Piccolo:

Piccolo turned around and stood in front of the children. If there was no other way out now, they would simply fight together to the end. He would not give up without a fight.

Buu hovered over them. He had one arm stretched out in their direction and grinned condescendingly at them. His aura radiated pure power and malevolence. Piccolo sent a final greeting to Kera.

'Watch out, someone's coming!'

Before Piccolo could think about her warning, Buu was jerked aside and disappeared from her sight. 'Who was that?

"Is that ... Goku?" he asked, irritated.

"No. That's Gohan!" cried Goten joyfully.

"What, it can't be!" With narrowed eyes, Piccolo tried to follow the movements of Buu and the stranger. His opponent had black hair and wore an orange-red battle suit. The same one Goku was wearing.

"Watch the aura," Menka said quietly.

Piccolo concentrated. Right. That was Gohan. Yet his aura felt different, more powerful, but also colder, more pitiless. This was no longer the young man who had disguised himself as Saiyaman at the tournament so his classmates wouldn't recognise him. This was a grown man fighting to save the earth.

"Finish him, Gohan!" shouted Goten. Trunks and Reyak joined in the cheers.

Piccolo looked to Menka. "What happened to him?"

Menka shrugged. "I'm not sure. His aura has changed. I recognise him, but there's more. It belongs to him. Like it's always been there and now it's been awakened."

The three boys burst into raptures. A moment later, Gohan landed in front of them.

"Did you finish Buu?" exclaimed Piccolo. He looked him up and down. His first impression was now confirmed. Gohan had changed. As if nothing of the original boy was left in him.

"No, Buu is still alive," Gohan said slowly. "He's back there somewhere now. I think he's gathering his energy and we have some air."

"Where have you been, Gohan?" asked Goten of his older brother.

"In the world of the Supreme Kai," he replied.

"What?" asked Piccolo, puzzled.

"I was quite taken. The Supreme Kai found me. Kibito was alive again and was able to take us both to the world of the Supreme Kai. There he healed me. The Supreme Kai decided that I should train there and showed me the Z-sword that was stuck in a rock. It was said to give its wielder immense power. I pulled it out and began to train with it. Eventually the Supreme Kai wanted to test my newly acquired skills and in the process the sword broke."

"You broke the sacred sword?" interrupted Piccolo Gohan's narration.

Gohan smiled. "Yes. Unintentionally. In exchange, I freed the elder Kai who was locked in the sword."

"There are two Supreme Kais now?" Piccolo couldn't get out of his amazement.

Gohan nodded. "Yes. And he awakened hidden powers within me. It took a while, but here I am. Father, by the way, was also in the world of the Supreme Kai."

"Goku was with you? We thought he had returned to the afterlife."

"He was. He sensed my energy there and teleported to me. While the elder Kai awakened my powers, Father watched the events on Earth with the help of a crystal ball. He is very proud of you."

Gohan looked at the four children who had been silently listening to the conversation all this time. Happily, they smiled.

"Piccolo, do you have the dragon radar?"

"Yes. But it won't do us much good. Dende is dead."

Gohan shook his head. "I sense ..."

"What?"

"What are you talking about, Papa? Dende is with Mama."

Searchingly, Piccolo and the children looked around. Gohan pointed in the direction of the setting sun.

"You're right. How did I miss that?" Piccolo wondered why he hadn't noticed Dende's aura before. Then he smiled. "Kera is with him."

"Mama," Menka whispered, rising into the air. The others followed her.

Piccolo's head was buzzing. Question after question crept forward. He wanted to know more about the world of the Supreme Kai, about Gohan's new powers, about the short battle he had fought with Buu, which he himself had barely seen. But he asked none of these questions, for another thought dominated each time. Kera was alive and he would be able to wrap his arms around her again in a moment.

"Hey, look. Isn't that Hercule?"

Trunks pointed downwards. Sure enough, a somewhat fellow-looking Hercule was walking along there. Beside him trotted a small dog.

"Take him," Piccolo said.

Reyak reached into Hercule's jacket and pulled him up, while Goten grabbed the little dog around the belly. Hercule protested loudly, but then he looked up and recognised Reyak. Immediately he bombarded him with questions, but Reyak and the others remained silent. Mister Satan gave it up and hung like a wet sack in Reyak's hands.

After a few miles they saw Dende and Kera. Piccolo sped up his flight and took Kera in his arms. It was only a few yards further that he slowed his flight, stayed suspended in the air and kissed her stormily.

