Goku nurses his still ailing ribs and bruised abdominal organs while trotting at a ginger pace along Snake Way. Though the pain slows him, it does not impede him as much as the steadily increasing incline of the path. After leaving the garden, it crept in so slowly he did not notice until suddenly only the balls of his feet touched the path leaving his heels to hang out in the air.
By this point, he is pretty sure another three or four weeks have gone by, and he has covered as much distance vertically as he has horizontally. The only thing keeping his spirits up against the demanding trek is the sight of a mountain Snake Way seems to be taking him to the peak of. When it first appeared on the horizon, it looked like no more than the trick of a tiny mirage. But now, it consumes his entire view, rising above the golden clouds now far below.
He drags one more exhausted leg through the motion of stepping up stairs. It slips back behind him sliding down the near vertical face of the path. His face almost smacks the pavement in front of it as his hands and feet flail outward to stop his fall. They find the ridges protruding from either side of what was once a walkway. He hangs for a moment before continuing the journey as a climb.
It is an awkward ascent as the road is more than shoulder width apart, but he continues reaching his arms over his head and pushing off from his legs using the spines as hand and footholds. Flashbacks to the climb up Korin's Tower plague his mind. If this is not the final stretch of Snake Way, he will truly despair at the pointlessness of it all.
His sides throb with every reach of the arms. His legs burn every time they push his body up another inch. Worry of his stamina giving out fills his thoughts. Though if he did fall, the foggy veil to Hell is now so far away he would probably get enough time to rest for a few moments of flight and land somewhat safely.
He stops to let his numb arms hang and fill back up with blood. He cannot wait too long though as his legs strain with the burden of holding his weight. He presses on for the next uncountable plethora of yards.
Without watching as his body goes through the monotonous motions of climbing, his hand grabs for the next ridge but only finds air. He looks up to see Snake Way bending around a curve. He wriggles his body up to the flattened out path.
As his head comes over the top, he rests his chin on the renewed walkway. He looks down it to see it go straight towards the mountain. Excited to possibly be at the end, he stretches his hands along the structure letting his arms rest on the stone.
He grabs two more spines and slowly works himself over the hump. He slithers across the surface with his belly pressed against it until his toes slip over the edge joining the rest of him. He lies there breathing heavily with small sobs of laughter between every other breath. He finally pushes himself to his feet and staggers along the next length of Snake Way.
And then it happens. He finally sees the end of his purgatory sentence.
The path begins to narrow as the body of the serpent comes to the point of a tail. Goku feels uneasy on his unsteady legs as the edges close in on him. When the road is exactly shoulder width wide, he holds his arms out as if walking a tightrope to comfort him in the precarious situation.
The spiked ridges finally circle around to meet in front of him as Snake Way formally ends. He stands a little above and apart from a gently curving plateau capping off the mountain. The green of the grass covering it seems so incredibly vibrant after being subjected to yellow and gray for a couple months. It practically blinds him with an ostensibly neon glow.
The only thing between him and the edge of the mountain is a three foot gap. What should normally be an elongated step feels like a perilous opening ready to swallow up all of the effort it took to arrive here. If he falls now, the sheer face of the mountain offers nothing to grab ahold of. Even flying the few feet between seems impossible given the heavy fatigue weighing down his body.
Goku eases a leg across the gap keeping all of his weight on his back foot. He taps the grass with his toe to make absolutely certain there is solid ground that will bear his weight. When it sits safely on the other side, he pushes off his back foot with all his remaining strength. He stumbles forward almost falling sideways down the gap. His arms windmill as he wobbles ahead. Both feet make it to the plateau but cannot keep up with his torso. He crashes to the ground and slides to a stop.
He nestles his face in the grass while running his fingers through it. Droplets form at the corners of his eyes. His breaths half laugh and half cry. After eight or nine straight weeks traversing a bridge over Hell, having land instead of clouds beneath him is the greatest relief he has ever experienced.
"Welcome Goku. I've been expecting you."
Goku looks around wondering who spoke. A pair of sunglasses on a light blue face stares at him. The person they belong to stands with his arms behind his back. A long sleeved, red undergarment pokes out of the formal uniform the strange man wears. The uniform is a single piece that stretches over his round body. It flaps openly at the ankles so Goku can see his shoes. The shoulders of the outfit stick out rigidly.
A weird black hat covers his head. It is so thin there appears to be no separation between it and his scalp. Two long strands above each eye curve upward from the base of the hat before drooping down far in front of his forehead.
"Are you King Kai?" says Goku.
The antennas twitch at the name. Goku's head recoils on his neck at the sight of them moving on their own. Apparently they are real and not just part of the hat. And what he thought was a hat could very well be the top of his head.
"If I'm not King Kai, I shouldn't be wearing this symbol," says the man.
