Central City, Ground Zero
What was once a bustling city with an elaborate castle at its center was now nothing more than a leveled wasteland riddled with craters, the air of destruction lingering after a massive conflict. Despite the grim atmosphere of the ruins of Central City, the mood was significantly more chipper as Gokū and Caulifla explained to Bulma, Yajirobe, the ex-crane schoolers, the volunteers aboard the Blue Bloomers, and the rest of the group what had happened during their fight with Piccolo Daimao. Many were in pure disbelief at what they were describing.
"You… ripped his arm off…?!" Bulma gasped in pure astonishment and mild disgust.
"And that was before this guy over here made a Gokū-shaped tunnel in his torso," Caulifla confirmed, wearily gesturing a thumb over at an absolutely battered Gokū. "Bottom line, Piccolo's gone."
"Yeah," Gokū sighed with a chuckle. "Can't say I've felt worse, that's for sure. At least we can gather the Dragon Balls in a year to fix all this." The mood shifted from cheerful to sullen with that last sentence, and Gokū took notice. "What's wrong?"
"We… We can't gather the Dragon Balls," Tenshinhan answered sullenly. "After Piccolo made his wish for eternal youth, he… He killed Shenlong…"
"He what…?" Caulifla gasped.
"I saw it myself," Tenshinhan clarified. "Lunch tried to use the wish to destroy Piccolo Daimao. She got the message out, but Shenlong couldn't grant it, as it was beyond his power."
"So there are wishes even Shenlong can't grant… Lunch died as well?" Gokū asked, to which Tenshinhan nodded, souring the mood even more.
"Well, at the very least, we stopped that bastard from doing more damage than he already has." Caulifla sighed. "I'm not gonna bank on it, but we'll ask Master Karin to see if he knows of any possible solutions."
"Ooh!" Chaotzu perked up, gathering everyone's attention. "I almost forgot!"
The small boy floated off to one of the larger jet fliers, leaving everyone perplexed, but soon returned with a large iron cage containing 3 figures that made Gokū, Caulifla, Bulma, Yamcha, and Pu'ar all simultaneously groan with exasperation.
"What do you wanna do with these guys?" Chaotzu asked, dropping the cage onto the ground, startling the Pilaf Gang within.
"If I had the strength and functioning limbs, I'd smack Pilaf upside the head 100 times over," Gokū sighed.
"YOU DARE DISRESPECT THE GREAT EMPEROR PILA-"
The self-proclaimed 'Emperor' was swiftly interrupted by a quick smack to the face courtesy of Caulifla, who then proceeded to apply 99 more in rapid succession over the course of 12 seconds.
"You unleashed an ancient Hellspawn that threatened to turn the world as we know it into Hell," Caulifla deadpanned, an ounce of venom in her words. "YOU and your sidekicks - whom I'm guessing hate working for you and hate dealing with your baby mood I might add - created the world's biggest mess that WE have to clean up, and we can't do a thorough job of it because the Dragon Balls are dead!"
Caulifla's rant began to grow more heated, causing Pilaf to shrink back, all while Mai and Shu huddled together in fear. "All this happened because some baby blue goblin in a clown costume, in desperate need of throat lozenges, had this big ambitious dream of ruling the world! Why the hell is that?!"
"I don't have to tell you why I want to rule the world!" Pilaf shot back, rubbing his cheeks, bright and sore from the smacks just delivered.
Caulifla growled as she brought her hand back up. "Do you want another 100…?"
gulp...
"Okay okay, I'll tell you!" Pilaf frantically complied. "I got the idea from a fortune cookie!"
…
200 smacks have passed, and Caulifla was sighing with as much exasperation as she could muster, all while Pilaf's cheeks were bloated and swollen as if he were spitting raspberries.
"So, let me get this straight…" Caulifla sighed. "You almost sun-dried 5 of my friends in a metal box, Incinerated my pants, UNLEASHED AN UNSPEAKABLE EVIL… Because of a fortune cookie…"
"W-Well, to be fair, the food it came with was really good," Mai defended.
That very comment proved to be so stupid that even Gokū's eye began to twitch with pure annoyance.
"Okay..." Caulifla stated in a disturbingly calm tone. "How about this? If any of us catch you three trying something supremely stupid because some cheap fortune cookie promised it, I promise you that I will hunt you down and see to it that your limbs are just about as functional as Gokū's are right now. You get me…?"
