Disclaimer: Kid Golden in no way claims ownership of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or Dragon Ball GT, or the characters that are featured in those series.

Author's Note: Shinjin is the Japanese word for godliness, and sosai is yet another word for vegetable. So Shinji is the vegetable of godliness... yet another pun keeping in line with Toriyama's Saiya-jin gag.

Considering that since tomorrow I officially start classes, this will most likely be the last update from me for a while... It makes you sad doesn't it? lol, well, onward reader, and enjoy the third installment!

Shinjinsosai: Just Call Me Shinji

Foamy white clouds crept across the soft blue skies, the sun's golden rays pouring down on the world below, bathing the Earth in its warmth. The sun especially shone down on a particular place, a round, dome shaped home with a small chimney, small rings of white smoke rising from the chimney.

The house sat in a green meadow between dense forestry and a hilly mountainside, the perfect retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life for one particular spiky haired young man.

Goten laid in the grassy meadow, his hands clasped behind his head, staring up at the clouds as they slowly crept by. Not too far off stood a fairly aged woman, her lightly grayed black locks neatly kept in a bun. She hung a few dress shirts up on the thin, brown clothesline with a few clothespins, pausing in her work only for a moment as she looked back at the house her husband Goku had built for them to live in.

With a soft sigh, the events of the week past again replayed in her mind…

---------------A Week Ago…---------------

An enormous light began to dim, revealing a massive crater and a dust covered form at its center, obviously the scene of a great battle's end.

"Father!" Shouted Gohan, moving closer to the edge of the crater.

"Goku!" Shrieked Chi-Chi, her eyes widening as she bore witness to the dusty body, standing beside her eldest son.

Trunks moved closer to the crater, yelling, "Son Goku!"

"Goku!" Cried Bulma, standing beside Vegeta.

Goten ran up beside his mother, voicing his concern as well. "Dad!

Even the Saiya-jin Prince joined in, yelling his rival's name. "Kakarot!"

The one they had all gathered to see lay motionless at the center of the crater, his form covered with a thin layer of dust, seven orange orbs surrounding his body.

Pan moved past her father and grandmother, running down into the crater and falling to her knees beside the dusty body, cleaning the dust off as she shook him gently, trying to wake him.

"Grandpa!" She cried, shaking the body harder. "Grandpa, wake up! Grandpa… Please wake up!" At the sound of her voice, the orange spheres began to glow brilliantly, overcome by gold. Pan stopped shaking her grandfather, raising a thin, black brow at the golden orbs.

"The Dragon Balls?"

As 'Balls' passed her lips, a golden light shot forth from the balls in the form of a wide cord of gold that stretched into the clouds. All there cast their gazes upwards to the clouds as the gold slowly faded, revealing an emerald green that stretched all throughout the soft sky, its enormous head the only noticeable endpoint on its eternally long body.

Bulma stared at the dragon with a knitted brow. "What's going on here? We didn't summon Shenron!"

The mighty Dragon lowered its great head until its jaw nearly touched the cratered Earth, its colossal crimson eyes boring a hole into Pan and the seemingly unconscious Goku. Pan slunk back a little, but remained by her grandfather's side.

"Wake," boomed Shenron, and instantly, Goku's eyes fluttered open, and he found himself beside an enormous dragon.

"Gah!" Cried Goku, nearly leaping out of his skin as he moved himself and Pan back.

A bead of sweat clung to the Dragon's forehead.

"Oh… uh… Sorry Shenron," Goku said slowly with his trademark sheepish grin, running a hand through his wild black mane.

Shenron seemed not to notice, and spoke again, in his thunderous voice. "Son Goku, the Dragon Balls must not be used again."

Goku's eyes widened. "But why! Earth needs them!"

"Do not worry," boomed Shenron, "I will return them one day, but they must be allowed much time to rest, as to not let the darkness within me to rise ever again."

"Oh," Goku said, nodding, "Okay then."

Shenron nodded his great head. "But now, you must come with me." He lowered himself further, so that some of his eternally long body rested on the earth. "Climb atop my back, I will give you a ride to where you must go."

Goku nodded and leapt up high, his jump landing him atop Shenron's back.

Almost in perfect unison, save Vegeta, everyone there voiced the same question: "Will you be back, Son Goku?"

Goku smiled down at his friends and family, nodding. "Yeah, I'll be back someday!"

Vegeta scowled up at Goku, floating upwards to beside Goku.

"Kakarot!"

