Chapter 63: Life Goes On

Anybody else see Dragon Ball Absalon episode 2? Came out recently. It's pretty awesome. If you don't know what it is, look it up on Youtube. (For some reason the first scene in episode 1 is kind of iffy quality compared to the rest of the show, though, so don't let that put you off...)

The view count's rising fast…190,000…200,000! And it's still increasing! (scouter breaks) Impossible!

Seriously. Those five or so (I forget how many exactly) people that I've already mentioned who have done fanart. PM me if you want to have the promised Buu saga cameo. As in send me a message. Okay? Are you reading this? Did I forget to mention this bit before? Do you just not really want the cameo? Because if so that's fine, I'm just saiyan (nobody's ever heard that joke before, eh?)

"...So, that's how we got here," Tien explained, lifting Launch out of the drift by her shoulders.

"Makes sense." Goku recovered Dende and Mr. Popo by the backs of their shirts, placing them on the ground next to him. "Hey, I'm glad you're all right. You guys did really well...this is a victory to be proud of."

"Thanks!" Tien smiled. "That means a lot, coming from you."

"All right...let's get everyone to the Lookout. When Dende wakes up, he can heal everybody...then there's somebody you all need to meet."

Things began to move quickly. As soon as Dende was conscious, he healed the group in the north, who then proceeded back to the Lookout. Gohan, Videl, Zarbon and Kuriza were quickly healed too (Tarble was somewhat shell-shocked at the moment, and hadn't come back to his senses yet), and shortly Dr. Myuu emerged.

"Er...hello..." he said deferentially, bowing slightly.

"Hey, lighten up a little." Krillin smiled, shaking his head. "No need for that. Goku says you're a good guy, and that's enough for me."

"I'm a..." Myuu looked questioningly at Goku, who nodded. "Thank you. Though I'm not sure if you're correct. If you don't mind...can I ask you," he indicated the humans, "as natives of this planet...are these Super Saiyans anything like the bloodthirsty saiyans that slaughtered my people?"

Yamcha shook his head emphatically. "No way! I'd trust Goku with my life! Known him since he was a kid. Same goes for his brother, but, uh..." his speech became quieter. "...he isn't with us anymore..."

"In fact," Krillin added, "if you're talking about natives of the planet, you should count Goku and Gohan here with us! Nurture over nature—they're as human as any of us!"

Videl grinned. "I couldn't even tell Gohan was an alien at first..."

Myuu was startled. Such devotion...this friendship runs deep...At last, he raised his head. "I see...looking in your eyes, I believe you speak the truth. But...in the back of my mind, there is still a voice...screaming for revenge."

"Killing them won't be avenging your people. These two are nothing like the ones you hate so much. They saved my planet, too," Dende said, approaching the group. "That was when the Super Saiyan first reappeared."

"A Namekian..." Myuu realised. They're known throughout the universe...a wise, peaceful race, truly admirable. If one of them—even a child—vouches for these saiyans...that decides it. Difficult as it is...He clenched his fists, trying to drown out the inner cry for vengeance. "I...apologise for the pain I have caused you. You are truly fortunate to have found such a planet to inhabit...and its natives are fortunate to have protectors like you." He turned sharply away. "However...it still discomforts me to look at you. Your existence feels wrong. I wish it were not so." He shut his eyes, trying to calm himself. "I cannot stay here. Not so close to you."

Goku shrugged. "You need to leave the planet? I'm sure you can use that ship...though Bulma might get annoyed about having to keep building these things, heh..."

"No, not that far away. Where would I go? My homeworld—ourhomeworld—is dust now, Frieza saw to that. And this is a beautiful planet...besides, from what I've seen of humans so far, what they've shaped you into...it's uplifting." Myuu turned to Dende. "May I live in this place? It is your home, I gather, whereas the rest live down on the surface."

"That's right," Dende confirmed. "I'm sure Mr. Popo wouldn't mind being able to finally exercise those cooking skills he's always talking about...Nameks only require water, you see."

"I'm afraid he'll have to wait," Myuu replied. "I require no such sustenance. However, I will be happy to assist you in your duties as Guardian in any way I can. Think of it as paying my rent." He cracked a tiny smile at his own joke.

"Don't worry, you're always welcome here."

"Cool!" Goku looked slightly shifty all of a sudden. "Look, uh...Dende? Chi-Chi would bite my head off if she knew Gohan got beaten up in a fight again. Thanks for healing us up, but...Kami could always materialise small items. If you have the same ability, could you fix up our clothes? We can just say his ship broke down and we had to go pick him up, or something..."

