Chapter notes - This is my version of events that occurred following Goku's escape from Namek, to his time spent on Yardrat and then going home. I have done a lot of research into this time era, looking at manga, re-watching the anime, looking at timelines. There isn't a lot of information on what happened to Goku on Yardrat, which in some ways is a good thing as it gave me a lot to play with and I had fun with it. I have added in my own thoughts on what he went through and mixed that with what we do know. I have taken into account stuff that has been mentioned in Super, but I haven't rolled with it all as it wasn't necessary - some of it we didn't know about before Vegeta went to Yardrat, and some of it only related to him anyway.

This time in Goku's life is my absolute favourite time as there's so much to explore! I think Goku went through a lot during this time, not all bad, I think he learnt a lot from yardrat and there were some positive experiences for him. The thing with Goku is he is so good at putting on a front and he acts like he's okay most of the time, but I think he hides a lot behind that smile of his. I have put a lot into this story, and I'm quite proud of it. I also came up with my own language for the Yardratian's, so you will see that a handful of times. It will be a few chapters long, so I hope you come along for the ride ;)


Namek.

He just kept running.

He was running so fast he thought his legs were going to buckle beneath him. He launched himself into the first compartment, but it wasn't the room he was looking for. He growled and took off again, racing down the hallway of the abandoned space ship, praying the next room would be the one he needed. He got to the electronic sliding door and punched the button to open the door, the door opened, allowing Goku to rush inside. He quickly glanced around the room to see if this was the correct room.

"Damn it, still not here! Where is the bridge?!" He snarled, shooting back out of the room and down the hallway. As Goku ran down the battered hallways of Frieza's ship, a huge explosion occurred outside of the ship, the impact sending Goku crashing against the wall beside him. Goku steadied himself and carried on running, debris falling down onto him. He put up his right arm to shield himself as he approached another door. Goku hit the button but it wouldn't budge. Goku snarled, his patience wearing thin and with his bare hands, he ripped the giant metal doors off their hinges, discarding them carelessly behind him before rushing into the room. The room was dark, only a few emergency lights enabling Goku to see around the room.

Yes! He found it! He found the bridge!

He threw himself at the the giant control panel, his breathing ragged, sweat cascading down the side of his brow, his eyes darting around as he searched the various buttons in front of him, trying to find the right one.

"Which one is it?!" He yelled, his eyes suddenly falling onto a ENG button, "That must be the engine!" Goku thought out loud, hitting the button without hesitation. The engine started to rumble, all the lights in the room suddenly switching on and the various screens in front of him simultaneously turned on.

"Yes! That's it, baby, come on!" Goku rejoiced, but the engine suddenly began to shake and chug and it lost power.

"NOOOO!" Goku screamed, his hands balling into fists as he began slamming them down onto the control panel in anger, "Work you piece of crap!" he bellowed. The engine completely gave out, panic now setting in for Goku.

"Okay, I take it back! You're not a piece of crap!"

Another explosion sounded and the ship shook tremendously. Goku was flung to the other side of the room as the ship was thrusted side wards, falling off the edge of the mountain it was originally perched on. It descended towards the pool of lava below, Goku clinging onto one of the chairs in the control room, when his eyes caught something fly past the window. It was only a brief sighting, but it looked like some sort of ship! Goku ran up the slanted ship and gained momentum, throwing himself through one of the front windows of the ship, the window smashing, shards of glass dispersing around him.

Goku shot down after the small sphered ship, hitting the 'open' button when reaching it, the familiar logo of the Ginyu Force briefly catching his eye. He jumped inside, crashing onto the padded seat, his right foot kicking the button to close the door. His eyes immediately went onto the control panel, trying to figure out how to launch the thing! Sweat was now pouring down his brow and side of his face, the fear really sinking in as he realised he was going to hit the lava at any second. Goku hit several buttons, hoping one of them would start the engine. The ship suddenly came to a halt, Goku's body jerking forward, and then seconds later the ship rocketed up into the sky.

Goku's sweaty hands gripped the sides of his seat hard as the ship shot up into the sky at an insane speed, his stomach feeling like it was going to fall out of his ass. The dark red skies of Namek soared past the pod window, bolts of lightening from the planet's erupting core lighting up the inside of the entire pod, Goku clenching his eyes shut tight from the glare. The small ship rumbled and shook as it shot up into the atmosphere, the sky getting darker as the ship got ever further into space. Goku's breath hitched in his throat as he made it into space, his eyes wide as he glanced through the pod window before him. Planet Namek exploded before his eyes, the once beautiful green planet ... gone ...

He made it out with seconds to spare ...

But that was the least of his worries when the aftershocks of the explosion suddenly hit his ship. His body was flung to the one side of the pod as the shockwaves collided with the ship. The Space pod began to spin uncontrollably, Goku grit his teeth and forced his eyes shut and held onto his seat for dear life. A warning siren echoed around the small pod as the ship violently spun.

It was thankfully only minutes later when the pod stopped spinning and it returned to its course.

It was like the air had left his lungs and his fingers were numb from gripping the seat so hard. He suddenly relaxed his stiff arms and slouched down into the seat briefly, taking his first breath in what felt like forever. He leaned forward slightly so he could peer out of the small round window and stared at the endless darkness of space. Goku looked down at the control panel and at the green screen.

It read his destination was a planet called Yardrat. He pressed a button and a robotic female voice spoke:

"Planet Yardrat. Estimated time of arrival ... 6 days, 8 hours and 39 minutes"

Yardrat? Where the heck was that?

Goku let out a breath and slumped back in his seat, his arms drooping and his hands resting on his thighs. He looked into the pod window and noticed his reflection, and for the first time he could see himself as a Super Saiyan. He stared for several seconds ... not recognising himself. From his golden hair, to his teal eyes, to the array of battle wounds on his face ... he didn't look like him.

Goku felt instant relief when he let the new found power slip through his fingertips and his hair and eyes returned back to their original state.

He was exhausted ... he was completely drained of everything.

