Radditz and Nappa began to back away slowly as the three older Saiyans eyed them warily. Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta let out simultaneous war cries. Nappa and Radditz squealed in response and began to scramble away. They didn't get far before the trio was on them. Needless to say, it wasn't a very fair fight.
"No! Wait!" shouted Trunks, waving his hands frantically and running towards the brawl.
The three older warriors paused their attacks and looked at the young child quizzically. Nappa and Radditz took the opportunity to crawl to safety.
"They're not bad," explained Goten.
The two tall Saiyans smiled weakly, attempting to look innocent. Vegeta frowned at them skeptically. Goku and Gohan looked at one another and simply shrugged.
Meanwhile, the assembled fighters were staring at the new comers with bewilderment. They kept doing double takes between the older warriors and their younger counterparts. Bulma turned to her older version, her eyes silently pleading for some sort of explanation.
"I didn't want Goten and Trunks-kun to come here alone," stated the older Bulma, smiling enthusiastically. "So I convinced the others to come as chaperones. Besides, I figured you guys would need all the help you can get."
"'Convinced'?" snorted Vegeta. "More like dragged."
Bulma shot her husband a dirty look. The group glanced towards Vegeta, who snarled in return. Next, they studied Goku; the jovial warrior was grinning happily. Finally, their attention settled on the misplaced teenager.
"Who are you?" asked the juvenile Gohan, peering shyly up at the taller boy.
"That's my big brother, Gohan," answered Goten.
The teen laughed, placing a hand on the back of his neck. Chibi Gohan's mouth fell open, eliciting more laughter from his older counterpart. Chichi gasped in surprise and leapt to her feet. She rushed over to the teenager and began to circle around him, studying him from every angle.
"My heavens!" she whispered in awe. "My baby boy is all grown up!"
Gohan blushed and shuffled his feet. He looked desperately towards his father for a rescue from his mother's fawning. Both Gokus simply laughed light-heartedly; they both knew better than to try to stop Chichi from cooing over her "older" son.
"Is it just me, or is this all terribly confusing?" asked Kurilian, gesturing between the two groups of identical people.
"Yeah. I'm getting a headache," stated Choatzu, rubbing his temples lightly.
"Just how are we supposed to keep everybody straight?" questioned Tien.
Trunks tilted his head to the side in deep thought. He tapped his chin and then spoke.
"Why don't we just use different names for the people from my reality. Kinda like nicknames," he suggested.
"Great idea, sweetie," praised his mother. She pointed towards her husband and continued. "I have the perfect one for you...Veggie-chan."
Tien, Choatzu, and Kurilian all sputtered. A small smirk tugged at Piccolo's lips. Yamcha laughed loudly, enjoying the moment of mortification the despicable Saiyans was being subjected to. Radditz and Nappa laughed until their sides hurt.
"Woman...I'm warning you," threatened Vegeta.
Straightening up, Nappa cleared his throat and addressed the older Saiyan.
"Is King Vegeta a more appropriate title?" he asked, bowing gracefully towards the sovereign.
Vegeta smiled, obviously please with the suggestion. The statement seemed to give an unnecessary boost to his ego.
"Why does he get to be King," protested Prince Vegeta.
"Because I'm superior," replied the older Saiyan snottily.
Prince Vegeta slipped into a fighting stance.
"Want to prove it?" he snarled.
"If you think you're up to it?" replied his counterpart.
The two princes faced off, ready to prove their abilities.
"Whoa, boys," stated Mirai Bulma, stepping in between the two opponents. "Either accept Nappa's suggestion, or one of you is going by 'Veggie-chan'."
Both Vegetas fell silent and began to sulk.
"That's what I thought," she stated smugly. "Now what about me?"
"Queen," stated Nappa, taking her hand in his and kissing it lightly.
"Princess," said Radditz, taking the younger Bulma's hand and doing the same.
Both Bulmas looked at one another and giggled in delight. Prince Vegeta made a disgusted noise. King Vegeta merely glared at Nappa. The group turned to the two Gokus next.
