NOTE: I just want to say one thing. I'm sorry. The original premise of this story has basically been lost by this point and I can only blame myself for not properly planning out 'A Devil's Friend' when I started it. My original idea was just, "Wouldn't it be funny if Makima and Goku got married?" and went from there. I'm not going to stop, and we'll just keep going until we see where this train takes us.

The story of how Goku and Makima got together WILL be told, but it's going to be taking a backseat for a bit.

Enjoy and Review!

Chapter 6: Back from the Dead

A 9-year-old Son Gohan sat in front of a small grave that lay a bit away from his home. The young hybrid stared at the stone that reminded him of their most recent loss. His father, Son Goku, had given up his life in the final battle with Cell. It was something Gohan was still blaming himself for even after his father and several others had explicitly told him otherwise. He just couldn't help it, because he knew that his father's death was utterly avoidable.

Had he just not allowed the power to get to his head, fought against the wickedness his Devil half had brought him, then he would've dispatched Cell without a second thought.

Fists clenched as the negative thoughts returned with a vengeance. He hated this…hated himself more than anything. This part of him that he couldn't get rid of no matter how hard he tries, the Devil within him just wouldn't leave. Gohan didn't like Devils, they were the dark half of the world that terrorized people everyday. They were monsters just like Cell and Freeza.

But his mother wasn't a monster. She was a Devil, one of the Four horsemen of the Apocalypse. One of the most dangerous devils known in existence…but she wasn't a monster. She loved him, loved his father, took care of them, and protected him from his nightmares.

His aunts…they were different too. Aunt Fami would always bring him mountains of food whenever she visited, much to his mother's annoyance. Aunt War would try and educate him on different kinds of weapons that could kill those he hated the most (While also ranting about how much of a moron his father was). Aunt Death wouldn't visit as often as those two did, because his mother was the most vocal about not wanting her around. However, she would play with him for as long as she was able to.

They weren't bad Devils, they've never killed their own father…! They've never been unable to control their own emotions! They've never had the weight of the entire planet thrusted on their shoulders since the age of three! They didn't leave their future little siblings without a father! THEY-

"Calm down."

A soothing presence washed over him, culling the anger that had been slowly building inside of him. Gohan recognized this feeling, remembering all of the times he's snuggled between his parents in his younger years after having a nightmare or during thunderstorms. He didn't have to turn around to realize that his mother had found him.

Makima stared at her son as she approached him. The sight of her son sitting in front of that grave had been a regular occurrence the past few weeks. He's tried to hide his pain from Goku's decision to stay dead, doing his best to help her after the announcement of her pregnancy.

He's trying to replace the hole that Goku left and it's starting to get on her nerves.

The Devilish wife smoothened her dress as she took a seat next to her son on the grass. Makima crossed her legs, resting an elbow on her knee, and smiled softly at her precious little boy. "Hey."

"H-hey…" Gohan mumbled.

"Talking to him again?" Makima asked.

"I-I wasn't…!" Red tinted the boy's cheeks.

"It's fine, Gohan." She touched his hair, combing through his soft spiky hair. "I talk to him sometimes too."

Gohan stared at his knees, unable to meet his mother's eyes. "I'm sorry, Mom."

"Hm?"

"If it wasn't for me, then Dad would-"

"This is the fifth time we've had this conversation, Gohan." Makima interrupted him. "You are not to blame for-"

"BUT I AM!" He shouted, energy surging around him in an instant. The color of his eyes flickered between black and teal, but the blood swirl that represented her still existed within him. Tears were threatening to spill from his eyes, tears he's been holding back since the Cell Games had ended, "I KILLED HIM! CELL MAY HAVE PULLED THE TRIGGER, BUT I GAVE HIM THE GUN!"

"Gohan-"

"WHY?! WHY DID HE HAVE TO STAY DEAD! YOU NEED HIM! THE BABY NEEDS HIM! I NEED HIM!" Gohan's energy continued to rise with each word. His hair flashed to the golden shine of a Super Saiyan. "D-DOES HE BLAME ME?! IS HE AFRAID OF ME?! BECAUSE OF THIS STUPID DEVIL INSIDE ME-" His rant ended as Makima wrapped her arms around him, bringing Gohan close to her body, her abilities already working to sooth his anger.

Mother and son stood there for who knows how long, allowing themselves to feel the other's presence in the silence of the woods. Makima rubbed her son's back softly, circular rotations that have always brought him comfort. She took a short breath before she started talking. "Your father is a selfless man, but he is also incredibly selfish."

Gohan listened patiently, not a sound leaving his mouth.