Goku looks at the giant kanji on the man's chest reading 'World King.' The man grins. Goku straightens up on his knees and gives a little bow.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I've come to study under you if you'd be willing to take me on as a pupil," says Goku.
"Then it's your lucky day," says King Kai. "You've been my pupil for quite a long time now."
The short blue man's cheeks rumple up in a smile.
"Whaddya mean?" says Goku.
King Kai snaps his fingers leaving his index finger pointing at Snake Way. Goku follows the gesture. His eyes and mouth gape open as the leviathan structure fades away into the air.
"Whe-where did it go?"
His words are hysterical as all of his hard work disappears.
"It didn't go anywhere. It was never really there. I can make it as long or short as I see fit." says King Kai. "Pretty clever right?"
"You-you mean I wasted all that time for no reason?"
"It wasn't a waste. Think of it as an aptitude test for your training."
"A test?"
"Yes. I won't train just anyone in my secret arts. It would be irresponsible to teach such great power to someone who would misuse it."
"So you were testing to see if I was worthy?"
"Nothing so simple as that. Anyone looking to improve themselves or their situations is worthy of help. If I can provide the right kind of help, I will. If not, the person searching for it must find it elsewhere.
"You see Goku, I have incredible telepathic abilities. And I use these abilities to discover if those seeking my training will truly benefit from it. But even I cannot always read the most closely guarded motives of a person's mind. Especially when some intentions only exist subconsciously to a person who is completely unaware they even have them. Snake Way is designed to break down any and all barriers between me and the minds of prospective pupils like yourself.
"It begins innocently enough. A simple walk down a path. But as the journey wears on, the physical demand drains the traveler's genki. When their body begins to fail, their mind becomes more engaged in the process.
"Doubts begin to cloud their thoughts degrading their shoki. As their mental constructs crumble away, their true self begins to emerge. A self they usually don't even realize is guiding their life decisions.
"With all false pretenses of who they think they are and what they believe they want stripped away, I can finally see how their yuki, their real character, will respond to the challenge Snake Way poses."
Goku's eyes open wider with every word as if trying to absorb each and every insight they can.
"The thoughts and feelings people experience when facing genuine adversity tells me who they actually are. Their values and goals all become clear to me. And given enough time, they eventually cycle through every single one, and I read all of them as they do. Once I have seen enough, I determine whether or not to end Snake Way. And you are the first person to successfully reach my residence."
"So you were in my head the whole time?" says Goku
King Kai nods an affirmation.
"I apologise for how difficult this test was for you," he says.
Goku processes all this from where he kneels before the god.
"So what makes me so special?"
"In my many millennia of existence, I have seen every kind of selfish desire. While none are inherently good or evil, how they are put to use governs their helpfulness or harmfulness to the universe.
"Everyone before you has sought the power I have to offer out of some insecurity they have. They wrongly believe such a power will solve the problem their insecurity is causing.
"But you are not here to solve a problem. You will face any challenge the future holds with or without my help. You do not worry about being strong enough or good enough to meet such threats. You will do it because you believe it's the right thing to do, for yourself and your family and friends."
Goku blinks a few times in rapid succession.
"And that's why you let me finish Snake Way?" says Goku.
"Partly. But there's something else about you too," says King Kai. "Everyone has two selves. One is a static outer self they present to the world. The other is a chaotic inner self they hide away as it constantly changes while processing the world around it.
"As each of your outer layers were peeled back during your journey, I found that the one underneath matched the one before it. It is a rare man whose outer self mirrors his inner self in everything it says and does making the two almost indistinguishable.
"You have no desires to change the world around you. You only wish to improve yourself as a martial artist and hope the people in your life will grow alongside you. You do not judge or assume responsibility for anything beyond yourself. This is the ideology we Kai's strive for in the universe we watch over.
"Even during your last moments at the very end of Snake Way, with the relief of it finally being over, you weren't thinking about all the things you could achieve with godly power. Instead, you were only hopeful you would be able to experience more personal growth for the benefit of you and your loved ones.
"Your heart is truly pure, and it would be my honor to pass on my legacy to you."
"Thank you King Kai," says Goku. "I'm honored to have such a privilege."
"Would you like to speak to your wife and son as a reward for your ordeals?"
"You, you can do that?"
"Of course. I can project my thoughts across the entire universe. I am the greatest telepath in all the cosmos after all. Come, place your hand on my back."
King Kai turns around as Goku stands up on wobbly legs. His eyes brighten as his face breaks out in a smile. He puts one hand on King Kai's shoulder blade. Nothing happens for a moment. And then Chichi's presence fills him.
"Chichi, is that you?"
…
From atop Korin's Tower, Chichi stops mid spar with Yajirobe whose sword slashes towards her. The Power Pole in her hands drops to the floor. He flicks his wrist at the last second to divert the edge away.
"Who, what?" she says.
Her arms cross her chest so her hands can grab each shoulder. Somehow she can feel her late husband's embrace.
"Goku, are you really there?"