His eyelids became heavy, and he fought them for a few seconds, before finally caving and letting his eyes close. It took a matter of seconds for him to fall into a deep sleep, sat up in his seat, his mouth slightly gaped open, his breathing heavy.


The journey to Yardrat was a blur. Goku was in and out of consciousness for 6 days straight.

The space pod was hot and stuffy, the compact space was so restrictive that Goku couldn't move around so he had to stay seated in the small padded seat. From what he knew of the Saiyan pods from Dr. Briefs, they could put a person into suspended animation, where a person's functions are slowed or stopped completely so that physiological capabilities were preserved. Goku wasn't sure if it was that, or his severe fatigue following his battle that was causing his lack of consciousness. But either way, he was out of it for most of the journey.

Goku wasn't sure how many days in it was when it happened, but at some point he suffered a panic attack. The constrained space, the heat and his exhaustion triggered Goku to start hyperventilating and he struggled to get his breathing under control. His body shook, he was sweating profusely and he became delusional.

At one point he swore he saw Gohan through the small window, calling for him, triggering Goku to call for him back, screaming his son's name as loudly as he could to try and get his attention. It was only when Goku managed to calm his breathing, and regain some awareness of where he was, that he realised his son wasn't there.

Everything went dark after that and Goku couldn't remember a thing following his panic attack.


Gentle bumps stirred Goku from his sleep, his eyes half open as he stared at the screen in front of him. It took a few moments for him to get his bearings before he slowly leaned forward to look at the screen. He peered out of the small pod window and saw a yellowy green planet approaching in the distance.

Was that Yardrat?

The screen in front of him began to flash and bleep, getting Goku's attention once more.

"You are approaching Planet Yardrat. Please prepare to enter the upper atmosphere"

Goku sat back in the padded seat and took a deep breath.

Hopefully landing on a planet would be less adventurous than leaving one.

The planet crept closer and closer, knots tying in Goku's stomach, his hands gripping onto the edge of his seat in preparation.

"Entering upper atmosphere. Please remain seated until you have arrived at your destination"

Goku scoffed. Was the woman crazy? like hell was he about to move from his seat.

The pod started to shake, the dark voids of space suddenly becoming lighter as the pod plunged down to planet Yardrat. The feeling was intense, the G forces were rough, with a high frequency vibration unfurling throughout the small ship. The air was thick and Goku felt his stomach hit his throat as the ship rapidly descended. Seconds later, the bright skies of planet Yardrat beamed through the small window, Goku squinting his eyes as he tried to catch a peep of his surroundings.

The pod shot down to the ground, bouncing off the surface abruptly before spiraling out of control and zooming upwards. Goku sucked his teeth, inhaling sharply, his eyes wide, completely stunned as his ship rocketed towards a tall, rocky peak, with no way of him stopping it. Milliseconds later his ship harshly collided with the cliff, a loud crashing noise echoing throughout the small ship. Goku's body was sent flying full force up against the side of the pod, his head slamming against the hard interior, the red glass of the window shattering on impact, loud warning sirens blaring inside the ship.

The blow to his head left Goku light headed and completely zoned out of his current predicament, his vision blurry, a piercing high-pitched noise filling his ears. It was merely seconds later when his vision started to become more clear, that he collided with a second peak top, this crash being the final one as his ship became lodged in the stony surface.

Goku wasn't sure how long he had been hanging there, but he felt unbelievably faint, the blood rushing to his head as his body hung upside down in the battered pod. He groaned as he come around, his brain wondering why he was hanging there because he didn't remember ever wearing a seat belt. But as he tried to move, he howled in agony, his question answered as he wearily strained and raised his head to look at his body. His left side had been impaled by what looked like the side of the ship, his body hanging from it, and he was bleeding heavily, blood pouring down his side and dripping onto the ceiling of the pod.

Goku let his head flop back down, gritting his teeth at the incredible pain in his side. He clenched his eyes shut and started to laugh half-heartedly through the pain.

"My day just ... keeps gettin' better" he grunted out.

He took a deep shaky breath and stretched his arms out, letting his palms rest on the ceiling below him. his breathing was haggard as the small movement of his arms caused his body to move, and his side to move against the debris. He huffed out a long, hard breath as he moved his legs, placing them upon the floor above him. The pain was excruciating, he almost thought he was going to black out.

"O-kay" he strained out, "You can ... do this" he told himself. He took a few more controlled breaths.

"One ... two ... three" he pushed off the floor of the pod, the debris dislodging from his side, a piercing shriek erupting from Goku's mouth as he fell down onto the ceiling, landing on the back of his neck. He groaned, clutching his wounded side, the wind completely knocked from him. He glanced down at his battered body, his Gi pants ripped to shreds, barely covering his underwear, his Gi top entirely gone. He let out another trembling laugh as he observed his beaten state, one thing coming to his mind.

"Chichi would be ... so mad. She ain't fixing this Gi ... for me". He tilted his head up slightly so he could see the pod door, the window completely smashed through, the door dented in. He raised his one arm and hit the button to open the door, a loud grinding noise erupting from the ship door hydraulics as it slowly opened. Goku closed his eyes briefly, the bright yellow sky of Yardrat almost burning his eyes. He pressed his feet firmly against the seat and pushed himself towards the door, his head and shoulders hanging out of the ship entrance as he tried to catch a look at where he landed.

He swallowed as he turned his head to look at the drop below him. The drop was a good few hundred feet, just another obstacle to add to the list. He slid back into the pod, letting himself rest against the ceiling, his eyes tiredly staring up at the floor. He felt his eyes going, his body giving in from the exhaustion, but he caught himself a few seconds later, using his free hand to slap himself across the face in an attempt to fully wake himself up.

"Okay, Goku, you either stay here an' die ... or ya throw yourself out an' possibly ... plummet to your death" he laughed out. After going over the options in his head for a few seconds he inhaled and exhaled deeply before planting his feet and pushing hard against the seat, catapulting himself out of the pod.

