Just a little idea I came up with that's been swimming in my head for the past few months

My summer classes are just about over, so I'm posting this to celebrate

Please leave a review letting me know what you think!


Age 730

"Dammit, dammit, dammit…" A young woman muttered under her breath as she hastily made her way through the crowded West City train station. She was quite a beauty, with fair skin, wavy reddish-orange hair that ended at her hips, warm green eyes, and was dressed in a creamy-yellow sundress, brown boots, and had an engagement ring on her left ring finger.

She didn't have time for this. She had to get to a job interview right now. If she got on the train now, she'd get there with just minutes to spare.

Except…which train was it again?

The redhead quickly turned her head back and forth between the two trains. She couldn't remember which one she had to be on. She looked up at the signs, but it didn't help; her panicked brain couldn't remember the route she needed to take.

In another timeline, the woman would've taken the train to her left and arrived at her interview in time, though she wouldn't have gotten the job. But in this timeline…

The woman exclaimed in frustration and bolted into the train to her right, barely making it to a seat before the doors closed and the train headed off. She sighed, relaxing in her seat. Now all that's left to do was wait and—

Not even five minutes had passed before the train suddenly screeched to a halt, and nowhere near the next station.

The woman blinked in surprise, steadying herself in her seat. A few seconds, the intercom crackled to life and a grainy voice echoed through the train, "The train ahead of us had to make an emergency stop. We'll be stopped for forty-five minutes to an hour. We apologize for the inconvenience."

All color drained from the young woman's face. No! Her interview was in twenty minutes! She wanted to scream in frustration, but instead, she just buried her face in her palms, mumbling out something incoherent as she did so.

"Are you alright, sweetie?"

A soft, feminine voice made her look up. It had come from the woman sitting next to her. The woman was youthful and pretty, with milky skin, curly blonde hair, blue eyes, and wearing a blue dress with black heels and a pearl necklace. An eight-year-old girl sat on the other side of her, with long, straight blonde hair, dark eyes, wearing a pair of overalls over a short-sleeved shirt and sneakers, and currently preoccupied with a high school-level astronomy book.

The redhead sighed, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Yeah…" she grumbled out. "Looks like I'm not gonna make that job interview." She visibly deflated in her seat.

The blonde woman gave her a sympathetic smile, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be?" she said, trying to sound optimistic. The redhead managed to lift her head and smile back. "I'm Panchy, by the way."

"Fukusa," the redhead introduced herself.

In the end, the two women ended up chatting the whole hour and even after the train started moving again, sharing stories and even laughing at a few points. Just as the train reached its destination, Panchy handed Fukusa a note with her phone number, even mentioning that she'd put in a good word if she wanted to interview with her husband's company.

The two parted ways as they exited the train, with Panchy taking her daughter Tights in one direction and Fukusa heading in another direction, definitely in a better mood than when she had left. She glanced down at the note. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

OoOoOoO

Had things gone differently, Fukusa never would have met Panchy, never would've gotten a good-paying job and decided to be housewife, and above all, would've died from a home birth after a complicated pregnancy three years later.

Instead, Fukusa ended up developing a good friendship with Panchy. She took the older woman's advice and applied for an interview at Capsule Corp., managing to successfully land a position as a secretary.

Thanks to her new job and income, Fukusa and her new husband, Chawan, moved from Diablo Desert to West City. Chawan, who previously made money off of being a farmer, switched to working construction full time.

In the summer of Age 732, Fukusa learned that she was pregnant. Thanks to all the money they earned, Chawan and Fukusa were able to get a good doctor, who helped her manage her health throughout. Her baby ended up being breech and born via cesarean section—a healthy, beautiful boy whom the parents named Yamcha, after Chawan's late father. Both mother and baby recovered successfully.

Six months into Fukusa's pregnancy, Panchy learned that she was expecting her and Dr. Brief's second child. The two women chatted a lot about their pregnancies, with them talking about how their children would probably become good friends, and maybe even fall in love if the second Brief child was a girl.

Sure enough, when Yamcha was barely five months old, Panchy gave birth to a beautiful girl named Bulma. Thanks to their parents' friendship, Yamcha and Bulma ended up spending a lot of time together, quickly developing a friendship when they were still in diapers.

Time passes. The Briefs' friendship with the Tea family continues to grow, alongside Yamcha and Bulma's bond. The two children ended up going to the same school together and spending any time they could with each other. Their personalities developed alongside their bond. Bulma developed her love of technology and her smart, fiery and stubborn attitude, but could be kindhearted and mellow at times, especially around her family and Yamcha. Yamcha, on the other hand, took up martial arts and remained soft-spoken and playful, and while he was timid and quiet around most people (especially girls), he was confident around his parents and the Briefs, especially Bulma.

Over a decade after Panchy and Fukusa's chance encounter, the Briefs invited the Tea family to join their vacation in East City. And it's here that the story takes another interesting turn…

OoOoOoO

Age 743

The Briefs and Tea family were currently occupying two of the wealthiest suites near the edge of the eastern capital, enjoying every moment of their vacation thus far. Not too far from said suites, a lush, beautiful forest occupied the land and had an air of mystery about it. And it was thanks to that final detail, it led the two children to run through and explore the forest. If one were to look, they would see a pair of ten-year-old children, with the blue-haired girl excitedly leading the black-haired boy.

Bulma and Yamcha eventually come across a river and decide to run alongside it, playfully jumping around and trying to splash each other a few times. While running with the river, Yamcha spots something in the distance and stops, calling Bulma over and leading her there. Once they're close enough, the children realize that it's a cave entrance, hidden amongst overgrown roots and vines.

In another time, the Briefs go on vacation alone and Bulma finds the cave, but ends up being too scared to explore and ran back to her family. Here, however…

Bulma frowned, looking nervous as she peered into the darkness past the entrance. "Do we really have to go in there?" she asked quietly.

Yamcha looked up at her, offering a gentle smile and placing a hand on her shoulder, which made the bluenette turn to him. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll protect you from whatever's in there." His gentle smile turned to a proud smirk, glad to have the chance to be strong around her.

