Several More Months Later…

Yamcha grimaced as he held his hands out high into the air. His eyes were shut and he was doing his best to push his focus far beyond King Kai's planet. It was hard, because there was so little beyond the reaches of the tiny little sphere, but he knew that despite appearances King Kai's planet wasn't the only thing out there. According to his teacher there were all sorts of other planets out there, filled with all sorts of people. 'Core People' as King Kai had called them. Along with other Kais and other beings that King Kai didn't want to talk about and said that Yamcha didn't need to know about. But the point was there were people out there.

And he would tap into that.

'Focus,' Yamcha thought to himself, doing all he could to clear from his mind all thoughts other than the drive to connect with the energy of the worlds beyond King Kai's planet and Snake Way. 'They are out there. You just need to reach out, find their energy, and have them lend you that energy.' He extended his senses further out, like straining to hear someone talking who was far away except… not like that. 'Not like that at all,' he thought before banishing the thought. 'Focus, Yamcha. Focus. You know they are out there… you can feel Snake Way lending you its energy… but that's not enough. You need to-'

"I like to move it, movie it. I like to move it, move. I like to move it, move it. I like to… MOVE IT!"

Yamcha's eyes snapped open, the faint white glow of the energy he'd gained from Snake Way still radiating from his hands as he stared at King Kai who had put on a pink sweatband upon his forehead, Bubbles and Gregory also sporting neon headbands as they stretched, a boombox blaring next to them. While King Kai had on his normal robes Bubbles and Gregory were wearing tank tops and shorts as they continued to move their arms about and march in place.

"If ya want to join us you need to be dressed properly," King Kai commented.

"What are you doing?!" Yamcha exclaimed, staring at the three in confusion and shock.

"Working out," King Kai said. "I have to keep my glorious figure somehow!" He turned and began to wiggle his butt back and forth.

Yamcha stormed over to the boombox and shut it off.

That caused King Kai to stumble, falling onto his belly with his legs kicking rapidly for several moments before Bubbles and Gregory helped him back up. "What happened to the tunes?" He asked in confusion.

"I was trying to focus on performing the Spirit Bomb, King Kai!" Yamcha complained.

"…and?"

"And?!" Yamcha exclaimed. "And?! I'm trying to practice the Spirit Bomb and you were distracting me!"

"Ah, right." The blue little… man?... gave a shrug. "Okay then."

He then reached over and turned on the boombox again.

Yamcha just watched as King Kai began to stretch and dance and wiggle again before with a grunt of frustration the scar-faced bandit turned the boombox off once more. He debated just smashing it to bits but King Kai got really mad when things of his broke because it could take a LONG time to get them repaired. His teacher was still mad about him breaking one of his windows.

"If ya want a different song you could just fastforward to the next one," King Kai commented. Bubbles bobbed his head up and down. "He's not a fan of 'Pump Up The Jam' but I think its great when I'm doing my jumping jacks-"

"This isn't helping me!" Yamcha exclaimed in frustration. "I came here to get stronger, so I could help my friends defend the Earth from Raditz! And all I've done is chase Bubbles, hit Gregory with a hammer-"

"Which I'm still not happy about!" Gregory exclaimed, rubbing his head.

"-and then you give me some instructions but that isn't enough!"

"Oh, it isn't enough?" King Kai asked, raising a single brow. "Have you or have you not managed to increase your strength to the point that you can walk around my planet with ease?"

Yamcha frowned at that, lifting his leg up before putting it back down. That… was true…

"And tell me if I'm wrong but did you not learn how to perform my powerful strength-boosting technique, the Kaio-Ken?"

The dark haired man slowly nodded. He had learned how to do that and had been amazed at how it allowed him to grow so much more powerful so quickly. Yes, he'd been warned that on Earth he wouldn't be able to push himself to the levels he currently was, since right now it didn't matter how much stress he put himself under as, well, he was dead. But on Earth the Kaio-Ken could kill him if he pushed too hard.

'Even though I think I could move beyond Kaio-Ken and go to Kaio-Ken Level 2… or 3… or 4!'