His body plummeted downwards, his body completely free falling, nothing but the gravity pulling him down. He felt an overwhelming surplus of his senses, the thick clouds blocking his view of whatever was below him, the smell of the foreign air hitting his nostrils, the loud rush of the wind racking at his ears. He felt the temperature change, his body freezing cold as he hurtled down to the ground, the pressure against him from the speed of his freefall pressing against every part of his aching body. It was only seconds between him finally eyeing the ground and colliding with it.

When he opened his eyes some time after hitting the ground, he could only stare blankly up at the yellow skies of Yardrat. He lay motionless, unable to move a single limb, his eyelids heavy, his breathing shallow. His ears all of a sudden picked up the sound of shuffling around him, a shadow then lurking over him. Goku blinked a few times, wondering what had blocked out the light, his eyes widening at the strange pink creatures hovering over him. He yelped in surprise, the unfamiliar creatures darting away from him cautiously.

They started to approach him again a few moments later, this time getting no reaction from the strange intruder from the skies. Goku let a small smile etch across his tired face, his one eye barely staying open as he fought his fatigue.

"It's my lucky day ... I didn't know the circus was in town". he murmured, before losing consciousness.


Yardrat.

His eyelids fluttered a few times, his bleary eyes opening slightly to focus on whatever was in front of him. It took him a few seconds, but it soon registered that he was lying in a bed staring up at a dark ceiling. He groggily turned his head to the left, a large, thick book on the bedside table beside him, with markings on that he couldn't understand. He then slowly turned his head to the right, his eyes finding a chair in the corner, and a roll of bandages and a plastic bowl next to it on another small table.

He let his eyes wander to the foot of the bed, where his feet hung over the bottom. The bed was very small, clearly too small for him. A chest of drawers stood at the foot of the bed, a strange shaped lamp on top of it. His eyes then caught sight of a door, and immediately he found himself trying to get up.

He winced as he forced himself to sit up, a burning sensation shooting up his side. He clutched his left rib area, only then noticing that he was wrapped in bandages. After further inspection, he noticed he was only clad in his light blue boxer shorts, the rest of his clothes gone. Not that there was anything much left of his clothes to have lost in the first place, he was lucky he was even able to cover his underwear with the shreds he had left. He also noticed that he was pretty clean, which meant someone had found him and cleaned him up.

He held his breath as he scooted over to the edge of the bed, his body almost stiff as he struggled to swing his legs over the side. He grimaced, his both hands clutching the edge of the bed, his side now throbbing, a dull ache spreading up his left leg. He glanced down at his bare legs, his left leg bandaged up and strapped with what looked like a wooden splint. Crap, he must have broken it when he fell from his pod. He groaned and strained as he attempted to stand up, his right hand reaching out to hold onto the wall, his left hand clutching at his painful side. He felt so weak, his breathing ragged as he clumsily limped his way over to the bedroom door. The gravity didn't feel too heavy, wherever he was, but the air felt tight.

"Huh?" Goku muttered, his eyes scanning the wooden entrance for a door knob or handle, but to no avail. How the hell did you open it? As his eyes swept up and down the wooden frame, he was surprised to find what looked like a keypad to his right on the wall. He balanced himself and hovered his hand over the keypad, the door whizzing up and disappearing into the top of the doorframe.

"Woah" Goku was amazed, the flashy door reminded him of something you would find at Capsule Corp. He carefully limped through the doorway and shuffled his way down the short passageway, a window to his left catching his attention. He had to bend down to peer out of it, the bright yellow sky almost blinding him, making him squint. Wherever he was, it looked pretty quiet and deserted, a few brown cactus-like plants growing in the dirt just outside the window, the terrain very dry and sandy. He sure couldn't see anyone out there.

He made his way to another door, his right hand extending once again to let his hand scan over the keypad. The door shot open, revealing a small living area, with two sofas, a table and three chairs, a funny looking floor lamp and some books piled up against the wall. Goku jumped suddenly, his heart skipping a beat as a small person of some kind shot across the room to hide behind the one sofa.

"Um, hello?" he croaked out, his eyes searching the area where the little person had run to.

"Jaak! Chioe heheo hya eoontoweo!" [Jaak! Get out of there!] a woman's voice startled him to his right, the small creature quickly entering the room and approaching the sofa. She was slim with dark green skin and long black plaited hair, wearing some sort of armored dress. Her eyes were big, her pupils yellow and almost sparkling like diamonds, her lips as red as fresh blood. Goku watched quietly as a small child emerged from behind the sofa, it's scared eyes staring at Goku for several seconds, before running to the woman. The child had a similar skin tone to her, but his hair was very short almost like a small tuft on top of his head. Goku cleared his throat as he still hung onto the doorframe.

"Um, hi there ..." He uttered out, unsure if they would be able to understand him.

"Well, it's about time you woke up" the female responded to him, gently shoving the child out the door and into the other room. Goku arched an eye brow, she spoke Earth's language? He couldn't place her accent, it was something he had never come across before. It was like a blend of accents, ambiguous, but her voice was smooth and soothing.

"Where am I?" he asked her, his voice hoarse and feeble.

"You are on Yardrat" Well, that made sense. The space pod did say that was his destination.

"How long have I been out?"

"3 days" she informed him, folding some sheets onto the table.

3 days? Geez, no wonder he felt so weak, he hadn't eaten or drank anything in days!

Goku felt his breathing become heavier, and his head felt light, but he failed to notice the blood that was trickling down his side and dripping onto the cold tiled floor.

"You need to go back and rest. You have reopened your wound and you are losing blood" the woman told him, pointing to his side. Goku shakily moved his head and glanced down at his left side, blood seeping through his bandages. He smiled lightly, a small groan vacating his mouth before the room went dark and he passed out on the the floor.


Two days had passed and Goku found himself staring up at the dark ceiling once again, his head thumping and his throat crispy dry. Once the room stopped spinning, he drearily turned his head towards the door, his eyes unexpectedly staring into the eyes of the small child he saw previously in the other room. Goku shrieked, his loud, croaky, high-pitched voice alarming the small child who went to make a run for it.