Dende suppressed a laugh. "All right...I think I can manage that. Mr. Popo's been teaching me a lot about what I can do, thanks to his time working with Kami." He raised one hand, magical energy glowing softly around it. "So, it shouldn't be too hard...hold still a second."

"…So, apparently Bulma says the, uh…" Goku paused, chewing thoughtfully as his brain fumbled for the word, not noticing that he'd chewed straight through his fork (it was an achievement for Chi-Chi that he was even using cutlery at all).

Gohan didn't know either, but made a wild guess. "…the, uh, the flux capacitor…in…in the forty-watt range…"

"Right, that." Goku nodded. Nice save. "Yeah, it broke. Old model. She forgot to replace it before he left."

"Tch…I knew she shouldn't have let him leave in such a rush…" Chi-Chi shook her head. "At least the trip went well…" an eyebrow raised sceptically. "…didn't it…?"

"Oh, yeah," Gohan said enthusiastically, now telling the truth. "I learnt plenty about aliens…how the old empire's turned out since we went to Namek…a cool new technique…lots to put down in my book."

"But is all that really relevant to teaching people ki control?" Goku wondered.

"Well…it's sorta two halves. One is that, yeah, but the other is a complete account of our adventures. Well…mostly complete."

"Yes, you said," his mother remembered. "No mentioning the Dragon Balls, or saiyans, or the other aliens living with us."

"Right."

"Not the Dragon Balls?" Goku asked, through a rapidly-disappearing mouthful of noodles. "But then how are we gonna explain how we fixed everything that Cell did?"

"I…guess we can't explain everything." Gohan shrugged. "People will be unhappy if they don't know the whole truth, but we can't risk something like that being public knowledge. There's a lot of people out there who we really don't want getting their every wish granted. We just have to do our best…make as much of the truth known as possible for now. Maybe someday the world will be ready for the rest…"

The next day…

Goku idly wandered the halls of Capsule Corp., slowly honing in on the small ki source he'd been looking for. His face brightened up when he rounded the corner, finally finding her. "Hey, Bulma!" He tossed her the capsule containing the spaceship. "Just came to give this back—thanks."

"Oh! Goku." His old friend smiled wearily, catching the miniaturised ship. "Yamcha said you were back. How'd it go?"

"Fine, fine…" He paused. "Well…no. Not really. Vegeta's dead."

Bulma shrugged. "Good riddance."

"Well…I shouldn't feel bad. I know I shouldn't…but I do." He sighed, trying to explain. "Deep down, he was an honourable warrior, and I respected that. He was driven to do terrible things by the way his life turned out, and I can't help but feel sorry for all that wasted potential. What he could have been."

"What do you mean? There was good in him?"

"Sure. In a way. I mean, if I'd never come to Earth, I'd have been just like him. So, I guess…there's that kind of potential in everybody. We all could have been somebody else, had things been different."

"What, if he'd been sent here instead of you? Had the same experiences?" she asked. "That's a weird thought. But I think, at a basic level, there's a bit of what makes you you…you can't completely change it. We're lucky we got you, Goku."

"Still…I can't help wonder. Could he have been different? Happier? Had a family, something to fight for…"

"You're fantasising. You always want a happy ending for everybody. We don't live in a fairytale, Goku."

"I know, I know." He turned to leave. "Thanks, Bulma. I just needed to get that off my chest. The universe feels…emptier, somehow, now."

"I know why." Goku stopped at Bulma's voice. "It's obvious…there are less and less pure saiyans left. You're a dying race."

"Yeah…yeah, that's right," Goku said quietly, realising. "Nappa died soon after we met him. Raditz is gone. Turles, Paragus, Broly and Vegeta all died within a few days of each other. Now there's just me and Tarble."

"Vegeta's brother? How is he, anyway?"

The previous day…

Dr. Myuu had descended to the inner depths of the Lookout. Dende had fixed up everyone's appearance. Everyone was about to depart—then Tarble descended the steps of the ship. His hair was ruffled, his armour dirtied, his scouter cracked, but thanks to being healed earlier he was himself completely intact. "H…Hello…" he said nervously, waving a greeting. "I heard you talking…is my brother here? Where's Vegeta…?"

"I'm sorry, he…didn't make it," Goku said gravely.

"Oh." Tarble didn't seem upset.