"So," King Kai said, breaking Yamcha from his thoughts, "what exactly is it you need to practice? I mean… you are 50 times stronger than you were before!" He paused. "Not literally… I'm not keeping track of how strong you were when you got here. You could be 50, 100, or just 10. I have no idea." He shrugged. "Point is you are stronger… ya got what you wanted!"

"Except I still can't use the Spirit Bomb properly," Yamcha complained. "I can't extend my senses out far enough to borrow energy from others so-"

King Kai was suddenly in his face, waving his arms about wildly. "WHAT?! YOU'VE BEEN DOING WHAT?!"

"I… I've just been doing what you said, King Kai. Extending my senses to gather energy-"

"DON'T!" King Kai screamed. "You aren't doing it right now, are you? Oh god, please tell me you aren't doing it right now!"

"What's the matter-no, I'm not doing it right now, King Kai. I was able to sense there were people out there but I wasn't able to reach them…"

King Kai began to shake him hard. "Don't! Don't ever do that again! Not here you stupid, stupid man!" Yamcha felt his teeth rattle and managed a nod, King Kai instantly collapsing to the ground, his head pressed to the grass, arms covering his face. Yamcha was pretty sure he was crying. Looking past him he saw Bubbles and Gregory in the house… boarding it up.

"What's the matter?" he asked, confused. "What's the big deal?"

"Do you realize how far away the rest of the Core World People are from me?" he exclaimed. "500 times the length of Snake Way!"

Yamcha's eyes went wide at that. He knew that according to King Kai Snake Way was three times the distance of the Earth to the Moon. He had no idea just how far 500 times Snake Way was but he had a feeling it was MASSIVE.

"Then… why didn't I feel King Yemma?" Yamcha asked.

"Because he knows how to block and ignore the Spirit Bomb… and he knew you were training and didn't mind. But there are people out there who wouldn't be happy AT ALL that you were doing that!" He began to chew on his fingernails, clearly nervous. "You didn't knock on their door and ask for a cup of sugar… you were trying to smash your way into their bedroom, toss them off their wife, and begin banging her yourself! That's how they would have seen that! Would you like that?"

"No!" Yamcha said, aghast. "Why would you teach me a move like that!?"

"Because you'd use it on Earth and I didn't think you'd try drawing energy from an entire solar system! Learn how to use the Spirit Bomb!? You mastered it you idiot!"

"I did?" Yamcha said, a grin slowly forming on his lips. "That's great!"

"Yeah, great," King Kai said nervously, looking up at the sky. "Oh, please tell me you didn't wake up Lord Beerus…"

~MC~MC~MC~

Whis suddenly looked up before glancing over at Beerus' bed, the God of Destruction half flung across it with a snot bubble forming over one nostril and his jaw slack as he snored. Shaking his head he went back to tidying up their shared home, humming to himself as he did so.

~MC~MC~MC~

"Are you okay, sir?" Isco said. "You just did a full body shiver."

"Fine, fine," I muttered, swallowing before returning to putting toppings on my pizza; I'd convinced the gang that we should try something different for supper. "Just this feeling that we nearly suffered a world of pain."

"I would think you'd be used to that, sir," Isco said as I held out my hand, calling from the can of parmesan. "After all, you humans are merely pain receptacles hurtling towards oblivion."

"Yes Isco, you are very fond of reminding me of that," I said with a raised eyebrow. "I think you wrote that in my birthday card."

"I did no such thing!" the drone gasped. "Wasting money on buying you something on your birthday… why celebrate the slow decay of your body? That makes no sense!"

"Of course, how foolish of me," I said dryly before moving to put the next set of pizzas in the over… only for Goku to block my path.

"Is it done? Is it done?"

"Goku, I still need to cook them," I told the man, trying to get around him only for him to lean down and stare intently as the pizza. "Move yo ass, Goku!" I snapped.

"Aw, come on… I'm sure these will be fine to eat now…"

"Goku…" I said slowly, warning him to back off. "I have a lot more pizzas to make-" Thankfully the kitchen bots were doing most of the work, "-and you getting in the way is not making it happen any faster!"

"Aw, come on Kayos!" Goku whined, NOT getting the hint.

