Hello! Really glad the chapter uploading functions of are working again, since the last chapter had been unreadable for a while.
Anyway, now for the moment we've been waiting for: Raditz's arrival!
Based on MasakoX's What If series "What if Gine went with Goku to Earth?", but a retcon with some changes of my own on how I think the story would have went down had Goku's mother escaped planet Vegeta with him.
DISCLAIMER: The following is a fan-based work of fiction. Dragonball Minus, Dragonball, Dragonball Z, Dragonball Super, and Dragonball GT are all owned by FUNimation, Toei Animation, and Akira Toriyama.
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CHAPTER 28: THE REUNION
"You think you got enough potatoes, dear?" Grandpa Gohan asked as they walked.
"For Kakarot? Sure. For the whole party? I hope so." Said Gine. She was carrying over one shoulder a large drum bigger than her, full of potatoes and other vegetables that she had harvested from the homestead. Over the other she carried a mountain lion she had slain and was saving to make stew out of with the potatoes.
They were walking the distance to Kakarot's house from the hut. Sure, she could fly and carry Gohan easily, but Gine loved these pleasant strolls down the mountain to her son's place. This way she could enjoy the transition of forested slopes to the wide open flatlands surrounding Mount Paozu, the change of sights, sounds, and smells from pines to wild flowers and vast fields of fresh green grass. She didn't know why but walking up or down the mountain somehow felt was like a micro-change of seasons that she loved throughout the year even though it was the height of autumn now. This way, she could relish that kind of feeling everyday with just a simple walk. Plus it was good for Gohan's health to take these long walks up and down the slopes, with him now past the ripe-old age of one-hundred he was still spry but slower than he was before. These walks kept him active and in good spirits.
"Hard to believe that another year has gone by since we saw everyone." Gine remarked.
Gohan nodded. "Oh, believe me I know. Just wait until you reach my age, then time will seem to go by even faster."
"Heh. No thank you, I'll stay at forty-eight." Joked Gine, eliciting a laugh from Gohan.
"Still, it's good that we've been making these an annual thing."
The domed house of Kakarot and Chi-Chi came into view. Soon they reached it and Gine knocked on the front door.
"It's open!" Chi-Chi yelled from inside.
They stepped in and their senses were delighted to the smell of roasting chicken. Gine's mouth watered.
"Something smells good!" She said as Chi-Chi appeared around the corner from the kitchen.
"Garlic and lemon! Wanted to try it out for the party." Said Chi-Chi as she dried her hands off on her apron. She gave her mother-in-law and Grandpa Gohan a welcoming hug.
"No sampling though, don't want you to try and steal it like Kakarot does." Chi-Chi half-warned.
"I make no promises." Gine chuckled as she set down the drum of potatoes and mountain lion. She looked around, "Where are the boys?"
"Kakarot took Little Gohan out fishing."
"Really? This close to going to the party?" Said Gine.
Chi-Chi busied herself again with the dish she was making. "Yeah, he wanted to teach him a little bit about fishing and grab something to eat before leaving."
"Hope it doesn't spoil his appetite..." Said Grandpa Gohan. They looked at each other for a moment before they all laughed.
"Heheh, of course it won't, knowing him." Chi-Chi said jokingly. "Well, anything they catch, they can bring some of that Paozu Tuna to the party."
Grandpa Gohan chuckled. "Well I hope the fish are biting today. Only a couple more hours to go before we have to leave."
"Right, we'll lets get to peeling and slicing!" Declared Gine as she got out a knife and started skinning the mountain lion at Saiyan speed. Chi-Chi was already prepared to help her mother-in-law and had a large iron pot ready for her to put in the slices of meat while Grandpa Gohan worked the potatoes. They worked together in sync, chopping and salting and boiling.
"At least these aren't onions." Grandpa Gohan joked as he finished dicing the one-hundredth potato. Both the women laughed.
Gine and Chi-Chi had bonded over the last five years. Gine had taught the girl everything she knew about homesteading. From growing their own vegetable garden to the upkeep of the land, sharing a mutual pride in their tending of their respective homes.
She also helped Chi-Chi adapt to living with Saiyans around. It took awhile for Chi-chi to adjust to their habits, Kakarot ate so much and had a growing boy to add to the mix. It took awhile of cooking together to get her used to making Saiyan-sized portions, but after a while, Chi-Chi was a pro. She was used to proper dining and homecooked meals, but she joined her husband on his camping trips and learned to love the things they cooked from hunting or fishing. With her seasoning skills learned from Gine, the freshly killed mountain lion steak and fish from the river became just as delicious as the mounds of rice she made for him. Kakarot also helped out with cooking occasionally, thanks to his mother's teaching and her encouraging Chi-chi to prod him into helping around the house. Never letting him off easy was the best advice Gine had given to her daughter-in-law.
Chi-chi didn't train as much as she used too, as she was a full-time housewife and mother that homeschooled her son. But she would spar with her husband in the free time they had, and even with Gine occasionally. That was always fun, for Gine always kept Chi-Chi's sparring skills sharp that gave Kakarot a nice surprise whenever they went at it.
And above all, Gine had bonded with her grandson, Little Gohan.
Speaking of which, after a blur of time passed from the cooking, Gine smiled as two very familiar energy signatures come through the door.
"Mommy! Mommy! Look what I caught!"
Little Gohan came darting across the kitchen, a pint-sized little boy with long black hair and clad in a yellow prince robe. He was happily clutching a giant three-hundred pound tuna fish by the tail over his shoulder.
"Oh wow! Look at that one!" Chi-Chi laughed as she watched her son run up to her side, not breaking away from working on the food.
"Hey grandma! Do you see how big this tuna I caught is?!"
Gine thought it was cute and hilarious to see him drag something twenty times his size like it was as light as a feather.
"I see! That's very good, sweetie." She reached down and ruffled his hair in congratulations. He was barely taller than knee height, inheriting the Saiyan growth rate. His eyes were as wide and innocent as Kakarot's.
Gine loved being a grandmother, and Little Gohan was an absolute joy. He was a happy little boy much like his father, but was far more shy, well-mannered, and mature for a four year old. In fact, in stark contrast to Kakarot, he was exceptionally bright. At two years old, he had already learned how to read and write. By three, instead of kindergarten he was already exhibiting skills in mathematics and science that were far more complex for human children his age. He had such curiosity in everything around him, taking in the world with interest and wonder like an explorer. Trying to learn and understand all he could possibly get his hands on. From gardening with Gine, to cooking with his mother, and martial arts with his father and his namesake great-grandfather.
Little Gohan had been born without anything resembling the violent nature of his paternal ancestry. If it weren't for his tail, Gine figured he wouldn't be recognized by any other Saiyan at all. He had never been subjected to the incubation brainwashing every Saiyan child had after being born that turned them into bloodthirsty and battle-hungry beats. No, Little Gohan was so kind and gentle that he would never hurt a fly. With it, they could already see that he did not have the same drive or passion for combat as his full-blooded father did. Gine couldn't help but feel that must have been passed on from her, and not just from being born to such a loving family on a peaceful planet. But Gine couldn't be happier for him. He was probably the first Saiyan in who knew how many generations to have the freedom to embrace fighting, or not, if he choose to learn it. Something that Gine had wished she and all Saiyans should've had instead of the brainwashing they all endured.
