As he coasted over the gently rippling ocean, Goku did the best he could to put the morning's events out of his mind. Instead, he focused intently of his own undulating reflection that was cast upon the azure waters. The false image was the only company Goku had had on his lonely journey, and the cordial Saiyan now longed for company. However, still lacking the courage to return to his home, he continued on his way.

"You all right down there?" he called down to his inverted likeness, then he laughed ironically to himself, "Of course you are. Don't suppose you have much to worry about, being a reflection and all." Then he smiled, "Sure must be cold in there, though. It's pretty cold up here too.", Goku looked at his outstretched arm which was peppered with goose bumps, "I should've brought a jacket."

Much as the one-way conversation was a relief from the silence of solitude, it was no substitute for real discourse. Goku's mind soon turned to thoughts of his friends. It seemed that maybe a casual visit or two was in order.

"Hey, Master Roshi's isn't far from here." He informed his reflected friend, "Maybe I should drop in and say hi to him and Krillin." Goku paused, then continued, "I knew you'd agree."

****

The moist sand crunched softly as Goku's boots pressed into its fragile surface. It had taken him half an hour of fairly slow flight to reach his destination, but regardless, he had travelled far enough for there to be a noticeable difference in climate. The air that rolled of the ocean and across the solitary island, whilst brisk, was nothing like as cold as that which stood stagnant beyond the walls of his own residence.

Goku looked over to the simple, though gaudily painted shack. The quaint little edifice was the most prominent feature of this miniature isle, the runner up being an elegant palm tree that swayed gracefully under the modest force of the ocean breeze.

Goku strode up to the door of the hut, and rapped gently on its coarse surface. The knock was quickly acknowledged.

"Just a second!" a familiar voice came, muffled slightly by the wooden barrier.

Conversely, several seconds passed before there was a tangible response to Goku's summons. There was then a dull clunk, and the door swung open to reveal the furnished interior of the house.

"Goku!" the voice rang out once more, this time more clearly. The voice was not accompanied by a face however.

Goku paused for thought, and then looked down.

"Oh, hi Krillin." he smiled, "Didn't see ya down there."

"Hey, look guys." Krillin called back into the house, "It's Goku."

Goku looked beyond Krillin to have his gaze met by that of a smiling Master Roshi. As usual, the ageing martial artist defied the seasons with his stubborn insistence upon wearing shades, regardless of the weather.

"Hi there Goku." Roshi's voice escaped from amid the bramble of facial hair, "C'mon in."

Goku obliged his old teacher, moving passed his diminutive friend who still stood at the doorway, grinning widely.

"Hi, Master Roshi." Goku returned the greeting, using the same formal address he always had in reference to the elderly fighter

Moving further into the building's only lower level room, Goku was addressed by a third voice, emanating from beyond the sofa upon which Mater Roshi sat.

"Hello, Goku." The voice said, it's tone low and laboured.

Leaning over to his left, Goku looked around Roshi. There he saw a gaunt, reptilian faced, partially obscured by a red woolly hat and scarf.

"Hello there, Turtle." Goku called, "Hey, looking good."

"Thank you," Turtle replied, "It was a present from Master Roshi. I need all the warmth I can get. Its a tough time of year for us reptiles, you know."

"I can imagine." Goku chortled, still quite amused at the sight of the millennia old creature swathed in woollen garments.

"Well, don't just stand there. Take a seat." Krillin ordered, amiably. The bald fighter was now stood alongside Goku, looking up at him with the same euphoric grin as before.

Not wanting to appear rude, Goku marched to the nearest arm chair, and dropped onto its soft upholstery.

"Hey, can I get you anything?" Krillin asked, "Egg nog, coco, mince pie?"

"No thanks, Krillin." Goku declined, "I'm just passing through." Goku waited for Krillin to take up position on the sofa along with Roshi and Turtle before continuing, "So, how are you guys do..." Goku stopped mid-sentence as he noticed something rather peculiar about his friends.

Looking down from their smiling faces, he realised that all three were attired in the same unattractively designed sweater. Even Turtle had somehow manoeuvred his shell encased frame into one of the knitted monstrosities. The garments were circumvented by a hatched design, rendered in various unpleasant shades of brown and green. Goku stared for a moment, then looked up to his bemused friends.

