Notes: This story is in no way related to "Crushes Are Like Cherry Pies," which is a DBZ story I wrote years ago. But that worked out well enough, so I decided to try another food theme, although only in the titles. This has been sitting in the dust of my hard drive for some time, but with Toriyama's passing, somehow it seemed wrong to leave it there. If he proved anything, the world is a better place with more of his characters in it. Anyway, fair warning: the Universe 6 involved in this story will look nothing like the expected one, at first.

For Toriyama-Sensei

May Your Journey On Snake Way Be An Eventful One

Mystic Pan Pizza
A Dragon Ball Super Fanfic by
Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)
Chapter 1: Powered Pineapple

Chi-Chi had learned early on in her marriage not to question the sudden appearance of bruises on her husband. The fact was, Goku trained hard and frequently, so it was actually odder for him to come home without a single scratch on him. True, most of his bruises were self-inflicted in one way or another: either adding too much energy here, or misjudging how much damage he could safely deflect without injury there. And in true Saiya-jin fashion, he healed fast, to the point where patching him up was usually more for Chi-Chi's peace of mind than any actual need on Goku's part.

Their son Gohan had unfortunately, or fortunately, been the same way. And no matter how much Chi-Chi had insisted that he was her darling little boy, or that he should focus on his studies, Gohan resisted her, respectfully but firmly. There had been many shouting matches over how much he hung out at Kame House, and more than once Gohan had simply vanished from home, with or without Goku, and turned up days later, begging Chi-Chi's forgiveness but swearing a training trip had been necessary. And in the end, no matter how much she wanted to be strict, Gohan was her firstborn and therefore special. Deep down, he was a good boy who loved his parents and wanted desperately to please them both. But their individual dreams for him were total opposites, and he was torn between them. And certainly, many children would choose roughhousing over textbooks, at least while they were still children. And even if Gohan's promises to buckle down and study when the fighting was done seemed halfhearted, Chi-Chi knew she had raised him to keep his word, especially to her. And so he had.

Goten was simultaneously like both his father and brother, and yet nothing like them. With Goku's death and Gohan keeping his promise to study, there had been no one Chi-Chi trusted enough to teach Goten how to fight. She didn't want him to, of course, but by then Chi-Chi had realized that a Son, and especially a son of Goku, who didn't know how to fight was a freak by their standards. And she wanted Goten to be able to protect himself and his family, so she had taught him how. While she was far from the best teacher, she still had it on good authority that she was one of the strongest women on the planet. And at least at first, Goten had trouble keeping up with her. That ended the day he realized how to turn into a Super Saiya-jin, and from then on, Gohan made time to train him out of necessity. Goten blossomed under Gohan's eye, but he never lost his gentle heart or respect for his family. And when Goku returned to them, Goten bonded with him almost instantly, and spent every free moment with him. It was as if Goku had never been taken away from them at all.

But every so often, Chi-Chi would get an unwelcome reminder that she was raising Earth's greatest heroes, and though she didn't like to think about it, possibly poor Videl was, too. With Gohan, it had been Chi-Chi finding that not only was her husband dead, but that the one responsible had also kidnapped Gohan, and that the next time that she saw her then only son, he would be fighting for his life against monstrous aliens. With Goten, the latest reminder was far less traumatic: a large, dark bruise that Chi-Chi spotted on his ribs as he emerged from the bath one evening.

"Goten-chan," Chi-Chi called after him, causing him to stop and turn to her. She knelt down and beckoned him closer, and without another word, reached out to carefully prod the bruise. To her surprise, Goten flinched, if only momentarily, and that was what made Chi-Chi truly begin to worry. Bruises that were so inconsequential that they were quickly forgotten about was one thing. Bruises that lingered and actually caused notable pain to one with any amount of Saiya-jin blood were something else entirely. No longer in the mood to approach cautiously, Chi-Chi gave him a firm stare, with enough worry mixed in for Goten to realize that he wasn't going anywhere without an explanation.

It was a sign of how well Goten truly knew his mother than he began, not with an apology for failing to report the bruise to her, but with a hug and a reassuring tone. "Please don't be worried, kaa-san," he said, patting her on the back. "It was a training accident."

Chi-Chi returned the hug, being careful to avoid the bruise. "A training accident with who?" she demanded. She already had two suspects in mind, both of whom might have been so eager to fight that they might have forgotten to pull their punches with a younger opponent like Goten.

"Trunks-kun," Goten answered promptly, confirming Chi-Chi's most likely suspect. "But please don't get mad at him! After it happened, he yelled at me for ten whole minutes about letting my guard down, so it won't happen again!"