Bulma still looked hesitant, but eventually said, "Okay." Yamcha's smirk returned to a smile, and the two children pushed past all the roots and vines, holding each other's hands as they made their way inside.

The more they explored, the more Bulma's nervousness melted into curiosity and excitement. After a few minutes of walking in darkness, they stumbled across a room to the brim with gorgeous, glowing crystals. The children are in awe, but decide to explore even further in the cave.

It doesn't take long for them to hear the sound of running water, and they soon come across a little stream. If you simply glanced as it for a second, you might see a normal stream. But if you looked at it harder, you would realize that the water was actually a vivid turquoise color, was bubbling and, most surprisingly of all, was glistening as if it were filled with stardust.

Bulma and Yamcha didn't hesitate to follow the stream, wanting to see where it leads to, and their search yielded interesting results. The stream took them to an enormous room, where several steams connected into a giant pool of glistening turquoise water, located directly in the center. There was a large hole in the ceiling above the pool, letting in sunlight that reflected off the calm waters.

"Whoa…" Both children breathed out, absolutely in awe at the sight before them. They walked around the room, exploring every nook and cranny, but keeping their attention mainly on the starry waters.

It wasn't long before they found themselves at the end of pool, crouching down and trying to peer inside. "How deep do you think it is?" Bulma asked, unable to see the bottom. Yamcha merely shrugged in lieu of a verbal response.

Bulma stood back up to walk over to the other side. But alas, the edge was soaking wet, and as a result, her shoes slipped on the waters. Bulma let out a shriek as her body fell and instinctively grabbed the nearest thing, which happened to be Yamcha's shirt, in hopes of steadying herself. Only it wasn't enough, and it sent the surprised duo plunging into the turquoise waters with an echoing splash.

The shock of what had just happened made them forget to hold their breaths until it was too late, and both ended up swallowing a bit more than a mouthful of the water. It was warm and had a bit of an earthy taste, unsurprisingly, but weird feeling coursed through their entire bodies the moment it hit their stomachs. The children struggled for air and managed to regain themselves, crawling out of the pool and back onto the ground, where they coughed and hacked up any water that had gotten into their lungs.

After a few minutes of them coughing and recovering, Yamcha shakily stood up and walked over to Bulma. He helped the blue-haired girl to her feet, tears streaming down her already wet cheeks as she angrily declared, "I'm never coming back here!"

Yamcha silently agreed as he grabbed her hand again and led her out of the room, the two soaked children soon exiting the cave and refusing to look back.

OoOoOoO

The two sopping wet children found themselves sitting atop a hill, one that overlooked a traditional village not too far from East City. Yamcha held a sobbing Bulma, trying to comfort her as best as he could as they waited for their clothes, hair and skin to dry.

While they wouldn't be completely dry any time soon, the warm sunlight managed to make them damp instead of soaked. Trying to cheer his friend up, Yamcha put on a smile and quietly asked her, "Hey, you wanna play a game while we wait for our clothes to dry?" Bulma sniffled and looked up at him as if he was insane. Yamcha's eyes widened and he hurriedly sputtered out, "I-I mean…we wouldn't get dry if we just s-sat here, y'know?" He chuckled nervously, turning a bit red in the process.

Bulma's annoyed look softened, a small smile appearing on her face. "Sure," she said simply, much to Yamcha's pleasant surprise as she stood up with him.

Bulma had whined at first about how messy her hair was and how the damp clothes felt when she moved in them, but that soon melted away at the pair found themselves running around and laughing again. It quickly escalated into a game of tag, with Yamcha running ahead of Bulma in an attempt to escape her.

The black-haired boy gasped and skidded to a halt just as he reached the edge of the hill, realizing he would've fallen down it if he hadn't stopped. He whipped around to move away from the edge. Unfortunately, Bulma was right there in front of him the moment he did so, and the bluenette hadn't come to the same realization as she launched herself at him the moment he stopped, slamming into her longtime friend at full force and firmly grasping his shoulders with her hands.

She was hoping to pin him to the ground, but quickly realized that wouldn't be so as the impact sent both children rolling down the hill. Bulma let out a shriek of surprise and Yamcha instinctively grabbed onto her, trying to hold her close so they both wouldn't get badly hurt, a rush of adrenaline and panic hitting both of them like a freight train.

In that moment, white light engulfed their entire beings, glowing brighter and brighter until…

A single being hit the bottom of the hill, the light dying down into nothing as she rolled to a stop. The new person groaned, pulling herself into a sitting position and painfully rubbing her head. "Ow…" she muttered out. It took her a moment to realize her voice was new. Her eyes shot open, and she looked down at herself in shock. "W-What?!"

Indeed, the new person was neither Yamcha nor Bulma. She was the same height as them and bore striking resemblances, but she wasn't them. Her skin was a mix of milky and tan splotches, making her look like someone with vitiligo. Her long, messy hair seemed to be half-blue and half-black. Her eyes displayed heterochromia, with her left eye being aqua-blue and her right eye being coal-black. Her outfit was a strange mix between Bulma's dress and Yamcha's shirt and shorts. Her facial features looked similar to Yamcha's, albeit softer and more feminine.

The new person gasped, scrambling to her feet and staring down at her hands in disbelief. "What…What is this?!" she all but cried out.

What…This is…What was she?! What was going on?! What happened to Yamcha and Bulma?!

Who was she?!

A soft gasp reached her ears, and she whipped around to see two people—teenagers dressed in traditional eastern clothing—standing several feet from them, both wearing a shocked expression. Panic set in again, and at that moment, the new girl suddenly felt like she was being pulled in two directions at once. The white glow returned, and the two strangers watched as she split back into Yamcha and Bulma, who both collapsed to the ground with a pained, surprised grunt.

The children both scrambled to their feet, eyes wide with shock and their minds buzzing with what just happened. They were only yanked out of their stupors when one of the teens approached them, crouching so that she was eye-level with the children. "Are you alright, little ones?" she asked gently.