"I, uh…" Pilaf stammered, absolutely terrified by the threat Caulifla had just made. She recognized she was not going to get an answer and proceeded to crack her knuckles, which caused the blue goblin to flinch. "Y-Yes of course! I understand! I'm sorryhyhyhyhyyyyy...!"
"Whoa," Gebo whistled. "You could scare my old drill instructor I bet."
"Alright, I think we're done dealing with these morons," Gokū sighed.
"Yeah, it was funny at first, but now it's just sad," Yajirobe offhandedly commented. "Anyways, these guys should get back to Karin Sanctuary. They need a good fixer-upper."
"Yeah, plus I wanna resume my training with Master Karin," Bulma added, causing Yamcha to stammer with disbelief, to which she rolled her eyes. "Oh stop sputtering! Head over there and climb the giant totem if you want his training. You wanna come along, Tenshinhan?"
"I'll visit on my own time, but thank you for offering," Tenshinhan politely refused with a small bow. "However, don't assume I'll stay behind forever, you two. I will improve for the next tournament."
"I look forward to it, buddy," Gokū grinned with a small thumbs up.
With that, Bulma and Yajirobe both picked up Caulifla and Gokū respectively and loaded them onto the jet flier and took off for Karin Sanctuary.
"Those two really are something else," Tenshinhan sighed as he watched the transport fly away. He was about to depart as well until a small flick of red caught his attention. He walked over to it and wiped away the dirt to see a small red pole. "Gokū left his Nyoibō?"
"Knowing him, he'll be back for it," Gebo commented. His attention was then directed skyward as another aircraft began to approach. "Someone's coming this way."
Tenshinhan and Yamcha did not settle into any stance, but remained alert as the aircraft approached. Once it landed, the hatch on top opened up, and a small step ladder rolled out over the edge. King Furry emerged from the vehicle, his guards at his side.
"So, is it true?" The monarch asked with hesitation. "Is Piccolo Daimao no more?"
"Indeed," Tenshinhan nodded.
"This is wonderful news!" King Furry cheered. "I simply must meet our saviors!"
"I'm afraid you just missed them, sir," Gebo responded, standing at attention. "While they certainly won and lived to tell the tale, they suffered major injuries and are off to receive medical attention now."
"I see," The canine king sighed. "What, pray tell, are their names then?"
"I… think it would be best left unsaid, sir," Tenshinhan answered. "No disrespect, but after what they went through, the last thing they would need is the press badgering them."
"I understand," King furry nodded. "Even so, I would still like to meet the two one day."
"If we get the chance, we'll let them know," Gebo said. "For now, let's focus on rebuilding Central City. Capsule Corp is willing to lend a hand."
"Of course, Mr…"
"Gebo," The man in question finished.
"Yes, Mr. Gebo," King Furry affirmed. "Let us work on rebuilding."
Karin Tower, The Next Day
"WOOHOO!"
Two simultaneous cheers of jubilation echoed across the gazebo and far out into the open air as Gokū and Caulifla danced around, fully healed.
"That medicine you whipped up did the trick!" Gokū beamed as all of his limbs were fully functional again.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Karin nodded, finding the two saiyans' good mood a tad infectious. "Of course I would have given you each a senzu and you would be healed far sooner, but SOMEONE ate the majority of my supply."
"Oh shut up!" Yajirobe grumbled. "It ain't my fault those beans were magic!"
"Aaaaanyways, you two continue to surprise me," Karin stated after changing the subject of his bean supply. "I'm still having trouble believing you two actually defeated Piccolo Daimao."
"You say that like you thought they wouldn't win," Bulma interjected.
"Almost," Karin corrected. "I honestly thought that, at best, they would end up taking each other out, but you exceeded my expectations."
"That's a dick move, you realize that?" Yajirobe stated.
"What other option did I have?" The blue cat retorted. "They were the only ones who stood a chance against Piccolo. I had the plan figured out. If they died, I would've had the Dragon Balls gathered to revive them along with everyone else."
"There's a problem with that plan, Master Karin," Bulma spoke up. "Piccolo killed Shenlong after he wished for eternal youth."