"Yep, it's me. I'm sorry for leaving you. I wish I could be there right now to hold you."
"Oh Goku, I've missed you so much. I can't believe how good it is to hear your voice."
Korin and Yajirobe look at each other raising an eyebrow before returning their eyes to Chichi.
"It's good to hear yours too. How have you been?" says Goku.
Glistening streams run down Chichi's cheeks as she speaks.
"Honestly it's been awful. But I'm trying really hard without you or my baby boy. I've been training with Korin. I'm not going to let anyone threaten our family ever again."
"I know how hard you're working. It's awesome you've taken up martial arts more seriously again. But I want you to know it's not your fault. You're not responsible for what happened to me and Gohan. You're a wonderful mother who always takes care of her family."
Chichi sobs and nods. After a few more sniffles, she speaks again.
"I love you Goku. I can't wait until you're home and Gohan is safe in my arms again."
"I love you too and can't wait either. I've got lots of training to do with King Kai first. Speaking of which, he's telling me to wrap it up. So remember, I love you, and I hope to call again soon."
And then he is gone. A coldness settles over her like when Goku leaves the bed on a winter morning. She notices Korin and Yajirobe gazing upon her. She straightens and bows to the cat.
"Pardon me," she says. "Would it be okay if I take the rest of the day off?"
Korin nods, and Chichi quickly retreats down the stairs to the lower level.
…
"Hey son. How are things going?"
His father's voice echoes from far away like he is returning home from the forest with freshly caught dinner.
"Da-Daddy?" says Gohan
Piccolo narrows his eyes at the child's sudden distraction from the training. He watches from afar as his pupil talks to himself.
"How's training with Piccolo been? I can't imagine he's any good with kids."
"It's been … abrasive," says Gohan. "He pushes me a lot harder than you do."
Gohan throws a glance at Piccolo and quickly retracts it when his face is as angry as he expected.
"Haha, I bet he does. Well you're a tough kid and my son. I know you can handle it. Have you been safe at least?"
"Honestly it's been everything but safe."
"Really? Well if he pushes you to do anything you don't want to or aren't ready for, then you tell him he has to have a word with me first. And if he doesn't listen, I'll personally see to it he answers for his actions."
"Thank you Daddy. I was so scared you wouldn't be around anymore when I needed you, but you are."
"Of course Gohan. I can't do everything for you, but I'll always find a way to be there when you need me."
"Thanks Dad. I—"
Gohan winces as his head is forcefully spun around. He comes face to face with a grimacing Piccolo.
"You're supposed to be…" Piccolo says. "Go-Goku?"
"Oh hey Piccolo," says Goku. His cheerful tone grates on Piccolo's ears. "I was just telling Gohan you better take good care of him or you're going to have trouble with me when I get back."
"I what!" he says. His fingers squeeze tighter on Gohan's head.
"That's right. I'm getting special training so you're going to have a hard time keeping up with me."
"Is that right?" says Piccolo. "Heh, like I'd ever fall behind you. You're going to need special training to even have a chance against me."
"I'm happy to hear you're so motivated. I can't wait to have a rematch after we beat the Saiyans."
"Good. I'm looking forward to it. Now if you're done wasting my time, I have work to do."
"Sure thing. Gohan, I love you little buddy. Train hard."
"Okay Dad, I will."
…
"Alright enough with the formalities. Let's try to have some fun," says King Kai. "Being a god is almost always such serious business so try to keep it relaxed while you're here."
"Absolutely. So can we start training right now?" says Goku.
He didn't listen to a word I said, thinks King Kai. Anyone else would want to rest after the distance he traveled, or ask about the secrets of the universe. I thought we could at least spend some time chatting. He is a strange one indeed.
"If that's really what you want, so be it," King Kai says. "I've been doing a little psychic research on your history. It seems you are a Saiyan, correct?"
"Apparently," says Goku. "I only just found out recently that I'm an alien so it's still new to me. I guess there aren't many left."
"No, they were wiped out nearly a quarter century ago. But I did find out that the Saiyan homeworld had about ten times the gravity you're used to. The Saiyans you're going to fight have all experienced this kind of force and are easily able to endure it. If you cannot learn to do so too, you will never beat them."
"So how am I going to train in higher gravity?"
"Simple," says King Kai snapping his fingers. "There you go."
Goku slumps over as his knees buckle. Every part of his body down to each hair follicle on his arms drags him to the ground with tremendous weight. Even the air around him pushes on him like a humid ocean. His exhausted body cannot fight off the pressure leaving him staring at the grass on his hands and knees.
"Your first assignment under me will be achieving proper mobility in this increased gravity. Good luck."
King Kai walks away to a dome of bricks that seems to be a dwelling. Goku cannot even lift his head to watch him go.
"Wow, what a guy," Goku says. "He's not even affected a little by this insane gravity. I guess I have my work cut out for me."