Locke

I started to walk to Capsule Corp. with Goten, Trunks, and Meadow, but something occurred to me. "Sorry, guys," I apologized. "I need to stop home first. I'll see you there."

"'Kay," Goten responded. "Just don't bail on us like Doe here did."

"When two boys you just met want you to come to their house, who wouldn't be worried?!" I stifled a laugh and waved as I changed directions and went home.

I opened the door to my house and waited to see if my mom would ambush me. No attack came, so I figured that I was safe. The moment I entered, though, I was pulled into a tight embrace. "Welcome home, Lockey," she greeted as she released me. If you saw my mother, you wouldn't believe that she had a fifteen year-old son, being only twenty-nine herself. She looked almost like a female version of me, with the exception of her blue eyes. "How was your first day?"

I smiled. "Better than the last four times. I actually have friends this time." By her frantic urging, I told her about Trunks, Goten, and Meadow, leaving out the alien bit.

She hugged me again. "Perfect!" she squealed. "Let's hope this time you get to stay."

"That's up to Gran and Gramps," I sighed. "I told them I'd meet them in a few minutes, so I need to get ready." She immediately stepped aside and let me. All I had to do was grab my lock necklace, for irony, and get a glass of milk, then headed right out the door.

"Mr. Briefs, someone is here to see you," the receptionist said into her phone. She listened to something, then looked back at me. "He wants you to go out back." I nodded and followed her instructions.

My new friends were standing in the grassy backyard,and the first thing I noticed was that Goten and Trunks had changed clothes. Goten now wore an orange gi with a blue undershirt and obi, while Trunks wore a green gi with a red obi.

They grinned when they saw me. "We thought you ditched us," Goten said. "Sorry for doubting you."

I smiled and waevd it off. "It's fine. So, you're gonna show me this... whatever it is?" I asked.

Trunks smirked and bet his knees, flexing his arms at his side. Goten did the same. "Here we go." To my surprise, blue light appeared around them, and they started to yell, the volume gradually rising. Rocks and grass started to lift off the ground, and their clothes and hair started to lift up. Their pupils melded with their irises and turned blue, then the blue light turned golden. They let out one final shout before unleashing a blinding flash.

When I finally managed to open my eyes, I stared wide-eyed at them. Their hair was spiked up and golden, lightly swaying in the draft their power was causing. Their muscles had swelled slightly as well, and it felt as though the gravity had increased. "This," Trunks explained, "is our race's greatest transformation: the Super Saiyan. All fighting abilities increase ten-fold, and the form can be trained even further in order to transform even higher, into Super Saiyan 2, then Super Saiyan 3."

Compelled be some unknown force, I slowly clapped, trying to shake myself out of my trance. "That's amazing!" I finally managed to regain control and asked, "But why exactly are you telling me all this? I met you earlier today."

They heaved a sigh and released the transformation. "'Cause we think you might be an alien," Goten explained. "No other way to explain being so strong without training."

I slowly nodded. "But what would that make me?" They both shrugged. "You don't even know?" I asked, more exasperated than dissapointed. Then I started to think. "But it would make sense. Maybe my dad knocked-up Mom, then erased her memory so he could take off for... some reason."

"Create an army to take over the Earth?" Meadow suggested.

Goten stifled a laugh. "You do realize that most sci-fi movies are way off, right?"

"It's just a thought..." Goten's grin faded at Meadow's dejected expression and started to say something, but I beat him to it.

"Well, it's possible; the universe is a big place," I rationalized.

"That's a good point," Trunks agreed. "Our dads met an alien who looked like a purple Xenomorph." We both smiled as Meadow started to brighten, but I just barely notice Goten frown in dissapointment, though I couldn't think of why.

"What's going on out here?" a gruff voice called. I turned and saw someone I honestly should have expected. Dressed in a black tank-top and blue sweatpants was Trunks' dad, the apparently-alien prince, Vegeta. I recognized him from the World Tournament, which me and my mom went to every year. It occurred to me that I should ask why I never saw Goten or Trunks there, but that was answered before I could. "Why did you just go Super Saiyan? You two haven't fought competitively in years, so I doubt you're training."