"Goku, the first pizzas will be out in 16 minutes. You can't wait-"

I looked down at my hand to see that it was now empty, Goku having snatched the pizza from it and puzzling over how to properly eat the unbaked this.

"-okay then." I said, rolling my neck before turning to the kitchen bots. "Keep up the work. Isco, will you film this?"

"Film what?" Goku asked… right before I hit him with a magical blast that sent him flying out of the room, the pizza he was holding hovering for a moment before dropping down into the waiting grasp of one of the kitchen droids.

"That," I said before running out of the room, Goku already getting up, his smile tight and eyes narrowed as he fell into a defensive stance.

"Aw man, this is better than pizza!" Goku declared. "I've been wondering when you and I would get to fight!"

"Take it outside," Piccolo said from where he seated in the living room, reading a paper of all things. "You know that Chichi won't like it if you break anything in here and I don't want to have to put up with her screeching."

"Oh man, you're right!" Goku said, his fight demeanor evaporating for a moment. "Come on Kayos, lets go outside!" I nodded and motioned for him to head out the doors first. "Alright, let's-"

"Facility, Activate the Goku Protocol. Authorization Avo Kayos."

"Recognized," a robotic voice said and Goku turned back just in time to see metal shutters slam down over the door he'd just left from, locking him out of the research facility.

"Kayos?" Goku said, knocking on the shutter. "Hey Kayos, what's going on?"

Knowing that the system was projecting my voice out I stated, "This is the Goku Protocol, used when you are being an impatient little bugger. You are now locked out of the facility for 30 minutes."

I glanced over at one of the security cameras, seeing Goku standing there with a befuddled look on his face. "Wait… so we aren't going to fight?"

"I don't feel like dying," I commented with a raised eyebrow. "I'm better with magic but you are still one of the two best fighters in the world." With Piccolo sitting RIGHT THERE I wasn't about to anger him by making any comments that could make it seem like I found him inferior to Goku.

Goku frowned. "Aw, come on Kayos, I'm sure you'd be able to do just fine!"

"Yeah, no. So you cool your jets for 30 minutes, okay?"

Goku deflated at that, sighing and tapping the metal barrier that had sealed up the facility. I merely watched him and, sure enough, a few moments later his eyes went wide. "Wait, 30 minutes!? You said the pizza would be done in 16!"

"That's right," I said. "Which means all the rest of us are going to get to eat LOOOOOOOONG before you!"

"No!" Goku exclaimed with the same emotional distress he would have had if Radtiz suddenly appeared and threatened Roshi's life. He began to pound on the walls of the facility, face twisted in desperation. "Come on Kayos! I was just kidding!"

"You tried to eat raw dough!" I snapped. "You have impulse issues so consider this an intervention!"

"I don't have impulse issues!" Goku whined.

"Yes you do," Bulma said, coming up from her lab, wiping her hands on a towel. "Also, what's with the security barrier being up?"

"Goku Protocol," I said simply.

"Ah, that makes sense."

"Bulma, please let me in!" Goku pleaded.

"Sorry Goku but I can't. Only the person who authorized the protocol can shut it down."

I chimed in. "And I'm not going to. This is a lesson. When someone tells you that you can't eat just yet you LISTEN. Because if you don't then you'll get locked out of a research facility."

Piccolo stared at me, bemused. "That seems like an… oddly specific outcome."

"Yes but its Goku so I can see it happening often," I replied.

Isco floated over, considering the security footage of Goku desperately clawing at the barrier like a cat. "I think we should autotune this and make it into a song on the Internets, sir."

"Did you just call it the Internets?"

Chichi chose that moment to come in, both her and Gohan wearing swimsuits. I had to admit that the last year had done wonders for her form; she hadn't been ugly in the slightest but thanks to working out with Goku she was muscular and trim. She was wearing a one piece black bathing suit, her long hair for once not braided and tied up at all and instead trailing down her back. Gohan, meanwhile, was all smiles as he rubbed himself dry.

"Why is Goku outside of the facility? And what is with the metal shutters?"

"Goku Protocol," I stated. "He tried to steal food before it was cooked so I tricked him outside. Now he's on an eating time out."