With their homes close to one another, they visited each other often. So Gine got to spend a lot of time with her grandson. She would play with him, spar with him to vent his Saiyan energy whenever they practiced fighting together as a family, teach him things to nurture his very fertile mind, or go exploring in the woods with him and Grandpa Gohan. It was like seeing Kakarot grow up all over again. Plus she never grew tired of hearing Little Gohan call her "grandma."
Chi-Chi and Kakarot disagreed often over how to raise him, sometimes heatedly. Chi-Chi wanted to devote Little Gohan to studying while Kakarot wanted to teach him to be a fighter. Gine did not interfere with how they ought to bring up their own son, even though she internally sided with Kakarot most of time out of Little Gohan having a right to embrace his Saiyan heritage. But there was no denying that the boy was a prodigy with great potential also, he could grow up to become a scholar of great esteem someday. So they both eventually settled on letting him train part-time while Chi-Chi took up homeschooling him in his academic studies. Little Gohan had no qualms about it all, learning basic martial arts and reading books to his heart's content. He even preferred books over toys, so they were happy to gave Gohan loads of textbooks from algebra to classic literature as presents on his birthdays.
Little Gohan was the center of the wheel and they were the spokes, their world revolving around him.
"Did you catch that one all by yourself?" Gine asked Little Gohan.
"Yeah, daddy and I found a nice spot where there were lots of them! I dipped my tail in there like he showed and reeled it out of the water when it bit."
"He's getting good at catching them like I do!" Came Kakarot's voice as he entered the house behind his son. He was also dragging two other tuna fishes as big as him, but neither were as large as the one Little Gohan caught. "Soon I'm just gonna end up with all the small fries!"
Gine chuckled. "Well you're a good teacher."
"Hey mom. Hey grandpa." Said Kakarot with a smile as he came up and hugged both of them. Kakarot handed one of the fish to Gine. "Got one for you too if you're hungry!"
Gine shook her head. "Thanks son, but I gotta get this done. You can have it."
His face lit up. "Okeydokey. More for me and Gohan here!"
"Don't let that spoil your appetite, you two!" Chi-Chi warned both her husband and son. "I'm already making a giant feast for you and several people so I don't wanna hear you aren't hungry."
Gine laughed, as if needing to worry about a Saiyan and a growing boy overeating.
Kakarot waved his hand. "Ah, don't worry, Chi-Chi! This is just a snack so it should last us until the party!"
Both the boys sat down at the table while Kakarot showed Gohan how to clean the fish before inhaling their "snack".
"Kakarot!" Chi-Chi growled in exasperation as she saw her husband gutting a fish on the clean dining table. She then sighed, took a wooden cutting board and practically threw it at him.
"Use this next time!"
Kakarot caught the board in mid-air and sheepishly laughed, knowing he goofed up. "Oh! Hehehe, erm... sorry about that, Chi-Chi."
Chi-Chi went back to finishing the roasted chicken, stirring furiously trying to cool off her temper. Even after five years, sometimes Kakarot would be forgetful and do something dumb to anger her, but she always calmed down in the end and Kakarot learned. Love manifested itself in the funniest ways sometimes.
Kakarot cleaned up the mess and wiped down the table before continuing with preparing the fish. When Grandpa Gohan was finished with the last of the vegetables, he sat with them too, giving more pointers on fishing to his great-grandson.
With a little input of ki into the fish by touching it, Kakarot instantly cooked them. Soon he, Little Gohan, and Grandpa Gohan began greedily devouring their catches.
Gine watched them eat and she shook her head, but happily. Kakarot had turned out to be a wonderful father and husband. He had taken her advice to heart, been kind and attentive to Chi-Chi, and taught his son everything he knew. Grandpa Gohan even remarked how he had become a sort of sum teachings of both his grandfather and mother to pass on to Little Gohan. But despite all that, his table manners STILL needed working on.
She turned back around to the stove and made the finishing touches to the mountain lion stew she was making.
The event in question she and Chi-Chi were cooking for was the upcoming get-together at Kame House later today. Since the end of the last World Martial Arts Tournament, the gang had scattered to the winds. They still stayed in touch with one another and even had occasional run-ins with some of them. While Gine had always been fond of solitude, she missed the people she had befriended from her son and had more or less become an extended family of sorts. They had bonded together and saved the world from King Piccolo, and they had not forgotten that little after party they threw in celebration. So as an idea from Bulma, it had become a once-a-year event every October for everyone of the gang to go Roshi's Island.
The parties were just perfect for Gine, attended only by her dearest friends and family to catch up with everyone. Not only to fulfill all of her socializing needs, but to get a feeling of how the world had been doing before returning to the tranquility of her home. It gave her peace of mind that nothing had been wrong since King Piccolo's attempted take over, that the world she had called home was still safe so she could return to Mount Paozu with nothing to worry about and only focus on the good life of being a grandmother. She also liked bringing large dishes for everyone to share (as well as have enough for Kakarot's appetite), not much compared to the pride she held for making everyone happy with her cooking.
So far, the last five years had been pretty uneventful and not once had she felt the peace of their lives threatened by anything.
Well, maybe except for one incident a few months ago...
...
It was Little Gohan's forth birthday, and the whole family was celebrating at the Son residence. Ox-King had arrived with presents, and Gine's eyes glazed over at the mountain of textbooks and reading material for his grandson. Covering every academic thing they could imagine that Little Gohan would dive into it.
They were just about to cut the cake when Ox-King looked outside the window.
"Uh, is it night already?" He suddenly asked.
They all looked outside in confusion, but sure enough, the sky had gone dark.
"Huh, that's weird. I thought it was mid-afternoon!" Said Chi-Chi.
Gine was about to say something when Kakarot exclaimed, "I think someone's using the dragon balls!"
"What?" Asked Gine. But then the memory of the day they defeated King Piccolo returned. They day they summoned the Eternal Dragon, how out of nowhere, the sun and sky turned black... Her son was right!
"Gine! Kakarot!..." Came the echo of a familiar Namekian's voice in their minds.
"Kami? What's up? It's been awhile! Is someone summoning the dragon?" Kakarot called out. Ox-King, Chi-Chi, and Little Gohan stared at him as if he was crazy for talking into thin air. Grandpa Gohan looked concerned.
"Yes! And I'm afraid the planet is in grave danger, and I need your assistance!"
Gine's tail stood up straight. "What?! How?!"
"There's no time to explain. Please, I need you to head south to the Crimson Sea as quickly as you can!" Kami urged.
"Crimson Sea..." Repeated Kakarot. "That's about an few minutes from here at full power."
Several thoughts raced through Gine's mind. What was happening out there? What kind of threat was so dangerous that Kami needed their help?
Kakarot then clenched his fist into the air. "We'll check it out, Kami. You can count on us!"
"Thank you! Go now! I shall see you there!" Kami said before his telepathic connection vanished.
