Dragon Ball Z Dynasty

by Feraligreater328

When travelling along Snake Way, Son Goku suddenly finds himself plummeting down to Hell. There, he meets a surprisingly familiar ghost from his past that promises to change everything about his life going forward. How will the Saiyan react to this sudden, positive change in his life? Find out in Dragon Ball Z Dynasty.

91. Chapter 90: 10 Days of Peace

Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty

Written by: Feraligreater328 and StevenBodner

Chapter 90: 10 Days of Peace

Mt. Paozu, Goku's House…

Chi-Chi whistled a merry tune as she washed the dishes that were leftover in the sink. It had been an adventure coming home and finding their house left a wreck, but it wasn't like Chi-Chi minded. Having new babies in the house put a pep in her step. This was the kind of situation where she flourished. She loved having her hands full.

As his daughter did her thing, the Ox-King watched on with a cheerful, nostalgic grin. He remembered way back in time, before the tragic day he had lost his wife, Chika. She was an amazing woman and giving birth to little, baby Chi-Chi inspired even more energy than she had shown before. Ox-King looked down at his two new grandchildren and he smiled wide, making what he thought was a funny face. This act, however, immediately made Goten and Chika burst into tears. Ox-King flinched. "Wh-What did I do?!"

Chi-Chi sprang into action. She attached a soft, light purple harness to her chest and then grabbed the babies, slotting them into it. Underneath the harness, Chi-Chi undid the top part of her dress and the babies quickly began to nurse as she went back to pounding the flour for the noodles that evening. She sighed. "Bulma was a lifesaver with this harness. It's nice to be able to feed the two of them and still get things done~"

Ox-King smiled. "I'm so proud of you, honey. You're such a good mom~"

Chi-Chi shrugged. "I just know my responsibilities as a mother. Right now, I have four kids that need me to be there for them, so I have to always try my best!"

Ox-King nodded. And then, he looked around. "Where did Gohan and the older Goten go, anyway?"

Chi-Chi smiled and folded the dough firmly. "They're out spending some quality time with their father~"

Down on the Paozu Riverbank…

Goku and Gohan both laughed out loud as they crashed around in the water. The two of them were wrestling with a massive, horned fish that was desperately trying to escape its Super Saiyan assailants. Gohan called out. "Are you sure Mom said she wanted a horned catfish?! I'm sure she said fanged catfish!"

Goku grabbed the fish by the tail and flung it into the air, watching with amazement as the fish jerked itself while in freefall and managed to land away from them. "I'm sure she said horned catfish! Why would she want to make fanged catfish with rice?!"

Gohan dived after the fish. "Wasn't she making noodles?!"

Goku rocketed ahead of his son. "I'm positive she was making rice!"

Sitting on the sidelines, underneath the shade of a tree, Future Goten stared on with a small, sad smile. He let loose a sigh. And then another voice spoke. "Is something wrong, young friend?"

Future Goten turned and smiled at his fellow patron of the shade, Eighter. "I... I dunno. I guess it's just... Mom always used to tell me about these legendary fishing trips. How much Dad and Gohan could eat together. How they'd chase down fish until they got exactly the one that Mom wanted. Dad... Dad never forgot what we were having for dinner..."

Future Goten sadly chuckled. Eighter smiled. "Yes, that definitely sounds like Goku~"

The boy turned to his companion. "I know you came here to see my dad. You don't have to keep me company. Go hang out with your friend, man..."

Eighter chuckled as he picked a nearby flower. "I am hanging out with a friend. All of Goku's treasured companions are friends to me. That includes you, his oldest, youngest son~"

Future Goten sighed and looked to the sky. "I appreciate it. It's... surreal to be sitting here, talking to an Android like a friend. I guess all of my priorities on this trip have been screwed up from the beginning..."

He leaned back against the tree and crossed his arms over his chest. "Dad makes friends with so many people, so easily. He's had so many grand adventures and great exploits. He's a great guy. E-Everyone I've talked to in both my timeline and this one have had their own Goku story to tell..."

He closed his eyes. "It made me want to meet him so much. When I was given the chance to meet him, though, all of that want turned to fear and dread. I didn't have anything against him... but I really didn't want to be the guy who was forced to tell Son Goku that..."

Future Goten's words caught in his throat. He took a deep breath and sighed. "The Son Goku that I've been told of is identical to the one that I've met. But... I wouldn't be surprised if, underneath it all, he really did hate me for what I let happen to Mom and Gohan..."

Eighter shook his head. "I understand what you're feeling. But I don't think that's the case."

Future Goten looked to Eighter. Eighter smiled. "No one person is an island unto themselves. Goku understands that. He knows that nobody in the world is perfect. And I doubt very much that he would throw the blame of such a thing onto his youngest son. If anything, I think Goku would blame himself for not being there to help..."

Future Goten frowned. "You think so?"

Eighter smiled wide. "I know so from experience. When Goku came to Jingle Village, I was Android 8: a monster that the Red Ribbon Army used to frighten innocent people. Goku could have gone along with that narrative and just defeated me as he had done everyone else in Muscle Tower. But, instead, he chose to look past all of that and instead formed his own feelings toward me. He didn't shun me. He gave me a name and, together, we saved Jingle Village from General White. That's the kind of person Goku is. That's why he's my best friend and why I know that he wouldn't hate you like you think he would. Goku just isn't that type of person..."

Future Goten sighed. "Well, that makes me feel a bit better, I guess. Once again, someone has told me their very own Goku story..."

Eighter smiled. "I bet you'd have your own Goku story to tell if you'd just open up to him. You can do it, Goten. I believe in you~"

Future Goten looked uncomfortable. "I'm not sure I can. Or that I even have the right to. I lied to everybody and, even if he isn't hurt..."

Future Goten's frown worsened and he bowed his head in shame. "Uncle Raditz..."

Eighter cocked his head. "Goku's brother?"

Future Goten looked ashamed. "I lied to him. Since I first met him, I misled him and twisted all of that love he showed me into something meaningless. And..."

