Disclaimer: To save on the translation costs I'm just going to type what everyone reads, if they even read this…Blah, be blah blah blah DBZ bleb bah blah blaaaa.

Welcome to the last in the 'I'm stressed so I'm going to ignore those piles of study in favour of writing' series…my exams finished today, finally! Unfortunately next week I will be getting them back again, so I'll probably be to depressed to do more than eat chocolate…but let's not worry about that now. Go read and be merry!

Chapter 13

()-()-()-()-()-()-()

It was a strange sensation, Kat mused, as her stomach did handstands and cartwheels inside her. Like that sinking feeling you get when riding a smooth lift, only side-to-side at the same time. 

Luckily, in the interests of avoiding further inane musings, the black smoke around her cleared to reveal the familiar surrounds of her room, in the residential A-sector of the Confederate Assembly owned space station that orbited the planet known as 'Earth'. Which is rather ironic if you think about it, because that planet's surface has a larger percentage of water than land. But we digress.

 Finding nothing solid to support her raised hands she dropped them back down to rest on her hips, and looked around her room with a frown.

"Gohan? This isn't funny. Where are you hiding?"

Refusing to consider the endless possibilities of 'what ifs' that could have gone wrong she glanced over the piles of disks, clothes, and other random junk that generally congregates on a teenager's bedroom floor. There was no sign of him.

Swallowing nervously she resisted the impulse to throw herself onto her bed in despair. It should have worked! Why didn't it work?

She tried again, this time without as much hope as before. "Gohan?"

Shit. What had she done? Why didn't she just let him work out what to do? After all, his plans never went wrong.

Anger at Gohan, and at herself for thinking uncharitable things about know-it-all geniuses, swelled up inside her. Casting wildly about she spotted her wardrobe door, and threw it open.

"Damn you Gohan!"

From behind her, though sounding far more distant than the confines of her room should've allowed, she heard a familiar laugh.

"What are you doing? I'm right here."

She spun around so fast she lost her balance, slipped on a CD, and crashed to the floor.

"Oh sorry." He was still laughing. "Are you all right? Here, let me help."

Kat forced her eyes to open despite the pain in her buttocks. She gasped. There in front of her was a faintly glowing outline of someone with Gohan's physique and hairdo. The figure reached down to grab onto her arm, but his 'hand' passed right through. She gave a compulsive shiver.

"What the?" Clearly Gohan hadn't noticed that he was completely TRANSPARENT!

"Ooh boy." Was all Kat could think to say.

"What's going on?!" He demanded of her angrily. "Why can't I touch you?"

"Excuse me?" Kat raised an eyebrow up at him. "I would think the more relevant question would be, 'Why am I a glowing shadow of my former self?'"

Though she couldn't actually see it, she was sure he was giving her an exasperated look. His voice certainly sounded exasperated, if still distantly so.

"What are you talking about? You're the one lacking substance."

Her lacking substance?! Kat frowned, about to hotly dispute this statement, when a thought occurred to her. Her jaw dropped. It was so obvious!

"Your soul! Flying shit, I only brought your soul to my dimension, because that's the only part of you that was at Nightlife."

"Wha-at." Gohan's voice stuttered weakly, as Kat managed to get to her feet without slipping on any of the other death traps scattered around her room.

"Congratulations Gohan. You're a ghost!" She surveyed him with a twisted smile.

"Oh think this is funny do you?!"

She shook her head. "No, I'm just trying to combat impending hysteria with humour." She sighed. "And it's not as if you can do anything to me." With that she walked forward to the less cluttered space of floor at the foot of her bed. In the process of doing this she passed right through him, and had to fight another wave of shivers.

Feeling distinctly uneasy Gohan turned around, intending to rebuke her for taking advantage of his condition by acting as if he weren't blocking her path. But he couldn't find the words to describe the feeling he'd experienced as she walked through him. The only word that came to mind was 'unsettling', but that was too far off the mark to bother saying aloud. Instead he said, "So, you really couldn't see me before? I thought you were joking."