"He is not a hero, but to many he'll always be one. He'll always put everyone else before himself, because he believes it's the right thing to do. His decision to stay dead was to try and prevent world ending threats from appearing again. This makes him selfless, but it's where he's also selfish. Your father makes these decisions and does whatever he wants, because he moves to the beat of his own drum. He's a selfish man who has all the good intentions, and doesn't take the time to look at the after effects of his decisions."

Gohan understood this, because his transformation into the ascended Super Saiyan form along with his Devil awakening were results of his father's incomplete judgment. Good intentions with good results, but what happens afterwards…? Where is everyone left when all is said and done?

"Your father keeps moving forward, and all we can do is try to keep up with him." Makima said, smiling softly.

"D-does…does he look back at us?" Gohan asked softly.

"He does." She didn't hesitate to answer. The two looked at each other as Makima continued. "During those three years of preparing for the cyborgs, all Goku could talk about was how proud of you he was."

"R-really?"

"Yup. You were growing so much in such little time that it surprised him. Such a strong boy at such a young age. It made him so happy whenever you accomplished something even if it was something he didn't fully understand." Makima explained. Gohan pictured his father trying to understand the advanced math equations that he studies and it made him chortle a bit.

Gohan turned to his father's grave. "During that final clash with Cell, Dad was encouraging me the entire time. When all hope was lost…he still believed in me."

"And does that sound like a man who fears his child?"

"N-no…" Gohan felt a bit embarrassed now for his outburst earlier. "...I guess I overreacted. I-I-just."

"I know, son. Neither of us expected what would happen when you awakened your Devil side, we honestly didn't think you could. I should've seen it coming, but after so many years passing with no signs of my blood influencing you, I figured that those Saiyan genes were much too strong. But it seems that your Saiyan blood and Devil blood had perfectly mixed together, creating a power that none of us comprehended." Makima explained.

"I hate it." Gohan admitted. "I didn't feel like myself at all."

Makima gave him a stern glare. "Do not fear it, Gohan. That blood, my blood, is another part of you. Do not fear it, control it."

Gohan knew his mother was right, but he couldn't find it in him to agree with her. He never wanted to think about that Devil inside of him ever again, and he could only hope that his sibling wouldn't have to deal with it either. The hybrid stared at his mother's stomach, feeling the small energy signature inside of her.

"I promise, I'll make sure you never have to use that kind of power. I'll protect you."

Gohan, dressed in a modified version of his Great Saiyaman outfit, frowned at the memory. It has been a long time since then and he's long come to terms with his father's decision. Regardless of the consequences of his actions, his dad only meant the best for all of them, and he could respect that. He wanted to see his dad again more than anything, but he was nervous to see how he would react to the way they were now. Everything has changed so much in seven years, and the twins were probably the biggest one.

"Can you move out of the way?!"

"YOU'RE IN MY WAY, PEASANT!"

"Well, not the only one." Gohan mentally chuckled. Their group had grown a bit as well over the past few years. He looked back at the make-shift Hayakawa family that joined them on Bulma's plane; his mother had invited them to join them at the tournament. Neither of them could join since weapons weren't allowed and they didn't want too much attention on Denji and Power's true natures. Not that they would do anything out of line with his mother nearby. While Denji wasn't associated with the Public Safety Commission like the other two, his mother still ensured that Denji was monitored consistently for reasons she still hasn't explained to him.

"Will you two shut it?! Can't you go anywhere without causing a scene?!" The pineapple-head, Aki Hayakawa, exclaimed. The oldest of the three, and borderline guardian, was usually seen dressed in his Devil Hunter's uniform. However, this time he was more casual with a neat dark blue button-up and jeans.

"This wouldn't be an issue if Power wasn't taking up most of the seat!" Denji hissed at the Blood Fiend. Denji is dressed in a blue unbutton shirt with a white T-shirt underneath and ripped blue jeans.

"I'm the queen! Thus, the seat is mine! Be thankful that I'm even allowing you to have some space, Denji!" Power cackled madly. She's dressed in a pink top that showed the black straps of her tank top underneath, and dark blue shorts. "If you want anyone to blame, then blame Aki for taking the last free spot!"

Denji blinked at her before the lightbulb above his head went off. "Ah…you're right! Aki did take the last free seat!" The Chainsaw Devil glared at the pineapple.

"How is this now my fault?!" Aki asked.

"If you didn't take the last free seat, then I wouldn't be in this situation! Stupid Aki!" Denji spat.

"Yeah, stupid Aki!" Power joined in mocking him.