"You're not—" Gohan began.

"Well, I guess…I'm a little sad." The small saiyan shrugged. "It's not that I don't care, but I was sent away at such a young age that I never really knew my family. Apparently I was too weak and didn't have any fighting spirit. I guess it's true that I've never liked fighting. Say…" he peered at Goku and Gohan. "…You're saiyans too, aren't you?"

"Sort of," Dende answered. "They're not like the ones you knew at all, though. We kind of just got through explaining this…"

"The Tuffle. Yes, I heard." Tarble smiled, his tail twitching happily. "I'm glad that not all of us have to be bloodthirsty killers. It means I haven't failed any kind of test, just for not liking fighting."

"You really don't fight at all?" Goku asked.

"Nope," Tarble said happily, treating it as an achievement. "Haven't thrown a punch in my life."

"I see…" He leaned back, whispering to Gohan. "Okay, that is odd, for a saiyan…"

"You've met me, haven't you?" Gohan whispered back.

"Well…in any case, do you have a home anywhere that you'd like to be returned to?" Nail said, trying to steer the conversation back on course.

"Not really…I was just drifting from planet to planet, when the Tuffles found me," Tarble replied. "But I am sad that that one still disliked us, even after all that. Hate is such a terrible thing."

He really is the real deal, Nail decided. Pacifist…optimist…a rare specimen indeed. "Well, some things are ingrained deep. Myuu's going to have to deal with his problems on his own."

"Nope…I don't think so." Tarble grinned.

"What?"

"See ya! He said he was going to the innermost chamber, right?" Tarble promptly broke into a run, heading for the Lookout's entrance.

"What the…" Krillin scratched his head. "He only just got here. What does he think he's doing?"

"What do you think you're doing?" Dr. Myuu had heard the footsteps as Tarble entered the dimly-lit chamber. He saw the saiyan sit opposite him. "I still resent your kind. I cannot guarantee your safety here. I came to be alone for a reason."

Tarble nodded. "I know. You've spent your life with hate on your mind. Hate is a terrible thing."

Myuu's brow wrinkled. "Again…just what, exactly, are you doing?"

"Changing your mind."

A year later…

Goku landed in the familiar surroundings of Capsule Corp. Gohan was already here, giving Videl a tour of the place. But that wasn't what he was here for. As a year ago, Bulma had called. And now as then, she'd sounded worried. Again, she'd been vague about the details, but he wasn't about to leave his oldest friend in the lurch.

"What is it?" he asked, finding her sunbathing in the garden. "Uh…Bulma?" You said you'd be in your lab…"

"Oh!" Bulma's eyes blinked open, and she yawned, sitting up slowly. "Right…right, sorry. Sorry. I've been distracted lately."

"So, what did you want?"

"Right! Right." She rubbed her eyes, standing up and stretching, finally becoming fully awake. "Okay, I'll make it quick. Right after the whole Cell thing…not long after I died and came back…I started drawing 7s everywhere. On myself, the walls, whatever. If I didn't have a pen, I'd scratch it into things. Completely subconscious, uncontrollable." She paused, making sure the fighter, sometimes slow to catch up, was following. "A few months later…it became 6s. Today…exactly a year after that…" she showed Goku the inside of her forearm—covered in pencil-marks: 5s.

"…five. It's counting down, Goku. Counting years."

"But you said the first one wasn't a whole year," he pointed out.

"Right, but I reckon that's because it didn't start on exactly seven years. It started partway through a year, and now it's counting how many years are left, until…"

"What?"

"I don't know. But it worries me."

Goku nodded. "I didn't know you were psychic, for one thing…"

"Exactly. Is it a premonition? Am I just going crazy? Is it some outside force sending me a message?" She bent down, reaching inside a bag by her feet and pulling out some printouts. "So dad and I ran some tests. Brain activity normal, but eventually we found it—some kind of electromagnetic radiation. Very faint, we could only just detect it."

"Uh…" Goku was a little lost at this point. "Radiation? Like…nuclear bombs?"

"Not quite. Now bear with me. We'd been running some trials recently, trying to develop a time machine like I apparently did in Break's future. Still getting absolutely nowhere with that one, but some samples are giving off radiation similar to the kind that we're finding in my brain."

Goku remained silent. "Um, keep going. You've lost me, but you might find me again in a minute."

"Right. So. The radiation our pathetic attempts at time travel were giving off was similar, but not identical. Only half the pattern, actually. So I ran a search on the database, and guess what fitted the other half perfectly?"

