Chapter Seven: Progress

"...And that's basically it."

After seeing that strange message from that bizarre creature Gohan knew he had to do everything in his power to get his brother back. And so he went to go see someone who might be able to help: Bulma. Aside from maybe her father Bulma was the smartest person on Earth, and had helped save the world on multiple occasions. She seemed to always have a good idea on the brain, and was quick to think up solutions to problems. So paying her a visit seemed like the most logical choice.

Of course, this was all assuming that this Discord was telling the truth. Unfortunately there was too much evidence proving it was all true. Not being able to sense his brother was a big warning sign, and unless he was just constantly suppressing it Goten wasn't on Earth anymore. And there was also the picture. That had definitely been Goten, but those girls were a complete mystery. Those two facts alone suggested that his brother was truly gone.

Bulma had listened intently as her friend explained the situation, from him not being able to locate Goten to that strange message he and Chi Chi received. Needless to say the scientist was confused, and was left deep in thought. A small part of her wondered if this was all some joke, but any doubt didn't persist. Her friend seemed so serious, and it wasn't like him to make jokes... especially about such a topic.

"I see..." Bulma finally managed to speak.

"So what do you think?"

Putting a hand to her chin, Bulma pondered further. Obviously they needed to find a way to bring Goten home, but that wouldn't be so simple. Ordinarily she and the others would simply use the Dragon Balls, but they didn't have that luxury anymore. Perhaps if they hadn't relied on those mystical orbs as a crutch for so long they might have figured out more ways to get things done. Alas that wasn't the case, and as such they had to find another solution. "Hm, well to be honest I'm not really sure."

Gohan sighed. "I should have guessed."

"Did you learn the name of where Goten is?" Knowing that would be a good first step in finding the missing half-Saiyan.

"No, Discord didn't mention it."

Hearing that made Bulma's frown deepen. "That's going to be a problem then. Goten could be anywhere in the universe, and we could spend the rest of our lives searching and never find him."

A sorrowful look came to the half-Saiyan's face. "There has to be something we can do!"

"I don't know if there's anything we can do."

"So what, you just want to abandon him?!" Gohan snapped.

"Of course not, I'm just being realistic! Look I know you're upset but you need to calm down."

He let out a sigh, having let his frustration get the better of him at the moment. "Sorry Bulma, I just... don't know what to think of all of this."

She nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean, this is all so crazy. I mean, who would do such a thing? And why Goten?"

"Discord said Goten chose to participate in his game, but that could easily be a lie." It was a fair assumption, especially considering he knew next to nothing about that strange creature.

"Well... I'm sure we'll think of something, but it might take some time. Why don't you think it over and we'll meet up in a few days, alright?"

All Gohan could do was nod. "Okay Bulma." Oh how he wished his father or Piccolo were here, as they would surely know what to do. Alas that wasn't the case, and so he had to do this on his own.

'Don't worry Goten, we're going to bring you home!'

Goten lay peacefully on the sofa in the Apple Family's house, with a soft blanket sort of draped over him. Since there weren't any spare beds he had to settle for the couch, not that really mind. Sure a nice soft bed was always nice, but a sofa was just as good. At least he didn't have to sleep on the floor, the cold, hard, wooden floor.

He was snoring softly, having a rather pleasant dream. His dream was coming to an end though, and he soon found himself rousing from his slumber. His eyes slowly opened, but he had to close them when he caught sight of the bright rays of light shining through the window. After a few moments he finally adjusted to the light and could see the living room more clearly. It must have been early in the morning, but not too early.

A big yawn escaped his mouth as he sat up, all the while he stretched his stiff muscles. The half-Saiyan then caught a whiff of something delicious, which no doubt had to be Granny Smith's cooking. It was always nice waking up to the smell of breakfast, especially if his mother was doing the cooking. 'I wonder what she's cooking right now?'

Suddenly Apple Bloom came into the room. "Oh, good morning Goten."