Goku turned and looked at Vegeta. "Yeah Vegeta?"

"You and I still have a fight to finish," stated the Prince matter-of-factly. "A fight we'll finish before you up and leave this little mud ball of a planet."

"Vegeta…" Said Goku very softly, leaning very close to his rival. "We can finish that fight in Heaven… But you'll have to wait until then… Because I won't be coming back to Earth… ever," whispered Goku very softly, only audible to Vegeta's ears.

Vegeta's eyes widened in shock as he pulled away from Goku, looking at him in surprise, mouth agape.

Goku nodded.

Vegeta slowly closed his mouth and he returned the nod, lowering himself back down to the ground below, touching down beside Bulma.

She looked at her husband with raised brow, confused at his wide-eyed gaze into the dragon's side, watching it slowly fade into a deep scowl.

She blinked a few times, then spoke very softly, loud enough for only Vegeta to hear. "He isn't coming back… is he?"

Vegeta didn't answer, he just stood beside her, scowling at the Dragon.

She sighed deeply and looked up at Goku with a sad smile. Goku didn't notice this though, his gaze fell to his own family.

"We'll be waiting for you Goku!" Chi-Chi's smile broadened, tears running down her cheeks. "Gohan, Goten and I are going to make a huge feast when you get back!"

Gohan and Goten stood at her sides, bearing broad smiles at well.

Goku smiled happily at her. "I look forward to it Chi-Chi." Slowly, and noticeably reluctantly, he tore his gaze from his family and looked straight ahead.

"Shenron…" Goku said slowly, "Can we go see my other friends before we leave? I'd like to say goodbye to them too…"

With what could almost be considered a smile, Shenron nodded his great head. "So be it, this final farewell is okay with me, Son Goku." And with that said, Shenron raised his head and flew upward into the heavens, his enormous form lessening until it could no longer be seen as he and Goku sailed off into the distance…

---------------The Present---------------

A deep sigh escaped her, her sight blurring a little as she leant forward, burying her face in her father's shirt that she'd just hung up, tears running down her cheeks, leaving a thin wet trail as they fell from her face and into the shirt. She never let the aging Ox-King see her cry; she had worked too hard to make sure he would be comfortable as he fast approached his last days.

The Ox-King slept inside in his room, as he'd taken to doing often as of late; she was glad he couldn't see her right now.

"Mom?" Called her son, his voice full with concern, "Are you okay?"

Chi-Chi straightened up and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her father's large shirt. She pushed the shirt aside just a bit, a smile spreading across her face as she looked at her youngest son.

"I'm fine Goten," she said, lifting another shirt from the large clothesbasket at her feet.

"Are you—" He paused, mid-sentence, turning his gaze to the south, high over the treetops.

Chi-Chi looked at him a little strangely, then followed her son's gaze. "What's wrong Go—" She stopped, now seeing what had drawn Goten's attention.

Three dots hung in the sky; as Goten watched, he managed to determine that they were actually people, although still too distant to make out any details.

"Mom, go inside," Goten said with a commanding tone.

She raised a brow. "Tell me what's wrong this instant young man!"

"Those guys feel really powerful," explained Goten. "And I'm not exactly feeling a good vibe from them."

"You think they're going to attack us?" She asked, a mix of fear and anger welling up inside her.

"I don't know… But if they do," He said, gulping saliva, "It's going to be tough stopping them."

Chi-Chi stared at her son. Who in the world could be strong enough tomake my son fearful?

There wasn't much time to ponder the situation.

In fact, there wasn't any time at all.

A trio of figures touched down in front of the house, Goten in a fighting stance, Chi-Chi staring on at the center figure with wide, tearing eyes.

The centered figure stood tall, the summer breeze stirring his unkempt black and brown mane. Aside from his locks, the young man bore an uncanny resemblance to an all too familiar figure.

"So this is the place, is it, Sakana?" Asked the young man, looking over the small house, ignoring Goten and Chi-Chi's presence entirely.

"Yes," the taller, and obviously older and visibly more muscular figure to the young man's left answered, "Your mother said he told her that he resided here, at this exact location."

"You'd think he would live in a palace or something, not in some shitty little hut," said the other figure to the young man's right, shaking his head. "I mean come on, he is the strongest guy in the universe; the least the people of this dingy little mud ball could do is build him a big house."