Trunks put his hand on my shoudler. "Just showing-off to our new friend. Locke, this is my da-"

Before he finished, I'd bolted into a bow and stuck out my hand. "I-it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir!" I stuttered. "I've been a big fan for a while!"

There was an awkward silence, then I felt my hand get roughly slapped away. I looked up in shock, seeing Vegeta's disgusted glare. "The hell are you doing? If you dare to call my son your 'friend', then don't belittle youself like that! Try again!" I gulped and stood up, offering my hand less-stiffly. He sighed and accepted the handshake. "Better, but you need to work on it." He then looked at the other three. "So why were you showing him your transformations? Last I checked, the girl was the only one you entrusted it to, and only because of Goten's cr-?" Out of nowhere, a hand shot out and clamped over Vegeta's mouth.

"Whoa there, Vegeta! We're not supposed to talk about that." I stared at the newcomer, thanking whatever God had blessed me on this day; standing before me was now not one, but both of my idols. The other man grinned. "I haven't seen you around here before. Is this a new friend, guys?"

Goten went through the introductions again, and his dad was much friendlier. "Well, nice to meet'cha, Locke! You probably guessed already, but my name's Goku."

I nodded. "I'm not sure how no one sees it, but you're easily the strongest person on Earth." Everyone's grins faded. "My mom agrees."

Goku scratched his head. "How could you tell? We always hold back so Hercule can keep his image."

"You just seem too coordinated to lose as easily as you do," I explained.

Vegeta grunted, seemingly intrigued. "That's a good eye." Then he looked back to his son. "So why were you showing him Super Saiyan? It isn't like you to do things for no reason."

Trunks looked like he was carefully choosing his words. "Well, we think he might be... an alien."

"What?!" Both of the pure-bred Saiyans looked between him and me. Trunks listed off the evidence we had, and Vegeta thought it over.

"All I can think of is the Saiyans," he explained. "But Kakarrot, Tarble, myself, and our families are the last Saiyans alive. But just to make sure..." He move one hand to his hip and swept the other to the side. "Boy, pants off, now!"

"Wh-what?!" everyone gasped at once.

"Dad!" Trunks scolded.

Veegta seemed confused, then his eyes widened as it occurred to him. "Wha-?! Dammit, get your heads out of the gutter! I need to see if he has a scar where a tail would be!"

Goku nodded. "That's right; Saiyans have tails when we're born. Even Pan had one, and she's only a fourth Saiyan."

I gritted my teeth and turned, hooking my thumbs in my waistband. Meadow's face turned beet-red and she covered her eyes. My pants came down, and I held my breath.

"That's enough; pull them up." I gratefully did so. "No scar," Vegeta reported. "He's no Saiyan. Probably just a mutant."

Goku grinned. "Either way, I wanna see that super-strength you guys were talking about." He held out his hand. "You mind showing me?"

"Are you sure?" I asked. He nodded, and I wound my fist back. It slammed into his palm, sending a shockwave through the air, but his hand didn't budge.

Goku retracted his hand and flexed it. "You definitely beat out any untrained Earthlings I've ever met. With some training, I bet you're push past Krillin in no time."

"R-really?" I've always wanted to be a martial artist! If Goku trains me... "Th-then will you teach me, Mr. Son?!"

To my shock, Goku crossed his arms and shook his head. "Sorry, but the level gap is a little too wide still. I'd never be able to hold back enough. You need someone just a little closer to your level." I nodded, dissappointed but understanding. "Well, I'm hungry! Goten, let's get home for dinner."

"Alright, Dad. I'll see you tomorrow, guys." He put his hand on his dad's shoulder, and the two of them instantly vanished.

Meadow looked at her watch. "I'd better get going, too. You know how my dad is with my curfew."

I sighed. "Well, I'm not an alien, so I think I'm done here. I'll see you tomorrow, Trunks."

