16: Back To Normal Life

The next day brought bright, unyielding sunshine and the sweet twitter of birds. Fluffy white clouds like cotton candy danced across the sky at their slow-motioned pace. People rose to greet the new day with yawns and stretches. Cars were already about on the bustling road, hurrying on their way to their jobs of choice.

Goku snored happily as the sun came over the treetops, his body sprawled across the entirety of the bed he and Chi-Chi shared. His hair was a mangled mess from tossing and turning, and his white t-shirt was crumpled to the point where it resembled a tank top. The bright sunlight filtered in through the thin white curtains, splashing across the bedroom until it reached his face. He moaned and rolled over in an attempt to escape the blinding light, only to roll directly onto the floor. A resounding thud was heard throughout the house, followed by a muffled groan.

Chi-Chi, who was buzzing around the kitchen preparing a breakfast fit for a king, chuckled to herself. Oh, well, look who's finally up. She flipped the pancakes and started in on the process of making a third dozen sets of bacon strips. She had gotten used to the enormous meals her husband and children managed to eat, so she always made sure to make all her dishes in bulk. That meant several bowls filled with just eggs and sausages, around five plates of pancakes and toast, and other delectables her family so greatly enjoyed. The scent of the soon to be complete morning meal was sure to bring an eager Goku from his slumber.

While his mother busied herself in the kitchen, Goten had been up since early in the morning, perfecting his appearance in his floor-length mirror attached to the back of his door. He turned this way and that, observing his look from all angles. His black hair stuck straight out at a tilted angle, no matter what he did to it, so he decided to leave it be. The only thing he could control was his outfit. He sported, or attempted to sport, a white long-sleeved shirt with jeans and sneakers he had borrowed from Gohan. His somewhat geeky face was unchangeable, as he had found out after an hour of struggles in the bathroom. He poked at his hair one last time before ultimately giving up and heading into the kitchen.

Today was the day that he planned on finally asking out his deep crush, Valese. He had been suppressing his strong feelings for her for a great while, though it was getting harder as the days progressed. He'd see her walking the halls of the high school they attended, Orange Star High. She was beautiful and graceful and wildly out of Goten's league, but he was determined to man up and work up the courage to ask her out. He fought aliens, for Christ's sake! He should be able to ask a girl on a date, of all things. His original plan was to ask her a few days ago, but then there was all the drama of rescuing Basil, and then the threat of space pirates and on top of that, he had seen his parents in a not so PG-13 manner, which had all contributed in slamming his asking-out to a grinding halt. There was also his fear of rejection, which gave him crippling anxiety. But he shook it off as he walked proudly into the kitchen, his head held high.

No matter what happens today, I WILL ask her out! I have to, before a muscular jock in tight jeans and sunglasses with facial hair despite his young age with large arms and a deep voice that makes all the girls fall head over heels for him swoops in and takes her.

Chi-Chi smiled as her son sat down at the table and reached over to pat his cheek. "Good morning, Goten. Sleep well?"

"Uh...sure." He still couldn't bring himself to even make eye contact with his mother. Sure, he should be focusing on getting over what he had seen, but it was like a nightmare. No kid ever wants to see their parents in a situation such as the one that partook the other day. He stared at the wooden table before him, trying as hard as he could to only think of the steaming food that sat in front of him.

Okay, uh, eggs. Eggs are good, and wholesome. Bread is good. Pancakes are good, especially with butter. Waffles are good. Sausages are...oh god. Images are coming in. It's horrible! Look away, Goten!

He quickly shoved the bowl of sausages behind the bowl of eggs, so they were completely hidden from his line of sight. Sighing in relief, he sank down in his chair, waiting for the images flashing in his mind to cease.

Chi-Chi set a plate stacked with her delicious baking down in front of him, then set down a cup of orange juice. "There you go. If you're still hungry afterwards, there's always more."

"Thanks," He said softly, then dove in. He was in a hurry to get out of the house, and due to past circumstances, more than he usually was. He paid no mind to how hot the food was and focused on swallowing as much as he could before his dad entered the room, which was sure to happen in the next few seconds when food was involved.

His plate was cleared in record time, and he jumped from his seat, swinging his backpack over his shoulder. "Okay, bye!"

"Wait, you're leaving already?" Chi-Chi turned from her dish-washing to frown at her son. "What are you in such a hurry for?"

