With the terror of Majin Buu no more, the people of Earth enjoyed a time of peace. Once they got brought back with the power of the upgraded Namekian dragon Porunga, the earthlings needed time to adjust to the fact they got resurrected. However, the people forgot Majin Buu existed and did so much evil once the wish was made through Earth's dragon balls.
Despite this being a time of peace, some learned from their past mistakes and continued to work hard in case another bad situation arose. One of those people was Son Gohan. Having failed twice to finish off an enemy when presented with the opportunity and getting rusty during the period of peace before Majin Buu appeared, the hybrid devoted himself to honing his skills.
The young man stood under the cliff as the heavy rain poured down from the dark sky. His eyes remained closed as he concentrated. Once a few seconds passed, he suddenly leaped into the air and avoided a beam. Relying solely on his senses, he swirled and avoided a barrage of ki beams. He moved swiftly and gracefully while dodging all the attacks using nothing but his senses. The spiky-haired hybrid jumped high in the sky and placed a hand forward. He caught the beams and redirected them to the left side.
"Ah! Crap!"
A startled, childish voice caused Gohan to smile. "Language, Trunks!" The tall teen leaned to the right and dodged a flying kick. "Too predictable, Goten!" He caught his little brother by the leg and sent him flying toward a mountain.
"Ahh! No! No! Stop body!"
While Son Goten managed to stop himself just in time, Trunks kept his distance and continued to fire. "Stop messing around, Goten! Come here so we can charge at him together!" The yellow-haired half-Saiyan gathered a lot of energy and shot it at Gohan.
Son Gohan kicked the blast out of the world's atmosphere and praised Trunks. "Woah! That packed quite an amount of power! You have gotten stronger since the battle against Majin Buu. Did you train by yourself, Trunks?" At this point, Gohan moved around as Goten and Trunks shifted to hand-to-hand combat.
"Tsk! Yeah, I trained on my own! Since there's no one there to teach me anymore!"
Gohan's brow twitched as he felt a sudden spike in Trunks's ki. The teen hybrid began to block the tiny fists and, with a simple kiai, blew his younger brother away. "Trunks... I know you feel as if you're alone, but you can always count on us for anything. You don't need to train by yourself." He ducked but had to block a knee quickly.
"But it's hard! Even if Dad mainly trained by himself, he still showed me how to do stuff! He was there, and now, there's no one!"
The little boy's cracking voice rang across the land as he punched Gohan with all his might. His strike collided with Gohan's palm and created a shockwave, making the nearby cliff crumble. He clenched his teeth and glared at the spot he hit until he felt the older male relax and smile.
"Trunks. You know that's not true. Goten, me, Piccolo, and everyone else will always be here for you. Whatever you need, we will be there. After all, you're like a brother to us, right, Goten?"
The carefree yellow-haired boy floated upside down above them as he looked at his best friend. "That's right! You don't need to feel lonely, Trunks. You have us and Vegito." Goten's eyes sparkled as he wondered where the mentioned Saiyan was.
Upon hearing such words from Goten, Trunks relaxed a little. "I-I know. It's just strange to be without Dad..." The boy's yellow hair reverted to normal as he lost the desire to fight. "Have you guys seen Vegito?" The blue-eyed hybrid seemed curious about the fused warrior's whereabouts.
Seeing how the mood changed, Gohan slowly descended, and the boys followed. "Unfortunately, no. We haven't seen him since we said goodbye to everyone on the lookout." The boys took shelter in a cave as the rain continued to fall.
"You don't think he left us as well?"
Gohan gazed at Trunks and couldn't help but feel bad for the boy. However, he knew that wasn't the case. "No. I'm sure he will return once he deals with his stuff. Remember, guys, it's not easy for him either." The strong teen smiled warmly as he placed both hands on the boys' shoulders.
Trunks and Goten nodded and remained silent as they thought of the fused warrior. "I hope he comes back soon. I wanna show him how strong we've gotten, right Trunks!?" Goten grinned as he looked at his best friend.
The lavender-haired boy blinked and smiled at Goten's eagerness. "Hmph. Sure thing! He's going to fall on his butt once he sees our new and improved secret moves!" A devilish smirk surfaced on Trunks's face as he and Goten giggled.
Gohan snickered as the boys began talking about their strategy. However, the dark clouds parted once the rain stopped, revealing a full moon high in the night sky. That sent Gohan into a panic mode as he knew it was very late.
"Oh no! I didn't realize it was so late! I have a test tomorrow morning! Mom's going to kill me!"