Gine knew he'd take her along regardless, but she didn't mind. If there was an imminent threat to Earth, it extended to her family. She will face it no matter what.
Kakarot turned them seriously. "Chi-Chi, I need you to stay here. Mom and I will go check what's going on out there."
"Huh? What's going on, Kakarot?" Said Chi-Chi worriedly.
"I'm not sure. But whatever it is, Kami says it's serious. I need to go see if it's a threat we'll need to deal with."
Chi-Chi clutched Little Gohan protectively. Her son, sensing some danger or dark change in the air, look scared. Kakarot smiled at his son reassuringly.
"I'm sorry, Gohan. But grandma and I need to go for a bit. We'll be back, okay?"
Little Gohan nodded nervously. "O-Okay, daddy."
Gine smiled before turning to Ox-King and Grandpa Gohan. "Sorry about whatever this party crash is."
Grandpa Gohan shook his head with a sad smile. "Apologize later, go!"
"Right!" Gine and Kakarot ran outside and leapt into the air with as much ki as they could muster for a fast flight.
Soon they were supersonic, rocketing over the landscape and saying little to each other, saving some energy for any potential battle they might face. The land gave way to ocean, then more ocean as they flew further out.
"THERE!" Kakarot shouted as he pointed ahead.
Off in the distance, a crackling gold light hovered above a towering island. No, it wasn't an island, it WAS a tower. A gnarled, castle at sea that towered above the clouds. As they got closer, they could see the golden light enshrouding green scales. It was the unmistakable twirling shape of Shenron, the Eternal Dragon.
Then Shenron's form morphed into a streak of light that shot upwards into the sky, and finally dissipated as the seven dragonballs scattered. One of them shot right past Kakarot and Gine in between them. Whoever summoned Shenron, their wish must've been granted.
Down below in a massive courtyard of the rocky fortress, they saw four figures standing where the dragon balls were moments ago. Gine and Kakarot arched their flight paths down, then landed in front of the hooded figures.
Gine scanned them over, three reptilian humanoids around a very short forth one. Her decades of battle-honed experience told her that the smallest in front of them was the leader. Pointy ears, scaly green skin with pronounced canine teeth. She almost mistook him for that little Pilaf fiend even though he ought to be long dead. He had an air of total control, that nothing could possibly harm him despite his size. What was it with vertically-challenged demons and their arrogance? She thought.
But the aura of this little creep felt strange to her. She could sense that it was puny as were the henchmen, but the well of life force in him felt bottomless and continuously regenerating.
"Ah, you must be Son Kakarot." Said the little demon.
Her son got into defensive stance, already anticipating a fight. "Who are you?!"
One of the three minions, a dark green one with red strips of hair pointed a claw at Kakarot angrily. "Watch your insolent tongue! You are speaking to the new ruler of this planet: Lord Garlic Junior!"
"ALL HAIL, GARLIC JR.!" The minions chanted at once with passion.
Before Kakarot or Gine could ask further, a bolt of lightning struck the ground between them. They jumped back from the shock, and felt the presence of their old master.
"Kami?!" They both exclaimed.
The Guardian of the Earth stood up, clutching his staff and eying down the demon with... hatred. Something Gine had never thought the gentle Namekian to be capable of.
Garlic Jr. smiled evilly. "Ah, Kami! We meet again at last."
"You know him?" Gine asked. Time to get some answers.
Kami nodded without taking his eyes off of Garlic Jr. "I do, unfortunately. Or more accurately, I knew his father: Lord Garlic."
"Yes. And how you murdered him?!" He cried out at them.
Gine looked at Kami for an explanation, which he did.
"Long ago, before I became the Guardian of Earth, I was training for the role to replace the previous Guardian in competition with another pupil: Lord Garlic. Only one of us could take the throne, and in the end I was the one to take up the mantle. For while I had trained to rid myself of all evil intent and desires, Garlic had not. The Guardian had sensed his ambition to not look over the Earth but to rule it selfishly. When I was chosen, Garlic went on a rampage and nearly went on to eradicate all life on the planet. Only with quick thinking did the Guardian and I banish him to another dimension for all eternity, saving this planet..."
It was a lot of backstory for the Saiyans to take in, and how their former master had never mentioned someone else was vying for the role of Guardian.
"And I am here to avenge him!" Finished Jr.
Gine scoffed. "Well if your plan to avenge your father includes hurting this planet's inhabitants, then I'll have no choice but to kill you."
Garlic Jr. laughed in a way that made Gine wonder if he was insane or something bad was about to happen. She again felt the strange energy of his ki.
"Well I'm afraid you are all far too late. For I had summoned the Eternal Dragon and wished for immortality!"
The three of them gasped in disbelief, and Garlic Jr. eyed them evilly.
"That's right! You can hurt me all you want, but I am invincible now. Soon, all of this world and worlds beyond will bow before my feet!" He cackled.
Gine felt a tingle go down her spine. This guy's arrogance, and his evil intent, reminded her way too much of someone like King Piccolo or even Frieza.
She glared at him and got into battle stance. "Care to test that?"
"Kakarot, go!" She called out. Her son knew what that meant.
Within seconds, the two of them leapt forward in a flash. They decked the three nameless henchmen with blows so fast and quick they were dead before the pain signals reached their brains. They landed blows on Garlic Jr. as well, sending his body flying backwards and crashing into a wall.
He lay on the ground stunned and beaten, but Gine didn't feel his ki falter. Then he slowly got to his feet, all traces of the damage they inflicted on him had vanished, and he looked angry.
A creeping realization began to set in, that if he really was immortal then they were going to have a problem.
"Fine." Garlic Jr. seethed. "I don't need my henchmen anyway. Time for you all to fall before me NOW!"
Veins bulged on his tiny body, then his cloak tore as he grew in size until he was a giant hulk of green demon flesh that dwarfed them. The pupils in his eyes whited over, making his face terrifying to look at.
"DIE!" The transformed Garlic Jr. screamed as he charged at them.
They met in a clash that the mother and son dup easily put up to stop him in his tracks. Flabbergasted that his transformation didn't faze them, Garlic Jr. began wailing on them with his massive arms and legs for swoop strikes to try and crush them. He was too slow and weak, as Gine and Kakarot dodged every attack with ease and counterattacked with their own punches. But to their horror, every blow that ought to have obliterated a limb or put a hole through him, regenerated. Both Saiyans far outclassed him, but no matter how hard they hit him he didn't die. Each blow bounced back, every wound healed.
They leapt back, watching with amazement as Garlic Jr. stood back up.
"Don't you get it? You. Can't. Kill. Me! JUST GIVE UP ALREADY!" Garlic Jr. spat as he fired two ki blasts at them.
Both Gine and Kakarot jumped to avoid them, and hovered in the air. Kami had ducked to the side for cover.
"Alright. Time to evaluate." Gine remarked to Kakarot as she eyed Garlic Jr. watching them from below. "He can't touch us, but our attacks don't do anything. Even if we are stronger than him by a large margin, and if he really is indestructible, then he could just wear us down after a long enough time. This is a battle of attrition."
If that were true, Gine thought, then they would have to come up with something to clever. Because this would be unwinnable with brute force alone.