"Good morning Apple Bloom." He smiled.

"So how'd ya sleep?" She had spent a night or two on that couch, and from personal experience she knew it could be rough. It was soft, maybe a little bit firm, but there wasn't a lot of space to stretch out.

"Don't worry, I slept fine." The half-Saiyan knew what she was implying.

She smiled. "Oh good. Anyway ah jus' came ta check on ya. Granny and I are almost finished making breakfast, and Applejack and Big Mac are workin' on the chores."

He frowned slightly in response. "I should be helping them shouldn't I?" That was supposed to be the deal anyway. He would get to stay at their place, but in return he had to help out with the chores. And so he felt guilty for sleeping in while they worked... although if they really needed his help they probably would have woken him up. Surely he wasn't expected to get himself up without any kind of alarm clock.

In response to that the red-haired girl chuckled. "Well since it doesn't take ya long ta do chores we figured ya could sleep in a bit."

"Really? Well thank you."

"Don't mention it." A few moments of silence passed before Apple Bloom had a question. "So... how did ya get ta be so strong and fast anyway?"

"Lots of training." He said with an exasperated sigh, mostly to cover up his real strength. He and Applejack hadn't told the rest of her family about who he really was yet, as they decided to wait until the next day. So he figured he would just wait until breakfast as he planned to tell her and the others.

In response Apple Bloom put a hand to her chin in thought. "So could anyone get that strong?"

"Sure, but it would be a pretty lengthy process. You'd have to really commit to the intense training, and be willing to push your body to its limit!"

She found herself staring blankly at him for several moments. "Uh ya know what, ah think ah'll hold off on training." It sounded pretty intense, too intense for her. Perhaps Scootaloo or Rainbow Dash could do it, but not her... well, that's not to say she could never do it. Maybe it would be easier when she was older, or maybe if she got a head start now it would make it easier down the road. Regardless she opted to hold off on any kind of training for now.

He chuckled. "Yeah that's probably a good idea. Well, I guess I should go get started on those chores."

"Don't take too long, we'll be eatin' soon!"

"You don't have to tell me twice, I'm starving!" He wasn't nearly as bad as his father, but when he was hungry he was hungry. With that in mind he quickly changed back into his actual clothes, being careful to stay out of sight of Apple Bloom. And once his clothes were on he nearly sprinted out the door and headed over to the other two Apple siblings.

Applejack and Big Mac weren't doing any work at the moment... in fact, they hadn't done any work at all! All they had been doing was standing in front of the barn and drinking apple cider.

Big Mac took a sip of his cider. "Eeyup."

Applejack took a sip of hers. "Yup."

"Applejack are ya sure we should be standin' here? There's an awful lot of work ta do."

"Ah already told ya Goten can handle everything."

He looked over to her with a frown. "Ah seem ta recall you sayin' the exact same thing ta me when ya tried to handle all of the apple buckin' by yerself."

"This time's different." She assured, already having an idea of where her brother was going with this. "Ya haven't seen Goten in action, but trust me he's a natural!"

Speaking of Goten, he quickly came running up to the pair. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late."

Applejack smiled. "Don't sweat it partner. Ah was just tellin' Big Mac here how good ya are at these chores."

"Ah just think it's too much fer one person ta handle."

A smirk came to the half-Saiyan's face. "Oh I can handle it."

Big Mac stood there with a doubtful expression, which clashed with his sister's confident grin, as he mentally prepared himself for the disaster that was surely about to happen. He was then taken by complete surprise when Goten suddenly vanished; one moment Goten was there, and the next he was gone. His surprise would only grow as he watched a blur streak along the fields, with the apples falling down as the blur traveled. His jaw felt like it touched the ground, and if his eyes weren't glued to the blur me would have been able to check.

Beside him the cowgirl chuckled. "Ah tried ta tell ya."