The boy swallowed a lump in his throat. "Him and Ranch both. I took a year they could have had with one another away due to my own cowardice. Like me, Ranch never got to meet her dad before this and I took that year from her. I'm so selfish..."

Eighter sighed. "That's a bit harder. I don't know Ranch that well. Nor do I really know Raditz. But, from what Launch had to say for all that time I spent around her, I don't think Raditz would hate you. Launch had nothing but good, positive things to say about her husband and the type of person he is when he opens up to people. I'm sure if you looked him in the eye and apologized, there would be no ill will..."

Future Goten shuddered and hugged his knees close. "I don't know if I'm brave enough to do that..."

At Raditz's house, the Son Family Farm…

Raditz used a machete to clear out the excess of growth atop the crops, and then he easily yanked the vegetables from the ground and began to deposit them into a fresh basket hanging from his back. Next to him, Future Ranch did the same. It was a hot day in the vegetable fields, but father and daughter were both very invested in their work. Behind the two, other workers in the fields were also doing their part to harvest vegetables. They needed to have the next shipment ready for when Bardock and Gine got back with the truck.

One of the newer workers, a young man, looked over at Future Ranch, her shirt tied in a knot at the center of her chest and her shorts cut off on her upper thighs, showing an intricate tattoo on her left leg, and he wolf-whistled in approval. "Hey, sweetheart! You dating anybody right now?"

Future Ranch chuckled and called out. "Happily, in a relationship~"

Raditz called out in a far more serious tone. "That's my daughter!"

The boy yelped and immediately, and quite awkwardly, got as far away from Future Ranch and Raditz as possible. Raditz glanced over at her. "Tattoos?"

Future Ranch nodded. "Yeah. I've got one on my shoulder too..."

She lifted her left sleeve, revealing an all-black tattoo. It was a geometric design containing the letters that made up Raditz and Launch's names. She smiled. "They don't mean all that much. They're just a hobby. I have this one on my shoulder that I got for you and Mom. And the one on my leg is going to be a dragon once I get it all finished up~"

Raditz sighed and shrugged. "I guess I can't really complain. You're a grown woman. You're allowed to do what you want~"

Future Ranch smirked and went back to picking vegetables. She playfully commented. "Damn right, I am~"

Raditz worked in silence for a minute. Then, out of curiosity, he spoke. "Do, uh, Goten and Trunks...?"

Future Ranch shook her head. "Goten is scared shitless of needles. And Trunks and I were planning on getting a pair of matching ones if or when our relationship became more serious."

Raditz nodded. "Ah."

And then, he wiped his forehead. "With my life-and-death experiences to fall back on, I can safely say that it's actually hotter than Hell out here. I'm going to go get us some water from the house..."

Raditz motioned his thumb towards his and Launch's house, a few dozen yards away sitting on the edge of the fields. "Do you want anything? A snack maybe?"

Future Ranch smiled warmly. "I'm good. Thanks for asking though. Love you, Dad~"

Raditz smiled gently and turned, waving at his daughter as he walked. "Love you too."

Quickly making it over to his house, Raditz stepped up onto the porch and was met by Blue Launch emerging with two sports bottles of water in one hand and Ranch in the other. He smiled and took them, and then kissed both his wife and his infant daughter on the forehead. Blue Launch giggled like a schoolgirl. "You two need to be careful out there today. Try not to work poor Ranch too hard."

Raditz chuckled. "Are you kidding me? She's making all of us look like we're standing still. She might end up working us too hard..."

They both looked back, seeing a content Future Ranch doing farm work with a skip in her step. She looked like she was having the best day of her life. Suddenly, a snake shot out of the nearby grass and tried to bite her, but she quickly seized it by the throat and tossed it behind her with such force that it became a twinkle in the sky. Blue Launch looked overjoyed. "She looks so happy. Not at all like when we were flying to Kame House a couple days ago..."

Blue Launch turned to her husband. "So, how about you? Are you okay?"

Raditz shrugged. "In... what regard...?"

Blue Launch frowned. "You know what I mean."

Raditz sighed. "It... it is what it is. I can't be mad at him because he's just as affected by what happened to him in his time as Ranch was. Feeling blue, no offense, or holding a grudge isn't going to help anybody. So, all I can really say is that I'm here to listen when he wants to talk..."

The two of them both sighed, still feeling a bit off about the whole "Daikon" situation. They kissed one another and then Raditz walked back into the fields. Once he reached Future Ranch, he handed her one of the sports bottles and they both took a long swig. Future Ranch wiped her forehead on a towel around her neck. "You and Grandpa Bardock sure have a lot of different fields out here, huh?"

Raditz nodded. "Yeah. All of this farmland actually belongs to Chi-Chi. But, she just gave it to us under the agreement that she gets a share of the profits."

Future Ranch nodded. "That's a pretty sweet-"

"Excuse me, Mr. Raditz!"

Raditz and Future Ranch both turned to a field worker. The worker frowned. "I'm not interruptin', am I?"

Raditz shook his head. "You're fine. What's up?"

He sighed. "Is Mr. Bardock around at all? I need to ask him a favor. I wanted to see if I could have my vacation early this year..."

Raditz cocked his head. "Why?"

The worker sighed. "My wife is plum terrified, Mr. Raditz. That Cell monster had her scared that the world is gonna up and end, so I wanted to take her out on a vacation to calm her down. I ain't too sure what's gonna happen in ten days, but seein' her all on edge breaks m'heart."

Raditz and Future Ranch both frowned. Raditz sighed. "My dad is out on a delivery and probably won't be back for a couple more days. But, you're a loyal worker. So, I want you to take your vacation, paid of course, and have a nice time with your wife. And then, once these blasted Cell Games are over and you get back, I look forward to seeing you nice and refreshed for fall planting season. Deal?"

Raditz held out his hand for a handshake. The worker smiled wide and eagerly shook his hand. "It's a deal! Thank you so much, Mr. Raditz!"

Future Ranch watched as the worker went running across the fields, towards where all of them parked their trucks. She smiled. "That was really cool of you, Dad~"

Raditz shrugged. "Well, who knows how things with Cell are actually going to go. My own father even refuses to talk about it, so this might be the last vacation that he ever gets..."

