What's Good About Life? (Dragon Ball Z SI Chapter 8)

"So looks like it finally stopped." Bulma noted as she and Yamcha stood in front of their cave hideout.

"Y-Yeah, good thing they finally won. If I had been out there, I'd have embaressed them with how quickly I'd have beaten the guys they're struggling with." Said Yamcha with a nervous chuckle, as he could still sense that massive energy that's just sitting there with his friends, not doing anything.

"Riiiight." Bulma deadpanned, with a look that said 'are you serious?'.

Suddenly a large shadow covered the sky, making the pair look up. While Ymacha nearly pissed his pants from sensing the sudden giant before them. They could only see his outline as he was covered his shadows.

"I AM THE GINGER GOD! ANSWER ME, HUMANS! HAVE YOU EVER MADE A 'SOULLESS REDHEAD' JOKE!?" Shouted the giant.

"No!" Bulma cried out on reflex, sure that she never did that. She thinks. She might have met girls that annoyed her, but she insulted them to the face, not on their hair.

"Ummm..." Yamcha squeaked besides her.

Bulma barely had anytime to turn to her stupid ex-boyfriend that is gonna doom them all, on something this dumb.

"DIVINE PUNISHMENT!"

""AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!""

A bright light flashed engulfing the screaming pair.

"Bulma? Hey, Bulma, why are you and Yamcha screaming?" Goku gentle nudged the screaming pair.

"I'M SORRY! I'LL NEVER TELL A 'SOULLESS REDHEAD' JOKE AGAIN!" Shouted Yamcha his eyes still closed.

"PLEASE DON'T KILL US, GINGER GOD! TAKE YAMCHA AND LEAVE ME!" Cried out Bulma.

"Hey dumbasses, what are you screaming about!" Nach's shout cut off the pair, making them see they are around friends, and Vegeta.

Bulma quickly pushed Yamcha back on the ground, making him whine about being manhandled.

"What the heck was that? There was this giant, Yamcha was pissing his pants and..." Bulma is cut off by someone's laughter, and turned only to see a red-haired Saiyan rolling on the ground, clutching his stomach.

"Oh, that's Dive." Goku said, then brought the pair up to speed on what happened.

"You!" Bulma marched up to Dive, an angry look on her face, once she understood what happened. "You scared me half to death, what do you have to say for yourself!?"

"Your scared face was funny, thanks." Dive grinned back, not getting up from sitting on the ground.

As Bulma was berating the carefree Dive, the Dragon Team was discussing what to do next.

"So, we won, now how are we gonna get home?" Gohan wondered.

"Well, our ship is busted, maybe we can take Frieza's?" Raditz offered.

"Nah, it's fine." Dive chimed in, now standing next to the group. Bulma had to look around for a second as the person she was scolding just suddenly disappeared on her. "I can just teleport us all there right now."

"You can?" Piccolo said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, it's just Ki Connection and Instant Transmission." Dive shrugged.

"What's Ki Connection and-" Goku began asking.

"-Instant Transmission? WOAH!" Goku and the other looked around in surprise.

And were met by a surprised Kami and Mr. Popo.

"How...? No, I've seen this technique once before." Kami looked at the group, looking surprised by welcoming to Dende, along with giving a long look at Dive, to see if there was any malice within him.

Thus Goku, Gohan, Raditz, Nach, Piccolo, Yamcha and Bulma were back on Earth, along with Dende and Vegeta.

"You..." Kami recognized that ki.

"S'up, Kami." Dive said with an easy smile. "Sorry about how I acted last time we met. Not my best impression I'd reckon." He smiled sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head.

"It seems you've been quite through a lot. I can even sense some Ki beyond mortal power within you." Kami calmly approached Dive. "So now that you have attained strength, is the answer you gave me still the same?"

"Yeah," Dive smiled while letting out a big sigh. "Definitely. I really wanna try fishing now. Actually, do you know any good fishing spots? Scratch that, do you know a place where I can get a good fishing rod?" Dive then stopped as he remembered something. "Actually forget about all that, before I can even get a fishing pole," Dive gave Kami an apologetic look. "Can I brought some money so I can buy that stuff? I'm kinda broke at the moment."

Kami was taken a back for a second, as he blinked a few time. He then smiled, holding his staff with both hand to lean on, as he started chuckling to himself and shaking his head.

"Hey, guys, whose the new guy asking The Guardian of Earth for money?" Asked Krillin, having left Lookout lounging area once the group had arrived. He came here after being revived, to find out what happened since Goku left King Kai's planet and returned to life.

""KRILLIN!"" Shouted Goku and Bulma as they and the others gathered around their revived friend, hugging him and talking about all they missed.