"Be quiet, Kirikuzu," snapped the young man. "From what my mother has said, father was not one to enjoy such lavish things. She said he enjoyed the simpler things in life." His eyes swept the yard, finally coming to rest on Goten and Chi-Chi, a smirk spreading across his face. "You must be Gohan, and my father's wife!"

Goten and Chi-Chi's eyes went wide, Chi-Chi's eyes almost falling out of their sockets.

"Your father!" Cried Chi-Chi.

"But how?" Goten shook his head in disbelief. "It would explain why you look like dad so much… But its impossible that you're my dad's son!"

"Oh?" The young man asked, still smirking. "And why is that?"

"Because that would make you my brother, and my mom didn't have anymore children after me!" He blinked a few times, then looked back at Chi-Chi. "Did you mom?"

Her eyes narrowed into an angry glare, her form growing most ominous. "No!"

Goten almost fell, the intense noise of his mother's screech attacking his sensitive eardrums viciously. "Ah!" Cried the young man, waving his hands in apology. "Of course you didn't! I was just being silly!"

Chi-Chi relaxed a littler, the glare still defining her face.

Feeling a heavy bead of sweat cling to the back of his head, Goten quickly turned his gaze back to the young man. "So… um… yeah… How do you explain that you faker!"

The young man chuckled a little. "Oh, believe you me Gohan, a fake I am not."

"Then how do you explain you not being my mother's son by my dad's son?" He shook his head. "And I'm not Gohan, I'm his little brother Goten!"

The answer, although not dawning on the just-as-dense-as-his-father Goten, did dawn down upon Chi-Chi, her eyes widening in realization.

"No!" Cried Chi-Chi with all her might, staring at the young man in disbelief, "No, no, no! You are not my Goku's son!"

"But I am," responded the young man. "His blood runs thickly in my veins, along with my mother's."

Chi-Chi shook her head vigorously, not accepting the young man's words, tears starting to run down her cheeks. "No! Its not true! It can't be true!"

Goten looked back at Chi-Chi wonderingly. "I don't get it mom… why are you so broken up over this?"

"Son…" She said softly, looking over to Goten, "He's saying your father had a son with a…" She paused, a sob racking her body, "Another woman…" She fell to her knees, her face in her palms, sobbing loudly.

Goten's eyes widened and he turned his gaze to the young man. "My dad would never do something like that! He loved my mom more than anything!"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, it is!"

The young man shook his head. "I don't care what you fools believe! Just tell me where my father is!"

"I don't know where your father is, kid," snapped Goten.

"Come, come, Goten, we are brothers. Half brothers, but that's beside the point." His face grew serious. "But more importantly, I'm no kid, I may look young, but in your Earthling years, I'm thirty."

"Whoa… You only look twenty… And you're older than me! I'm only 27…" Goten shook his head. "That isn't important! What do you want, and what are you doing here!"

"I need my father to train me," said the young man. "No one else is truly strong enough!"

"Your father isn't here, whoever you are!"

"The name's Shinjinsosai. You may call me Shinji."

"I don't care!" Roared Goten, golden sparks dancing about his form. "You came here talking those lies and you made my mother cry! I don't take kindly to bad words about my father, he is a great man!"

"A great man indeed, since his seed spawned the likes of me."

"My dad did not cheat on my mother!"

"Your father and my father are one and the same, Son Goten. My father is Son Goku." Shinji grinned. "Whether you like it or not."

Kid Golden's Review Response Corner

miroku-has-darkness: You can still create a Dragon Ball AF story, don't let my work stop you. If you're looking for information about it, you can head to In their DBAF section, they talk about the two supposed plotlines, one about Xicor, and one about Boronks. They take the time to list all the DBAF rumors, and even have an episode list for it...although they too admit its fake. And forgive me for shooting down your hopes about another Dragon Ball show, but I didn't want people going around using my story as proof that AF exists, when it clearly doesn't. I'm truly sorry I upset you over that, but there's nothing I can do about it... unless people petition for my work to get drawn up by Mr. Toriyama or the people at Studio Tomita... Then I can release DBAF as a true sequel! But until then, we just have to be happy with Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT, and their movies.

Da General: My ever present reviewer... lol, you know I always appreciate the time you take out to review my work, and I try to do the same for everyone that reviews my stories. But as you may know, that can get a little difficult being that I have many things to do with school and all in the way... But as long as readers like you keep reviewing, I will keep producing! (And trying to review other's workas much as possible... lol)

Okay, so that's it for review response corner... So until next time, Sayonara reader, and thanks for reading.