Gohan grabbed the boys and rushed back home across the sky, fearing for the worst once he got there. Sweat blew off his face as he traveled at the highest speed. He could see the familiar mountain and the valley in the distance. He began the descent while the two boys didn't seem to care and continued to mess around. Once he stepped foot in front of the house, as if on cue, an angry Chi-Chi barged out of the house, shouting at Gohan. While the hybrid apologized to his mother, he hoped to ace the test tomorrow. Even though he promised to keep training, he continued his studies and pursued his dream of becoming a scholar.
A bell rang inside the building, causing the students to burst out of their classrooms. While the students walked down the corridor, Son Gohan dragged himself as he could barely keep his weary eyes open. The warrior spent the entire night studying and preparing for the critical test. He almost missed coming on time in the morning, but thanks to his superhuman powers, he entered the classroom before the professor.
While the powerful teen wobbled through the hallway like a zombie, he didn't seem to notice someone was calling him. His only thoughts consisted of getting home and falling into the bed. However, he snapped out of his daydream once a loud and familiar voice shouted into his ears.
"Son Gohan! Are you deaf or trying to avoid me for some reason!?"
Gohan's entire body froze. "H-Hey, Videl! What makes you think that? You know I..." Suddenly, she was before him and poking his chest with her index finger. Sweat slid down his temple as she glared into his eyes.
"What makes me think that!? Well, you're constantly running off somewhere, and when we are together, it's as if you're not there!"
The teen scratched his head as Satan's daughter viciously glared at him. "That's not true... Yawns... I have so much stuff to do... Yawns..." Gohan couldn't help himself and continued to yawn while Videl shook her head.
"See, that's what I'm talking about. The other day, you let a thief run past you because you were too tired... Gohan, you can't keep going like this. I worry you're putting yourself under too much pressure."
Gohan's expression suddenly shifted. He could see it in her eyes and hear her voice; she was worried about him. The hybrid let out a sigh as he shut his eyes. "I guess you're right. But I can't slack off! I did it before, and it led to a disaster!" He squeezed his hands tightly, blaming himself for not being ready when needed.
"Gohan, you were just a little kid at the time who lost his father. You had to help your mother and little brother while also studying. The world's fate should not rest on a kid's shoulders."
He calmed once he felt Videl's touch. In the back of his head, Gohan knew she had a point. "You're right. I should make a better schedule between training, studying, and teaching Goten and Trunks..." The hybrid smiled once he saw Videl smile as well.
"And don't forget, going on dates with me."
Their faces flashed red when Videl blurted the words out. "Y-Yeah, of course!" Gohan laughed awkwardly while other students walked by them.
He couldn't stop smiling as he stared at Videl. The teen was glad he had someone like her in his life. She proved to be someone he could rely on and tell everything. After what they went through together, he couldn't imagine a world without her. And as per usual, she was always a voice of reason.
A soft laugh escaped from Gohan as he gently seized Videl's hand. "How about we head out for an ice cream? I owe you that much, at least." They walked towards the exit, ignoring the other students staring at them.
"Sure. But don't think I'll let you go off so easy! You owe me a proper date."
Gohan laughed. He expected nothing else from Videl. "Well, now that I think about it, Bulma's throwing a party on Saturday. Would you like to come with me?" He halted and gazed at her.
"Of course! I look forward to it."
The two laughed as they left the school grounds and went to the nearby ice cream stand. Son Gohan kept smiling as he couldn't wait to take Videl to the Capsule Corp. party and get everyone to know Videl properly, unlike last time when they got forced into hiding because of Majin Buu. The hybrid knew everything would go fine this time, and nothing would ruin their date.
.
To commemorate the end of Majin Buu's terror, Bulma organized a party for everyone at Capsule Corp. She waited for months so even the good Buu could come without anyone freaking out. The blue-eyed scientist wore a smile on her face as she saw all of her friends gather in the large garden. Her smile grew as she watched Trunks laughing and having fun with the others. She couldn't help but notice a specific person was missing. It pained her. Because when he was there, she could feel Vegeta's presence nearby.
However, Bulma was tough and didn't let anything hold her down. "Hey, Chi-Chi! I'm happy you guys came!" She hugged the black-haired woman with whom she formed a strong bond.
"We wouldn't miss it! Although I had to make Goten do his chores and homework before coming here... But more importantly, how are you?"
While everyone ate or danced, Bulma held Chi-Chi's hands tightly. "Some days are better than others, but I'm doing well..." She smiled after she let out a weak sigh.
Chi-Chi knew exactly how Bulma felt, so she was always available and letting Goten spend more time at Capsule Corp. "That's good to hear. Trust me, it's going to get better." She hugged her again and couldn't but notice he was missing.