"Hmmmm, this is a tough one." Kakarot thought. Then an idea came to him.
"Okay, let's try this then!" He said as he cupped his hands.
"Kakarot, didn't you hear me?!" Gine yelled at her son.
"It's the only thing we haven't tried yet! Come on, mom! Let's see if he really IS indestructible!" Kakarot replied.
Gine sighed in frustration and mimicked the cupping of her hands.
Kaaaaa... meeee..." They both chanted, and begun pooling as much ki as they could into their hands.
"...haaaaa... meeee..." Blue spheres of powerful light shone in their hands. Garlic Jr. stood there unfazed and awaited the attack.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" They both fired. The twin Kamehameha Waves rocket towards Garlic Jr. He stood there and took the brunt of the attack, but then there came howls of agony as the blue energy engulfed him.
The energy attack with so much ki behind it continued on to the fortress behind him. When it impacted, a bright light flashed and a deafening explosion shook everything. Dust and rocks fell everywhere, and a mushroom cloud formed over the island. The entire castle was obliterated.
The dust cleared, and what was left of the fortress was nothing but a mountain of rubble. Kami came out from under a slab of shattered wall that protected him, and surveyed the carnage in disbelief.
Gine and Kakarot floated high up above, scanning the devastated island. From what they could see and could sense, there was no trace of Garlic Jr. anywhere.
"YAHOO! See?! I told ya that would work!" Kakarot cheered.
Before Gine could agree, her expression soured and Kakarot's cheering immediately stopped.
They felt his presence again, just as an enraged and agonizing yell punctuated by an explosion of a pile of debris erupted from the field of collapsed castle walls.
"Oh." Kakarot said defeatedly.
Garlic Jr. clutched his fists, trembling with pure unadulterated fury. The attack HAD caused damage, his body badly burned and crushed in a few places. He was regenerating, but he could still feel the pain of those injuries. And we was livid.
"That's it! TIME TO END THIS!"
He knew he couldn't beat them either. They were too strong, and he could still feel pain despite possessing eternal life. They were making a mockery of him by inflicting pain that would've killed him, and it was beyond excruciating. There was only one way now...
Garlic Jr. raised his arms to the sky. The wind began to kick up, and the hairs stood up on the back of Gine's neck as she felt something dark swirling in the air.
An orange glow enveloped the heavens, an malicious energy began to take hold in some point in the sky. A vortex slowly appeared, and in it's center was a void blacker than space itself.
"What the hell?!" Gine let out incredulously as she felt her body being pulled towards the aperture.
"KAKAROT, GET DOWN AND HOLD ONTO SOMETHING!" She yelled.
Both she and her son dropped to the ground and dug their feet into the heavy stones, hiding behind boulders for extra grip.
Gine looked around and saw Kami tumbling towards her.
"KAMI!" She cried out in alarm. Reacting quickly, she reached out and grabbed his hands before he was lost to the portal.
"HOLD ON!" She yelled to him, and pulled Kami to the rock she used as cover. Once he was safe, they looked around to see that the remaining structures of the castle around them were crumbling, but the debris was defying gravity and falling towards the yawning abyss.
"WHAT IS THAT?!" Gine yelled.
Garlic Jr. eyed them with maniacal glee. "This, dear, is the Dead Zone. The dimension Kami and the last Guardian had banished my father too! In it is an entire universe of nothing but maddening emptiness. AND YOU ARE ALL GOING THERE!"
Kami's eyes widened. "But... this will suck up the entire planet too!"
"That's right! TO HELL WITH ALL OF THIS! TIME FOR ALL OF YOU TO DIE! AHAHAHAHA!"
Gine couldn't believe this was happening. This guy had lost it and was now using this last resort to take everything and everyone with him. Her mind raced, panic and despair beginning to crack her composure. But she somehow held together, for if she didn't think of something, anything, then everyone on Earth was done for. And Little Gohan...
The thought of her sweet Little Gohan suffering for all eternity fueled her anger enough to brave forward. No, she won't give up!
"Hold on!" She instructed Kami.
She peaked around the rock to see Garlic Jr. standing atop the rubble as rocks and earth fell past him towards the portal behind him. Just looking into that void and thinking of place far more desolate and dark than the Room of Spirit and Time chilled her to the bone. Garlic Jr. stood there, arms spread in a grand sweeping pose, with the open portal that filled the sky just right behind him.
Just as Garlic Jr. threw his head back for a laugh, Gine realized how wide he left himself open, and the opening to the Dead Zone was right behind him...
"Too easy." She muttered, and all of her fears and anger evaporated.
Before Garlic Jr. could react, Gine phased in front of him with a flying kick. The demon's eyes bulged in disbelief, and he fell upwards into the abyss.
"NOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooo!" He screamed in rage and despair as fell into the portal, his voice dissipating as the rift between dimensions shattered like a pane of glass into shards.
Then the sky cleared into sunshine again. All was quite once more.
Kami stood up and brushed himself off.
"What just happened?!" Asked Kakarot as he rightened himself up after getting out of the debris pile.
Gine came walking up towards them with her lips curled back and a thumbs up.
Kami smiled in disbelief. "You... you saved the world!"
"ALRIGHT! Way to go, mom!" Kakarot cheered wildly.
Gine gave Kami a quick salute. "No problem."
Kami shook his head and laughed to himself. "It's incredible. This is the second time the world has been endangered by my own doing and the second time you've spared it from certain destruction."
"Next time I might have to bill you." Gine joked, making Kami laugh even harder. Internally, Kami was horrified that Garlic Jr. had escaped and he had been powerless to stop it were it not for his Saiyan students. But in the end, he was glad it was all put to an end.
"Well, thank you so much, Gine. You too, Kakarot." He said sincerely. "Is there anything I can do for you in return?"
Gine shrugged. "Eh, not really. We're just glad this is over, we have my grandson's birthday party to get back to thought."
"Yeah, thanks for the offer, Kami. But I think we'll get going now." Said Kakarot.
Kami bowed humbly, amazed at how these two could do so much and ask so little in return for such an impossible deed done for the good of the entire planet. They really did give him faith in people sometimes.
"Very well then. Thank you again for what you have done today. I shall never forget this, and if you need anything, let me know."
Gine nodded. "Likewise, Kami." She and Kakarot leapt into the air.
"SO LONG, KAMI!" Kakarot called back as he and his mother rocketed over the sea.
Gine took one look back to see Kami watching them go. She then turned looked back ahead, both mother and son rocketing back towards Mount Paozu...
...
"Mom?"
Kakarot's voice broke Gine out of her trip down memory lane. He was standing by the doorway expectantly with Little Gohan in one arm.
"Almost all set here, ready to go to Kame House?"
Gine shook her head and looked around to see that all the food they planned to bring was all ready to go. Chi-Chi worked fast for the five minutes Gine had zoned out. Amazingly, the pot of mountain lion steak and potato stew Gine was stirring came out good too. Even while daydreaming she managed to make it the way she always did. And with a dip of her finger to test taste it, she nodded in approval.
"Yep, it's ready! And so am I."
