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You will be mine (ft Piccolo&ChiChi)

Part 1

Everything went downhill when he left. When he died at the hands of a monster, who the police still could not find, and left Gohan and I alone, along with another baby already on the way. Having one more mouth to feed while working at my horrid job just to make ends meet and make sure my baby boy doesn't go to bed hungry.

Goku wasn't the most involved parent but he kept us living a comfortable life. He kept us safe and happy but now he's gone and we couldn't even give him a proper send off because the detectives still haven't found the body of my supposedly deceased husband.

"There was blood all over the scene. The DNA match, it's your husband. But there's footsteps leading away from the scene but they stop at a dead end."

How could his corpse just get up. Was he still alive?

"An anonymous witness said that they saw his body there before we arrived. The footprints match with the sneakers he wore."

It doesn't make sense. He couldn't have just walked away and vanished of the face of the earth.

"It's no doubt that this is a suicide. There isn't any evidence of another human being that was at the scene of the crime."

They say it was suicide but I know my Goku. He was too happy to have taken his own life. He had so much to live for. He had his life, his friends. He had us...he had me.

No. Someone must've done it. For some reason Goku's good nature got him more enemies than friends. Someone must've done it.

"Alright, ma'am. Since you keep pushing for this, who you do think would want your husband dead?"

A lot of people. The people that couldn't get rid of Goku just as he couldn't get rid them.

"Frieza? You better have some pretty tight evidence and a lot of guts to be accusing one of the most powerful people on Earth for murdering your husband."

"Cell? Cell has been locked in holding for years. He couldn't have done this and the androids have done their time. Your husband even fought for their freedom, remember?"

"Chi Chi, you honestly think the husband of Bulma Briefs could have done this? If it were Vegeta we'd have known by now. I know this is a hard time but you should stop wasting our time and going around accusing people. You have a child to look after. You don't wanna have anyone suing or pressing charges."

Could even be one of his closest friends. These guys weren't always angels when they met Goku. But maybe they were right. Maybe I let Goku's death get to me. I can't worry about that now. I have a child to look after and soon I'll have two.

Speaking of which...

"Hey mom we're back." Placing the sparkling clean plate, from my absentminded cleaning, back into the sink, I placed a smile on my face before turning to my little boy who was already running to me to trap in one of his powerful bear hugs.

"Sorry we're late. We got held up a bit.",he said.

"It was my fault." The sound of the deep baritone voice echoed in the kitchen as he stepped in with one hand stuffed in his jean pocket and the other one clutching something tightly in his palm.

"We thought we'd get you something nice." He looked at Gohan, giving him a smirk. "Right, Gohan?"

"Yeah!!" My little boy started jumping up and down excitedly then grabbed my hand impatiently to drag me to the outside.

"Ok calm down! What is it you wanted me to–"

My eyes widened. In front of me was a big red capsule Corp brand car with a large white bow on the hood. Probably a newer model since I haven't seen much of them driven around.

"What a beautiful car." I was about to ask why piccolo suddenly got himself a new car when he came up next to me swaying the keys on his finger.

"And it's all yours."

I looked at him in disbelief. "Mine?"

"Yep. I figured it'd help that you don't have to take the bus to work everyday plus it'd save you alot of time on your errands."

I was stuck between feeling happy and grateful for the thought and amazing gift, and feeling insulted to be thought of as a charity case. I don't know how many times I've told him that I was fine. I wasn't a damsel in distress that needed saving. I could do this one my own but–he's so sweet.

Ever since Goku "died" Piccolo has been nothing but helpful despite me practically chasing him away whenever he offered his services or money. Goku wasn't a very wealthy man and he didn't have life insurance so when he died he left us high and dry, but Piccolo would always be there...for some reason.

Always coming around whenever he had the chance to spend time with Gohan or just to keep me company and be my shoulder to cry on whenever I missed Goku.

Maybe it has something to do with him being very close to Gohan but I can't complain. Out of all the people I know, Piccolo proved to be the one I can trust.

"So, do you want to try it out?",he asked. I was so busy with my own thoughts I didn't even realize that he had opened the door for me.

"Uh," Gohan suddenly had a nervous look on his face. "Are you sure about this, Mr Piccolo? Mom is a already a force to be reckoned with, now imagine what her with road rage would be like."

Piccolo's eyes widened looking as if he paled at the thought. "On second thought, it's getting dark. Maybe we should try it out another–"

"Nope, too late!",I shouted, jumping into the driver's seat and clutching the steering wheel just in case the boys would try pulling me out.

