurred to Sagie then. Her eyes landed on Son Goku who was busy trying to understand the meaning of dust biting and figurative language. Ignoring the exchange and the confusing definition Eighteen was trying to give, she blatantly interrupted, "Son Goku."

The conversation between the Saiyan and android stopped. The two turned to her expectantly.

Feeling a bit awkward, Sagie shifted away from Son Goku and frowned, "The girl you were talking about when we were under that stupid heart thing. The one who puts up with your shit," She motioned with her chin towards the sunken hole in the ring. "What's her name?"

Goku instantly went a light pink and looked away shyly. This caught Sagie off guard. She had never known a Saiyan to be shy, "Well—um—my wife," He lifted his head, a crocked grin on his face, "Chichi—she's the only woman in any universe who would ever put up with me." He laughed and scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "At least, that's what she tells me."

Sagie smiled faintly, her eyes grew distant, and she looked down at the ground taking in what Goku had said with unnerving slowness. Staring at the broken, chipped, and scorched floor beneath her, her vision blurred for a second. She blinked, lifted her head, and nodded once sharply, "Figures."

Before Goku could comment on her strange choice of word, Gohan himself landed next to him. The boy's eyes latched onto Sagie, nervously, and Goku knew without having the ask that something had happened.

"Are you okay?" Gohan asked his father who looked a bit worse for wear at the moment. "You look like you were caught in a nuclear blast."

"Might as well have been," Eighteen muttered as she wiped some dust off her clothes and glanced around, "Seventeen," She called to her brother who was patiently waiting off to the side. Now that Gohan was here, there was no reason to stay. "Let's go."

"Wait—!" Gohan tried to stop the two, side glancing towards Sagie as he outstretched his hand, but the androids were already gone. He watched the two disappear over a pile of rubble nearby, and gulped before turning his attention to Sagie. The woman was looking at him with downright suspicion.

"Something wrong, son?" Goku asked as he inhaled deeply. Although he would never admit it, he was starting to feel the exhaustion mounting in his body. When all of this was over, he might actually sleep for a good week or two.

Turning away from his father, positioning himself deliberately so he faced Sagie, Gohan licked his lips, "Nothing's wrong," He told Goku without looking at him.

A strange maternal instinct rocked Sagie as she looked at Gohan. The boy was averting his eyes and she knew, if he was anything like the Gohan from her universe, that meant he was hiding something. Something she knew without having to know.

Immediately, Sagie's neck snapped in the direction of the spectator stands. There, sitting with Vados, Champa, and their Supreme Kai's was Bardock and Hit, "Damn." She cursed. "Who eliminated them!?"

Following her gaze, Goku stumbled slightly in shock before turning all of his attention towards his son, "You took out Hit?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Gohan smiled faintly, "Yeah—with Piccolo-san's help."

"Well done," Goku patted his son's back impressed.

"Hey," Sagie interrupted the two with a glare, "Did you get Bardock too?"

"Um—."

"That was me," Goku told her without seeming to care, "He was a good fighter. Young—got a lot to learn, but," Goku looked towards her understanding something that no one else in the universe could understand, "He was trained well."

"Otou-san," Gohan tried to get his father's attention as he kept his eyes on Sagie. He was expecting her to rebel any minute just as she had when Frieza had nearly killed Bardock, but she didn't.

The woman merely looked back towards Gohan, a slight frown on her face, but no malice, "I guess all's fair—." She let the expression dangle in the air, sending Gohan a look that told the boy to finish it for her.

Seeing the strange affection that lined her eyes, Gohan felt (not for the first time) that she was his mother. His mother in another universe. A mother that loved him unconditionally just as his real mother did.

That warmed him, and he couldn't stop himself from smiling, albeit only slightly, "In love and war, right?"

Sagie's smile spread across her face, soft and warm. Chichi had taught him that expression as well, "Yes."

Sixteen years ago, Universe 6, GCC

Sagie laid on the floor of the Gravity Room in her makeshift bed. Chichi had found some pillows and an extra blanket stashed in a cupboard somewhere. It was fine by Sagie. She had spent the night sleeping in far worse conditions than on the ground with a pillow and a blanket. Hell, she had once spent six months in a cage. Of course, she hadn't been conscious for the majority of that time.

Turning onto her side, the hard floor of the Gravity Room pressing into her back, she sighed. Sleep was alluding her tonight for many reasons. The first and foremost being that she just couldn't shut off her brain. Thoughts were swirling throughout her head, twisting and taunting, mocking and jeering.