Kakarot smiled. "Alright, then let's go!" He perked his head out the door and yelled out: "FLYING NIMBUS!"
A moment later the puttering golden cloud appeared before them. Chi-Chi and Grandpa Gohan hoped on with the foodstuffs they were carrying. Gine placed a lid over the finished stew and tied it securely. Then filed out the door with her son and grandson.
"Alright, to Kame House!" Declared Kakarot as the family of five took off into the air.
Little Gohan rode on his father's back with his arms spread out playing "airplane" as Gine flew beside them. She laughed at the sight, and carried the pot carefully wrapped for the high speed flight to Roshi's island.
Gine had a feeling today was going to be a good day. She was rather excited to share the new dish she made, and she'll be damned if the wind blew it away.
Soon the trio of contrails left the tranquility of Mount Paozu, flying over the horizon towards the sea...
Meanwhile in the Spinach Wastes, a squat farmer in overalls and a straw hat was working his field. He forked load after load of hay into the back of his pickup truck. He had to get it all back tot he barn to feed his horses for the incoming winter.
He stopped to take a break and wipe the sweat off of his forehead. "Phew, this job's bigger than i thought." He said to himself.
It was a beautiful day out. With autumn setting in, the cool air felt good on him after all the laborious work. His flock of ostrich chickens were grazing in the lush green fields as the snowcapped mountains jutted up into the dark blue sky, flanked by looming clouds that were indistinguishable from the range.
A sudden sound of thunder echoed across the land, startling the farmer and all of the ostrich chickens. A sonic boom.
He looked up to where it came from, and squinted.
"What the..."
Several miles above, he saw a tiny dot of light get brighter and brighter. Then, it turned into a streak of flame that arced across the sky.
He gasped in amazement. A falling star? A meteor?
The flaming streak got closer as it passed overhead, it was so bright he had to look away. Whatever that thing was, it was falling at incredible speed and... slowing down?
It dipped below the crest of the grassy hill beyond. The ground shook as a cloud of smoke and debris exploded out of wherever that falling object crashed.
The ostrich chickens scrambled away in panic while the farmer stood there dumbfounded.
"Oh wow... I guess I... gotta go check it out." He stuttered to himself.
Abandoning the leftover pile of hay he still have to load, he jumped into his pickup and started the engine. The truck kicked up dirt as he sped off towards the crash site as quickly as he could. All the way there he bemoaned to himself why did he of all people on this Earth had to investigate so strange on such an ordinary day.
Arriving on the other side of the hill, the farmer slammed on the brakes. The tires dug into the grass as his truck came to a screeching halt. It stopped just before it could plummet into the smoldering crater where whatever that thing was hit the ground.
The farmer got out, and some superstitious part of his simple nature compelled him to bring along his rifle. Just in case.
He tiptoed slowly to the edge of the crater. It was over a hundred yards wide and thirty deep. Smoke still spewed from the burning grass and earth from the force of the impact. Intense heat radiated from the center, the air shimmering and the dirt vitrified into glass.
Gazing into the bottom of the crater, the farmer's eyes gazed upon what fell from the sky. And he couldn't believe what he saw.
"What in the world?! That's no meteor...t-that thing's made of steel!" He exclaimed.
The metallic object was perfectly spherical. It's surface was glowing red hot, scorched from it's fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere but looked smooth. But on one side there was what looked like a round, magenta window that he was unable to see into. And around it's edges, was the faintest traces of seams.
The farmer couldn't take his eyes off of it. A terrifying thought crossed his mind of how that thing definitely looked artificial, and was not from this world at all.
A piercing hiss broke the silence, making the farmer jump. Steam escaped from the seams of the sphere, and the surface with the round viewport slowly opened outwards like the ramp... no, the hatch of a spacecraft.
A hand grasped the frame of the hatch, then another on the other side. And from inside the craft, a lone figure emerged.
The farmer was shaking in sheer incredulity and terror.
"Ugh...A...An alien?!"
If his jaw had not fallen to the ground yet, it certainly did when the strange figure suddenly just floated up into the air. It could FLY too?!
The unknown figure seemed to sense the farmer's presence, and hovered in his direction. It cleared the rim of the crater and set down on it's feet not too far before the farmer.
The farmer backed away, never feeling more terrified in his life. But he got a good look at the person... or thing, that crashed in his field.
It looked like a man of sorts, but not a kind the farmer had ever seen. He towered over the farmer, easily seven feet tall. Clad in a strange suit of black armor with flared leg and shoulder guards the color of copper. His bare, tanned-skin arms and legs were masses of rock hard muscle like tree trunks, adorned with gauntlets and heavy boots respectively; with two red bands around his left arm and thigh. Most eye-catching of all was this fellow's very long spiky hair that was as dark as night, starting from a pronounced widow's peek and ran all the way down to the back of his legs like a hedgehog. He stunk like something awful, as if he hadn't bathed in years. And wrapped around his waist above his legs guards was a furry brown... belt?
The strange man's face was obscured slightly by a strange green-lensed apparatus covering his left eye. But the farmer could see the threatening glare etched into his brow like an iron mask.
He eyed the farmer with a mix of disgust and disappointment.
"Hmm, the creatures on this planet are still alive. Kakarot has failed us!" The figure said in a gruff voice, more to himself than to the farmer.
The farmer had no idea what he was talking about. All he could say in stutters was, "You're...on my...property." He cocked his rifle to encourage himself.
"Is that so?" The figure mockingly replied. He brought his hand up to the green-lensed device on the side of his head and pressed a button. After a second it beeped.
"Hpmh. Your power level is a puny five."
Feeling danger imminent, the farmer frantically pointed the gun at the figure. "Don't come any closer!"
The man stepped forward as if he didn't hear him.
Panicking, the farmer pulled the trigger. The crack of a gunshot rang out.
The being's hand moved so fast the farmer's mind didn't even register it, just suddenly seeing it clenched in front of the stranger's face. The stranger himself didn't even flinch, still starring directly at the farmer.
He smirked, and opened his fist to show the bullet he caught. The farmer was absolutely astonished, he might just have a heart attack.
The figure snickered. He was amused at how pitiful it was to him that these primitive beings still used ballistic projectile weaponry. And least of all wondered how Kakarot of all people, even as weak as he was, could've failed to rid this planet of these kinds of vermin. Oh well. Either way, he still got to enjoy getting a kick out of seeing weaklings tremble in terror before him.
With the flick of his thumb, he sent the bullet rocketing back at the farmer. He cried out in pain as the project went through his shoulder and sent him flying into the side of the truck. He groaned in pain, unconscious but was still alive.
"Tsh. What a fragile breed of people." The figure scoffed.
The device then beeped on it's own. His prey before him forgotten, the figure moved his attention to somewhere in the east.
He then frowned. "Huh? Two large power levels in that direction? But... how could that be? Who else could be on this planet besides Kakarot?"
With this new information in mind and pondering what kind of power he might be facing, he pressed another button on the device to hone in on it. It beeped once more after a few seconds.
He growled in frustration. "Is this thing broken again?"
He took off the device and with some well practiced fiddling around with the controls, reset the device and placed it back over the side of his face. He pressed the button again. After a moment, the results came back.