"Hm. I see he's not here... I swear, he's just like Goku. Just disappearing without even saying a word."
Bulma couldn't help but giggle at that. "Well, he is a combination of those two knuckleheads! I'm sure he is fine, but it would be better to have him here." The smile slowly faded, but deep down, she felt they would see the Saiyan soon.
"Yeah... Well, his loss, I say! Now, let's go and enjoy the party with everyone!"
Bulma agreed and went with Chi-Chi to a food stand. While everyone was having a good time, they were unaware of what was coming from space. A lone pod engulfed in a luminous glow flew by the sun and swirled toward Earth. The space pod moved with great speed and, in no time, breached the planet's atmosphere. It took only two minutes for the fireball to crash against the ground. As the engine died out, the gates began to open and lower.
"Destination: Planet Earth Completed!"
A flame-haired man emerged from the pod with a scouter in his hand. He put the device over his eye and pressed a button. "We made it... Gure, you can come out. There's no danger." The short male let out a sigh of relief as he helped Gure.
"Thank you, dear. Woah! So, this is Earth!"
He couldn't help but smile at Gure's reaction. However, he wished the circumstances were different. This was Gure's first time leaving her homeworld, and it was under such terrible conditions. The man clenched his teeth while his tail lashed behind him. He shook his head and, with a serious expression, again pressed the button on the device.
The scouter found what he was looking for only a few seconds later. "Hmph. All those with large powers gathered in one place... Far to the west, it seems. He must be there!" As he squeezed his fist, a white glow began to surround his body. "There's no time. Let's go!" He blasted into the sky while holding Gure in his arms.
He wondered how to approach the group as he flew under the starry sky. "I know it's been ages since we saw each other, but I hope you will have even a shred of goodwill to help us, brother!" The man was nervous, but he had nothing else to count on.
The man snapped out of his thoughts once he felt a gentle touch on his face. "It's going to be fine, dear. I know for sure your brother and his friends are going to help us." He stared at her and responded with a smile.
"You're right, Gure."
His eyes changed as he was determined to get help. He sped up and flew across the ocean. In the distance, he could see glowing lights, which meant they were approaching their destination. His tail wrapped tightly around his waist as he was about to see his older brother after so many years.
Meanwhile, the Namekian Piccolo suddenly stopped drinking his water at the party. The wise warrior frowned upon sensing an unfamiliar energy heading their way. He placed the utensil near the plate and rose. The cape behind him swayed as he walked across the dancing podium. He ignored Yamcha, Oolong, and Master Roshi's dancing and shouting and focused on only one individual.
The Namekian stared at the young couple, oblivious to him, until he coughed. "Ahem! I apologize for interrupting your dinner, but I must talk with Gohan." He could see the puzzled look on the hybrid's face, so he placed a hand on the man's shoulder and led him away.
"What's wrong, Piccolo? You look disturbed by something."
Piccolo nodded and gazed at Son Gohan once they were away from the others. "I sense a strong presence heading our way. It could be an enemy." The moment he uttered those words, Gohan's demeanor changed.
The teen's eyes sharpened as he felt the energy. "Piccolo, you're right! Someone is coming our way! Should we alert the others?" He looked at his mentor and friend for advice as he untied the tie.
"No. After the disaster with Majin Buu, they deserve to loosen up and enjoy a time of peace. You and I will intercept this stranger before they reach us."
Son Gohan nodded and put the tie into his pocket. "Okay! Let's go while others are distracted!" He wanted to say something to Videl at least, but the imperative was to stop this unknown person from reaching the party.
Piccolo and Gohan vanished, leaving no trace. The duo appeared high in the sky and flew away. They had just left the city when the stranger appeared before them. While Gohan stared at the small and pale being, Piccolo couldn't help but stare at the flame-haired stranger. The man's appearance reminded him so much of the Saiyan prince.
However, the Namekian shook his head and glared at the shorter male. "State your business, stranger. What are you doing here, and why were you headed to Capsule Corp?" Piccolo's stern tone and firm stature eclipsed the stranger.
Sweat slid down the man's cheek as he nervously stared at the giant man. "Capsule Corp? I assume that's the place Gure and I were headed... Listen, I bear no ill will! I'm here seeking help!" His pupils stirred toward the spiky-haired teen, who looked much like someone from his tribe.
"Looking for help from what? Why should we trust you?"
The man knew this would be tough, but he couldn't help but wonder where his brother was. "I will explain everything. Just tell me, do you know someone called Vegeta?" His heart began to pound hard and fast as he waited for a reply.