Goten hesitated, then shrugged. "I'm just...eager to learn?"

Chi-Chi blinked at him, then sighed, shaking her head. "Well, good. Education is important. You're growing up to be a little Gohan, aren't you?" She giggled and pinched his cheeks.

Goten leapt away from her touch and laughed nervously. "Yep. I'm...following in my brother's footsteps."

"Aw, that's so sweet. Oh, don't forget you have to take the bus home today. I'm going to be busy, and I assume your father is going to be with Vegeta and that female Saiyan." Chi-Chi turned back to the sink, then whipped around a second later. "Wait! You didn't get injured from that fight on Planet Vegeta, did you? Nothing broken, right?" She hurried over and began inspecting every inch of her son's body with the precision of a professional doctor.

"I'm fine, Mom! Really! I mean, I did hit my head pretty hard..." Goten began.

"WHAT!?" Chi-Chi shouted, already pulling his head down to examine it from every angle.

"Nothing! I'm fine, I promise." He pulled his head away and quickly opened the door.

"Are you wearing cologne?" She asked with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, look at the time!" Goten said, looking at his imaginary watch on his wrist. "Gotta go!"

"You better stay out of trouble, young man." Chi-Chi called after him as he hurried away from the house and up the dirt path.

"I will!" Goten called back to her before he shot up into the sky, dashing along through the air without looking back.

Chi-Chi closed the front door with a smile. "He's just like his brother."

A door opened, and a fully dressed and wide-awake Goku stepped into the kitchen, grinning like a child. "Hey, Chi-Chi! Where's Goten?"

"He left just now." Chi-Chi walked to the counter and picked up a much larger plate than the one she had given to Goten. "Here you go, Goku. Try not to eat it too fast, I don't want you to choke."

"Alright!" Goku eagerly took the plate and sat down at the table, already digging in passionately.

Chi-Chi sat down beside him, a confused look on her face. She rubbed her chin, then looked over at her husband. "Does Goten seem to be acting a little strange to you?"

Goku paused in his gorging to answer. "Hm. I don't know. I didn't notice anything strange about him."

"He hasn't been speaking very much, and he's never in such a rush to get to school." Chi-Chi said. "I wonder if something happened."

Goku shrugged. "Beats me."

...

Trunks was already waiting outside Capsule Corp when Goten arrived. He wore his usual light blue denim jacket, but a backpack replaced the sword he always wore on his back. He waved to his friend and jogged to meet him.

"Hey, man. What took you so long?" Trunks asked as he and Goten began their walk down the fairly crowded sidewalk. Cars zoomed past them at top speed, and people walked by either talking on their phones or going for a morning jog. Some of the students that went to their high school were walking their same route, though they weren't students they talked to. Goten and Trunks primarily stuck together during school hours. They didn't have many classes together, but when lunch time rolled around, they sat together in the cafeteria. They didn't really talk to others, but that wasn't because they didn't want to. None of the students were very good role models, as most of them either smoked in the bathrooms or threw huge parties when their parents were out of town. And the jocks were a whole other story. Those muscle meatheads were the kings of detention 90 percent of the time. Goten and Trunks figured sticking together would be a safe option, for their school was a rather wild jungle.

"Sorry. My mom kept asking questions about stuff." Goten rubbed the back of his neck. "I barely escaped."

Trunks laughed. "Still can't talk to her?"

"No, but I'm trying!" Goten replied. "It's hard, Trunks. You didn't see it."

"From the way you talk about it, I feel like I have." Trunks chuckled. "Give it time, you'll forget all about it soon."

"Yeah," Goten nodded. "I sure hope so. My dad wants to train with me tomorrow, and I don't know if I can."

Trunks nudged his shoulder with a grin. "Relax, Goten. I'm sure everyone has had to deal with a situation like this."

"You haven't." Goten pouted.

Trunks nodded. "That's because I'm special."

They both laughed as they crossed the street, shoving each other with their shoulders or trying to trip the other by sticking their foot out.

Once they reached the sidewalk, Goten's laughter died away, and his expression turned into one of concern. "Hey, your dad said something about Turles coming here to get Basil. You think that's true?"

Trunks sighed. "I don't know. I wouldn't put it past him. That Turles seemed like a really bad guy. And he was pretty clear about how badly he wanted Basil."