"Gohan, how could you not notice that you are transparent?" She replied, looking around for something.

"To my eyes I'm not. To me it's everything else that's sort of…blurry." He looked down. "Now that you point it out I'm not even standing on the floor."

They both stared contemplatively at his feet for a few minutes. After that was finished Kat sighed and sank down to sit on the end of her bed.

"I honestly don't know what to do."

"There's a first time for everything." When she glared at him he defended, "What? So you're allowed to use humour for psychological benefit and I'm not? In case you hadn't noticed I'm the one stuck without a body here."

"Sorry."

"So am I. I never should've agreed to this." Seeing as she was sitting down he decided to sit also. He crossed his legs, briefly marvelling at the density of what he presumed to be air around him that meant he didn't need to exert energy to sit mid-air.

"I said I was sorry." She muttered angrily.

For a second he was strongly tempted to hold a grudge and refuse her his forgiveness. Luckily this second passed, and with it the temptation. "It's not your fault. You didn't know this was going to happen. It's more my fault than anything. I should've realised, after all that talk of 'spirits resonating at different frequencies to their surrounds', or whatever that oni was going on about."

"Hey yeah. You're the resident genius. It's all your fault!" She grinned in mock relief. "How about those little horny guys though. Oni did you call them? Sadistic little bastards. Did you hear them cheer when I was expelled?"

"Hard not to." He grinned. Kat blinked and sat up straighter.

"I can see that!"

"See what?" He asked, looking over his shoulder.

"You smiling. I can see you smiling." She walked over to stand in front of him, squinting pensively at his mouth. Gohan pulled a face. She grinned.

"You're getting less see-through!" She concluded, this time with genuine relief.

"I am?"

"Positively opaque." She replied happily. "What do you think this means?"

"Well if I'm becoming more substantial to you, then I must be gaining some sort of physical existence." He mused. "But how? And what's happening to my first body? I'm assuming it's still lying sleeping in my bed at home."

"A logical assumption." She mockingly mimicked an earlier statement of his. In her normal voice she continued, "I don't think you'd be gaining a body here out of thin air, just because you were careless enough to leave your other one behind in your own dimension."

"Yes, how careless of me." He said dryly.

"Terribly. You should be ashamed." She returned to her former seat on the end of her bed, scooping a pencil off the floor as she went.

"What's your hypothesis then?" He asked.

"Well, if some law of nature makes our souls return to the correct body every night wouldn't it be 'logical' that, if our soul were unable to return to our body, our body would seek to rejoin the soul instead?"

"Wow Kat. That actually makes sense." She tossed the pencil she was holding at him, and it hit the wardrobe doors directly behind where he sat.

"And because it's not the usual order of things you're experiencing a sort of delayed reaction." She concluded, reaching down to pick a mini-disk off the floor beside her bed.

"Either that or it takes longer to traverse between physical dimensions than going from physical to spiritual like going to Nightlife."

She sniffed dismissively, throwing the disk at him and watching it bounce off her wardrobe. "Maybe. Maybe both."

"Yes. Both probably." Now that it was possible that they'd soon able to touch he thought it best not to provoke her temper. How would it be if the first thing she did once he had fully gained a body was hit him?

"Do you mind?" He protested mildly as she threw a wad of paper through him.

"I'm just gauging your solidity." She replied, completely unrepentant.

"Oh, and here I thought you just liked chucking stuff at me." He answered sarcastically.

"That too." She replied, taking aim with a broken piece from a cheap compact mirror. She flicked it and it sailed through between his eyes. "Bullseye!"

"Ha de ha." He clearly was not amused. "Why don't you take me on a tour of your house instead? Since we have no idea how long this is going to take we might as well do something more productive than target practise."

Kat shrugged. "Sure, why not? Don't think anyone else would be awake at this hour anyway."