Piccolo got into the driver's seat and we noticed the little scamp trying to creep away.

Piccolo honked the horn, startling him and freezing him on the spot. "Gohan, get in here!"

"But I've got homework–"

"Oh no, it was your idea to go car shopping. If I die, you're dying with me."

I rolled my eyes as I turned the key. "Jeez, you don't drive for a few years and now people are afraid you might kill them."

Hearing a laugh from my passenger I turned to find his obsidian eyes staring back at me. His eyes were filled with something, something I can't put my finger on.

I noticed his lip twitch a bit before he turned away from me and put his seatbelt on. "Let the kid stay home and I'll judge your terrible driving myself."

"It's passengers like you that make me wanna crash the car.",I teased earning a growl and slightly terrified look on his face. I rolled down my window and told Gohan to stay safe and that I'd be back soon.

Piccolo scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest, covering the Namek logo on his white T-shirt. "He'll be fine, it's me I'm more worried about."

•••

"So how was that?",I asked with a smug look on my face as I parked the car outside his home. Hey, he had to get home somehow.

He grunted. "I'm surprised I made it in one piece."

"Listen, if you're too chicken then don't ride with me next time."

"Very funny.",he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Raising my head up with a smile I replied with, "I know, I'm hilarious."

He gave me a scowl to which I just laughed at because I couldn't take him seriously no matter how intimidating he might seem.

"Thank you.",I said once I regained composure. "For everything. I really appreciate you helping our family out."

He flashed me a rare smile. "Well it wasn't easy, what with you threatening to end my life with your murderous frying pan and all."

I nudged him in the arm. "Leave my frying pan out of this."

I took his hand in mine, feeling how he stiffened lightly at my touch. He looked at me and I gave him a warm smile. "Goku was right about you and I see why Gohan loves you too. I'm lucky to have a friend like you, Piccolo."

He sighed, it sounded...sad. Maybe it was because the mention of Goku.

"Yeah, friends.",he muttered. "That's what they're for, right?"

I squeezed his hand gently and I felt him do the same. There seemed to be a lingering before he let go and got out of the car.

I said my goodbyes and drove off for home. I'm about to have another baby in 8 months. I have to find my husband's killer, with or without the stupid police. At least I know that I'll have Piccolo by my side to help me.

_________________________________________

Intoxicated, he stepped into the dark room where the only light source was coming from the open door from which he came him and the windows where the curtains weren't shut. Finishing his glass of whiskey in one chug, he manoeuvred his way to his bed, the torturous words still replaying in his mind.

When he neared his bed, he noticed the box on his dresser. The box he forgot to put back in his hiding place. The box he didn't want to put back. He loved looking at it. The box brought back that loving memory.

The box that contained the ring.

The ring of the man he had murdered.

A devilish smirk shaped his lips as he opened it, the moonlight shining on the gold ring.

He held it up to his face as a chuckle left his lips which immediately turned into a deranged cackle.

Phase one was complete.

"You will be mine."

My firts history

This is my first fic from this couple Goku and Chichi and I hope you like it, it was inspired by a beautiful fanart of the wonderful Gokuist or Fungushi

And that story would not be published if it weren't for a great sonchichisquad friend! Thank you beautiful❤

Farewell

That’s why he didn't like saying goodbye. If there was ever a time when Son Goku didn't say goodbye to his loved ones, he had his reasons:

Firstly, he simply hated being the cause of the overflowing emotion in his family and friends’ eyes, and even in his own. That would mean admitting his weaknesses and his pride would never allow it. And secondly, If he didn't say goodbye to his family and friends, it was simply because somehow he felt he’d come back and see them again.

There wasn’t really a particular moment of Goku saying goodbye to the people he loved -not emotionally, at least that we know of.

One example is when he left on Nimbus when he was a child -he left, just like that, to seek new adventures. A few years later, he left again -this time with Chi-Chi by his side to start their lives together. He also fled the hospital after his brutal battle against Vegeta to get to Namek and help Gohan and the rest. He didn’t say a proper goodbye to anyone, not even his own wife - it was more like a "See you soon!" Or "See you around!”, but never a final greeting. The same happened when he stayed in Yardrat, when he decided to stay in the afterlife after the battle against Cell and even when he left to train Uub.

It had always been like that. However, even if he had never been really attached to anyone, now, after having reached a certain level of maturity, Goku was trying to assimilate the fact that he had bid everyone his final farewell.

