Chapter 1: Message From Afar

The horizon certainly was picturesque with the rising sun shining in its orange and yellow splendor. The radiant rays glared brightly off of the calm waters of the valley's lake, arousing the fish from their slumber and bidding them to begin their morning feast. From the gentle splashing caused by the fish, birds were awakened from their roosts and the woodland animals arose from their sleep to begin another day of survival of the fittest.

Piccolo had seen such serene sights on Earth before, but it couldn't compare to his home-planet, Namek. He had never gotten to see the full extent of its natural splendor because of the battle with Frieza, but he was sure that his Namekian brothers were once again living in peace on a similar world. As for himself, Earth was his home now, and as much as he wanted to return to his Namekian brethren, he had firmly decided that Earth was too beautiful of a planet to leave.

And besides, there was Gohan.

The pint-sized Saiyan child had somehow changed him over the course of the last few years. Even now, after the wars with the Saiyans and Frieza, Piccolo still couldn't fathom how Gohan's innocent smile and his natural kindness even toward a stone-faced warrior like himself could warm his once ice cold heart. But nevertheless, Piccolo considered Gohan his best friend...perhaps one of his only friends other than Goku, who harbored the same natural charity and mercy to every rival. People like Bulma, Chi-Chi, and Master Roshi still had their own doubts about his true motives. The times of crisis had passed, and old grudges had settled back into the minds of their creators. He couldn't blame them, not after he had demonstrated the evil, insidious nature that was passed down to him from Daimou by attempting to kill Goku and conquer the world.

But after all of the nonstop adventures over the last several years, with him being in the unfamiliar role as savior of the peace, even Piccolo himself was uncertain of his path in life. Would he eventually return to the evil, world-conquering demon that Daimou had wished him to be now that the greater power was out of the way? Or would he continue on the road of goodness, standing by Goku and Gohan in times of crisis to preserve the safety of the innocent?

Only training...discipline...and concentration can reveal my fate.

Piccolo sat cross-legged on the soft grass and raised his body into the air. He hadn't meditated since his days on King Kai's small planet. Needless to say, he certainly wouldn't want to get out of practice. Meditation was an excellent way to increase his strength through mental concentration, making it an essential part of his training. Closing his eyes, Piccolo focused his mind onto nothing but the scene in front of him, straining it, stretching his mental thoughts to make his entire body stronger. He pictured the water of the lake down below in his mind, with the calm waters rippling with the cool morning breeze. He pressed his thoughts like waves of energy into the water, trying to manipulate it as he saw fit. He forced the waters to part at inconceivable angles, rising and lowering them at the whim of his thoughts. Finding his efforts to be a success, Piccolo allowed himself one proud smirk. Even during times of peace, he was always at his best.

Suddenly, an explosion from behind him jarred him out of his mental training. The spell was immediately broken as Piccolo's eyes snapped open and he dropped to his feet, scanning the valley behind him for the source of the disturbance. Then, his sharp eyes fell upon a smoking spherical object lying in a crater near a giant oak tree down in the valley. Piccolo's blood ran cold.

It couldn't be...is it another Saiyan space pod???

Piccolo rushed over, almost carelessly, to see if his fears were confirmed. The last thing they needed on Earth now was another belligerent member of that warrior race. Piccolo had experienced enough from the Saiyan race for one lifetime just from Goku, let alone Vegeta, Nappa, and Radditz.

As Piccolo came to a halt in front of the object, he sighed with relief - it was not a Saiyan ship. The alien sphere - though similar in appearance to the ships that had carried Goku, Vegeta, Nappa, and Radditz to Earth - did not have a red-tinted window that revealed a passenger. Instead, there was a small blue crystal inserted in a tiny hole on the top of the sphere. A rectangular panel with rainbow-colored controls sparkled beneath the crystal.

Wha...what in the...???

Piccolo edged closer to the strange device, waiting for a security device or a booby trap to go off. But even as he reached a clawed finger toward the control panel and touched one of its brightly colored pads, the only sound made by the device was the humming of the engines.

Well, at least it doesn't seem harmful...yet. Perfect, I can't even tell what this thing is for or how to work it. Technology was never my strong suit...

In fact, he doubted that he could tell the difference between a button and a lever. But he did know someone he did...

Bulma...the one who probably distrusts and hates me the most out of all of them...

Still, he couldn't stop just because the selfish brainy daughter of some rich scientist was suspicious of his motives. There was possibly much more at stake - if he couldn't figure out what the device was for, it could possibly mean disaster. He'd been through enough to know not to trust any alien devices - such as the Scouter of a certain Saiyan named Radditz - no matter how harmless they might've seemed. And he had fought too hard and too long for his planet to lose it because of carelessness.