As if a switch had been flipped, Bulma's expression changed from shocked to one of distress, shaking and looking to be on the verge of tears. "No, I…I…that…" she struggled to find her words. "What just happened?!" Next to her, Yamcha just watched with wide eyes, unsure of what to do.

The two strangers exchanged a glance, then turned back to the children. "I think we might know," the girl said, making both of them turn to her instantly.

OoOoOoO

The teens ended up escorting them to their village. Despite everything that had just happened, Bulma and Yamcha had to admit: it was very beautiful. A traditional eastern village, secluded deep within the forest.

Currently, the duo found themselves sitting on the floor of a hut. There was an elderly woman, also wearing traditional clothes and her white hair tied into a bun, across the room from them, humming a beautiful tune as she stirred a pot of deliciously-smelling broth. All around them, they could tell that the other residents of the village had gathered outside the windows and door, as their whispering voices easily carried through the air. Yamcha instinctively reached for Bulma's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, as if trying to reassure both her and himself that everything would be okay…he hoped.

"I'm sure you two are confused," the old woman said softly, walking towards them with a small bowl of broth in each hand, a soothing smile on her face. She kneeled down and handed the bowls to the children, who both reluctantly accepted. Bulma nodded mutely as Yamcha brought the bowl to his lips, sipping at the broth.

"Tell me," the woman continued, sitting down across from them. "Did you two stumble across a cave with a mysterious pool inside it?"

This immediately caught the children's attention, and they nodded quickly.

"I thought so," the woman laughed lightly. "It's no wonder you ended up in this predicament."

Yamcha titled his head to the side. "Um…Ma'am, what do you mean?" he asked.

"Let me tell you a story, little ones," the woman said. "Hundreds of years ago, there was a legend of the Enmusubi Fountain. It states that only those who drink from its waters will be able to merge their mind, body and soul at will with another. Because of this, our ancestors used the fountain as part of a marriage ritual, where newlyweds truly become one together for the first time. Unfortunately, it became lost to time. No one could find the cave, and for years we thought it was just a legend…until now, that is."

Yamcha and Bulma both stared at her in awe, though the former's face had turned a bit pink. The old woman stood up and walked across the room, grabbing a scroll from a nearby shelf and walking back to the children. She sat back down and unraveled it, showing its content to the children.

There were two painted images on the scroll's pages. The first was of a man with dark blue hair and a woman with long fiery-red hair, both dressed in traditional wedding clothes and sitting in front of the same pool that Yamcha and Bulma had encountered just an hour ago. The second had the same setting, except the man and woman were gone, replaced by a man with long purple hair, wearing an outfit that looked like a clean mix of the couple's wedding attire.

"My great-grandmother gave this to me when I was about your age," the woman explained. She pointed to the red-haired woman. "She said this was a portrait of her and my great-grandfather on their wedding day. By this point, the fountain was lost to legend, and my great-grandmother was saddened that I wouldn't be able to merge with my future husband."

"I…" Bulma, still flushed pink, shook her head in confusion. "But if you had been using the fountain for years, how did you suddenly lose it?"

"This part of the world is prone to natural disasters," the woman explained, rolling the scroll back up. "Our village used to be a short distance from the cave, but earthquakes and tsunamis took their tolls. Our ancestors were eventually forced to relocate after too many lives were lost, and the disasters shaped the land until it was almost unrecognizable. Thanks to this, it was suddenly hard to find the cave. It became a lost cause, and many in our village resorted to calling it a legend."

Neither were sure what to say for a few seconds. Then, a thought struck Yamcha and he furrowed his brow slightly. "When we…" he trailed off. Bulma and the old woman both turned to him. "It felt like I just…disappeared. It felt like I both was and wasn't there at the same time." He didn't know how else to describe it. He paused, then added on, "That person was a girl. But I'm a boy. Why was that person a girl?"

The old woman chuckled softly, then calmly explained, "When two people merge together, it isn't just two consciousnesses shoved into one body. It creates a new being entirely. And we figured out that the gender of that being is based on which partner is the dominant one in the relationship."

It was a strange sensation to be both fascinated and embarrassed at the same time, Yamcha quickly discovered. Bulma, however, shook her head and frantically asked, "Is there any way to reverse it?"

"I'm afraid not, my dear," the woman said. "Once the water's in your system, there's no known way of getting it out."

Bulma hung her head in disappointment, while Yamcha was lost in thought.

When the duo woke up this morning, neither of them thought something like this could exist, let alone happen to them.

OoOoOoO

A few of the village locals managed to escort the children back to their suite in East City, before quickly rushing back to the forest. Probably excited to locate the cave, Yamcha figured. Neither of their parents were in the suite, which was a bit of a relief. The black-haired boy wanted to talk with Bulma about this alone.

From leaving the suite to returning here, it felt like both an eternity and only a few minutes had passed. The whole day had made Yamcha's head spin. But right now, his mind was swimming with what had happened when they…fused. There really was no other way to put it.

It was such a strange experience. Yet at the same time, it left him in awe. Another emotion made itself know. Curiosity, maybe? Whatever it was, it instilled an urge in him. An urge to learn more about fusing, more about who that person they created was.

Where exactly did he and Bulma disappear to when they fused? Why did it feel like he was and wasn't there at the same time? He had so many questions!

But he knew one thing for sure: the old woman had been right. When he and Bulma fused, that person wasn't him or her. It truly had been someone entirely new.

He silently wondered if Bulma felt the same way.

"Bulma?" he said quietly, making the blue-haired girl look up at him. The two of them were currently sitting on the living room carpet. "I…uh…" he paused, turning his gaze to the floor for a second as he struggled to find his words. "I just can't stop thinking about…well, you know…" He didn't need to say it.

Bulma looked away as well, the pinkness from earlier returned to her cheeks. "Yams, I…" she trailed off as well. Neither of the childhood friends knew where to go from here.