"No, go ahead, tell me."

Bulma sighed. "It was a rhetorical question."

Goku shrugged. "Sorry, I don't know any rhetorical answers."

She paused, grinding her teeth. "Just…never mind." She tried to remember where she'd left off. "The other half of the radiation 'pattern' matched perfectly with the EM signal given of by the Dragon Balls."

"The Dragon Balls give off…?"

"'Course. It's how the Dragon Radar works."

"So…a mix between time travel and the Dragon Balls?" Goku wondered. "When have we ever…ah! The wish to Porunga! The androids! We wished for the people in the future to forget about the androids, so Seventeen and Eighteen could have a normal life!"

"Exactly." Bulma pointed at herself with her thumb. "And it just so happens yours truly was spending an awful lot of time around the time machine—the one link between this timeline and that—right around the time you made that wish."

"Cool!" Goku smiled for a few seconds, before his train of thought finally arrived at the station. "Oh, uh…so why'd you call me here? I'm no scientist, you know."

"Yes, I know that very well, mountain man." She tapped him on the head. "I'm getting to you. Sometime around Namek, you started to be able to read minds, didn't you?"

"Yeah…"

"Why? Did you ever find out? When exactly?"

Goku squinted, thinking back. "Er, it was right when Raditz and I were training in high gravity on the way to Namek. Right around the time we arrived. But everything got real complicated, real fast, and we never had time to stop and question it. Looking back…I think it was the first step." He nodded. "We'd surpassed our normal limitations…we were starting to become Super Saiyans."

"I see. Can Gohan do it?"

"No, but he's still a kid. I'm sure it'll come. Or maybe not. He is only half-saiyan…and he really should train more, I have to say."

"Okay, anyway." Bulma now tapped her own head. "Back to the point. I need you to read my mind—take a look in there, see what's gotten into me. Whatever this thing is, this countdown, I want to know."

"All right…if you say so. I mean, if you want me looking through your thoughts…it might take me a while to find it. I don't really know what I'm looking for."

"Goku, I trust you not to screw up my head, just read my damn mind already!" Bulma snapped.

"All right, just asking…" Taking a deep breath, he put his hand on the blue-haired woman's forehead, reaching out with his mind and sinking into hers. Both instantly relaxed, feeling somewhat detached from their bodies.

Gohan and Videl came out of a nearby doorway, chatting loudly. "You really think my hair's getting too long?"

"Hey, I said longer, not too long." Videl laughed. "I kinda like the scruffy look. I mean, you've seen my hair, right? I'd be a hypocrite if I said yours was too long. Or do you think mine would look better short?"

"Well, uh…" Gohan personally thought that longer hair could get in the way in a fight, but now that she'd said all that, he didn't really want to voice the opinion—and besides, his uncle had been living proof that it didn't necessarily affect one's performance in battle. "No, it's…it's fine. I like it how it is." They approached, seeing the strange scene before them. "And the gardens out here are…uh…" Gohan blinked. "Dad? Bulma? You okay?" Neither of the adults moved or responded.

Videl stared. "They're completely out of it…weird."

Tentatively, Goku explored Bulma's mind. Okay…get my bearings…I usually only read surface thoughts. This—looking for the subconscious—is going to be a new experience.

"Hey, what was that?!" Bulma's voice boomed from all around him as she thought the words. "You do know what you're doing, don't you?"

Oh, uh, right…in her mind…she can hear me too. Uh, don't worry, Bulma, I'm not going to mess with anything…not that I'd know how to anyway. I'm just gonna look around, see if I can find whatever it is… he let himself sink deeper, into her memories and recurring thoughts. Hmm…okay, no, that's family…aww, Trunks was so cute!

"Still is!" Bulma insisted. "He's still my baby, you know!"

Right, right…now…family, right…hmm, lots about Zarbon…egh, didn't want to know that…

"Well, what do you expect?" she protested. "I'm sure if you looked at Chi-Chi's mind, you'd find similar about you!"

Uh…similar, maybe, but…I don't think her mind works quite like…hey. He noticed a 'cluster' of bundled-up thoughts, near the large section associated with Zarbon. Almost repressed, in fact. What's this? He mentally 'peered' inside, wondering if it might be what he was searching for, then quickly recoiled. Was that Vegeta? Really, Bulma?