"Stupid Aki! Stupid Aki!" Goten, Nayuta, and Trunks suddenly popped up as well. Joining the fiend and hybrid in mocking Aki.

"Grrr! Shut up, dammit!" Aki's anger reached its boiling point already. The five were clearly not bothered by his outburst, laughing up a storm at his expression.

Up at the front of the ship, in the co-pilot seat, Vegeta tapped his arm repeatedly in an attempt to tune the idiots in the back out. He didn't understand why Bulma put up with these idiodic fools and their loud noise, but if they got any louder, he'd lose it. He had far more important things to focus on today.

Speaking of which…

"So, Goku's really coming back today?" Bulma, who was flying the ship, turned her head back to Makima.

"That's what Gohan said. And my son is a terrible liar." Makima's response left her oldest to sputter in embarrassment.

"I-I'm not that bad!" Gohan tried to defend himself.

Denji, who was helping Goten spit loogies at a fussing Power, heard that comment. An irritated expression returned to his face. "Uh huh! And how exactly was it that Videl found out about our identities, huh?!" Gohan's face lit up with a crimson color at the reminder of his most humiliating blunder.

Krillin, who was sitting next to his wife and daughter, grinned at the thought of his best friend. "Man…it's been forever since we last saw him. I doubt he'll recognize me after all this time!" The monk pointed at his full head of hair.

"We all hardly recognize you." Oolong huffed.

"Yeah, you still look pretty weird with hair, buddy." Yamcha shook his head.

"I don't look weird!" Krillin refuted before turning to his wife. "Do I look weird, honey?"

Lazuli stared at her miniature husband for a few seconds. "Yeah."

"Y-you didn't have to be so honest…" Krillin sighed. His daughter, Marron, patted his arm with her small hand.

"It's okay, Daddy! You're a cool weirdo!" Marron tried to cheer him up.

"Thanks, sweetheart." Krillin smiled. Before he could give his daughter a hug, Nayuta quickly scooped up Marron.

"C'mon, Marron, we're gonna make fun of the boys!" Nayuta explained.

"Yeah!" Marron cheered as she was dragged along into the chaos in the back. Krillin just hung his head low as Lazuli gave him a small smirk.

Roshi leaned on his cane as he hummed in thought. "Seven years… I wonder just how much stronger Goku has gotten. Even if he's dead, that boy wouldn't stop training unless you forced him to."

"Which reminds me…" Gohan speaks up. "Trunks, Goten, Nayuta, and Vegeta! We should avoid going Super Saiyan at the tournament.

"Why should we?" Vegeta spoke for the first time since the trip started.

Bulma agreed with Gohan's suggestion. "Think about it, you all were on TV during the Cell Games. If you transformed then people would know instantly."

"Why should I care?"

"Because the media would start hounding us." Gohan replied.

"Just kill 'em." Vegeta shrugged.

Makima nodded her head. "Hm, a brilliant solution as one would expect from someone like you."

"What was that, Devil woman?" Vegeta hissed dangerously. Makima didn't fear the prince even a little bit, smiling at her ability to get under his skin easily. The prince turned away from her, grumbling. "Tch! Fine, I won't turn Super Saiyan. If none of us transform, then we'll be on equal footing, but I'll still have the upper hand."

"I'll agree to that!" Trunks exclaimed.

"Me too!" Goten raised his hand.

"Sure, that's fine." Nayuta shrugged.

"Phew…that's one issue handled." Gohan smiled. Hopefully everything else today ends up going smoothly.

Asa Mitaka, dressed in a dark red blouse tucked into an ankle-length black skirt, took a bite out of her recently bought sandwich. She cringed a bit but swallowed the food anyway. "Why can't events like these have actual healthy foods? I should've just brought my own." She had arrived at the tournament grounds half an hour ago due to her need to always be punctual. The entire island was buzzing with excitement as one would expect from big events like these.

After Videl had invited their entire friend group with free tickets to the tournament Asa had spent the entire night brushing up on the history of the World Martial Arts tournament. Normally, such barbaric sports like these would be beneath someone of her class but she didn't want to look like a complete fool in front of everyone by seeming ignorant.

Knowledge is power, after all.

"Nerd."

"Shut up…!" Asa hissed quietly, trying not to look like a weirdo in front of hundreds of people. Her dark reflection, the Apocalyptic Devil she had nicknamed 'Yoru', materialized in front of her. Only Asa could see and hear the War Devil, so if she wasn't careful then she would end up looking like some crazy weirdo. "Can you go back to being quiet? Like you had been till now?"

