"Goku, he needs to study today!"

"Aw, come on, Chi-Chi. He's only four! Let him have the day off. Come on, we're going to see Oolong, Bulma, Krillin, and Master Roshi! It'll be fun! Why don't you come with us?"

"You know I need to finish preparations for Dad's funeral."

"You need a day off, hon. Come on, take a break. Bulma will be really happy to see you!" Goku coaxed.

Chi-Chi sighed. "Oh, I suppose you're right. A day off can't hurt. And it's been a few years since we've seen them... all right. Let's go. Let me get the car..."

"We'll just take Nimbus. It's faster!" Goku said happily, walking out the door holding his son with one arm.

"We are not taking that death trap with our son!"

"But he likes it, Chi!"

"Goku!"

"I never put him down, Chi."

"I can't believe you sometimes."

"You like Nimbus!"

"I like the car better."

"But that'll take forever," Goku whined.

"You're a grown man, Goku. Now act like one!"

"Aw, come on. Just this once? Next time we'll take the car, I promise." Chi-Chi walked out of the house without a word, shaking her head to herself. "Ooh, you hear that Gohan? That is the sound of me winning an argument. Don't get used to it."

In just a couple minutes, the family was piled onto the little cloud, Chi-Chi holding onto Goku with a death grip, Gohan sitting securely on his shoulder. The yellow cloud took off at a quick speed.

"Goku, not so fast!" Chi-Chi shouted, her voice fading into the distance, followed by childish laughter from father and son.

Deep in the desert mountains, a lone figure stood in silence against the cloudless blue sky. Green skin a stark contrast against the dry yellows and brown of the desert, white cape billowing in the wind. Large ears catch every sound carried by the dry breeze, framing a white turban concealing two antennae.

This is Piccolo Junior, the result of the egg left on the Lookout all those years ago. Since his hatching, he has been Goku's arch-enemy, as per the wishes of his father. It has now been several years since he has seen the annoyance, and that suited him just fine. If he never saw him again, it would be too soon.

A sudden influx of ki startled him out of his thoughts, and he mentally jibed himself for being so careless. For a second, he thought it might be Goku, but no, the ki was too large and was moving too directly too quickly. Goku was always more cautious in his approach, giving Piccolo time to sense and expect him. Fool.

The being landed right in front of Piccolo, and he straightened to his full height, easily towering over the intruder. It was a man, with wildly long hair, dressed in ridiculous armor, and wearing a green device over his left eye.

"Well, you certainly aren't Kakarott," he said.

"Who's Kakarott? What do you want?" Piccolo asked, preparing for a fight.

"You aren't worth my time, Namek," the being said, taking off as suddenly as he came.

What on Earth is a Namek?

Shaking his head, Piccolo took off in the direction the being had gone, immediately sensing Goku in that direction. He sighed.

Great.

"Hey guys! We're here!" Goku called cheerily as he jumped nimbly from Nimbus. Chi-Chi took a more dignified step off, quickly fixing her wind-blown hair and clothing.

"Goku!" Krillin exclaimed, bursting from the house to tackle him, followed by the others, before stopping short. "There's a growth on your shoulder," he said, looking at Gohan curiously.

"Guys, this is Gohan, our son," Goku said, lowering his son to the ground.

"Oh, he is just too precious!" Bulma exclaimed as she moved forward to crouch before the child. "You are just too cute! How old are you, Gohan?" she asked.

Gohan looked at his hand for a few seconds before carefully lifting up four fingers and holding it out for the small crowd to see.

"Well would you look at that. He's even got Goku's tail," Master Roshi said.

"He sure does! Strong little fella' too, but Chi-Chi hasn't let me start training him yet."

"That's right. He can start training when he's out of the single digits, and no sooner," Chi-Chi affirmed. "He's focusing on his studies now."

"Ooh, a little genius, huh?" Bulma said before standing and embracing Chi-Chi. "Oh, Chi, it's been too long. Phone calls just don't suffice, ya know?"

"Yes, I know. Time just gets away from us on the mountain. And Dad passed away just a week ago."

"Oh no, really? The Ox King? That's terrible!" Master Roshi exclaimed.