The pudgy cat gasped, not expecting such a response. "I… I see," Karin sighed. "This proves very troublesome…"
"Not much we can do about it, right?" Yajirobe shrugged. "Shit happens, then you die. Sucks, but that's life, y'know?"
"That is true," Karin agreed, his tone still grim. "Unfortunately, due to the designs of Piccolo's power, those he and his minions have killed cannot pass on."
"'Pass on?'" Gokū and Caulifla echoed.
"The late Daimao was a sadistic monster, seeking to torment his victims even in death," Karin clarified. "His foul magic prevents the souls of his victims from passing to the afterlife, anchored to the mortal realm as helpless spirits, forever trapped in limbo."
"Oh crap… Oh crap!" Caulifla cursed. "That's downright sick! There's gotta be something we can do about it!"
"I'm afraid not," Karin sighed. "Without Shenlong, or the Dragon Balls, there's nothing we can-"
Karin paused, suddenly locked up in thought, perplexing the group.
"I may have spoken too soon…!" Karin exclaimed. "Oh how careless of me to forget that aspect of the Dragon Balls!"
"What aspect?!" Gokū asked. "There's something we can still use?!"
"You will need to meet the being responsible for creating them," Karin explained. "And that would be God."
…
"G-God?" Caulifla repeated.
"I don't buy it!" Yajirobe scoffed. "Here I was taking you seriously, and then you bring religion into this!"
"We're talking with an 8-century-old cat after 2 kids with monkey tails just killed a demon, and that's where you draw the line?" Bulma deadpanned.
"If I may continue to explain," Karin sighed. "Only those I deem worthy may speak to him. Those strong, brave, and of course, pure of heart. You two, Son Gokū, and Caulifla, fit the bill perfectly."
"So, where do we go to meet him?" Gokū asked, eager to make things right.
"He lives in his palace," Karin answered, then pointing a finger upwards. "Above this tower."
"See?! It's total bull!" Yajirobe exclaimed. "There ain't nothing up there!"
THWACK!
Yajirobe was now on the ground, clutching the back of his head as a comical bump swelled up.
"Thank you, Bulma,~" The blue cat thanked, to which the lavender-haired genius politely bowed. "As I was saying, the Palace of God, sometimes referred to as The Sanctuary, or in rare cases, The Lookout, floats high above this tower. If you thought the climb up here was intense, then you have yet to see the true height of the palace."
"Alright!" Gokū exclaimed. "KINTO-"
"Kinto'un won't be enough to reach there," Karin cut off. "The highest it can go is where we are now, no higher."
"Well, we'll use my jet flier," Bulma shrugged. "My tech can beat the old SR-71 Blackbird's altitude record by a long shot."
"I'm afraid that will be just as useless, Bulma," Karin retorted with a small chuckle. "If you were to get close, you would be repelled.
"I mean, we could fly up there?" Caulifla shrugged. "But at the same time, we might tire before we reach there."
"Truth be told, you've had the solution this entire time," Karin answered. "The magic staff in Son Gokū's possession is how you get there."
"Nyoibō?!" Gokū exclaimed.
"Indeed, lad," The blue cat nodded. "The Nyoibō was a staff that connected this world and the Palace of God. When Muten Rōshi trained with me, he pestered me for it. Since I suspected no one would be worthy of visiting any time soon, I gave in and gave it to him, and it has been passed to you, it seems."
"Whoa," Gokū gasped in amazement. "So that explains a lot. I thought it was just a weapon this whole time."
"Uhhh, Gokū?" Caulifla nervously muttered gesturing to the boy's back. He reached behind himself, only to grab air.
"IT'S GONE!" The Saiyan boy screamed out. "Where'd it go?!"
"Piccolo!" Caulifla answered, slamming a fist into her palm. "He knocked it out of your hand when we were fighting him!"
"Of course!" Gokū exclaimed, now remembering clearly. "KINTO'UN!"
The Somersault cloud swooped in and parked itself along the railing of the gazebo, and the Saiyan duo hopped aboard.
"Find that staff, you two! Everything depends on it!" Karin ordered.
"Of course!" The two nodded as Kinto'un sped off in a hurry.
Central City, Ground Zero
"Where is it Where is it Where is it?!" Caulifla scrambled as she dug all around the loose dirt in search of the artifact.
