Ten months. Age 785.
Ten months had passed since the climactic battle against the Super Saiyan God, Son Gohan, and the Hakaishin, Lord Beerus. The battle of gods had left its own imprint on Earth. Beyond the superficial damage caused to the planet — the mountain range that Beerus had dragged Gohan through had since been renamed the 'Divine Valley', due to the two hollowing it out so completely, and the global maps had been completely re-rendered — the Earthlings themselves had undergone a slight cultural shift. The patrons at the Tenkaichi Budōkai were not the only ones who had borne witness to the catastrophic battle that had occurred between the two deities. A global event, the Tenkaichi Budōkai had been broadcast across the globe.
Swiftly, news had spread, and the Earthlings became aware of this new, terrifying existence: the Hakaishin, Beerus. The King of Nations — no longer the original dog that had ruled during Gokū's lifetime, but his son — had moved to tighten security around all of the major Capitals, the Eastern, Northern, Western, and Central Capitals. Utilising the advanced technology at their disposal, a vast majority of it created by the Capsule Tower, the force-field generators that were deployed in case of emergencies found their strength more than quadrupled. Six years prior to Lord Beerus' arrival, the King's Guard had been decommissioned and restructured into what was now known as the Interplanetary Royal Defence Unit. This army consisted of nothing but the best soldiers trained to defend not only the King of Nations, but the planet of Earth as well, and served as the King's own guard in the case of interplanetary diplomacy. Combining ki and modern weaponry, the IRDU found many soldiers stationed at the Capitals in the wake of Lord Beerus' attack — merely another militaristic change that occurred as a bout of the deity's arrival.
Earth, ever popular as a spot for travelling extraterrestrials as it was, was evolving ever further as a hot spot. There were other planets in the galaxy with sentient life who knew of Beerus. Yet, more importantly, there were planets whose inhabitants knew of his temper, and thus found it amazing that this planet, which should have been destroyed, managed to stave off destruction. Bulma had already made a name for Earth by revolutionising the planet in little under a decade. But now, to those extraterrestrials who found themselves so terrified of Beerus, Earth was becoming more than a simple small ball of dirt and water that just happened to be a strong up and comer in the intergalactic neighborhood. It was becoming known as The Planet Beerus Spared.
What had started as a growing interest in martial arts exploded into a massive boom of popularity. Even with the introduction of ki, Earthlings had only really introduced it into their personal lives. Many would commute to work via flying, and used it even for simple tasks, such as navigating buildings. There was hardly a single "mundane" Earthling on the planet, beyond those who were simply too old to learn how to harness their ki properly, or the small minority that simply remained stubborn and set in their ways — a group of which the likes of Mr. Satan could consider himself a proud founding member. Earthlings of all kinds, however, are uncontrollably curious creatures, and the desire to learn and improve is ingrained within their genetic make-up. A truly staggering amount of Earth's people were now pursuing the path to martial arts — and yet they found themselves with a shortage of teachers.
Mercifully, necessity is the mother of innovation. For those who could not join the established schools, rival schools began to crop up — many of them idolising Son Gohan, who fought against Lord Beerus.
Balance must exist within all things, and for every positive, there is a negative. Beerus' arrival had only bolstered the interest in martial arts, yet in the furthest reaches of Earth's seedy underbelly, a cult was emerging, with the Hakaishin as their central figure. Officially known as the World Assemblies of Beerus Fellowship, the following of the cult was surprisingly large, standing at three-thousand members despite only forming two months after the incident. The strength of Beerus, an unknown entity that had appeared from virtually nowhere, had terrified the Earthlings on a level they'd not experienced before. And thus, the World Assemblies of Beerus Fellowship coped in the only way they could; forming an organisation with only the most questionable practises.
In only ten short months, the world of Earth was changing drastically. However, not all changes were on such a large scale. Some were much smaller.
Mount Paozu, East District 439
While the world changed around them, East District 439 was experiencing its own set of changes. The Shinma Dōjō, for the first time since its founding four years ago, was empty and barren in the absence of the master and her family. Hung on the door was a note that explained everything to its students:
To the students of Shinma,
It is difficult to explain, but I will be closing down the dojo for the time being. Circumstances have arisen that have shown me that I still have a lot to learn.
Even masters are still students at their core. But I believe this to be exactly what martial arts training is about;
training and education is the progressive discovery of our own ignorance. It was a difficult decision for me but I have realized I must stay true to the spirit of a martial artist.
