Light was the first thing Goten noticed, light, followed by a gentle breeze, then the soft grass beneath him. He was back on the Supreme Kai's planet, that he knew for certain. He groaned, sitting up slowly, his fingers running through his always-messy hair. He noticed something when he did that, and pulled the strands in his right hand out so he could see them. White. His hair was white. Quickly, he came to a nearby pool, peering down at his reflection in the perfectly still water. No… not all white. Just a small patch of it, above his right eyebrow. The rest was still black.

It still looked weird, Goten thought with a grimace.

Suddenly, he became aware of voices in the distance, and stood. That was odd… Supreme Kai often spoke with Kibito telepathically, usually the only time either of them made sound was when they were talking to him. A probe of his senses confirmed his suspicions… there was someone else on this planet.

Goten looked himself over. His wounds were healed, and his clothing was fixed. His fingers brushed up against his earrings, they were still there. He nodded to himself; Master Kibito was very particular about things like physical appearance. And this was their first guest since Goten had begun his training here.

It didn't take long for Goten to reach the tree where the Supreme Kai and Kibito were sitting, and it hadn't taken long for Goten to guess who the mystery guest was. The man with the orange gi and spiky hair turned and grinned at him, looking very much relieved. "Goten! You're okay!" he said happily.

Goten smiled back at the man. "Yes, I am… father," he said, somewhat shyly.

Goku's eyes went wide. "You… you knew?" he asked incredulously.

With a laugh, Goten responded, "I figured it out," he said cryptically, then turned to Supreme Kai and Kai Kibito. Bowing, he said, "Masters."

Supreme Kai smiled serenely at him. "Congratulations on your epiphany," he said, gesturing for Goten to take a seat on the ground next to Goku. Goten gave a small smile and sat down. The Supreme Kai gazed at him for a long moment, and Goten made certain his mind was open, out of respect. After a few seconds, the Supreme Kai nodded. "Your mind has healed itself. We should be able to resume training very soon," he announced.

"Healed itself?" Goku asked, glancing over at his son. "His mind was injured?"

Supreme Kai took a deep breath. "What we are trying to do is no easy feat," he told Goku. "We are not training a mortal how to reach his fullest potential as a warrior, nor are we training him to be a scholar or a guru," he said, frowning. "Those are all things he has the potential to become. Things any mortal may become, to one extent or another," he said, and gazed at Goten thoughtfully. "What we are trying to do is push Goten beyond his potential. To transform him into something else," he said. To illustrate his point, he pointed to a rock, which levitated and landed in front of Goten. "This rock has the potential to be a rock, two smaller rocks, a pile of smaller rocks, a pile of dust, or a collection of scattered atoms, depending on how it is broken down," he explained. "If enough other rocks join it, it has the potential to become a wall, a column, a grave marker… you get the idea," he said. He met Goten's eyes. "Try to use what you have learned. Reorganize it into something new," he told his student.

Goten swallowed. Up until now, he had not been very successful with transformation. But… something about what had happened at the tournament… "Hey, whatever happened at – " he began, but Supreme Kai flicked him in the middle of the forehead faster than Goten could even see.

"Focus, Goten. Your questions will be answered," he chided his student, who blushed and nodded, focusing on the rock.

It had potential…

Goten raised his hands at the rock, calling its atoms just as Supreme Kai had taught him. It was easier, now, he could see clearly what he had been doing wrong all those times previously. He re-arranged them, unaware that his eyes were glowing with a blue light. And then…

The rock had been bathed in a bright blue light, and was now… a dinner plate.

Goku's eyes widened. "Oh, wow, you did that, Goten?" he asked, grinning in wonder.

Goten grinned, looking at what he had made. "Wow, it worked!" he said, relieved.

The Supreme Kai smiled. "I told you it was easy," he told his student.

Goten blushed. "Yeah… I guess I was making it harder than it really was. I understand it better, now," he said, scratching the back of his head.

Supreme Kai turned his attention back to Goku, who was still staring at the dinner plate. "Goten was able to transform a stone into something else that was made out of stone, Goku. He stayed within the rock's potential. What we are doing to your son, is the equivalent of turning that same rock into a living creature, like a frog," he explained.

Goku scratched the back of his head. "So… you're saying, you're trying to turn Goten into something he's not, and can never be," he said. At the Supreme Kai's nod, he frowned. "And if you don't?"

"The universe will end," Goten said softly, getting Goku's attention. He gave his father what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "I accept the risks, father."

Goku's frown did not disappear, and his eyes turned to the Supreme Kai. "If it's something he can't become, then how are you going to do it?" he asked.