"Idiot number one and Idiot number two," suggested King Vegeta.
He received a dirty look from both Bulmas and Chichi.
"Refer to the elder as Son and to the younger as plain Goku," stated Piccolo simply.
Everyone nodded in agreement, with the exception of Vegeta, who muttered under his breath about his idea being better. Finally, it was the Gohans turn.
"Chibi Gohan!" stated the boy.
"Mirai Gohan!" said the teenager.
They looked at each other and smiled.
"Well, that seems to settle everything," stated Princess Bulma, resting her hands on her hips. She turned to Chibi Gohan. "Wanna spend the night over here, kiddo?"
"Alright!" shouted the kid eagerly.
"Go get your things and come right back," ordered Chichi.
"'K!" replied Chibi Gohan. He looked up at Queen Bulma. "Can Trunks and Goten come along?"
"Well..."drawled the older woman.
"Please..." begged the three boys simultaneously.
"I suppose so," chuckled Bulma.
The three boys ran out of the garden. The younger scientist turned towards her new "guests."
"How about we get you settled in?" she offered, gesturing for the group to follow her.
Bulma, Vegeta, Goku and Gohan fell into step behind her as the younger Bulma led them out of the garden and into the main foyer of the building. She turned right at the appropriate hallway, which lead into the "guest wing" of Capsule Corp. where visiting scientists and diplomats stayed. Princess Bulma silently thanked Kami that her father hadn't invited anyone to stay recently. Guests usually thought Bulma's warrior friends were strange to begin with; it would be hard to explain why there was an extra set of certain people. Of course, she could always make up something about experimental cloning projects. However, it was easier not to have to invent a lie to begin with. The young scientist paused in front of a door that led to a large bedroom.
"The boys can stay in here," she stated, gesturing inside the room.
Her older counterpart nodded and removed the luggage capsule from her pocket. She decapsualized the crate and removed Goten and Trunks' book bags. She set them on the bed, while Gohan, Goku and Vegeta each gathered their own luggage. Everyone's belongings sorted, they looked once more to their hostess for guidance. The younger Bulma ushered them further down the hallway. She paused outside another bedroom.
"Goku, you can stay here," she stated.
"Alright!" he replied enthusiastically. Goku took a running leap onto the soft, bouncy bed.
The heiress shook her head and then turned and gestured to the room across the hall.
"That'll be your room, Gohan," she instructed.
"Arigatou, Bulma-san," stated the teenager respectfully before entering his room to get settled.
The young woman turned to her remaining guest. Clearing her throat, she led them farther down the hallway. She stopped in front of a large bedroom.
"Is this OK?" she asked her older counterpart.
"It's great. Arigatou," replied Queen Bulma.
The older woman walked in and tossed her luggage capsule onto the bed. The younger Bulma paused for a moment, unsure whether or not she was supposed to show Vegeta to a separate room. The Saiyan solved the problem for her by walking in to the room and throwing his belongings down on the bed beside his wife's luggage. Vegeta smirked at the uncomfortable look on the younger woman's face.
"Well, I'll leave you alone so you can get settled in," stated Bulma, laughing nervously.
"OK. Thanks again," replied her counterpart.
The younger scientist hurried back towards the indoor garden where the other fighters were waiting for her return. She sighed inwardly. It was going to take some getting used to having the older versions of herself and Vegeta around. She wasn't quite sure what to expect.
As Bulma was pondering the new living arrangements, three demi-Saiyans were flying full speed towards the Son household in the mountains. Goten, Trunks, and Gohan spun and wove through the atmosphere, engrossed in a mid-air game of tag. Gohan kept getting caught; the two older boys were much more advanced in their abilities. The younger boy was beginning to get fed up with always being "it." He was currently pursuing Trunks, face contorted in determination. The lavender-haired youth was easily keeping out of reach. Suddenly Trunks came to a halt. Gohan, not ready for the action, plummeted into him full force. The two boys momentarily began to fall out of the sky, dazed from the impact. Goten dove down after them, grabbing a hold of their arms and supporting their weight.
