Chapter 1 – A Most Beautiful Morning

The sun was shining through the blinds as Goku woke up to the sound of birdsong. He smiled, already knowing that it would be a wonderful day. The space next to him was empty, so he climbed out of bed in search of his wife, Lady Goku. He loved her more than life itself. Goku quickly dressed himself in his signature orange martial arts uniform and went to search the house.

He strolled down the hallway, pausing to smell the fresh air as it came in through an open window. Today was going to be a most wondrous day to spend with his family. Goku smelled food and walked into the kitchen, where he saw Lady Goku preparing a large breakfast for them and their son. She had already prepared a mountain of pancakes, but the Saiyan wondered if it would be enough for the family. More accurately, he wondered if it would be enough for himself.

"Good morning, my beautiful wife," Goku said to his beautiful wife.

Lady Goku turned to him, hair almost as large and spiky as his. "Morning! Breakfast is almost ready, so would you please go get Junior," she said.

Goku nodded and left the room. He already knew where to find Goku Jr. but hesitated anyway. It always made him sad to see the way his son lived. The retired warrior snapped himself out of it, reminding himself that he had faced worse, and quickly made his way down the stairs and through the door leading to his son's room, or "gamer pad" as he liked to call it.

Goku stepped through the door and was hit with a wall of body odor that made him involuntarily gag. Before him, his overweight son, Goku Jr., was lounging in a creaking office chair playing some cartoon game on one of his three monitors.

"Hey, Junior," Goku said, trying to sound gentle despite the ragged shape his throat was now in thanks to the toxic air. "Breakfast is ready. Time to wake up and face the day, right sport?"

Goku Jr. barely looked over at him. "I haven't gone to bed yet," he says in a monotone voice, a dead look in his eyes.

Goku forced himself to smile. "That's fine, sport. Come get some pancakes. Then maybe we could go outside instead of play this cartoon game all day. Perhaps even touch some grass. Sound good?"

The 29-year-old paused his game and turned to his father. "It's called anime, dad," he said, neckbeard bristling with rage. "And I already have plans for today. I need to get the new Genshin Impact character, then I'll go to sleep around 1 and wake up just in time for my night shift as a Discord mod. God, you're so annoying. What would my kittens do without me?" He turned back to Genshin Impact and unpaused the game. Goku took a closer look and saw that his son was playing as a scantily clad child.

Goku didn't always understand his son, but he loved him dearly. He may not know what a "Discord mod" is or what they got paid, but he couldn't complain about his son's job if it helped kittens. "Sure thing, sport," he said, smiling through his disappointment. "I'll tell your mom to leave some pancakes in the fridge."

Goku went to leave the room when all of a sudden, he heard a large crash on the floor above and his wife screaming. "I'm coming my lady!" Goku shouted, fear coursing through his veins. It had been years since he last fought and he couldn't help but wonder if he would be able to protect his family.

Before he could even leave the room, the ceiling caved in, sending the kitchen tumbling into his son's gamer pad. Goku coughed as he pushed the rubble off of himself and shakily stood, scanning the room for any signs of his wife and son. But all he saw was him. Dark Goku.

The evil Saiyan laughed maniacally. He was dressed in a skintight, blue suit with a silvery chest plate over top. To Goku's shame, Dark Goku's hair was even spikier than his.

Goku was pissed. "What the hell did you do to my wife, Dark Goku!" he yelled, adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Dark Goku's laughter was replaced with an evil smirk. "I kidnapped her, Goku," he said. "She's already imprisoned in my Dark Castle."

Goku couldn't believe it. "You couldn't have taken her to your castle and returned that fast," he said, before pointing a finger at his evil self. "You're lying!"

Dark Goku laughed. "Oh, is that so?" he said smugly. "Maybe you'll believe me now." He reached into his armor and pulled out an orange ball with a single red star on it. It was one of the Dragon Balls. Goku was too stunned to move. "I used the Ball's power to warp space and teleport. Even a single Ball is enough to turn a common man into a powerful warrior. But I'm after more. Ancient texts say that with all seven, you get to make a single wish. That is what I want, Goku. Bring me the other six Balls, and I will return your wife. Do we have a deal?"

Goku was terrified. Not for himself or his wife, but because he just heard his son groan in pain. Please don't notice him, he thought. "Yes," he said, trying to end this fast. "I'll bring the other Balls to your castle."

Dark Goku smiled. "Good. You have a week." He then tightened his grip around the Ball and vanished into thin air.

Goku immediately ran to the other side of the room and started shoving aside rubble, desperately trying to save Goku Jr. Before long, the rubble was cleared from that corner and Goku Jr. was able to sit up. Goku quickly looked over his son, but there wasn't a single scratch on him. His thick layer of blubber must've shielded him from the falling debris.

Goku sighed in relief. "Thank god you're okay, Junior," he said. "But your mom isn't. We need to-" He was immediately cut off by an eyeroll from his son, who then slowly walked over to where his computer was buried and spent the better part of a minute struggling to lift a small piece of drywall.

Goku walked over to him and put a hand on his disturbingly squishy shoulder. "Look, your mom is in danger and I need your help getting the Dragon Balls." Truthfully, Goku knew he probably would have an easier time if he didn't bring Junior, but he finally had a chance to make his son leave the house for the first time in four years. Maybe he could make him get in shape and get a real girlfriend, one that isn't a creepy looking pillow. Or get a boyfriend. Goku doesn't judge.

Junior groaned. "Fine, but only because I need someone to make my tendies."

Goku silently celebrated. Lady Goku would be ecstatic.

"Well then," Goku said. "Let's go get those Balls."