Yo! Son Goku and friends! Saiyan Saga (Chapter 42)

Krillin

"Wow, really?" Krillin raised his eyebrows high, appalled.

"Yep." Tien replied immediately, skipping a rock across the water on the shores of Kame House.

Krillin took a minute to process, totally shaken.

"I mean that's…"

Tien nodded his head, his lips squirming almost without his control.

"I didn't want to come to Goku, I think that one's pretty obvious."

"Heh-heh yeah." Krillin rubbed the back of his bald head. "If I remember right, he told me he thought marriage was food the first time he heard of it."

The pair shared a laugh before Tien continued.

"I'm definitely not going to Yamcha seeing just how many times his relationship was on the rocks. And it's not like Piccolo's actually gonna waste his time counseling."

"Got that right."

"You're the only sane one I can turn to."

"Heh. Thanks, friend."

"Nah." Tien shook his head and launched another stone across the waves. "Thank you. If I didn't have you I don't know who I'd tell. Kami?"

They laughed again.

"Yeah right, that old man doesn't need to know about my problems. He's got the weight of the world on his shoulders already, my concerns don't matter."

"I think that's your first mistake."

The three eyed man raised a brow and turned his gaze to the turtle student.

"I think Kami's a pretty good choice even if you might think it's a bit goofy."

"You think so?"

"Why not? It's his job to look after the Earth, and you're part of the Earth right?"

"Huh." Tien responded dumbly, Krillin taking the initiative with his own stone throwing. "I guess so."

The pair skipped rocks for a while and the sun started to set, cascading the colours of burnt orange and indigo onto the shimmering ripples of liquid beautifully.

"That's tough." Krillin broke the silence again with the shaking of his head.

"Yeah." Is all Tien could say as he emphasised with his widened three eyes. "You guys introduced me to Launch so I'm pretty sure you guys know but she doesn't even remember half the stuff that happens."

Krillin winced and looked down at the sand.

"Yeah…"

"It's a miracle that both of them like me honestly. It'd be strange to only date one half but it's almost worse this way."

Krillin looked up at the skyline and sighed.

"Blue doesn't even know she's a wanted fugitive Krillin. She really just thinks that I'm a dedicated martial artist, which I mean isn't wrong but…"

Krillin's sigh could shake the heavens and he scrunched his face up as he pinched the bridge of his face with his right hand.

"That's not fair of me to skimp out on her and not give Blue a kid but it's also not fair of me to force Launch into parenthood, that's not right."

Krillin shifted his view to the water, his reflection bobbing back and forth as the waves splashed lightly onto the beach.

"I just…"

"If there was just some way to get her to see both parts of herself?"

"Yeah." He exhaled sharply, scoffing. "How tha~ ehh."

Krillin looked back over, in all his battles he had never seen Tien look so defeated and he saw him die.

Krillin walked over and put his arm on his friend's shoulder.

"We'll figure something out…" He glanced down at the sand quickly. "But we gotta do it soon, no more stepping around the issue."

"You're right, you're right." Tien nodded and a bit more confidence crept back into his frame.

"How about that guy you and Goku trained with, wasn't he an expert in telepathy?"

Tien looked over, confused.

"Yeah but~"

"Couldn't he pry into Launch's mind and reveal both halves to each other?"

Tien just looked at Krillin like he was stupid before he realised.

"Wait… maybe~ You might be onto something!"

"I mean it's not like we can separate her body, it'd have to be mentally. I didn't train with King Kai but isn't he supposed to be super powerful?"

"I'm not sure, but it's worth a shot."

Tien's demeanor had changed dramatically, he grabbed his shirt and shot off like a rocket, kicking up a spray of sand in his wake.

"Thanks a bunch, Krillin! I owe you one, nah, I owe you like a thousand! A million!"

"Do your best!" Krillin roared back, giving a thumbs up as Tien disappeared over the horizon.

Tien

Tien practically broke down the door in his hurried state, Launch looked on bewildered, brushing her hair.

"What is it?"

"I gotta take you somewhere special." He huffed out.

"Ooooooh~ how romantic! I was trying to look cute today anyway!"

Tien threw his shirt on the ground and filed through his bag on the side.

"Where are you taking me?"

"To my new master's planet."

"Planet? He has a whole planet? Gosh." She put her hand in front of her mouth before returning to brushing out the coily volume.

