BM: Good Lord Almighty it's an update! The first one in MONTHS. I've had the past three or so chapters written I just haven't put them up, and now I'm putting this one up.

JJ: I was WONDERING when you'd get around to writing again.

BM: Shut up! Anyways, here it is. And if you don't know yet, I own NOTHING of commercial value. The only thing I own outright is my bo staff, which I use to whack stupid people who sue me even though I own nothing.

P.S. Any and all flames will be stored away and used to keep warm in this cold Seattle weather. Useful and constructive criticism is taken into consideration.

JJ: Make with the story already!

Chapter 7

Revelations and Reactions

At that moment, before any shock could register, Vegeta burst through the door. Piccolo followed close behind and Vegeta walked to the center of the room.

"Hey, Vegeta, these people just brought us some great news!" Goku said, not registering Vegeta's paleness or wide eyes.

"Hold on Dad, we don't even know who these people are" Gohan said, not realizing Piccolo was in the room

"Gohan, maybe you should buy a pair of glasses" Trunks said

"Yeah big brother" Goten chuckled. Gohan looked at them as if they'd suddenly grown extra heads

"What are you talking about"

"Well, the lady is Marron's mom, I'm not sure who the man is" Goten said. Gohan's eyes opened wide and Trunks laughed as Gohan's head snapped to stare at Eighteen for a moment, then he whirled to face Seventeen. Goku looked at Eighteen in confusion for a moment before his grin widened.

"Hey! It is you! I hope you know how great that news is, you won't believe how relieving that is to hear" he said

"Actually, I would" she said quietly "But now, you need to know the rest of our news, for as you know, every light casts a shadow" Goku's smile faded slightly, as if he were remembering something, and he nodded. Piccolo took that moment to make his presence known.

"They're alive but not well, they've been captured by a group of villains we all know. The ice-jins, Cell, Bibidi, Babidi, and Dr. Gero. They escaped with the help of outside forces whom we don't know yet, and now they're running free and have captured those closest to all of us." he said

With each name mentioned, a picture of the pain and torment said villain had inflicted entered Goku's mind, and his grin dropped completely off his face. His teeth gritted, and a low growl came from his throat as his fists clenched at his sides. This was too much. Not only had they escaped AGAIN in hopes of inflicting torment, but they had undoubtedly caused his love ones pain, not to mention the pain he and his sons had endured from the knowledge that of what their hands had done, or what they thought hands had done.

"What are we waiting for" Gohan said "Lets go get them" Goku nodded and the two barreled past Piccolo, who yelled for them to stop. They took the stairs two at a time and Goku thought he heard a voice calling his name. Goku ignored it and kept going until they made it to the roof, and Goku heard it again, this time slightly louder. He continued and prepared to take off when it came through to loud to ignore.

"GOKU DON'T!!!" Goku stopped in his tracks, thrusting out his hand to stop Gohan from moving further "Look at yourselves, try to raise your ki"

"King Kai?"

"You don't have enough ki to even SENSE other people's ki, let alone to fly!"

"We do too!" Goku said "I feel better than I have in weeks!"

"Think of how you've been feeling in the past few weeks" King Kai sighed "Try to raise your ki" Goku focused on his ki, but had some trouble finding it, then tried to bring it out. After a few minutes of intense concentration, he sat down, panting with the energy it had taken. Gohan sat down next to him, also sweating and panting.

"You see, and even if you were at full power, how would you find them? Piccolo hasn't even told you where they are yet, which happens to be on another PLANET. And although they're in MUCH better condition than you, stronger than they've ever been, they use all their energy for labor, and thus keep their ki levels very low. You wouldn't even be able to find them to use IT to get to them!"

"They're on another planet?" Goku asked

"They're on another planet being used as slave labor" Eighteen said from behind him "They're being worked to the bone, given little to eat or drink, and tortured severely. Not only that, but they've all been given drugs. Some have resisted addiction, but they're will power is being stretched to it's limit. All who have been addicted to these drugs have never broken free, though we have ways of breaking addictions, the chances are somewhat slim, especially if their spirits have been broken" Tears slipped from Goku's eyes and he felt like a shroud had been lifted, and he saw truth. Gohan was taking deep, shuddering breaths. They couldn't do anything.

"So why'd you come here, you said you had good news, but there's nothing we can do about it."

"Oh, there's something. Get ready. Get to Korin's tower however you can, and be ready to train" Piccolo said. Seventeen, who had been holding a sobbing Goten, sent a helpless look to his sister. Eighteen nodded towards the other Sons, and he set the crying chibi with his family.

Eighteen, meanwhile, had shifted Trunks, who was attempting to avoid crying, into a cradled position.

"It's okay to cry" Eighteen whispered. Trunks' shoulders were shuddering, but the tears were not falling.

"I wish I could" Trunks said

"Why can't you?"

"Because I think I used up all my tears" he said. He laid his head on her shoulder, and the tears finally came. Heart wrenching, shoulder shaking, shuddering sobs. She held him close and patted his back, then handed him to Vegeta.

"It'll be okay she whispered, as much to Vegeta, who had a look of stricken grief, as to Trunks" she stepped back and watched the two families, then looked to Seventeen and Piccolo.

"We'll tell the others the same thing we've told you, then we'll be heading to the tower. When you make it there, we'll begin the second step of the training"

"What's the first step?" Gohan asked

"Getting there" Piccolo and the twins waved, and then lifted off the ground, leaving the saiyans with new hope and new sorrow