Man, another 2500 word chapter. I was hoping this one would break 3000, but this was the cleanest breaking point and I didn't have time to finish the mini arc before Saturday so *shrug*

Guest: Yeah, that's pretty much my reasoning lol. Chichi's super set in her world view and does not expect things to diviate from it, and Goku's just kinda, chill. He doesn't really care about such expectations and is just chill with people doing what they want cause, why would he care lol

WrathofAjax: I dont mind Goku joking with friends, though that one was probably in poor taste, he was taught by Roshi so like-
But yeah, Super's immense downgrading of Goku's intelligence is rather annoying. Especially since its just, not necessary. Like, from what I can tell you can still get the same plot points writing Goku normally. Like, yeah Goku would probably throw a fight against Hit when he realized it couldn't be a fair fight. And yeah, he'd probably want to fight Zamasu, even if he probably wouldn't be so borderline whiney about it. And Goku asking Zeno about that tournament he mentioned once? Why wouldn't he? It's not like he could have known the stakes of it.

OnTheTidesOfEvermore: Tis the obvious wish

MiharuTousaka: lol yeah that one scene took days to write. with how much I've been planning this section you'd think I'd be getting through it faster than I am like I have my other highly planned chapters

JCINNABAR: Thanks ^.^ I am quite excited for future Seventeen and SIGohan interactions hehe

thewittywhy: Thanks ^.^ and yeah I just don't see why Goku would care lol

ArguableReader: I will confirm that Buu is lost to the fic
And Raditz has reached Super Sayain, and Nappa…has? It would have been off screen during the training in the time chamber period, so it's understandable to have missed

"Well you sure took your sweet time," Seventeen commented once I returned.

I just rolled my eyes with a half-hearted glare.

"How'd it go?" He asked.

I tossed the four star in the air and let that be answer enough.

"Cool," he pulled out the radar, not wasting a moment, "the next closest is-" he paused pushing a few buttons. He paused and frowned before pushing them again. Apparently now getting it to work he tilted his head, "this way."

With that said, he took off, leaving me to follow.

Which, probably would have had to be the default even if he wasn't the one with the radar. After all, if he were to pause or change direction for any reason I wouldn't be able to sense it. It was one of the few things about him and Eighteen that still felt uncanny.

And pause he did. For some reason, he paused and looked down mid-flight, before a smirk grew on his face, and he descended to the road below.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I landed. Instead of responding, he opened a capsule case.

He tossed out a capsule and from it-

A car.

Just, a normal, regular car. Well, a truck to be more precise. Though I wouldn't know the first thing as to say anything more specific.

"What."

It was more of a statement than a question really.

"I want to drive," he said simply, already opening the door.

"We can fly."

"I have the radar. I choose the method of transport." He tilted his head to the passenger door.

"Why would you go out of your way to choose the slowest available option?" I asked even as I opened the door indicated.

"Because driving is cooler."

"I cannot fathom thinking driving is cooler than flying." Still, I buckled the seatbelt. An automatic action I hadn't even registered until after it was done.

Huh.

I shook the thought as Seventeen started driving. Or tried, as my mind kept drifting to it.

"You know," I eventually commented, "I don't think I've actually ridden in just, a normal car, in a long time."

"How long?" He asked, eyes glancing over before refocusing.

"…"

"Ah. Well, all the better then."

I, wasn't completely sure how I felt about that. Though it was, something, to just stare out the window, watching the scenery pass.

Time passed until Seventeen broke the silence.

"So, I don't get this other world, or universe of yours. You have cars, but not flying cars?"

"I mean yeah? Flying cars are definitely more complicated. It's not like we had super advanced robots or were able to shove things into tiny capsules either."

"It's not that much of a step up. What happened when you needed to go longer distances?"

"You either drove or took a plane," I shrugged.

"So, you had planes, but not flying cars? That's so much less efficient."

"I mean, traveling in planes was in large groups, like busses kinda. Private planes or even more comfortable seating in regular planes were like, luxuries that most people couldn't afford, y'know?"

"No. That sounds much more complicated. Wouldn't it get crowded with everyone traveling on the roads?"

"I mean, yeah. Traffic was a thing. Especially in bigger cities. But like, I think I'd be worse if there were crashes in the air. Not that that seems to happen here a lot but I dunno how they work really, I've never ridden in like, a normal flying car. Just Bulma's bigger ones. Being able to fly makes them pretty obsolete."

"What were car crashes common too?"