Supreme Kai gazed apologetically at Goten, who blushed. "By stealing his potential," he said softly, and picked up the dinner plate with two small purple hands. "As long as this rock is a rock, or in rock form, it has the potential to be anything made out of a rock. In the same way, a boy has the potential to be just about anything he sets his mind to being. But, if I were to transform this rock into something living," he said, and raised his hands over the plate. His eyes and the plate glowed blue, and then, suddenly, the plate became a blue frog, who croaked before hopping away, much to Goku's and Goten's surprise. "Now, the rock has life. The only way for someone to turn it back into a rock, would be to take that life, to kill it. As it is now, it couldn't be hard like a rock, and sit still like a rock, and be used as a plate like a rock, even if it wanted to," the Supreme Kai explained. "By training Goten in the ways of the Kai, I am, unfortunately, making him ill-suited for anything else he wishes to become. As you saw for yourself in the tournament," he said.

Goten's eyes widened as memory of what happened washed over him. "That's right… I collapsed in the middle of the match! I lost!" he lamented.

"You forfeited," Supreme Kai corrected him. "By my order. I told you before, your objective was not to win, Goten. The tournament was merely a distraction, to help get your mind off of your training, and it worked. It seems your mind works better when your body has something else to occupy itself with," he said, grinning wryly. "You experienced an epiphany in the middle of fighting. Your mind expanded, allowing you to see beyond what a mortal can see. This expansion of your mind, is a natural state for a Kai, but makes it difficult for you to stay engaged in the moment, as you need to be during a fight. I would suggest avoiding tournaments in the future. I'm afraid that part of your potential has already been stolen," he said, his expression more serious now, as he turned to Goku. "Goten will never become a great warrior. He will never be able to win in a tournament, now, he has travelled too far along this path to be able to turn back. By the time he has completed his training, even more of his potential will be gone. Goku… you should know that, if we are successful, Goten will never die. Which means, he will not be joining you in Otherworld."

Goku gave his son a long look. "Goten said he accepts the risks. That's his decision to make. I'm proud of him for stepping up, to protect the universe. Even if it means I won't see him again," he said, his eyes bright with emotion for his son.

Goten met his gaze with cheerful determination, then turned back to Supreme Kai. "I can still visit him though, right?" he asked.

Supreme Kai nodded. "If you are successful, then I will see to it personally," he promised.

This made both Saiyans grin, filling the ancient Kai with warmth. "Goten, I have asked Goku to remain here for the rest of your training," he said, causing the boy to become even more excited. He held up a hand. "But he may remain only if you promise to focus. He is here as a part of your combat training. Kibito tells me you've surpassed him on a physical level," he said, studiously ignoring the larger Kai's blush (which was quite a sight on the face of someone whose skin was already dark pink). "Kibito still has much to teach you, but Goku will be your sparring partner from now on. And," he said, looking at Goku, "you have my permission to teach Goten more about this Super Saiyan form. In fact, I encourage it. But do not allow him to solely rely on it. I'm afraid the transformation will be beyond him once he's truly become a Kai," he said.

Goku's eyes widened. "That means… he won't be able to transform into a Super Saiyan in his upcoming battle?" he asked, concerned.

"That is correct," Supreme Kai said. "He will not win this battle as a Saiyan. He must face this evil as a Kai," he revealed. "However, the fact is that, at this moment, Goten is half-Saiyan. As such, his natural instinct is to fight. When he is fighting, is when he is most in touch with his true self. That is why we need you, Goku. You must help him reach that inner part of himself, the way that comes naturally to all Saiyans, so that he may get through his training more quickly," the Supreme Kai said.

Goku nodded, his eyes determined, as he looked at Goten. "I'm honored," he said, his chest tight with emotion, and Goten met his gaze. "To have a chance to train my son, is truly a gift," he said. All those years he had missed with Gohan, all of Goten's life he had missed, and now, finally, he would get the chance to train at least one of his sons. He wasn't going to pass that up for anything.

Supreme Kai smiled. "I had hoped you'd feel that way," he said softly.

Suddenly, a loud rumble could be heard over the small planet, followed by another, slightly softer one. Both Saiyans glanced at each other sheepishly, and laughed. "Is it okay if we eat first, though? I'm starving!" Goku exclaimed.

Supreme Kai smiled, never having seen Goten so happy. Raising his hands, he transformed the area in which they were sitting into a rather large picnic. Both Saiyans expressed their thanks and dug in, causing Kibito to raise an eyebrow. "I thought Goten's table manners were bad," Kibito whispered to the Supreme Kai, and the two Kai laughed, a light-hearted sound that seemed to dispel any darkness looming on the horizon.