Meanwhile the half-Saiyan was continuing his chores, doing so much faster than yesterday. Since his immense power was no longer a secret(at least not to Applejack) he didn't have to worry about hiding it, and as such he was free to use as much as he wanted. That being said he was making quick work of the fields, and found himself falling into a good rhythm.

After several more moments he had bucked the last apple tree, and once that was done he took a good look around at his handiwork. He then went back over to the Apple siblings, and the look on Big Mac's face said it all.

"Wow that was even faster than yesterday. Good job Goten." The blonde smiled as she lightly punched his arm.

"Thanks. Say do you want me to feed the animals too?" He hadn't done that yesterday, but he had experience feeding wild animals so that wouldn't be a problem.

"Well sure, ah could use a hand. Big Mac why don't you go help Granny Smith and Apple Bloom."

All the orange-haired man could do was nod before walking off.

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Ah'm sure he'll be fine, he just ain't used ta seein' somebody move so fast. Matter of fact none of us are used ta it... but ah think ah'm adjustin'." She could certainly see the benefits of having such a powerful friend, as seen with the incident at the mall.

He smiled before frowning. "I know I already said this, but I am sorry for lying."

Applejack placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's alright sugarcube. Ah mean, ah can't stand lyin'... but ah can see why ya would. It must be hard bein' in a whole new world, with nobody ta help ya. And after hearin' what happened with yer girlfriend ah might also be afraid of what other's will think. But ya never needed ta worry, because we accept ya no matter what."

His smile instantly returned. "You're right, I should have just told you from the start. Well, I'm glad that we're all still friends."

"It'll take a lot more than you being an alien ta break our friendship apart, and that's really sayin' a lot." The cowgirl joked.

Goten laughed loudly and was soon joined by his friend.

She kept chuckling before stopping. "Well come on, those animals ain't gonna feed themselves."

He nodded in agreement as he followed after her. It was a nice walk to the chicken coop, and despite everything he had just done he wasn't tired at all. Times like this reminded him of home, and how peaceful it had become after the defeat of Buu. And while he may not have been back on Earth he still felt at home.

A smile graced the cowgirl's face as she glanced over at her new friend. She had quickly taken a liking to him, which hadn't been that big of a surprise. Her and her friends could be quick when it came to accepting others into their group. After all they had all hated Sunset Shimmer at one point, and now she was one of their best friends. Goten hadn't exactly warranted any hate, but he had befriended them just as easily.

She soon found a small blush coming to her face, making her quickly look away from him. While she may have taken a liking to him she didn't really have those kinds of feelings for him... at least, she was sure she didn't. Either way she was content on being his friend, and unlike Rarity she wasn't planning on dating him. Besides, the last thing she needed was to be fighting one of her friends for someone's affection... again.

The half-Saiyan and his friend soon reached the chicken coop, and he found himself smiling at the sight of the innocent creatures. He then watched as the cowgirl grabbed a nearby basket, for collecting the eggs, and made her way into the coop. With her doing that he figured he would feed them, and as such went over to grab the bag.

It didn't take long for all of the animals to get fed, and once that was done the pair were ready to head back to the house. That heavenly scent of a good home-cooked meal hit their nostrils several yards before they reached the house, which may have been helped by the windows being wide open. Regardless it made them both hungrier as well as encouraged them to get there sooner.

Applejack made it to the door and opened it, letting her friend walk in first. She came in after and shut the door, and as soon as she was inside she caught sight of the wonderful spread along the table.

"Well now that didn't take long." Granny Smith joked as she looked over at Big Mac.

Big Mac had been sitting in his seat ever since he came back inside, having been too stunned to do anything else.

"Ah told ya Goten was a natural didn't ah?" The blonde replied as she took a seat next to her brother.

"Yeah, but ah've never heard of someone buckin' all of the apple tress so fast. Not even Big Mac is that good."

As Goten took his place he let out a sigh. "That's something I've been meaning to tell all of you. I already told Applejack yesterday, and I was just waiting for the right moment to tell the rest of you. See the thing is I'm not an ordinary person..."