That sounded true enough: Goten enjoyed being yelled at about as much as Trunks enjoyed getting into trouble for not acting like the older, more responsible one of them. And Goten was truly Goku's son in that he managed to correct the most obvious flaws in his fighting technique virtually overnight. Especially when Trunks pointed them out, and promised to exploit them later if Goten failed to fix them. He was simultaneously the best and worst friend Chi-Chi could imagine for Goten, but there was really nothing for it. Their families were close enough where Chi-Chi already knew that whenever a girl Briefs was finally born, she would most likely end up marrying Goten, or one of Chi-Chi's future grandsons.

"Just be more careful, sweetie," Chi-Chi finally said.

"I will," Goten promised with a nod. He grinned and, without being prompted, gave her a peck on the cheek. "Goodnight, kaa-san. Love you!" He turned and headed for bed, his infectious good mood leaving Chi-Chi smiling after him. She put any worry out of her mind in that moment, and forgot all about the bruise.

"Nii-chan! Videl-san! Pan-chan! I came to play!"

Videl looked up from feeding Pan and smiled as Goten flew down to join them at the dining table, having come through one of the upstairs bedrooms. Chi-Chi was the only Son who believed in doorbells, although the rest were at least considerate (or perhaps rude) enough to announce themselves loudly despite that. So Videl had developed a habit of leaving one window upstairs slightly open on the days she expected company from them, and often even when she didn't. Between her father's reputation, Videl's own, and the amount of super-powered traffic she regularly had in her home, Videl had nothing to fear from any criminal born on Earth.

"Hi, Goten-kun," Videl greeted, wiping Pan's mouth. "Would you like something to eat?"

"No, I ate earlier," Goten replied. He grinned and presented her with a sunflower almost as big as her head. "I picked this for you on my way here."

Videl laughed weakly as she took the flower from him. "That's very sweet, but I've told you several times, you don't have to do that. Between Gohan and my father, I get all the flowers I could ever want."

Goten seemed doubtful. "Kaa-san says it's bad manners not to bring a gift when I visit."

"I suppose that's true," Videl admitted. "But your presence is a gift to me, so you never have to bring me anything else, okay?"

"Okay, but if you change your mind later, I know where all the best flower fields are between your house and mine." He turned to Pan and smiled, offering his finger for her to grab onto, which she did immediately. "You remember my name?" he asked her.

"Tengo!" Pan cried at once, the confidence in her tone admirable.

"Two can play that game, Nap-chan," Goten teased.

Pan stuck her tongue out at him. "No nap! I Pan!"

"Nope, I told you the rule. I'll get your name right when you get mine right."

"Tengo!" Pan insisted, tugging on his finger.

"Nap-chan needs a nap," Goten responded.

"NO NAP!"

Videl shook her head and smiled. "Goten-kun, think you can keep her busy for a while? I need to get a few things from the store. I won't be gone long."

"Yeah, that's fine," Goten replied, lifting Pan out of her high chair and patting her on the back until she let out a hearty belch.

"If you need help or have any questions," Videl continued, "Piccolo is meditating out back, so-"

"I know, raise my power level and he'll come flying."

Goten seemed remarkably calm about what he was being asked to do, which Videl chose to take as a sign of confidence. If he wasn't scared, then she wouldn't be, either. Piccolo would probably come to the house on his own when he sensed that Pan was there without an adult. And Goten often played with Krillin's daughter Marron, which, while it was not the same as entertaining a baby as young as Pan, still involved many of the same things. Aside from that, Pan had already proven more hardy than the average baby, to the point where Goten would almost have to want to hurt her in order to do so. And that was one thing that Videl trusted would never be true of him.

Videl returned home in less than an hour, much to her own surprise. She had expected to be gone for nearly twice that long, but a rare combination of only green lights and an excess of available check-out clerks had shortened the trip considerably.

It had absolutely nothing to do with concern for Pan, a small voice in the back of her mind insisted.

There was no obvious mess in the house, at first glance. Goten had even been thoughtful enough to leave a note in plain view, stating that he and Pan were playing outside. And as if he had been able to predict Videl's worry, he had decorated the bottom of the note with doodles of himself, Pan, and a stern but startlingly accurate-looking Piccolo.

Sure enough, when Videl went into the backyard, the first person she spotted was Piccolo, standing a few feet from the back door. He had the exact same expression as the doodle, and Videl barely stifled a laugh in time as he turned to her.

"Was there any trouble with the kids?" she asked.

Piccolo opened his mouth to answer, and as there were no tell-tale signs of annoyance or concern in his face, she figured there was nothing major to report.

Goten chose that exact moment to burst out of the nearby bushes at high speed, his body bathed in a golden aura. He was so focused on whatever he was doing that he did not even notice them, and instead turned back to the bushes, where, a few seconds later, Pan crawled out, leaves stuck in her hair and a wide grin on her face.