"Hey, No! It's okay, it's okay. Don't go! I'm not gonna hurt you" Goku gruffly called out to the child. The small child stopped at the door and slowly turned around to look at the stranger.

"Not that I could anyway, with the state I'm in" he chuckled half-heartedly. The child said nothing as he stared at him in wonder.

"My name's Son Goku, what's your name?" Goku decided to initiate the conversation. The child paused, and after a moment he began to sign something with his hands.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand". The child appeared disheartened and put his hands back down to his sides.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" Goku asked him. The child nodded.

"Okay, d'you think you can try an' spell out your name to me? Like with letters?" The child thought about it for a few seconds before he started drawing his name in the air.

"J - A - A - K. Jaak?" Goku questioned the small child. Jaak nodded his head enthusiastically. Goku smiled at him.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Jaak. Are you one of the ones who rescued me?" Jaak nodded.

"Thank you" Goku told him warmly. The bedroom door suddenly whizzed up and the small woman stood there, her hands on her hips as she stared down at the child.

"Jaak, rontn'eo n'weo payheh nihicochi ico ontoweo?" [Jaak, what are you doing in here?] she huffed.

"It's okay, honest, he was just keeping me company" Goku assured her. Jaak gave Goku a small smile before swiftly vacating the room.

"Please excuse my child. So, how are you feeling?" she asked him, approaching the left side of the bed.

"I've been better" he told her honestly. Her eyes scanned over his left side, inspecting the bandages.

"I was able to sew your wound back up where it had been reopened. Hopefully it will heal now" she told him.

"Thank you for that, and for takin' me into your home. I probably woulda died out there".

"It was no problem" she chirped, walking over to the chest of drawers at the foot of the bed.

"So, do you have a name?" he asked her. She chuckled.

"I don't know, do you?" she playfully shot back as she peered over her shoulder at him. Goku grinned.

"My name's Son Goku" he introduced himself.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Son Goku", she began as she pulled out a black pair of pants from the top drawer before turning to face him, "My name is Niiara"

It was at that moment Goku's stomach growled loudly, making Niiara jump, her one hand clutching at her chest. Goku laughed, a light blush on his face.

"Sorry, that was my stomach. Can't remember the last time I ate". Niiara calmed her racing heart and placed the black pants onto the bottom of the bed.

"Here, put these on. I made them to fit you. I will go and make you something to eat" she told him. Goku raised his eyebrows.

"You ... made them for me?"

"Well, you came here with barely any clothes on and I don't think you will fit into any of our clothes. You might be a bit too big" she winked at him. Goku smiled bashfully as she left the room. He was able to get up a bit quicker this time around, and with slight difficulty, he managed to get the black pants on that she had made for him. They were snug, but they fit. After limping back into the other room, still clutching at his side, Niiara motioned for Goku to take a seat at the table, quickly realising that he was way too big for the chair. She pointed to the sofa, and Goku took a seat there instead. He was a very large creature, and he was fortunate they had high ceilings. She placed a few plates of food onto the coffee table in front of him, and the strange creature practically inhaled it.

"I guess you are very hungry, no?" she slowly spoke, shock etched across her face as she placed a glass of water next to his plates. Goku smiled wide as he cleared the last plate.

"Y'don't have any more do ya?" he garbled out, his mouth full of food. Niiara frowned at him, Jaak watching from the other sofa and giggling at Goku.

"Have you not been taught any manners, Son Goku?" she wondered, before throwing more meat onto the pan at the stove. Goku smiled unashamedly.

"Sorry, it's just I haven't eaten in ages, and your food is so good!" he complimented her before knocking back the glass of water. She rolled her eyes, pouring strange looking vegetables into another pan.

"A charmer too, I see" she scoffed. Goku relaxed back in the sofa as he waited for his seconds.

"So, is it just you an' Jaak that live here?"

"No, my partner also lives here, but he has been away for a few days on duty" she informed him, poking the sizzling meat with her cooking utensils.

"Oh, so ... he doesn't know that I'm here?" Goku asked.

"Not yet" she shrugged, flipping the meat over. As she prepared more food for her guest, Niiara found herself questioning her openness to him. He was a stranger, a creature she didn't know, and she was telling him her partner wouldn't be home for a few days. She was opening herself and her son to vulnerability. One only needed to take a quick peek at him to see he was capable of causing some serious damage. He was built like a war tank. But there was something about him, a vibe that he give off to her, which made her feel at ease.

Goku got through his second load of plates within minutes, leaving Niiara and Jaak to gawk at him. Goku stopped mid-bite and stared back at them.

"What?" he wondered.

"You eat a lot" she pointed out. Goku swallowed what was in his mouth. Having people comment on his food consumption was not a strange occurrence.

"I can normally eat ten times this amount, but this will do for now". Niiara's eyes bulged. Ten times that amount? Maybe she shouldn't have agreed to be the one to take him in. The Yardratian's were known for their massive appetites, but nothing quite like this! After cleaning up after her guest, Niiara showed him to the small bath in their washroom, and left him to clean up. Goku noticed a shower head above the bath, but he was way too tall to stand under it. Goku decided to take a bath and had to sit cross-legged in the small tub, but it was still nice and soothing on his muscles, and he felt better for it.

As he sat relaxing in the tub, his mind wandered to the strange house he was staying in. It was more like a small hut, he didn't see any stairs, so it was all on one floor. It was a small home, but likely it was pretty roomy for them, as they were a lot smaller than he was. Goku thought Niiara was something of a similar size to Krillin, Jaak smaller again. Judging by how small everything was in the house, it must be normal to be as small as them. There was no TV, only a small radio in the corner of the living area. And the windows were like little circles in the walls. It was a strange house.

Once he finished washing his body, he awkwardly clambered out of the tub and stood where Niiara had set out some more black pants for him, and also a beige top this time, which looked hand-stitched. He arched an eyebrow, looking around for something else. Where was the towel?