"What if he attacks Earth?" Goten asked, then sucked in a breath. "I feel like that's what he has planned."

"If he does, he'll have to deal with us." Trunks smiled confidently.

Goten chuckled and gripped his backpack straps. "Yeah. We'll kick his ass."

"Yeah." Trunks nodded.

"You think we stand a chance against that guy again?" Goten said, his voice uneasy. To say he was scared would be an understatement. Turles was strong, and Goten had felt that first hand. He didn't want to fight him again, but he would if he had to.

Trunks looked ahead of them, his blue eyes stern and focused. "I don't know, Goten. I really don't. But I do know that we'll have more numbers. Yamcha, Krillin, 18, Gohan, everybody. Him and his goons will be totally outnumbered. And besides, we have Basil now. She's a full Saiyan, which means she'll get strong like our dads. Turles won't stand a chance."

Goten didn't look so positive about the topic, and Trunks took notice. He didn't like it when his friend was sad. He didn't like it when anybody was sad. He placed a hand on Goten's shoulder and smiled sympathetically. "Hey, don't worry so much. Let's just focus on getting through today. We'll talk to Piccolo about what's going to happen later, okay?"

Goten thought for a moment, then forced a smile. "Okay. It'll be hard to concentrate in my classes, but I think I'll manage. Though, it'll be even harder trying to ask Valese out knowing Turles might attack any day now."

Trunks laughed. "That'll be a heck of a first date."

...

The sun peaked over the mountains, stirring the birds to life from their homes nestled in the trees. The relaxing sounds of the waterfalls were like a peaceful lullaby. They way the wind gently kissed the grass and leaves, sending the scent of the water away in all directions was mesmerizing to the female Saiyan who shuffled out of her capsule house, her eyes barely open and her hair a huge, tangled mess of pure black. She had taken out the braids before falling asleep to get comfortable, but now that was seeming like a mistake. Her hair was similar to that of Raditz, a villainous Saiyan from the past who had absurdly long hair. It suck out in all directions, some thick strands covering her face like a mask.

She wore a long-sleeved light pink nightgown, which had been in one of the drawers of her capsule house. Her feet were bare, and she found she greatly enjoyed the feeling of the prickly grass underneath her. The gentle wind blew lightly across her face, making her smile. Then she remembered that Piccolo lived next door. Oh, right! He said I could train with Mister Lord Beerus and Mister Whis again! I can't wait! I wanna go Super Saiyan!

She hurried over to the house next door and pounded on the door, bouncing on the tips of her feet. She had started to realize how much she enjoyed the Namekian's presence, even though they had only been around each other for a handful of hours. The fact that she hardly knew him, as Piccolo had pointed out last night, meant very little to her. Feelings were a fairly new subject for Basil. Sure, her mother told her about how different people displayed different emotions around certain people, be it ones that they liked or ones that they hated. But Basil had been very young at the time of that talk, and she hardly remembered her mother's voice or face. On top of that, Basil was never one to actually pay attention to long speeches. She was one for play and exploration. And that's exactly what she wanted to do. Play and explore with her new Saiyan friends, as well as Mister Lord Beerus and Mister Whis.

She knew that she would have to remember to be patient when it came to her training, as Goku and Vegeta had told her many times. The eagerness and excitement of changing into a new, powerful form was all she could think about. She had tossed and turned so many times last night, imagining what she would look like with gold hair. She pictured Goku in her memory from Planet Vegeta. He had gone Super Saiyan, and it had turned his hair a pretty gold and his eyes a beautiful green. Basil wasn't sure why he didn't keep his original colors, but she supposed it was for the best, since it was really pretty to look at. On top of that, she wanted to know the feeling of instantly becoming stronger faster than the blink of an eye. Basil had never heard of Saiyans changing forms, and now here were two Saiyans saying there were dozens of forms they could achieve, and some they had yet to discover. It filled her heart with glee and her head with rambling thoughts.

I'm gonna go Super Saiyan and beat up that meanie, Turles. Basil thought to herself with a firm nod.

She knocked on the door again, but still, received no answer. She cocked her head to the side, then bent down and tried to see inside the small home via the key hole.

A great whooshing sound resonated from behind her, and she whirled around to see Piccolo with his arms crossed over his chest, his face turned into a stern glare. His white cape billowed behind him like a curtain. He landed a few feet from her, his gaze unwavering.