"Ah crapbaskets, it's not here!" Gokū groaned in despair. He then brightened up when he thought of something. "Someone must've taken it!"
"But who?! It'll be a wild goose chase! Wait…"
"You have an idea?"
"URANAI BABA!"
"OF COURSE!"
Uranai Baba's Palace
Kinto'un descended to the entrance of Uranai Baba's palace. The Ghost usher stood at the side, ready to greet the two.
"Greeting you two," The spectre greeted. "Are you-"
"NoTime!NoMoney!GonnaFight!SeeBaba!Bye!" The Saiyan couple frantically explained as they rushed past the ghost.
"Uhhh…"
Gokū and Caulifla raced over to the arena where Uranai Baba was hovering in place, just near the edge, mulling whether or not she should fill the moat with piranhas for added flare.
"URANAI BABA!"
"Hm?" The old crone turned to see both Gokū and Caulifla charging towards them, slightly out of breath. "Ever heard of knocking first?"
"No time to explain!" Gokū exclaimed as he swung his arms about to loosen up. "We need to find my Nyoibō! We'll fight your 5 champions! Hell, we'll fight 50 if that's what it takes!"
"Are you kidding?!" Baba exclaimed. "After you two defeated Piccolo Daimao?! I've got no one in my lineup to come close to that! I'll divine it for you for free. Hell, I'll throw in an extra!"
"Just the Nyoibō will do for now!" Caulifla hastily requested, bouncing up and down with impatience.
"Of course," Baba sighed as she hopped off her crystal ball. "I don't want my little brother to suffer an eternity in Limbo. Let's see..."
Uranai Baba held her hands up to the crystal ball and began to mutter the same incantation she used 3 years ago, which was still just as indecipherable. An image appeared upon the sphere. It was an open ocean with a tiny island with a pink house.
"Wait a sec…" Gokū muttered. "Is that…"
"...Kame House?!" Caulifla finished. "So one of our friends must've picked it up!"
"Of course!" Gokū beamed. "Thank you, Baba!"
"Hold up!" Baba demanded. "I know what you're doing is important, but you don't need to rush it so fast! I also don't want a free divination to go to waste."
Gokū and Caulifla both took a deep breath and let out a calming sigh, calming their frantic nerves.
"That's better," Baba nodded. "Now, let's find you something."
"Okay, but we're really just after one thing though," Gokū explained.
"Well, I found something that might pique your interests," Baba explained. "Observe…"
Baba proceeded to mutter the incantation again as an image appeared within her crystal ball. As soon as the image came into focus, both Gokū and Caulifla took a look and were left stunned at what they saw.
"A space pod…?!" The two gasped with surprise.
"It's gonna be landing soon," Baba clarified. "Luckily the one inside isn't looking for a fight."
"Why're you sharing this with us though?" Gokū asked.
"Well, I was able to watch your fights with piccolo, and I picked up on a few points of interest," The old crone explained, prompting the two to sweat a small nervous bead. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. Back to the space pod, it should be landing somewhere in the Diablo Desert neighborhood. If you head out after picking up Nyoibō, you'll be able to see it land."
"Alright," Gokū nodded as Caulifla summoned down Kinto'un. "Well, Thank you, Uranai Baba."
"No problem, kiddo," Baba responded with a small shrug. With that, the Saiyan duo zoomed off to Kame House. "Go figure. Those two did save the world."
Kame House
SLAM!
"Hey guys! Is Nyoibō here?!" Gokū exclaimed as he swung the door open, forgetting to knock.
"Gokū! Caulifla!" Everyone cheered with glee seeing their friends back on their feet.
"Yeah, it's over there," Tenshinhan answered, gesturing a thumb at the wall where the staff in question leaned. "I picked it up for you after you left so-"
"Awesome!" Caulifla cheered as she rushed over to pick it up. "Now we might be able to revive the Dragon Balls and everyone else!"
"As weird as it sounds, we're off to see God!" Gokū said as he gave a two-finger salute before rushing out the door. "Don't cremate anyone's bodies just yet! Bye!"
SLAM!
"...What just happened?" Checka muttered.
"I… think he said something about Reviving Shenlong and seeing god…" Tenshinhan hesitantly answered, unsure himself.
"Those two just keep raising the bar on weird, don't they?" Yamcha sighed.