Tien threw on a white undershirt, blue tunic and white cape. He put on his white pants and brown boots, completing the look by tying a red belt around his waist.

"I like that one the most." Launch giggled out, standing up from the desk and stealing a peck from his cheek.

Tien blushed a bit as he debated putting on the black cuffs on the side.

"So?" Launch waited patiently with both hands clasped together.

Tien smiled and grabbed her hand softly, lifting it up to his mouth and kissing it gently. Launch couldn't help herself and let out a squeal of delight.

"Let's go."

She jumped into his arms with glee.

"I love it when we fly."

Tien wasted no time, soaring through the main lobby quickly before touching down in a drive-by.

"Can you get the door, babe?"

"Hee-hee." Launch laughed as she turned the knob, to which her boyfriend danced around in a pirouette and pointed her at the other side.

Launch closed the door and The Crane leaped into the sky, vanishing under the pelting snow.

Goku

"Bulma, why are they pouring all this water on me?"

"It's so that you look like you're sweating when you do your punches."

"But I'm not sweating, that would be like lying wouldn't it?"

"No. Uh~" She massaged her temples with her index fingers. "Goku. You're just trying to sell the image."

"What do you mean by image?" Goku questioned as studio staff lathered Goku in oil, he wore a pouty frowny face.

"It's basically what people know you for. You throw a couple punches in front of the camera and it looks really badass. You're a low-key icon since we've seen you in the last three Budokais. People who have been to these events know who you are. People know a little kid with a strange hairdo beat Demon King Piccolo."

"So I just throw a couple punches?"

"Goku, just do what you normally do. I've seen you run your routine countless times. Just stand on that tape they put on the ground and do your thing. These guys operating the camera, and the ones in the editing room are the ones doing the hard work, you got it easy."

"If you say so."

"Hmph." Piccolo huffed out, standing on the tape with arms crossed. "I can't believe I agreed to this."

"Well, tough luck. You're gonna make Capsule Corp. look bad if you bow out now."

"I thought I was just getting my runback against Goku at the tournament, not doing a hair commercial."

"Piccolo, you don't have hair."

"Shut up, mongrel."

One of the cameramen pulled Goku aside.

"Lose the undershirt."

"The blue one?"

"Yes."

Goku complied, taking it off and then putting his arms back through the holes of the orange vest.

"And the boots." He commanded as he rounded back behind the camera, eyeing him through the lens.

"Why am I taking off my clothes?" Goku asked as he plopped his boots next to his shirt.

"That was the last thing people saw at the 23rd. You took off your weighted training gear and people got hype."

Goku instinctively started doing his stretches to which the cameraman called out.

"That's perfect! Do that over the tape!"

"Over here?"

"Yes! Over there!" He pointed declaratively.

Goku got into it a little bit more, a smile creeping across his face. The cameraman spoke up again.

"Oh it's too perfect, the contrast." He mimed a grandiose gesture. "Keep that face, you're doing a great job, Piccolo!"

He just stared into the camera with an ice cold expression. The camera rolled for a little bit until the man from behind it called out.

"Okay, Goku, start doing your thing in 3! 2! 1! Action!"

"Phu!" He punched sharply, the air snapping from the momentum of his fist.

King Kai

The North Kai snickered as Piccolo entered the doorframe to his house.

"Laugh it up while you can, old man."

"You walked out of there without even getting paid. You could have gotten some real money from that advertisement. I thought you were taking an interest in Earthling practices."

Piccolo sighed as he sat down opposite the Kai. Gregory flew around in teardrop arcs, buzzing and lighting the place with his white aura.

"I don't need money, Bulma houses me on the days I don't feel like sleeping outside. My mind needn't be dulled by the worldly pleasures. Now enough with the chat and let's get on with it."

King Kai smirked as Piccolo closed his eyes in focus. The two sat across from each other while criss-cross in an empty vacuum of space.

This is the state of Kai Telepathy. North Kai uses an empty maroon and indigo backdrop with 4 distinct walls on each side as he lets thoughts pull at him from any direction, the more common interests the easier it is to see, hear, or feel. That is why North Kai can easily detect when someone is talking to him or about him tangentially, the threads of telepathy pull at him in this room when people mention him somewhere. If King Kai wasn't already training with Piccolo at the time he would have more easily heard Tien and Krillin talking about him.

After what felt like hours, Tien and Launch appeared on the Kai's planet with Baba's assistance. Tien's smile was broken as he heard his girlfriend gear up for a sneeze due to the harsh change in environment.