"You escaped," Piccolo rejoiced.

"When I saw you through the crack in the dimension, I wanted to fight. I knew immediately that Buu would come out at any time, but then Popo stood next to me and asked me to look after Dende. I wanted to join you, but Popo was very ... convincing. So I grabbed Dende and escaped to earth with him. We suppressed our auras and waited. Did you defeat Buu? I can't feel his aura anymore."

Piccolo landed next to Dende. "Unfortunately, no."

Menka, who had been hugging Dende a moment ago, broke away from him and jumped into Kera's arms.

"Are you all right, little one?", Kera assured her daughter.

Menka nodded. "I'm sorry. We couldn't defeat Buu. Not even as a Super Saiyan 3."

"You can turn into a ...?" Questioningly, Kera looked to Piccolo.

"The four of them have trained properly in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, and both fusions can transform into the Super Saiyajin 3."

Acknowledging, Kera whistled through her teeth.

"But then who just fought Buu?" She looked up and spotted Gohan. "You've changed, little one."

Gohan smiled and hugged his aunt. "I've been to the world of the Supreme Kai."

Before Kera could inquire further, Hercule interrupted her. "Can someone please enlighten me as to what is going on here?" He looked from one to the other.

Piccolo, Kera and the children took turns bringing him up to date.

"Are you saying that my little Videl is dead?" Tears came to the man's eyes.

"Don't worry, we can revive her with the help of the Dragon Balls," Dende reassured him.

Kera:

Kera sat down on one of the rocks. Also something that seemed to repeat itself all the time. These rocky landscapes. A time when they were fine and even felt safe. Then suddenly someone who wanted to wipe out the earth, or at least the inhabitants of the planet, pushing them to the limits of their strengths.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked Piccolo, sitting down next to her.

"About these constant repetitions. We're already sitting in a rocky landscape again, waiting for an opponent who is probably much stronger than us. Most of our friends are dead. Our family ..." She broke off and swallowed the tears.

Piccolo pulled her close to him. He seemed to know very well what she meant.

"Maybe Saiyans just attract trouble." She smiled in anguish. "Then surely it doesn't matter where we are."

Suddenly Kera raised her head. "Do you feel that too?"

"Yes. It's Buu," Piccolo said sombrely.

"He's left us alone for what now? An hour? Why is he coming now? What's different?"

Piccolo shrugged and rose. He held out his hand to Kera, who now stood up as well.

Gohan reared up in front of them. "Stand down. This is my fight now," he said firmly.

"But we can help you," the four children shouted as if from one mouth.

Without waiting for Gohan's reaction, the children merged and transformed into a Super Saiyan 3 immediately after the fusion.

"I still don't like the look of the Super Saiyan," Kera muttered.

The corners of Piccolo's mouth lifted briefly before he became serious again and looked up. Buu was hovering above them. His black eyes seemed to want to pierce them. One could not read in them. Only coldness and pitilessness seemed to be reflected in them.

"I want to fight the children," Buu shouted, pointing at Menson and Renks.

Gohan stood in front of the two. "I am your opponent!"

Renks took a step forward, standing next to Gohan. "Get out of the way!"

Kera could literally see the Saiyan blood boiling inside the two fusioned fighters. She herself would have liked to jump forward to fight the demon now, too.

Suddenly, Buu doubled over. He held both hands over his stomach, moaning, seeming to be in pain. Kera looked at Piccolo, who shrugged his shoulders. He couldn't explain Buu's sudden change of heart either.

The demon floated down a little while being seized by cramps again and again. She wondered if he had gorged himself on all the humans turned into chocolate.

Kera could not take the thought any further. Buu screamed and reared up. His head tipped back. His stomach began to move, as if something under his skin was trying to come to the surface. They were small, barely perceptible movements at first, but they grew and grew. Kera narrowed her eyes. Had that been a hand? She shook her head. She must have imagined it.

Buu's head moved forward again. His gaze went down to his stomach. Irritated, he stared at it, as if he himself was more than surprised at what was going on in his body.

A jolt went through the demon. Something rose from the pink mass on his belly. As if something was pressing against it from within so hard that it took on a shape.

"Gine!" gasped Menson.

Kera narrowed her eyes. Menson was right. That was Gine's face. How was that possible? Piccolo had told her that he had sensed no more auras in the palace and they had caught Buu eating chocolates. They had assumed that all their friends and family had been eaten by Buu.

