The aftermath of the Dragon Team's resistance against Beerus was remarkably light. Due to the fact that only Gohan had truly managed to make Beerus move, the battle had been focused mostly around the Tenkaichi Budōkai arena. To be fair, that was destroyed, but MatterWaves were one-hundred percent renewable, and the arena could be fixed within no time. Due to that, it was of a low priority. Mr. Satan, Bulma, and the Tenkaichi Budōkai Announcer were currently speaking amongst each other; many patrons in the audience had collapsed under the sheer force of Beerus' ki. Or, rather, those who didn't have the will to withstand it were completely suppressed.
Regardless of the mechanics behind it, the Tenkaichi Budōkai would be dealing with legal issues if they didn't do something about the masses of unconscious Earthlings and aliens within the audience. Those who were still conscious denied any interest in leaving. They had, after all, already paid. If there was a way to see the matches through to their finish, they'd want to see it, so leaving before anything was confirmed was pointless in their eyes. It would be at this point where many people would have considered staying in the same area as a deranged god to be lunacy, but one must never underestimate the stubbornness of a paying customer.
While Bulma, Mr. Satan, and the Announcer dealt with their issues, the Dragon Team had gathered around Chi-Chi and the unconscious Pen. Gohan was cradling his unconscious daughter, watching the child as if staring intently would revive her consciousness. The important thing is that she's breathing... Gohan thought to himself. Pen, Papa is sorry for not being back quicker...! Sitting next to her husband on one of the benches was Erasa, her wounds healed via Earth's amazing new medicines. The entire group had recovered via the synthesised Senzu medications Bulma had produced, though their spirits were still broken. Medicine couldn't help with that.
"Sweetie, I'm so sorry," Chi-Chi placed a hand on her eldest son's shoulders. "She broke free and I couldn't bring her back in time...!"
"Mother, you're not at fault," replied Gohan, smiling weakly at his haggard-looking mother. "Do you think that I'd believe for a second you'd place Pen in danger, or even blame you for it? She's a Saiyan too, after all. It can't be helped." Gently ruffling Pen's messy blonde hair, he sighed. "The situation really has taken a turn for the worst, hasn't it?"
"Did you and Father come up with something?" inquired Erasa.
"F-Father?" stammered Chi-Chi. "Certainly not Marque, right? Did you see my Gokū?!"
"Yeah," replied the blonde woman. "Father showed up to the Kaiōshin Realm — I know he's amazing, but I don't think you're supposed to be able to do that — after Gohan lost to Beerus for the first time."
"It was my blunder," Gohan replied, with only a slight bitter edge to his voice. "The martial artist side of me wanted to test how strong I'd become against him so badly, I lost sight of the difference between our abilities." Scratching the back of his head, he couldn't help but chuckle at his own foolishness. "I really am like Father at certain points, aren't I?"
"Did you see Kuririn with him?" No. 18 asked. It was a quiet request, but the pleading was there. Erasa and Gohan shook their heads somberly, and No. 18 understood quickly. Her late husband wasn't with Gokū then. It was...a disheartening answer.
"While we're bringing this up, why did the Kaiōshin summon you?" Gotenks asked curiously. "It isn't every day we humans get a divine summons, is it?"
Piccolo nodded in agreement. "I'm curious in spite of myself. Lord Kaiōshin specifically summoned you two, after all."
"Well," Erasa reached into her outfit's chest area, and pulled out a set of glimmering earrings, identical to the two that Gohan wore on his ears. She held them up for the group at large to see, and they shone in the sunlight. "Lord Kaiōshin gave me these — the same earrings that Gohan wears — and asked the two of us to take up his position as Kaiōshin."
"What?!"
"Gods?!"
"The two of you?!"
Surprise prickled the entire group, with an audible gasp escaping Videl's mouth. Chi-Chi, on the other hand, looked strangely nostalgic. "He offered you a godly position, did he?" She placed both hands together, and it was clear her mind was going somewhere else. "Don't that just take me back? When my Gokū had just won the Tenkaichi Budōkai, the old God asked if he wanted to take up the position. He'd offered us the positions of God and Goddess...but you know Gokū. There's always an adventure around the corner, so he shot him down...and we had a whirlwind of excitement and romance, until it was time to settle down, after all."