"Ugh...NO WAY! FOURTEEN AND SIXTEEN THOUSAND?!" He exclaimed in bewilderment, and lowered his trembling hand.
"H-how? This doesn't make any sense!" His mind tried to wrap itself around this new development.
Was the life on this planet more powerful than previously known? Did they actually come from other parts of the galaxy to conquer this planet instead and kill Kakarot already? The possibilities were numerous. But one thing is certain: he couldn't challenge them. Those two power levels were far more than his miniscule fifteen-hundred individually. Who or whatever that power was, he stood no chance of conquering this planet alone now.
The figure pressed a different button. "Vegeta! Nappa! This is Raditz, over!"
A few seconds went by before a reply came through the staticky communicator in the form of a burly voice.
"Well hey! If it ain't ol' Raditz! Took ya long enough to get there!"
Then another voice answered. More commanding and menacing than the first.
"Raditz, give me a status report. Have you found your brother already?"
"Uh Yes! Yes, Vegeta. Um, WAIT NO! NO I HAVEN'T! I MEAN-" Raditz stuttered. He collected himself and tried to assess the situation more clearly. "W-What I mean to say is that I just arrived to this planet "Earth", but it looks like it has not been cleared of it's indigenous life. I haven't found Kakarot yet, and... I had also just detected exceedingly high power levels here of unknown origin! "
Another few seconds go by before a response from Vegeta.
"How high are we talking about?"
"Two specific signatures here. One is fourteen-thousand and the other is sixteen-thousand. Sending the data to you now." Raditz answered, and pressed another button to transmit his scouter's findings to his comrades'.
"Interesting..." Even from the time-difference required for their communications to travel, Raditz could here the intrigued tone in Vegeta's voice. "...I thought that planet was just a frontier rock with nothing worthwhile on it."
"Well, that's what I'm seeing here! Perhaps our intel was wrong about this place, but that's what I'm seeing." Raditz surmised.
"You think they might have killed Kakarot? You did say he was rather weak afterall."
"I'm not sure. And I don't know if those two power levels are friendlies either, so... I think..." Raditz tried to get out the words he loathed to say. "I might need some backup."
A few seconds later, Raditz could hear Nappa laughing on the other end of the line.
"Ha! Figured as much, poor little Raddy always needing to be bailed out! Hahahaha."
Even from thousands of lightyears away, Raditz couldn't escape that jab to his pride. He felt humiliated and angry at himself for having to stoop to begging his comrades for help like he always had. It's what he got for being the weakest Saiyan of the bunch. But this was a feeling he has had to endure almost his entire life. He had grown numb and accepting to his pathetic nature, but it still didn't hurt less when he was made fun of for being a coward.
"Can it, Nappa." Vegeta's voice chided, and Nappa's laughing ceased before Vegeta spoke again. "Raditz is right. This is a rather surprising development for such a backwater planet. Whoever they are, there is no denying that they are stronger than all three of us combined. If there IS something there that harbors some strong lifeforms, then I think it might be worth... investigating."
Raditz didn't like where this was going. "Wait. You want me to go check them out?"
"Of course, you nimrod. Go scout them out and report back. Who knows. If they are as powerful as your scouter says, perhaps they might be of more use to us than your brother ever could." Said Vegeta.
"But what if they refuse to join us?" Raditz said nervously. He didn't like the idea of having to face these unknown foes alone, not to mention he came here to recruit his brother for a job Lord Frieza had assigned them. One that was too big for just the three of them, and he had gambled on recruiting Kakarot to see if it could help. This would definitely give them the boost they need in the eyes of the emperor. But not at the sure cost of his life.
"Then at least Nappa and I will have a nice challenge to look forward to." Vegeta answered evilly.
"Haha! I like the way you think, Vegeta." Said Nappa eagerly. "I say we check this out and see what kind of fight would be in store for us! I'm sure Frieza won't mind if we take a little detour."
"Very well then." Vegeta gave his call before turning back to Raditz.
"We're on our way, Raditz. In the meantime, why don't you make yourself a little more useful and see if you can identify those powers for us. It would be nice to know what we're up against."
Raditz was irate at Vegeta ordering him around like this, and too prideful to admit he was afraid. As far as he knew, Vegeta and Nappa had already conquered the jungle planet they were assigned to in the Southern Quadrant. So by his calculations they should arrive in a year's time. It was a long while to lay low and wait for his allies, especially with lifeforms around that would easily kill him. But he had no choice.
Raditz sighed. "Roger that, Vegeta. I'll let you know what I find."
"Good. Vegeta, out." The Saiyan Prince said curtly before he cut the comm link.
Raditz noted how they didn't bother to give him one last warning about not getting caught. It didn't matter. They always treated him like crap, and he knew the reality that he was expendable given his pathetic power level. This was his place, and if he was to die as a scout then so be it.
Leaping into the air, Raditz took off in the direction of the two high power levels. According to his scouter, they were moving at a leisurely pace over the ocean and tracking towards a far off island.
He still wondered what happened to his long lost brother, and why he had not carried out his mission to destroy this planet. These energy signatures may have something to do with it. Either way, he was going to find out.
They were over the sea and Kame House came into view. Down below, Bulma, Roshi, and Krillin were all on the beach already.
"Hey everybody!" Kakarot called down.
The trio on the island heard his voice from above and erupted into cheers at seeing him and the rest of the Son family.
"Kakarot! Gine! Chi-Chi! Gohan! Good to see you all!" Bulma welcomed them with a warm smile as the group touched down to laughter and chatter as the two groups reunited.
"You too Bulma!" Chi-Chi jumped off the Nimbus and gave Bulma a big hug which Gine did too.
"How ya doin' buddy!" Krillin ran up to his old time friend.
"Krillin!" Kakarot laughed. "Good to see you too! I've been doing great."
"Master." Grandpa Gohan bowed to Roshi.
"Oh, don't be so modest, Gohan. You're the elder master here." Roshi said as he came in and embraced his oldest student.
Bulma laid eyes on Little Gohan. She drew in her breath in surprise. "Oh my goodness! Is that Little Gohan!?"
Kakarot set Little Gohan down and ruffled his hair. "Hehe. Yep, this is him alright! Say hi, Gohan."
Little Gohan gave a respectful bow. "Hello." He said politely.
"Oh, well, hello." They all bowed in return, surprised by his manners.
"My, what a well-mannered young boy." Roshi remarked.
"He's adorable!" Bulma cooed at the little half-Saiyan.
"Oh wow, Little Gohan? He's growing up fast!" Krillin said. He wasn't surprised since he had meet him once a couple years back..
Bulma bent down to Little Gohan's level. "So, Gohan, how old are you?"
Little Gohan held up his fingers. "Uh, four and a half!"
She smiled. "Are you gonna grow up to be a great fighter like your parents and grandparents?"
"Well, not exactly." Chi-Chi answered. "He's been studying a lot to become a scholar someday. But I do let him train sometimes."
Bulma looked from Chi-Chi to Little Gohan intrigued. "Oh really? A scholar?"