After a minute or so of sitting in uncomfortable silence, Yamcha spoke up again. "How did it…make you feel?"

Bulma looked back up at him. "Huh?" she said, a confused expression on her face.

"Y'know, the…" he swallowed a lump in this throat. "When we…created that new person…" he felt his own face heat up, but tried to ignore it. "How did you, y'know, feel?"

Her face still pink, Bulma lowered her eyes, refusing to even look at him. "Yams, I…I just…" she sighed in defeat, visibly deflating. "I'm so confused." Yamcha was surprised. He learned early on just how stubborn the Brief girl was, and the included how she hated admitting that she was wrong or that she didn't know something. To hear her say something like that was a bit of a shock. "That old woman said that it was something for…for married couples!" She stressed her voice on the word 'married', looking ready to panic. "But we're just kids! We weren't supposed to…but now we…Marriage is supposed to be an adult thing! How are we supposed to…What are we…?! I-I don't want to…I mean, at least not until…!" She looked like she was on the verge of tears at this point, struggling with her words.

Yamcha was stunned silent as he watched this. "I…" he started to say, lowering his head a bit. "I'm sorry…" It came out quietly, but still loud enough for Bulma to hear.

She snapped her head up, her blue eyes wide with surprise. "What?"

"I was the one who insisted on going into that cave, even though you didn't want to," Yamcha said quickly and pitifully. "And now you're…you and I…" Great, now it felt like he was going to cry, too.

Bulma placed a hand on his shoulder, making him look up again. Onyx-black eyes locked with bright blue, tear-filled ones. Bulma quickly wiped away the tears that had welled up, refusing to let them fall. "Yams, don't say that," she said, sounding a bit calmer now.

"But I hate to see you like this," Yamcha said. "And I…I…" He stopped again, piquing Bulma's curiosity this time.

"What is it?" she asked. Yamcha stayed silent, making Bulma narrow her eyes at him. "Yams, you know that I can tell when you want to say something. Just tell me already!"

"I wanted to do it again!" Yamcha blurted out, looking just as stressed as Bulma a minute ago. The bluenette blinked in surprise at his confession. "The whole thing is so weird, but there's something about it that makes me want to do it again. And I don't know why! I thought that, maybe if we fused again, then it could answer all of my questions, and maybe we could make it fun. But if it makes you feel like that, then I…I won't…" his word vomit finally stopped, dying down into silence as he hung his head in shame.

Both of them were quiet again for a few seconds that seemed to drag on for too long. Then, Bulma broke the silence.

"Actually, I…wanted to do it again, too."

Yamcha snapped his head up, dark eye wide. "What?"

"Despite what I said…I still want to try that again," Bulma confessed. "But I can't get over the idea of it being a marriage thing." The pinkness remained. "I want to try it, but if it's a marriage thing, I…I don't think I'm ready…"

Yamcha frowned. Both of them were at an impasse. They wanted to try it again, but Yamcha didn't want to do it if it made Bulma uncomfortable. Then, an idea struck him.

"Well…it doesn't have to be a marriage thing," he said. Bulma looked confused again. "The lady said it was a village tradition. But we don't live in that village. We just found the fountain by accident. This can be our own thing, no one else's! It can be just us, as best friends!" He felt his excitement rose, then caught himself and cleared his throat. "But, uh, only if you're okay with it…" he added on sheepishly.

Bulma blinked at his words, then furrowed her brow with a look of concentration. Yamcha felt nervousness begin to drown out his previous excitement. But that was quickly reversed when a smile spread across Bulma's face and she said, "Okay."

Yamcha and Bulma stood up, standing barely a foot away from each other. Only then did reality set in.

"Uh…" Yamcha started out awkwardly. "How did we do this last time?"

Bulma hummed. "I'm not sure," she said, deep in thought. "We were kind of in a panic right before fusing…Maybe it's triggered by emotions?"

Yamcha scrunched up his face a bit. "Does that mean we have to scare ourselves again?"

Bulma paused again to think, then said optimistically, "Who says it has to be panic and fear? What if something like joy triggers it?"

Yamcha seemed to like the idea. And there's no time like the present. They wouldn't know unless they tested it out, after all.

It took them a while to figure something out. But after a while, a brilliant idea struck Bulma. With a few taps on her family's iPad, upbeat and exciting pop music blasted from the living room's speakers.

"We both like dancing, so what if we can do it through something we like?" Bulma theorized during the song's beginning instrumental, smiling at her best friend. "What I'm trying to say is…" she held out her hand. "Come dance with me."

Yamcha grinned, taking Bulma's hand and letting the bluenette pull him closer to her. Grasping each other's hands, the duo starting dancing just as the lyrics kicked in. It was coordinated in any way, but neither seemed to care. Feelings of excitement sparked within them, feelings of just having fun and enjoying themselves.

The two children broke away from each other, laughing jubilantly as they both danced on their own for a bit, happily caught up in their own little worlds. Yamcha opened his eyes and stole a glance at Bulma, seeing the blue-haired girl spin herself around with an ear-to-ear grin and a hearty laugh. The sight made Yamcha let out a giddy bubble of laughter as well, not even noticing that his face was heating up again.

As the song drew near its conclusion, Bulma rushed over to Yamcha again and excitedly jumped into his arms. And as they spun around joyfully, as the sounds of gleeful laughter echoed throughout the suite, the white glow returned. As it glowed brighter and brighter, they could feel their minds, their bodies, their very souls being pulled together. But it wasn't scary or painful or anything like that. Instead, it was warm and relaxing.

The light died down. Yamcha and Bulma were gone, and the new person was back, messy appearance and all. This time, she wasn't in pain or freaking out. Instead, she was laughing and spinning in place, hugging her arms with a big smile on her face. She was back, and she felt whole.

After a minute or so, she stopped to catch her breath. She opened her eyes, revealing her heterochromia to the world once more, and looked down at her splotched hands.

She still had so many questions. But out of all of them, one stood out in her mind.

Who was she?