"Hey, you don't see me prying in your brain and giving a running commentary! Now keep looking, and when you're done, not a word to anybody!"

"Hmm…" Gohan studied Goku and Bulma, both still unmoving. "They're not unconscious or asleep, or they wouldn't be standing up…"

"And they're both breathing," Videl noted.

"Yeah…oh!" Gohan snapped his fingers. "Dad's reading her mind! I don't know why, but that's definitely what it looks like. He's taking his time about it, though."

"He can do that?"

"He can do that."

"Is it safe to wake them up?" Videl asked. "You know, just to ask what he's doing it for?"

"Yeah, sure," Gohan replied. "I mean, it's not like a deep mind-probe thing. He only ever reads surface thoughts and recent memories."

Sorry this is taking so long… Goku 'thought aloud'. The mind isn't exactly structured in a logical way. Everything's connected. But I'm getting there. I'm through to your subconscious. Basic survival drives, reflexes, instincts…hmm.

"'Hmm'?" Bulma inquired. "As in, 'hmm', you might have found it?"

Yeah, actually. Goku reached out for what could best be described as a foreign object, squatting at the base of her mind. That shouldn't be there…doesn't look like a thought at all, actually…got to be it.

"Well, go get it! Find out what it is." Excitement edged into her voice—strange as the situation was, she had a scientist's drive to discover, and this was completely new and unknown territory.

Gohan reached out to tap Goku on the arm. "I'll ask him. Hey, Dad. Watcha doin'?" Stopping up short before they touched, he felt a sudden chill down his spine, as if he was doing something wrong. Nah…just paranoia. It's fine. He reached forwards again.

I…got it! Goku mentally grasped the object, scanning it with his telepathic powers. Huh? I'm seeing something… For a brief moment, he glimpsed something—something pink—then it was gone, and he felt himself suddenly wrenched back out of Bulma's mind, the connection abruptly broken.

Contact. Gohan's finger touched his father's arm. A jolt of static electricity made him jump back, but it was too late. Images burst into his mind, like floodgates opening. He covered his head in his hands, gritting his teeth and trying to block them out, but they kept coming. Incoherent. Flashes of colour. Snatches of speech.

"…level beyond Super…"

"This fight's been a long time coming…"

"They're all going to die!"

"Gohan! No!"

"BUU!"

Slowly, Gohan opened his eyes. "What…" his vision swam into focus. Goku, Bulma and Videl stood over him. "What happened?"

"You were babbling. Just incoherent nonsense. Screaming, almost," Bulma explained. "You went Super Saiyan for a moment, then fell unconscious."

"Are…you okay?" Videl asked, her voice full of concern.

"I'm fine." Gohan stood up, feeling vitality return to him. "I'm fine," he repeated, almost to himself. He took off, igniting his aura and rocketing back towards home.

"Gohan! Wait…" Goku called, but it was too late. "He interfered somehow…" he said, to which Bulma nodded.

"Look…" Bulma frowned. "That kid is anything but 'fine'. You two should go to him."

"Are you all right, though?" Goku asked. "I kinda got wrenched out of your mind suddenly…didn't have time to break contact properly."

"I'm great, actually. I feel like…like a weight I didn't even know was there just got lifted. Somehow, I don't think I'm gonna be writing these numbers anymore." She smiled. "But don't worry, I've got today's date written into my calendar. If something does happen in five years, I'll be ready. Now go…take care of your son. And," she turned to Videl, "your bo…" She paused, awkwardly. Were they too young for that? "…your best friend," she finished, attempting a quick recovery. "He needs you more than I do."

However, Gohan had brushed off all attempts at further questioning with 'I said I'm fine, all right?' He ate dinner hurriedly, without speaking, and went to bed immediately afterwards. Sleep was no respite, though. More images flashed through his mind, just like before. Death and destruction, mainly. Yet when he awoke, he could remember almost nothing of them. No specifics, anyway. Just an unshakeable haunting feeling, like he'd just witnessed a tragedy.

Sweating profusely, he stumbled into the bathroom to get a drink of water before trying to go back to sleep, turned on the light…and immediately did a double-take. Drawn in thick pen—the familiar writing of the pen he kept by his bed in case he had a flash of inspiration for his book during the night, in fact—was a stylised letter 'M', right in the centre of his forehead. He frantically washed it off, and went back to bed even more uneasy than when he'd woken up.