The bathroom door shot open, and Niiara walked in with two towels in her hands. Both of them froze, Goku blushing slightly as the woman's eyes roamed over his wet, naked body.

"I ... forgot your towels" she quietly spoke, quickly handing them to him. Goku took them graciously and simply held them to his front area and grinned.

"Eh-heh, thanks, I did wonder where you kept the towels to" he chuckled out. Niiara smiled impishly at him before turning her back and making her way towards the door.

"You are quite something, Son Goku" she gloated, before leaving the room fully, the door closing on a slightly embarrassed Goku behind her.


It was early the next day, and Goku was very grateful to get out of the small house. Niiara took him on a tour of the area, leading him to a large city with buildings so tall they hit the clouds. Goku was intrigued by all the people that lived on the planet. He recognised the physical features of the one type of Yardratian, as they were the ones he remembered seeing when he crash landed - pink wrinkly skin, large round heads, pointed ears like Piccolo and big bulbous eyes, all of them wearing weird matching armor. He noticed they were slightly taller than Niiara, and a completely different species to her. There was also another race of Yardratian - short, round and green, wearing a similar attire to the pink creatures. All of them stared at him in silence as he walked through the city streets.

"So, where do you come from?" Niiara decided to avert his attention with conversation.

"I'm from a planet called Earth" he educated her, his eyes still roaming around his surroundings.

"I have heard of such a planet" she paused, "You heal very quickly for an Earthling" she thought as she scanned his body, some of the bruises now faded from his face, his limp not so noticeable.

"Oh, I'm not actually an Earthling" he chirped back.

"No? Then what are you?"

"I'm a Saiyan"

Niiara froze on the spot and turned cautiously to look at him, shock on her face, fear in her eyes.

"Did I ... say somethin' wrong?" Goku stopped in his tracks too, a wonderous look on his face.

"Come with me" she whispered to him, before briskly walking ahead of him. They entered a very large building, the long white hallway leading to a large open room, with absolutely nothing inside, save some benches and a few of the locals standing around. Goku watched inquisitively as Niiara started to reel off a load of words in another language to a dark blue-skinned creature who was slightly taller than her and with pointed ears. Goku thought he almost looked human like, more so than Niiara, save for the skin colour and pointed ears. Both of them adjusted their bodies to glance over at him.

"So, you are a Saiyan?" the male creature spoke, keeping his distance.

Goku nodded.

"Where's your tail?" he demanded to know, his eyes inspecting Goku's body.

"It got removed a long time ago, when I was a kid"

"Why?"

"Well, you both suddenly seem afraid of me, now you know I'm a Saiyan, so I think you both know why". Niiara and the other creature eyed each other.

"Where have you come from?" he asked him.

"Planet Namek"

"Planet Namek has been destroyed. We found out a few days ago" The man leered.

"I know, Frieza blew it up. I escaped just before it exploded" Goku educated him calmly.

"Frieza?" fear was in Niiara's voice.

"You ... met Frieza? What business did you have with that fiend?" The man questioned angrily.

"I fought Frieza and defeated him. That's partly why I'm all banged up".

"What? You defeated Frieza?" Niiara and the other creature were in shock.

"Uh ... yeah" Goku uttered.

"You lie. No one has ever been able to defeat Frieza and we saw your ship! It belongs to the Ginyu Force!" He snarled.

"Why would I lie about somethin' like that? The Ginyu force were defeated by me and another Saiyan named Vegeta"

"There's another Saiyan alive?" Goku nodded. The male being thought for a few seconds, his eyes on the ground. When he lifted them he frowned hard at Goku.

"What were you doing on Namek?"

"I followed my friends and my son there to search for the Dragon balls, so we could revive our other friends. They were killed by Saiyans who came to Earth. Frieza was looking for the Dragon balls too, so that's how I ended up fighting him".

There was silence. Goku sighed and moved towards them, the male creature standing protectively in front of Niiara.

"Look, I haven't come here to hurt anyone or take anything. I crash landed here by mistake, I just pushed buttons and hoped for the best, and here I am. As soon as my body is strong enough, I will leave. Well, that's if my ship will work. It was pretty banged up too". He assured them. Niiara gave the other creature a look, as if she believed the Saiyan. He pulled her aside to speak to her privately.

"Niiara, we don't know this creature, and he is a Saiyan! We cannot trust him".

"Well, he's been living in our house for the last few days and he hasn't tried to kill us yet" she briefed him. His eyes went wide.

"WHAT?" He whispered yelled, so that Goku couldn't hear them, "Are you insane? He's been living in our home?"

"Well, where else was I supposed to put him? He was dying out there, he needed somewhere safe to stay". He slapped his face in disbelief.

"Niiara, you can't just take strange creatures from the desert and bring them home".

"Well, that's funny, because isn't that how you met me?" she reminded him. He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"That was different, Niiara" he calmly responded, "You weren't a Saiyan".

"I was still a fugitive, and you took me in. You gave me a chance, so why can't we give him a chance, Shee?" she rasped. He narrowed his eyes at her and huffed out a defeated sigh. He turned to face the Saiyan.

"Fine, you can stay with us until you have recovered" Shee told him firmly.

Goku nodded, understanding.

"And we will fix your ship".

"Thank you" Goku offered his gratitude.


Two months went by, and Goku was pretty much healed and settling into life with the small Yardratian family on the outskirts of the city. Goku had learnt so much in such a short space of time. He learnt that there were no routines like back on Earth; there were no set meal times, Yardratian's simply ate when they felt hungry, there was no breakfast, lunch or dinner. They didn't have clocks and simply followed the rising and setting of the sun to tell them what time of day it was, which explained the weird looking device outside of their house, something they called a timekeeper. The men of Yardrat did most of the work and heavy labor, and the women would hunt and grow the food and protect the home.