It was harsh. He wasn’t allowed to speak to his children and friends. All he could do was watch them from above as they went on with their happy lives. But maybe it was for the best.

Gohan looked very focused as he wrote who knows what in a notebook. The last rays of sunlight were streaming through his large window as he sat peacefully inside his home office. The curtains swung as if the wind was blowing through them, but it was actually Goku. He was watching his son with a twinkle in his eye. Gohan was so smart and kind. He had always been proud of him.

Goku then saw Videl and Pan entering the room and interacting with his son.

"Hey honey, why don't you take a break? You’ve been on that report for two hours" Videl said from behind her husband, placing her hands affectionately on his shoulders.

"Yeah Dad, let's go have a picnic in the garden, it’s such a beautiful day outside!" Pan added excitedly, leaning over the desk, closer to her father.

Goku smiled as he watched them. The family he had built was close and loving, no matter how many obstacles they had to overcome.He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Goodbye son"

Gohan would always be in good hands. And then, he disappeared.

"You’re right, it's time to relax with my two favorite people in the world and-" Gohan silenced himself as the feeling of something familiar rushed through him. He couldn’t explain what it was. It was like a warm comforting breeze that he only felt when "When my father was around ..." he completed his own thought out loud.

His wife and daughter had no idea what he was talking about. He simply shook his head and followed the two of them so that they could spend time together as a family, unaware that he would never feel his father's energy again.

***

Goku laughed in amusem*nt when he saw Goten and Trunks, such two great boys, training together in the garden of Capsule Corporation. Vegeta was watching them from a distance and next to him was Bulma sitting by a table with Bra.

For some reason unbeknownst to her, Bulma was holding the dragon's radar today, thinking back to the day when she met one of her best friends. She smiled wistfully. If it weren't for Goku, she probably wouldn't be where she was today.

"What the-" Vegeta whispered, suddenly uncrossing his arms, and at that very moment Goten received a mighty punch from Trunks. Goku's youngest son froze in his tracks, sitting down on the floor as if he hadn’t felt the punch at all.

"I’ll always be thinking of you guys, especially you... my son" Goku smiled as he looked at them. Everyone there had touched his life in a monumental way. If it weren't for Bulma, he wouldn't even know what a girl is, and she was the one who opened the initial gate into a world of discoveries.

Goten certainly made him a happier man than he already was. Becoming a father the second time was incredible, and felt just as amazing as the first time. His youngest was the living depiction of a sun rising after a storm, and he now knew that his children represented a more perfect version of him, a human version that embraced his sayajin side with tenderness.

The only thing that Vegeta had taught him was to discover and accept who he was. An alien, or to be more specific, a saiyan. It took Goku a long time to accept his roots, but seeing how much Vegeta had changed since he arrived on Earth, he could now recall the exact moment when he accepted "Kakarotto" into his life.

And with that last thought in his mind, he disappeared. And the grass started to sway from side to side, a light breeze making it dance. The people in the garden of Capsule Corporation's were left very surprised as a warm and soft sensation swam through them.

After he recovered, Goten got up and stood into his fighting stance with a very familiar and challenging smile. "It won't be that easy to beat me, Trunks! Now hurry up! Come at me!"

Trunks smiled at his best friend. "Oh, that's what you think!"

And both continued with their training.

Vegeta watched the boys with an arrogant smile on his lips, folding his arms across his chest again. Bulma was stunned and looked thoughtful, and her daughter didn’t understand what was going on.

***

Goku watched from the glass window into Krillin’s house. The bald man was going through a photo album with his daughter. She had grown up so much.

Eighteen was drinking a cup of coffee, sitting in the armchair next to her daughter and husband, watching them lovingly.

"Yeah, Goku was different from any other person or being that I had ever come across in the universe. If Master Roshi were alive, he’d probably agree with me. He had a way of bringing us closer together. We went from enemies to friends and we are what we are today thanks to him. Together for life"

Goku felt really touched by this, smiling at them affectionately. Krillin had always been a very important person in his life. His first and closest friend. The most faithful of all.

"Krillin..."

And then he left.

Krillin had no idea what that emotion inside him was. Happiness? Nostalgia? Maybe. All he knew was that it wasn’t something he felt all the time. It was nice and warm. "Goku, you are my best friend"

***

Son Goku flew across the Earth, passing through all the places that were part of his journey.