Vegeta—Frieza—Vegeta-sei—the Dragon Balls—Earth—Bardock—Kakarot—Chichi—

Shifting to her other side, Sagie brought her arm underneath the pillow to better brace her head and looked towards the door to the Gravity Room only to freeze. Standing just outside the door, barely observable through the tiny port hole like window was Chichi. Sagie didn't hesitate to push herself up, the blanket falling away from her barely clothed body. If she had her way, truthfully, she would sleep naked (more comfortable). As if was, however, she slept in her underwear and a loose fighting tank-top (the next best thing).

Turning, Chichi finally seemed to notice the other woman and frowned deeply, looking left and right before releasing a sigh that Sagie couldn't hear through the door. Reaching down, Chichi pressed the door release button, giving in to whatever internal debate had hindered her from coming in earlier.

The door disappeared into the ceiling with a loud swoosh before Sagie even had a chance to stand, and Chichi walked a few feet into the room before stopping. The door closed behind her and she clutched at a small pillow she was carrying, holding it to her chest.

"Sorry," She apologized pointlessly while squeezing the pillow. "I didn't mean to bother you—or wake you up."

"No bother," Sagie shrugged as she studied the other woman's bedtime clothes. She was wearing a knee length dress that was thin and silky, white. "What are you doing up?"

Chichi frowned a little bit darker and shrugged almost helplessly, "I—I couldn't sleep."

Raising up an eyebrow, Sagie tried to read between the hidden lines of that sentence. Somehow, she got the idea that 'couldn't sleep' meant something a far cry different from her own version. Sagie brought her knees to her chest and rested her crossed arms on top of them as she took an educated guess, "Nightmare?"

Chichi jumped slightly, just her shoulders tensing and untensing really, and turned two wide eyes towards Sagie. In the vague red glow of the Gravity Room's constant running lights, her eyes looked positively horrified. About what, Sagie had no idea. Then, Chichi's face fell, and she pulled the pillow a bit tighter to her chest while looking at the ground.

"It's pathetic," She spoke, frustration in her voice, "Having a stupid nightmare like a child."

Patiently, Sagie sat on the ground, listening to the revelation.

"I've been a fighter my whole life—trained by my papa and my grandpa and their master as well." She shook her head, the braid that was hanging loosely over her shoulder jostled. "I know I'm strong—but—I—I just—."

"You sound like my mother."

Chichi's head snapped up and she blinked down at Sagie who sighed faintly. Patting the floor beside herself, Sagie motioned for Chichi to join her on the hard ground. Hesitant at first, Chichi didn't move, but when Sagie sent her a comforting, albeit small smile, she did. Crossing the short distance between them, she gently lowered herself to the ground, the pillow going in her lap as she sat on her knees—a proper Japanese woman.

Finally sitting up completely, Sagie crossed her own legs and leaned against the giant Gravity Generator in the middle of the room. Side by side, the two women fell into silence for a few precious seconds. Their heart beats slowed. The faint red light in the room illuminated their relaxing features.

"My mother," Sagie began, speaking quietly into that comfortable darkness. "Was incredibly powerful. She could take down an entire legion of Saiyans if she wanted to." The smile on Sagie's face faltered, turning to embarrassment. "But she—she could never—even in her wildest, most rage filled moments," She looked straight at Chichi trying to convey a message without speaking. "Hurt a soul. All that power—and she couldn't take down a single enemy. She was petrified to fight someone who wasn't a Saiyan. Incapable really for fear of hurting them," Sagie snorted. "Drove my father insane—but," She smirked, and the expression was sad. "Funnily enough—he was still my father. You'd think he wouldn't want to breed with a woman like her, but he did."

"What are you trying to say?"

"There's no shame in being powerful, while still," Sagie paused; the room grew tense for a second, and then the Saiyan female smiled at Chichi. The expression soft and gentle, very unlike the woman Chichi had come to know, "Feeling scared."

Chichi took all this in silently. Glancing down at the pillow that was now resting in her lap, she reached up a hand and gently smoothed a wrinkle in its surface without really thinking. "My childhood had some nasty fights in it against armies and evil martial arts masters and—some weird emperor." She chuckled at the thought as her hand stilled its ministrations on the pillow. "I nearly died multiple times—watched friends die, brought them back to life." Her eyes blurred a bit as she remembered losing Krillin and Master Roshi to King Piccolo, "But—even though I won those fights—I—I never really wanted to be there." The stilled hand suddenly came back to life, grasping at the pillow angrily. "I'm just—not that person. I wanted to grow up, get married, raise a family. Live a simple, honest, peaceful life."

Leaning her head on the gravity generator once more, Sagie grunted, "But that wasn't in the works, was it?"

"No—," Chichi's grip on the pillow loosened, "I guess not."