"Hey guys," he began, "what's with the sweaters?"

"Oh, you noticed!" Roshi grinned, "Pretty snazzy, huh? Who'd have guessed we all had the same taste in gifts?"

"Yeah, who'd have guessed?" Goku echoed, smiling with insincere concurrence.

There was a lull in the conversation, as the four sat smiling inanely. It wasn't long, however, before the smile began to crumble from Krillin's face, leaving an uncharacteristically dejected expression imprinted upon the fighter's visage.

"We've been hanging out together for way too long." He stated. His observation was greeted with grunts of agreement from Roshi and Turtle, the smiles gone from their faces, also.

With his friends now looking distinctly depressed, Goku felt a little guilty for having brought up the subject. Quickly, he tried to rectify his error.

"Aw, don't worry, fellas." He said, smiling reassuringly, "So what if you've all got the same sweater." Goku gave himself a moment to conceive of a reason for his statement, "um... well, at least now you know you all look good."

"You think?" Krillin inquired, softly.

"Sure I do." Goku then changed the subject in order to avoid having to lie any further, "Uh...so, what are you guys up to today?"

"Oh, the usual." Roshi replied, "TV, eat, more TV. Same as every Christmas."

"Same as every day." Turtle added.

Roshi grunted his disapproval at Turtles sideways comment.

"What about you, Goku?" Krillin stepped in, "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

The smile left Goku's face as he was reminded of why he wasn't currently enjoying the holiday season in the comfort of his own home. He broke eye contact with Krillin, who was still awaiting a response. Eyeing the ground at his feet, Goku searched for an answer that would facilitate the evasion of any in depth discussion of the morning's events. His attempts were thwarted, however, as the all too perceptive Master Roshi chose to contribute.

"You're in trouble with Chi Chi again, aren't you?" The aged fighter smirked.

Goku's response was to titter nervously, and meet Roshi's piercing, if obscured stare.

"You could say that." Goku stated, blushing slightly from having been read so easily by his elder.

"So, what was it this time?" Roshi enquired, before proceeding to make some educated guesses, "Were you late for breakfast? Forget to take out the trash? Breath on the good china?"

As Roshi had dispensed his facetious suggestions, Krillin had been frowning thoughtfully. His concentration was focused on the awkwardly smiling face of the Saiyan sitting opposite. The bantam fighter waited for Roshi to finish before adding his own, less random suggestion.

"You bought that Gundam thing for Gohan, didn't you?" Krillin asked, probingly. When his question was greeted by a prolonged spell of dithering on Goku's part, he took his suspicions to be confirmed, "I knew it! Geez, Goku. I told you that it was a bad idea to take one of those things within fifty miles of Chi Chi." Krillin scolded, staring down the distressed Saiyan.

"Yeah, I know." Goku replied, sheepishly, "But I just... I just wanted to get something Gohan would really like. It's the least he deserves. And besides, it was so cool, with all those clip on guns 'n' stuff."

"Oh, Goku." Krillin sighed, his expression softening, "You just don't learn, do you?"

"Guess not." Goku replied with an ironic smirk.

"So, I guess you got a could ear bending, huh?" Krillin asked.

"No." Goku replied, his expression becoming quite serious, "That's what worries me. Chi Chi didn't raise her voice at all. After the argument, she didn't even speak to me."

"Ouch." Krillin grimaced, "That's pretty serious. Gee, I don't really know what to tell ya."

"Hey, don't worry, son." Roshi interjected, before leaping less than cat-like from his seat with one finger pointed skywards "I can give you some pointers on how to get out of this mess. There isn't a relationship that the ol' Roshi magic can't fix up. Why, what I know about women could fill volumes."

"Yeah, volumes of dirty magazines." Krillin muttered quietly, but not quietly enough. His impudence earned him a firm slap on the back of the head.

Goku received the exploits of his friends with a faint smile.

"Thanks for the offer, Master Roshi," He stated, as the recipient of his thanks retook his place on the sofa, "but I think it'd be best if I just gave Chi Chi some space. This time of year is always a little stressful for her, especially with that whole android thing hanging over the family."