Around the same time that year…

A loud thump on Kame House's door awoke Krillin, who slept closest to it. He blearily glanced at the clock—just past midnight. Who the hell…? This had better be important. He stumbled into some pants, practically sleepwalked over to the door and swung it open, and was promptly shocked into complete wakefulness by android Eighteen rushing in and collapsing on the couch. He blinked a couple of times. Pinched himself—not dreaming. "Uh…Eighteen?" Of course, he knew that there had been an evil version of the cyborg he'd come to know in this timeline, but there was no malice in her eyes—this had to be the good one. Like him, she was dressed like she'd just got out of bed. "Didn't you and Seventeen go with Break? You know, to the future?"

"We, uh…" Eighteen made a few attempts to speak, finally just nodding and falling silent. She took several deep breaths, shut her eyes, and eventually found the words. "Seventeen's dead. And maybe everyone else…or…they will be dead…in that future they're…" she paused, time travel as always making tenses rather confusing. "…you know what I mean?"

"Yeah." Krillin pulled up a stool, sitting opposite her and switching on a nearby lamp for light. "Okay…tell me what happened."

"Well…we hadn't really been in contact with Break and the others for a long time. We'd gone our own way…found a place for ourselves. I'll leave out the details…it was a good while after we'd got there. Maybe two years? Hard to keep track. There'd been some close scares before—Dr. Gero's lab kept building androids, one in particular called 13 who gave us all a real beating—but we'd always come out on top. Then, uh…one day, we'd only just woken up, we were about to go out hunting, and bam—there was a flash of light, and Seventeen's head was…gone." She bit her lip, forcing tears back. "No last words or anything. Couple of seconds later—I was still in shock—Break tore through the wall. Super Saiyan. Wild-eyed. Looked pretty worried. She threw me the time machine capsule and told me to get back to this timeline, as soon as possible." She sat back, wiping sweat from her forehead.

"Oh…so, uh…why d'you think you, specifically?" Krillin wondered. "And why would whoever it was target you two?"

"Well…" Eighteen pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper she'd tucked into her waistband. "Once I was back in this time, I noticed this on the dashboard. I guess she wrote it on the way." Hastily scrawled on the paper, dotted abbreviations, was a message reading:

New kind of android. V. strong. Too strong. Can't protect you. It might fuse with you, get stronger? Would make sense. (Cell, 13, etc.) Think they got one f. you. Sorry. Have to destroy body; they might need you alive/dead, don't no. Destroy time mach. NO PAST/FUTURE LINK.

"I see…" Krillin put the message down. "How would she know it's a new android if she was immediately going your way? Wouldn't she only know if she'd gone to fight it? And if it was that strong, how would she have survived fighting it?"

"Look, I don't know," Eighteen said. "I don't have any answers for you. But when someone like that tells you they can't protect you…I'm scared, Krillin."

"You destroyed the time machine?"

"Yeah. I guess she was worried they'd somehow trace it through time…I don't know how that'd work, or if it's even possible, but it was the last one."

"Actually…I don't think that's it," Krillin suggested.

"Huh?"

"I think she told you to destroy it so you'd never try and come back." He sat down next to her, looking sincere. "Look, she knows you're a good person at heart. You might one day worry about her—all of them. Try to find out if they survived. And while they might stand a better chance without you two around to potentially make these new androids stronger…I'm pretty sure Break knows she isn't going to win. She wouldn't want you coming back, only to get killed yourself."

"But…" Eighteen clenched her hands into fists, scowling. "…Break…Gohan, Bulma…millions of people! She can't just resign herself to the fact that they're all going to die! How could someone be so cold…to make a decision like that?!"

"I know it's harsh," Krillin agreed. "But you know it makes sense. Sometimes…if there's a forest fire, and you can't put it out…you have to cut down, or even burn, some of the trees at the edge of the burning part…to stop it spreading to the rest of the forest."

"That's not the same thing as a whole planet full of life!"

He sighed. "Yeah…I guess not. Maybe you're right. I don't know if there is a right answer. She did what she thought was right, and that's all we can ask." He paused, twiddling his thumbs. "Uh…do you want anything? Like, a drink or something? Are you hungry, or—"

"Just…stay here," she said, putting a hand on his arm to stop him leaving. Even in the brief time she'd known him, she remembered, it was easily the little man's most endearing quality—you could always talk to him. There wasn't an ounce of hostility or bad temper in his body. "Just don't go."