"See you," he responded, and we both left.

By some coincidence, me and Meadow ended up walking the same path for a while. "So," I finally said after about a minute of silence. "How did you meet them, anyway? Goten and Trunks, I mean."

She looked up as though recalling it. "Kinda like you, only they were the new kids."

Flashback, Meadow

The two new kids were strange, to put it gently. They were both overly-friendly to everyone, and they both were wearing long-sleeves and pants despite the warm weather. After about half the day, everyone had come to like them, with a few girls even crushing on them already. It seemed that I was the only one still unsure about them.

At lunch, I was sitting alone, as usual, when someone put their tray down beside me. "Do you mind if we sit here?" someone asked. I looked up and saw the two new boys, Son Goten and Trunks Briefs. "It's alright if you don't; everyone needs some time to themselves, right?"

I shook my head. "No, go ahead." They sat down on either side of me and started eating.

"So," Trunks started, "what's your name?"

I hesitated before answering. "Meadow. Meadow Fae."

"Pretty name for a pretty girl," Goten remarked, earning a blush from me. "Shot in the dark, but do you like alien movies?" I wasn't sure where this was going, but nodded anyway. "How would you like to see some real aliens?"

Flashback end

"After that, I kinda stood them up for a few days," she explained. "It sounded too surreal to be the truth. When I finally went over, they showed me their Super forms, and that pretty much sealed the deal for me." She blushed slightly and turned her head away. "I kinda love sci-fi, so being friends with aliens was a dream come true."

For whatever reason, my next question came out of nowhere. "So I guess that's why you and Goten are together, right?"

She looked at me in surprise. "Together?"

"Aren't you?"

She shook her head. "No, we're just friends. I mean, I like him, but not really in that way."

I turned my eyes upward. "Well, uh, might not wanna tell him that."

"Why?"

"Never mind. But I'd kinda think them being aliens would make you pretty hot for them," I commented. "Are they not your type or something?"

Her face flushed slightly and she averted her gaze. "I'm not going to date some just because they're an alien. There's more to people than genetics."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked. "Goten seemed like an exact clone of his dad."

She giggled. "Well, maybe genes do play more of a role for Saiyans. Goku was dead until Goten was seven, and-" She stopped. "Oh, crap that was out loud!"

"Wait, dead? How was he dead if he's alive now?"

She sighed. "Well, you were going to learn about it eventually, since you're in their inner circle now. Well, have you ever heard of the Dragon Balls?"

"Seven, summon a dragon that grants any wish?"

"How are you so well informed?!"

I put my hand on my head. "I'm not actually sure where that came from; that was the first time I've heard that name." She didn't look convinced, but didn't press on. "So, back to what we were talking about before. If being an alien doesn't do it for you, then what is your type?"

She started to think. "I've never really thought about it. Maybe... kind-hearted, won't let anyone walk all over him, at least fairly handsome... no, fairly; there's such a thing as too hot."

"You're describing Goten and Trunks."

She blinked. "Huh. Well, maybe someone I have a lot in common with. I like those two, but all we really have in common is liking martial arts, and just liking each other."

I grinned. "Did I ever tell you I love sci-fi?"

She giggled again. "Nice try, but I just met you. Give it a few days before trying again." We came to a cross-roads and split up, waving as we went our separate ways.

Later that night as I was trying to sleep, I started thinking about what Goku said. I need a teacher, but no one really gave a suggestion. And even if they did, there's still no guarantee that they'd be a good match for me. I sighed. I'd need a miracle to get someone to train me as well as all of those Gods. I started to drift off, then bolted up straight in my bed. "The Dragon Balls!" I didn't know why that was my first choice, but it was the only thing I'd even consider. "I'll wish for my perfect teacher!" My mind was set; I'd find the Dragon balls, no matter how long it took.

Hey, I kinda forgot to say this last time, but by the time I uploaded the first chapter, I'd already completed the entire story, bar most of these bolded notes and a few edits. That's all I have to say here; see you next week.