"Mother...please stop," implored Gotenks, more than keen not to hear more about the early days of his half-mother's marriage any more than he needed to.
"You don't like the sound of it?" asked Videl, nudging an elbow into Gotenks' side. The fused fighter flushed crimson, but didn't answer — the half of him that was Goten obviously working towards his better judgement of not making a pass at Videl while they were fused. Videl giggled, and Gohan and Erasa let out the first true laugh they'd had in the past hour.
"Still, to think that they asked you to become gods..." Yamcha said, his voice brimming with amazement. "What did you two say?"
"We turned it down, of course," said Gohan quickly. "We've got our lives to consider here, after all. But he never took the invitation off of the table, so Erasa kept those Potara — the earrings," he added in response to the bewilderment on the faces of his family and friends.
Abruptly, cutting across any possible conversation, Gotenks began to glow brightly. He blinked, and found himself split apart forcefully, Goten and Trunks reforming from the shining mess. The two of them looked at each other, shaking their heads. "I could have sworn we would have been stuck like that for another ten minutes." said Goten.
"I guess fighting Lord Beerus — and getting the following beating — still did wear down the fusion," noted Trunks. He wondered if there was a way to improve the time duration of the Fusion technique, but decided to save possible improvements to their fighting style until whether or not they were sure that this all wasn't borrowed time.
"While we're waiting...what is Bulma's plan?" wondered Videl.
"She intends to use the Dragon Balls," supplied Qirka. "My Mistress had been planning to offer them as a prize for whoever had won the Tenkaichi Budōkai. A bonus prize."
"Dragon Balls on top of prize money," muttered No. 18. Ten years ago, I would have been excited at that, she thought. Her thoughts turned to Kuririn, and the cyborg woman's eyes began to burn. To think that this entire planet would be joining him all because of one temperamental god who couldn't handle a raving lunatic.
As silence fell upon the group again, it sat, saturating among them for several minutes more. It was only a suddenly, soft voice that woke the group from their pensiveness. The young girl Gohan was holding in his arms began to stir, and she opened her eyes, blinking slowly. "Pa...pa? Ma...ma?" Pen smiled weakly at her parents.
"Pen!" Gohan, Erasa, and Chi-Chi all wrapped Pen in a smothering embrace, only easing up when the child urged them to.
"I'm sorry, sweetie," said Gohan. "Papa showed up too late...!"
"Mama and Papa are here now, so you're safe," said Erasa, "But you shouldn't have left Grandma's side, you know that?"
"I know..." replied the four-year old. "But Uncle Goten was being pulled by the mean kitty...I wanted to help!"
"When you're older, you can," Gohan said. "You scared us both, Pen. I'm surprised Beerus held back at all." Every breath between him and Erasa at this point was a sigh of relief. Their precious daughter was still alive, and at this point, they couldn't ask for more than that. It gave them a moment to relax, however briefly. "Speaking of...where did Beerus go, while we're waiting on Bulma?"
"Downstairs to the food court," replied Yamcha. "At least that's where Bulma directed him to go eat while she sorted a few things out. To be honest, she should be coming back any moment now."
As if summoned on Yamcha's cue, a voice blasted through a megaphone. The entire group recognised it as Bulma, who was standing at the tip of a newly refurbished arena. She was calling to them, and the entire group stood up, Pen clinging to her father. "Well...I suppose now is as good a time as any. Let's go see if Shénlóng can bring out this Super Saiyan God."
Standing in the centre of the Tenkaichi Budōkai, Bulma laid out all seven of the Dragon Balls onto the refurbished tiles. The blood-crimson spheres shone on the sunlight, reflecting it beautifully, as if Bulma had placed a multitude of rubies out into the open. Their black stars emitted a dark light; mixing in with the soft red varnish, the Dragon Balls were as handsome as they'd ever been. The Tenkaichi Budōkai audience waited in the wings; they were determined to see whatever this was through to the end, and the Dragon Team had reconsidered trying to forcibly evict them. The Earthlings needed a chance to grow as a species, and as nascent members of the galactic community. What better way than this chance now?
Whis and Beerus landed neatly onto the tiles next to the group, Beerus holding an ice cream cone with several scoops, while Whis himself was holding a glass bowl of an ice cream sundae. Perhaps they'd heard Bulma's summons?