"Oh yeah, I suppose that'd do it." Krillin agreed, solemnly. He then perked up, "Hey, but don't worry Goku, everything'll be fine. Was there ever a time when it wasn't?"

Goku allowed a weak laugh to escape his lips.

"Yeah, I suppose your right." He concurred. Then, placing his hands on the arms of the chair, he drove himself to his feet. "Listen, guys. I should really be going. There were a couple of other people I wanted to visit before I went home."

"Hey, sure Goku." Roshi grinned, waving away Goku's apologetic tone, "No problem. But don't be stranger, okay?"

"I won't." the Saiyan replied, before turning for the door.

Krillin trotted up along side his closest friend, and saw him to the door. The fighter then politely opened the portal for Goku.

"So, where are you going next." Krillin enquired.

"Oh, I thought I might drop by Korin's place." Goku replied, "Y'know, just to say hi to Korin and Yajirobi."

Goku was surprised to see Krillin react with a grimace.

"Uh, I don't know that that's such a good idea, Goku." Krillin stated.

"Why, what's wrong." Goku asked, his voice heavy with genuine concern.

"Uh, nothing's wrong... well, not exactly." Krillin stumbled on his words as he attempted to allude to his intentions, "It's just that...erm, Yaj is organising a New Year's party and..."

"Yeah, and...?" Goku echoed, trying to draw an explanation from Krillin.

"Well, he might... he might try to invite you." Krillin said, his words coming as something of anticlimax after all the effort they had taken to dispense.

"What's so bad about that?" Goku queried, quite perplexed by Krillin's advice.

"Look, just trust me on this one, okay." Krillin commanded, his face still bearing a more stern expression than the situation seemed to warrant. "It's too late for me, but you can still save yourself."

"All right, then." Goku capitulated with a gentle laugh, angling to leave before Krillin made his suggestion a direct order, "See you around."

"See ya'. Oh, and Good luck with Chi Chi." Krillin added, as Goku placed one foot over the threshold.

"Thanks, Krillin." Goku replied, smiling down upon the upbeat warrior, "I'm sure everything will turn out great, just like you said."

"Hey, that's the spirit." Krillin laughed, "Oh, and Goku?"

"Uh-huh?" Goku turned to face Krillin once more.

"Next time you insist on taking me Christmas shopping with you," he began, "at least listen to my advice before actually buying stuff."

"Sure thing." Goku chortled.

The Saiyan then strode out into the sunlight, wincing slightly as his eyes adjusted to the new light level. With the cool ocean wind upon his face, and the chorus of goodbyes ringing out from behind, Goku lifted off from the ground. Throwing a casual wave over his shoulder, he summoned a greater portion of his ki and propelled himself across the heavens.

****

Goku carefully considered his next course of action. Though he had been advised not to visit Yajirobi and Korin, he was already considering disregarding yet another piece of Krillin's advice.

The reason behind his decision to ignore the impassioned plea of one of his oldest friends was that he had intended also to visit Kami. Thus, Goku just didn't feel it right to simply pass by Korin's place without so much as a 'hello'. Hence, Goku resolved to pay the wizened feline and portly warrior a flying visit.


Something caught Goku's eye form below friend as he continued his odyssey across the temperate seascape. Looking down, he realised he had been rejoined by his reflected friend.

"Oh, it's you again." He chuckled, "Good to see you. How have you been?"

Receiving no reply, Goku returned his gaze forward, and glared towards the horizon. It wasn't long before a single, green finger of land began to reach over the distant edge of the sprawling waters. As it grasped tightly the throbbing surface of the ocean, it used its leverage to haul yet more of its body over the gently curved boundary. The verdant incursion of terra firma spread across the vista, gradually advancing towards the airborne fighter.

Realising that his journey would soon take him back over land, he looked down to his reflection once more.

"Looks like we're gonna to be going our separate ways soon." He called, in a subdued tone of voice, "It's been a pleasure meeting you." With his goodbyes said, Goku accelerated towards the waiting horizon, and towards his next meeting, "Next stop, Korin's place."