"Yes, it was cancer. He fought it, but it was just too much. But, he's at peace now, thank god."

"So sorry to hear that, Chi-Chi. When's the funeral?" Oolong asked.

"We're looking at in about two weeks. Dad's a big guy, so you know, it'll take the preparers quite a while to build him a casket and prepare him for viewing," Chi-Chi answered, a ghost of a smile on her face. By this time, Gohan had grown bored and was currently riding on Turtle's back. "Oh, no, honey, get off him!"

"Oh, he's fine," Turtle answered. "I won't go in the water."

Distracting everyone immediately was a power source so unabashed in its glory, it drew Goku and Krillin into an instinctive fighting stance.

"At last, I've found you, Kakarott. Spitting image of our father, you are. Why is this planet still standing? And where is your tail?"

"What's a Kakarott?" Goku asked, standing straight.

"You're Kakarott. I'm your brother, Raditz," Raditz stated, slightly shocked.

"Well Radish, my name is Goku. So you obviously have the wrong person. Sorry."

"It's Raditz. Tell me, did you have a tail when you were a child? An innate sense of anger and the will to fight?"

"Well, yeah..."

"You were sent here to destroy this planet, and instead you are a weakling! You've removed your tail, you're associating with these lesser beings! You're a disgrace!" Raditz said, annoyed.

"Look, I don't know who you are, but you've really got the wrong person..."

"I do not, unfortunately. You're a Saiyan, weak as you are, but one none the less. You're my brother, the last of our kind. There's only four of us left, including you. And we need your help, with or without your willingness. There's two ways we can do this: you come willingly, and we leave your planet alone. Or, we fight, we brainwash you, and destroy this meaningless planet. It happens either way, but it's your decision on whether everyone here lives or dies," he menaced.

"Look, I have a family here, so you can't just-"

"You what?"

"Ooh, wrong thing to say, Goku," Krillin muttered.

"You mated with a non-Saiyan? You disgrace! You idiot! You've sullied the Saiyan line!" Raditz bellowed. "Ah, that's your son there, isn't it?" he asked as Gohan moved to stand worriedly beside his father. "Yes, he has a tail. Weak little thing, just like you. Perhaps though, with some training, he could be a somewhat useful asset to us..."

"You leave Gohan alone!" Goku warned, stepping forward with his fist raised, ki glowing slightly around his hand.

"Listen here, Kakarott. Your son comes with me, with or without you. If it's with you, count on your planet to remain intact. Without, and you will perish with them. Your choice."

"Forget it," Goku said immediately, shoving Gohan behind him.

"Poor decision, brother," Raditz intoned darkly. Like lightning, he moved forward and elbowed Goku hard in the ribs, sending him to his knees, coughing up a spurt of blood.

"Goku!" Krillin exclaimed in surprise, moving forward. Raditz delivered a swift kick to his stomach, throwing him backwards into the house with ease. Raditz then leaned down to grab Gohan, who was crying at his father's side.

"No! You can't take him!" Chi-Chi cried, running forward. Without so much as looking at her, the Saiyan slapped her hard across the face, and she crumpled to the ground.

Gohan screamed as his uncle picked him up. "You have just thirty minutes to find me and get your son back, Kakarott," he said as he began to rise to the air.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Gohan cried as he was hauled inexorably away.

"Gohan! I'm coming for you!" Goku coughed as he stood and prepared himself to take off...

"Oh, no, Chi-Chi," Bulma whispered in horror, stopping Goku in his tracks. "Oh no, no, no..."

"What happened?" Krillin asked, pulling himself from the wreckage that used to be the side of Kame House.

"H-her neck... It broke when he slapped her. He was just so strong... oh Goku, I'm so sorry," Bulma said softly as tears fell down her cheeks.

Goku dropped beside his wife's body in shock, tears already running unabashed down his face. "Oh Chi, I'm so sorry...so sorry..." he whispered as he laid his head on her chest. "I love you."

"Oh, come on! We've already had enough trouble today! Go away!" Krillin stormed in anger and slight fear.