"I have no idea what you call this, but it is simply delicious!" Whis said after swallowing a spoonful of the stuff. "It's such a rich, burst of flavour but the freezing, creamy texture adds a burst that I just can't resist!"
Beerus nodded in agreement, slurping the ice cream from the cone eagerly. "I don't know how the Earthlings do it but even their desserts are superb! Whis, get the recipe before we leave!" His eyes diverted towards the shimmering spheres, narrowing. "So...those are the wish orbs, are they? They certainly look different from the ones on Namek."
"Yes," replied Whis, pulling out another spoonful of ice cream. "I've never seen the wish orbs look quite like those before."
"Go ahead, Bulma," said Gohan. "You had the Dragon Balls, so you may as well do it."
Bulma breathed, walking forward and spreading both arms, bandaged or otherwise, over the seven-set orbs. "Come forth, Shénlóng! And grant my wish!"
At the uttering of his summoning, the sky darkened and thunder rumbled at lightning crashed. The Dragon Balls shone brightly – their light to be blood in the form of photons – and the light exploded in a burst. The red light rose high into the air, moving akin to a snake as it did so. It breached the clouds, but did not part them, and the serpentine form spread throughout. Wind gushed and blasted through the stadium, leaving the Earthlings in utter awe. The red energy coiled and swam the clouds, finally taking the elongated, gigantic form of Shénlóng.
The Earthlings and their extraterrestrial fellows in the audience gasped. The summoning had been a marvel, but the spectacle of seeing Shénlóng in all of his majesty rocked them harder. To those who lived in Satan City, however, the form of Shénlóng was something they knew very well.
It was the same Dragon God that had allowed their city to exist in the first place.
When Shénlóng spoke, his voice matched the thunderclap. "YOU, WHO GAVE GATHERED THE SEVEN DRAGON BALLS! STATE YOUR WI—" Shénlóng's vision fell on Beerus, and his words stopped short. "HAKAISHIN BEERUS? THIS…THIS IS A SURPRISE. WHAT BRINGS YOU TO OUR PLANET, MY LORD?" While he remained composed, there was a trace of trepidation in the Dragon's voice.
"Oh?" the Hakaishin was surprised to see the dragon give him such profound respect, even if it was born from the smallest of fear. "Colour me surprised; someone on this wayward rock that understands my position. No need to be worried, Dragon. Your friends here have a question for you, don't they? So get on with it."
It took a certain amount of self-control for Gohan not to flash the god a look of contempt. His peaceful tolerance had vanished the moment the Hakaishin struck his family, but he had to bear it. His memory serves him well enough that he hadn't forgotten two defeats within the same day.
"How do I word this…?" Bulma muttered.
Piccolo stepped forward, taking the lead himself. "Shénlóng…Lord Beerus has come to our planet in search of something known as the Super Saiyan God. Can you bring him here?"
Shénlóng was silent for a moment, deliberating. With his vast abilities, he searched the cosmos. "NO. I CANNOT BRING THE SUPER SAIYAN GOD HERE — SUCH A THING DOES NOT EXIST, AT LEAST AS OF NOW."
"…as of now?" Gohan repeated the words over. "Does that mean one can be brought into existence?"
"YES," replied Shénlóng. He was showing remarkable patience compared to his usual attitude, likely due to the presence of Beerus. Normally, he would have threatened to leave. "IS YOUR FIRST WISH TO KNOW OF THE SUPER SAIYAN GOD'S CREATION?"
"Please," said Bulma.
"IN THE DISTANT PAST, BEFORE THE SAIYANS HAD TAKEN PLANET VEGETA AS THEIR OWN, THEY RAN RAMPANT ACROSS THE PLANET, DISPLAYING WANTON CRUELTY." Shénlóng began to explain, keeping everyone's attention with this abrupt history lesson. "TO MANY OF THEIR KIND, THIS WAS NATURAL. HOWEVER, ONE SAIYAN, WITH A BAND OF OTHERS, OPPOSED THE CRUELTY OF HIS RACE. THE FIRST OF WHAT WOULD BE CALLED 'SUPER SAIYANS', THIS SAIYAN TOOK IN THE LIGHT OF HIS FIVE COMRADES, AND THE SUPER SAIYAN GOD CAME TO BE."