To continue challenging my own ignorance and reach greater heights as a martial artist.
This will not be goodbye forever, and while I am away, I encourage you all to do the same. Continue to challenge your limits.
There may always be people who were born with more talent and who may be stronger by nature, but there is never an excuse for anyone to work harder than you can.
Go beyond and seek what lies beyond strength.
-Until we next meet, Son Erasa
The biggest changes to this residential distract, however, may have been its acquisition of two new residents. After her revival at the hands of Earth's Shénlóng, she elected to move in with her extended family. While initially displeased that another Saiyan would be part of their family, Chi-Chi soon found herself attached to Gine, after realising that the latter was completely unlike Vegeta or Gokū in terms of disposition. Even more surprisingly, the two had become fast friends.
It was perhaps this that led to Gine finding herself in the position she was, relaxing in the sitting room of the Son Household, gently rocking a crib. To the surprise of many, this crib contained her new grandchild — why, merely a look at the side of the crib saw that it was emblazoned with the name Son Gojō. The infant girl, with a complexion to match her mother's, and a shock of hair which was just as black, slept peacefully, while Chi-Chi busied herself with housework. Peering into the crib, a young Pen blinked as she examined the youngest member of her family.
"She looks weird," surmised the Saiyan-quarter, her blue eyes burning with curiosity. "I wanna hold her!" As easily as a child would, she changed tact quickly.
Gine shook her head, raising a finger to her lips in a 'shushing' motion. "Now now...she's sleeping, you let her rest, Pen. Besides, she looks 'weird'? I'm sure you didn't look any different when you were this little."
The four-year old — soon to turn five — huffed, but didn't argue. Instead, she turned away from the infant, and began to practise form, recalling with startling accuracy for such a young child the techniques she'd learned under her mother. Gine watched in amazement, before clapping quietly at the end of Pen's demonstration. "That's amazing, sweetie," the female Saiyan acknowledged, her tail flicking as she paid her great-grandchild her compliments. "You've really learned a lot for someone so young!"
"Mama and Papa taught me," replied the girl proudly. "And when they get back, I bet they'll have even more to show me!"
A loud huff! came from the kitchen, Chi-Chi obviously displeased with the comment. "Honestly, those two," she said, interjecting herself into the conversation despite being in another room entirely. "How much more like their father can they be? Ten months! Ten months, they head out with some mysterious blue man under the excuse of training...and Erasa is no better!" Gine and Pen looked at each other, before looking back towards the doorway that led to the kitchen. They heard the loud clatter of dishes, the swishing of liquid, before Chi-Chi continued speaking. "How can they go training and leave their baby alone? How could Gohan and Goten miss the birth of their little sister?!"
"C-Chi-Chi, it hasn't only been ten months..." Gine stepped away from the infant and closer to the door way so she could avoid waking the child. "Gohan and Erasa just visited only two months ago...they're not completely gone." She neglected to explain to her daughter-in-law that a typical Saiyan family had far greater periods of absence than a mere ten months, and there were no periodic visits. She remembered clearly worrying for Bardock's safety, and hadn't been keen to send Raditz off on his first mission when he was just becoming a combatant.
"And what about his job?!" Chi-Chi shrieked from the kitchen. "I know you can't understand, Gine, but on Earth, an actual job is very important! And Goten was going to attend a prestigious university!" She felt her old feelings of stress, which she'd been trying to suppress in the past few months, creeping back up on her. "This is a disaster!" A loud pounding was heard from the kitchen — most likely Chi-Chi slamming dough into the counter — followed by the slightest CRACK! — again, the counter — and then the woman sighed. "Everything was going so well..." After her brief ranting, Chi-Chi sounded completely and utterly resigned.
Chi-Chi's ranting finally concluded, Gine motioned for Pen to follow her, careful to make as little noise for the infant — besides, Chi-Chi had made enough noise for the three of them — only to be confronted by the sight of more than slightly destroyed kitchen. Chi-Chi was covered in flour, the roughly kneaded dough had been used as a blunt instrument to crack the wooden counter; the crack itself traveled downward, indicating that Chi-Chi had nearly split it directly in half. The woman heaved a sigh, before resuming kneading the dough against the cloth-covered counter with a only a hint of excessive aggression.
"I know I can't stop him from training," the Earthling-woman said, before Gine or Pen could say anything else. "Either of them. They made that plain as day to me years ago. But...is it too much to ask for some sense of normalcy? Can't we just be a regular family for even a moment?"