Whirling around - certain that the strange space pod would go nowhere and would remain undisturbed in the quiet valley - Piccolo took off in the direction of Capsule Corporation. He knew that Gohan usually spent his weekends there visiting with friends. Gohan would convince Bulma to trust him should the need arise.

Another problem that worried him was Vegeta. Piccolo knew all-too-well that the devious Saiyan would be training on the grounds of Capsule Corporation, trying to attain Super Saiyan status while Goku was away. Even after King Kai's training and the fusion with Nail, Piccolo wasn't sure if he could stop the ruthless Vegeta if he took advantage of whatever secrets the pod might've carried. He would have to keep a low profile and hope that Vegeta was away when he divulged his find to Gohan and the others.

But what could this thing be for? And who sent it??

Hopefully, Bulma would have the answers.

* * *

The day was bright and full of life. Even from the lonely sanctuary high over Earth, the guardian of the planet enjoyed the peace and serenity permeating the atmosphere. It wasn't often where he could stand back and gaze at the clouds without contemplating the fate of his planet. Today seemed to be the first time in a long time where nothing down on the surface seemed to attract any of his attention, something uncommon for the past few years. However, despite the peaceful air that his own planet was basking in at present, a dark feeling of trepidation loomed over Kami's mind - a familiar emotion as of late for him - in regard to his planet in a time long past his reign as guardian. It wasn't the fear of its destruction, nor was it the fear of an alien threat like Frieza or the Saiyans. But rather, it was a fear for Piccolo, Gohan, Tenshinhan, and all of the other current defenders of Earth. He wondered if any of them would've ever expected what would befall them today.

"Are you well, Kami?" Mr. Popo's voice startled him out of his thought. "You have seemed distraught as of late, has something happened?"

The guardian of the Earth shook his head and turned to his friend with a smile, always grateful for his confidant's concern for his health. "Nothing is wrong with me, Popo; I am very well. However, I have felt that something is about to happen that will affect the lives of our friends once again."

Popo set down the water jug he was carrying, a confused look in his small eyes. "Our friends...? Don't tell me..."

Kami nodded solemnly. "Yes, I'm afraid another battle is about to begin. But this time, our warriors will have the choice as to whether or not they wish to fight."

"What?" Popo asked, losing his friend's message even more. He had usually always been able to read into Kami's cryptic premonitions to guess at the current state of the planet, but even he seemed helpless this time. "I don't understand, Kami. What do you mean by having the choice to fight?"

Kami stared out of the stone checkered window, the bright afternoon sun slipping through the small holes and warming his skin. "It's a long story, Popo, and I am afraid that I don't have the time to explain it now. Don't worry, go about your business and I shall reveal everything in detail after my duties here are completed for the day."

"Duties?" Popo lifted the heavy ceramic water jug back into his grasp. "What business would you have to do here?"

Kami smiled again. Since he had been away in the next world for so long, he had almost forgotten Popo's endless curiosity for his tasks as guardian. "It's a bit more complicated than it might seem, my friend. I'm expecting a guest here sometime today. She bears an important message for all of us."

"A guest? Is it somebody we know?"

He chuckled a bit. "Nobody you would know, or anybody else on this planet for that matter. She's an elusive type, but as guardian of this planet, I have known her quite well for the past few hundred years."

"Few hundred?? But --" As Popo began, Kami turned back toward him, a serious look in his eyes, telling his friend through his gaze that he could not be detained any longer from the task at hand. Popo seemed to receive the message and took a bow. "She seems to be someone of importance. Very well, I'll leave you to prepare for her arrival."

"Thank you, Popo," he nodded back to his friend, glad that he understood the importance of the situation. "Return when your duties are completed and I shall clarify everything for you."

The stout little servant smiled back before departing the chamber through its wooden double doors, off to tend to the shrine as always.

Kami then turned back toward his window, another smirk forming on his face as he refocused his senses on the familiar ki radiating from a person in the room with him. It had been there for some time as he had observed, obviously waiting for Popo to leave so it could speak to Kami in private. It was a wise move - no sense in worrying the hard-working tender to the shrine any more than necessary.

"Setsuna," he softly called out. "You can speak anytime you wish to, I have all day if you'd like to wait any more."

A tall woman with long, green-highlighted black hair and a long staff stepped out from the shadows, giggling gently at her old friend.

"You never cease to amaze me with that keen awareness of yours, Kami," Sailor Pluto bowed her head in greeting. The elderly guardian returned the gesture. "One of these days, I'm going to find out how you do that little trick."