"Owie," whined Gohan. "Why did you stop like that?"
He grew quiet when he saw the scared look on Trunks face.
"Trunks-kun, what's wrong?" asked Goten, releasing his friend's arm.
"Do you feel that?" whispered the eldest boys, his eyes wide.
Gohan reached out with his ki, searching for whatever his comrade was sensing. Then it hit him. A nearby ki signature was radiating energy. The life force felt strange, unnatural. It made Gohan feel slightly queasy.
"What's that?" questioned Goten, squinting his eyes due to the headache that was forming from sensing the abnormal ki.
"It's definitely not human," muttered Gohan. He tried to reach out and pinpoint the location of the creature. The more he tried to concentrate on the ki signature, the sicker he felt.
"Maybe we should head back to your house, Trunks," stated Goten, looking around nervously.
Trunks, however, was ignoring his friend's advice. He was trying to zone in on the ki, despite the waves of nausea he was getting from the process. He refused to succumb to his body's weakness, pushing himself to detect the source of the life energy.
"Come on. Let's go," whined Goten, who was beginning to feel extremely uneasy. "Trunks, stop. You're making yourself sick."
The other boy was oblivious to his friend's pleads; Trunks was too engrossed in finding the creature generating the strange ki. Suddenly, he blinked.
"It's coming this way," he stated, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Come on Trunks!" Goten practically yelled. "Let's go!"
This time the younger boy wasn't taking no for an answer. He tugged frantically on Trunks' arm. For a moment, it seemed that the older boy was going to resist. Finally, he gave into his friend's begging.
"Let's go," Trunks stated authoritatively.
The three boys turned in the air, ready to race back to Capsule Corp. Suddenly, their pathway was blocked. There in the air in front of them hovered two Siayans. A wave of nausea hit Gohan full force; one of the aliens in front of him had been the source of the strange, unearthly ki signature.
Goten and Trunks both let out a yelp as they recognized one of the beings in front of them.
"Brolly!" they yelled in unison.
"No! Wait!" shouted Trunks, waving his hands frantically and running towards the brawl.
The three older warriors paused their attacks and looked at the young child quizzically. Nappa and Radditz took the opportunity to crawl to safety.
"They're not bad," explained Goten.
The two tall Saiyans smiled weakly, attempting to look innocent. Vegeta frowned at them skeptically. Goku and Gohan looked at one another and simply shrugged.
Meanwhile, the assembled fighters were staring at the new comers with bewilderment. They kept doing double takes between the older warriors and their younger counterparts. Bulma turned to her older version, her eyes silently pleading for some sort of explanation.
"I didn't want Goten and Trunks-kun to come here alone," stated the older Bulma, smiling enthusiastically. "So I convinced the others to come as chaperones. Besides, I figured you guys would need all the help you can get."
"'Convinced'?" snorted Vegeta. "More like dragged."
Bulma shot her husband a dirty look. The group glanced towards Vegeta, who snarled in return. Next, they studied Goku; the jovial warrior was grinning happily. Finally, their attention settled on the misplaced teenager.
"Who are you?" asked the juvenile Gohan, peering shyly up at the taller boy.
"That's my big brother, Gohan," answered Goten.
The teen laughed, placing a hand on the back of his neck. Chibi Gohan's mouth fell open, eliciting more laughter from his older counterpart. Chichi gasped in surprise and leapt to her feet. She rushed over to the teenager and began to circle around him, studying him from every angle.
"My heavens!" she whispered in awe. "My baby boy is all grown up!"
Gohan blushed and shuffled his feet. He looked desperately towards his father for a rescue from his mother's fawning. Both Gokus simply laughed light-heartedly; they both knew better than to try to stop Chichi from cooing over her "older" son.
"Is it just me, or is this all terribly confusing?" asked Kurilian, gesturing between the two groups of identical people.