"AH~CHYUUU!"

Her hair coiled up into a harsh blonde and she shook it out. Her left brow raised high as a kite.

"Uhhh~ Tien! Whattawe doin' hea?"

"This is my master's hideout, I told you we'd be coming here." He visibly sweat out.

"Didja'?" She put her hands on her hips and sharpened her bro at him.

"Yeah, I did. I wanted to introduce you to him, his name is King Kai."

"Sure, whateva'." Launch shot back sarcastically, walking through the doorframe and loudly interrupting the training. "Whicha' you is King Kai?"

The North Kai's telepathic dimension was practically shattered open by Launch just behind him.

"You gotta be him cuz' that's Piccolo!" Launch stated in a declaration.

King Kai shuddered in disbelief as the pushy blonde haired woman yelled at him.

"Tien?"

"Hey." Tien replied sheepishly, kind of gritting his teeth as he rubbed his nape.

"What is she doing here?"

"Look, we need to talk, Launch."

"Well I'm right hea'."

"King Kai, do you know about multiple personality disorder?"

The Kai just drooped his head low, his eyebrows telling the whole story.

"There's something you don't know about yourself, Launch, and I need King Kai's help so that I can help you."

"Ayyy! I didn't sign up for any sort of therapy! I can't believe you~"

Tien grabbed her arms on both sides, his three eyed gaze locking her down.

"Please, it's not what you think it is…"

She wormed her tongue around in her cheek, razor sharp eyebrows staring back at him. Launch gave in, crossing her arms in a huffy manner and turning around to face the Kai.

"So what am I doing?"

"Launch has two selves."

"Bullshit!"

"-And I need to know if you can get the two of them to talk to each other."

"Oh wow…"

Tien nodded, a lone drop of sweat swimming down his cheek.

"I know I'm asking a lot, this can't be easy even for someone of your caliber."

"You don't know who you're talking to, I'll get it done in ten seconds."

Before she could blink, Launch was inexplicably surrounded by a starry indigo and maroon box, She looked all around, spooked.

"What's goin' on hea' huh!? Youa' givin' me the heebie jeebies you muthafucka'!"

King Kai appeared before her like a ghostly apparition, floating just a few feet away from her.

"Ayy! You stay away from me you fat~"

King Kai's form tore right through her, his palm slamming into her head except it didn't send her anywhere, only dragging Blue out from her body and sending her crashing into the floor.

"Oww!" She cried out in a cutesy voice, rubbing the top of her head and slightly shifting the red bow.

"Hah!?" Launch cried out with a raised brow and intense eyes.

King Kai floated around, observing.

"Youa' the bitch that's been fuckin' with my man! I'd know that blue hair anywhere!"

"Huh?" Is all Blue could get out before Launch already had her hands on her, grabbing at the top of her deep black shirt.

King Kai snapped his fingers and Tien appeared between the two of them, pushing Launch's more aggressive form away with his left hand.

"Stop!" He looked at her harshly, hand on her collarbone.

"Tien!" Blue cried, grabbing onto his right arm tightly and hiding behind his frame. "I was worried for a moment there."

"Bitch!" Launch screamed, peering around Tien's shoulder with a menacing glare, fire in her eyes as she pointed with her index at the imposter. "It was you!"

"You're both the same person!"

"Hah!?"

"Whut?"

"Geh…"

King Kai snapped his fingers and a meditative Piccolo floated next to the Kai.

"I get to see that loud mouth mongrelette have a psychological evaluation? Now this I gotta see."

"Oh great…" Tien thought to himself. "Not only does my master get to watch me hash it out with my girlfriend but Piccolo too?"

"Get youa' hands off him, heffa!"

"Calm down, isn't it pretty obvious? Same height, same shape, same hair even just different colours."

"Nah, this hoe couldn't pull off my style if she wanted it!"

"You're just mad that I make this shirt look good." Blue finally fought back, hiding behind Tien's frame again just as quick as she came out.

"You're wearing the same clothes!" Tien shouted as he stopped Launch mid-way.

"Get youa' hands off ha', Tien!"

"She's you! How many times do I have to say that?"

Launch sharpened her brow and Blue peered back with her own curious glance.

"Look, can we just settle down and talk things through? You two are clearly wearing the same clothes, doesn't that strike you as odd?"