"I mean, yeah? You got a bunch of people driving around metal boxes and you have to trust that they all know what they're doing. And a lot of people are stupid. They happen sometimes here but not nearly as often. Though for some reason, mundane threats don't seem to be much of a thing here. It usually skips right to hostages and catastrophes. I haven't paid much attention to politics here but that seems pretty simple too."

"I almost don't want to ask."

"Don't. I wouldn't even know where to begin."

That got half a chuckle out of him. It was nice. Almost made me forget how he baited me into this conversation.

"What was the other thing you said didn't exist? Dinosaurs? Like, as a whole?"

"Well, they were a thing. Just tens of millions of years extinct."

That actually got a surprised laugh, purely out of shock, "what?" He asked, absolutely confounded.

"Yeah," I shrugged, "dinosaurs were ancient past. Flying cars were far future. Somehow here ended up with both."

Probably because Togashi thought they were cool. I didn't say that out loud though.

Or wait, no it was Toriyama. Togashi was the one who wrote Yu Yu Hakusho. I think. Was I mixing them up? I hate that I can't double-check.

It's not like I think about it often anyway. It's weird to think about this world being written by someone. Was it some kind of weird cosmic seeing thing? Or an infinite monkey with a keyboard kind of deal and it's just a grand coincidence?

It's weird. I don't think about it much.

"Still, tens of millions? That sounds pretty out there," Seventeen commented, unaware of my musings.

"I mean, that's just how it was. Course there are some things that just didn't exist. Dragons, for example. Those were purely mythical. There are a bunch of animals that just weren't a thing, though most are the same. Ki seems pretty obvious that it wasn't really around."

"How do you know?"

"Huh"

"How do you know that Ki users weren't around? They're not exactly well known here, and even if they do get seen, it's usually dismissed as a trick. Wouldn't that be the same for your old earth?"

"…I don't have a rebuttal but that doesn't mean I agree," I said. Because the idea of there being the possibility of flight back then just seems so fake.

The conversation lulled before Seventeen spoke up again.

"You know, there's still one thing I don't really get."

"What's that?"

"Why?"

I turned my head in question.

"Why were you so, calm, back when Gero first woke us up? I mean, it's easy enough to dismiss a kid being weird, but if you were actually an adult that just doesn't make sense. If I have the story right, the time-traveling kid told you guys that Eighteen and I were going to kill someone, then the first thing you see me do is kill Gero, and you still acted as though we were barely a threat, even after we beat all your friends."

"Well, first of all, killing Gero was a positive action."

Seventeen gave a breath of a laugh as I twiddled with the sleeve of my jacket.

I mean, I obviously wasn't actually going to say why. It wasn't exactly information you give out on a whim. But it also felt weird to lie to someone who already knew so much.

"Because reasons," I decided on giving a completely obvious nonanswer.

"Because, reasons." He repeated dryly.

I nodded. "It's complicated."

He stared for a moment without responding. "But there is a reason?"

I, hesitated, but nodded.

Seventeen slowly nodded.

"Alright, I can live with that."

Conversation petered out again, and soon enough we were closing in on the Dragon Ball's location. And sure, it might have taken a couple of hours for what could have been a ten-minute flight but- it wasn't that bad.

Still definitely a waste of time but, not that bad.

The Dragon Ball itself was a simple find, considering we had the radar. It lead us to a crevice it was wedged between.

Unfortunately, it was too narrow to reach into.

Fortunately, breaking off a piece of the rock wasn't exactly a difficult task.

And, that was three down.

"The next closest is, somewhere in the middle of the ocean. I'd guess around, or maybe on the island where my sister and her monk hang around."

I blinked, "it's at Kame House?"

"Yeah probably. At least in the area."

I wasn't great at judging distances, even less so by driving, but- "Wouldn't that have been closer before?"

We'd have had to double back either way, but still.

Seventeen shrugged, "hadn't noticed. Anyway, we probably can't drive there, unfortunately. We can drive up to the ocean though so-"

I was already flying away.

"Hey!"

"What? Sorry. Can't hear you. Too far away. It's this way right?" I called, my voice louder than it needed to be.

Seventeen looked quite disgruntled as he followed along.

It didn't register until we were already on our way that I might have to tell Krillin what was up too.

And it was apparently too much to ask that the Dragon Ball simply be in the area as once we got closer Seventeen confirmed it was in Kame House.

Cool. Great. Awesome.

Seventeen landed on a nearby island which left me to get it alone- which was probably the better option anyway. It'd be weird enough to explain without having to explain why he was here too.

Or how he found out in the first place.

I hesitated at the door before knocking. A moment later, Krillin was opening the door.

"Gohan! Hey, what's up? You don't have to knock," he said as though I would ever just not knock.