Well, this was an eventful chapter, and as someone helpfully pointed out in a review a few chapters ago, the only 'signature' thing of mine that hasn't been present for a while is the constant switching between characters and locations. Well, there you go. It's chapters like these that really remind me of just how many characters I'm juggling here…it really is an ensemble piece, as another reviewer once put it.

Yes, I know; subplots, subplots everywhere. Trust me, I know what I'm doing. It'll all work out. As for what's going on in the future…you'll have to wait until the 1-year special to find that out. And we will get to Fusion Reborn. That's the next big thing. But, you know, there's always a little bit of stuff that has to happen to bridge the gap. So we'll be continuing this subplot with Eighteen next chapter, and then probably time-skipping to Fusion Reborn. Because people have been asking when I'll get around to that. Probably next chapter.

Q: ...Interestingly enough, it appears BTtL Kai has become its own universe. Raditz didn't die in this Kai.

A: …

…

…Crap.

I forgot.

All right, next time on BTtL Kai: The Quest to find a Contrived Reason for Raditz to Die and Continue the Plot! Or something like that.

Q: nice chapter I would like to see character development and how strong are the human z- fighters to villain and how strong is nail to the sayeins an wheelo was super strong which was good at least nail and the rest got a shot at helping cant wait to see more

A: Let me see…Probably with base powers all in the millions, but below full-power Frieza, and then they have the Kaioken on top of that. Nail is at least Ascended Super Saiyan strength, possibly a little stronger, then there's the bit of extra power Piccolo had on top of that. Oh, and punctuation would be nice. Please?

Q: A pretty good fight scene. Didn't like Launch's participation, I think it's too early for her to make a difference against an enemy that overpowers Nail.

A: I should point out that she and the other characters are just as surprised by her quick development as you are. Remember how Tien reacted when she got the hang of the Kaioken so soon…

Q: Well. Looks like Cell actually did something useful, he got Super Saiyan 2 to come out allowing Goiu to train more, and he gave Krillin the idea of a homing Destructor Disc, but wait, didn't Frieza know how to do the same thing with his telekinesis and his Death Saucers?

A: Yes, but he never used it in BTtL. This version of Cell got the homing part from Yamcha's Spirit Ball, and Krillin in turn realised thanks to Cell that it could be applied to the Kienzan.

Q: How strong do you think Gohan was after his z sword training as a SSj2? Was he stronger than Goku and Vegeta as SSJ2s?

A: No. I think he probably brought himself back up, in terms of skill and technique, to his Cell Games level, but at that point his power level would've been higher than it was at the Cell Games due to his stronger adult body. But not to the level of the other SSJ2s. Goku and Vegeta spent seven years or so training SSJ2; Gohan did not.

Q: I wanna know the joke. Maybe u can PM it?

A: Non, non, absolutement non. C'est pas de question. Everyone stop asking.

Q: For the Kai part, uh... Dark Souls does not have an announcer.

A: Well, you see…I kind of phrased it awkwardly. I meant the 'Engrish' messages that pop up when something significant happens, like 'you died', and 'you defeated'. I 'defeated'? I defeated what?

Q: Great chapter! Can't wait for some more character development though. As a fan of anime, one DOES love fight scenes... but growing can be fun!

A: Then I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Q: I did have a question: From your Kai summary I surmised that you miiiiiight be a fan of Gurren Lagaan... which I fully support as it is one of the best animes I've seen in a long while. My question is: where would you place Gurren Lagaans many incarnations on a comparative DBZ power level scale (ex. The first gurren lagaan might have been Goku in the sayian saga in comparative strength)
I currently argue among my friends that super galaxy gurren lagaan (the last one?) might only be rivaled by omega shenron fusing with ssj4 vegito

A: Did you not see the note at the start of the Kai clearly stating I've never seen Gurren Lagaan…?

Anyway. I know a little about the series. Let me try and answer the question. Early on in the series, I don't know. It's hard to say.

However, by the end of the series? From what I've heard, they're firing galaxies at each other and surviving being totally erased from existence on sheer willpower. So…way, way above anything shown in DBZ. Unless you count the anime filler of Super Buu almost destroying the very fabric of existence, that is. But I'd still doubt his ability to casually throw a galaxy, even if so. (Note: If I'm wrong about any of this TTGL stuff, which I may well be, having not seen it, you may have to disregard some of what I'm saying).