Goku noticed that there wasn't very many children on Yardrat, Jaak being the only one outside of the city that he had seen. Goku didn't ask, but he wondered why there were hardly any children around. There were no schools and no form of education like he had witnessed Gohan undertake. Jaak read the odd page of a book and would recite his sign language with his mother, but not much else. He also wondered why Jaak was unable to talk, when the other children he had seen, could.

Jaak was a very curious child, always following Goku around and wondering what he was doing. Goku had made his way outside into the dusty yard and was stretching his arms, his eyes catching the setting sun in the distance. He had never seen anything quite like it - bursts of golden yellow and crimson red splashed against the now darkening sky. Goku noticed that during the day, the sky was bright yellow, the sun a burnt orange. So far, he hadn't seen a single cloud. At night, the yellow sky would turn to a dark purple colour, the several small moons that hijacked the skies lighting up the entire city.

Goku smiled as he gazed into the distance. There was a gentle breeze, pleasant and cooling as it caressed his skin. The woven shirt that he wore, flapped lightly against the wind, his normally wild hair even wilder as the wind flurried through his thick tresses.

He suddenly felt he wasn't alone and he peered down at the small inquisitive child who had been following him around like his shadow.

"Hey" Goku greeted him quietly. Jaak smiled and put up his hand, his palm facing Goku. He then bent his thumb in and and flicked his little finger out, before making a fist.

"Y'know, you're gonna have'ta teach me your sign talk, so I can learn how to talk like you. I reckon you'd be the best one to teach me, am I right?" Goku smiled at the boy. Jaak grinned and nodded his head, giving Goku a thumbs up. Goku chuckled.

"Well, I understood that one".

From inside the small house, Shee observed Goku with cautious eyes. The Saiyan seemed harmless enough, there was almost a child-like innocence to him, but he could feel the tremendous power surging through him.

"He worries you" Niiara abruptly spoke as she stood next to her partner. They both observed as Jaak showed Goku some of his hand signs, Goku now crouched down and sat on his heels as he copied him.

"He has a restless mind" Shee commented quietly.

"We don't know much about him, but it appears he has been through a lot" Niiara thought out loud.

"Something happened to him out there" Shee murmured as he continued to watch Goku with his son.

Goku observed as Jaak signed something to him, which was a flurry of hand movements that Goku's eyes could not keep up with. He blinked a few times at Jaak when he appeared to finish communicating to him, completely oblivious as to what he was trying to communicate.

"What does that mean?" He asked the child. Jaak paused for a few seconds before pointing at himself.

"You" Goku guessed. Jaak pointed at him.

"Me" Goku spoke. Jaak nodded before linking his own small hands together, shaking them up and down, enacting two people shaking hands. Goku cocked an eyebrow.

"Hmm ... you, me, shaking hands" he tapped his chin in thought for a few seconds before suddenly clicking his fingers in realisation, "You and me are friends?" Goku blurted out chipperly. Jaak nodded enthusiastically, jumping up and down on the spot. Goku chuckled.

"Yeah, I'd like t'think we're friends, too" he smiled at the boy before putting out his fist to him. Jaak looked at his fist curiously, before peering up at Goku.

"This is called a fist pump. You knock your fists together when you're celebratin' somethin' or maybe praisin' someone, a bit like a high five" Jaak smiled and copied Goku's actions, putting out his fist and letting it hover directly in front of Goku's. Goku bopped his fist gently against Jaak's, making the little boy giggle.

"There ya go, your first fist pump" Goku declared. Jaak beamed at him.


It was a few days later, and Goku found himself relaxing on the sofa one morning with the small family as they enjoyed some home brewed Yardratian tea. Goku licked his lips after taking a sip, he really liked their tea, it was nice and sweet. He smiled at Jaak who sat beside him, sipping on his own cup of tea, Niiara and Shee on the opposite sofa, nattering away about some future developments within the city.

As he tried to listen to their conversation, Goku frowned, a headache brewing right above his one eye. He wasn't one to get headaches, so this was an odd occurrence. He wondered if it was their strange tea. As he went to place the cup down on the small coffee table, Goku winced and clenched his eyes shut, the pain spreading from the front of his head to the back. He groaned and dropped his cup, the small bit of tea that was left, spilling onto the tiled floor. This immediately caught Niiara and Shee's attention.

"Son Goku, are you okay?" Niiara asked him gently, a concerned look upon her face as she put down her own tea. Goku clutched his head and grit his teeth, a ragged breath spilling from his lips. The room began to rumble and shake, Jaak running to his mother as sparks of power began to jolt from Goku's body. Shee turned to Niiara, gripping her by her arms.

"We have to get out of here, now!" he ordered.

"What's going on?"

"GO NOW! HE'S GOING TO BLOW!" Shee shouted as pictures fell from the walls, crockery flew out of cupboards and cracks formed in the walls. Shee shot towards the front door and practically threw his family out, shouting at them to keep running. He turned his body back to face the Saiyan, his eyes wide in alarum, a frightening chill spreading up his spine as he watched the man's eyes change to a cold teal. And it was like an eruption like nothing he had ever experienced before. Shee kicked the door shut with his foot but the golden aura that ignited from Goku's body burst through the door, hurling it off it's hinges, and sending Shee several feet from his home. Shee covered his head with his arms, Goku's ear-piercing scream almost shattering his ear drums.

Goku completely lost control. And it was like daggers penetrating every inch of his body, making him howl in agonising pain. He groaned as he tried to regain the slightest bit of control, his body trembling, his fists shaking as they clenched tightly in front of him. He suddenly felt a jolt up his spine and he gasped as the incredible power totally vanished and his eyes and hair returned to their normal state. He stood there on the spot, panting for several seconds, unable to explain what the hell just happened to him. As he glanced around, he noticed the living area was destroyed, one of the walls crumbling on the far side, the furniture around him melted and burnt. Goku was mortified. His eyes darted around, looking for the small family that were in the room only moments ago. His heart was racing, he couldn't see them or feel them anywhere. In his flurry of panic, he failed to notice Shee stood at the once doorway of the small home.

Goku's panic-struck eyes suddenly met Shee's, and Goku felt an overwhelming need to run away.