"Chichi, please!" Goku whimpered. "I promise I'll wait five minutes before eating the pizza!"

"It takes 16 minutes, you idgit!" I called out.

Chichi tilted her head, considering the barrier. "Hmmm… perhaps I should ask Bulma to install one of these at our home. I do so get tired of trying to cook things only for Goku to snatch half of the ingredients off the counter because 'he can not wait'."

"Chichi!" Goku wailed.

"Huh, Goku Protocol?" Tien said as he, Chiaotzu, Master Roshi, and Krillin all finally entered. "I wondered why it suddenly got a bit darker in here." We saw Goku step back and fly off; based on the banging he was trying to find a way to sneak back into the facility.

"Normally I'd be angry…" Krillin commented. "Buuuut that pizza is smelling good."

"And I made plenty of variations so you can pick and choose your favorite," I commented, motioning for the others to follow me towards the dining room. "Now, if you want to be sophisticated we have wine… I let Bulma pick that out-"

"Some great stuff," she assured everyone.

"And if you want to relax there is beer. Krillin, Roshi, you handle that?"

"Like I'd let you near-"

"Poison, Poison, Poison," I said, cutting Krillin off. "Right, yea, that. As for me, I'm going to be a child and join Gohan in having pop. We also have some breadstick coming-"

BANG!

The entire facility rattled.

"Huh," Isco stated, hovering in the back with Piccolo since they were the only two that didn't need to eat. "I was wondering how long it would take Goku to try and actually break in."

"Should we be concerned?" Tien asked as the building rattled again.

"Nah," Bulma said with a wave of her hand. "Remember how I did some readouts on all of your guys' current Bulma Levels?"

"Is that we are calling it now?" I asked, tilting my head in confusion.

"Well, I monitored Goku and figured out just how strong he was. I then was able to input that into my computer and have it create a metal blend that would be able to withstand him. I figured if Raditz does decide to come early it would be good to have a bit of extra protection."

Roshi glanced at me. "So, how'd ya trick him inta goin' out there, anyway?"

"Made him think we were going to have a sparring match," I replied.

That caused Roshi to shake his head. "Of course. Its good that boy is so eager ta train and fight but sometimes it just blinds him, ya know? We really need ta work on gettin' that out of his system. Doesn't help anyone if he's so easily tricked!"

I nodded. "Yeah… and if he thinks he can get a better fight he's liable to do something stupid and destructive."

"What do you mean?" Tien asked, watching as the kitchen bots began to pull out more pizzas, cutting them up for all of us. There was meat lovers, cheese, veggie, supreme, even Hawaiian. Some, like Krillin, gravitated to old favorites like standard pepperoni, while others such as Bulma were bold, trying the 'bee sting pizza' that the bots had decided to make.

Snagging from a pan a slice of Detroit Style Meat Lovers I looked at Tien and stated, "Imagine Goku is fighting someone that you just got done taking down. You've managed to wear your opponent down, get them so they aren't at 100%. The fate of the world is on the line and you did all you could to ensure that even if you couldn't beat them their energy levels are low and Goku can finish them off."

"Okay…" Tien said slowly.

"Can you NOT see Goku tossing that foe a Sensu Bean so he can have them back up to full strength because he wants to 'test himself'?"

"No way!" Krillin exclaimed. "Goku would never do that!"

"I don't think so," Tien added.

"It a heartbeat," Chichi stated as she bit into her veggie pizza.

The rest of the Z Fighters all turned and stared at her.

"What?" she asked, swallowing her mouthful.

"You… you think Goku would honestly do that?" Chiaotzu stammered out.

"Of course he would," Chichi said with an eyeroll. "Goku believes in fair fights and he LOVES pushing himself. If he thought someone could do that, help he become even stronger, he would in an instant agree to let them heal up."

Piccolo nodded grimly. "As someone who faced Goku before that is one of his weaknesses: he doesn't go in for the kill. Instead he is more concerned with 'having fun'."

"He takes fights very seriously," Tien argued.

"Yes, he does," I said. "But he also allows his excitement and drive for a great fight to blind him to the dangers he's in. Goku… Goku is the person that pushes a plane to fly even higher, because he wanted to experience the thrill of flight, but forgets that he's down to half a tank."