Future Ranch sighed and went back to yanking vegetables from the ground. "Don't feel too bad, Dad. I was there and I still have no idea what Uncle Goku and Grandpa Bardock were fighting about..."

On the highway leading to East City…

A semi-truck sped down the highway, a trailer loaded with vegetables attached to the hitch. In the cab, Bardock sat behind the wheel with a pensive look on his face. Gine sat in the passenger seat next to him, reading through a handful of materials she had brought with her. She gently hummed along with the radio as she read through each book and, eventually, Bardock broke. "What are you reading over there?"

Gine smiled. "Brochures for schools here on Earth..."

Bardock cocked his head. "Isn't that normally Chi-Chi's thing, to worry about Gohan's schooling?"

Gine shook her head. "This isn't for Gohan. It's for me. I've been acting as Gohan's study buddy since we came back from Namek. And, while I don't quite get the higher-level stuff he's been learning, it does feel pretty good to help him out when he's having issues grasping something. So... I think I'd like to try and do more of that~"

Bardock nodded. "I see..."

The cab went quiet again. And then, Gine spoke. "So, what about you? You have your thinking face on. Wanna talk about it?"

Bardock remained terse. Gine continued. "Is it about Cell? Is it about how, despite how strong Kakarot's gotten, it's pretty easy to tell that Cell is still just that little bit above him? Is that what you're thinking about...?"

Her husband's face hardened. Gine continued. "Or, is this about that vision of the future that you still won't share with me?"

Bardock gripped his hand around the steering wheel. The two of them looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes. Bardock roughly growled and scratched the back of his head. Gine spoke again. "You and Kakarot haven't spoken to each other once since we all left the Lookout. And, even when you came out of the Time Chamber, the two of you seemed stiff around one another. What happened?"

Bardock took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Future Vision is never a sure thing. If it was, I would have known that Kakarot was going to turn into a Super Saiyan decades ago. I would have known that Vegeta was going to turn into one with him. There are a lot of factors that can change how what I see goes..."

Gine closed her book. "You're stalling."

Bardock gritted his teeth. "I never meant to have that vision. Gohan and Ranch were horsing around and they accidentally knocked off my bandana. And... it hit me all at once. I..."

He paused, but then continued. "If what I saw in that brief flash came to pass, then Cell wouldn't stand a chance. But... the ends to reach those means disgust me. And... Kakarot is way too flippant towards all of this. He's too damned carefree sometimes and it pisses me off!"

Seeing the sheer, genuine rage on her husband's face, Gine dropped the subject. Instead, she shifted to something different. "Did you get to hold our new grandbabies?"

Bardock calmed down a bit, nodding. "I did. They're a couple of solid tykes, Chika and Goten are."

Gine smiled. "We're the luckiest grandparents in the universe. Being able to have such happy, beautiful children in our lives. It... it makes me thankful, more and more, for the fact that we got the chance to live our lives on this cozy little planet in the middle of nowhere..."

Bardock grunted in agreement. Gine's smile faded, turning into a sad frown. "The old adage is right though, about twins skipping a generation. Seeing the two of them, with their tails always intertwined... wanting to stick so closely together..."

A small well of tears built in Gine's eyes and she put on a small smile. "It's nostalgic. The kind of nostalgia that makes you want to cry yourself to sleep..."

Bardock was stone-faced, as if he were trying to be as emotionless as possible. "Those kids don't deserve to be born into this awful, freaking mess. I... will not let Cell take this world of theirs from them. I won't let him...!"

Gine wiped her eyes and then smiled. "Well then... I guess the world is safe, with all of my family there to protect it..."

At the Cell Games Arena…

Cell held out his hand and, using Magic Materialization, formed himself a pair of welding safety goggles. The monster placed the eyewear onto his face and then splayed his wings out. Cell sat crisscross in the center of his arena and sighed. "Okay then, I can do this..."

With his right hand, Cell reached over to a massive stack of tiles he had made and grabbed one off of the top. With his left, he reached behind and pulled his prehensile tail from the base of his back like a garden hose. He squeezed the tip, allowing a few drops of corrosive acid to hit the ground next to him, and then, the monster got to work on his little project. Cell hummed to himself as he acid-etched a picture onto the tile. He smiled as his work progressed. "Perfect~"

That smile quickly faded, however, as Cell heard footsteps tromping up behind him. The air-smelled musty, like dirt and unwashed hair. Cell was too engaged in his work to deal with this intruder at the moment though. So, for the time being, they were safe. But rather than run as any smart, lucid human being would. This intruder instead sat criss-cross next to Cell. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw a woman sitting there. She had spaced-out eyes, long and fading blonde hair, and an idiotic, serene smile on her face. She reached out her hand and gently caressed Cell's shoulder. "Hello there, child of Mother Gaea~ My name is Moonwater, and I am so happy to meet you~"

Behind Cell and this intruder, an entire commune of people began to make a racket, playing music on their chimes and chanting out of key some inane drivel about Gaea's Great Blessing. Moonwater giggled. "They're chanting about you, you know? The great, miracle of nature given onto this planet by Mother Gaea~"

Cell was still focused on his acid-etching, but he spoke in a dry, sarcastic tone. "I am a 7-foot-tall insect-like, humanoid with a prehensile tail made from a random assortment of genetics and that is your idea of 'natural'? My word, your brains must be liquid..."

She smiled wide; her teeth surprisingly white in spite of the rest of her being filthy on a glance. "You must be a blessing from Mother Gaea~"

She pressed her cheek to Cell's arm, tenderly stroking his bicep. "You destroyed that hideous city that scars our dear mother in a mere second. Now nature can reclaim that land as is nature's right~"

She kissed his arm. "We're soulmates, you and I~"

Cell rolled his eyes behind the goggles. "Well, aren't you the smartest human being I've ever met?"

She giggled again. "That and more~"

Slowly, she reached up and grabbed the shoulder of her dress. "You and I are soulmates, but I don't want to stop there~"

Moonwater whispered into Cell's ear. "You're a force of nature, and I am a defender of nature~ If you would like, I'd love to make... a child of nature, perhaps~?"