With that she hopped from her bed and left the room, shutting the door behind her. Gohan blinked, then frowned.

"Hey! Wait for me!" He complained, running through the door. Kat was waiting for him on the other side, an impish smile on her face. "What did you do that for?"

"I figure if you get into the habit of walking through stuff now we'll know the minute you regain your entire physical body." She winked.

"I other words you're waiting for me to bounce off something?"

Kat laughed, (he knew her too well), and headed off down the open hallway that connected the rooms of the upper floor of their living accommodation.

"First stop, the bathroom!" She announced. Shaking his head Gohan floated after her. On the bright side, at least he would get to learn more about where Kat had grown up. Maybe it'd explain a few things.

"So, here is where we pee…"

Then again, maybe not.

()-()-()

Goten woke up early, a bit before sunrise. He quietly slipped out of bed and got himself dressed for the day. Not that he really needed to bother being quiet. A stampede of dinosaurs couldn't wake up Gohan when he was at Nightlife.

He bounced down the stairs and ran smack bang into the gorgeous aroma of his mother's cooking.

"Morning mummy!" He hugged her by wrapping his arms around her legs. Chichi looked down with a smile from where she was stirring the beginnings of a soup for later on the stove.

"Morning sweetheart. Eat your breakfast quickly before it gets cold."

He didn't need to be told twice, and the peaceful sounds of things bubbling, toasting, frying, and one contented saiyan boy eating filled the kitchen.

"You should be able to see lots of interesting animals this morning." Chichi commented, looking out the window at the forest beyond, which was becoming more visible through the morning fog by the minute.

The reason Goten was up so early, and allowed an early breakfast, was because Chichi had set him a biology assignment where he had to go into the forest, (not too far mind), and draw pictures of any creature he saw. He had to make sure to label any distinguishing features so that when he returned he could identify the species and genus from the extensive range of wildlife textbooks they owned, courtesy of his grandfather.

"Uh huh." Goten replied around mouthfuls. After the last bite was gone he said, "I'm just going to go get my stuff from my room 'kay?"

"All right dear, but be careful you don't wake up your brother. You know how he gets when he's woken up early."

Goten pulled a face. He knew all right. He even knew why. But he wasn't allowed to tell.

He returned to the kitchen with his little bag of notebooks and pencils, pausing only to give his mum a kiss on the cheek, before heading out into the cool, grey coloured world. With a grin he ran into the forest.

Chichi smiled at the disappearing form of her youngest. Goku didn't know what he was missing. One day he was going to turn up again, out of the blue, just because he felt like it. She didn't doubt that for a minute. Only this time he'd find that a lot had changed.

She tossed the chopped carrots into the soup with a little more force than necessary, and a dash of the hot liquid splashed onto her hand. Because she was alone she allowed herself the luxury of a few choice curses.

Running cold water from the tap over her smarting skin she had to sigh. Even after nearly seven years she couldn't think ill of him without some form of retribution. His energy was so potent it seemed to leave an imprint wherever he went. And in this house, constructed by his own hands, the memory of his presence seemed to linger in each beam and board, a subtle reminder to her that one day he would return.

In truth she didn't completely mind his varying absences from his family. Sure it stung when he left, but it hurt to see him return as well. Whenever he was around she cared, she lived, only to please him. It was only in his absence that she could live for herself, and care for her sons in the entirety that such special boys deserved.

It had been six and three quarters of a year since he last walked the Earth. Chichi had a feeling that Fate would bid him return in the seventh year. And no doubt he'd be just in time to quell the rising Dark forces that had to have recovered by now after the defeat of their avatar Cell.

She paused in the act of examining her hand. If her speculations were true, then what would this mean for Gohan and Goten? Gohan would surely endure; he was strong like his father. Though what this meant in terms of Fate's plans for him Chichi didn't like to consider. But Goten? He was more like her; there to serve a vital role yet easy to take for granted. 