A sudden thud reached her ears, making her jump in surprise and whip around on the spot. Yamcha and Bulma's parents had come back—she hadn't even heard them come in—and all four of them were standing there, staring in surprise, and some of the boxes and bags they came back with having been dropped in their surprise.

The new person chuckled nervously. How was she supposed to explain this?

OoOoOoO

Age 749

"It should be around here somewhere…"

The words were spoken as a young woman slowed her Capsule motorcycle to a halt and hopped off it. If one were to look, they would get a good look at her appearance. She was no older than 16, standing at 5'9" and having a curvy, feminine yet strong build. She had a lightly tanned complexion, and deep periwinkle hair that was slightly messy and tied into a low braided ponytail that ended halfway down her back. Her outfit consisted of a purple tank top with the world 'PANTI' written across the chest in bold black letter, tan cargo shorts, brown combat boots, a brown belt with a pouch and a gun holster, black fingerless gloves, and a pair of reddish-pink visor-like goggles covering her eyes. A light blue backpack covered her back, and her outfit revealed her strong arms and her well-defined legs.

Holding the circular radar in one hand, she loosened her goggles and lowered them to her collarbone, revealing a pair of berry-blue eyes. She hummed in thought as she examined the radar, placing one hand on her hip. "Maybe it's a little further to the west?" She said out loud.

Regardless, she was close! She could feel it! She readjusted her goggles and jumped back onto her motorcycle, revving the engine and continuing down her path on Mount Paozu.

Her ride didn't last too long, as she soon came over a hill, and a boy with spiky black hair and a monkey tail dragging a giant fish came into view. She inhaled sharply and braked quickly, hearing the tires squeal to a halt. Thankfully the vehicle stopped before it could hit the boy, who looked shocked.

"Whoa!" The teen breathed out, jumping off her motorcycle again. "Too close!" She glanced down at the boy. "You okay, kiddo? What are you doing in the road?"

"Gah! What are you, a witch?!" The boy cried out, dropping his fish and grabbing the red pole that had previously been tied to his back. "You're not getting my fish, witch!"

The teen flinched back in surprise, then narrowed her eyes into a glare. "Witch? What's your problem, kid?!" she snapped. "I'm not a witch!"

The anger left the boy's face, replaced with confusion. "You're not? Then what are you?"

"I'm a human being, just like you," she said, holding her arms out. "Take a gander."

The boy still didn't look convinced. He pointed his weapon at her. "Don't move!" he hissed, moving around to examine her.

As he did so, the teen looked at the pole for the first time, her eyes lighting up at the sight. "Whoa, is that the Nyoibō?" she asked excitedly, a grin appearing on her face. She lowered the goggles from her eyes again.

The boy halted in his examination, eyes widening again. "Yeah! How did you know?" he asked in awe.

"The legendary Nyoibō staff? How could I have not heard of it?" The teen said excitedly. "Where did you get it?"

"My dead grandpa gave it to me," the boy said bluntly.

The teen blinked in surprise. "Dead?" she echoed. "Oh, I-I'm sorry!"

"It's okay," the boy shrugged. That's when another thought struck the girl.

"Say, kid, what was your grandfather's name?" she asked. If she was right about this…

"His name was Son Gohan," the boy answered.

"Son Gohan," she breathed out.

"You knew my grandpa?" the boy asked, titling his head with an innocent expression.

"Of course I have!" The girl said, her previous excitement returning. "What martial arts fan hasn't? Son Gohan was said to be unrivaled in a host of martial arts disciplines. But I had no idea he had a grandson."

The boy had a starry look in his eyes, much to the girl's amusement. Then, the boy seemed the remember something, because he shook his head and gave the teen a once-over with a confused expression. "Are you sure you're human?" he asked. "You kinda look like me, but something's different. You look strong, but you also look kinda softer and bumpier."

"Well, duh, brainiac," the teen joked, rolling her blue eyes. "It's because I'm a girl."

The boy looked shocked once more. "Girl?!" he exclaimed. "Like…female?!"

"Wait…surely you've seen a girl before!" the teen said, baffled at the boy's shock.

"I've never seen another human besides my grandpa before," the boy admitted. "But grandpa always told me that if I ever meet a girl, then I should treat her nicely."

The girl smiled, shaking off her previous surprise. "Wow," she breathed out. "Sounds like Son Gohan was a really great guy. Wish I could've met him…" the last sentence came out quieter than the rest, but the boy heard it loud and clear.

"Oh! You can!" the boy said excitedly, running over to his fish and picking it up. "Come over to my place! I'll share my fish with you, and you can meet my grandpa!"

Intrigued, the teen abandoned her bike and followed the monkey-tailed boy to a small hut. Once the door was opened, the boy ran inside and up to a drawer. "Grandpa, look!" he said cheerfully. "It's a girl! A human girl has come to our house!"

The teen looked around, frowning in confusion when she didn't see another human being in the hut. But when her eyes drew to what exactly the boy was talking to, her face lit up.

"That's it! It's the Dragon Ball!" she exclaimed, rushing up to the drawer. Indeed, resting on a small velvet pillow was a small orange orb with four red stars inside it. "I knew it! The radar was spot on!"

She reached to grab it, only to have her hand smacked away by the boy, who glared at her again. "Don't touch my grandpa!" he snapped.

The girl looked at him in confusion. "What…?" it was all she could think to say.

"I said, don't touch my grandpa!" the boy hissed. "That was his last possession! Even girls aren't allowed to touch it!"

The girl bit her lip and remained silent for a few seconds, as if she were deciding what to say next. "I…I'm sorry, I should've asked first," she said, looking away sheepishly. Then, an idea struck her and her smile returned. "Hey, kid, can I show you something?"

The boy titled his head curiously, much to the girl's amusement. She slipped her backpack off and lowered it to the ground, crouching down and reaching inside to pull out two Dragon Balls, one with two stars and one with five stars. "Ta-da!" she exclaimed.

"Whoa!" the boy gasped. "There's three grandpas?!"