"Hi, Mister Piccolo!" Basil waved. "I fell asleep and now I'm awake! Can I go to Mister Lord Beerus now?"

"No," Piccolo said without a second thought. "He's most likely sleeping right now, so it's best not to bother him. Besides, you just woke up, didn't you? I'm going to assume you're hungry."

"Oh, yeah, I'm really hungry!" Basil skipped over to him, her tail wrapped sloppily around her waist, as if she had done so as an afterthought. The nightgown she wore didn't have a hole in the back for her tail to freely slip through, so the bottom of the garment was hitched up, pulled upwards at a rather awkward angle. She clearly didn't know a thing about decency, as Piccolo had to fix her tail so it hung down, allowing the nightgown to drop, covering her up more effectively. "Can I have some chicken? You know, the stuff I had yesterday with Miss Bulma?"

"No, that's not breakfast food." Piccolo replied.

"Oh. What about rice? She made me rice yesterday, and it was really good." Basil said with a giggle.

"That's not breakfast food, either.' Piccolo sighed.

"I'm not really sure what 'breakfast food' means." Basil scratched the top of her head. "What's breakfast?"

"It's a meal you eat when you wake up in the morning." Piccolo said as he turned and began walking toward the large body of water a few feet from them.

"Oh." Basil nodded and hurried to follow. "Do you like breakfast food?"

"I eat when I have to." He said plainly, then crouched down by the waters edge. Little tadpoles floated about, and dragonflies zipped around just inches above the surface of the water. Fish swam around in lazy circles, and several bugs of unknown names buzzed around. The sun reflected against the top of the water, creating a shimmering zigzag on the ever-moving blue wonderland.

"Only when you have to?" Basil repeated. She sat down beside him with her head tilted to the side. "You mean...you don't enjoy eating?"

"Not as much as you Saiyans seem to." Piccolo chuckled. "I eat to survive. No more than that."

"I enjoy eating." Basil said proudly. "It makes my tummy happy."

Piccolo shook his head. "You Saiyans are all the same."

"What does that mean?" Basil asked.

"Nothing." Piccolo stood and pointed to the water. "You see that big fish right there?"

Basil followed where he was pointing, and squinted to see better through the glaring light reflecting off the water's surface. "Uh...yeah. Wow, that's a really big fish!"

"Indeed. You're going to get changed into more suitable clothes, then you'll come over to this dock and I'm going to show you how to fish." Piccolo crossed his arms and stared out at the mountains in front of him.

Basil raised an eyebrow. "Teach me how to fish? Why do I need to change for that?"

"Because I told you to." Piccolo said flatly.

Basil looked thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged and began taking off her nightgown.

Piccolo panicked and shoved the gown back over her head. "What are you doing?!"

"You told me to change!" Basil said with a confused look.

"Inside!" He pointed to her capsule house. "You don't take your clothes off in public!"

"Why not?" Basil looked down at herself. "Is there something wrong with me?"

Piccolo groaned and grabbed her arm, dragging her to her house. "You just don't. Nobody does that. Get dressed inside and come back out when you're done, understand?"

Basil nodded, but she still didn't look like she quite understood what Piccolo was saying. She turned around and walked inside, the door shutting softly behind her.

Piccolo sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes. Jeez, this girl is going to make everything difficult.

...

Vegeta threw a hard punch, and Goku swiftly blocked it. He leapt to the side and delivered a fiery kick to Vegeta's stomach. The smaller Saiyan was sent flying backward, but he regained his posture almost immediately. Sweat decorated his forehead, and he wiped his arm across his face to clear it.

Goku smiled in a teasing way and resumed his battle position, his eyes filled with raw energy. "What's the matter, Vegeta? Gettin' a little rusty?"

Vegeta growled low in his throat and charged, sliding under a punch that had been aimed for his head. They became a swarm of kicks and punches, their movements almost becoming something like a melody that only the two of them understood. After years of fighting each other, the two became experts on the other's moves and weaknesses, sensing the other's moves before they made them. The sweet heat of the morning sun glistened off their sweat-soaked bodies, creating the equivalent of a painting come to life. Their movements were smooth and calculated, proof of years of tough training from multiple mentors over the course of many years. They were not fighting out of hatred or anger, despite what their bout appeared to be from an onlookers viewpoint. The intense training became a dance. The two were accustomed to each other, which made the now simple task of training a breeze. Of course, both retained their aggressive sides when it came to fighting, even though they weren't fighting an actual enemy. They always took fighting seriously, as evidenced by the amount of time and attention they put into their training sessions.