"I'm not here to fight you, moron," Piccolo said in annoyance. In the drama that had unfolded, no one had noticed his arrival. "I'm here because that is threatening my planet," he snarled, pointing in the direction Raditz had taken off. "And, unfortunately, I can't do it alone. So get up, Goku. It's time to go. Dry your weakling tears. Let's go."

"Back off, Piccolo! His wife just died!" Bulma shouted angrily.

"If he doesn't help me defeat this intruder now, her death will have been in vain," Piccolo said. "And he has your son, Goku."

"Look, go away Pic-"

"No. No, he's right," Goku said, cutting off Krillin. He kissed Chi-Chi's lips one last time and stood, wiping the tears from his eyes. "He's right. Raditz has Gohan. We have to stop him before it's too late. Krillin, get some senzu beans for us and meet us there. Nimbus!" The little cloud flew in quickly, quivering at its master's feet. "Nimbus, let's go!" The cloud took off at the command, waiting for no one.

Piccolo took off after them, falling in league with the cloud. "Look, just because we're working together now, it does not mean we aren't still enemies."

"I understand that," Goku said distractedly. His ki was pulsating around him in angry waves. His eyes were red from his tears, but intensely focused on the path ahead. For a moment, Piccolo was very glad it was not he his enemy was after.

"I'm sorry about your wife," he muttered so suddenly, he didn't even realize he was even thinking about it. He immediately mentally slapped himself for it, and hoped Goku hadn't heard it.

No such luck.

"I-uh... thank you, Piccolo," Goku stumbled, shocked at the display of warmth from his usually so cold opponent.

Piccolo didn't say anything else for the remainder of the short journey. Raditz was making no attempt to conceal his ki, and Piccolo could hear Gohan's cries on the wind.

"So, you decided to come after all, Kakarott. And with the Namekian too. How thoughtful," Raditz jeered as the two landed before him. "Your son has cried non-stop, the little bugger. Just like you as a baby, brother."

"Give Gohan back, and we'll let you leave this planet unharmed," Goku said. Piccolo inwardly groaned at his naivety and began to prepare himself for the battle that was sure to come, removing his heavy training weights.

"I told you the deal already, Kakarott. Make your decision."

"I can't let you get away with any of this, brother or not."

"You are a fool, Kakarott. Brave, but a fool nonetheless."

Goku merely shrugged and took off his shirt and weighted undershirt and arm bands. Simultaneously, the pair began to power up, bringing their kis to just below maximum. Raditz looked confused for a moment, and clicked at the device over his eye. It struck Piccolo then that Raditz didn't know how to conceal his own ki, or read theirs without the device.

Which was a good thing, because if he couldn't conceal his ki, that meant they were sensing his maximum currently. And that meant they stood a fighting chance. Piccolo's strategic mind began to work out the implications of this, and within seconds, lowered his ki. Goku glanced at him for a second and Piccolo discretely nodded his head. By some blessing, Goku got the hint, and lowered his ki as well.

"Ah, there we go. This stupid thing must have a glitch," Raditz grumbled.

"What are you doing?" Goku whispered.

"He can't sense ki. His using that device over his eye to read ours. If we keep ours low, we can have the element of surprise on our hands and can use that against him," Piccolo whispered back.

Goku's eyes widened slightly in comprehension. "Geez you're smart."

"I'm aware."

"Hey, you two. Stop blabbering and let's do this. My comrades are waiting and they are not as patient or understanding as I am," Raditz interjected. "Whatever little plan you're formulating won't work."

"All right, just follow my lead," Piccolo said lowly before launching himself at the Saiyan. Goku followed at his heels, and the pair rushed headfirst into battle, sending the intruder on the rebound. Piccolo's eyes vaguely caught sight of digits flashing across the screen of the device. He worked his way to the left of his opponent, then quickly and efficiently knocked the device off Raditz's ear onto the ground, kicking it away from him.

Raditz growled then, and pushed the two onto the defensive. Goku took a particularly hard hit to his already damaged ribs and coughed, staggering back for a second, allowing Piccolo to take command. Realizing they would get nowhere with this, Piccolo raised his ki a few notches, and Goku did the same. Raditz was none the wiser, until confusion became evident on his face when he realized his opponents were getting stronger rather than weaker.