"...the...light?" Erasa blinked. "This Saiyan took in the light of his comrades?"
"ONLY BY FIVE RIGHTEOUS SAIYANS INFUSING THEIR LIGHT INTO A SIXTH RIGHTEOUS SAIYAN, CAN THE SUPER SAIYAN GOD BE BORN." said Shénlóng.
"Five Saiyans who infuse their 'light' into another?" mused Tenshinhan. "By light, I assume he means ki? If it's five Saiyans with an additional as a focal point..."
"...then we need six," concluded Gohan. "Six Saiyans in total with righteous hearts."
"That's going to be an issue, isn't it?" asked Videl. She counted their Saiyan team members off on her hand. "We have Gohan, Goten, Trunks, and little Pen. We've short two Saiyans, aren't we?" She was right, of course; even with all four Saiyans — and given their partial-human nature, 'Saiyan' could be arguable — they were missing two Saiyans to create this supposed 'Super Saiyan God'.
"We...might be able to get a fifth member quickly," said Gohan. "Piccolo, can you contact Dende? I'll need him to get in touch with Lord Kaiō. He might be able to do something to help us."
"You need to learn telepathy for yourself, Gohan," Piccolo admonished. "Even Gokū can do it, and it might come in handy." Regardless, he focused his mind towards the Heavenly Realm, sending his thoughts directly towards the young Nameccian that their planet called 'God'.
"Dende. Dende, can you hear me?" Piccolo inquired. "It's Piccolo. Gohan needs you to establish a mental link with Lord Kaiō."
After a brief moment, Dende's own thoughts were projected back.
"Piccolo? Sure, I can, but…is it because of what I fear?"
"Yes," replied Piccolo. "I'm not surprised you sensed it, God as you are now. It is Lord Beerus, the Hakaishin. He's got a request and we need Kaiō, so please."
After a quick affirmation from the young God, the silence resumed. It was only brief, and the voice of Kaiō rang out clearly for all those present to hear.
"Piccolo! After I so clearly warned you, did you go as far as to let someone anger Lord Beerus?!"
The irritation in his voice was clear, and Piccolo had no snappy retort, unable to respond with his usual wit. Gohan, however, was quick to cut in.
"Lord Kaiō! My name is Son Gohan! We've never met, but you know my father and my mentor! I need to ask you – is there any way to revive my father temporarily? He came back seven years ago for a day! Can we do that a second time? If not, Lord Beerus will destroy the whole planet!"
The Northern Kaiō deliberated.
"I don't know. The rules of death aren't bent so easily.
Your Dragon Balls are one of the few things in the mortal realm that can do it – among others – but we can't snap out fingers and bring your father back.
A twenty-four hour revival is a rare privilege and it takes a century before the dead body becomes compatible with the living energy Enma can supply."
Right out of the gate, Gohan felt like his suggestion might be dashed. To revive his father would have given them a fifth Saiyan…then they would just need one more. "Can you ask Enma, Lord Kaiō? Tell him about Lord Beerus if you have to, but please, we need this to work!"
"Alright, alright. Enma! It's me, Lord Kaiō of the Northern Galaxies! Respond!"
"It's like a giant phone call," muttered Erasa.
"With too many lines open," added Videl.
"Enma here, Lord Kaiō! It's been too long! How are you, sir?"
"Dead, but otherwise fine," quipped Kaiō. "Anyway, I'm not here for small talk. I'm connecting you through Earth's God to Son Gohan. See what he can do, Gohan."
"Lord Enma!" called out the Saiyan-half. "You know my father, Son Gokū?! Can you please give him a second twenty-four hour window? The situation is urgent!"
"Urgent?!" thundered Enma.
"Boy, do you know what you're asking?!
Your father still has another ninety years before I can supply more living energy to his body! No matter how urgent it is, I can't simply snap my fingers and send him down there!"
"Damn...!" Gohan's voice came out as a snarl, taking everyone aback. Before they could bask in their disappointment, however, Beerus stepped forward.
"Enma!" he called into the sky. "I know you remember me! How would you feel about judging another whole planet's population?"
Silence.
Another moment of stunned quietude.
"L-LORD BEERUS!" stammered Enma. "So terribly awkward to hear from you sir! I can see you've been hard at work, making my existence diffi-!"
