Age 776

Once again, it was time for the senior class of Orange Star High School to walk across the stage and become graduates. Outside the school's auditorium, Son Gohan was preparing to go in and walk with his classmates. Almost everyone was there: his family, Bulma, Vegeta, Trunks, Krillin, #18, Marron, Master Roshi, Yamcha, Puar; even Piccolo and Dende had come. Videl was standing next to him with her father, Mr. Satan and family friend Mr. Buu. Only Tien and Chiaotzu were missing.

Gohan had removed his own gown and had given it to Goten so Chi-Chi could fix his very stubborn tie.

"Mom, please," Gohan muttered.

"Hush! It's still crooked," Chi-Chi said.

Chewing at the inside of his cheek, Gohan stood still as his mother adjusted his tie. Videl couldn't stop a small giggle from escaping.

Gohan threw her a look. "What?"

"That face," Videl replied. "That face you just made was hilarious." Gohan groaned. "That's it! That's the face you just made!" This time she didn't try to hold back any laughter.

Son Goku wasn't any happier. "I understand why Gohan has to dress up, but why am I in a suit?" He pulled at his collar, which was a size too small. "I'm not the one graduating…"

"Give it a rest Goku!" Chi-Chi said. "You've said that four times already; once more, and you can forget about going to dinner!"

Feeling his life was in danger Goku took a step backward. "O-okay! Just calm down!"

"For once, I want our family to go out and act like normal members of society. This is the day Gohan has worked for all of his life, so the least you could do is dress appropriately for it!"

Gohan blushed. Videl tried to comfort him with a smile.

Chi-Chi didn't let up. "I haven't heard a peep out of Vegeta, and it's not even his boy who's graduating!" Standing with Bulma and Trunks off to the side, Vegeta perked a bit. He actually wasn't happy to be there either.

Gohan rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, Dad. I really don't care if you dress up though."

"Gohan, don't touch your hair," Chi-Chi said attacking the tie again. "You look so handsome! There, finally."

Goku sighed. "Can I at least change when we eat dinner?" Chi-Chi's glare had the force of an electric current. "Shutting up. Shutting up."

Gohan took his gown from his brother and pulled it on. "I'll be sure to cheer extra-loud for you," Goten said with his usual enthusiasm.

"All right," Gohan said tousling his hair. "Just be sure you cheer loud for Videl and my other friends too, okay?"

"Okay!" the young boy said.

"Gohan, don't touch Goten's hair either," Chi-Chi said. "I swear, we're going to take one decent photo of our family today, even if it kills us." She pinned her husband with a lethal glare as she spoke.

Goku gulped.

Gohan, Videl, and the other seniors filed into the auditorium as the others watched from the stands. Piccolo and Dende drew some attention, but after spending so many years on Earth, the two Namekians were used to the scrutiny. One by one, the students were called up to the main stage and walked across to claim their diplomas. Goten kept his promise and cheered his heart out when Gohan walked. Chi-Chi cried, but not as much as Mr. Satan did when Videl was called. The entire process took just over three hours. When the ceremony was over and everyone had thrown his or her cap up Goku was about ready to keel over from hunger. Of course, Chi-Chi forced him to wait so she could take several dozen pictures of Gohan and Videl. Finally, everyone headed over to Mr. Satan's mansion for the celebration dinner.

"Awesome! I've never seen such an incredible spread!" Goku said, though his mouth was full of food, so it came out as unintelligible mumbling. Chi-Chi had given up trying to deal with him so she just ate in silence.

When everyone had been served, Gohan stood up and clicked his fork against his glass. With the spotlight on him he stood up and raised his glass. "I want to make a toast," he said and looked at his mother. "To Mom, who pushed me in my studies everyday since I could walk upright. In the end it all paid off. Cheers!"

Everyone responded in kind and clinked glasses. Chi-Chi was too touched to say anythings and tried to keep the tears from welling up.

Then Gohan looked to his father. "And to you too Dad. If it weren't for you…well we'd all be dead." There were a few chuckles around the table. "Cheers!"

Goku blushed as everyone raised his or her glass once more and cheered. "Aw, it was nothing really!"

Videl stood up next. "To Daddy," she said. Mr. Satan looked at her eagerly as everyone waited for her to finish.

"For providing us with the food tonight!" Everyone burst out laughing; even Vegeta cracked a smile. "Just kidding Daddy, I love you," she added. Mr. Satan just smiled and joined in the laughter.

The dinner lasted a few hours with everyone chatting away into the night.

"Do you have any plans to celebrate with your friends?" Goku asked Gohan after dessert was served.

Gohan nodded. "Yeah, we're gonna go out and celebrate downtown tomorrow night."

"Don't even think about doing something stupid," Chi-Chi put in. "If you do something that will cause the College Board to revoke your scholarships, I'm gonna kill you, understand?"

Gohan sighed. "Would you like to move into my college dorm, Mom?"

"Someone has to make sure you don't turn into a delinquent," Chi-Chi said.

"He spent his entire life around us," Bulma put in. "If that won't turn him into a delinquent, then nothing will!"

Kibito Shin was going to catch something even if it took eternity. He had been sitting in the same spot at the lake's side with his fishing pole cast for three days without so much as a nibble. He had to catch something; he had to prove to Elder Kai that he could be just as good a fisherman as he was.

Besides he really didn't have much else to do. Millions of years ago, when he had been East Kai, there had been plenty to keep him occupied as he lived with the other Kais; they had all been great companions. Now all he had for company was a grumpy old man.

Who happened to be a better fisherman than he was.

No! No negative thoughts like that! I will prove myself! Ugh…prove what? That sounded like I'm the student of some great martial arts master. I really need to take an excursion somewhere…

A jerk on the pole cut through his thoughts. At last! Kibito Shin began to pull up on the pole.

"Hey! Kibito Shin, get over here!"

Shocked by the shrill voice, Kibito Shin lost his grip on the pole and wasn't able to grab it before it was pulled into the lake. Utterly defeated, he dropped to his knees and let out a deep sigh.

"I'M TALKING TO YOU!"

The voice had been right next to his ear this time, and caused Kibito Shin to topple over. Anger building up, he looked at his ancestor and shouted back, "WHAT? WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

Elder Kai held up his crystal ball and shoved it in his face. He looked worried. "Look at this!" The image inside the ball was incredibly distorted. Some kind of energy kept flickering across it.

"What am I looking at?" Kibito Shin asked.

"In all honesty, I'm not sure," Elder Kai said. "I think it's some kind of warping of real space. There's a disturbance in the region between dimensions."

Kibito Shin took the ball and looked at it closely. "I don't like this. What could cause something like this?"

"Like I said, I'm not sure."