"I-I'm sorry ... I ... I don't ... I need to go" Goku rushed out as he headed in the opposite direction of Shee, and towards the crumbling wall.

"Where are you going?" Shee questioned him firmly. Goku halted at the crumbling wall and turned his body slightly to face the man.

"I have to get out of here" Goku nervously uttered.

"And go where?" Shee questioned him again.

"I don't know ... maybe my ship is fixed now ... maybe I can go home"

"You think you can go home like this? What about your son? You can't go home to him like this" he told Goku.

"I can't stay here ... I have to go somewhere else ... I need to ... figure this out" Goku raised his one arm and run his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"You have no control of it, do you?" Shee asked him calmly. Goku stared at him for a moment in silence.

"Is that the first time you've transformed since leaving Namek?" Shee added.

"Yeah" Goku barely whispered, "but I didn't see it coming until it was too late".

"Let me help you" Shee offered.

"What?"

"I know someone who can help me train you, let me help you get control of this". Shee suggested as he walked up to Goku.

"I ... I don't know ..." Goku stuttered out.

"You are a fighter, no?" Shee questioned him.

Goku nodded his head.

"Then you and I both know that without training, you won't be able to control this tremendous power surging through your body. It is alien to you and you don't understand it. You need to understand it, control it and independently summon it. When you are able to do that, then you can go home". Goku swallowed and nodded his head lightly.

"But your home-"

"Don't worry about it, Niiara has been nagging me to remodel it for years" he tried to lighten the situation with a small smile, making Goku feel less anxious about it, but the guilt still weighed heavily on his shoulders.

"Well, I can at least help clean up and rebuild it" Goku proposed as he glanced around at the place.

"You work in construction?" Shee wondered, surprised by this.

"I helped build my own home back on Earth, so I know the basics of it".

"Well, I'll be damned" Shee thought out loud. This Saiyan was nothing like any of the others he had encountered.

"Please let me help you, I feel terrible for destroying your home" Goku told him solemnly. Shee smiled and held out his hand for Goku. Goku smiled and took it, both men shaking in agreement.

"Deal" Shee accepted.


After a couple of hours of cleaning up and a temporary fix to the damaged wall, Shee took Goku to the other side of the city where a large temple stood, away from the busy streets of civilization. Goku followed Shee up the large stone steps, Shee bowing in front of a short Yardratian when they reached the top.

"I humbly request an audience with Otonniowe Pybara" [Elder] Shee spoke. The small Yardratian nodded and motioned for Shee and Goku to follow him inside the temple. Goku couldn't help but nose around at the temple as they headed inside. It was very basic inside, with wooden-like floors that creaked beneath Goku's weight, a large banner hanging ahead of them with writing he didn't understand. He guessed it was their native language. He noticed floating orbs hovering above, and he was about to ask Shee what they were when two other Yardratians emerged from a side room.

The three Yardratian's communicated before the two disappeared back into the side room. Goku's eyes drifted to a table just ahead of them, with what looked like incense sticks burning in glass jars. Goku sniffed the air, the unfamiliar smell gracing his nostrils. It wasn't a terrible smell, but it wasn't as nice as the one's Chichi used at home.

"N'cocoheh coyonicochi, Otonniowe Pybara" [Announcing, Elder Pybara] a voice startled him, the two Yardratians now back in their presence, and suddenly a very large, round Yardratian following them. Goku gaped at the large creature as it towered over all of them. He was light blue in colour, with two very small black eyes and two whiskers on either cheek and two pointed tips, which he wondered were his ears, on the top of his head. As Goku stared at the massive creature, he failed to notice that Shee had fallen to one knee. Shee eyed Goku suddenly, a "psst" sound hissing from his lips, motioning for him to do the same.

"Oops, sorry" Goku whispered out, before taking a knee next to Shee.

"This is our Elder, Pybara. You show him respect when in his presence" Shee chided him.

"It's quite alright, master Shee" the deep but gentle voice of Pybara boomed above them, "I've heard all about the mysterious creature who fell from the skies. I'm sure he isn't acquainted to our customs."

Shee rose from his knee, Goku following suite, as he began to speak.

"Elder Pybara, this man's name is Son Goku. He is a Saiyan who has come from planet Earth".

"A Saiyan, hey?" Pybara questioned, that piece of news being new information to him. Goku noticed the other small Yardratians in the room appeared terrified.

"Yes, Elder, but he is not like any of the Saiyans we have encountered before. This man has a pure heart and a gentle aura. He is the one responsible for defeating Frieza and his forces, including the Ginyu force". Pybara was astounded at Shee's words.

"You defeated the Ginyu Force?" he questioned the Saiyan.

"Uh ... yes, sir, I mean, your majesty, King, sir" Goku stumbled over his words. Pybara had a deep belly laugh at Goku.

"I'm not the King, you funny man, you may simply call me Pybara" he bellowed, patting Goku on his back, the blow to his back so hard, it would have broken his spine had he been a lesser man. Shee was stunned at Pybara's brazen attitude towards the Saiyan.

"You are more than welcome here on Yardrat, Son Goku. I welcome anyone who shows compassion to our people. I also wish to thank you, for defeating the Ginyu Force. They were causing havoc on Yardrat before being called away by Frieza. Because of you, they didn't return to continue their heinous crimes".

"Well, it wasn't just me, my friends helped to defeat them" Goku spoke humbly. Pybara chuckled and rested his large hand on Goku's shoulder.

"Well, I thank you and your friends for putting an end to their wicked ways. And it was you who defeated Frieza?" Pybara asked him.

"Yeah, that was me" Goku informed him.

"Well, Son Goku. I am forever in your debt. Please do tell me if there is anything I can do for you".

"Well, Elder, there is something we wanted to discuss with you, if possible" Shee butted in.

"I'm listening" Pybara prompted for Shee to continue.