Roshi shook his head when we heard another boom, walking over and snagging a slice and a beer. "Have ta work with him on that, break him of that habit. Won't do us any good if he's obsessed with defeatin' Raditz on his own. Supposed to be a team and all that!"

"It will have to wait though," Bulma said, nodding towards a bottle of wine and earning a nod from Chichi. She poured them each a glass while I helped Gohan fill up his own cup. "Tomorrow we bring Yamcha back."

"Hard to believe that its been a year already," Chiaotzu said softly. "Feels like time has dragged by."

"No it hasn't," Bulma said quietly, her smile from earlier having faded as she slowly swirled her wine. We all fell silent, eating our meals and thinking about all that had happened, the year that had gone by… and what was racing towards us.

BOOM!

"Come on guys!" Goku whined, returning to scratching at the door like a cat.

~MC~MC~MC~

Even though it was yet another beautiful day Kami could only stand on the edge of the Lookout, staff held tightly in his hands as he gazed out. He didn't see the clouds or the blue sky… no, his gaze went far past that, to the greater world beyond. The one that he had worked so hard to be the Guardian of…

'And yet am unable to actually be a part of,' he thought, shutting his eyes. 'Its funny… I know the tale so well. Told it to Goku so easily. How I sought to replace the previous guardian but could not so long as I had evil in my heart. So I cast it out… only to create King Piccolo, my dark and wicked reflection.' He paused, looking down at his hands. 'And more than that… even as I gained what I longed for, becoming the Guardian of Earth, I found it no longer the prize I sought.'

That had been the strangest thing of all, the entire process. Removing his darkness had been freeing. It was rather like what he assumed Goku felt when he removed his weighted clothes and was suddenly lighter than air… or at least felt that way. Yet when he'd sealed away his evil side and the previous Guardian had come to him and said he was ready he truly hadn't had time to think. To focus on what it meant, all that he'd done. He'd been swept into taking on the role, learning about the Lookout, about those he would watch over…

…and found himself in the very spot he was in now, finding the role no longer mattered to him.

There wasn't a need to toss it aside. He hadn't been bitter or angry or the like. It was just… something was missing. That suddenly desperate need to become the Guardian was gone completely and all that was left was just… the knowledge he had to do something. He had went from craving a dessert to knowing he must finish it before he could leave the table.

'Except I can never leave,' he thought as he looked down at Earth.

"Are you okay, Kami?" Mr. Popo said, walking up to him.

Kami smiled as he turned to his dear friend. "Yes, of course."

But Mr. Popo merely stared at him, unblinking.

So Kami sighed and admitted, "I am thinking about the world, Mr. Popo. The threat of the Saiyan warrior… it has made me think of over things. Things I have not considered in ages."

"What do you mean?"

Kami sighed, shoulders slumping slightly. "I have very little memory of what I was like before I became the Guardian. I remember meeting my predecessor, of being so determined to take on the role of Guardian myself, to the point that I was…" He smiled.

"Obsessed," Mr. Popo said and it was clear that wasn't a question.

"Quite," Kami admitted. "But before that? There is so very little. Until Piccolo was told by Raditz I wasn't even aware that I wasn't from Earth." He looked up at the sky and though it was blue and bright he saw instead the darkness of space and the millions of stars out there, with billions of planets rotating around them, each with their own societies upon them. Did they all have Guardians too? Solemn men and women who were looking back at him, asking the same questions? "Is this how it was for the previous Guardian? Was he from another world? Did he forget as well?"

"No, Kami," Mr. Popo said. "He was not and he did not. That was all you… or rather the you that you are now."

That… made Kami pause. "You remember me," Kami said suddenly. It was so obvious yet he'd never even considered it: Mr. Popo had known him BEFORE he'd become the Guardian of Earth! Now that he thought about it he couldn't get that thought out of his head! Mr. Popo knew him…

"You were… different, from the previous Guardian. And not because you came from a different world." Mr. Popo moved to stand beside Kami, arms folded behind his back, unblinking eyes taking in the sky around them. Kami wondered what he saw. Was his vision like Kami's, where he could see beyond what mortal eyes saw? Or was it completely different from his own? Why had he never thought to ask?