But she knew she would be rewarded for her life of servitude. Fate had chosen her to support the Light anchor for their dimension, and at age twelve she had been honoured. At least until she died and was set free from her obligations she could console herself with the knowledge that she had worked hard, succeeded thus far, and been given a nice long break to in which to rest and have her sons all to herself.

She smiled. She had one of her rewards already. After all the stress and strain of evil saiyans, Namek and Freezer, that lethal heart virus, androids, and finally the culmination in Cell she had been close to loosing it. Total and utter despair. So Fate gave her Goten.

And now whatever the future had in store for Goku and Gohan, she could handle it. As long as she had Goten she could handle it.

Possibly this was the reason she doted on him just a tad more than she ever did with Gohan. If she thought back she would realise that Goten was currently learning schoolwork Gohan had completed when he was four. But it wasn't fair to compare the two boys, and she was careful not to do so.

Goten would be fine. They had each other. And for now they had Gohan as well. But if she didn't get back to preparing the day's cuisine she'd have two whining saiyans on her hands, and that is enough to try anyone's patience.

Humming to herself she set the first pot of rice to boil alongside the simmering soup. She should probably start storing pre-prepared meals in the special preservation capsules Bulma had invented for her. If Goku were soon coming back she'd need much larger quantities of food than could readily be prepared each day, every day. And she'd gotten to like taking a nap in the afternoons. 

()-()-()

Goten sat happily in a clearing in the forest, talking with his new friends, his notebook and bag lying forgotten by a tree. He was having a great time, but his stomach chose that moment to inform him that since it was mid-morning, and he'd had a very early breakfast, it was most definitely time to go home because he was very hungry. Starving almost. If he didn't run home as fast as he could he might drop dead of starvation right now!

"Sorry guys, I gotta go." He stood up. Mr Apodemus argenteus, Mrs Microtus montebelli, and Mr Petaurista leucogenys all looked sad. "It's okay, I'll come back soon." He laughed. They all looked happier, and turned to go their own ways. "Bye guys!" Goten yelled, waving at their various retreating backs.

Then he too turned and headed for home. He was so preoccupied with arguing against their impending death-by-starvation with his stomach that he was halfway home before he remembered his book bag, still sitting next to a tree. Knowing his mother would probably make him go get it before giving him food anyway, he groaned and ran back.

By the time he finally made it to the kitchen he was so hungry he almost didn't believe his mother wasn't in her usual place by the stove. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. Nope, not there. Strange. She was usually always to be found in the kitchen until after lunch.

Speaking of lunch, what was that boiling crazily on the stove? He dragged a chair over so that he could peer into the pot. It appeared to be noodles (yum), but did noodles usually make giant white bubble monsters seep over the sides of the pot?

Goten had seen this once before, when his mum had forgotten to take the rice off the heat while she talked with Bulma on the phone. That must be where she was. And she would be pleased with him if he moved the pot and saved the noodles.

He reached out to grab the sides of the pot with both hands. He only touched the hot metal for a fraction of a second before automatically jerking his hands away. But that fraction of a second was enough to make his fingers hurt. They hurt a lot.

Goten whimpered and, not knowing what else to do, stuck his scorched fingers in his mouth. He tried to call out for Chichi, but while the 'I'm-in-pain-mummy!' sound came out no trouble he couldn't get a significant amount volume out through his eight fingers and two thumbs to receive any attention.

A frown of determination wound its way through the tears on his face. He would just have to go find her himself. The nasty noodles could just stay there and die for all he cared. But his stomach protested at such harsh treatment of nutritious substances, and so he removed one set of fingers from his mouth to gingerly turn off the heat under the pot of noodles. Then he went off in search of the sympathy only a mother can give.

He peered down the hall to the telephone. She wasn't there. He wandered into the living room. Not there either. He looked out the window. She wasn't hanging up washing. Where could she be? Finally he realised he should just search for her energy. He concentrated, and jumped in shock as he noticed for the first time the group of familiar energies congregated just up the stairs.