Separately, they were two sights that Videl had seen many times before. Goten had even been one of the very first Super Saiya-jin that Videl had seen, and she counted herself lucky that he had been. The adult transformations were far more impressive, and rather frightening under most circumstances. And Videl was never more aware of that until now, when she imagined the results of Goten plowing directly into Pan in that powered-up state.

Pan spotted Videl and quickly got to her feet. "Mama!" she said happily, holding up her arms to be picked up.

Videl scooped up Pan faster than she ever had, and after a quick inspection, deemed her to be unharmed.

By then Goten had returned to his normal state, and judging from the grin on his face, he still had no idea of Videl's mood.

"Goten-kun," Videl said softly, trying to keep her voice steady, "I think you should go home now."

The smile slipped off of Goten's face. "Did I do something wrong?"

Videl glared at him, not trusting herself to speak for fear of what she might say. He genuinely had no idea what he'd done, or at least what he could have done.

Thankfully, Piccolo intervened. "Go on home, kid," he said. "Videl and Pan need some mother-daughter time."

"Oh," Goten said slowly, recognizing the dismissal for what it was. He glanced between them uncertainly, as if trying to find the answer, but finally turned around and flew away.

Several moments passed in silence. Even Pan seemed to recognize the tension in the air and simply clung to Videl's shirt.

"I know why you're upset," Piccolo finally said. "What I don't know is why you're mad at him, and not me. I was watching them, and I gave them permission to do what they were doing."

The first part of that statement was no surprise to Videl, but the second part was. "What exactly were they doing?"

"Playing tag, at least on the surface of it. Goten never said as much, but I think he was actually trying to teach Pan to sense his energy."

"Isn't she a little too young to do that?"

"No," Piccolo said firmly. "In fact, it's the very first skill I would want a baby who tends to fly off by herself to have. She needs to know how to find her way home, or at least to someone she knows."

"And you thought that required Goten to be a Super Saiya-jin?" Videl demanded.

"No. He was probably trying to make it easy for Pan to find him, and clearly it worked. I admit he could have achieved a similar effect without transforming, but as far as I know, this was their first time playing this game. Pan might not want to play anymore if she lost."

"She might not want to play anymore if she'd been trampled by a Super Saiya-jin, either!" Videl snapped.

Pan instantly began to cry, upset by Videl's raised voice.

Knowing her current mood would make it difficult to comfort Pan, Videl surrendered her to Piccolo, who had her calmed down inside of a minute.

"I understand why you're concerned," Piccolo said. "But I would have stepped in, if I thought Pan was ever in danger. Notice that I did not."

"I know that. But are you suggesting that Goten has as much control over his power as you do over yours?"

"No," Piccolo sighed. "Which is why I agreed to watch them when Goten asked me to."

Videl paused. "He... asked you to?"

"Yes. The minute they came outside almost an hour ago."

Videl shook her head. "How is it that he can be so responsible one moment, and so irresponsible the next?"

"Possibly because, like you, he was depending on me. But it isn't my judgment that you're questioning."

"And you think I'm wrong to do that?"

"Videl, when Gohan was a child, I kidnapped him and forced him to live off the land. However much I have changed, I would never presume to tell anyone how to raise their child properly. In fact, it's because I care for Pan so much that I don't offer my opinion on how to take care of her. I am honored every single time that you and Gohan trust me with her."

"I feel like you're trying to make a point."

"I told you why I think Goten did what he did. But the only person who can tell you exactly what he was thinking is Goten himself. If you're not ready to talk to him, then Goku is your next best option. Neither of us understood humans very well when we were young."

Videl frowned. "So wouldn't Chi-Chi be the better person to talk to?"

Piccolo shook his head. "Chi-Chi is human and a mother. She would instantly take your side and only make the situation worse for Goten. It's up to you if you want him punished that way, but it isn't likely to make him tell you anything. Goku is more likely to understand where Goten is coming from. Not to mention he's easier for both you and Goten to talk to."

"But that's your opinion, which you're not offering, since you don't claim to be an expert on raising children."

"Right," Piccolo agreed as he turned and carried Pan into the house. "Although I did help raise a wimpy kid, that grew up to be a pretty smart man, that thought you were good enough to be his wife. So maybe sometimes I get lucky."

Extra Pineapple: Heiress of Badrock

"Is it true, aneue?" Whis asked as he walked into the chamber. "Have you finally caught him?"

Vados shook her head at her brother's question. "You're half right. But I had next to nothing to do with his capture. That's partially why we're here: to award the one responsible."