She dropped the rest of her upper dress and bared herself for Cell to see with a lustful smile. Cell completely ignored her, putting down the tip of his tail and taking his finished etching into his left hand. He looked closely at it and blew away the excess acid and tile dust. "Ah, a perfect first attempt~"

Moonwater gently gripped Cell's right hand, moving it to her chest and pressing it right over her heart. "And you're artistic too~ Lovely~! I can't wait to show you all of my paintings~! I think you'll find them quite lovely~"

But then, catching a glance at what Cell had drawn on the tile, Moonwater briefly became just a tad lucid. Her gentle, almost fairy-like manner of speech disappeared and was replaced with a much harsher sounding voice. "Ugh... that looks like that unruly brat of mine. Why would you draw a picture of him?! They have no true love of Mother Earth; they're just a couple of selfish brats!"

Cell flinched a bit. "Oh... I see. That explains the familiar feeling I get from you. It's amazing, even as fused into me as they are... they still recognize you. That explains the hot, radiating feeling I have within..."

Immediately, Moonwater put back on her blissful voice, her lustful smile being joined by a pair of hungry eyes. "Yes~ There we go~ I know that your feelings for me would sprout even-"

*CRACK*

Blood erupted from Moonwater's mouth. She began to shake as the searing hot feeling of five fingers piercing her flesh began to set in. That same hot feeling extended all the way through the viscera of her chest and jabbed directly into her heart. Cell stood, lifting the limp body of Moonwater off of the ground and then turned to face the oblivious commune. Without a second thought he raised his hand, with Moonwater still dangling from it, and fired a blast that shredded through her and crashed into the commune. Moonwater and her people were all instantly incinerated into nothingness. "What an unsavory, stupid woman that was..."

And then, without another word on the matter, Cell sat back down next to his acid-etching of Android 17 and grabbed another tile. "Now to draw Vegeta..."

As Capsule Corp, in South City…

Vegeta sat across from his guest on the outdoor balcony of the Capsule Corp building. In front of him was a tall, chilled glass of tomato juice. Behind him was the sound of a landscaping team preparing the ground for his and Bulma's new house. "You want me to what...?"

On the other side of the table sat Krillin, his head politely bowed. "I want you to train me. Please, Vegeta."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "And why don't you just ask Kakarot to train you? Isn't he your best friend, or some such?"

Krillin nodded. "Goku is my best friend. But that's the problem. He always says he will, but he never goes all out on me! He's too afraid of hurting me, or me dying! Especially after what both Tambourine and Frieza did to me..."

The monk shook his head. "But, if I'm going to be any help at all in the Cell Games, then I need someone vicious to help me get stronger! And you're the most vicious ally we have, Vegeta!"

Vegeta cocked his head, briefly glancing down at his heavily-bandaged, throbbing hands. He glared at Krillin. "That's a pretty big jump in our dynamic. Only a few years ago, back on Namek, you were wishing me dead every time you spoke..."

Krillin swallowed a lump in his throat. "Th-Things change..."

Vegeta re-crossed his arms. "Like what?"

Krillin nodded. "Like you choosing to call Bulma rather than just kill 17 and 18 right then and there. You wanted to end things right there. You wanted to be done with this nightmare. But you chose to give them a chance even if you didn't want to. You went into the future to get the other 17 and 18, even though you didn't want to. And, when Ranch was throwing the blame at you, you just took it rather than directing it at me when, genuinely, Cell being perfect is all my fault..."

The monk gripped his fists. "You're an ass. But, you're a reliable ass. At least... that's what I think. And, well, I wanna make up for all of the mistakes my choices forced you to make. So, please, train me..."

Vegeta was silent for a moment, closing his eyes to think. He picked up his tomato juice, with some discomfort, and finished it off. "Let me make one thing clear to you, baldy. I accepted the blame for what happened because what happened is my fault. No one gets to take credit for my mistakes but me. To try to say otherwise is to throw my pride out the window. Are we clear?"

Krillin flinched. "G-Gotcha..."

Vegeta set the glass down. "But, Bulma did go through all of the trouble to improve the gravity chamber before all of this Android nonsense started. So, I suppose it would be a shame not to take advantage of her efforts..."

Krillin gasped and smiled. "Y-You mean it?!"

Vegeta snapped. "Wipe that damned smirk off your face! If you think this is a walk in the park, you're mistaken! I'm going to drag you through Hell until you get stronger or until you die! And I don't really care which result we get!"

Krillin stood, his smile not fading in the slightest. "That's what I'm talking about! Let's do it, Vegeta!"

In Bulma's workshop at Capsule Corp…

Panchy sat in the corner of the room, Trunks cradled in her arms. She gently shook a rattle just above the little tyke's face and giggled at the sound of Trunks' raucous laughter. She always loved babysitting her grandson. Especially when she was doing so because Bulma was busy. "Now, now, baby. We gotta keep it down. Your mama's gonna have to focus, soon~"

Across the room, Bulma sat in a rolling chair dressed in a set of scrubs. A cigarette sat between the index and middle fingers on her right hand and her forehead was pressed against the left, her fingers on that hand rubbing her temples. "Calm down. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this..."

Bulma took a shaky drag and blew it out. "Y-You can do this..."

"I believe you can do this."

Bulma looked over at the source of the voice, Android 16's severed head. The breach in 16's skull had been given a quick-fix patching to prevent any sort of corrosion on his mental circuitry. He had been attached to a charging plate in order to keep himself functional. Bulma sighed. And then, sitting next to her, Future Bulma spoke gently. "I believe you can do this too. If we work together, there's nothing that we can't accomplish~"

Bulma sighed and let the cigarette dangle from her lips, pressing both hands to her face. "One of you has a serious stake in this and the other one of you is me. You're both way too biased to be encouraging me..."

16 closed his eye. "I am a robot. I do not have the ability to be biased."

Bulma glared at him. "Liar."

16 retorted. "I am a robot. I do not have the ability to lie."