The ogre caught his words, immediately trying to spin a different sentence.
"You've been condemning planets to destruction again, my Lord! It's been a pleasure, sir, to pick up after your work!"
"…can the flattery, it obviously isn't your strong suit," replied Beerus dryly. "Can you or can you not restore this Saiyan named 'Son Gokū' for that short time?"
"N-no, my Lord," replied Enma quietly. "I'm sorry but it is impossible…"
"Then go away," replied Beerus irritably. "You too, Northern Kaiō. We don't have need of gods who can't help!"
Had the discussion truly been over a phone, the entire arena would have heard a clicking noise as the ogre and guardian deity quickly excused themselves. The group was left in bitter silence, unable to formulate an idea. Beerus sighed. "Well, it seems your plan was a bust. I'll be destroying Earth then, and heading on home."
"DESTROYING THE PLANET?" Shénlóng exclaimed, surprised. "IS THAT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT? IF BRINGING SON GOKŪ BACK TO THIS PLANE OF EXISTENCE WILL SOLVE WHATEVER HAS GARNERED LORD BEERUS' ANGER, I CAN DO THAT. IS THAT YOUR SECOND WISH?"
In the string of telekinetic voices, the group had entirely forgotten that Shénlóng was waiting patiently for their second and third wishes. Gohan looked towards the gigantic, crimson dragon, eyes alight. "You can restore Father?!" Gohan gasped.
"FOR TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, THAT IS A TRIFLE," replied Shénlóng. His eyes flashed with bright light, and this light seemed to transfer itself towards the stadium. Within the light, a being took shape, and Gokū's figure soon came to be revealed. The deceased Saiyan stood among his friends for the first time in ten years, halo floating, beaming at them all.
"Hey, everyone!" He waved at them. "It's been awhile!"
The cries of "GOKŪ!" and "FATHER!" ranged through the ring. Everyone rushed to Gokū, crowing around the man who had once been their hope. Even now, long after he was dead, seeing Gokū arrive somehow put everyone at ease, even for the moment. The idea that Earth could be destroyed became very distant. Gokū couldn't help laughing, overwhelmed as he was by the love of his friends and family. "Hard to believe it's been ten years," grinned Gokū, staring at the group at large. "I saw Gohan and Erasa earlier but...wow, all of you! Goten! You look just like me! And Trunks! I feel like I'm getting déjà vu!" His eyes fell on the small blonde child standing next to Gohan and Erasa, and bent down.
"Well now...who are you?"
"I'm Son Pen!" said the little one proudly. "Who are you, big guy? You look like my uncle Goten!"
"Uncle Goten...?" Gokū looked over at his youngest son, then over towards Erasa and Gohan. "So that would make me...?"
The two nodded in affirmation, and Gokū grinned, placing a large hand on Pen's head and ruffling her hair. "I'm your Grandpa Gokū!"
"Grandpa Gokū?" Pen placed a finger to her chin, looking up at the man in slight bewilderment. "So...you're Papa's Papa? Like Mama's Papa is Grandpa Marque?"
"That's it!" replied Gokū cheerfully. "You're energetic and clever, aren't'cha?"
"You bet!" replied Pen proudly. Gokū lifted Pen up, the girl giggling the whole way, and placed her on his shoulder. Even though she could fly, her childish mind still found the simple idea of being lifted up by someone tall exciting, and she waved her arms eagerly. "I'm big now!" It was an adorable sight, and the two of them were bonding easily. In the middle of it all, Beerus cleared his throat. "As nice a reunion as I'm sure this all might be for you, I'm going to remind you all that I may not be on a tight schedule, but I don't like to be kept waiting. Quit stalling and bring forth the Super Saiyan God!"
"Oh yeah, you were lookin' for somethin' like that, weren't you?" asked Gokū casually. "Gohan, did you come up with a plan?"
Remembering that Gokū had quite literally been in another world during Shénlóng's explanation of the Super Saiyan God, and Gohan quickly relayed everything to his father in a way even Gokū could process. After managing to condense it into a minute-long explanation, Gokū only grinned. "So we need six Saiyans...and we're short one. even after reviving me? In that case, let's ask Enma is there are any righteous that he can bring back!" Keeping Pen steady on his shoulder — the young girl moving his arms like an aeroplane — he placed a finger to his forehead. It took only a moment for Gokū to establish a connection with Enma, bypassing the need for Dende and the Northern Kaiō.
