Kai Goten had run over to the Earth fighters at Kai Kibito's request, and zeroed in on Olibu. He held out a hand. "That was amazing! I've never had a challenge like that before, you almost had me for sure!" he said, excitedly.

Olibu smiled, and took the boy's hand. "I felt the same way. What do you call that transformation you underwent?" he asked, in awe.

Goten blinked. "Transformation?" he asked, curiously.

Goku stepped forward, his gaze deep. "When you were fighting Olibu, you felt an increase in your power, right?" he asked.

Goten nodded. "Yeah… time slowed down, and I…" He blushed. "I remembered you, how you wouldn't give up against Caterpy, and I…" He bit his lip. "I know I was being stubborn, not trying to find a way around the obstacle, but I just…"

Goku placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, then. "You felt you had to stand up. To fight, to never give in, no matter what," he said, and Goten looked up at him, his eyes bright, and nodded.

"That's it, that's it exactly," Goten said. "How did you know?" he asked.

Goku smirked. "That's how I feel, whenever I'm in a battle," he said, gazing into the boy's wide eyes. "The people I'm from, the Saiyans, they're a warrior race. I don't know a whole lot about them, to tell you the truth, but I know that they love fighting almost as much as they love eating!" he said, grinning.

Goten laughed. "I love both of those things, too!" he said, causing a chuckle from Goku. Then he turned serious.

"There's also something else the Saiyans are capable of," he said, his eyes never leaving Goten's. "In the heat of battle, when they're pushed to their limits, when they really need it, they can transform, and with the transformation their strength multiplies," he said.

Olibu spoke up then. "Goten, when you faced me in battle, your hair and eyes changed color, and your power suddenly increased," he told the boy.

Kai Goten's eyes went wide, as he looked between Olibu and Goku. "Are… are you saying that I'm… not human? That I'm a Saiyan?" he asked.

Whatever Goku had been about to say was cut off by the announcer, who said it was his turn to enter the ring, against Arqua.

Kai Kibito watched Goten closely from across the arena. Supreme Kai had given him specific instructions, knowing that much would be revealed during the tournament, but not exactly what. He was concerned that it would be more than the boy could handle, but he would not rob the boy of the chance to learn of his heritage.

The boy's father was an impressive fighter. He watched the man's battle against Arqua. He was powerful, and thought before he acted. He hoped Goten would see this and emulate it, the boy tended to act quickly before completely thinking things through. It was great for fighting instincts, but not helpful at all when training to become a Kai.

After Goku's match with Arqua, was a match between Torbie and Pikkon. Kibito could see why Pikkon was West Kai's favorite. He was interested to see what a battle between Goku and Pikkon would be like.

Of course, that was if he was able to get past Goten.

When Pikkon won the match, the announcer called up the next two fighters: Kai Goten and Son Goku.

Kai Goten grinned as he entered the arena with Goku, taking his position. "I've been looking forward to this all day," he said, his eyes bright and eager. "Promise me you won't hold back, okay?" he asked.

Goku smirked. "Well, I won't hold back, if you won't," he said. "I want to see your transformation for myself."

The gong suddenly rung, and Goku rushed at Goten, who blocked him readily.

The battle was intense. Their speed was so fast they could barely be seen from the stands. They were a blur of feet and fists, and each fighter's energy flared against the other's, causing multiple shockwaves to be felt by the crowd.

Suddenly, Goku backed away, and began to draw his power. Goten's eyes went wide as he watched the transformation. His hair had turned golden, his eyes teal, it was just like Olibu described.

And… that energy…

"It's your turn, Kai Goten," Goku said, placing his hands at his side. "Ka…me…ha…me…"

Goten scowled. He had seen this attack with Arqua. He planted his feet into the arena floor, ignoring Kibito's yells at him to get out of the way, and prepared himself. He wasn't going to move.

He wasn't going to die.

He was going to stand his ground.

"HAAAA!" Goku shouted, firing the blast directly at Goten. It wasn't his full power, and he was ready to pull the beam back if it looked like Goten wouldn't be able to handle it. Despite his words to the contrary, Goku had absolutely no intention of causing Goten any harm. Especially if what he suspected was true.

Goku hadn't always been the smartest; he had been called an idiot multiple times by the people who knew him best, and he had never been offended. Life was big and way too confusing for him to understand, so he typically didn't bother to try. He paid attention to what was important, and let everything else go.

But then, his son had been kidnapped by his own brother, and Goku's simple life had been turned upside down.

Quickly, the simple fighter had learned how to fly a space pod, to access computer records, to do a hundred other things no one would have thought he could, in an effort to get his son back. The experience had changed him, had made him start thinking about things, had made him canny.

Goten was from Earth. Goten was Saiyan, or at least, he had the abilities of a Saiyan. His wife had still been alive when he died, and she hadn't been feeling well herself before Goku got sick. She had had the same problem before Gohan was born. It wasn't likely, but it was possible. And if there was any possible way Goten was Goku's son, he certainly wasn't going to be the one to kill him.

But Goten didn't have to know that. He knew from his first transformation the amount of emotional turbulence that needed to be present for it to happen. Goten had to really think he was in danger. Goku shouted down at him. "Give up, Goten! You're still alive, you don't need to die this way. Just say you give up, and I'll stop!"

Goten scowled at that. "NEVER!" he shouted back, and there it was, Goku saw a flash of gold, and then Goten's hair and eyes were changing color, and Goku's blast was being pushed back. Goku increased the strength of it, but Goten matched him perfectly, taking one step after the other, closing the gap between them.

Goku sent the blast to crash harmlessly against the ceiling, and quickly had to dodge Goten's fist. He kicked Goten back a ways, and grinned. "See? What did I tell you?" he asked, and Goten paused, looking down at his hands.

"This is called Super Saiyan," Goku said, and Goten's eyes were wide.

And suddenly…

Goten's hair turned black, his power dropped down to nearly nothing, and Goku frowned, concerned. The boy's eyes were glowing white, and the pressure around him was…

"Stay back!" Kai Kibito said, appearing in the ring. The tournament announcer began to protest, but he put up a hand. "Kai Goten forfeits this match, on orders of the Supreme Kai," he said, which caused everyone to be quiet.

Goten was hovering in the air, and a strange wind was surrounding him. "What's going on? What's happening to him?" Goku demanded.

"Epiphany," Kai Kibito said simply. And suddenly, Goten cried out.

The arena was bathed in light.

Goten was hovering in front of Goku, reaching a hand to Goku's chest.

"I will restore what you lost," he said, his voice sounding as though it came from everywhere around him. A lock of his hair that hung over his face began to turn white, and he began to gasp. And then his eyes closed, and he collapsed, caught in the arms of his father.

"Goten…" Goku whispered, holding the boy close.