"Well I always believed you, Tien." Blue responded quickly, tightening her grip on his arm. "I think it's my other half that's having trouble."

"Shaddap."

Tien took a moment to steel himself before he turned his back on Launch, looking into Blue's eyes.

"I never told you this but the reason we're always on the road is because back in the day you were a dangerous criminal, you're wanted now. And I don't want you to suffer the consequences of something you didn't do."

Blue put a finger to her lip and blinked a few times, mystified.

"I guess I do remember that time I woke up with a grenade belt. That was weird, I threw em' in the garbage though."

"So you threw my grenades in the trash! I stole those fair and square!"

"Chill." Tien commanded, turning back around for a moment.

"Why you takin' her side, hah!?"

"You're a wanted criminal, Launch! She deserves to know that!"

"She don't look like me! They gonna put the cuffs on ha'!?"

"But they have DNA evidence, I'm sure if they pursued her they would catch her."

"That's her fault for not bein' hard enough, Sweetheart."

"Agh~" Tien struggled. "Okay…"

Blue somewhat childishly stuck her tongue out at Launch.

"Ayy! You watch your~"

Tien grabbed onto Launch tight, forcing her back.

"Easy, easy. We can solve this."

"So you've been dating someone else this whole time?" Blue whimpered with teary eyes.

"No, Princess, I would never."

"You call me Princess cuzza this heffa!?"

"Enough!" Tien screamed, forcing both to quiet down. "Hahhh… sorry for yelling."

He closed his eyes and prodded at his temple with a solitary finger, massaging the area.

"Look, I wanted to give our relationship a real chance, and that's not fair to one of you if I only date the other. What if I got you pregnant?"

The tension in the room silenced immediately.

"That's clearly not fair to one of you, it'd be…"

Launch looked down to the ground, uncharacteristically quiet.

"Is that why you asked, hun?"

Tien nodded. Launch walked forward and hugged on him tightly.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

Blue looked on with a slight twinge of anger, pushing it back a bit.

"I didn't know this was so hard on you."

"Thank you."

Blue backed away, releasing her hold on him, teary eyed.

"Blue…"

"You like her more, don't you?"

Tien liked Launch more than Blue without a shadow of a doubt.

"That's not true, I like you both the same, you're still the one I want to be with for the rest of my life." Tien pointed a declarative finger as he walked towards her, breaking free from Launch.

"Then…"

"Look, I really don't want to have to say it but this has been super hard on me too, Princess."

"Does my choice not matter!?"

Tien swallowed harshly.

"I could tell you weren't as excited as I was! You don't want kids do you!?"

Launch looked back as tears flew from her other half's eyes, her intense gaze piercing right through her.

"Buh~" She got out dumbly before Blue pressed the issue.

"Answer me!"

"You kiddin' me? Course I don't want kids! I'm not sum housewife! I'm just a low life criminal…" Her eyes also welled up, feeling great empathy from her other half.

"Don't say that." Tien cocked his head and turned back around.

"I wouldn't be a good mutha', good muthas don't rob banks. They deserve someone better than me."

Blue couldn't help it, totally breaking down and falling to her knees in wails.

"Ah-haaaaaa~"

"Stupid." Launch got out before succumbing to the waterfall of tears herself.

Tien grabbed both of them by the hands, standing up Blue.

"I'm hu~hu~ sorrrrry~" Blue apologised, barely able to get out anything under her sobbing.

Blue went over to hug Launch and she accepted, pressing her head down onto her chest.

"Why am I so damn sad?"

"Ah-haaaaaaa~"

Tien stood stunned for a moment before just saying 'fuck it', wrapping his arms around the both of them in a group hug. The trio shared a tender moment before the girls dried their eyes.

"Damn it, why'd I have to go an cry like that in fronta' Tien?"

Blue blinked a bunch as the tears dissipated.

"Sniff~ Ah-Chuuuu!" Blue sneezed but nothing happened.

"That's what does it."

"Really? Just like that?" Launch questioned, Tien nodding. "Huh."

"So what's the verdict?" Tien posited, putting his hands on his hips.

"About whut?"

"Kids."

They both grit their teeth and looked the other way.

"This isn't gonna be easy, is it?"

Launch crossed her arms as Blue fixed the red bow atop her hair.

"I want them." Blue said plainly.

"Ahhh~ Fine!" Launch yelled. "I want them too but I don't think we should have them. It's irresponsible."

"Why is it irresponsible?"