"That's my own little secret, Setsuna," he said with a bit of arrogance. "How long has it been? I can sense that you have grown very powerful since our last meeting, but I can't figure out how you've aged so well for someone who has spent a few hundred years in a void."

"Well then, I guess we both have our secrets to keep," she retorted, paying back the guardian's boastfulness. "How have things been here in your era, Kami? When I first returned here, I remember you telling me about a frightening immortal enemy that tried to overthrow your position as guardian."

Kami couldn't help but cringe, horrible memories of Garlic Jr. and his insatiable plans to conquer Earth resurfacing in his memory. Never had he felt such evil and suffering when Garlic's Black Water Mist had transformed all of Earth into demonic zombies, and it sent chills through his warm body just thinking about it.

"Yes, but thanks to the ones we call the Z Warriors, we managed to strip Garlic Jr. of his power and banish him to an eternal void of darkness of his own creation. Ever since he was defeated and my shrine was repaired from the fighting, peace has reigned," the guardian replied. "But since your brief initial visit several days ago, I have known that such rest and reprieve from war will not last for this world's young saviors."

"So confident are you in their willingness to come to our assistance?" She arched an eyebrow. "You said so yourself, Kami, these fighters are enjoying the beloved peace for the first time in ages. Would they truly give it all up for a time they will not even live to see?"

Kami gave her a confident, reassuring gaze. "Setsuna, please lay your fears to rest. I have trained some of these warriors myself, and I know that their hearts are virtuous and their intentions are righteous. Believe me when I tell you old friend, if they were courageous enough to challenge an immortal like Garlic Jr., then they will certainly come to your aid. It's just all a matter of when they receive your queen's message."

Sailor Pluto smiled, her doubts seeming to vanish with her skeptical frown. "Thank you, Kami. My whole world is indebted to you!"

"This is our planet as well, and no matter what time period, we must do what we can to preserve it from evil in any form. I just only wish that I could leave here to fight alongside all of you. However, I think that our fighters will serve you very well."

"Let us hope so," she agreed, taking a seat on one of the wooden chairs in Kami's chamber. "Tell me, Kami, you said you trained some of them. What are some of these warriors like?"

"Well, I have trained all but a few of them, but one of those few I should know better than anybody else..." he lowered his head.

"You mean your evil counterpart?" She finished for him.

"These days, I don't know what to think of Piccolo. Though he is the product of my own evil thoughts and emotions, something has changed in him over the past years. He has become more merciful, and he is now more of a defender of this planet rather than a destroyer of it. Even I can't figure out what he plans to do with this newfound peace."

"I see..."

Kami raised his head, not wanting to instill any doubt into Sailor Pluto's mind. "The most remarkable of the fighters on Earth at the moment is a small boy named Son Gohan. Though he is still very young, he possesses amazing dormant power, with more of it awakening with every battle. He could very well be the most powerful of the entire group."

"He sounds like our princess," Pluto commented. "She has grown into a strong warrior as well, and she is developing qualities of a leader since the war broke out."

"The other remaining warriors that I have trained in the past are Krillin, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, and Chaozu, all of them well-mastered in their own fields of the martial and mystical arts along with possessing phenomenal amounts of strength and character. It will be interesting to see how they will coexist with your own soldiers."

Sailor Pluto laughed a little bit, the thought of such power fighters like the Z Warriors joining with her friends - the Sailor Soldiers - sounding extremely amusing to her. "They are a unique group, I must admit, but I treasure them as friends, and I would--"

Kami's glance darted over to Sailor Pluto as she abruptly trailed off. He gasped as he saw her cheerful smiling face had turned a ghostly white and a pale look of shock was frozen in her eyes.

"Setsuna?" He lifted his eyes. "What's wrong??"

"I...I can feel it from here..." she stammered. "The enemy has made their move: several huge powers are headed toward the palace where my friends are! I must return immediately and help them!"

"My goodness...but the message!" Kami reminded her in her panic. "How will they be able to go forward into your time without you??"

Sailor Pluto stood up and opened her closed fist, revealing a small dazzling ruby. She extended her hand, dropping it into Kami's open palm. "Your holy power can activate this. It will create a temporary time vortex that will link this world and mine until I give the command to close it. Use it to send your friends to my era!"

"Wait, Setsuna, perhaps if I hurry I can contact them and they can go back with--"

"No, there is no time, the gigantic powers will be attacking the palace shortly," She cut him off. "Besides, I want them to see what they would be fighting for. I don't want to force anything upon them on such short notice. We will hold them off as long as we can until their arrival."