"No, silly," the girl chuckled, setting the two orbs on a nearby table. "They're called Dragon Balls." She picked up the two-star ball again. "I—er, someone I know found this one in her cellar. She had no idea what it was, nor did anyone else she asked. Well, she did some research, and found this really old story about them. There are a total of seven Dragon Balls, and each of them contain a different number of stars, from one to seven."

The boy grabbed the Dragon Ball on his dresser and examined it closely. "Grandpa has four stars in him," he declared in fascination.

"Yep!" the girl said cheerfully, then continued. "And after days of searching the North Valley, I managed to find this one." She held up the five-star ball this time.

The boy looked back up at her. "You're collecting them?"

"Almost halfway there," she said optimistically. "Sure, it won't be easy, but I ain't stopping until I get all seven!"

"Why do you want them?" the boy asked. "Gonna make one of those bead necklaces or something?"

The girl held back a giggle. "Not exactly," she said in amusement. "Look, kiddo, something amazing happens when you get all seven. Legend says that if you gather all the Dragon Balls and chant just the right chant, then you'll summon the eternal dragon Shenron, who'll grant you any wish, but only one."

"Whoa!" The boy exclaimed. "That's awesome!"

"The last person who collected the Dragon Balls became a king," the teen added on. "But that was centuries ago. And now it's my turn to bring them back together." She grinned despite herself.

"What are you gonna wish for?" the boy asked.

The girl paused again. "Actually, I…I don't know," she admitted, her cheeks turning slightly pink as she looked down at the two Dragon Balls. "I couldn't think of anything I wanted. I was kinda hoping that I'd know when I finally gather all seven." Her grin returned. "Besides, even if I don't have a wish in mind, it's nice to have them readily available once I do…Plus, I really liked the idea of an adventure." She chuckled softly after that last sentence. Then, she turned back to the boy and stood up. "Could I borrow the four-star ball for a bit?"

As soon as those words left her mouth, the awe left the boy's face and he narrowed his eyes into a glare. "No way!" he snapped, clutching the four-star ball to his chest. "This is the only grandpa I got left!"

The girl felt annoyance bubble within her, but mentally pushed it back down. "Okay, okay," she breathed out. "How about this? You can help me with my quest, and once we collect all seven, you can have the wish."

The anger began to fade, the boy blinking in surprise. "Your quest?" he echoed. "The wish?"

The girl grit her teeth for a second, but then smiled again, albeit a bit strained. "Of course! It's the least I could do, in exchange for your help."

The boy didn't seem to notice the strain, humming in thought for a second. "Okay…" he relented. "But I'm not giving you grandpa!"

"Fine, fine," the girl responded. "I'll just borrow it at the very end. Is that okay?"

The boy seemed content with that answer. "Alright," he said. "Just give me a minute." He rushed to the other end of the house, probably to grab something.

The girl placed the two and five-star balls back in her backpack, slinging it over her back again and heading outside. Just as she reached the doorway, she stopped and turned slightly. "Oh—" she started to say, but cut herself off by placing both hands over her mouth.

The boy looked up in confusion. "Huh? Is something wrong?"

The teen plastered a grin on her face. "Nothing! Nothing at all!" she said quickly. "I'll be waiting outside!" she scrambled out the door without another word. The boy merely shrugged and went back to whatever he was doing.

As she waited outside, she grit her teeth and curled her hands into fists. She hated when she felt conflicted. And as if that wasn't enough, she could hear two voices in the back of her mind.

'What are you doing?!'

'The kid deserves it! We don't even have a wish in mind! Besides, we should tell him what happens after a wish is made!'

'No! If he does, then we won't get the four-star ball!'

'Will you quit being stubborn?!'

'You know you like it!'

'AHHH!'

'Oh, stop being dramatic!'

'You're one to talk!'

'Hey!'

'Ugh! Okay, look, how about we give him the radar once we've made the wish?'

'What?! Do you have any idea how long that took me to make?!'

'Yes! I was there! And you can just make another one once we get back to Capsule Corp.!'

The girl put a hand to her forehead, quietly breathing in and out. "Keep it together," she said under her breath. She wasn't going to tear herself apart over something like this.

Thankfully, she managed to calm herself down once the boy exited the hut, Nyoibō strapped to his back. She smiled at him, a genuine smile this time. "Alright," she said in a chipper voice. "Let the adventure begin!"

Though he also looked excited, the boy was still confused about one thing. "But how're we gonna find the other balls if you don't even know where they are?"

A smirk appeared on the girl's face, and she laughed despite herself. "I'm not just a pretty face, y'know!" she boasted, pulling the radar out of her pouch. "Feast your peepers on this. It's called a Dragon Radar. I—uh…someone I know noticed that the balls give off a faint electromagnetic pulse, so she constructed this. See, these three in the middle are the ones we have right now. And…it looks like the next closest one is…a little over 700 miles to the west!"

The boy titled his head once more. "I don't get it," he said bluntly. Then, he blinked as a thought struck him. "Wait, didn't you say that your friend found the Dragon Ball and then made that radar thingy? Why isn't she looking for the Dragon Balls with you?"

The girl suddenly looked very sheepish, her face turning pink and diverting her gaze to the ground. "It's a…long story…" she said.

She didn't think she was ready to share that part of her yet.

The teen shook her head and started walking back towards her motorcycle. "Well, we better get going," she said, the boy walking beside her. "By the way, what's your name?"

"I'm Goku," the boy said. "Son Goku. What about you?"

"I'm Panti," she said. She grinned again, as if saying that name filled her with pride.

OoOoOoO

Goku was…interesting. Panti just didn't know how else to describe him.

First, he thought that her motorcycle was some kind of 'monster'. Then, he was shocked at the thought of sleeping in a Capsule house instead of on a pile of leaves, as well as having no concept of electricity. And lastly, the word 'bath' was apparently foreign to him, which meant that she had to be the one to bathe him.

