I don't own Dragon Ball Z.

The Quest for the Divine Dragon

"Vegeta!"

The prince opened his eyes, annoyed.

"What now, Kakarotto?"

Goku sat down in front of Vegeta and crossed his legs, similar to Vegeta's pose. Bubbles watched the two, already getting dinner ready.

"What're you doing?"

"Trying to communicate my family. Now go away, you're distracting me."

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Communicate."

Vegeta sat in annoyed silence for a moment, then opened his eyes again.

"Think of the one you want to talk to and concentrate."

"You mean like teleporting?"

Vegeta's eyes widened. Goku shook his head sadly.

"Tried it. Didn't work."

"Then I suppose… Don't blame me if you won't succeed."

The shorter Saiyan closed his eyes and got a distant air to him.

"Do you really think it'll work through this distance?"

"Try it."

Goku shook his head and breathed deeply. Who did he want to contact? Gohan. Gohan would be best.

'Gohan? Gohaaaaaaaaaaan… GOHAN!'

"Huh?"

Gohan looked around the capsule-made ship. The Ox King was with Chichi at the back. Goten and Trunks before them, both trying to get some shut eye. He sat next to Krillin, who was looking outside the window. Bulma was busy flying the craft, Kame Senin bugging her a bit.

"What's wrong, Gohan?

"Nothing, Krillin. I just thought I heard someone call me."

"You're probably over worried. Relax just a bit, Gohan. We'd hate it if you lost it on us."

The Mystic Saiyan took a deep breath and looked backwards. To his surprise, Trunks had the same expression he had mere seconds ago.

"Trunks?"

"Wha, huh?"

"You ok?"

The boy's attention was drawn away momentarily, before he nodded and stared out the window. Shrugging, Gohan tried again to relax.

'Gohan…'

And then it disappeared.

'There. I'm just… over stressed. Although, who can blame me?!'

'Goten? Goten, you there?'

The younger boy looked up and tugged his friend's shirt to get his attention. Trunks's blue eyes seemed clouded.

"What is it, Goten?"

"Did you call me?"

"No, I…"

At first Trunks raised an eyebrow, then smiled.

"It's ok. Just… concentrate, ok? Trust me on this one."

Returning to stare out the window, Trunks left Goten with little option but try and give it a try. Closing his eyes and steadying his breathing, Goten could swear the call was getting stronger. And then he opened his eyes, sure it wasn't working. What he found was his father, looking more tired than Goten thought he ever saw him.

"DAD!"

"Goten! Thank Kami, I was beginning to think it wasn't working!"

Father and son hugged warmly.

"Dad, where are we? What's going on?"

Goku's smile disappeared. It really bugged Goten. It wasn't like his father.

"Goten, listen to me. Vegeta and I… we're on King Kai's planet now."

"What?! But dad, it can't be true, we fought Vegeto yesterday!"

The mentioning that Goku was involved in an act which caused his sons and friends pain hurt him greatly.

"Goten, listen to me. We don't know what's going on, I can just say this to you- we're not in control. Otherwise we'd have been inside Vegeto, not all over the place! You have to fight him, Goten. You have to!"

"But, won't we hurt you and Vegeta?!"

Goku shook his head.

"Goten, you must! Vegeta and I will take it, and more importantly we understand!"

Goten felt like crying. He knew fighting Vegeto was necessary, but now his own father downright ordered him to do so!

"Dad…"

"Goten, remember Trunks has to do the exact same thing."

The boy was hit by realization.

'That's how Trunks knew, he was talking to Vegeta!'

"We… we'll do our best, dad. But Vegeto's too strong! And… and we're not going to get that help that was offered…"

"What help?"

Feeling that their time together was ending, Goten explained briefly.

"I see… you did good."

Goku ruffled Goten's hair while smiling.

"But… we might not be able to beat him otherwise!"

The father placed his hands on his son's shoulders supportively.

"I don't want to hear that. You can beat him, I know you can. Just fight with everything you've got."

"But we tried…"

"Everything, Goten. Everything."

-Goten? Goten, are you all right?-

Gohan's voice rang through the space.

"I need to go, dad."

"Take care, son. I love you."

"I love you…"

"Huh?"

"Well, I love you too, Goten, but are you ok?"

The boy jumped momentarily before relaxing.

"Yeah, Gohan, I'm fine."

He looked over at Trunks. The other boy still seemed spaced out, but before long he, too, returned to his senses. Trunks looked at Goten, dead serious. Goten nodded. Gohan blinked.

"Did I miss anything?"

The boy chuckled, and went back to their own thoughts. They should be getting there soon enough.

"I love you…"

Goku opened his eyes to find himself staring face to face at Bubbles. The chimp oh-ah'd happily and tried to hug him. Needless to say, Goku put up a fight.

"Gah! Not you, Bubbles!"

While he wrestled Bubbles, and was losing, Vegeta came to, quickly wiping a tear that threatened to fall. By the time Goku managed to pry himself of off Bubbles's grip, the Saiyan Prince regained his composure.

"Well, did it work?"

Goku dusted himself off and grinned.

"Sure did! Thanks, Vegeta! Say, did you talk to Trunks?"

"Yes… we have good sons, Kakarotto."

"The best!"

There was a slight pause.

"You know, I'm getting used to this new touchy-Vegeta."

"Don't be. I won't last long."

"I GOT IT!"

King Kai approached the two, smiling.

"I got it!"

"Got what, King Kai?"

"Well, for starters, why you ended up here. When your bodies were fused, by whatever means, your spirits were cursed and sent here."

"So we won't be able to get back to our bodies?!"

Vegeta roared.

"I know I shouldn't have gotten out of bed today."

"Well, that's the bad news. The good news are that I think I know how to help your sons and friends."

Hope?

"Wait, King Kai, before that, there's something I have to ask."

"Ask away."

Goku quickly told the tale of the help offered to Goten and Trunks. Vegeta nodded.

"Trunks told me that too… though from his point of view."

King Kai's antennas shook lightly.

"Well, this is unnerving. I agree, it's good they said no. Especially now that I have another way out!"

"Then let's hear it! I don't want anything to happen to my son or wife while I'm up here, Kami knows why!"

"I don't know, Mr. Popo, I don't know what to do."

Mr. Popo looked at the floor. True, Dende was now Kami, but he was still young. Dende tensed as he concentrated on one spot ahead.

"They're almost here! It's them!"

Mr. Popo almost cried out in joy, when a figure flew towards the capsule ship, and fired a Ki blast at it. Dende wanted to pray, but he had no one to pray to. He was Kami. And he was helpless.

A/N: nope, no insane laughter here! ^_^