It was a strange parade across the sky into the city as Articia lead the way to the doctor that Gohan had selected when he learned his wife was pregnant. The same doctor that they had been tormenting with sudden emergencies for the last two years. Gohan tore off the pieces of wood that had been covering the window ever since the third time they had smashed the glass and Dr. Macroriv had stopped replacing it. He was sitting at his desk and was hunched over paperwork.
"I've told you before, I don't know any more about alien physiology than any other doctor. I don't know why you persist in disrupting my work." During his whole speech, he never looked up. Articia ignored him, he had been saying the same thing every time they came to him for over the last year. Any second now he'll say- "Now, what do you want."
"It's the kids. They're dying." The doctor sighed, put on his glasses and walked over to Articia.
"They are very small," He said dryly, "If they were human I would put them in a special chamber for premature babies, But they're not human, and with my luck that's not what's wrong with them. With my luck, it'll be some killer alien disease, but no, that's too obvious. It's going to be the last thing I look for."
"Are you done?" Vegeita raged. "Because if you are, you can start trying to figure out what is wrong with my grandchildren. They're dying."
"I'll run a blood test, but I don't know what I'm looking for. I'm going to need a tube of blood from each of you as well. So I know what's normal. Odd word to use in a situation like this…"
It took awhile, but Dr. Macroriv managed to get a few drops of blood from each of the kids, and Articia used her fingernails to cut Gohan, Trunks, Vegeita, and herself since the needles couldn't break their skin.
Twenty-five minutes later, The doctor came back into the office with a folder of papers. "That was quick." Commented Gohan.
Dr. Macroriv looked at him and said "At first I was looking for a virus, but then I realized that was too easy to find and treat. So I thought to myself 'What's the worst it could be?' I realized that the worst case scenario, which is always what it is with you people, would be a genetic defect. But as it turns out, even that was too simple, I have discovered, that Human and Ice-Jin DNA is simply non-compatible. The only reason the children are alive right now is because the Sayian DNA acts as a buffer. But I'm afraid there's nothing I can do. Their cells are turning on themselves. They won't last long, a few days at most. I'm sorry." He sounded genuinely concerned about them. But Articia couldn't take it.
"NOOOOOOOOO!!! That's not going to happen." She held Cryos and Zeethra close and took off out the window. She didn't know where she was going, but she was going there fast. Trunks and Vegeita fell behind, and Gohan couldn't keep up for long. She saw a green shape coming up from the ground. It was Piccolo, the strongest Namek she had ever seen. He flew as fast as he could and was almost able to keep up.
"Articia! Stop! There is a way to save your children! But you have to come quickly!" Then he turned and flew off to the west. Articia didn't really believe him, but followed anyway.
Eventually she saw the gigantic tower of Denday's lookout. It had to be at least a mile tall, and not more than twenty feet wide, it got wide at the top, where there was a building where Denday, the guardian of the Earth, lived. The general impression of the place was a flat-toped balloon on an unbelievably long string. Only both the string, and the balloon were made of stone. When Articia had first seen it, she was going to ask how it was built, but had decided that she didn't really want to know.
She followed Piccolo up the tower all the way to the top. Where Denday waited for her, the Namek was older than she was, but looked like a teenager. "Hello Articia, it's nice to see you again." She spotted four of the Earth Dragonballs on the ground behind him.
"You have some way to save my children?" She asked Denday, but it was Piccolo who answered.
"You can wish using the Dragonballs to have your children healed. Gohan, Trunks and Vegeita are gathering them up here. Here's Trunks with one now."
Articia turned and saw the Sayian boy flying towards them with one of the Dragonballs. "That makes five." He said, and I saw Vegeita looking for one in a lake. So he should be here soon too. Oh, here he comes."
Vegeita came up over the edge of the tower with another Dragonball. Now all we need is the ball Gohan is getting. It was several minutes before anyone sensed Gohan's power, and another few before anyone saw him. But he finally arrived with the last ball.
"Good, that's all of them. Now put them all together." Denday instructed. When they were, he said to Articia, "Would you like to do the honors?"
"Yeah, but how?"
"Allow me." Said piccolo. "I summon the Eternal Dragon, come and grant my wishes!" He shouted.
The seven Dragonballs began to glow. Well, this looks familiar. Thought Articia as the sky turned dark. Just like back with the Nameks. The only thing that's different is the dragon. And was the dragon different. The last one had arms, a huge muscled upper body, and a snake like tail. And this one was serpent-like along it's whole body. It wove throughout the clouds that had mysteriously appeared all around them. The tip of it's tail disappeared into the light coming from the Dragonballs, and its face was right in front of them.
"ASK ME YOUR TWO WISHES! AND I SHALL GRANT THEM!"
"Two wishes?" Articia whispered to Piccolo.
"Yes," He answered. "The dragon used to only grant one wish, but it was destroyed, Denday brought it back and gave it more power. This one can understand what you say, we don't need to say the wishes in Namek."
"Here goes." She muttered to herself. Then shouting she said "My children are dying. I wish for you to save their lives."
"THE CHILDREN'S BODIES ARE REJECTING THEMSELVES! THE ONLY WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM IS TO MAKE THEM IMMORTAL!" It paused a moment. "UNLESS YOU OBJECT IT SHALL BE DONE!" It waited another few seconds, then it's eyes began to glow brightly, and then the children were pulled from Articia's arms, they floated into the air, and after a few seconds they began to shine a bright white light. Both of them screamed, the pain in their voices was obvious. Piccolo and Gohan had to hold her back to keep her from grabbing them out of the air, and after a second, both of the children gently settled down to the ground.
"IT IS DONE! NOW MAKE YOUR SECOND WISH!"
"I've got a wish." Said Gohan. "It's been so calm and quiet ever since we beat Cell, I want an adventure! Not yet, of course." He added when the Dragon's eyes began to glow. "Later, after the kids are grown up."
The dragon's eyes glower for a few seconds. "IT HAS BEEN DONE! EVENTS HAVE BEEN SENT INTO MOTION THAT WILL GIVE YOU A GRAND ADVENTURE IN TWENTY YEARS TIME! OF COURSE THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL SURVIVE UNTIL THEN, AND CERTAINLY NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL SURVIVE YOUR JOURNEY!" It paused yet again. "MY TASK IS DONE, I BID YOU FAREWELL"
And then the dragon seemed to disperse. It's energy spread out and vanished. Cryos and Zeethra lay on the ground making happy little baby sounds. Articia picked them up and wondered what adventures Gohan and she would have in twenty years, and how the kids would play into it. But now the children were probably hungry, and there were things to do, put the front door back on the house, finish setting up the kids room, There would be time to worry about the future later. The present was now.