"Even if we both stayed at the house and raised them up the whole time we'd only remember half of what we did! That aaand our kids would probably freak out when we changed!"

"Hmm." Blue grunted out, pouty lips.

"Tien don't even want em' so there's two votes for you, Sweetheart." Launch waved Blue away with a sassy right hand. "Case dismissed."

"Tien…" Blue looked to her man with puppy dog eyes.

"Agh…"

"Ayy! Why you doin' him like that?"

"He's my man. I get to do him how I want."

"Errrrrr…" Launch shook her fist angrily, barely holding it in.

"You said you wanted them too."

"I did say that." He mumbled, rubbing his nape again.

"Tch." Launch smacked her lips, rolling her eyes and shaking her head, her bushy blonde locks jiving dramatically.

Tien looked up at the ceiling of the box, internally screaming.

"Launch."

They both looked to him.

"Tell me the reasons you want kids and we'll decide right here, right now. We can't go any further until we have this figured out."

Tien sat down criss cross, beckoning and patting the ground around him. The pair complied and they sat in a triangle formation. After they settled in, Tien took off his cape and handed it to Blue.

"Whoever has this cape is the only one who can talk, if we divvy up the attention then it'll be easier for us to communicate."

"That's a great idea!" Blue cheered, clapping her hands.

"This sucks." Launch let her face fall onto her right fist, leaning on it as Tien handed her other half the cape.

"You clearly want this development in our relationship the most, so you have first dibs."

"Okay! So~"

Blue yapped on and on as Piccolo and King Kai observed the trio's spat.

"Didn't think I'd ever be doing this with my telepathic capabilities."

"Yeah, I thought that mongrel was just loud, I didn't know just how much of a pain she was."

"I'd say Tien thinks it's worth it."

"Well I think he's wrong."

"Hagh-ha-ha! I can at least say your telepathy is improving, your thoughts are reaching me with full coherency."

Piccolo nodded, mouth closed but shifting into a sly smile. Blue continued to talk up a storm as Tien intently listened and Launch yawned in boredom, the shifting galaxy around her pulling her attention away.

PaoPao

A girl with dark black hair tied into two distinct and tight buns on each side of her head prayed with both hands pressed together tightly. She was in deep focus and the room around her was barely lit by candles in a square formation around her figure. She wore a deep brown crop top and loose but still form fitting black joggers that flared out a bit at the bottom before they funneled into the cuff. She let in deep breaths before expelling them with ritualistic exhales.

She breathed in one final time and stood up, blowing out the four candles with a smooth wave of her palm. She smiled and made her way to the back of the dark room and opened the door. It was morning, the bright unmistakable light spilling in through the glass walls. Raindrops pelted and washed down the sides of the building and she rejoiced in the slow but steady trickle sound of water as she made her way to her old-looking black tea kettle. She lifted the lid and poured herself a cup, standing next to the very nice and expensive looking marble counter.

She eyed her TV from across the room as she sipped her tea, pouring one more glass before daintily jogging over and flopping down on her also seemingly expensive black leather couch. She turned it on with the remote and sunk deep into the furniture. A long sword with a green handle and orange tassels hung on a steel plate atop the wall above her TV. After a while of watching she needed to refill her drink upon which she saw an advertisement play.

"Phu! Phu! Phu!" "Zzzzzzyuwuttt! Zzzt~"

On the television there was a grey background, intense and echoing kata as the screen had the man practicing just out of view, sweat flying off him as he struck. He exhaled and flung sweat all around him with each punch. The screen cut to black and then to another figure, electricity forming in his green hand. The girl furrowed her brow, definitely interested as she scrambled to make her way back to the couch. The screen cut again to a pair of antennae and the top of a bald green head. The screen cut one last time to Goku and Piccolo standing opposite each other, Goku doing his characteristic leg stretches as Piccolo stood with stoicism, arms crossed.

"That's~" She practically leaped up, almost spilling all of her tea, a pointed finger right at the TV.

"You thought we were done?"

There was no voiceover, just nicely edited red text, it slammed and then cracked, flaming on the steely and more worn down grey background.

"You should be watching."

"No way…" She thought as she took a deep drain from her glass.

"24 Tenkaichi Budokai"

"May 7th"

"Yes!" She jumped up, squealing in delight and then subsequently spilling her drink all over the elaborately designed carpet, mirroring the expensive looking rest of the home. "Darn it…"