"What is going on here?" he muttered lowly, getting pushed onto the defensive once again. Getting slightly cocky and sure of themselves, the two powered straight up to their maximum in an effort to end this.

No such luck.

With a devious laugh, Raditz suddenly surprised them by phasing out and above them, and Piccolo quickly figured out that the Saiyan's advantage would be the air. Goku began to rise and he yanked him back down, shaking his head.

"But Piccolo, my advantage is up there too," Goku muttered.

"I think that's what he was planning on."

"So what do we do, then?"

"Lure him back down here. Don't rise to the bait."

"Come on, Kakarott. Scared?" Raditz taunted.

"What's the plan?" Goku whispered.

"I have an attack that's pretty foolproof. The only problem is, it needs all my concentration and energy to charge..."

"So I'll go up there and distract him. Try to weaken him."

"Go then."

Goku needed no further encouragement and barreled his way up to his brother, and the two began to fight with such vigor that Piccolo lost sight of them for just a moment. He brought his two forefingers to his forehead and began to concentrate. Above him, blasts began to fly and collide with chaotic booms.

Suddenly, Goku's body plummeted to the ground beside him. He let out a shocked huff before rising, only to be pushed back down by a blast from Raditz. With effort, he pushed it off him before it could do much damage and jumped up again, barely dodging another barrage of blasts.

Piccolo closed his eyes against the distraction. Pained noises came from Goku, accompanied by thuds. And then there was one final, resounding thud, and Goku's cries of pain...

...Accompanied by a rapid clicking and beeping coming from the device several yards away. The three warriors all halted what they were doing and watched the device with interest. And then, Piccolo and Goku felt it; a wild leap from a ki barely discernible to one of immense power.

Suddenly, there was a loud screech of metal and a child shouting. Everyone looked over at the space pod where Gohan had been kept, which was in ruins, the young boy standing before it, hands clenched into tiny fists, eyes teary.

"G-Gohan?" Goku whispered.

The child gave no sign he had even heard his father, eyes locked on his uncle. His little body began to rise of its own accord, and like a bullet, he smashed head first into Raditz, severely cracking the armor that covered his torso. Raditz gave a cough and staggered back as the boy prepared for another attack. Lightning fast, Raditz's hand shot out and grabbed Gohan's tail, sending him into an immediate docile state, and he delivered a sharp tap to the boy's neck, sending him into an unconscious state.

The tail of a Saiyan is their weakness!

"Goku, grab his tail!" Piccolo whispered sharply while Raditz was distracted. Goku crept to his feet silently while Raditz tossed the boy away from him. Goku moved as fast as he could, grabbing Raditz's tail tightly. Immediately, the Saiyan began to struggle weakly.

"Let go! You wouldn't kill your own brother, would you? Listen, I'll stay here on this planet with you and help you fight my comrades. I'll tell you all their secrets. Please Kakarott!"

Goku's face belied his emotions and Piccolo immediately realized he was falling for it. "Don't you dare, Goku!" he snapped. "He kidnapped your son and killed your wife! Do you honestly think he means it?"

"I didn't mean to kill her! It was an accident! Don't kill me! I only came here to save my little brother from a terrible death. But if we worked together, we could be unstoppable, and destroy those who wish to destroy you!"

Goku's hands began to loosen their grip on Raditz's tail...

"Goku, don't!" Piccolo shouted too late as Raditz shot his elbow back into Goku's gut, knocking him away. "You idiot!" he snarled as Goku landed at his feet. "You have to be the stupidest person I've ever had the displeasure of meeting!"

"Isn't that thing almost charged yet, oh great one?" Goku rebutted as he stood.

"Yes, but good luck holding him still now!"

"I'll think of something."

"You'd better do it fast!"

"Come on, have some faith in me. I'm not that-WHOA!" he exclaimed, knocking a blast away. Piccolo gave him a look of utter distaste. "I'm going, I'm going."

Piccolo watched for five tormented minutes, his attack nearing full charge. Goku continued to be knocked about, spitting up blood at every blow, having no chance.

They wouldn't have a chance if this didn't work.