'Something I believe I will be wondering for some time, and about many different things,' Kami thought before turning his focus back onto Mr. Popo. "What do you mean?"

"You were… obsessed with becoming the Guardian of this planet," Mr. Popo informed him. "It terrified me at times… but also amused me. Your repeated attempts to prove that you were worthy of being the Guardian. Often you and I would sit after a long day of you trying to perform this feat or that in order to impress the last Guardian and discuss all that had gone right and wrong." Mr. Popo smiled at that, a rarity for him because he was often quite solemn. "I am glad that carried over."

The way he said it… it made Kami pause. He felt like he was in a dark hallway, having heard movement beyond a closed door, and while he didn't know what he would find when he swung it open he both needed to do it and yet was terrified to do so. "Carried… over?"

Mr. Popo looked at him and then asked, "Are you asking for the truth?"

"Of course."

But the genie shook his head. "You must say the words."

That confused him. "Yes. I am asking for the truth."

And at once it was like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "The ritual you performed… your final attempt to prove your worthiness to become the next Guardian… it did not work as you thought."

"What do you mean?" Kami asked.

"You told Goku that you removed your evil from your heart, so that you could be pure and thus become the Guardian. But that is not what you did."

"Yes i-" He stopped and shook his head. "I am sorry, my friend. What did I do?"

"You removed what you saw as negative."

And at once Kami saw how very important that simple distinction was.

'What is negative,' he thought. 'For some the urge to fight as Goku has is a negative… but for him it is a positive trait, one that makes him able to protect this planet. All traits, all feelings, can be good and evil. Positive and negative. And I, apparently, chose what I saw as negative…'

He was on the very edge of an important revelation.

"Mr. Popo…" he said softly, barely a whisper, "do you think… one of the negatives I removed… was my obsession to become the Guardian?"

His friend didn't even have to say a word.

"So then it is my fault… but in a way I never imagined," He murmured. "King Piccolo… he was not my evil half. He was… the things about myself that I thought would prevent me from becoming Guardian. But without them I found the desire to be Guardian dry up while within him, with no way to temper them, it became his desire to rule the world."

"Do not think harshly of your past self," Mr. Popo stated. "He was a brash youngster-" And for Mr. Popo EVERYONE was a youngster, "-but he was kind as well. And funny, in his own dry way. Courageous. Heroic. Determined." H e looked down sadly. "I have missed him greatly."

His mouth twitched.

"But recently… I have seen echoes of him in Piccolo."

"Why… did you never speak of this before?" But before his friend could answer Kami sighed. "I asked you not, didn't I?"

"Not you… your former self. He told me not to speak of it unless he asked. You asked."

"I wish I hadn't done that," Kami murmured. "When this is done, Mr. Popo… when the threat of the Saiyans is gone… will you tell me of who I once was?"

"Gladly."

~MC~MC~MC~

'Hopefully they gather the dragon balls up soon… this Dragon Moon is so very tiresome. It keeps me from so many entertaining things. There was a new movie I wished to watch-'

I shook my head as I set my Dragon Ball, the one Bulma had tossed at me without a second thought, down next to the others. I was hearing voices again and that was NEVER a good sign.

Having heard Shenron speak I at least knew that the voice was his. But that didn't make me feel any better… GT's Shadow Shenrons were dancing in my head, tormenting me. It meant being SUPER careful with our wishes and not letting them be used for foolish or stupid things…

'Or maybe throw in a good wish?' I thought to myself. 'We have a Dragon Moon… it would be risky but if we could all survive Raditz and not have Vegeta and Nappa show up we could avoid needing to use a wish for several years. No Frieza. Cell wouldn't have his DNA so he might be a lot weaker… and if I could find a way to find Gero I could eliminate him and Cell and make sure we didn't have to deal with that. So we could go easily 3 years without the Dragon Balls. Maybe 'Oh Mighty Shenron, go have a spa day just for yourself'? Would that be within his power?'