"But--"

"Don't worry about me, Kami, I promise you that I'll stay alive," she smiled back before recreating the glowing red energy vortex that served as a gateway back to her era. "Besides, I can sense that our probe has descended into the valley areas below here, and somebody with an enormous amount of energy was near it when it landed."

"The valley?" Kami knew only one person who would inhabit the wilderness region at this hour. "Piccolo trains in that area everyday, it could only have been him!"

Kami extended his senses down onto the surface below, scanning the valley quickly but thoroughly for his counterpart's ki. Sure enough, he managed to locate Piccolo within half a minute, and his ki level was higher then normal - too high for a relaxed state, too low for sufficient battling energy. It could've meant only one thing: he was flying - and at a very high speed - to the east. Kami grinned with relief as he remembered the closest landmark to Piccolo's training area: Capsule Corporation, always a good place to find someone like Gohan or Yamcha.

"Yes, he's found it, I'm certain! Don't worry, Setsuna, reinforcements won't take much longer!"

Sailor Pluto nodded. "Thank you again, Kami! Farewell!"

Kami bowed politely as his long time friend disappeared into the swirling vortex. As soon as the glowing gateway vanished into the air, Kami sighed, still not liking the current state of things despite their luck in Piccolo's location of the probe. He could sense the titanic energies with his acute senses as well, and they were much larger than he had anticipated. And even with Pluto's increased strength, Kami wasn't sure if she and her friends would be able to contend against such evil.

"Hang on, Setsuna," he whispered gently. "Please don't die on me, old friend..."

* * *

Gohan stepped slowly across the field surrounding Capsule Corporation. His mom and his other friends were already enjoying themselves over near the complex, but he couldn't bring himself to bask in the festive mood. He couldn't keep his mind off of his father. It had been months since his father had vanished into the depths of space after escaping the explosion of Namek, and he had still not returned. Gohan had lost count on how many times he had wished upon the stars for his dad to return home.

Gohan stood in the fields, looking up at the clouds, imagining that his father was descending from the heavens with a warm smile on his face, eager to greet the family he had not seen for so long. But those visions didn't last, as they were quickly replaced by the dismal images of an uncertain past: he had last seen his dad when he had risen from the boiling lava of Namek, and the determined Super Saiyan had told him to leave while he finished Frieza. He could still remember his father's expression before he had turned and flown back toward the Capsule Corporation ship: anger, rage, and determination, all focused on Frieza. It had been something that Gohan had never seen in his father, who was usually a happy, go-lucky free spirit. Frieza's cruelty had done something to him, something that not even Goku himself could fathom. When he wasn't off training in his obsession to become a Super Saiyan, Vegeta had explained the legend of the Super Saiyan to them, but words and legends couldn't express the power that Gohan had felt when his dad had transformed. He had felt his blood race and his hair stand on end when he looked at his father, like his power was touching every being around him. But it wasn't just the rage against Frieza that had caused such a sensation, it was something else conflicting inside Goku himself, as if his soul was...changing, trying to battle between two completely different personalities.

That power did it to him. It was a power of a killer, not a protector like him. It was a power that he didn't want...didn't want to have to use. He might be a Saiyan, but he's not a ruthless killer like Vegeta. He doesn't kill...doesn't fight unless others are in danger...why did you have to fight, dad? Why did you have to become so close to the ruthless Saiyan tyrant you never wanted to be? Why did life have to put you through so much...?

Gohan sighed, knowing he would never be sure of the answer, even if his father returned. Life would not wait, not even for a Super Saiyan. And indeed, life was slowly settling back to normal now. He was back in studies, Krillin and Bulma were back to their usual lives, and the ones they had wished back from the dead were also enjoying their own peaceful existences.

Piccolo had become a bit more of a recluse in the times of peace, but Gohan got to see him occasionally when his mother's attention was elsewhere, and he always had a blast sparring with his mentor, even if Piccolo almost always beat him. The Namek had started smiling a lot more lately when his student was around, showing less traits of the callous assassin that Gohan had seen so much during their first year of training together. In a way, Gohan had begun feeling the same sensation of warmth from his teacher that his father had given him for all of his life. Whether Piccolo had tried to comfort him in such a way because of his dad's absence, 'that was for him to know,' he had said with a devilish smirk.