"Goku! NOW!" Piccolo shouted as the space between his forefingers and head produced a spark as they parted.

In a last ditch attempt, Goku grabbed Raditz under the arms from behind. "Go!" he cried.

Piccolo let the blast fly.

"Goku, let go!" Piccolo roared as the blast began to barrel its way into Raditz's already damaged armor. In a desperate attempt to survive, Raditz flipped himself around, making Goku the target for the blast instead. The pair screamed in pain as the blast exited both their bodies and they began to fall to the ground.

Goku lay broken on the ground, barely breathing, but a still goofy smile on his face. Piccolo approached him almost hesitantly before opting to kneel beside him. You didn't leave a dying man, no matter who they were.

"So, you're an alien, huh? I always knew you were too odd to be from this planet," he grunted.

Goku's smiled broadened. "Ha, yeah, guess so. Please, can you bring me my son? I want to hold him one last time."

Piccolo nodded and used his ki to bring the child over to him. He gently laid the boy against Goku, who weakly held him against his side. A few unbidden tears escaped his eyes as he closed them and let out a breathy sigh. For a split second, Piccolo wondered if he had passed on.

"Piccolo, please..." he said softly. "Watch over Gohan? Just...just keep an eye on him, please. And... and tell him... tell him... his mother and I loved him, and we'll...we'll... watch over him from the heavens..."

"But I..." But no, he had partially caused his death. Honor demanded he grant his dying wish. "I will."

"Thank you. We made a pretty good team, huh? We probably could've been friends..." he trailed off and his eyes closed. He let out one last sigh, and then his ki disappeared all together.

Son Goku was no more.

Son Gohan was officially an orphan.

"Y-you don't stand a chance now... My scouter picked up everything...Vegeta and Nappa...they'll...they'll be here in just a little over a year. And they'll...d-destroy you all..." Raditz coughed out with his dying breaths.

And Piccolo knew it wasn't a bluff. The boy...yes...he could train the boy. Harness that power, defeat the Saiyans, and then, with Goku out of the way, he could take over Earth, as his original plan had always been.

He gruffly picked the child up under his arm and the boy made a small noise, which he wrinkled his nose at. Krillin made a noisy arrival at this point, a bag of senzu beans clutched in his hand. He hit the ground running for Goku's body, bypassing Piccolo without a glance.

"No, oh no...Goku..." he whispered mournfully.

"I could use one of those senzu beans," Piccolo said offhandedly.

Krillin whirled on him. "Did you do this to him?" he demanded angrily, tears dotting the corners of his eyes. "What did you do to them? Give me Gohan!"

"I didn't do anything to him."

"Then explain how you're the only one standing and Goku and the other guy are dead!"

"Because your friend was an idiot and didn't move quick enough when I sent the killing blast into Raditz. He grabbed him and held him to him while the blast cut through both of them. Do you think I want this kid?" Piccolo asked gruffly, jerking his head at Gohan under his arm.

"What do you mean?"

"Raditz said the other Saiyans are coming now to finish off the job, and they'll be here in just over a year's time. I'm training his brat. You and those other fighters need to start training as well. If these guys are anything like Raditz, we're in a lot of trouble."

"Here, let me take Gohan. Train him. You won't even have to deal with him," Krillin said, holding his arms out.

"Direct request from Goku. As much as I'd like to hand him off to you, I'm the superior fighter. I can train him better. You can have him back in a year's time, when this is all over. Now I suggest you go get that annoying genius girl who is always with you fools. She could find some of this technology useful. And help you bring back the body."

"I...all right. Here, have your senzu bean. Take one for Gohan too," Krillin relented, handing Piccolo a couple beans.

"I'll see you in a year. Be ready." And with that, Piccolo took off for his mountains with Gohan securely tucked under his arm. Krillin remained a few moments to grieve over his friend before dragging himself away to return to Kame House to get Bulma and break the terrible news.

After everyone was gone, a being made its appearance, knelt beside Goku's body, and placed a hand over his closed eyes and whispered a prayer in a strange language. Tonight, the moon would grieve over the loss of what may have been Earth's greatest protector.

All right, long one for ya! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'll be seeing ya!