Weakly, Gine smiled sympathetically. "I can't speak much from the Earthling point of view...I was proud, yet worried, when Raditz first went off to train as a combatant with Prince Vegeta. I knew he was capable, but he was still my first-born, so just sending off him made me feel anxious. But he was determined to go. Bardock would set out on every mission with the utmost confidence," she remembered this with a much more affectionate smile, "but I'd seen my fair share of it too, before I retired. So I always wondered which mission might be his last...and when I might not see my husband again." Gine placed one of her thin, pale hands onto Chi-Chi's dry, flour-coated hands. "What your sons are doing right now is...intrinsically Saiyan. But if I've learned anything from dealing with Saiyan men...they always will come back."
If Chi-Chi had appreciated anything in the past ten months, it had been Gine's companionship. Once she'd gotten over the fact that the woman was yet another Saiyan, she and Gine had become fast friends, and Gine had proven surprisingly adept at housework once she'd taken to Earth customs. Exhaling slowly, Chi-Chi nodded. "You're right...I'm just worried and stressed. Gojō is still so small, and I wanted her brothers to be here for her more...but there'll be time for that later." Chi-Chi resumed kneading, her face brightening. "Gohan is a capable young man...even if I don't remember it all the time."
"That's the spirit," replied Gine.
Pen, wanting to be a part of the conversation and assuage her grandmother's worries, tugged on her grandmother's blue pants until she got her attention. "Grandma...I'm really proud of Mama and Papa!" The girl's smile was earnest and pure, a blossoming flower that could calm even the blackest hearts. "They told me that they're gonna become super strong! The strongest!"
"Is that what you want from Mama and Papa?"
"Mhm!" Pen nodded vigorously. "Papa and Mama will be the strongest! They promised me!"
"I can't say I approve, but you're certainly sure of yourself for someone so young." replied Chi-Chi, acquiescing as kindly as she could. "OK!" She released the dough, rolling her sleeves up properly. "Grandpa Marque is going to be coming to visit soon, so let's all break this dough in!"
The Son family, ever troubled, was still growing, and found itself happy even in these times of absence, the remaining three members far from planet Earth. In a distance galaxy, concealed within a nebulae, for the sake of their loved ones, Son Gohan and Son Erasa were training hard.
A/N: Hey, everyone! Today is a fantastic day! I'm American, and Dragon Ball Super: Broly airs over here! Got my ticket, so I can't wait to go see it! And luckily, I managed to whip up a chapter just in time. This is another small chapter, a simple set-up chapter, but these kinds of chapters are important. Lemme drop a little shout-out to DdraigTrueEmperor9. He suggested — last October, actually — that Gokū and Chi-Chi have another child. I liked the idea quite a lot, especially since its the closest Pen is going to get to a sibling for a little while. So, everyone, say hello to the newest member of the Son family: Son Gojō. Her name, Son Gojō (悟浄 Understanding the Clean) is a reference to a character from Journey to the West: Shā Wùjìng, otherwise known as Sandy. So, thank you, Ddraig! Now for a quick character-bio:
Name: Piccolo Junior
Age: 32
Blood-type: Unknown; incompatible with Earthling blood.
Birthdate: Age 753
Height: 226 cm (7'5")
Weight: 116 kg (255 lbs)
Zodiac Sign: Aries/Tiger
Favorite Food: Does not require solid food. Favorite food is water, particularly thawed ice water from the Northern Continent.
Marital Status: Single.
Martial Arts School: Demon School
Master: North Kaiō
Likes: Training, witnessing the progress of his students, discussing Namek with Dende.
Dislikes: Son Gokū (originally), Saiyan clothing
Basic Trivia:
Is the reincarnation of the Piccolo Daimaō.
Inherited numerous things from his father, including memories, martial skills that he would later hone on his own, and his father's eternal youth.
Piccolo is responsible for the martial arts careers of the three main characters, either directly — Son Gohan and Videl — or indirectly — Erasa.
Ranking his strength among the individual members of the Dragon Team — discounting characters such as Whis or Beerus and before Gohan's Super Saiyan God transformation — Piccolo would tie with Erasa as the second strongest.
Piccolo wants rematches with both Son Gokū and Son Gohan.
Anyway, that should conclude everything for this chapter! As always, let's thank Demod20 for proofing. I'll see you all soon, in the next exciting Chapter of the Erased Chronicles!