They battled each other in the wide-open field behind Capsule Corp, where only a mere fence separated them from the humans. The two Saiyans hardly noticed anything outside from their makeshift training grounds. Vegeta had originally planned to go to the zero-gravity room to train, since it would be safer for the humans, but it was under repairs from the last time he and Goku had used it for sparring. So, they had to settle for the backyard of Capsule Corp.

Goku blocked a rather hard punch from the shorter Saiyan and did a quick side-skip, using his momentum to maneuver around Vegeta's attacks. Goku was light on his feet, and enjoyed watching his opponents get angry when they couldn't hit him. He leaned this way and that, successfully avoiding every raged-fueled punch.

Vegeta groaned in frustration and stuck out his foot and managed to trip the larger Saiyan during his gleeful prancing. Goku hit the ground hard, then sat up with a glare, rubbing his head. "Hey, that's not fair!"

"Since when were there rules in sparring, Kakarot?" Vegeta retorted. "Get up, you idiot. And stop avoiding me and fight like a man!"

"I am fighting like a man, Vegeta." Goku said as he got to his feet. "Who else would I be fighting like?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes and poked a finger at Goku's chest. "Just stop bouncing like a spazzed-out squirrel and actually combat me!"

Goku nodded, an energized grin spreading on his face. "Okay, Vegeta!"

The two launched back into their sparring match, both sweating buckets but didn't care. Vegeta smiled with a type of energy that only came from fighting, and Goku returned it with his own. Their punches and kicks connected with cracks and bangs. The only sounds came from their panting, and their punches hitting the other.

Vegeta side-stepped a right hook by Goku and quickly darted around behind him. He grabbed hold of the back of Goku's Gi and used it as leverage as he hauled Goku over his shoulder, throwing him across the freshly cut green grass. Goku screamed as he shot across the yard, crashing head-first into a tree. The thick tree shook violently before a deafening crack was heard, the sound echoing as if they were in a cave. Goku sat up and rubbed his head, and opened his mouth to speak when another loud cracking sound was heard behind him. He slowly looked over his shoulder to see the tree on its way down. He screamed and darted away, and the tree crashed to the ground with a loud thump that was no doubt heard from every corner of West City. Dirt and grass were sent into the air like confetti, and it all fell around two Saiyans who stood as still as the tree once was, both holding their breath until everything settled.

Vegeta blinked, then groaned loudly. "Well, now you've done it, Kakarot."

"Me?" Goku said incrediously. "What did I do? You threw me!"

"You should have caught yourself!" Vegeta snapped.

"How was I supposed to do that when you threw me!?" Goku shouted.

"Oh, grow up." Vegeta shoved past Goku and headed for the Capsule Corp building. "Now Bulma's gonna be pissed."

"Why?" Goku asked as he followed closely behind.

"She likes trees in the yard because she thinks it makes it look better." Vegeta explained with a heavy sigh. "And now your big head took one down."

"You threw me!" Goku repeated. "If anything, it was your fault."

A door slamming made both Saiyans jump. They turned to see a very angry Bulma with a crying Bulla in her arms. Her hair was tangled, as if she had just woken up, and Bulla didn't look too great either. Vegeta and Goku exchanged a look of fear before Bulma started yelling.

"DIDN'T I TELL YOU TWO TO KEEP IT DOWN!? NOW, THANKS TO THE RUCKUS YOU TWO MADE, BULLA IS WIDE AWAKE, AND I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY SLEEP!"

Goku slowly took a step back, his face clouded with fear. "Uh...I think I hear Chi-Chi calling me..."

"Don't you dare leave me like this, Kakarot." Vegeta whispered in a warning tone.

Goku paused for a split second, then shot into the air and flew off as fast as he could. Vegeta couldn't blame him, really. He was terrified of Bulma. But Goku was also afraid of Chi-Chi, so that wasn't saying much.

Vegeta sighed, knowing Bulma wouldn't let him off easy. She never did.

This is going to be a long day.