Bulma grumbled. "Smartass…"

She sighed, blowing out more smoke. "I'm sorry you have to be stuck like that, 16. My dad is too busy with West City right now to work on your body. But, when we get done with this, we should be able to get you settled. I have a fabricator working non-stop to pump out the parts we need for you..."

16 nodded. "I am fine, so long as 18's life is able to be saved."

Future Bulma held up the detailed schematics that she, herself, had drawn based on Dr. Gero's various documents and Bulma's scans. "We stayed up all night working on this, 16. It's going to be tight, and the repair job on the Infinite Energy Engine is going to be incredibly precise, but we should be able to do it together..."

A curl of smoke ran in front of Future Bulma's face and her nose wrinkled. "Ugh..."

She glanced over at Bulma. "You should really give that a rest. It's bad for you."

Bulma groaned and put it out in an ashtray. "I don't usually do it this much?! Do you have any idea how stressful the past week has been?! I haven't slept for more than an hour in 4 days!"

Future Bulma frowned. "I know that feeling. Are you... sure you'll be good for this?"

Bulma sighed, grabbing her hair and pulling it back into a tight bun. "Don't have a choice. Even with all the gear hooked up to her, 18 isn't going to live through a nap. I'll just have to power through it."

Future Bulma did the same with her hair. Once the two of them were done, they put on their masks and scrub caps and walked over to the table Android 18 was laying on. Future Bulma pulled over the table with all of their tools on it and Bulma, herself, turned on the various machines they had hooked onto the dying Android: heart monitor, IV drip, oxygen, and so forth. They pulled the privacy curtain and then pulled down the blanket, revealing 18's chest with an extremely nasty wound that showed practically no improvement since it was first inflicted. Future Bulma grabbed a scalpel. "At least Gero's made our job easy for us..."

Bulma picked up a bonesaw with a shaky hand. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself and made her hand stop shaking. "Yeah, easy. Sure."

And then, with no further ado, the two Bulmas began their operation on Android 18.

In the ruins of West City…

With a mighty heave, Future Trunks pulled the end of a sewer pipe, ripping the old plumbing from the ground and allowing the construction crews of Capsule Corp to rush in and begin to install new pipes in their place. The young man tossed the old pipe into the air and quickly destroyed it with a Ki blast. The workers around him all cheered and Future Trunks smiled. "Just mark where the next one to be replaced is and I'll rip it up!"

As the survey crew left to do just that, Dr. Brief marched up next to his older grandson. Future Trunks looked down to his grandfather and Dr. Brief smiled, gently petting the cat on his shoulder. "You have quite the work ethic, my boy. Always a nice thing to see~"

Future Trunks chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "I-It's nothing, Grandpa. Just trying to help out where I can~"

Dr. Briefs nodded. "Of course. But hard work like that should be pointed out and praised..."

The doctor turned and motioned towards all of the pristine, new buildings that had been installed. West City was already forty percent rebuilt. Dr. Brief chuckled. "Your help has made it to where we were able to fix things faster than even Bulma suggested we could get them done. That is praiseworthy, my boy."

Future Trunks bashfully nodded. "Thank you, Grandpa."

Dr. Brief reached into his lab coat. "Now, I have a reward here for you..."

Future Trunks flinched. "N-No! I couldn't, Grandpa! I don't need you to pay me!"

Dr. Brief shook his head. "Nonsense. I won't hear it. You're out here working just as hard as everyone else, and they're being paid double-overtime for all of this. Now, you take this money and you do something nice for yourself with it."

The doctor held out an envelope. Reluctantly, Future Trunks took it. "Y-Yes, sir..."

Dr. Brief smiled. "Now, I'm going to oversee the reconstruction of the upper city highway. You continue things down here and we'll all break for dinner in a couple hours."

Future Trunks nodded. "Yes, sir!"

Watching as his grandfather walked off, Future Trunks sighed. He looked down at the envelope in his hand and shook his head. "This is pointless. But... at least it's only a small..."

Future Trunks pulled the check out from the envelope and gasped, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinpricks. His voice was barely above a whisper. "That's a lot of money..."

He shook his head. "What am I even supposed to do with all of this..."

Future Trunks stood there for a moment, holding the sudden surplus of money in his hands. He gripped it tight and his thoughts immediately fell onto Future Ranch. "Hm..."

And then, one of the surveyors called out. "Mr. Trunks! We've found another section to be excavated!"

Future Trunks nodded. "R-Right! Coming!"

As Future Trunks grabbed the pipe, several thoughts ran through his head. He tugged on the pipe and sighed. "I miss her. It's only been a couple of days, but..."

And then, Future Trunks' thoughts shifted to a conversation he had had earlier with Tien. "I wish I could have gone off and trained with him, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha. I wonder who they got to replace Krillin in training with them..."

On Kami's Lookout…

Piccolo floated among the gardens of the Lookout with an intense energy surrounding him. The sheer force of his Ki emanated out, making the air around Piccolo thick. Popo watched him from a distance, sweating bullets of fear and watching as the Lookout's hostile guest floated there. The Guardian of Earth's gentle attendant flinched in shock as a butterfly flew too close to the Namekian and was incinerated in an instant.

The sound of footsteps landing on the Lookout made Popo leap in shock. He turned, expecting more hostile guests, only to see the smiling face of Tien. "Hey, Mr. Popo! May we please still use the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?"

Mr. Popo put on a welcoming smile and nodded. "Yes, yes. Of course! And welcome to all of you!"

Tien turned to face his comrades. Chiaotzu was floating there with a determined look on his face. Yamcha was also standing there, leaning onto a crutch. Unlike Tien and Chiaotzu, the former bandit looked slightly less excited. Tien smirked and put a hand on Yamcha's shoulder. "You ready, man?"

Yamcha shrugged. "Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

Chiaotzu tried to be encouraging. "Come on, Yamcha! Be more excited! We're going to get stronger and take out Cell alongside all of our allies! We've got this!"

Yamcha looked at his two long-time friends and smiled. "If you guys say so. It'll be interesting to learn how to fight with one leg, I guess..."

