AN: Hello again! I post this at the request of several reviewers. By the way, I think a couple of my reviewers are completely insane. Just a casual observation, may or may not be right ^-^ Don't kill the author. Another thing about this alternate ending thingie is that Piccolo's role is much much smaller. And I like Piccolo, so…yeah. This picks up after Gohan left his message in the cave and took off (like I said, I chose the much longer one). Vegeta and Piccolo are finding his message. I don't own DBZ, but this plotline is all mine!!!

AE: Chapter One—Farther and Farther Away

"…goodbye forever. Gohan," Piccolo finished. Behind him, he heard Vegeta growl.

"There is something very wrong with Kakarott's bloodline. They're all insane," the Saiyan Prince said with a scowl, just barely masking something that almost resembled concern.

Piccolo ignored the sally and got to his feet. "I don't understand it."

"Neither do I," Vegeta shrugged, as if bored. "The question is, what do we do about it?"

Anger stamped itself on the Namekian's features. "We are going to find him. We are going to bring him back. We are going to make him face reality. Sound good?"

Vegeta smirked. "Hmph. It's been ages since I had a decent hunt. Let's go."

The arrogant Saiyan lifted into the air while Piccolo remained on the ground for a moment longer. Piccolo extended a mental eye to search for Gohan's ki. It was already a good distance away, and getting farther. The kid was really moving. Piccolo silently wondered how much of a driver desperation was at that moment, but he didn't voice that thought as he followed Vegeta into the air. There wasn't much time.

"He's getting farther away," Vegeta growled over the sound of the whistling wind. "It's getting harder to sense him. At this rate we'll lose him!"

"Not a chance," Piccolo called back angrily.

Vegeta made the transition to Super Saiyan, but anger drove Piccolo on so that he was actually able to match pace with Vegeta. They shot across the sky, clinging to that ever-diminishing shred of Gohan's ki. As long as they could hold onto that tiny shard, there was nowhere for the kid to hide.

Inside Piccolo's mind, anger and fear battled for supremacy, spurring him forward. Damn you, kid. I swear you're gonna regret this.

And then suddenly…

Gohan's ki vanished.

The two pursuers exchanged a startled look.

This was impossible.

Piccolo reached again. Still nothing.

Where the hell had Gohan gone?

Vegeta's face twisted into an angry snarl. The hunt is on, brat. I always find what I'm after. But he yelled over to Piccolo, "Well? Now what?"

"Let's try…" the Namekian tried frantically to think. "…that way."

They shot off, heading east. What they didn't realize was someone else was also soaring, a blazing light in the inky night sky.

Heading west.

AN: Ay chihuahua…it's been a long day. I know this is short. Don't fret, dear friends, 'cuz I'll try to make the next one nice and long. The next one is going to go back over to Gohan. Different POV, new chapter. And when I get into Gohan's head, it gets complicated, so bear with me and don't hurt the author! I just really wanted to get this chappie up. Kami bless and goodnight.