He bounded up the stairs and followed the energies to his and Gohan's room. He stopped in the doorway and stared at the sight.

Chichi was sitting on a chair that had been pushed between Gohan's bed and his bed, and Trunks was sitting cross-legged on the latter. Vegeta was leaning uninterested against a wall, though he alone seemed to notice Goten's arrival. Bulma was bent over Gohan's bed, blocking his view of what everyone was looking at. Finally the warning bells that had gone offline due to hunger started clanging. What was going on? Why were Trunks's parents here? And why was his mum sniffling and looking as though she could burst into tears at any moment?

"Mummy?" He only said it softly, but the room was so quiet it sounded much louder. Chichi's head snapped up, and she started to stand up. "What's going on?" He asked curiously, walking into the room. Bulma straightened to turn and look at him, and he saw that the focus of the room had been Gohan, lying apparently asleep on his bed, just as Goten had seen him when he'd woken up. "Oh." He bit his lip, his fingers and hunger promptly forgotten.

"Goten honey, Gohan's a bit sick. Don't worry though dear, Bulma's here to help him get better." Chichi said, but it sounded weak even to her ears. She just didn't want Goten to get upset once he found out that Gohan had fallen into a coma for no apparent reason.

Ignoring her Goten crawled onto his bed, fetching something from under his pillow as he did so. He leaned over to reach Gohan, and it was revealed to be a feather in his hand. As everyone, even Vegeta to some extent, watched perplexed he waved the feather under Gohan's nose. When he saw there was no response he sat back, pondering what to do. He knew Gohan didn't want anyone to know about Nightlife, but he also knew that Gohan had to wake up. You're just not meant to sleep through the day.

He thought some more and decided that if his mother told him to wake Gohan up then it wouldn't be his fault, and Gohan couldn't get angry at him for breaking his promise because even he knew that mother's orders were imperative.

"Do you want me to wake him up mummy?" Goten asked, to the great surprise of them all. Chichi gaped at the pair of large ebony eyes gazing up at her.

"What…what do you mean sweetie? Do you know what's wrong with Gohan?" Goten flushed and hesitantly nodded. "What's wrong with him?" Chichi asked, though perhaps demanded would be more apt.

Goten lowered his eyes in embarrassment. "There's nothing wrong exactly with him mummy."

"Nothing wrong?" Bulma asked with an arched eyebrow. "Then why is it that he appears to be in a coma Goten?"

"What's a koh-mah?" Goten asked innocently, grasping at the chance to change the topic. Bulma liked explaining things in great detail, and maybe by the time she'd finished Gohan would've come back again.

"It means he's very deeply asleep and won't wake up." Chichi answered, also knowing of her friend's penchant for lengthy explanations.

"Well actually…" Bulma started, but at the glare from Chichi she amended what she'd planned on saying. "Actually, yes. That's about right." 

"Oh." Goten said to show he understood, disappointed his brilliant plan hadn't worked. "Well I guess he is in a…a co-mah. But it's okay. I can wake him up."

When Chichi appeared caught between demanding for further explanation and just wanting Gohan to be awake and all right, Bulma encouraged the boy. "Go on then Goten. Try to wake him up." From her tone it was clear that she very much doubted that would happen.

Taking a deep breath, because everyone was staring at him and he felt nervous, Goten crawled over to lie on his brother's chest. With his ear placed above Gohan's heart he said softly, "Mr Bert? Gohan really needs to come home now. Is that okay?"

Chichi and Bulma exchanged mystified glances. Because he was sitting nearest, Trunks was the only one to notice his father stand up a little straighter.

Goten waited anxiously for a reply, any reply. A minute passed. Starting to get scared he tried again. "Mr Bert? Is everything all right? When will Gohan be home?" In the hope of inciting a response he added, "Mum's getting really worried. Please?"