"Um, well, if Caulifla said Shenlong might be revived, should we lay out the Dragon Balls outside, just in case?" Checka commented.
"Sounds like a good idea," Tenshinhan sighed as he stood up, off to pick up the currently petrified stones that were the Dragon Balls.
Diablo Desert
Kinto'un flew over the arid dunes and rocky arches of the Diablo Desert. The Saiyans perched atop the swirling yellow cloud looked around for any telltale signs of meteoric impact, while also periodically checking the skies for any falling objects.
"I wonder why Baba wants us to find this pod," Gokū wondered aloud as he scanned the area.
"Well, she did give us the oh so comprehensive explanation of 'it'll pique our interests,'" Caulifla answered, her words dripping with sarcasm.
"Hold up," Gokū said as he held his hand over his eyes to shield them from the sun. He squinted and saw something that was certainly not a cloud or another aircraft. "I think I see it!"
Slowly, but surely, a small white dot streaked across the sky, leaving a bright red tail. It soon flew overhead, leaving a deafening sonic boom in its wake and then crashed into the sand below several kilometers away. The impact kicked several tons of sand into the air, giving a good indicator as to where it had landed.
"There's our pod!" Caulifla cheered as Kinto'un followed its masters' wishes and altered course. The cloud soon parked itself near the rim of the crater, and the Saiyan duo hopped off. "Thanks, Kinto'un! We'll call back soon!"
With that, the cloud took off to the heavens again. Gokū and Caulifla, meanwhile, looked into the crater, keeping their guard up as they approached. The majority of the bottom of the crater had melted into glass, with some loose sand gently rolling in due to the sudden shift of the earth. At the center of the crater was a round sphere with a red tinted window, but was in much more pristine condition than the moss-covered ones found in Mount Paozu or Menra Village.
Eventually, the pod hissed as steam forced its way out of the seams, and the hatch opened up. Slowly stepping out was a slim female figure, adorned in dark teal and pink armor, the torso piece containing a ridged collar around the back of the neck. Her hair was jet-black and shaggy, reaching past her shoulders, and her face told a story of its own. Around her waist was a brown furry belt, which was in fact a tail. As she surveyed the brim of the crater, she caught sight of 2 figures along the brim. One she did not recognize, but the other she remembered as if it were yesterday. Gokū recognized the face of this stranger as well. The light in her eyes was unmistakable.
"K-Kakarrot…?"
"Mom…?"
The woman leapt up and tackled Gokū with unprecedented speed and held him up in a massive hug, tears rolling down her face. The Saiyan boy returned the embrace, finally getting the chance to meet his mother.
"Oh Kakarrot!" The woman croaked. "I'm so glad to see you again!" Eventually the woman set down Gokū and took a moment to look him over. She then exclaimed when she saw the tattered state of Gokū's attire. "What happened to you?!"
"Uh, it's a long story," Gokū chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. "In summary, Caulifla and I just got done taking down this evil demon thing yesterday. We're all healed up now."
"Just like your father," The woman sighed, but then realized something. "How did you know I was gonna land here?"
"You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you," Gokū chuckled. "By the way, this is Caulifla.
As Gokū finally introduced the Saiyan girl in question, who had said nothing during the ordeal, the woman looked at her with a curious expression. "Your name is Caulifla?"
"Y-Yeah?" Caulifla hesitantly answered, still mildly confused. "And you are?"
"Oh, right," The woman sheepishly chuckled. "My name is Gine. I'm Kakarrot's mother."
"Oh!" Caulifla exclaimed, now putting two and two together. "Nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you too," Gine responded with a warm smile before returning her attention to her son. "I'm glad you're okay. I'm even more happy to see you remember me."
"Weeeeeell," Gokū drew out, followed by a nervous chuckle. "Shortly after I landed on Earth, I suffered a nasty head injury, and forgot pretty much everything up to that point, but managed to jog my memory back 3 years ago."
"Oh my goodness…!" Gine gasped. "Who did this to you?!"
"No one did!" Gokū hastily responded, trying to calm his mother's temper. "A man named Son Gohan took me in, but I was too wild for him to handle, and I managed to fall from a height and hit my head. Since then, I guess I've calmed down."
"I see," Gine sighed. "I should've factored that in."