Little Gohan had been clutching his father's leg to try and hide his face from all the attention from these strangers. But the timidness wore off when the blue-haired woman asked him an intellectually stimulating question about studying.
"Yeah! I've been studying algebra and physics lately. But in between assignments I get to train with my daddy and grandma."
"Oh wow." Bulma said in amazement. "He's really smart for a four year old! Not even I started algebra until I was five!"
"Haha. Yep! He's our brainy fighter, ain't that right, son?" Said Kakarot with a proud smile.
"I see." Said Bulma. "Well I'd be happy to take him to Capsule Corp. someday if he ever wants to get into applied sciences."
Little Gohan's face lit up in excitement. "Really? You'd let me check out your science labs?!"
Bulma smiled at him. "Sure! I like you, kid. You're really smart like I am, and I'd be happy to help a fellow genius." She said with a wink.
Turtle made his way up to them, and he smiled at seeing Little Gohan. "Oh, hello!"
The boy shied away in such a manner that they couldn't help but find cute.
"I think he wants you to pet him, Gohan." Gine encouraged.
Little Gohan tentatively extended his hand out to Turtle to stroke his scaly head. At the gentle contact, Little Gohan smiled brightly.
"He really likes animals too." Kakarot remarked.
Roshi looked at the boy and saw the furry brown appendage from behind him. "He's got a tail too?"
Kakarot nodded. "Yep, just like mom and I do."
At the mention of that Bulma and Krillin looked alarmed. Kakarot saw this and waved them reassuringly. "It's okay. We taught him to never go out on a full moon too. We all go to bed early too so it's never been a problem"
They all sighed in relief. Little Gohan had already warmed up to Turtle and was riding around in the sand on top of his shell. He took in everything he saw with pure delight. Gohan had never been to the beach before and was running away frantically from the incoming waves, fascinated by the sea and playing rock-paper-scissors with a crab. His curiosity and giggling made Gine's heart melt.
"He's a lot different than when Kakarot was a kid." Said Krillin to Gine as they watched Little Gohan play in the sand.
"Yeah..." Gine said wistfully. "It's like watching my son grow up all over again, only he's smarter and more bashful."
Krillin chuckled at that. Then Gine added, "Don't tell Kakarot I said that."
Bulma turned to them. "Say, you guys brought some food too?"
"Yep! I even brought some of my famous mountain lion and potato stew!" Gine said expectantly as she held up the giant pot.
"Oh, you're gonna spoil this old man! Nothing compares to your cooking, Gine." Said Roshi. No one disagreed on that.
They heard the sound of an air car approaching. A sporty yellow hot rod that arched around, floated down and landed. The door opened, and out came Yamcha and Puar.
"HEY EVERYBODY!" He waved, and everyone greeted with "Hey Yamcha!"
Yamcha laid eyes on Bulma, and his shoulders went rigid. "Oh..."
Bulma's mood instantly darkened. She ran over to Yamcha and slapped him across the face.
"YOU JERK! YOU HAVE SOME NERVE SHOWING YOUR FACE AROUND ME!" She screamed.
"ME?! I should be the one angry at you!" Yamcha shouted back.
The gang was mostly at a loss for seeing the couple they used to know now on the brink of a fight. Puar floated to their side looking apologetic.
"Uhhh, wanna clue us in?" Gine asked Puar.
"Bulma's still mad Yamcha stood her up. He was out of money that one time a couple months ago." She replied.
"HA!" Bulma bitterly laughed as if she heard Puar. "Yamcha was broke ninety-nine percent of the time! And he went out with that stupid girl, Becky or whoever, just three nights later!"
"I HAD tickets, but you wouldn't go!" Yamcha shot back.
"Man! Being a jerk just comes so naturally to you!" Bulma gritted her teeth angrily.
"Yeah? Well, I'd say I owe all my "training" in that department from you, Bulma."
Now she was furious. "SHUT IT! I DONT WANNA HEAR IT! WE'RE THROUGH!"
"FINE! YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE I DON'T WANNA HEAR?! WHY DON'T YOU..."
Chi-Chi went over to cover Little Gohan's ears as the former couple exchanged profanities. "For shame! There's a child present!" She yelled.
Gine rolled her eyes at the scene unfolding. Yamcha had taken up baseball in the last five years as his martial arts training had easily been transferred to the sport. He had been winning every game since then, making a lot of money whenever he needed some quick financing. But with that fame came with lots of other girls throwing themselves at him, and inevitably he started philandering.
This was... what, the third time Bulma and Yamcha broke up in their on and off again relationship? Gine thought.
But she could see that as much as they hurt each other, they loved each other. This petty bickering was just a part of their ridiculous dynamic.
"Ahem!" Gine coughed to break up the argument. "So Yamcha, did you bring anything today?"
"Uhh, oh yes!" He said, thankful of the change in subject. "I brought some truffles for desert!"
"HEY! THAT WAS MY RECIPE THAT I TAUGHT YOU! You can't be doing that, Mr. Cheater!"
Yamcha sighed. "Look, Bulma, I just came here for the reunion, and brought food as promised! So don't get mad at ME!"
Bulma, after a few tense moments, stormed off. "Fine. Don't come near me." She huffed over her shoulder before disappearing into Kame House, almost slamming the screen door off it's hinges.
"Well this might be awkward." Krillin joked flatly.
"We're here for the reunion and that's all that matters. Let's just enjoy the celebration." Roshi offered.
"Right." Gine smiled. "At least we're all here. It's good to see you again, Yamcha."
"You too, Gine!" Said Yamcha as he gave her a friendly handshake.
"Chi-Chi! Kakarot! Long time, no see!"
"I know!" The Sons gave their hellos, then Yamcha looked down at their child.
"Hey little guy! You must be Gohan."
Little Gohan bowed respectfully. "Uh, hello."
"Hello to you too." Yamcha said as he shook Little Gohan's hand.
"You look just like your father, little guy. Your dad is an incredible martial artist!"
"Oh, well, thank you, sir!" Said Gohan.
"Hehe. Call me Yamcha, sport." He said with a light laugh.
"So, Yamcha, you been training lately?" Asked Kakarot.
Yamcha shrugged. "Eh, not lately. Been running short on cash so I've been playing for the Taitans a lot recently. Won several regional games and going for the world series soon, so that should have enough prize money to last me a while and get back in it."
"Ah ok." Said Kakarot.
Remembering she was still holding onto a dish getting cold, Gine spoke up. "I'll head inside and get lunch ready." She said. Chi-Chi remembered too.
"Wait for me!" She said laughing. They both walked past the screen door and into Kame House. From inside, Gine made herself a glass of lemonade while Chi-Chi helped unpack the roasted chicken and Gine's mountain lion steak and potato stew for later on. In the corner, Bulma was arguing with Oolong and Grandpa Gohan about something.
Back outside, Kakarot watched Little Gohan play in the sand while the old gang of Krillin, Yamcha, and Master Roshi hung out.
"So far the only people yet to show up is Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, and Launch." Roshi remarked.
"Yeah, it had been a few months since I last saw them." Said Krillin as he scanned the horizon. "I told them about us being here today, so I hope they'll show up."