He stepped aside and let me enter. Eighteen was reading at the dining room table and Roshi glanced up from the couch.

"What brings you out here?" Krillin asked.

"Oh, I was looking for the Dragon Balls, and the radar said one was around here," I said. Deciding that being casual would probably be the best option.

"Hm? Oh, sure. One second." without pause, Krillin went up the stairs. A moment later he was back and tossing it to me.

"I found it a few months back while swimming," he explained. "What do you want them for?"

"I-"

I was once again faced with having to explain.

"Gohan?"

"It's- it's kinda complicated?" I stood by one of the table's chairs, just holding onto its backing.

"Oh, well you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"I- I do. I mean, the wish is kinda obvious, so, it's not like I can hide it or-" I trailed off again.

Eighteen had long since put down her magazine to pay attention. She then stood up and walked across to the living room.

"Roshi. Out." She demanded more than asked, headless of the older man's protests.

"Kid wants to talk with Krillin, so you won't be listening in. Out." She ushered him up the stairs as she spoke.

She turned back from the stairs. "You want me gone too?" She asked.

I blinked, registering what had happened.

"Ah- no. No, it's fine." No, it'd definitely be weird if Seventeen knew and she didn't. Even if the circumstances were different. Besides, it's not like there was a point in hiding it at this point. They'd find out soon enough anyway.

I mean, technically the same should apply to Roshi too but- well I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little more comfortable without him here.

Eighteen nodded, sitting back at the table and ushering a now much more confused Krillin to do the same. She then pointed for me to also sit.

I, did.

"Alright, what's up?"

The absolute nonchalance in her tone did not, in fact, help in my attempts to explain.

"Hey, you can tell me anything," Krillin reassured as I continued to struggle.

"I know that…" I paused, "I do know that."

I bit my lip, the time travel aspect worked for Goku apparently, so, why not here?

"I know that, not just like, because I know you and stuff, but also because, back when the whole, time travel stuff was happening, I got a letter from my future self saying that when you found out then it was fine. Which is also probably why I should have said something sooner but- I don't- I don't know."

"Oh, well…that's ok. You're telling me now, right?"

"Y-yeah I- ok. So. The letter wasn't left by Trunks or anything, it was given to me, the future me. Because the future me also came back."

It was, odd, seeing Krillin's facial expressions shift as he tried to figure out the implications. Eventually, he landed on an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I don't follow."

I groaned, exasperated, frustrated. More at my own inability to explain anything than anything else.

Eventually, I pointed down at my head and just said "girl." Fully knowing that that wouldn't actually help and probably only make things more confused and-

"Oh, I see."

I glanced up at Eighteen who had spoken. Krillin still looked confused but it was directed at her now instead.

"Krillin, you said that there were three time travelers, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah. But now Gohan's saying there were four."

"No, I don't think so. Who were the three again?"

"Oh well, it was Trunks, Clover, and-" once again, it was interesting to see Krillin's face shift as he tried to figure something out.

Eventually, he settled on looking confused towards me.

It was Eighteen who spoke first again, "So if there were only three time travelers, and only one of them is unaccounted for for their origin, wouldn't that imply that that's Gohan's future counterpart?"

"But- she was, a woman…"

"Which brings us back to the wish then, doesn't it?" Her eyes trailed back to me.

"M-maybe…"

She didn't allow enough time for it to be questioned again before she was talking again, "I can't say it's common, but it's not like it's unheard of for people to just, not like the sex they were born as. Usually people just fix it with medicine or magic and be done with it. Though it makes sense that you wouldn't have heard of it since you've never really lived in a city. I just don't get why you waited this long if it's been bugging you."

I just kinda, shrugged. I mean, it was the first time I've heard of it being so, nonchalant in this world too. I guess it kinda made sense, but outside of some vague research early on I never really looked into it.

"Well, anyway. That solves that. Right Kril?"

"Well..I guess so," Krillin rubbed the back of his head, "I don't really get it, but it's your wish so-" he shrugged.

That, was easier. Kinda. I guess it helps that I don't literally live with them, but still.

But before I could leave, Krillin said something else.

"Is, that all?"

"Huh?" I turned back.

"I mean, you can talk to me about anything. So, if there's anything you want to talk about…you can, you know?"

"I- I know… I just, I-"

"Hey, and, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to," he quickly backtracked, "yeah…you don't have to."

There was something oddly, resigned, in his voice. Something that made me feel guilty and I didn't even know why.

It's not like I wanted to say anything more. Or even like I would have. But it still left me feeling weird as I left.

Still, we were over halfway done collecting them now. So, I guess it went well all things considered.