He had just about given up, which was terrible because he had no idea what to do next, when a coarse voice spoke as though the man was speaking directly into his ear. "I'm sorry kiddo, we're a bit busy at the moment. I don't know where your brother is but we're going to try and find him. I had hoped he was already home."

Only a little relieved Goten replied, "He's not."

"I see." Bert gave a frustrated cough. "Where did those two run to?"

"Goten honey, who are you talking to?" Chichi asked in alarm, illustrated by her increasingly shrill tones.

"What do I tell mum?" Goten asked, looking at her but with his attention on what he was hearing.

There was a stretch of silence as Bert pondered. Finally he answered, "Tell her as much as you think Gohan would want her to know, but don't withhold anything that would reassure her that Gohan'll be all right. I'm sorry I can't help you more Goten but I need to get back to searching for your brother, before the people who made him hide in the first place find him."

"Wait! Why is he hiding?" Goten cried.

"It was Kat's idea." Was all Bert said, and then Goten knew he was gone.

Slowly Goten sat up. Everyone looked at him expectantly. He laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Goten, tell us what's going on." Bulma said firmly, as Chichi looked positively faint with the all shock and anxiety she'd experienced in a short period of time.

"Well, see, Gohan looks like he's asleep…but actually he's awake! He's not even really here, he's…um…he uh, just looks like he's asleep because…he'll be okay really mum. Mr Bert said he was going to find him…and send him home." And Goten was left blushing and fidgeting for such a vastly inadequate answer.

"Send him home…" Chichi repeated weakly. "Where is he? Where's my baby?" This last was wailed loudly as she sank down into her chair. 

"Well…you see…there's this uh, place…that he's allowed to go to…and…you see…uh…well, I sort of promised…but…you see…"

"He's at Nightlife." Vegeta's gruff voice easily swept aside Goten's faltering, unenlightening, explanation. Goten looked at him with relief bordering on adoration.

"What do you know of this Vegeta?" Bulma instantly demanded of him suspiciously.

He sneered at her. "I did nothing. Nightlife is a spiritual plain that a select few go to during their sleeping hours. It's meant to be relaxing." At that he snorted. "Because it is on a different level to our plain it is easiest to reach when asleep, and only your spirit or soul will make the transition. Clearly the reason the boy won't wake up is because his soul is not currently within his body."

"WHAT?!" Chichi shrieked, before fainting in her chair.

"Mum!" Goten had never seen Chichi faint before, so he was quite a bit more worried about her than either Bulma, who'd seen it all before, or Vegeta, who just didn't care.

"She'll be okay Goten." Bulma graciously spared breath to reassure him. "She'll come round soon." Then she turned back to interrogating Vegeta. "And how exactly do you know all this, Mr 'high-and-mighty'?"

"I've been there." He smirked as he savoured the experience of dumbfounding his mate. "Now that you know the boy is fine can we go?" In the background Goten could be heard pleading with his mum to wake up because he was hungry.

Bulma didn't answer his impatient question immediately, as she considered all that had been said. Clearly coming to the conclusion that this was some elaborate scheme to discredit her genius she replied, "No. I'm going to wait until, or if, he wakes up. If this has been a false cause for concern then we can go, after he's properly punished for scaring us of course. And if not then I don't want to have to travel all this way again in one day." 

"Fine woman. Stay if you want, but I've got better things to do than stand around here all day." Having expected this answer Bulma made no attempt to stop him striding from the room.

In truth he just wanted to get out of Kakarott's creepy house. It was as though he could sense the other warrior all around him, and any minute the damn fool was going to sneak up behind him and shout 'Boo!' Vegeta would be the very last person to admit he was freaked. That was just all the more reason to leave as soon as possible. He never should've agreed to convey Bulma here in the first place.

Bulma, hands on hips, looked down at the peacefully sleeping Gohan. Chichi was starting to stir in response to Goten's pitiful reassurances and pleas for food. She blinked as something about him suddenly seemed…different somehow. She peered closer. Was he becoming just a bit paler? It was hard to tell, and if she didn't know any better she'd say that he was very slowly fading.