"I would, but my sister and her children just arrived on the island." Yoru's warning made Asa do a panic sweep of the area. Yoru rolled her eyes at the teenager's reaction. "Will you calm down? They're not exactly close to us at the moment but do remember what I said about avoiding my sister at all costs. The brats are one thing, but she'll sniff me out within the second of looking at you."

"But she's Gohan's Mom, right? I'm sure she can't be as bad as you're making her out to be. Gohan's an angel." Asa was fully aware of how ironic that last part was.

"Control has changed a lot, but she still has no issues turning someone into a meat puppet if it means getting whatever she needs from them. She'll want to know why I'm inhabiting the body of a weak pathetic teenage girl, and what my plans are. She'll get in the way like the annoying older sister she is and ruin everything!" Yoru complained childishly.

"Would that mean she'd get you out of my body?"

"Want me to expose your deepest darkest secrets to that Erasa girl?"

"N-NO!" Asa stammered loudly, drawing some weird looks from people passing by. The clumsy hybrid knew that someone as socially extreme as Erasa would have every one of her secrets posted all over social media within seconds.

"Then shut the hell up. But back to the important business, you shouldn't have to worry too much about my sister. She should be focused on something else today."

"Like, what?" Asa asked.

"My idiot brother-in-law is returning today."

The group navigated their way through the crowd, clearly bothered by just how loud and busy the tournament had become. Makima, Lazuli, Aki, and Bulma made it paramount that the children, Power, and Denji don't stray too far from the group to avoid getting lost. This caused Denji and Power to argue that they weren't children who would get so easily lost until Aki reminded them that they once got lost in a supermarket.

"I wonder if Goku's here yet." Yamcha wondered.

"I can't sense his energy, so I can't tell." Krillin said.

Suddenly, loud cheering erupted behind the group. They all turned around to see what had caused all of the commotion until they realized it was about the arrival of Hercule Satan and his daughter, moreso about the former. The loud champion loudly boasted that he'll once again win the tournament this year, embarrassing his daughter even further.

"Welp, that guy hasn't changed." Yamcha chuckled. He looked down to see Nayuta was glaring incredibly hard at the Satan family. "What's up, kid?"

Nayuta huffed, crossing her arms. "Nothing that concerns you. Just needed to scope out a little pest is all." She responded with her usual high and mighty attitude, then stormed back over towards her brothers.

Yamcha scratched the back of his head. "Hard to believe she's Goku's kid sometimes, but then I remember who her Mom is and it all starts making sense."

Goten spotted a taller figure leaning by a tree and gasped. He pulled on his brother's cape to get his attention. "Big bro! Look! It's Piccolo!" Gohan looked over to see his mentor standing in the shade. The oldest hybrid smiled at the Namekian and hurried over to greet him.

"Piccolo! I'm glad you made it on time!" Gohan exclaimed. "Have you seen Dad yet?"

"Not yet." Piccolo shook his head. His eyes trailed over his first student. "Gohan…are you sure you're going to enter dressed like that?"

"What do you mean? This is the pinnacle of fashion!" Gohan defended his costume.

"Yeah, the pinnacle of looking like a dork." Nayuta teased as she walked over with Trunks and Goten on her heels. Gohan just rolled his eyes at his little sister's comment.

"For real." Trunks smirked.

"Don't ever agree with me again." Nayuta's humor died as she stared at Trunks.

"The heck is your deal?!" Trunks glared at her.

"You."

"Tch! Just for that I'm gonna make sure to kick your butt first!" Trunks declared.

"We'll see about that, rich boy!" Nayuta and Trunks pushed their foreheads against one another. Sparks were clashing between their eyes, declaring fierce war against one another. Their stare down didn't last for long as Goten stopped their fight by shoving them into each other. Nayuta and Trunks tumbled into a tangled mess on the stone ground.

"We can't fight yet, guys! The tournament hasn't started yet!" Goten whined.

"Ouch! What the heck, Goten?!" Trunks cried.

"Dang it, Goten! I'm totally gonna eat your share of dinner tonight!" Nayuta hissed.

Piccolo groaned at the half-breed younglings. "I'm not sure what's worse, all the crying you used to do or these three." Gohan just rubbed the back of his head, laughing nervously. The rest of the group walked over to join them, they were ready to head for the registration area but they still didn't know where Goku was.

"Ugh! Where is he?! Don't tell me he already went backstage!" Bulma whined.

Makima was about to respond until a very familiar soothing pressure washed over her like a tsunami. The Control Devil's breath hitched as his energy flooded her senses once again after so many years of not being able to trace it. As if the black void that had appeared in her heart had been filled right back up as if it had never been there before. Makima turned around to see the goofy smile of Son Goku, the dead man greets the world of the living once again.