"Yeah. I'm getting a headache," stated Choatzu, rubbing his temples lightly.
"Just how are we supposed to keep everybody straight?" questioned Tien.
Trunks tilted his head to the side in deep thought. He tapped his chin and then spoke.
"Why don't we just use different names for the people from my reality. Kinda like nicknames," he suggested.
"Great idea, sweetie," praised his mother. She pointed towards her husband and continued. "I have the perfect one for you...Veggie-chan."
Tien, Choatzu, and Kurilian all sputtered. A small smirk tugged at Piccolo's lips. Yamcha laughed loudly, enjoying the moment of mortification the despicable Saiyans was being subjected to. Radditz and Nappa laughed until their sides hurt.
"Woman...I'm warning you," threatened Vegeta.
Straightening up, Nappa cleared his throat and addressed the older Saiyan.
"Is King Vegeta a more appropriate title?" he asked, bowing gracefully towards the sovereign.
Vegeta smiled, obviously please with the suggestion. The statement seemed to give an unnecessary boost to his ego.
"Why does he get to be King," protested Prince Vegeta.
"Because I'm superior," replied the older Saiyan snottily.
Prince Vegeta slipped into a fighting stance.
"Want to prove it?" he snarled.
"If you think you're up to it?" replied his counterpart.
The two princes faced off, ready to prove their abilities.
"Whoa, boys," stated Mirai Bulma, stepping in between the two opponents. "Either accept Nappa's suggestion, or one of you is going by 'Veggie-chan'."
Both Vegetas fell silent and began to sulk.
"That's what I thought," she stated smugly. "Now what about me?"
"Queen," stated Nappa, taking her hand in his and kissing it lightly.
"Princess," said Radditz, taking the younger Bulma's hand and doing the same.
Both Bulmas looked at one another and giggled in delight. Prince Vegeta made a disgusted noise. King Vegeta merely glared at Nappa. The group turned to the two Gokus next.
"Idiot number one and Idiot number two," suggested King Vegeta.
He received a dirty look from both Bulmas and Chichi.
"Refer to the elder as Son and to the younger as plain Goku," stated Piccolo simply.
Everyone nodded in agreement, with the exception of Vegeta, who muttered under his breath about his idea being better. Finally, it was the Gohans turn.
"Chibi Gohan!" stated the boy.
"Mirai Gohan!" said the teenager.
They looked at each other and smiled.
"Well, that seems to settle everything," stated Princess Bulma, resting her hands on her hips. She turned to Chibi Gohan. "Wanna spend the night over here, kiddo?"
"Alright!" shouted the kid eagerly.
"Go get your things and come right back," ordered Chichi.
"'K!" replied Chibi Gohan. He looked up at Queen Bulma. "Can Trunks and Goten come along?"
"Well..."drawled the older woman.
"Please..." begged the three boys simultaneously.
"I suppose so," chuckled Bulma.
The three boys ran out of the garden. The younger scientist turned towards her new "guests."
"How about we get you settled in?" she offered, gesturing for the group to follow her.
Bulma, Vegeta, Goku and Gohan fell into step behind her as the younger Bulma led them out of the garden and into the main foyer of the building. She turned right at the appropriate hallway, which lead into the "guest wing" of Capsule Corp. where visiting scientists and diplomats stayed. Princess Bulma silently thanked Kami that her father hadn't invited anyone to stay recently. Guests usually thought Bulma's warrior friends were strange to begin with; it would be hard to explain why there was an extra set of certain people. Of course, she could always make up something about experimental cloning projects. However, it was easier not to have to invent a lie to begin with. The young scientist paused in front of a door that led to a large bedroom.
"The boys can stay in here," she stated, gesturing inside the room.
Her older counterpart nodded and removed the luggage capsule from her pocket. She decapsualized the crate and removed Goten and Trunks' book bags. She set them on the bed, while Gohan, Goku and Vegeta each gathered their own luggage. Everyone's belongings sorted, they looked once more to their hostess for guidance. The younger Bulma ushered them further down the hallway. She paused outside another bedroom.