"I heard Launch was trying to date Tien." Said Yamcha, getting a chuckle out of Krillin and Roshi.
"Yeah, good luck for Tien there. That woman scares me sometimes."
Krillin then asked, "So, Kakarot, what have you been up to since you settled down?"
"Oh... not much." He said in thought. "Been taking Gohan out on a few camping trips and Chi-Chi just started him on his early-studying for his college entrance tests now."
"Oh wow! College entrance exams at four years old already?!" Yamcha said in surprise.
"Yep." Kakarot lowered his voice. "We haven't been keeping up with our training though. With Chi-Chi busy with tutoring Gohan it's just me, Grandpa, and Mom to fight."
"Chi-Chi's changed a lot since Gohan was born, huh?" Asked Yamcha.
"Yeah, a little. It's really good that she cares for Gohan, but we haven't had much time to do other things since she really wants to put him through school. I was gonna take Chi-chi and Little Gohan on a trip to explore the world when its all done. Chi-chi wanted us to stay home so our son could focus on studying, but Mom said it might be good for Gohan's education to see the outside world more often, like it did with me."
"I think that might do him some good if you could convince Chi-Chi." Krillin remarked.
"Oh yeah, I think it could-"
Kakarot froze mid-sentence. His expression suddenly turned serious, and he whipped around looking out towards the sea.
"Uh, Kakarot?" Krillin asked confused.
"Someone's heading this way." Said Kakarot tersely.
"Huh?" Replied the three of them. Then they all gasped as they felt it too.
Krillin ran to Kakarot's side, scanning the horizon. "D-Do you see-"
"Yes. Coming over the horizon to the west." Kakarot said alertly, narrowing his eyes trying focus on something far off. Little Gohan somehow seemed to sense his father's sudden change in attitude and and approached him cautiously.
"Who could it be?" Roshi stammered.
"Whatever it is, it's fast and strong but I think Kakarot can take them on!" Yamcha said tensely, whipping his head around too.
Kakarot got ready for battle and tried to get a feel of the unfamiliar power approaching them. From what he could sense, it wasn't Tien or any other fighter they knew; it was stronger than Tien or any of the other human fighters but nowhere near as strong as he or his mother. But the aura of this power felt like that of a warrior, and somewhat malicious. There was also something odd about that ki signature that he couldn't put his finger on. Something... he ought to know.
"There!" Kakarot pointed straight up into the sky. Everyone looked up to see a figure flying towards the island at high speed. It then stopped and floated high above for a few long moments...
...
Raditz hovered over the tiny spit of land in the middle of the vast blue sea. He was gazing down below in disbelief at the figure highlighted in his scouter.
That hair was unmistakable. The spitting image of his father, Bardock.
He had found him. Kakarot, his long lost brother, was still alive after all. Not only that, but Raditz is thoroughly stunned that he is the power level of sixteen-thousand that he had detected from the other side of the planet. He wasn't imagining it, and he made sure that the scouter was registering it correctly. But he still couldn't believe it.
The scouter also picked up the fourteen-thousand power level from within that wooden dwelling. He had no idea who it was, and why it was here with Kakarot and all these disgusting weaklings he was surrounded by.
So many questions raged in Raditz's mind. How was Kakarot still alive? Why did he not carry out his mission? How did he get so strong? And how was that even possible?! Last time he saw him, after he was born and placed in his incubation chamber back on planet Vegeta, his power level was only a two. At the very most, the doctors predicted that he should only have had a power level of three-hundred. For a low-class Saiyan like him to surpass elite or even super elite status was unthinkable! But here he was. It both mortified and amazed him. At some level, he had hoped... or at least thought he believed, that lower class Saiyans could usurp the smug high-class warriors that looked down on them. A feeling of power from hard work and willpower over chance at birth. But he had nearly buried that belief long ago as a hopeless ideal. Now he felt almost insulted that he himself was even weaker than his supposedly "weak" brother, another painful jab at his pride for still being stuck at the bottom of the totem pole.
With how plainly visible he was to Kakarot below, Raditz cursed himself for letting himself getting detected. He wanted to observe from afar to see who the power levels were, but those below had somehow found out that he was coming. Did they have something akin to scouters? He wondered.
Regardless, his original plan was now thrown out the window, for he could not take on his brother's power. And it scared him to want to approach him and find out who the other one was. There'd be no way he could escape if they tried to chase him.
So with no other choice other than to have his questions answered, Raditz dropped down towards the island...
...
The unidentified man lowered himself to the ground, touching down in the sand just mere feet away from them. Krillin, Roshi ,and Yamcha backed away while Kakarot stood firm and unflinching against this potential threat. Little Gohan, seeing this weird but menacing-looking man appear out of nowhere, cowered behind his father.
Kakarot regarded the mysterious and ridiculously long-haired warrior studiously. He was slightly bulkier, and stood a head taller than him. That armor... minus the bronze shoulder pads and leg/crotch guards instead of gold straps, Kakarot recognized that design anywhere. It was not unlike the set that his mother had long kept tucked away back at the homestead somewhere.
The warrior was clutching his fists by his side, and was looking right at Kakarot. His eyes held a mix of emotions he couldn't decipher. From cold calculation and recognition, to surprise, fear, and even a hint of relief.
"Well... I finally found you." The figure said.
...
...Inside Kame House, Gine felt it too. Outside.
Her tail frayed and she stood rigidly in place for a long moment, not registering the burning sensation on her hand as she clutched the hot iron pot on the stove.
"Gine?" Bulma asked worriedly. Everyone inside stared at her in confusion.
Gine then sprinted for the door, forgetting that she still had her drink in her hand and nearly pushing Bulma and Chi-Chi aside...
...
"It's been a long time, but we meet again at last, Kakarot. You've grown up since the last time I saw you."
All eyes turned to Kakarot, who was taken aback from the visitor's words.
"Uhhhh... do I know you?" Kakarot asked.
The figure smirked. "More than you realize." Then his grin soured. "But the more important things to ask though, are why have you not carried out your mission? And how is it that your are so strong?! You drove my scouter crazy!"
"Huh? My mission?" Kakarot asked.
"Yes!" The figure asked impatiently. "You were supposed to eradicate all life on this planet when you landed. Why didn't you?!"
Gears were starting to turn as the word "mission" clicked into place, and his appearance started to connect the dots in his head. To confirm what he was thinking, Kakarot glanced to the stranger's waist and saw it. Kakarot's eyes widened.
"You're a Saiyan too?!" He exclaimed, pointing toward the figure's furry appendage.
"Of course I am, you idiot! What kind of stupid question is that?" The stranger angrily replied.
The front door flung open as Gine came running out. "Kakarot?! What's going on out h-"
She stopped in her tracks when she laid eyes on the visitor.
It took only a second for her to recognize who he was.
The glass of lemonade she was holding slipped from her trembling hands and shattered on the ground. The sudden noise drew the attention of the visitor from Kakarot to her.
After a few seconds, he recognized her too. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped in utter shock.
"M-MO-MOTHER?!"
A/N: There we go! The first chapter of Z and the moment we've been waiting for. What will Raditz do?
Tune in next time!