"Moori, you old slug! Come'ere!" Dive flew down and bear hugged his old friend-mentally thanking Frieza for helping him learn how to measure his physical strength. He had long since realized and accepted that he did have more friends, than he thought when he left for the Room of Spirit and Time. "Look at you! Gained a few pounds since I last saw you. Going heavy on that water, aren't you?"

"Oh really," Moori smirked back. "What about you and all that fur? What? Have you never heard of personal grooming?" He ribbed back.

Dive was greeted warmly by the Namekian, a lot of them have remembered him, and many of the young ones were enamored to meet the Fearful Saiyan from their stories.

"Actually I've been kinda wondering about that." Piccolo said, having followed Dive around to watch him for a bit, and be sure he's not a danger.

Goku, Raditz and Nach went with him, while Gohan was sent home, and Vegeta was about to wander off, when Bulma offered him a place to stay.

More like, Bulma offered up a place to all the Namekians, and Vegeta as well since he happened to be there. Yamcha wasn't enthused, but seemed to accept things might not be mended between them romance-wise after all.

"Hey, you try living thousands of years without a shower or a mirror, and see how well you look." Dive pouted.

"So this is what happens to Saiyans if they don't shower!?" Raditz asked in horror.

"Chi Chi must never find out." Goku said seriously.

"I'mma tell her." Bulma smirked.

"Bulma no!" Goku pleaded. "She's never gonna let me or Gohan go anywhere, without dunking us in the tub or something for just stepping outside the house."

"Bulma yes!" She said back, having fun at her friend's panicking.

"But wait, you don't look haggard?" Nach pointed out. "You look...hygienic." She gave a neutral compliment. "Actually why is your chest bare if the rest of you is covered in fur?"

"Ki shaving. Gotta give the ladies something to look at." Dive flexed his pecks.

Nach snorted and looked away.

"Oh it's something to look at alright." Bulma said with a sly smile.

"I don't get it." Said Goku.

"I don't want to get it." Said Raditz.

Dive laughed with others joining in.

"So this power that you have right now, that's what the Super Saiyan is?" Goku asked about's been on his mind for a while now. "No wonder Vegeta kept talking about it, it really took out Frieza like he was nothing."

"Eeeh, technically this isn't Super Saiyan. That's a few transformations down." Dive shrugged. "This is more like Ultimate Saiyan if we go by the wiki."

""EEEH!?"" Shouted the Saiyans. Piccolo was surprised by didn't scream his head off.

"This isn't just some weird look, it really is the power of legend?" Asked Nach in surprise.

"'A few transformations down'? So there are multiple levels to Super Saiyans?" Goku asked in excitement.

"Please teach us!" Raditz grabbed Dive's shoulders, trying and failing to shake him, only shaking himself. "If there are multiple levels, then teach us a few. Even I just one. I wanna be the Super Saiyan! I wanna!" He asked in desperation.

"Chill, chill," Dive gently pushed Raditz's hands away. "Let's just take some time off from all of this, and meet up in a week. I'll give you some pointers then." He said. "Mainly get used to heavy gravity training, till you're, hmm let's see, about Frieza's First Form, so you can use it safely without the power overwhelming you. It's kinda like Oozaru in how the rage takes over your mind the first time you do it."

Goku and Raditz firmly agreed, although Goku was already past that level now stronger than Frieza's Second Form, he decided to spar with his friends to help them reach his level.

Nach however was somberly quiet as thoughts of the past came to mind. It didn't feel right. This...this comradery, she didn't deserve it. She couldn't just accept this legendary power being handed to her, and by Dive of all people.

Not before...not before she could...

"Dive," Nach called out with a serious tone halting the conversation. The look in her eyes was as serious as anything Raditz, or her other friends had ever seen on her. "Fight me." She said with the worry and shock of those around her. She looked down and clenched her fist. "Not now, but when I'm stronger." She looked up. "I want to fight you. No running away, no tricks. Just a straight up match."

"Awww, no fair, Nach." Goku whined. "Getting to set up a fight first."

"It's not that," Raditz put a hand on Goku's shoulder, pulling him back. "I think...this is something that's been eating at her for a long while now. Let her do this."

Goku didn't get the full context, but understood his friend need to deal with whatever this was, on her own.

"Sure," unlike what Nach expected, Dive gave her an understanding, kind smile. It only served to twist the pained emotions in her chest more. "When you're ready, we'll fight for real. No quits, no time-outs."

Nach grinned back as she nodded.

"See ya then," With that she flew away, a goal set before her. To grow strong.

To apologize. To make amends. To seek forgiveness.

Nach headed to Capsule Corps, she had a date with a gravity chamber.