Upon hearing the name of the Saiyan prince, Gohan and Piccolo began to wonder who this individual was. "Vegeta!? How do you know Vegeta?" This time, the young hybrid posed the question.
"Of course, I know him. I hadn't seen him since our father sent me to a far-away world with a species with low battle power. Long story short, my name is Tarble, and I'm Vegeta's younger brother."
Piccolo's and Gohan's eyes were wide open as they stared at the short Saiyan. "Vegeta's younger brother!? You look practically the same now that you mentioned it." Gohan approached Tarble and still couldn't believe the arrogant and grumpy Vegeta had a little brother.
The Namekian shared the same thoughts as the hybrid but quickly regained his composure. "Ahem! While you do strongly resemble Vegeta, it doesn't seem as if you're as strong as he was." Piccolo could tell this Saiyan was vastly different from Vegeta.
Embarrassed, Tarble looked away and let out a sigh. "A-Actually, I'm not much of a fighter. Which was the reason our father sent me away... Wait! You said it was as in the past tense. Don't tell me Vegeta's dead?" His pupils quivered as he held tightly onto Gure.
"Tarble..."
The Namekian knew this would be complicated, but Son Gohan got in the way. "Why don't you guys come with us to Bulma's place so you can rest and meet everyone? We will explain everything then, okay?" Gohan offered them a warm smile, which worked.
Tarble had no choice but to follow these people who knew or seemed close to his brother. "Alright. Lead the way." He was too tired of running and fending off the enemy, so he took a helping hand.
Once they returned to Capsule Corp, no one could believe that this man was a Saiyan, let alone Vegeta's younger brother, despite their strong resemblance. Tarble, on the other hand, had no idea Vegeta had settled down and had a family. It was hard for the Saiyan to imagine Vegeta, of all people, with a family that wasn't from their tribe.
Tarble shook his head and gazed at Gure. The little alien received medical help from the family doctor who lived nearby. He was glad Gure only had surface wounds and nothing serious. The Saiyan released a tired sigh and shut his eyes while he sat in front of the group. Despite learning of having a nephew, which he was happy about, his thoughts lingered on his older brother.
"How did it happen? Did my brother die in battle, as he always envisioned?"
His voice caught everyone's attention. No one said a word until Trunks opened his mouth. "Dad's gone, but not dead. He lives as a part of someone else." The lavender-haired boy was curious about his uncle and stood before the man.
Naturally, such an answer confused the Saiyan, so Gohan stepped forward. "What Trunks meant by that is that Vegeta and my dad, Son Goku, used a Potara fusion technique to merge and create a new warrior powerful enough to deal with the evil Majin Buu who terrorized the world at the time." Gohan hoped he had explained that bit correctly.
Tarble blinked and remained quiet for a minute as he stared at the taller male. "Hmm, I see. So, my brother and your father gave their lives away to prevent a great evil from taking over the world?" Now that he said it, he couldn't imagine the Vegeta he knew doing something so noble.
However, in front of him was all the evidence he needed. A little smile surfaced as the Saiyan stared at his blue-eyed nephew. "I'm sad that I won't be able to see him, but hearing what he did and that he managed to find a place where he belonged with a new family makes me happy." Tarble could barely sustain himself from shedding tears.
"Well, it took some time for Vegeta to get there, but eventually, like most people influenced by Goku, he turned around and became a good guy."
The eyes shifted to Krillin, who held his daughter while 18 stood beside him. "Yup. I remember it like yesterday when he and that bald Saiyan got to Earth and almost succeeded in their mission." Everyone looked at the scarred Yamcha, who snickered as he crossed his arms.
"That only shows Goku's influence on all of us. After all, most of us in this room were once his enemies, and look at us now."
Everyone agreed with Tenshinhan. Everyone in the room told a story or two about the two Saiyans, and Tarble listened to each one of them. The flame-haired warrior snapped out of his thoughts once Bulma sat on the chair near him.
"I'm sorry you had to learn about Vegeta's absence this way. But I'm glad you and Gure are here. By the way, are you and Gure..."
Tarble's cheeks turned red while he stared at the floor. "Y-Yes. Gure's my wife. We have known each other since I landed on their planet as a child." The Saiyan smiled as he reminisced about the first time they met and played together as children.
Bulma couldn't help herself but smile as well. "Tarble, you really are different from Vegeta. I could never tell you were his brother if it weren't for the strong similarity you two share." There were few facial differences; for example, Tarble had softer eyes and a little bang hovering above the forehead.