Whis turned his gaze to the floating platform next to his sister, where a complete set of Dragon Balls were gathered, gleaming in the dim light of the chamber. He could not help but comment.

"They're... so small."

"Compared to what you were expecting, I'm sure they are. But I am confident their wishing power will suffice."

"Then I must admit to being a bit confused," Whis replied. "I was under the impression that this person captured an inter-universal scourge. Are you seriously telling me their wish is limited to impacting only a portion of one universe? Do they know what they're passing up?"

"You will understand later," Vados assured him. "For now, know that two wishes from these Dragon Balls will be more than enough reward."

Whis still seemed hesitant, but he trusted that his sister knew what she was doing. And, so far as he knew, there was no reason to shortchange someone who had done such a great service for two universes.

A few minutes later, the guest of honor arrived. Whis could not help staring, as he reviewed everything he knew about the situation.

In Universe 7, Majin Buu's unique brand of chaos had claimed the lives of several gods. The current incident involved another Majin, from another universe, with similarly catastrophic results. But where Buu had been limited to a single universe, this other Majin had found a way to cross between universes, making him all the more dangerous and elusive.

And yet, Whis was expected to believe that a child had stopped this Majin? Vados was surely leaving out some extremely relevant details. But he put his questions aside, for the moment, as the girl approached them.

She did not seem at all different from any other human he had observed from afar. She was not even wearing any sort of armor, only a black T-shirt with a curious glowing stone printed on the front, jeans so dark red in color that they almost had to have been purposely soaked in a great deal of blood, and lime green boots that seemed far too big for her feet.

"Welcome," Vados greeted. "In return for services rendered to Universes 6 and 7, specifically the capture and return of Majin Beta, I now offer you two wishes from these Dragon Balls. I urge you to consider them very carefully." Vados stopped and peered closely at the girl. "You'd already decided on your wishes before you got here." It wasn't a question.

"I've thought about this for a long time, Vados-san," the girl admitted with a shrug. "I know what I want."

Whis cleared his throat softly.

"Ah, yes," Vados added. "My apologies. This is my brother, Whis."

The girl turned to Whis, then bowed respectfully. "It's very nice to meet you, Whis-san. Your sister has been a great help to me."

"A sentiment I am sure most who meet her share," Whis replied absently. Normally, he would not hesitate to praise Vados, but he was more concerned about the girl before him. "And may I have your name?"

The girl turned to Vados before answering, almost as if seeking permission, or confirming that Whis could be trusted. "I am Son Satana, only child of the human Lidev and the Saiya-jin Badrunt, granddaughter of the Saiya-jin Badrat, and great-granddaughter of the Saiya-jin Badrock."

Whis blinked. "I see."

Satana drew back in surprise. "You're the first person that hasn't asked why I insist on naming my entire family line."

"I am aware of the collective fates of the Saiya-jin of Universe 6. I would not question your devotion to your family." Whis paused, then chose to add, "If there is one thing I do question, however, it would be why you have not opened your eyes in my presence. I detect no blindness or any abnormalities in your vision, and-"

"You're being very rude to her," Vados interrupted, shooting Whis a sour look.

"You chose to limit how much information you gave me. I am acting on what little I have to go on. As near as I can tell, there is something about this girl that you are reluctant to tell me. Which I could ignore, if you were not about to reward her with two wishes."

"Wishes that will not impact you or Universe 7 in the slightest."

"If that were true, there would be no reason to keep me in the dark."

"I would not have invited you, if I thought you would bring shame to our-"

"Vados-san," Satana interrupted softly. "It's okay. I don't want you two fighting because of me. Family is... so precious. I will open my eyes, and I trust it will be obvious to him why I keep them closed."

Whis was not entirely sure what he'd expected when Satana opened her eyes. But she was absolutely right: the reason for keeping them closed was far too obvious. "I see," he said again, more slowly.

Satana smiled, then closed her eyes. "I didn't lie about my family line, Whis-san. I've had an eventful life, and that changes a person. If you require more information, I don't mind sharing it with you. But I assume you know why you were kept in the dark now?"

"I suspect you didn't capture Majin Beta, at all. Rather, now my question is how you managed to convince him to turn himself in. No one else had any success with that."

"They didn't understand him like I do. I was uniquely positioned to gain that understanding."

Whis frowned. "And your wishes?"

"They will in no way impact Majin Beta, I assure you. The first is very straightforward. I desire the revival of Planet Sadala."

Whis shook his head. "That will not restore your family."

"I'm aware, and that isn't my goal," Satana replied. "But if it were, my second wish would address that issue."

Continued in Chapter 2: Sausage and Sorrow

Gohan drops by to have a serious talk with Goten and his parents. The Hakaishin gather to decide the fate of Majin Beta.