Kera:

Kera yawned and stretched. She turned to the side to doze a little more in Piccolo's arms, but found that he had already got up. She sighed, struggled out of bed, got dressed and left the bedroom to look for her family.

She found Reyak, Menka, Gine and Piccolo outside the door at their favourite spot above the waterfall. Piccolo showed the children how to create several energy balls, place them in certain places in the air and finally let them explode. Kera grinned. He had used this technique against 17 back then and she still found it impressive.

Reyak practiced doggedly while Menka juggled some energy balls and Gine happily pattered on one of them.

Kera flew up to them. "Good morning!" she called, landing next to Piccolo. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Good morning," Piccolo greeted her, leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek. "I wanted to let you catch up on sleep."

Gratefully, she smiled at her mate. She had indeed been tired. Two days ago she had come back from her journey from space and had just been glad for her bed. It was only the next day that she had been able to tell Piccolo what she had experienced with Kakarrot and Vegeta and had drifted back into a deep sleep after only a few hours of being awake.

During her journey she had slept very little. She and her brothers had used the time to train. For weeks, they had only interrupted training to eat and sleep, barely even talking, until Kera got fed up with the atmosphere and enforced that they also spend some of their waking time talking, cooking and maybe reading a book once in a while.

Vegeta and Kakarrot had only grumbled at the suggestion, but it had led to an improvement in their mood. She could proudly report that the two men were now able to cook rice and noodles and patch small holes in their clothes.

They had landed on several planets, searching for traces of Saiyans. Thanks to their time in space a few years ago, they at least had a clue to follow up on this time and they did indeed find a tribe that shared that a Saiyan was with them regularly. However, they had not known when he would return and they had given the inhabitants a message for him.

After that, they had had to return to Earth as their supplies had run low. Kera very much hoped that this Saiyan, whoever it was, would get back to them.

"Very good, Reyak. Now resume power."

Irritated, Reyak looked at his father. "Why?"

"If you have released energy, you must be able to take it back when in need."

Hesitantly, Reyak nodded and tried to pick up the orbs floating around him again, but he pulled them towards him too quickly and one of the orbs exploded just in front of his hand, setting off a chain reaction. Kera still managed to throw herself in front of Gine. She squinted her eyes, expecting the explosions, but they failed to materialise.

Slowly she opened her eyes and saw Menka, who had raised her hands and was staring intently at a spot in front of Reyak.

"Well done!" Piccolo praised her. Smiling, Menka lowered her hands, releasing the protective shield she had created around her family.

"That was a powerful shield." Kera was pleased that Menka had made such great progress in the last few months.

"Menka and Reyak are a perfect match." Pride spoke from Piccolo's eyes. Then he looked up at the sun. "We have to go."

Questioningly, Kera looked up at him. "Where to?"

"To Hercule's hotel opening. We're all invited."

"Oh, yes." He had told her about it when she had come back from space. He reached out to help her up. With Gine in her arms, she straightened up. "Do we still have to change?"

Collective shakes of the head.

"Let's go then."

Together they flew into town. Hercule had had a huge hotel built there. Tomorrow the official opening was to take place, with press and invited guests. Today he had invited his family and friends and since he counted the Saiyans as his friends since the fight with Buu, they were there too.

The hotel was huge. It had twenty floors, every room had a balcony and the area behind the building resembled a park. Kera didn't understand why people liked to live in such huge buildings. On Vegeta, only the palace had been somewhat larger and more splendidly furnished. Otherwise, each family had only had a small hut. She probably wouldn't feel comfortable in the city and was glad that she could live in the forest with Piccolo and the children.

She happily greeted her friends, all of whom Hercule had indeed invited. Even Dende was there, which made Menka especially happy.

"Kaya, are you expecting a fight or why are you wearing your suit?"

Vegeta stood behind her, looking at her with his arms crossed.

"I could ask you the same thing." She glanced to the side. "And Kakarott as well."

Kakarrot rubbed his head in embarrassment. "I don't really have that many other things," he said then, shrugging. "Besides, I'm most comfortable in this."

Kera had to grin. She felt the same way.

The day flew by. They ate, drank and talked. Everyone felt at ease and Hercule was happy to be able to entertain his guests. As the sky slowly turned pink, Menka, who was sitting at a table with Dende, suddenly jumped up.

"Papa!" she shouted and pointed to the east.

Immediately Piccolo was beside her and wanted to know what was going on. Kera directed her senses in the direction Menka had indicated and sensed what her daughter had noticed.

"Someone's coming!"

"Two auras." Kakarrot was on the alert.

"Not humans," Vegeta added, looking to Menka who nodded in confirmation.

"The one aura is a Saiyan, I'm sure of it."

"Good or evil?", Piccolo wanted to know.

"Neutral," was Menka's reply.

"What about the other aura?" Vegeta was also on alert.

Menka shrugged her shoulders. "Can't identify it. But also neutral."