"Unlike me, our father molded my brother into the perfect warrior, the next leader of the Saiyan race, and the ruler of the Universe. Unlike my brother or others, I didn't have the drive for battle from my early years. Father deemed me unfit and a disgrace to the family name. Which is why he sent me to a planet far away so no one could know he had a weak son."
Once she heard that, Bulma embraced Tarble, who wasn't expecting it. "And now look at you! You survived all those years by yourself and have grown to be a good and strong man! I'm sure Vegeta would have been proud of you, believe me!" She looked into the Saiyan's eyes, ensuring he knew she was serious.
Hearing that meant a lot to the short warrior. "Thank you, Bulma." He felt relaxed and safe for the first time in a long time- so much so that he unwrapped his tail from his waist. "I'm curious, so I have to ask, where is he? Vegito, I mean. I would like to meet him." He wondered where the fused Saiyan was all this time.
"Well, we don't know. He just vanished five months ago, but I'm sure he's fine. After all, he's the strongest guy in the whole Universe."
Tarble smiled when he saw Bulma's confident smirk. "Heh, I believe you... However, I must tell everyone why Gure and I are here." He turned toward the others as he stood up.
With everyone's attention on him, Tarble continued. "As you know, I lived a peaceful life with Gure and her people on Tech-Tech. They were a peaceful species who abandoned the violent ways centuries ago and focused on advancing their technology. However, the enemy attacked out of nowhere!" He squeezed his hands tightly as he remembered the invasion.
"They slaughtered everyone, showed mercy to no one, even old people and innocent children! Our world got burnt to dust, and they laughed while doing it!"
As Tarble halted to calm himself down, Krillin felt very bad about this as it seemed like a specific individual from the past would do. "That sounds identical to what Freeza and his henchmen were doing. Please, don't tell me..." A nod from Tarble was enough for Krillin to turn blue.
"Yes. Despite Freeza's demise, there are still loyal followers of his idea. The remnants of Freeza's army are still conquering worlds and slaughtering innocents in his name! And the ones after Gure and me are called Abo and Kado!"
Silence prevailed in the room while Gure's whimpers forced the Saiyan to go to her. The first to speak up was Trunks, who was visibly angry with what he heard. "Don't worry! I'm going to defeat those creeps! Then, you and Gure can stay here and live with us!" The boy spoke with bold determination, which surprised the others.
"Thank you, Trunks, but you are just a child. Unfortunately, you can't fight them. I fought them and lost. And besides, according to the rumors, their power is on par with that of Freeza!"
Instead of being taken over by fear, Trunks smirked. "Oh yeah? Well, then I'm just going to have to go Super, right Goten!?" As on cue, the two boys shouted and let the golden energy swirl around them.
Tarble watched the boys' hairs spike and turn yellow while a golden glow surrounded their frames. "W-What's this!? It couldn't be the..." His scouter exploded when he foolishly tried to measure their battle power.
While Trunks and Goten stood proudly in the middle of the room, a scream startled the boys. "Trunks! What did I tell you about going Super Saiyan inside the house!? Do you want to get grounded again!?" Both boys instantly reverted to normal and apologized.
"We're sorry!"
On the other hand, Tarble couldn't believe what he just saw. "A-A couple of children able to harness the power of the legendary transformation... H-How's that possible?" Tarble sat down and could only stare at the two boys who pleaded for mercy.
"Quite a shocker seeing it the first time, huh? Those boys are something else, I tell you. It took lots of work for the rest of us to turn Super Saiyan."
Tarble snapped out of it and gazed at the approaching Son Gohan and Piccolo. "Rest of you? Even Vegeta managed to attain the legendary transformation?" A simple nod from Gohan was enough to confirm. "Unbelievable. He actually did it..." A big, proud smile appeared on the Saiyan's face.
"Hmph. About the enemy... Those two boys tend to swear to take things seriously but make quite a mess in the end. However, this could be a perfect opportunity to see if those two learned something from their battle with Majin Buu."
Tarble and Gohan looked at Piccolo, who hoped the sons of Goku and Vegeta had learned their lesson. "Don't worry, Piccolo. I have a feeling they will surprise us all." The Namekian raised his brow, curious to see it for himself.
The full-blooded Saiyan hoped they were correct and the nightmare would end. He shifted his attention to his wife. The warrior was happy to see his troubled wife able to smile and laugh once again. He was relieved they made it to Earth despite losing many lives. An hour later, the party ended, and everyone went home. Naturally, Goten stayed at Capsule Corp alongside Tarble and Gure, whom Bulma was happy to take in.