"Goku, you can stay here," she stated.
"Alright!" he replied enthusiastically. Goku took a running leap onto the soft, bouncy bed.
The heiress shook her head and then turned and gestured to the room across the hall.
"That'll be your room, Gohan," she instructed.
"Arigatou, Bulma-san," stated the teenager respectfully before entering his room to get settled.
The young woman turned to her remaining guest. Clearing her throat, she led them farther down the hallway. She stopped in front of a large bedroom.
"Is this OK?" she asked her older counterpart.
"It's great. Arigatou," replied Queen Bulma.
The older woman walked in and tossed her luggage capsule onto the bed. The younger Bulma paused for a moment, unsure whether or not she was supposed to show Vegeta to a separate room. The Saiyan solved the problem for her by walking in to the room and throwing his belongings down on the bed beside his wife's luggage. Vegeta smirked at the uncomfortable look on the younger woman's face.
"Well, I'll leave you alone so you can get settled in," stated Bulma, laughing nervously.
"OK. Thanks again," replied her counterpart.
The younger scientist hurried back towards the indoor garden where the other fighters were waiting for her return. She sighed inwardly. It was going to take some getting used to having the older versions of herself and Vegeta around. She wasn't quite sure what to expect.
As Bulma was pondering the new living arrangements, three demi-Saiyans were flying full speed towards the Son household in the mountains. Goten, Trunks, and Gohan spun and wove through the atmosphere, engrossed in a mid-air game of tag. Gohan kept getting caught; the two older boys were much more advanced in their abilities. The younger boy was beginning to get fed up with always being "it." He was currently pursuing Trunks, face contorted in determination. The lavender-haired youth was easily keeping out of reach. Suddenly Trunks came to a halt. Gohan, not ready for the action, plummeted into him full force. The two boys momentarily began to fall out of the sky, dazed from the impact. Goten dove down after them, grabbing a hold of their arms and supporting their weight.
"Owie," whined Gohan. "Why did you stop like that?"
He grew quiet when he saw the scared look on Trunks face.
"Trunks-kun, what's wrong?" asked Goten, releasing his friend's arm.
"Do you feel that?" whispered the eldest boys, his eyes wide.
Gohan reached out with his ki, searching for whatever his comrade was sensing. Then it hit him. A nearby ki signature was radiating energy. The life force felt strange, unnatural. It made Gohan feel slightly queasy.
"What's that?" questioned Goten, squinting his eyes due to the headache that was forming from sensing the abnormal ki.
"It's definitely not human," muttered Gohan. He tried to reach out and pinpoint the location of the creature. The more he tried to concentrate on the ki signature, the sicker he felt.
"Maybe we should head back to your house, Trunks," stated Goten, looking around nervously.
Trunks, however, was ignoring his friend's advice. He was trying to zone in on the ki, despite the waves of nausea he was getting from the process. He refused to succumb to his body's weakness, pushing himself to detect the source of the life energy.
"Come on. Let's go," whined Goten, who was beginning to feel extremely uneasy. "Trunks, stop. You're making yourself sick."
The other boy was oblivious to his friend's pleads; Trunks was too engrossed in finding the creature generating the strange ki. Suddenly, he blinked.
"It's coming this way," he stated, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Come on Trunks!" Goten practically yelled. "Let's go!"
This time the younger boy wasn't taking no for an answer. He tugged frantically on Trunks' arm. For a moment, it seemed that the older boy was going to resist. Finally, he gave into his friend's begging.
"Let's go," Trunks stated authoritatively.
The three boys turned in the air, ready to race back to Capsule Corp. Suddenly, their pathway was blocked. There in the air in front of them hovered two Siayans. A wave of nausea hit Gohan full force; one of the aliens in front of him had been the source of the strange, unearthly ki signature.
Goten and Trunks both let out a yelp as they recognized one of the beings in front of them.
"Brolly!" they yelled in unison.