Deciding it would be best to get Chichi to leave the room until she was sure, in case the younger woman noticed it too and really went to pieces, Bulma helped Goten revive his mother and convince her that the best thing she could do now would be to make lunch for them all.

"I'll stay with him, and I'll let you know the minute he's awake. I promise Chichi." Bulma said in her most persuasive voice.

Once Chichi had been carefully ushered from the room, the hopeful Goten and Trunks in her wake, Bulma returned to her scrutiny of Gohan. She was too young for her eyesight to be deteriorating. So it had to be him. She checked his breathing and pulse, and they were slow as expected, but steady.

She would wait and see, but she was becoming convinced that this was no ordinary coma. She was by no means taken in by that 'travelling to a spiritual plain' mumbo jumbo. A naïve child and an ex-psychotic killer, even if he was her husband, were not terribly reliable resources.

There had to be another explanation. And if there was, and I have already said there had to be, she would find it. Only if Gohan woke up and rationally explained it to her, using appropriate scientific terms, would she believe the account of a place called 'Nightlife'.

He had always been the only one with enough intelligence in their group of friends to halfway understand her brilliance. She still remembered those months spent travelling to Namek, and teaching him the ins and outs of the electronics she'd taken to keep her occupied once she'd read through all her magazines. At first he'd spent a lot of time training with Krillin, but after a while shortie got sick of loosing their little exercises and started training by himself.

He'd been such a sweet little kid. She hadn't fully appreciated his interest back then, assuming that anyone would find what she did interesting. But after her lack of success in getting Trunks involved in her work for more than an hour at a time she had to admit that Gohan was unique, (the other option, that Trunks was dim-witted, was highly improbable given his parentage and thus not worth considering). 

Bulma sighed and fetched a small notebook from her pocket in which to start a scientific log to refer to later should the need arise.

Glancing at the clock she started writing. 10:48am – subject showed no sign of waking. Heart and breathing rate steady. Skin slightly pallid.

Making herself comfortable in Chichi's chair Bulma prepared herself for a long vigil.

 ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Hey guys! I actually did research for this chapter…Goten's forest friends were (in order of appearance): a Japanese Field Mouse, a Japanese Grass Vole, and a Japanese Giant Flying Squirrel. Not that I actually know what these creatures look like, or where their habitats may be, (though I think Japan is a pretty good bet), but I think when you live in a world where some animals speak and live like humans, technicalities are least of your problems. And hey, I'm pretty technical. At least I didn't put in something like a red kangaroo…

As always a humungous thanks to those who reviewed!

Godzilla2 – I love it when people speculate! Especially when their questions are automatically answered in the next chapter…^_^

Rose Vaughn – Congratulations! You have become one of those beloved few who've reviewed twice! Muchos gracias!

DBZ Chick1 – Thanks!

Exarikun – Everything is good! The half giant chocolate bar in my tummy says so…

Frying Pan of DOOM – Vote noted…just wondering though, is there a particular reason you can think of as to why you think G/K is better than G/V? At the moment I'm siting on the fence, but I don't really want to sit there too long 'cause it's not exactly comfortable…

~_^

And just one final note that all but one person can skip…I was skimming through the records of my reviews on ff.net (as you do), and discovered one that I had never ever seen before! O_o It must've got lost en-route to my email or something…

Could I just offer to the person who reviewed chapter 10 under the name 'Reviewer W' a belated HUGE THANKYOU for the many great suggestions and comments you left. I was especially pleased that I know most of the characters you mentioned (are you a cartoon network buff?) and some of your ideas are starting even right this moment to fill in holes I hadn't realised where waiting for me in future chapters… so I am very sorry not to have seen your review sooner and hope you weren't too offended that I didn't acknowledge your contribution before. Thankyou again.