Now, Panti found herself filling up the tub and mixing bubbles into the warm water, grumbling under her breath as she did so. "Is that kid for real? He thinks that all guys have a tail? Of course not! And I should know!" she scoffed. As she spoke, she removed her clothing and slipped into the bath, sighing happily at the feeling of the warm water against her skin.

Halfway through her bath, just as she was running her fruit-scented conditioner through her hair, she happened to turn to the side and open her eyes. And Goku was standing right there, giving her a curious stare.

Panti let out a yelp of surprise and immediately wrapped her arms around her chest protectively, bringing her knees up like she was attempting to curl up and make herself smaller. She narrowed her eyes into a glare. "What do you think you're looking at?!" she snapped.

"So, instead of a tail, you've got another butt on your chest?" Goku asked innocently, seemingly unfazed by the teen's wrath.

Panti blinked at him, then brought one hand to her forehead and let out a groan. "You really are a backwards country kid, aren't you?" she sighed and looked back up at him, albeit with a strained smile as she gritted her teeth. "Look, Goku, why don't you hang out in the living room for a few minutes? I'd a like a few minutes of privacy, please!"

Though he was still oblivious, Goku simply nodded his head and rushed out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him. As soon as he was gone, Panti let out a noise somewhere between a groan and a sigh, uncurling her body and letting herself sink into the warm waters.

It wasn't too long before Panti emerged from the bathroom, clad in a form-fitting light gray shirt and gray boxer shorts, her hair slightly damp now. It didn't take her long to locate Goku. The boy was standing at one of the windows, staring into the night as his tail occasionally twitched. Despite her previous annoyance, Panti couldn't help but smile. At the end of the day, he really was just a kid, wasn't he?

Dinner always came after a bath. Panti walked over to the fridge, pulling out a few ingredients she needed. As she did so, she heard Goku speak up, "The world's so much bigger than I imagined."

The smile returned, Panti glancing over her shoulder as she mixed ingredient in a bowl. "You'd be surprised," she said. "This world…It's full of so many beautiful things…" A faraway look appeared on her face as she spoke.

Goku turned to her. "Have you seen it all?"

"Oh, no, not all of it," Panti admitted, placing a smaller bowl in the microwave. "But I've seen a bit of it."

"What's your favorite?" Goku asked, tearing himself away from the window and curiously rushing up to the kitchen.

Panti hummed in thought as she continued cooking. Then, her face lit up. "Definitely East City," she said confidently. "It's been years since I've gone there, but I really loved it. The city, the people…But especially the forest right next to it. It's so serene and beautiful. And I even got to see the Enmusubi Fountain."

"Enmusubi Fountain?" Goku echoed, tilting his head.

Panti giggled despite herself, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "It's a mystical fountain hidden within a cave," she explained, taking the small bowl out of the microwave once it was done and adding it to the other ingredients. "Legend says that, if two people were to drink from it, then they'd be able to fuse their minds, bodies and souls together, forming a single, new being as a result."

"Fuse…" Goku said, a starry look appearing in his eyes, much to Panti's amusement.

It didn't take long for the teen to finish cooking. And soon enough, Panti and Goku were sitting at the table with plates filled to the brim with curry and rice, along with a few slices of strawberry sponge cake on the side. Goku ravenously scarfed down his portion (along with the seconds and thirds that Panti offered him), much to the teen's surprise.

Once that was over and done with, Panti laid out a separate mattress, blanket and pillow for Goku to sleep on, which the boy did very quickly. Now, as she laid on her own bed, Panti felt a smile grace her lips. The periwinkle-haired girl wrapped her arms around herself, as if attempting to hug herself under the blanket. "Good night," she whispered sweetly to herself, sinking into a deep, inviting slumber.

OoOoOoO

From there, it was one adventure after another with Goku and Panti. They encountered Master Roshi, whom Panti seemed to gush over due to being a martial arts enthusiast…only to have that squashed when he asked to see her underwear.

They also made new friends in the form of Oolong and Puar, a pair of shapeshifters who turned to a life of crime, but eventually agreed to come on the quest (after a few thinly-veiled threats from Panti, of course).

Good news: they ended up finding all seven Dragon Balls. Bad news: they had to fight a blue imp and his minions over them, and Oolong ended up wishing for panties to stop Pilaf's plan. And then there was the chaos with Goku turning into a giant, vicious monkey. But once everything died down, Panti gave Goku the radar like she promised and the gang went their separate ways.

They didn't see each other until about eight months later, reuniting at the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai. Panti ended up entering the tournament alongside Goku and his training mate Krillin, saying that she had been looking forward to this for years now, her love of both martial arts and competition mixing together.

She ended up fighting against Jackie Chun in the quarter finals. Even though she lost, she didn't go down without giving Jackie Chun a bit of trouble, relying on both her physical strength and her wits to throw him off guard. Either way, despite her annoyance, she begrudgingly accepted her loss…but she was still convinced that Jackie Chun was actually Roshi, no matter what he said!

The group went their separate ways again once the tournament ended, with Goku heading off to find the four-star ball. But little did Panti know that she would see Goku again within a few days, and not in the way either of them would expect.

OoOoOoO

Age 750

Goku glanced around the front yard of the Capsule Corp. mansion. He was certain Panti lived here; her scent was all over the place, and he needed her to get her friend to repair the radar. So where the heck was she?

"Goku?"

An unfamiliar masculine voice reached his ears, making him look up. A teenage boy approached him. The boy was quite tall—even taller than Panti—and possessed tan skin, long messy black hair that ended a few inches past his shoulders, and big, friendly black eyes. He was dressed in long black pants, sneakers, and a dark gray sweatshirt. It was obvious he had been working out, based on the sweat that covered his forehead and stained his shirt. Nevertheless, he smiled warmly at Goku.

"Hey, kiddo!" He greeted cheerfully, stopping once he was a few feet away from the monkey-tailed boy. "Good to see you again!"

Goku blinked and stared up at him in confusion. "Who are you?" he asked.

Realization seemed to strike the teen, and he chuckled sheepishly. "Oh, that's right," he said. "You never…" he trailed off before he could finish that sentence.