"Sorry to interrupt," Caulifla interjected, her curiosity now in full force. "But if you don't mind me asking, why did you send Gokū to-I mean, Kakarrot to Earth anyway?"
"Gokū?" Gine echoed.
"The name Grandpa Gohan gave me when he found me," Gokū answered. "Nowadays I just use it as a preferred nickname."
"Ah," Gine nodded in understanding. "To answer Caulifla's question, our homeworld, Planet Vegeta, was doomed."
"What happened?" Caulifla asked, now giving Gine her full attention.
"Well, Kakarrot's father, Bardock, had… discovered what was going to happen," Gine answered, her tone serious, despite the mild hesitation. "He wanted to prioritize getting his son off-world and safe before our home was destroyed. He then sought an audience with the late King of the Saiyans demanding evacuation, but the king was a prideful man, who even presented with all the proof, was reluctant to abandon his home. In the end, he relented, and we evacuated everyone we could before the planet was destroyed."
"If that's the case, how did I come to Earth?" Caulifla inquired. "The only thing I remember was being raised in Menra Village before… the full moon happened… When I rediscovered my pod, it just had a repeating message telling me to exterminate the native life-forms..."
"Oh," Gine gasped, feeling sympathy for the Saiyan girl. "I'm so sorry to hear that. We Saiyans have had a… less than positive reputation, to put it mildly, but we've put that behind us. I can also guarantee you were sent here for the same reason as Kakarrot."
"Really?" Caulifla gasped, her mood brightening by a margin.
"Yes. Just before we left, Bardock heard crying from a space pod that could not take off. Against his better judgement, he rushed over to investigate. Inside was a Saiyan girl, but the pod's hinges could not seal, and therefore could not take off. Bardock then took the child to another, operational pod, and set a random set of coordinates, which just so happened to lead here."
Caulifla was taken aback by this revelation. This whole time, she thought she was sent to lay waste to all life on this planet, despite outright rejecting such an objective. Instead, just like Kakarrot, she was sent here to flee complete and total destruction. Years worth of mystery had suddenly been lifted off her conscience, and she felt lighter for it.
"Thank you for telling me this," Caulifla croaked, smiling the entire time. "You have no idea how much of a relief it is to hear that."
"You're welcome,~" Gine smiled warmly. "I'm also glad to see you two grow as strong as you are."
"Strong?" Gokū repeated, now relieved himself to hear such praise.
"Oh yes," Gine nodded. "You two are each a lot stronger than I was when I was your age, and that means there's a lot more for you two to gain."
"Whoa…!" Gokū gasped with child-like amazement. "All the more reason to keep training then!"
"You really are your father's son!~" Gine chuckled, seeing Gokū's eagerness to improve. "And I also see you found someone just as strong. I wouldn't be surprised if you two got together."
"Well, we're already dating," Caulifla sheepishly added. "And while I'd love to stay and chat more, we actually have something important to take care of."
"Oh that's right!" Gokū exclaimed. "I still gotta get Nyoibō to Karin Sanctuary!"
"I'm guessing that involves more training?" Gine inquired.
"It's actually a lot more than that, and it would take a while to explain," Gokū clarified. "I'm sorry, Mom, but I have to go. Oh! Maybe you can come with us?"
"Oh, I'd love to, but I'm afraid I can't," Gine sighed, slightly heartbroken that she could not join her son.. "I only showed up when I did because I had time available to me to do so, and your father also wanted to know how you're doing."
"I'm guessing a lot's changed since our homeworld was destroyed, huh?" Gokū guessed.
"In more ways than you can imagine," Gine answered. "Your father and I, along with the remaining survivors have been fighting the good fight since that day, but before I go, I need to give you something."
Gine nimbly leapt back into the crater and rummaged around her space pod before she found what she was looking for. She then hopped back up, holding a device in her hand.
"This is a special beacon," Gine described as she handed the device to Gokū. "Once activated, it'll send a signal to me and your father. I only want you to activate it if another Saiyan comes to Earth. Specifically, your older brother."
"I have an older brother?!" Gokū exclaimed.
"Gok-er, Kakarrot has an older brother?!" Caulifla gasped.
"Yes," Gine stated firmly. "His name is Raditz. Unfortunately, your brother is with some less than desirable company, and we've been unable to find him. If he comes to Earth, he will very likely be hostile. I only ask that you promise not to kill him. If he does arrive, please activate this beacon."