With a quick slew of cover stories and a bit of convincing to explain his extended absence, Yamcha had been able to return to his position on the Tokyo Titans baseball team, not to mention the money that came with it. With a permanent job landed, all he had to worry about was how to sustain relationship with Bulma all while keeping his training up. Since returning from King Kai's, he seemed to have found a new lease on life, with the added strength reinforcing his fighting spirit ten fold. He seemed to be training more than ever, trying to become a powerful warrior. For this cause, he'd taken up a partnership with Tenshinhan and spent most of his free time crashing with him and Chaozu, learning some of the mystical arts from the veteran fighter. It had improved him to a great extent - he was beginning to master techniques that would impress even Piccolo and Bulma.

As for Tenshinhan, he was training as hard as he ever did, trying to combine a life of survival in the wild with mastery of the fighting arts, making himself stronger for the sake of the planet. He had demonstrated some amazing techniques to Gohan and the others, the result of countless hours on he training grounds, not to mention his training with King Kai. But under the rough, solemn exterior, there had always existed a heart of gold.

Gohan himself felt a bit overwhelmed as he looked back on his past experiences. He never thought his crazy adventures would end - from being kidnapped by Radditz to narrowly escaping the burning Namek, it had been a thrill ride the whole way. It was certainly no way for an ordinary human kid to grow up, but then again, he was far from being an ordinary human kid.

"Hey, Gohan," a gentle voice said from behind. Gohan's memories of the past began to fade as turned around and came face to face with Chaozu, Tenshinhan's best friend. A placid soul, he was certainly not to be underestimated by his looks - he almost exactly resembled a porcelain doll; Gohan loved to rag him about it - and by his size. Even though he was only as tall as Gohan was, he was one of the most powerful fighters on the planet. He was wearing his usual sky blue tank top and baggy green training pants. He and Gohan had spent much time together since the Namek epic, mostly because they were sharing memories of Gohan's father and found that both of them had a lot in common. Nowadays, there wasn't a moment that went by when the two weren't doing something together. Next to Krillin, Chaozu had become one of Gohan's best friends.

"Oh, hey, Chaozu, what's up?" Gohan smiled.

"Same old, same old, really, but I saw you standing here by yourself in the field and thought something was wrong. Are you thinking of your dad again?"

Gohan sighed. He couldn't fool Chaozu's perceptive mind, no matter how hard he tried. "I know it's been a year, Chaozu, but I can't get my mind off of him. I'm not even sure if he's alive anymore, it's just been so long. Isn't he ever going to come back?"

Chaozu chuckled a little bit. "Oh, come on, Gohan. You more than anybody should know that your dad is okay. I mean, look at all he's been through: more battles than any fighter we know, escaping enemies in the spirit realm, defeating the most horrible warriors in the Universe, and living through the destruction of a planet! If there's one person that can survive the depths of space, it's Goku."

Gohan slowly began to laugh along with Chaozu. His friend's words had lifted some of the weight from his shoulders, and Gohan found that the small warrior was as good as ever at raising his spirits during his low points. But still, even if they were just comforting words, Chaozu was right. His dad had literally been through the pits of Hell and back again while living to tell about it. And still, he had managed to raise a happy family in between. He had also managed to keep his golden heart through it all, and that was incredibly difficult for a lifetime fighter like his dad to accomplish.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, but it's just that I'm...worried about what he's become."

Chaozu arched an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Before I left my dad on Namek, I sensed something...different...in him. It was just blind rage, like a savage animal. That Super Saiyan power...Vegeta talks about it like it's the greatest accomplishment ever to be reached by a Saiyan, but I'm afraid that attaining that level of power has distorted his soul, changing him into that bloodthirsty monster that Vegeta was when he came to Earth. I've never seen my dad that angry before...and nobody else has either. Chaozu, could Vegeta have been right? Could that Saiyan blood be overpowering his mind?"

Chaozu placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder. "Gohan, I might not understand Saiyan philosophy completely, but I know that your father and the Goku we knew before all this still exists underneath that raging glare you saw in him. I've known Goku for a long time, and believe me, he's too good to change into another Vegeta."

"You really think so?"

"Of course! Besides, as I was watching the battle from King Kai's, Goku was even hesitant to kill Frieza, and he spared his life twice! Nobody could ever do that for someone as cold-hearted as Frieza. His reluctance at killing during that whole epic proves that his human side still exists, and it by far outclasses his Saiyan blood that Vegeta's bragged about so much."

"...Thanks, Chaozu," Gohan patted his good friend on the shoulder with a smile. "You still know how to make me feel better. Now I know my dad's okay, and I have a feeling he'll be back really soon!"

"Don't mention it, Gohan," Chaozu returned the grin. "Now let's get back to the others. I think the food is about ready."