Anyway. If you want my advice, don't say things like "this could be beaten by SSJ4 Vegito fused with Omega Shenron", because you have no idea how strong that is. Think about it. We know DBZ characters are solar system busters (thanks to Cell) at SSJ2 level and above, and move at supersonic speeds, and so on, possibly lightspeed but no concrete proof of that. But how much stronger is Vegito than a SSJ2? No way of knowing; he only ever has one fight, and all that tells us is that he's stronger than Buu…we never learn how powerful he actually is.

Not to mention, seeing as he's the only Potara fusion we ever see actually fighting, we don't know what kind of increase the Potara gives. It certainly isn't A plus B, as Goku plus Vegeta is no way stronger than Buu plus Gohan (and probably isn't A times B, as the Daizenshuu or a Jump issue or whatever it was said; how would they know?). And yes, the fusion you're talking about would be Potara, as Vegito and Omega would be too different to do Metamoran fusion. And how strong is Omega? Don't know, other than 'stronger than SSJ4, weaker than fused SSJ4'. And we're back to not knowing exactly what fusion does, or indeed any absolute feats for anyone above SSJ2 level…

Well, I suppose there's SSJ4 Goku surviving the equivalent heat of the sun, but that's hardly at the level of tossing galaxies around at each other, is it?

So in summary: Hard to say. End of TTGL is probably above anything definitively shown in DBZ, but we have no idea how strong the hypothetical Vegito/Omega fusion you're suggesting would be, so no way to tell.

Q: Isn't raditz in other world training with the kaioshins? If he's dead and your going to the buu saga, witch is a seven year gap then that gives him time to train to become SSj3 dude. And let's just skip these weaklings and get on with the saiyans no one cares about the humans!

A: Except all the people who've been leaving reviews and telling me how they think it's a good thing I'm giving the humans their chance to shine, you mean…?

Q: Another series of great chapters! Really enjoyed seeing the non-Super Saiyans get a chance to shine (though I originally confused myself between Dr Wheelo and Dr Wily - thought they were fighting a Mega Man villain for a moment! XD)

A: Okay, that's pretty funny.

Q: The Baby/Rachi arc was also very well done and well handled. The Myuu/Baby twist was inspired and his motivations and character really made a lot of sense. It was also nice to see a conflict be resolved not by fighting and one side losing, but by the characters just coming to a conclusion that neither of them wanted to fight and the conflict didn't make a lot of sense anyway. Vegeta's send off was great as well, though as you say it was a bit of shame that he didn't open up as a character until now. However I strongly suspect that death won't be enough to stop the prince (and with Fusion Reborn around the corner...)

A: Thanks, I quite enjoyed the original, sort of fresh feeling I got of writing the character. He didn't immediately start rambling, "argh, my plans are foiled, I'm going to kill everyone, ahahahaha!"

Q: I can't add much to your discussion of hero myths, but I'll say a couple of things; firstly Superman is meant to be Moses (being sent away, raised by adopted family, growing up and understanding his destiny, superpowers etc.) and I believe Toriyama said that when it came to making Goku an alien, he borrowed heavily from the Superman mythos (indeed Goku is something of an inversion, seeing as he came to destroy the planet originally). As to why the Japanese use English names its a similar reason to why fantasy writers in English often use medieval names for characters and things; it makes it sound more exotic and fantasy like (Hiro Mashima does this a lot in Rave Master and Fairy Tail, where the main characters usually have English names for that reason).

A: Well, there are a lot of parallels, but again…it applies to many characters, so I'm not sure if Superman was directly meant to be Moses, or just happened to fit the same archetype. And yes, Goku's alien backstory drew on Superman quite a bit.

You know, I don't have Internet connection as I'm writing this, so I've entirely forgotten what I said about Japanese writers using English names…so I'm going to respond to that part some other time.

Q: Also, a question to your 13-15 year old self: where the heck did Devilman come from!?

A: From the space between spaces.

Q: . Speaking of Spirit Bombs, question, do you think the Spirit Bomb didn't work in canon against Vegeta because it wasn't strong enough or because he wasn't pure evil? Curious to hear your response because a friend and I were arguing about it recently.

A: Nah. Sure, extraneous circumstances influenced his becoming evil, and it was still possible for him to change, but he was, at that point, evil. It didn't kill him because it was only at about half power, seeing as Oozaru Vegeta practically blasted the thing out of Goku's hand.

Q: Welcome... to die! lol The old X-Men arcade game. Oh god that takes me back. If that was where you were going with it anyways.

A: Just putting this here as I'm trying to keep track of everyone who actually got that joke…