"Son Goku requires training. He has an unimaginable power within him, which he first unlocked on Namek, and what aided him in defeating Frieza. He needs help to control this power, so he can safely return home. I wondered if you would help me to train him?" Shee asked the Elder. Goku waited patiently for Pybara's response, watching intently as the large creature tapped his chin in deep thought.

"Train him, you say? Okay ... but only if you can get one of my jokes" Pybara declared.

"Oh, boy" Shee mumbled under his breath. Pybara was notoriously known for his very simple but silly sense of humor.

"Um ... okay" Goku agreed, although slightly apprehensive as he didn't always get jokes.

"What does a storm cloud wear under his raincoat?" The Elder asked him.

"Um ... water proofs?" Goku guessed.

"HA-HA! NO! Thunderwear!" The large being was cackling at his own joke for several seconds. He composed himself before asking another.

"How do you make a tissue dance?"

"Uh ... by blowing it?" Goku answered unsurely.

"NOPE! By putting a little boogie in it!" Pybara laughed out hysterically. Shee slapped his forehead.

"Okay, last one. Really think about this one" Pybara told Goku, "What do you give to a sick lemon?" Goku crossed his arms and thought hard about the answer. What do you give a sick lemon? What went with lemons? He was sure he had heard this one before. What did lemons make? Goku suddenly gasped.

"Oh! I know! Lemon-aid!" Goku shouted out excitedly. Pybara laughed at his enthusiasm and slapped his back once again.

"Correct! Well done, young Saiyan" he congratulated Goku. Goku grinned, very proud he got the answer right.

"So, you will train him?" Shee pushed for the answer. Pybara smiled.

"Yes, I will train him. We will start tomorrow". The Elder decided.


Goku's eyes couldn't help but wander as he sauntered along the bustling sandy street of a popular Yardratian Market, Niiara at his side. After visiting Pybara, Shee took Goku back home and Niiara insisted he went to the market with her. There were many stalls, as far as the eye could see, selling an abundance of food such as local fish, fresh fruit and vegetables. There were hand-made jewellery stalls and a variety of clothes stands.

"So, where are you actually from?" Goku questioned the small woman as they strolled comfortably through the market.

"Why do you ask?" Niiara eyed him in wonder.

"You're different"

"I'm different?"

"You don't look like any of the others I've seen living here and you just seem ... different to them" Goku pointed out. Niiara turned her focus away from him and collected a woven basket with a handle from an unmanned stall. She pushed it towards Goku, indicating that he needed to hold it for her.

"I'm an Arcosian, from the planet Arcose. Our people were responsible for supplying money and technology to the Saiyans, back a long time ago"

"Really? You were in cahoots with the Saiyans?" Goku's eyes were wide in disbelief. Niiara frowned lightly.

"We didn't have much of a choice. The Frieza force ruled over many different planets, Arcose being one of them".

"So, how did you wind up here?"

"I made a bit of a name for myself and challenged the higher authorities. I started a revolution with many others, to stand against the unfair duties imposed on us by the Freiza Force. Lets just say it didn't end well".

"What happened?"

"A riot broke out in the streets and I was arrested. But when word got out that the Ginyu Force were on their way, panic seeped through the streets and I took that as my opportunity to escape. I stole a ship and left with nothing but a few rations and the clothes on my back".

"And what about family? Did ya have any?" Niiara couldn't help but smile. Son Goku asked a lot of questions.

"My parents were killed by members of the Frieza force when I was a child. I was very young. I don't remember them much"

"I'm sorry"

"Oh, hush. The past is the past" she uttered playfully, "Anyway, after hopping across a few different planets, making myself some money, topping-up on rations and trying to stay out of sight from Frieza's men, I came across Yardrat"

"It was a bit of a rocky landing, I'm sure you'll agree" she spoke to Goku and he chuckled lightly, "I ended up being stranded in the desert and that's when Shee found me. He took pity on me and took me in and the rest is history".

"Is that why you took me in?" he asked her, a smile on his face. Niiara laughed and slapped his arm.

"I took you in because everyone else were too afraid to".

"So, not 'cause you felt sorry for me? And y'wanted to be nice? Like Shee did?"

"Don't flatter yourself" she winked at him, making him chuckle as he scratched the side of his face sheepishly.

"I reckon you cared, really" he told her.

"Is that so?" she she asked amusedly, before paying the stall owner for some produce.

"Yeah, you seem a nice person, so I think you did secretly".

"You are a funny creature, Son Goku". She dropped a large net of fruit into the basket he carried before continuing their walk.

"So, is Shee from Arcose too?"

"No, Shee has always been on Yardrat. His father landed here when he was a baby and he left him here with the Yardratians. Something about this planet being a safer place for him. His father was never seen again. To this day, Shee has no idea where he came from".

"I kinda understand how that feels. I didn't know I was a Saiyan until just over a year ago. Before then, I just thought I was human but had no clue as to who my parents were and why they abandoned me in the woods". Goku sympathised with Shee, his eyes now on the ground as they slowly ambled through the crowds.

"Life isn't always fair. But I believe we all have a purpose and that things happen for a reason."

"Y'do?"

"Yes, I do. I think you were meant to crash land on Yardrat and stroll through this marketplace with me" she smiled impishly.

"Oh, yeah? Why?" Goku chuckled out.

"Well, who else was going to carry this basket of food for me?" She joked, making Goku laugh some more. Her eyes caught the attention of some onlookers opposite them and she grinned.

"Or maybe you were meant to stroll through this marketplace to find yourself a lucky lady or two" she teased, poking his side. Goku looked at her with a confused expression before following her eyes to a stall opposite them. There sat 2 Yardratian's, who Goku guessed were women from the dresses they wore. They waved sweetly at him, giggling, one of them giving him a wink. Goku swallowed nervously.

"Uh ... I don't get what's so lucky about them ... but ... Niiara?" Goku panicked when he realised he was alone in the dirt street, the 2 women still ogling him. He shrieked when one of them blew him a kiss, soon catching sight of Niiara who was walking away laughing in the near distance.

"Hey! No fair! Wait for me!" He called after her, making a run for it.