However, as Gohan began trotting across the field, he immediately felt a strong ki approaching from the west. It was a force that Gohan could never forget: Piccolo was coming, and at maximum speed from the look of it. Piccolo never flew at that speed unless something was wrong...really wrong.

"You feel that?" Chaozu asked. He had apparently sensed Piccolo's approaching power as well, and he was quite familiar with Piccolo's calm and collected attitude. He knew something was amiss. "I wonder what he's doing here? He's never come to our gatherings before..."

Before Gohan could answer his friend, he saw the glowing form of his mentor descend from the clear sky and land right in front of them. Chaozu was thrown to the ground as a result of Piccolo's high-speed landing while Gohan held strong. He stared up at the green face of Piccolo, realizing by his shortness of breath and worried gaze that something was definitely something ominous brewing on Earth

"P-Piccolo! What's wrong??" Gohan asked.

"Gohan, something from space has crash-landed in the valley!" Piccolo huffed as he recovered from his long flight. Wherever he had come from, he had come in a great rush. "It's a pod...an alien space pod..."

Gohan gasped, visions of the space pod belonging to Vegeta emerging in his mind. "A space pod?! Was there anyone inside of it??"

Piccolo shook his head, bringing a good bit of relief to Gohan's mind. "No, it wasn't a passenger ship, but it was covered with mechanical devices. I'm not sure who or what it was meant for, so I came here to see if I could get some answers from Bulma. She's seems to be the master of technology out of all of us."

Gohan nodded, his gut slightly twisting with the news. From Piccolo's description, the strange space object sounded like some kind of probe. And with all the hostile aliens they had encountered over the past few years, any kind of device that could've given some demonic tyrant the location of their unsuspecting planet was worth investigating...and destroying if necessary. Fortunately, Bulma was their technological ace even with unknown devices.

"Yes, I'm sure she'll be able to tell us something about what you found," he replied. "Let's head back and tell them right away!"

"I don't think that will be necessary, look!" Chaozu motioned to the far side of the field, where Gohan spotted the rest of the gathered friends - including his mother and Bulma - approaching at a quick pace, evidently curious about the Namek warrior's sudden intrusion of their reunion. Tenshinhan, Yamcha, and Krillin were there as well, and fortunately, Vegeta was nowhere to be seen. Gohan sighed gratefully for one bit of good news in this dangerous situation: if Vegeta remained unaware of Piccolo's discovery, then he couldn't take advantage of the device should it have contained destructive secrets.

As Gohan waited for the others to reach them, he looked up at the iron face of Piccolo, who was staring slit-eyed at the grassy field, deep in thought at the current turn of events. Gohan couldn't blame him - this occurrence was even more unexpected than Garlic Junior's sudden takeover of Kami's shrine, and it was nearly as critical that decisive action be taken quickly, lest the object turn out to be the trigger to Earth's doom.

* * *

She supposed that it could've been a probe, and it certainly one of the more colorful designs that Bulma had ever seen - the bright white outer plating of the spherical device was covered from top to bottom by rainbow-colored lights and some kind of sensor pads. The most intriguing feature about the alien orb was the bright blue crystal that glimmered silently from atop of its mechanical bearer. She couldn't help but stare at it, not believing that she slightly thought of this machine as exquisite in its dormant state.

The awestruck but wary stares of the others seemed to echo her opinion.

"Like a work of art in its own way," Tenshinhan broke the silence first, even his smooth demeanor slightly disturbed by such an abrupt discovery.

"There's actually someone who's more smitten with machinery than Bulma," Yamcha teased. Fortunately for him, she was too busy examining the artifact to spare a few seconds for a slap across his face. "Enough to give it this regal appearance..."

"I don't even think the technology we saw aboard Frieza's ship came close to this stuff," Gohan added with amazement.

"I hear you, little buddy," Krillin agreed. "Frieza and his goons were still using buttons and normal material in their devices. Whatever this thing is, it's far beyond even Frieza's most advanced technology. And assuming that Frieza did possess the most sophisticated technology in the universe..."

The implications were tremendous, even scary to Bulma's mechanical mind. From what Gohan had told them of their battle against Frieza, she had learned that the evil tyrant far outclassed Earth's industrial technology by a long shot. In her own opinion, this type of design probably wasn't too far from Frieza's reach. The conclusion made Bulma's blood chill slightly, horrible visions of Frieza's remaining soldiers tracking them to Earth with the probe...striking down vengefully at the ones who had killed their master...

"Bulma?" Gohan's gentle voice thawed the ice, bringing Bulma out of her nightmarish delusions. "Can you tell us anything about it?"