"Never what?" Goku asked. "Do I know you?"

"Well…Yes and no," he said, which didn't help with Goku's confusion.

"Oh…" Goku said simply. "Well, whoever you are, do you know where I can find Panti?" He held up the radar. "I need her friend to repair this for me."

The teen took the radar from him and examined it, pressing the button and blinking in surprise when it didn't activate. "Good grief, what did you do to this?" he jokingly asked. He smiled down at Goku. "Come on, kiddo, I know where you can find Panti."

"You do?" Goku said excitedly. The teen nodded and led him into the mansion.

"My name's Yamcha, by the way," the teen introduced himself as they headed upstairs. "Nice to finally meet you, Goku."

Goku grinned. "Nice to meet you, too," he said cheerfully.

Yamcha led him to one of the many rooms upstairs, and as soon as they entered the doorway, Goku spotted a girl sitting at a desk, humming to herself as she examined something under a magnifying glass. The girl wasn't Panti. She was shorter and slimmer, having a milky complexion, blue hair that was straight and ended at her shoulders, bright blue eyes, and wearing a red tube top, orange shorts, and pink sneakers with purple socks.

"Hey, Bulma!" Yamcha called, prompting the girl to look up.

Bulma grinned when she saw Yamcha, though her attention was quickly redirected to the pint-sized boy beside him. "Goku?" she said in surprise, standing up and heading over to him. "Whoa, didn't expect to see you here! What brings you to our neck of the woods?"

Goku tilted his head in confusion again. "How does everyone here know me when I don't know them?" he asked out loud. "I don't remember meeting either of you!"

Bulma gave Yamcha a look, causing him to laugh awkwardly again. "Well, you have met us before," Bulma tried to explain. "Just not 'us' us." Goku stared at her blankly.

"I don't get it," he said bluntly, much to the duo's amusement. Shaking his head, he held up the radar again. "Anyways, do you know where Panti's friend is? I need her to fix this."

Bulma blinked and took the radar from him, giving it a once over before grinning at the boy again. "Well, you're in luck," she said, her grin turning to a smirk. "I'm the one who created this, and I think I know just what the problem is."

"You do?" Goku said excitedly. "Great!"

It only took a few minutes. And sure enough, Bulma finished tweaking the radar and pressed the button, smirking proudly as the screen lit up. "Ha!" she exclaimed triumphantly, holding the radar up. "I told you I could fix it!"

Yamcha rolled his eyes fondly, and Goku happily took the radar from Bulma. "Awesome!" he cried out. "Thank you so much!" He paused, then asked. "By the way, where's Panti? Her scent's all over the place, but I haven't seen her once. Are you both good friends of her's?"

Yamcha and Bulma exchanged a glance, then turned back to Goku. "You could say that," the former offered.

Goku merely shrugged and was about to leave, but Bulma stopped him before he could. "Hold on there, mister," she said. "You didn't think you were gonna just leave us here, were you? Nah. Panti's gonna come with you on your quest!"

Goku's face lit up. "Really?" he asked excitedly.

Yamcha blinked and looked up at Bulma. "You sure about this?" he asked, sounding protective all of a sudden. "I mean, with everything that happened last time…"

"Oh, it's fine, Yamcha," Bulma reassured him playfully. "We'll be fine. And besides," she paused to smirk again and walked up to him. "Since when have you ever been opposed to forming Panti?"

Yamcha blushed and laughed sheepishly. Goku, meanwhile, stared at them in confusion. What did she mean by 'forming' Panti?

"N-Never," Yamcha stammered out. "I just…well…"

"Aww," Bulma cooed playfully, putting her hands on his chest. "It's so sweet that you care about me."

Yamcha continued to blush and laugh, but the latter was put to an end as Bulma stood on her toes and pressed a kiss against his lips. As soon as they parted, Yamcha suddenly lifted Bulma into his arms bridal style, much to the bluenette's surprise. The couple laughed joyfully as Yamcha spun both of them around, with Bulma wrapping her arms around Yamcha's neck and pressing her cheek against his.

And at that moment, a white light engulfed their entire beings. Goku watched in awe as the light grew brighter. Yamcha and Bulma's laughter was dying down, being replaced with a familiar laugh instead…

The light finally died down, revealing Panti twirling around and laughing as she hugged herself, grinning ear-to-ear as she blushed pink. Her hair was down now, and her outfit consisted of a short-sleeved red shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers with pink laces and purple socks.

She halted her spinning and laughing, though the smile remained on her face. She opened her berry-blue eyes and looked down at Goku, who was in a mix of shock and awe. "Hey, Goku," she said sweetly.

Her voice seemed to snap Goku out of his stupor. At that moment, a memory entered his mind. One that he hadn't thought about in almost a year.

"Legend says that, if two people were to drink from it, then they'd be able to fuse their minds, bodies and souls together, forming a single, new being as a result."

"Panti!" he exclaimed, both happy to see his friend again and stunned at the revelation. "You're a fusion?!"

Panti suddenly looked very sheepish, giving him an awkward smile as the pinkness remained on her face. "Oh, I-I'm sorry," she said. "Yamcha and Bulma didn't intend on meeting you like that. At least, not for a while later. I-I mean, they were gonna tell you…or rather, I was going to tell you, but—"

"That's so cool!" Goku exclaimed, as if he never heard Panti's rambling, a familiar starry look appearing in his onyx eyes.

Panti blinked, but couldn't help the smile that appeared. "Did we…make a good first impression?" she asked.

"Yeah," Goku nodded, then held the radar back. "So, you wanna help me look for the Dragon Balls?" The only answer that Panti could give was a small laugh and a nod, picking up her capsules and heading off on their next adventure.


In case anyone's wondering, Panti's name comes from three things: panties, "pan" from the Japanese and Spanish words for bread (referring to tea sandwiches), and "tea"

And the cover image was made using Doll Divine's Anime Girl dress-up game

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this mess! God bless you and have a wonderful day/night/whenever you read this!