We had brought the Dragon Balls up from the vault and were now preparing to bring Yamcha back. Everyone was super nervous but even more excited. Chichi had taken over the kitchen, making up Yamcha's favorite meals. Chiaotzu and Krillin had put up streamers and decorations. Roshi had been brewing 'some fine ol' whisky!' to celebrate his return. It was like he'd come back from vacation and not been dead.

Considering how the gang treated the Afterlife as a revolving door…

The Dragon Balls pulsed in time with one another, like a heartbeat. It felt so odd to be doing this again, like it was the most natural thing in the world. I'd seen this in the anime several times and yet it was so vastly different BEING there. Even having spent a year with the gang, getting to know them not as characters but as living breathing people… my friends… still didn't change-

"Alright!" Goku declared. "Let's bring Yamcha back!" He thrust his hands into the air. "Eternal Shenron! By your name I summon you forth!"

The Dragon balls glowed pure white before shooting off beams of energy that merged together to form a single pillar that twisted and shifted into the glowing form of Shenron. He looked over us, taking up the entire sky, and I fought the urge to tremble in terror at the sight of him. He was MASSIVE… somehow I'd forgotten just how BIG the dragon was! It truly made me feel small and meaningless when faced with a being of that raw power.

"I am the Eternal Dragon!" Shenron proclaimed. "State your wish and I shall grant it!"

Goku nodded, a grin forming on his lips. "Oh Mighty Shenron! I-"

"Goku?" Chichi suddenly called out.

"Oh? What is it? Do you want to make the wish?"

"No," his wife told him… before waving at me. "I think Kayos should make the wish."

"HIM!?" Krillin exclaimed. "He might-" Chichi glared at him and Krillin instantly backed down.

"As I was saying," she said, biting into each word, "Kayos showed last time he's really good at wording things. We want to make sure we get this right, don't we?"

"Oh yeah!" Goku said with a laugh before waving me forward. "You're super smart when it comes to things like this, Kayos! You should probably make the wish."

I glanced at the others but seeing none of them speaking out against the idea I merely nodded and stepped forward. "Oh Mighty Shenron!" I called out… before dropping my voice to a bit more of a conversational tone. "Thanks for the Scroll, by the way. And sorry about the Dragon Moon, we'll make this quick and try and not summon you again until its over."

"While appreciated I still need a wish to be made!" Shenron declared firmly.

"Right," I said. "We wish to bring back our friend Yamcha-" I held up my finger, making it clear I wasn't done, "and when I say 'Bring back' I mean bringing him back to life and having him appear right here before us. With all the training and-"

"I will not be petty with how I grant this wish," Shenron declared, much to my surprise. "If only to get you to stop rambling on."

"Admittedly I do do that."

There was a flash of light in front of me… and there was Yamcha, looking about wildly. He was clearly surprised, eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open.

"Your wish has been granted! FAREWELL!"

And with that the Dragon Balls rose in the air before shooting out in seven different directions.

"Whoa… that was-" Yamcha didn't get to finish as he was tackled from opposite directions by Krillin and Bulma, the two hugging him tight. "Hey guys," he said softly even as Goku came directly at him, lifting him up in the air and dragging him and the other two into a massive hug. Tien merely smirked before ambling over, Chiaotzu less restrained as he glomped onto Yamcha's face.

"Careful, everyone," Chichi said as she walked over, holding Gohan in her arms, "we wouldn't want to send him back to King Kai!"

Yamcha gasped a bit of air as they let go… though Goku was making sure to still have an arm slung around his friend's shoulders. "Yeah… though I admit that would be a far better way to go…"

"Uncle Yamcha!" Gohan said excitedly, reaching out for the bandit. He blinked before taking Gohan from Chichi, settling Gohan in his arms.

"Yeah," Krillin said with a smile, "that's a thing now."

Goku nodded rapidly. "And why not? You're my brother, Yamcha!"

"I… I am, man?"

Goku just beamed and squeezed him a bit tighter.

"We give them a day," I said as Roshi began to talk with Yamcha, asking him about his training. "One day to just relax."

Piccolo nodded as Bulma asked Isco to take some pictures of everyone. "And then we buckle down and focus."

Because the two of us realized that Yamcha returning wasn't all smiles and laughter.

It was a reminder.

Raditz… was coming.