Bulma gazed up at the inactive probe on the hillside. "I...suppose I could if I fiddled around with it..." she answered with trepidation. "But there's no way I'm going up to that thing alone, somebody's got to protect me in case it's booby-trapped!"

"I'll go up there with--" Gohan suddenly cut off as Chichi's hand clamped onto his shoulder like a vice. From the disappointed and helpless look on the Saiyan hybrid's face and the steel, unbreakable glare on Chichi's, she gathered that Gohan wasn't going anywhere near that object.

"Aw, mom..." he pouted.

"I'll head up with her," Yamcha quickly volunteered. "I'm one of the fastest here. If something goes off, I'll be able to get her out of there in an instant."

Bulma flashed a rare smile toward her boyfriend before Yamcha began escorting her up the grassy hill toward the humming probe. Yamcha sidled up a few feet ahead, slowly reaching a hand out and touching the metal hull while Bulma remained a short distance back, watching Yamcha with extreme anxiety. She didn't want some kind of security trap to send him back to the Netherworld just after she'd gotten him back. His face and some of his exposed arm muscles tensed, and Bulma recognized from his training sessions with Tenshinhan that he was scanning for any ki energy lying inside the pod that she was incapable of detecting. His hand moved slowly across the casing until it came upon the sensor pads. Bulma felt herself draw in a sharp breath as Yamcha's hand gradually came to rest on the pads. Fortunately, as the seconds ticked by, there was no further activity from the probe except for the humming circuitry.

Yamcha let out a breath of relief as he waved Bulma up the hill with his free hand. Gulping nervously, Bulma began a slow climb up the small hill, and after what seemed like an eternity, she found herself in front of the probe.

"I don't detect any dormant ki within this thing," Yamcha whispered to her, slowly taking his hand away from the sensor pads. "But I'll be able to shield you should something go wrong. Good luck, Bulma."

Bulma brushed some of her thick sky-blue hair out of her face before kneeling down to inspect the pad-covered control panel.

"Let's see..." she mumbled to herself, weighing out her options. After several moments of studying the array of brightly colored pads, she had to honestly tell herself that she had to make some guesses. Bulma hesitantly tapped a few of the pads, and as she was racking her brain on what to do next, a bright glow from above startled her, throwing her onto her back with a yelp.

"What the...?!" She heard Yamcha gasp. Looking up, Bulma saw that the once sea blue crystal sticking out of the probe's top had started to flash through a different series of colors, turning from blue to red to green to orange and back to blue in a matter of seconds.

As Bulma pushed herself off of the grass, she heard the others come charging up the hill to protect them from what could've been a booby trap.

"Strange..." Tenshinhan muttered softly. "It's not ki energy at all...it appears to be just some kind of reaction caused by the machine's circuitry. Maybe those pads you activated set it off and triggered the crystal?"

"Well, they're definitely connected somehow," Bulma declared. "Give me a few more minutes with this baby. If we can get enough power flowing to this crystal, we might find out what this thing's for."

More relaxed with the protection of the others, Bulma resumed her experimentation with the control panel, randomly pressing the pads and making note of which ones affected the color change of the crystal the most. Suddenly, after completing another series of commands through the sensors, the crystal began to spark, releasing a few small bolts of electricity into the air.

"Watch out!" Chaozu shouted. "What in the world is...?"

Everyone - Bulma included - began to step back as the color changing patterns came to a head, and the crystal finally settled on a gold aura that was so bright that Bulma had to shield her eyes to keep from being blinded.

When the blinding light dissipated and Bulma opened her eyes, she gasped at the sight before her.

The crystal's individual sides had separated, blossoming opening like a small flower. From the center of the crystal, a bright orb of golden light shot into the air, hovering just a few feet above the probe. After several more tense moments of waiting, the glowing ball flattened out and grew in size into the shape of a large screen of gold haze that started crackling out some faint sounds of static.

"What do you make of it, Bulma?" Krillin eyed the screen with suspicion, ready to power up at a moment's notice to protect the others.

"I don't think it's hostile..." she hypothesized as she studied the haze. "Judging from the screen's appearance and the audio program, I'd venture that this is some kind of recording and playback device."

"Looks like it's broken though," Yamcha observed. "I don't think that somebody sent a probe fifty billion light years for us to listen to this garble."

Suddenly, as if on cue, the gold haze began to clear, and the audio systems of the probe tuned out the static. Everybody watched with cautious earnest as a picture revealed itself, and Bulma was at a loss for words at what she saw.