Mr. Popo motioned towards Kami's Palace. "I am sure that you will be able to work something out. Kami has made sure that the Hyperbolic Time Chamber is in pristine condition for you all to undertake your training in."

Tien smashed his fists together. "I'm sure that we'll be able to exceed our limits if we spend this entire year going as hard as we can."

Chiaotzu smiled wide. "I might never be physically the strongest, but I'm going to push my psychic powers to their limits."

Yamcha nodded. "I might be down a leg, but I won't let that make me useless in this fight!"

Tien smiled. "Indeed. And with our new training partner, we should become even stronger than we initially thought."

He turned to their fourth compatriot and motioned to him. "What is your goal in this training, my friend?"

Android 17 glared at Tien, his Capsule Corp sweatshirt hanging loosely against his chest. He gripped his fists tight and spoke very seriously. "I have the same goal as all of you. I want to kill Cell."

Tien held out his fist to 17. "Right on."

17 returned the fist-bump, and then the four warriors followed Mr. Popo into Kami's palace. 17 closed his eyes and remembered the reassurance from the two Bulmas that 16 and 18 would be alright. He nodded and thought to himself. 'Even if I will spend an entire year waiting and worrying, I have to leave those two in better hands. All I can do now is train...'

17 remembered Cell tossing him aside like trash and then fiercely opened his eyes. 'I won't let you win, Cell!'

At Kame House, later in the evening…

Master Roshi sat at his table with a giant mug of beer sitting in front of him. Off to the side, Turtle was napping and Oolong was watching one of Roshi's exercise tapes. Roshi put his pipe down and nodded. "I must say, of all the guests that I expected to come by my place this evening, you were pretty low on the list..."

He smiled. "But, I'm always happy to welcome the Guardian of the Earth into my home~"

Kami stood before the three mortals, his eminence and presence washing over them. Even in his frail form, the power and wisdom that came from being the Earth's Guardian radiated off of the aging Namekian. He politely bowed his head. "I thank you for your time..."

The elderly guardian set his staff to the side. "I am not interrupting anything, am I?"

Roshi shook his head. "Nah. Ox-King is going to drop by in a little bit and we're going to celebrate the birth of his new grandchildren together, but we're not doing anything so important that you can't join us."

The old man pointed towards his fridge. "Want somethin' to drink?"

Kami shook his head. "No. As pleasant as a drink sounds, I am not here to make merry. I've come to you... to seek wisdom..."

Roshi chuckled. "Well I'll be. The Guardian of the Earth is coming to me to seek wisdom. Have I really become so old?"

Kami smiled and chuckled. "No older than I..."

Roshi laughed out loud. "Ain't age just the most unforgiving thing?"

Kami nodded. "It truly is. I have lived over 300 years, most of which I have spent as the Guardian of Earth, and yet I still feel as if I do not have the wisdom I need. I watch people such as Goku and Krillin, and even Piccolo grow in the world below and, as time goes on, I feel less and less necessary with every passing day..."

Roshi nodded. "I know that feeling all too well. It's always amazing to me that my students have surpassed me in power and skill by such a huge margin, and yet they still call me their Master. It's one of the great mysteries of life... how do you let your precious juniors grow when you want them to stick around with you forever?"

Kami sighed. "I am not sure I could provide wisdom on such a matter. Your students are the only students that I have ever had, and they've all moved well beyond any real need for me. I simply exist in order to keep both the Dragon Balls and Piccolo in play. Were it not for them, Earth would have lost the need for me long ago..."

Roshi sighed. "Well, ya see, I look at my role like this. As a teacher, I've always dreamed of raising students that would one day act as successors for me. Heck, in a couple more decades... I reckon the time to have passed on the Turtle School will have finally arrived. But that doesn't scare me..."

Kami flinched. "You could live on being a forgotten relic?"

Roshi picked up his mug of beer and took a swig. "I don't think I'll ever be forgotten. They might move on past me, but I know that Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Chiaotzu, and, heck, even Bardock will all remember me in some way or another..."

Roshi smiled. "I've raised some good kids so, in that way, I s'ppose I'll live forever."

Roshi burped. "Looking at things that way, do you think you could live with that?"

Kami sighed. "Your talk of successors is admirable, but I do not have the same experience as you, unfortunately. Those whom I have taught have no interest in taking my job from me. And Piccolo, my one true successor, has made it clear that he will never act as Earth's Guardian..."

He sighed. "I have spent the majority of my life watching from afar. I've never truly interacted with the people of Earth. Truly strong bonds are few and far between, though I treasure the ones I have been able to forge in my twilight years..."

He closed his eyes. "The majority of Earth will never remember me. Nor will they mourn me when my time comes. But my heart is still full of worry for them..."

Master Roshi and Kami both looked at one another. Kami sadly smiled. "So, getting to the point, I suppose I have come to ask what you think I should do? How do you think I should act in order to keep this precious Earth of mine safe when I go...?"

Roshi smiled. "If you're really asking me, I would suggest that you look to your roots for the answer. Perhaps, Kami, it's time for you to reflect on your past and use that to decide how to move forward..."

Kami nodded, a smile on his face. "Thank you kindly for your time, Master Roshi. I appreciate your wisdom."

Roshi raised his glass. "And thank you for watching over the Earth for as long as you have, Lord Kami."

And then, with a tap of his staff, Kami disappeared.

Mt. Paozu, at Raditz's house…

Future Ranch sat in the bathtub, a look of contented weariness on her face. After a long day of tending the fields with her father, the young woman was ready to relax as she went into the evening. So, while her father went out to pick up some take-out food for dinner, she decided to rest into a warm, soothing bubble bath. After a while of sitting there, letting her mind wander, Future Ranch was suddenly interrupted by the door opening. Blue Launch walked in, blissfully unaware, carrying Ranch with one arm and all of Ranch's bath stuff with the other. She looked up from the struggling infant and saw her teenage daughter sitting in the tub. "Ah! Ranch! I'm so sorry! I was going to bathe, uh, Ranch and..."

She chuckled and scratched the back of her head. "S-Sorry. I'll go and bathe your baby self in the kitchen sink~ You enjoy your-"

Future Ranch pulled her arms out of the tub and held them out. "Hand her here, Mom!"