And so the Apple Family sat their as they listened intently to what Goten had to say. It turned out that their newest resident wasn't from this planet, and was in fact an alien! Their surprise would only increase when they learned that he was also in fact powerful, incredibly powerful. He was apparently so powerful that he could blow up the entire planet! Not just that but he had been training for most of his life to protect his home from equally powerful threats. And to top it all off he had been the one to save the city, twice.

"And I'm sorry for not telling you right away, I just wasn't ready. I hope you all understand, but if you want to kick me out I get it."

For what felt like forever Apple Bloom, Big Mac, and Granny Smith found themselves staring into nothingness. That had to have been the craziest story any of them had ever heard, and it was all true... which was proven when Goten made himself float off of the ground. Their minds had been blown, and it was taking time for them to recover.

Eventually Granny Smith found words. "Well we don't appreciate liars in this house... but, yer tryin' ta make up fer it. So I guess ya can stay."

"Really?!" Goten exclaimed.

"Eeyup."

Apple Bloom nodded in agreement. "Yeah, yer a hero! Ya saved your home countless times, and from the sounds of it ours twice, so how could we kick ya out?"

A huge smile formed on the half-Saiyan's face as he bowed to them. "Thank you, and I promise to never lie again!"

"You know, I bet we could get a second bed put up in Big Mac's room. That is, if ya don't mind sharin' a room?"

"Nnnope." He answered.

"Thanks Big Mac, and you don't have to worry about snoring."

Apple Bloom chuckled. "So, uh, can we eat now?" She wasn't trying to be impatient, but she was really hungry and that was before sitting through a long story.

Goten suddenly gasped. "Oh man, I almost forgot. I'm supposed to go over to Rarity's to get fitted for a suit!" Realizing what was at stake he sought to eat as quickly as possible. As such he rapidly put a little of everything onto his plate, and then just dove right in. In no time at all he devoured the copious amount of food in front of him. And after taking a quick drink of orange juice he was ready to go.

"Thanks again for the food, sorry I have to run!"

"Goten wai-" Applejack stopped when she couldn't see him anymore.

After a few moments of pause Apple Bloom began to dish herself some food. "At least he left some fer us."

Rarity was sitting at her work bench, her eyes glued to her sewing machine. She was working on another one of her dresses, and it required all of her concentration. One slip up and she could ruin the whole thing. She would rather not have a disaster on her hands, and as such was taking her time and being sure not to make any slip-ups... not that she was worried of course, because she was an expert. Still, it never hurt to be cautious.

It wasn't just her dress occupying her thoughts though, no there was something else on her mind. Soon enough Goten would be stopping by her house. Since he planned on applying for a job she figured he needed a suit, and who better to provide one than herself? Not only would it give her an excuse to spend time with him, but it was also much cheaper than having him buy a suit.

Just the thought of seeing him though brought butterflies to the fashionista's stomach. At this point it was no secret she had a crush on him, well maybe to him it was, but her friends knew. It really had been love at first sight, and the more she got to know him the more she desired him. In her mind he was perfect, and she wanted nothing more than to make him hers.

Unfortunately now wasn't a good time, as he had recently gone through a bad breakup. Rarity knew that he would need some time to recover, and she certainly wouldn't want to just pounce on him. For now she would simply be a good friend to him... but that didn't mean it couldn't happen in the future though. Perhaps at a certain point she'll ask him out, but she would have to wait for the right time. And unlike most times where she couldn't stand waiting she didn't mind it this time, as it would certainly be worth all of the torture in the end.

"Hey Rarity."

"Huh?" The fashionista snapped out of her thoughts, stopped sewing, and then turned around. "Oh Sweetie Belle, I didn't hear you come in. Is something wrong?"

"No, but there is somebody at the door here to see you."