Kami-Sama Dende, sharper than ever, felt his fleeting presence like a shooting star, along with Mr Popo, who placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Son Goku will always be remembered for his incredible life on Earth and his great deeds, isn't that right, Mr. Popo?" And his guardian and master simply nodded. When facts are spoken, there are no valid arguments.

Uub, who was meditating, felt Goku too, and he thanked his master mentally for everything he had taught him.

Yamcha and Tenshinhan, who were on the fighters' planet, sensed Goku's presence and nodded to each other, and so did Chiaotzu and Puar.

Piccolo just looked up with his arms crossed and smiled. "Goku..."

The Sayajin warrior flew across the Earth, enjoying every field, every ocean, every light breeze caressing his face. He enjoyed this last lap to the fullest.

There was only one person missing, who was no longer on Earth…

Yes, after all, he wasn’t able to find Chi-Chi. She was already gone. He felt terrible. His wife was part of him and he really wanted to see her just one more time. He didn’t know how to find her soul among many others in Paradise. It was just a light in its true form. It was too late.

***

After reflecting on his thoughts and making one last memory on Earth, Goku felt a touch on his shoulder. He turned around. "Son Goku, are you ready?"

He sighed. He wasn't sure yet. He felt as if something was missing. He couldn’t leave permanently like any being in this universe yet.

After completing his last training and duties in the dragon realm, which was creating the dragon balls again, he would have to leave. His time was up, it was running out and this time it was for good. Son Goku would rest in peace.

They were on Planet Kaioshin. The wind picked up and made the petals and flowers of the trees fall, as if it were autumn time.

"I don't know, Mr. Kaioshin..." Goku replied, lowering his eyes to nothing in particular on the planet's greenish floor.

"Now boy, you’ve already said goodbye to everyone before returning to the dragon kingdom that time, and this is the agreement: The dragon balls will return to Earth and you will leave. It is the law of the universe, child. You made that choice and now you will have to deal with the consequences” Old Kaioshin continued, along with Kibito and young Shin.

Goku frowned at that. Yes, he was perfectly aware of that. He felt it was time, and the Earth deserved the wonderful reign of the dragon balls again.

But he had to find her first, find some way to talk to her and say goodbye. Because this time he would leave forever. Chi-Chi deserved at least a goodbye, she really did this time, and he had something stuck in his throat, something he really needed to say to her.

Goku looked him in the eye. "But I didn't say goodbye to everyone. I missed someone, and you’ll have to help me with this" he said firmly, his hair waving in the wind caused by the beings with him.

"That someone has already died, I know. The dragon balls no longer have resuscitation powers, but there has to be another way... I can't leave without talking to her" there was despair in the saiyan’s eyes.

There was a maddening silence -as if everyone there was thinking of a solution for the warrior. After all, Goku deserved one last request, it was the least they could do after everything he’d done.

"I think I know hos..." Kaioshin replied. "Shenlong may no longer have the power to resurrect but he does have the power of time"

Shin and Kibito were confused by the old man's statement, but didn’t doubt his words. After all, he was still their most experienced and wisest deity.

"Power of time...?". Goku wondered for a few seconds.

Until realization dawned on him and his eyes widened, sparkling with joy.

"That's it! So I just need to go over there and-"

"But bear this in mind, Goku" Kaioshin interrupted him by raising a hand in front of him. "As soon as you’re done, your body will disappear and your soul will finally be at peace"

Goku nodded calmly. "Okay, well, I think it's goodbye this time, isn't it?"

The kaios in front of him bowed in gratitude, looking at him with admiration. "Goodbye Son Goku." said the youngest of them.

And then Goku teleported to Earth, after so long. At an impressive speed he brought the seven dragon balls together again. It was incredible that his life would end with them. He didn't need a radar to find them, he just knew where they were.

The dragon balls began to shine together.

"Show yourself, Shenlong, and grant my wish!"

The sky darkened, the golden light coming from of the spheres causing the Dragon to be reborn again. Goku couldn't help the nostalgic memories that were going through his mind while his eyes reflected Shenlong's light.

"State your wish and I will fulfill it according to my possibilities!"

"I wish to go back to Chi-Chi’s happiest time in her life... my wife."

The dragon stood still for a minute, making Goku tense up, his fists clenching.

"Your wish will be granted. You will have five minutes! Goodbye!" And so Shenlong's eyes shone red and a golden light surrounded Goku and took him from his current time.

After a trip through nothing but white and gold lights, he opened his eyes and sighed in surprise.