Blue Launch flinched. "A-Are you sure?"

Future Ranch nodded. "Yeah, Mom. She's me. It's fine. There's room in here for two."

Blue Launch smiled and, after removing her diaper, handed Ranch to her older counterpart. Future Ranch sat Ranch in her lap and the two of them seemed to be enjoying themselves. Future Ranch used her tail to playfully splash her younger counterpart. Ranch laughed and splashed back harder. Watching the two of them laugh, Blue Launch couldn't help but smile as wide as her face could handle. Future Ranch turned to her mother, her face dripping. "Hey, Mom, are we washing her hair?"

Blue Launch nodded. "Yep."

Future Ranch held out her hand. "Squirt me some shampoo. I'll wash it~"

Blue Launch was surprised. But, she did as she was asked. Future Ranch smiled and lathered up her hands, and then she began to wash Ranch's hair. Ranch giggled, swiping at the bubbles falling off of her head with infantile wonder. Future Ranch smiled. "It's a bit narcissistic to say, but you are one of the cutest babies ever~"

And then, to Future Ranch's surprise, she felt a pair of hands start lathering shampoo into her hair. She turned and saw Blue Launch smiling. "I agree, dear. You are the cutest baby ever~"

Future Ranch was taken aback at first. But this look of shock eventually became a gentle, warm smile. "Th-Thanks, Mom..."

Blue Launch worked through Future Ranch's hair with her fingers, making sure that every inch was completely lathered. She moved a heavy lock of Future Ranch's hair off of her shoulder and traced a finger over her daughter's tattoo. She snorted and chuckled. "This threw Raditz for a loop, ya know?"

Future Ranch frowned. "H-He wasn't upset, was he?"

Blue Launch shook her head. "No, just surprised. Poor Raditz has only, fairly recently, met you. He's still used to the Ranch that you're holding. Not a Ranch that has lived for 17 whole years. 18 if counting your Time Chamber training..."

Future Ranch nodded. "Ah, I get it. Just a bit of culture shock, I suppose?"

Blue Launch chuckled. "I wouldn't say that either. I mean... it's not like I don't have tattoos..."

Future Ranch flinched. "Wait, what?!"

Blue Launch laughed. "Yeah. It was around the time that I first started working as Bulma's secretary. Her and Blonde Me went out and got hammered and they got matching tattoos..."

Future Ranch looked stunned. "W-Wow...I never knew. I've...never seen your tattoo before. Or Ms. Bulma's..."

Blue Launch chuckled. "Well, I would hope that Future Bulma and Future Me wouldn't be showing you their butts..."

Future Ranch nearly leapt out of the tub. "WHAT?!"

Blue Launch sighed. "Yeah... only Raditz has ever seen mine. He laughs every time he sees it..."

Future Ranch had a curious look in her eye. "What is it...?"

Blue Launch blushed hard. "It's... oh dear..."

Future Ranch looked concerned. Blue Launch scratched her cheek. "B-Blonde Me got a tattoo of a stylized "B" on our butt... and Bulma got a stylized "L" on hers. According to the tattoo artist, it was because they wanted to have proof that they were... always watching each other's ass..."

Future Ranch snorted and broke out into a laughing fit. "W-Why didn't you just have it removed?!"

Blue Launch smiled gently. "Well... Blonde Me and I don't agree on a lot...but, we do agree that Bulma is our best friend. So, I don't mind having it there, as long as it means that she's watching out for me..."

Future Ranch smiled. "That's... actually really sweet, Mom..."

Future Ranch cleared her throat. "So, while we're on the subject... what's the deal with Blonde You anyway? I've... never had a chance to meet her before we came back in time..."

Blue Launch sighed and closed her eyes. "I can't explain it..."

She shifted her shoulders. "Well, I've always been like this. Ever since the day I was born. Whenever I sneeze, I change between two personalities. I'm... I'm not sure which one of me is the original personality, to be honest..."

She shrugged. "So, you know, I'm the one that makes friends and forms relationships. She's the one that adds spice to my life. I'm the reason that we know Goku and everyone else. She's the reason that I was a part of the Red Ribbon Army for a few years. I'm the reason we had a job at Capsule Corp for so long. She's the reason we started a relationship with your Dad..."

Future Ranch gasped. "You were a part of the Red Ribbon Army?!"

Blue Launch nodded. "Where do you think the red ribbon you wear in your hair came from?"

Future Ranch was stunned. "I... uh... huh..."

Blue Launch's hands froze. "Oh! Oh, I'm sorry. That's probably a pretty insensitive thing to admit to you given what you've gone through in your life. I'm so sorry. I just ...I..."

Future Ranch reached up and grabbed her mother's hands, holding them tight. "Mom. It's fine. Don't freak out. You can't help what they did. I'm not mad at you..."

Blue Launch sighed. "Well that's a relief. Still, I'm sorry."

Future Ranch shook her head. "Y-You don't have to be. It's interesting to know that's where you got all of your skills with guns and stuff from. Being able to talk to you again is just... nice..."

Future Ranch began to tear up. She sniffled. "It's just nice, ya know? It's nice to be able to talk to you again, Mom. It's... it's been a while..."

Blue Launch was taken aback. "What do you mean? Why has it been a while? I thought I was alive in the future..."

Future Ranch took a deep breath, recollecting herself. "There's just... it's a bad future, Mom. Ever since Dad died, you just kind kept your distance from everyone. And then when Gohan died, you just shut down completely. I was mad at you, at first. I was hurt. But, Grandpa Bardock and everyone helped me work through all of my issues and stuff. So...I can't blame you. You're hurting too. We're all hurting. So...just..."

She gripped Blue Launch's hand. "It's nice to hear your voice and just... feel you loving me again, I guess..."

Future Ranch swallowed a lump in her throat. "I love you, Mom."

No response. Future Ranch turned. "Mom...?"