"Heh heh! HEY, GUYS!" Goku exclaimed.

"GOKU/DAD!"

Son Goku hadn't changed physically at all, but the only difference was his halo. The deceased Saiyan examined his friends and family, noticing the new and old faces. "Wow! You guys changed so much! How have you been?!" He was immediately swarmed by his friends, who were all crying pretty loudly.

The only ones who hadn't charged at him were his family, Vegeta, Trunks, and the Hayakawas. Goten and Nayuta stared at their father, the man they've never met before with confusion and a bit of fear. They didn't know what to expect even after hearing all of the stories about him, he was still a complete stranger. It didn't help either that he was an exact physical copy of Goten.

Denji stared at Goku with an unfamiliar feeling. "So, this is Mrs. Makima's husband. He looks exactly like Goten, which I guess makes sense. How could a guy like that manage to score someone as hot as Mrs. Makima? Even stranger is…" Denji put a hand to his heart, the heart that used to be his best friend. His heart felt weird, extremely so as he continued to stare at Goku. "Why does it feel like I know him from somewhere…?"

Goku finished greeting his friends and turned to the sight of his family. His eyes found Gohan, who had changed so much in these past seven years. "Man…! I couldn't even recognize you at first, Gohan! You've gotten so big!"

Gohan blushed, scratching the back of his head. "Y-yeah…a lot changed in the last seven years, Dad. I-I-" Goku had already pulled the boy into a hug, which caused Gohan's brain to pause for a moment. The oldest hybrid hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arms around his father to return the hug. It felt good, it felt like his heart was whole again.

Makima wanted nothing more than to reunite with her husband, but the two little hybrids hiding behind her took priority. She used her abilities to give the two the shove they needed towards their father, much to their shock.

Gohan broke the hug when he realized there were two very important people that Goku needed to meet. "Dad! I know this might be a shock, but…!" He hurried behind Goten and Nayuta. "This is Goten and Nayuta, my little siblings and you're-"

"My kids, yeah? I figured since one looks like me and the other looks like Makima." Goku grinned happily. He kneeled down to the kids' height to properly talk to them. "Yo! Nice to finally meet you two! I'm Goku, you're Dad."

Goten spoke first. "N-nice to meet you."

Nayuta didn't look at him, her eyes on the floor. "Y-yeah…what he said."

"You look just like me!" Goten exclaimed.

Goku laughed wholeheartedly. "I guess you could say we're twins, yeah?"

"Twins?! But I already have a twin! Wait… Nayuta and I don't really look alike." Goten scratched his head as he confused himself. He turned to Nayua. "Hey, Nayuta, are we twins?"

"Of course, we are numbskull! Why are you questioning that now?!"

"Because you're mean and he's not!"

"I'll show you mean!"

"Uh oh…!" Goku backed up as Nayuta tackled Goten, the twins descending into a cartoon dust cloud as they got into a fight. Piccolo rushed over to stop the twins with a very loud tired groan. Goku just laughed at the sight, happy to see that the kids had inherited his energy, their mother was never like that at all.

Speaking of…

Goku's eyes met hers and Makima felt as if the world around them had vanished. It had been so long since she could stare into those dark eyes of his, when she didn't have to imagine his presence being next to her. All the pain, the lonely nights, and the self-loathing vanished just from the sight of the man who changed her world forever. As the two closed the distance, their eyes doing all the talking necessary, Makima gave a loving smile and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Welcome back, darling." Makima said. She felt his strong arms pull her in close as that goofy smile of his never left that handsome face.

"Heh heh! Happy to be back!" Goku replied.

Chapter End

NOTE: HE'S BACK! THE GOAT RETURNS! I hope you guys liked this chapter, because there's more coming.

That flashback at the start was about Gohan not having the best understanding of his dad, which isn't farfetched. Too much has happened, and the boy is very confused. Gohan is scared of his devil half, because of everything that happened during the Cell Games. I do want to point out that Goten and Nayuta are clearly experiencing things differently than Gohan did. Not all hybrids are the same.

I didn't have Goten or Nayuta instantly warm up to Goku, because they literally don't know him. He's a complete stranger that they've never met before, practically a legend come to life. They'll have to bond with him more before actually accepting him as a father. One might be more open to it, but he's still hesitant to the idea.

Denji has some weird feeling towards Goku. Why? You'll find out eventually.

Makima and Goku are together again...for now. Let's hope this amazing day doesn't turn into another end of the world disaster.

Have a great day!