Hearing that made Rarity jump a bit in surprise. "Goten's here?!" Not a moment later she regained her composure, and then let out a deep breath. "Thank you for letting me know, I'll be right down."

As her sister was walking toward the door Sweetie Belle began to make a connection. "Wait is Goten that new guy you have a crush on?"

The fashionista paused. "Yes... but say a word to him about my crush and I'll destroy you faster than last year's fashion trends!"

Sweetie Belle gulped and took that warning with great heed. She then walked out of her sister's room, and as she did she caught sight of Goten.

Goten noticed the little girl staring at him and approached her. "You must be Sweetie Belle. I'm Goten, it's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too." She replied.

"Well it's great you two finally met but Goten and I have business to attend to."

As much as the pink and purple-haired girl would have loved to hang out with them she knew it wasn't a good time. Despite that she still smiled and waved goodbye to them. "Okay, goodbye Goten."

He waved goodbye and watched her retreat to her room. "Your sister seems nice."

"She can be a handful sometimes, but I love her dearly." There were times when Rarity could get angry with her sister, but no matter what she always cared for her. Besides, those were getting less and less frequent these days.

"Yeah I'll bet Gohan would say something similar about me." He knew his brother loved him dearly, but even he knew that they didn't always get along. There hadn't been too many arguments or fights, but their brotherly relationship hadn't been perfect.

Rarity scoffed. "Please, you've proven yourself to be quite the gentleman."

The half-Saiyan chuckled. "Maybe now, but as a kid I was pretty hyper. I was probably the exact opposite of a gentleman."

"Well all kids can be like that, and I'm sure I was no different... although I'd like to think I was better than average. I suppose it doesn't really matter, as we're both well behaved adults."

"True. Oh, and thanks again for making me a suit." He smiled.

She smiled as well. "Think nothing of it darling. Consider this my thank you for saving all of our lives at the mall." The fashionista would have done it anyway though. Not only because of her crush on him, but because he was a friend. She was always willing to help one of her friends no matter what.

He shrugged. "It was no big deal, I'm used to stuff like that happening."

A chuckle escaped her mouth at how he said that so casually. "I can only imagine what that must feel like." She then cleared her throat. "Anyway, why don't we get started. I know this may seem weird but I'm going to need you to remove your shirt and pants... and please keep your underwear on."

Having been measured by his mom before he was used to removing his clothes in front of someone. It wasn't just anyone though, it was Rarity. He only hoped that he didn't offend her in anyway. With an exhale he removed his shirts, revealing his well sculpted chest. He then took off his shoes before removing his pants. Now he was merely in his socks and underwear.

Rarity found herself staring at his toned body, and couldn't help but blush. Oh how she wished she could just go over and caress him.

Seeing how he was getting looked at made the half-Saiyan slightly nervous. "Oh um, sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable."

At this point the fashionista was getting just as nervous, because she had been caught checking him out. "Oh no, not at all!" She then coughed before turning her head slightly away from him. "I-I was just admiring your physique. I guess all of that training really payed off."

"Yeah I guess, but I haven't really been taking my training seriously lately. I don't know, I feel like I'm going soft." He certainly still had muscle, there was no question, but it just didn't feel like it did in his teenage years. Ironically that was around the time dad left to train with Uub, so with him gone Goten lacked motivation to train. There were some times when he would work out a bit, but those were few and far between.

"Well in my personal opionion you look amazing." She smiled... only to realize how awkward that must have sounded.

A blush came to Goten's face in response to that compliment.

After several moments Rarity cleared her throat. "Well, um, why don't I get started with your measurements?"

I think I'll end it off there. So Gohan saw Bulma and discussed the situation, and the two need some time to figure it out. Meanwhile Goten did a little more work for the Apple Family before heading off to see Rarity for a suit. Why would he need a suit, well I think you can take a guess ;). Sorry the wait for this chapter was long, and I'll try not to have it be so long. Be sure to R&R and have a wonderful day!

FutureShock