"Hey! Enma! It's me, Gokū! Gohan updated you on everythin', right? You got any righteous Saiyans in the Afterlife? We could really use one!"
"Gokū?! How did you—?! Nevermind, this isn't the first time you've come back to life." the ogre sounded fatigued, and it was quite obvious he was stressing.
"I'm sorry, you'll find that there aren't many Saiyans that fit that qualification. The most you can hope for is one that is...not as nasty as the others."
"Yeah?" asked Gokū. "I mean, if Vegeta were alive, we'd probably have tried get his help, and I wouldn't have considered him 'righteous', y'know? So I suppose we won't be usin' any Saiyans from Hell, of course."
"There aren't any Saiyans left in Hell besides Vegeta anyway," replied Enma. "Your brother and the like have already been cleansed and reincarnated.
Your best hope would be a Saiyan in Heaven. There hasn't been any Saiyan besides you who has earned the privilege to keep their bodies.
You won't be so lucky as to find someone I can revive personally. But...there are a few Saiyans in Heaven...
and I think your best bet, personally...would be a Saiyan named Gine." He paused. "Interesting. According to my books, Gokū, she's your mother."
"My mother's in Heaven?!" Gokū exclaimed, almost stumbling back in shock. "I have a mother? Is my father there too?"
"Your father isn't," said the ogre. "Your mother was unique for a Saiyan. Not a killing to her name, I couldn't find a reason to send her to Hell with the rest of them.
Your father was different. Vegeta reminded me of him, actually; I gave him an option, and he actually took it. Your father is in purgatory, working his way towards Heaven."
"So she's our best option?" said Gokū thoughtfully, without much reaction to hearing of his father's fate. He'd formed an image of his Saiyan family after meeting Raditz, and his older brother had certainly tarnished any sort of mental idea that Gokū would have had of the Saiyan nuclear family. He'd imagined his father like Raditz, but worse, and his mother, whatever she was, was probably a wild woman. But if Enma said she'd wound up in Heaven, she must have been different from the other Saiyans. So bringing her back couldn't pose any issues. Bidding Enma farewell, Gokū turned to the group. "What do you say? Shénlóng's waitin', right?"
"Aren't you taking this too casually, Gokū?" inquired Piccolo sternly. "We're talking about reviving another Saiyan here, even briefly. Do you want to deal with that sort of trouble?"
"Can we afford to wait?" Tenshinhan cut across Piccolo. "I don't think that Lord Beerus is going to take much more deliberation, and even the dragon has been here awhile. We're running low on options, Piccolo."
"Tch..." The Nameccian groaned. She was right, but simply bringing a new Saiyan into the mix for the sake of keeping Beerus at bay? It didn't sit well with him. Though he had to admit, the thought of Earth being being destroyed on account of his reluctance sat with him even less well. They truly didn't have a choice. "Alright..."
"Shénlóng!" Gokū turned towards the dragon, calling out to it. "We're sorry for keeping you here, but I think you know the situation is a bit...risky right now, y'know?! There's a Saiyan called Gine! Can you bring her back to life for us?"
"TO RESTORE HER TO LIFE IS SIMPLE," replied Shénlóng. "I WILL RESTORE HER BODY AND SOUL AND BRING HER HERE." Shénlóng's eyes flashed a brilliant red, and in that moment, a female body began to form within the light that manifested itself on the tiles. Crouching down, her tail wrapped around her bare form, and the Saiyan woman looked up towards the group that she found herself before. When she spoke, her voice was soft and clear.
"Where...am I?"
With their third wish, Shénlóng had revived Gine.
A/N: Welp. This chapter, perhaps for the first time in ages, has me nervous. A lot of people despise Minus, and probably Gine along with it. The fact that I've included her at all will definitely earn the ire of a lot of people. But this is something I've wanted to do for awhile. Vegeta wouldn't work for the ritual right now, and neither would Bardock, to be honest. I do hope the one percent who doesn't hate Minus enjoys this chapter, and what will be coming. I'll keep this A/N short and sweet. As always, thanks to Demod20 for proofing this chapter. See you all soon!