Blue Launch knelt there, her eyes closed. All was silent for a moment, but then she opened her eyes and gave a gentle smile. And then, in spite of how wet it made her clothes, Blue Launch hugged Future Ranch tightly. "I love you too, Ranch. And I always will~"

Future Ranch's face glowed a bright, warm pink as Blue Launch kissed her on the forehead. Blue Launch sighed. "Okay. Your father should be back soon. Let's rinse everyone's hair so that we can eat dinner with him when he gets back."

Future Ranch nodded. "R-Right~"

Blue Launch grabbed the shower sprayer and began to rinse out Future Ranch's hair. As she did though, slowly, her eyes closed. And in her head, a familiar voice was raging. Blonde Launch's voice was upset and cracking as she shouted, sounding nearly in tears. 'ARE WE GONNA HAVE TO GO TO THE FUTURE AND SLAP OUR FUTURE SELF UPSIDE HER SELFISH, GODDAMNED HEAD?!'

Blue Launch responded. 'Maybe...'

Mt. Paozu, at Goku's house…

Goku, Gohan, Future Goten, and Eighter all piled in through the front door. Goku was carrying a satchel on his back containing all of the meat from the fanged catfish. Gohan had a satchel on his back full of horned catfish meat. As the four of them walked in, they came upon a surprising, but welcomed sight. Suno was sitting on the floor, Puar perched on her shoulder, reading through one of Chi-Chi's cookbooks. Goku waved. "Hey, Suno~"

Suno waved back. "Hey, Goku~"

Eighter sat next to her, looking happy to see her. "When did you get here, Suno?"

Suno smiled. "After Tien came and picked up Yamcha for training, I decided to come out this way rather than just loiter around Capsule Corp..."

Puar was cheerful. "Suno came to ask Chi-Chi to help her learn how to make Yamcha's favorite dish: hard-baked soba~"

Suno blushed, coughing into her fist. "I just... I'm just trying to be a good house guest, ya know? Yamcha is letting us stay with him, so I wanted to try and b-be polite..."

Puar and Eighter both shot Suno a knowing look. Suno shouted, feeling self-conscious. "Why are the two of you staring at me like that?!"

Before anyone else could make a comment, Chi-Chi, with the babies both hanging from their chest carrier, emerged from the kitchen with a flourish. "You're all home! Wonderful! Did you get my fanged catfish meat to make fishcakes for the Paozu Ramen~?"

Goku shrugged. "O-Oh. So, it was fanged catfish..."

Gohan smiled. "We have it right here! It took a while to get it, though. So, we have a ton of horned catfish meat too!"

Chi-Chi nodded, taking the satchel. "Well that's just great~"

She motioned to her guest. "Suno, sweetie, I hate to ask... but would you help me finish up things with dinner?"

Suno got to her feet, her face still bright red, and marched into the kitchen. "Of course! You don't have to ask me twice!"

Chi-Chi smiled. "Gohan, Goten. Please set the table~"

Gohan nodded. "Yes, Mom!"

Future Goten slowly followed behind. "S-Sure thing, Mom..."

Chi-Chi pointed to Eighter. "And Eighter, we keep a big refrigerator upstairs. Would you kindly take the satchel from Goku and put it in there?"

Eighter nodded, standing and receiving the satchel of fish meat from Goku. "Always happy to help, ma'am~"

With everyone else cleared out, Chi-Chi smiled at her husband. Without warning she ran up to him and jumped into his arms and pressed her lips to his. She separated the kiss after nearly a full minute and then smiled. "How'd it go?"

Goku scratched the back of his head, looking away. "B-Big Goten didn't really participate at all. I think I might have to try a different strategy or something, I dunno..."

Chi-Chi sighed and booped her finger against Goku's nose. "Well that's okay. You have plenty of time to try something new later."

Goku nodded. "Right..."

Chi-Chi dropped from Goku's hold, pulling Chika and Goten from their chest carriers. "Would you watch the babies while I finish dinner? I'd get my dad to do it, but he's out having celebratory drinks with Master Roshi."

Goku smiled, taking Chika and Goten and holding them close. "Of course, I'll watch 'em. I always have time for these couple of troublemakers~"

The two babies giggled and squealed with delight as they were handed off to Goku. They both grabbed at his shirt and he hugged them tight. Chi-Chi smiled at the endearing sight and then turned to walk into the kitchen. "It'll be about 10 minutes, Goku~"

He smiled. "Sure thing..."

Once Chi-Chi was gone, Goku's shoulders slumped. He fell onto the couch and sighed as the babies wiggled against him. Goku was attempting to be calm and carefree, but he truthfully had a lot on his mind. How to reach Future Goten. How to deal with Cell. And the argument with his dad in the Time Chamber, Goku was confident that they could win, especially with the ace in the hole he knew they had. But now, as much as he didn't want to admit it, several things were shaking that confidence if they went in that direction. Goku looked down at his babies, both of them staring at him with sparkling eyes. He sighed. "What do you guys think I should do...?"

"You sound as unsure as I feel, Goku..."

Goku flinched and turned his head, seeing Kami sitting right next to him on the couch. "K-Kami?! When did you get here?!"

Kami sighed. "Just now..."

He looked around. "You have a lovely home, Goku."

Goku sighed. "Thanks. Chi-Chi decorated it..."

A long silence. Goku played around with his kids, adopting a small, happy smile as they seemed to enjoy themselves. Kami spoke. "You refuse to train anymore, and yet you have so much doubt in your heart. That is unlike you, Goku. You're usually so straightforward..."

Goku closed his eyes and sighed, the air conditioner making his blonde hair sway. "Yeah. But like I said; at this point, my best bet to beat Cell is to continue stockpiling and the Time Chamber is just too intense an environment to gather energy fast enough."

Kami nodded. "Ah, I see. That's the practical reason not to train, but that still doesn't explain the conflict in your heart..."

Goku groaned. But then, he very quickly changed the subject. "So, what brings you here, Kami? Do you want some dinner?"

Kami shook his head. "Thank you, but no. I am actually here to share a bit of news with you..."

Goku cocked his head. Kami stared his former student straight in the eye. "Effective tomorrow, I am stepping down from my position as Guardian of the Earth. And thus, the Dragon Balls will be no more..."