"So, my older brother isn't exactly a good guy?" Gokū surmised. "Alright. I promise to not kill him."
"That's my boy,~" Gine smiled while tossling Gokū's hair. "I'm afraid I should go now."
"We'll be fine," Gokū nodded as Gine gave one last hug. "And we will get stronger!"
"I'm sure of it!" Gine chuckled as she hopped back into her space pod. "Good luck, Kakarrot!"
"Bye, Mom!"
With that, the pod hummed to life, and floated upwards, before shooting into the sky like a white comet before vanishing from sight.
Wow," Caulifla hummed. "Your mom's a lot nicer than I thought."
"I… I'm still having trouble wrapping my brain around the fact that my parents are alive," Gokū muttered. "I assumed the worst based on what I remembered, but this clears things up, doesn't it?"
"I know," Caulifla sighed before she remembered something important. "Uh, not to ruin the moment, but we still have to get to Karin Sanctuary."
"Oh crap!" Gokū exclaimed, finally snapped from his reverie. "KINTO'UN!"
The Somersault cloud descended and the two Saiyans hopped aboard, eager to meet 'God' and make everything right.
Unknown Location
Deep in a swampy jungle, a large swathe of loosened earth and toppled foliage littered the landscape. At the base of this mess were the cracked remains of a large egg. Several meters away, a small green form, clad in a deep purple gi with an emblazoned '魔' on the front, surveyed a river before him. The green boy scooped up some water and began to drink, rejuvenating his strength from hatching. He paused when something assaulted his senses. Suddenly, a massive piranha leapt out of the water, eager to make this boy its next meal, but the boy smirked devilishly and jumped up to deliver a devastating knifehand jab to the eyeball of the monstrous fish, blinding and killing it immediately.
"I'll need to train if I hope to defeat Son Gokū and Caulifla, and redeem the Demon Clan," The boy chuckled as he licked the blood off his arm. "I hope they're prepared to see Piccolo Daimao reborn…"
Mount Frypan Outskirts
Chi-Chi was furiously pacing back and forth outside the borders of her father's kingdom. She did not dare return home directly after her confrontation with her father at the Tenka'ichi Budōkai. She was pacing back and forth trying to think of an optimal approach to gain strength quickly so as to crush the thistle-headed tomboy that stole Gokū from her.
"And yet she and Gokū aren't human..." Chi-Chi muttered aloud. "What will it take?! Become whatever it is they are?!"
Chi-Chi paused dead in her tracks after she screamed that last idea. She then smirked devilishly realizing how to devise her revenge, but then frowned when she realized one thing.
"Oh, but how am I supposed to turn myself into some monkey kid like they are?!" Chi-Chi scolded herself, kicking the dust she had been treading upon for the past few hours. Suddenly, she remembered why Gokū visited Mount Frypan to begin with: The Dragon Balls. Gather all 7, and you can have a wish granted. She had heard stories that the sky turns dark when a wish is made, which it had done a few days ago. That meant she had to wait a whole year for them to be usable again.
"Ouuuugh, Damnit! I can't wait that long!" Chi-Chi groaned with frustration. She then inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. Tsuru-Sennin's meditation techniques did help her nerves. A shame he never practice what he preached, the hypocrite. Though Chi-Chi was blissfully unaware of her own hypocrisy, but that is neither here nor there. "No matter. I'll just train in the meantime. Maybe form a new technique to combat Gokū's "Dinky Ken" technique, and when a year is up, that thistle head will be in for one Hell of a surprise..."
A/N: HOLY CRAP! Am I doing what is called in the business, an "asspull?!" Maybe. I won't deny it if it is. Truth be told, I've had plans rolling about like this for quite a bit. This chapter also got churned out in a timely fashion (as opposed to the 2 month long hiatus I took. Again sorry folks) and it feels good to be writing again. I do apologize if what I've done in this chapter isn't your cup of tea, specifically bringing Gine into the picture. Only adding more fuel to the fire that will melt Raditz's brain when he shows up, amirite?! Also, totally unrelated (wink wink), but check out Mutal Exiles as well, though I might give the current chapters I have a rewrite. In all seriousness, I hope this was a good read. :)