They were looking at the elegantly crafted marble balcony of some kind of palace or castle that was overlooking a clear, starry night. The moon was full in its entire splendor, casting a dim glow onto the surroundings. The balcony was overlooking some kind of city, and though much of it was shaded by the darkness of night, Bulma could tell that a few of the buildings bore similar technology - sensor pads, brightly colored metal - to the probe sitting in front of them. The scarier and more horrific side to the otherwise picturesque scene was the fact that many of the buildings that they saw were in ruins, either reduced to rubble or burning away in a raging fire. The sounds sent chills down Bulma's spine as well - men yelling out orders, war cries being shouted, bloody screams of dying people, and other strange noises that sounded like energy discharges similar to their own techniques.

"What in the world happened here...?" A mortified Krillin gasped at the destruction.

Suddenly, the camera turned slightly to focus on a beautiful woman looking out over the balcony. She was dressed regally in a long flowing silver gown with makeup and her hair done up in two buns. Despite the graceful appearance however, the woman seemed deeply saddened as she gazed in despair at the destruction below in the city.

"I have a feeling that we're about to find out, Krillin," Bulma replied as the woman turned her deep blue eyes toward the camera.

"Greetings, warriors of Earth's past," she politely bowed her head. "Forgive the suspicious and alarming means by which I have sent this message to you, but it was imperative that I deliver this as soon as possible. Allow me to introduce myself. I am NeoQueen Serenity, ruler of the newly formed kingdom of Crystal Tokyo in the thirtieth century of Earth's history."

Bulma was stunned. This message was from the future, Earth's future no less!

"You may realize that this world may seem totally different from the Earth you currently know, and I'm sure you have many questions as to the reason for this message. But first, allow me to explain what has happened to my kingdom. You see, long ago, a cataclysmic event occurred that nearly wiped out this entire planet and its inhabitants. Using our power, my friends and I, the princesses of the planets, were able to save Earth from total destruction, creating Crystal Tokyo out of the ruins, a city where we would begin a new existence on Earth, rebuilding the planet into a peaceful realm."

"A cataclysm...?" Gohan arched an eyebrow. "What could it have been? Why couldn't we protect the planet when it came?"

"I doubt we would've had much effect on such a matter, Gohan," Tenshinhan answered him. "Besides, it could have taken place far into the future, long after all of us have died."

"Ever since the completion of this city, we have had to deal with enemy threats. If it weren't for the efforts of my friends, and myself this world would be consumed by evil. However, now a new enemy has settled over this world like a plague, killing my people and ravaging our land for seemingly no reason at all as you can see from these ruins. All of our efforts to repel or reason with this new threat have failed miserably. Even my sacred power is futile to stop such a massive invasion..."

"An enemy more powerful than a savior of Earth...?" Gohan said in disbelief. "I thought only Frieza possessed that type of power..."

Bulma nodded in agreement, noticing that Serenity was becoming a bit overwhelmed with emotion and despair, and Bulma could easily tell that she fighting back a flood of heartbroken tears.

"...Our losses are becoming worse by the day, with our fighting forces down to a minimal, many innocent people being slaughtered, and most of our cities either decimated or occupied. With the grim state of our world, I have sent this probe back to all of you, ones that - as I have learned - possess the same type of energy and martial arts techniques as our rivals, and the ones with enough power to help us win back our planet. I am asking you, no, I am begging you to please assist us in defeating these dark warriors before my entire world, our entire world is reduced to nothing but a corpse-infested wasteland."

The message seemed to hit home for the warriors all at once; most of them had bewildered looks of surprise on their faces.

"I would not be making this request unless the straits were this dire, and I know that what I am asking is selfish and nearly impossible, especially after all of the battles you've been through in the past. If you choose not to aid in our fight to survive, I will understand. But if you do, go and meet with the guardian of your planet and he will inform you about how to come forward in time to this era, where you will join up with our forces to battle back against the demonic invaders..."

Bulma watched on as a single crystal tear slid down the queen's porcelain cheek. "...I will wait for your response to this message...for now...farewell..."

Serenity slowly turned her head away as the message faded out into static once again, leaving the crowd aghast and silent. Nobody took his or her eyes off of the screen's gold ocean picture for several minutes, all of them absorbing the disturbing turn of events for their planet's future.

Finally, after moments of tense stillness, Gohan stepped forward, his gaze hardening into one of bold determination. As the group anxiously awaited the young Saiyan hybrid's reaction, Gohan uttered one statement that brought out all of his emotion toward the crisis. Bulma knew that it was coming the whole time, and at the moment he said it, she knew that the other fighters had come to the same conclusion regarding the situation.

"The destruction of an innocent kingdom...a loving queen...our world...never! I'll never allow it to happen! Never!!"