The tension of those present eased a little again, but they still all remained standing, awaiting the arrival of the two strangers. For it was clear to them all that they were both on their way.

It was only seconds before they saw the silhouettes of two figures, sharply silhouetted against the setting sun, coming towards them and landing some distance away.

"We'll go out to meet them," Vegeta decided and marched off.

Kera and Kakarrot wanted to follow him, but Menka once again held her mother by the arm.

"The one aura, the Saiyan's aura, is very similar to you and Uncle Vegeta's aura."

Questioningly, Kera looked at her daughter. "What do you mean?"

Menka shrugged. "It's like I can see them. Like a pattern, which is repeated in some places."

Kera focused on the two unfamiliar auras. If she paid close attention, she could see that one aura bore a certain resemblance to Kakarrot's and Vegeta's, but also to Menka, Reyak and Gine. That probably suggested that it was a Saiyan, but that was all Kera could make out.

She followed her brothers. The two new arrivals waited patiently and finally she could make out who was in front of them.

"Tarble!" She ran up to the young man and hugged him.

"Cousin Kera?" Dumbfounded, he looked up at her and he smiled broadly. "Then it is true after all. I didn't want to believe the villagers' descriptions when they said a Saiyan with a long black braid had been on the planet." He looked past her. "Vegeta?"

"You're alive after all, little brother."

"And who is that?" Tarble took a step to the side to get a better look at Kakarrot.

"That's Kakarrot. Also a Saiyan," Kera introduced him.

Tarble bowed slightly. "Pleased to meet you." Kakarott returned the gesture. Then Tarble turned slightly to the side and pointed behind him. "This is my mate, Gure."

Gure stepped out from behind Tarble and bowed as well. Gure was even smaller than Tarble, had a roundish head with a whitish face colour and wore a pink dress and white gloves.

"Come along. We are eating and you are welcome to join us," Vegeta said, inviting them to follow with a gesture.

"I'm afraid we don't have time for that." Tarble looked gravely around.

"What happened?" Kera was immediately alarmed.

"We just missed each other on the planet where you left a message for me. Gure and I immediately flew off again. We were looking for someone to help us."

"Help? With what?"

Tarble kneaded his fingers a little, not quite seeming to know how to begin.

"Speak up!" Vegeta showed his impatience very clearly, as usual.

"Well, I've got this little problem with two guys ..."

"The backstory isn't that important," Gure interrupted her mate. "These two are threatening us and want to get at us. However, neither of us is strong enough to defeat them and we wanted to ask for your help."

Gratefully, Tarble nodded to Gure. "I had already given up hope. We have been running from them for some time. Your message came at just the right moment."

"That means they could show up here at any time?" wondered Kera.

Tarble and Gure nodded. "I was hoping you could help," Tarble said quietly, seeming to grow even smaller.

"You haven't gotten any stronger in all these years, have you?" Vegeta had his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Tarble shrugged his shoulders. Kera remembered that Tarble had been classified as a low-class Saiyan at birth, which had displeased the king greatly. They had only lived together in the palace for a few years before Tarble was finally taken to live on a Saiyan ruled planet.

Kera looked first to Vegeta, then to Kakarrot, who both nodded in agreement. "We can help you."

"Dad, I want to fight too!"

Surprised, they turned around. Unnoticed, their families and friends had come closer when they realised there was no danger from Tarble and Gure and seemed to have already overheard part of their conversation.

"If it's about fighting, I want to be there too!" The Turtle Hermit had stepped forward.

"What's this all about anyway?" Bulma had pushed her way forward and was looking questioningly at one by one.

"This is Tarble, my brother, and his mate Gure," Vegeta introduced them. Everyone's jaw dropped except Piccolo, who had already been informed of Kera's soul connection.

"Tarble has a problem with two guys who want to attack him," Kera added.

"Can we do this?" Trunks had put his hands together pleadingly.

"No, I want a turn too." Reyak pushed his way forward.

"What about me?" Yamcha wanted in on the action too.

Tarble seemed overwhelmed with the mass of people so suddenly wanting to fight for him. "I ... I ... But they're still children. Their fighting strength can't be that high yet."

He tapped his scouter, which he wore over his left eye. After a second it beeped and Tarble shook his head. "Your combat powers are all not very high. I'm afraid you can't help me at all." Sadly, he slumped his shoulders.

Vegeta looked to Kera with a grin. "Combat power can be increased at will."

Astonished, Tarble's eyes widened. Gure, too, looked sceptical.

"I'll show you." Kakarrot took three steps to the side, bent his knees slightly and roared his power outwards. Only a few heartbeats later, he had transformed into a Super Saiyan.

Tarble's scouter beeped frantically a few times before finally exploding. Startled, Tarble took a step back.

"See what I mean?"

Slowly, Tarble nodded.

"Who is going to fight now?" asked Kera the question to the group.

"We could draw lots," suggested Kakarrot.