Piccolo now also uttered a surprised sound. Kera could guess what was going on inside him. If Gine was so strong that she could stand up to Buu, maybe she was the predicted chaos after all. She swallowed hard. They would have to worry about that later.

Again Buu cried out, put his hands on his stomach and pushed Gine's head inside. Breathing heavily, he straightened to his full height again and glared at them with hate-filled eyes.

Menson charged forward angrily, but suddenly stopped in mid-motion. Something seemed to be holding her from behind. Renks ran to her to free her, but whatever was holding her grew larger, seemed to eat her. A viscous rubbery mass.

Gohan tried to help them both. Kera took a step forward at the same time as Piccolo to stop him, as something loomed over them from behind.

Vegeta:

"Good thing I was still holding your soul back," King Yemma's voice boomed through the room.

"I guess this situation can't be resolved any other way," said Fortuneteller Baba, the old witch hovering on her large crystal ball next to Vegeta.

He stood with her in a huge room next to the desk of King Yemma, the Lord of the Underworld, and watched the stream of souls that didn't seem to stop. From the looks of it, there were no more inhabitants on earth. What about his family and friends? He missed Bulma. And he was angry. His sacrifice had been for nothing.

"I agree with you, Fortuneteller Baba," King Yemma said. "This is an exception. However, if Earth were to be completely destroyed, the consequences would be far worse. So let's go."

"Come along." Fortuneteller Baba flew forward a little on her orb, not waiting for him to follow.

Vegeta hurried after her. They moved a little way from the building where King Yemma had his reception room. Then his vision blurred for a moment. When he could see sharply again, his surroundings had changed.

"Are we on earth?" he asked the witch without looking at her.

"Yes. The demon is in that direction." She pointed in front of her with her arm outstretched. "I can't get you any closer. Too dangerous."

Vegeta snorted dismissively, but refrained from comment. "Thanks for bringing me," was all he said, and flew in the indicated direction.

He felt the demon's aura. It felt different from before. More malevolent. What had happened in the meantime? What had he missed?

Wasn't there another familiar aura? Before Vegeta could properly realise whose aura was also on Earth, Kakarrot appeared in front of him.

"Vegeta!" the latter shouted in surprise.

"Kakarrot! What are you doing here? Why aren't you dead anymore?" Kakarrot's halo was gone.

"I was in the world of the Supreme Kai and the Elder Kai gave me his life so that I could fight Buu. What are you doing here?"

"King Yemma held my soul back and wants me to take care of Buu."

"Very well. Then take this." Kakarrot held out a small ball with a pendant to him.

"What is this?"

"A potara earring. If we each wear one, then we can merge."

"You don't seriously think I'm going to merge with you," Vegeta said dismissively.

"Vegeta, please. We don't stand a chance against the demon otherwise!"

"What else happened?"

"The evil half of the demon has split off. He's stronger than before. Now he's also managed to absorb Piccolo, Kera and the children. He's using their powers! Gohan fought him first, then he was absorbed too."

Vegeta had to swallow. This was worse than he had feared. "What about ...?"

"Bulma and Chi-Chi and all our friends were turned into chocolate by Buu and eaten. I saw it from the Supreme Kai's world." Kakarrot's voice was quiet. He was grieving.

Vegeta, too, felt grief welling up inside him. Bulma and Trunks and Kera. The most important people in his life were dead. Again he swallowed.

"You were not honest with us when the three of us fought. You held back your true strength."

Kakarrot slapped his palm against his forehead and groaned. "Man, that's exactly what Kera said. I can't keep this form on Earth for long. It eats up way too much energy!" he shouted to Vegeta.

Vegeta crossed his arms in front of his chest, "And you expect me to believe that?"

"Yes, damn it! Man, Vegeta, come on. Buu will be with us in a minute. Kera would surely give us a piece of her mind right now if she saw us arguing here."

Vegeta sighed. "Give me that thing," he urged Kakarrot, holding out his arm.

"Good, put it to your right ear."

At the same time, Kakarrot put an identical-looking earring on his left ear.

While he was still putting the earring on, he felt Buu's aura approaching.

"By the way, fusion is permanent," Kakarrot said.

"You were bound to give away a catch at the last moment," Vegeta grumbled. "Is that right?" asked Vegeta, trying to see the earring. It felt strange to have something on his ear.

"Thank you Vegeta, it's wonderful."

Vegeta saw Kakarrot approach with a smile. His body moved towards the other as if by itself. He cried out. They were going to crash together any moment!

But before the impact came, his body seemed to dissolve.