Silence reigned between them as they sat quietly in the soft red glow both lost in their own thoughts. Then, suddenly, Chichi's grip on the pillow tightened to the point that it actually tore. A curse, completely out of character, left the woman's lips and she worried her fingers against the fabric.

"Damn it," She cursed again while trying to line up the tear to see if it could be fixed. She bit her lip as tears formed in her eyes, stinging her lashes, "Clumsy—," She sniffed and tried to gain her composure; she didn't like how vulnerable she suddenly felt in front of the warrior female beside her, "Sorry—I must look pathetic."

"You're only pathetic," Sagie mumbled, "If you're actually crying over the pillow."

"Huh?" Chichi looked straight towards the Saiyan female. At some point, the other woman had pulled one of her legs upwards to rest her arm on the top of her knee. When she had done that, Chichi couldn't say.

"It's not the pillow making you cry, right?" Sagie looked deliberately at the pillow in Chichi's lap, nodding towards the large tear.

Tensing, Chichi knew it was pointless to contradict the woman, "I—."

"Its not like you to hold back Chichi," Sagie dropped her knee back down, crossing her legs. "Just spit it out."

She did.

"After I make my wish on the Dragon Balls, Sagie-san," Chichi gulped, the fear she had been dreaming of coming into reality. "Will you—take the boys—back?"

Surprise flashed across the Saiyan females face for a briefest of moments before it slipped away, replaced by an unhesitant answer, "No," Sagie whispered faintly. "It's not like I have anywhere to take them to. As far as I know, we're the last of the Saiyans." The laugh that left Sagie's mouth held no mirth. "Taking them when I have no home—no job—no nothing—would be stupid at best. It's safer if I leave them with you. And besides even that—at this point," The sigh that left her mouth was labored, "They're more yours than mine."

Chichi stared at the other woman actually feeling a combination of sadness and relief that made another emotion take root in her soul only seconds later: guilt.

"But—."

"Don't deny it, Chichi. I wasn't meant to be a mother like you." Sagie cut off the protest. "I'm not cut out for it the way you are. I'd be a fool to—," She paused, thinking back on the way her boys had behaved with Chichi.

They had been obedient and educated, Kakarot spoke and read Standard Language fluently and he was only seven, yet he was still strong. Kakarot had proved that when he went after Vegeta. Somehow Chichi was able to do what Sagie didn't think herself capable. She had cultivated not only their minds and manners, but also their power. That was something she wanted for her children; it was also something she didn't know how to give.

Gritting her teeth, she finished her thought, "—to think I could take those kids from you and raise them up right." She nodded sharply and looked towards Chichi who was sitting dumbstruck next to her. "They're yours—as long as you want them. Don't worry about me getting in the way of that."

"That wasn't what I was worried about." Chichi's eyes flashed a bit annoyed at having been interrupted, "If I take them," She leaned down, so that she was looking up into Sagie's face, staring her right in the eye, "Where will that leave you? Where will you go? What will you do?"

Shifting a bit uncomfortably, Sagie's eyes narrowed, "That depends on Frieza. If he's not on Namek, I'll have to hunt him down. Could take a few years to do that."

"And if he is on Namek? Are you going to fight him?"

"Yes," The answer was blunt and pessimistic. "After that, what I'll do depends on whether I live or not."

"Then assume," Chichi pressed. "Assume you're going to live. What would you do?"

Sagie looked out across the room towards the entrance door. There was nothing particularly interesting about it, but still she stared at it. Really, she just needed something to look at that wasn't Chichi, "I don't know." She muttered and it was almost more to herself than the other woman, "Like I said, I'm the last of my kind. I've got no home-world left to go home to. I'll probably just sell this thing," She waved a hand at the ship, "Get a small cruiser, and disappear."

Chichi reached across the small distance between them, letting go of the pillow, and placed a soft hand over Sagie's own. Sagie flinched at first but didn't pull her hand away. Instead, she looked up towards Chichi as the sweetest smile she had ever seen on a person's face filled Chichi's own.

"I think you're missing a better option."

Sagie searched Chichi's face for something she truthfully knew wasn't there, and then, she smiled in return. She didn't know if the expression was as sweet as Chichi's, but she knew it was just as real.

"When all of this is over, Sagie-san," Chichi's voice was gentle and held a melody in it that was like medicine for Sagie's soul. "Come live with me—," She flushed brightly and then corrected herself, but the reality of her words was already palpable in the air. "Come live with us. We can raise Gohan and Goten together."

Sagie felt moisture instantly form in her eyes, but really couldn't explain why. Gulping down a lump that had formed in her throat, she turned her hand over underneath Chichi's own and grasped it tightly for her answer.

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