Goku was in an incredibly large garden, so beautiful that it looked like Paradise itself. He looked around and noticed several people in the place. They were laughing, talking, drinking and eating. He heard birds singing from several directions. It was a party, apparently.

Goku turned around and was faced with a lake and a nearby apple tree. He put his hand on the tree... this place looked familiar. He approached the water, which was shining like crystals, and the ground was covered by many flowers. Rose petals were falling as the breeze claimed them. Their smell was also familiar when he took one in his hand.

When he looked at his hand, he noticed that his outfit was actually different from the one he was wearing before. He kept looking at himself until an epiphany hit him: he was wearing a white tuxedo, with that itchy bow tie.

"So the happiest time in her life is-"

"Goku!"

Goku heard that young and smooth voice calling out to him, his eyes instantly looking in her direction. It was Chi-Chi, his wife. Of course, the happiest time in her life was their wedding. He smiled at that. He would’ve sworen it was when Gohan had graduated from college or anything related to his children.

How wrong he had been.

She was beautiful. Today, he had a better grasp at these things of course, but back then… ah, if only he had known. He would’ve been able to appreciate her beauty for much longer.

Her face, her flushed cheeks, her long lashes, her black and shiny eyes, her delicate pink lips and her ivory-white skin. Her strands of hair swayed gently in the wind.

"Goku?...". She softly called him again as she approached him. "What are you doing out here alone? I’ve been looking for you."

Goku blinked a few times, coming out of his daze. "Chi-Chi… H-hi.". The moment he saw her in front of him, he felt nervous, like a hesitant teenager.

Chi-Chi smiled at him humorously and gave a light laugh. It was one of the most beautiful sounds he’d ever heard.

"Okay, come with me, there’s a table full of sweets especially set up for my husband. I’m sure you don’t wanna miss it" Chi-Chi wrapped her arms around him, starting to lead him, but Goku stopped.

"No, wait a minute" he stopped her, taking her hand and coming closer to her. "I need to tell you something. It 's important."

Goku stared at her with such depth in his eyes, she couldn’t decipher it. "Goku ... are you okay?". She asked worriedly when she noticed that he looked a little serious and tense, placing a hand on his cheek lovingly.

He stood still, enjoying the warm touch of her hand under the glove of her wedding dress. He closed his eyes and smiled softly, caressing her hand on his face. Oh, how he’d missed this -he hadn’t known just how much until now. It’d been so long for him.

Surrounding her with his arms, Goku took a deep breath and swept away any hesitation, bringing back his confidence when he smiled at her and looked into her eyes lovingly, "Come here". And he brought her close to him. Of course that would startle her a little. After all, at the time a simple touch was enough to make him panic, but he was running out of time. "Chi-Chi, I just wanted to let you know that today was... I mean-". He corrected himself. "It is a very important day for me... and no matter what happens from now on, I’ll always be thinking about you"

He felt her still in his arms. That was not the reaction he was aiming for, but he hated this kind of goodbyes the most in the entire universe. However, it was too late and he had to continue.

The orange flower petals from Chi-Chi's bouquet whirled in the breeze behind Goku's neck, enveloping them both, as if nature wanted to keep that moment only for them.

Chi-Chi wasn’t following Goku at all.Of course they’d been harboring a very strong admiration for each other during the months before the wedding, and she hoped that could develop into something stronger after the wedding when they’d have to live together.

But this… it was beyond her wildest dreams, it felt like an illusion. He was looking at her and talking to her as if he’d known her for an entire lifetime.

There had to be something wrong with him, it could only be that. There was no other explanation.

What did that mean? Is he leaving? Is he going to die? Is he going to give up on her?

Those thoughts were running through her mind now, haunting her.

"Goku... I don't understand. Why are you talking like that? You're scaring me..."

Her eyes began to waver as she looked into his, her voice was low and soft, as if she were about to cry. She was afraid, not of him, but of what his actions and words could mean.

It was a mystery how she would manage to read him so well since that day, since the beginning of their lives together.

Goku rested his forehead on hers with his eyes closed, and brushed his nose against hers, as if wanting to capture the aroma of flowers flowing from his wife.

"Don’t worry” he whispered when he opened his eyes to look at her. "It's okay, trust me."

Chi-Chi looked stunned and frightened at the same time, if that was even possible, and started to doubt him again. "No, it's not okay and if there's something wrong I can-"

The touch of his lips on hers silenced her instantly. She relaxed, closed her eyes and enjoyed that moment. Her body went limp against him completely. Even if he’d been desperate to do that, it was also the only way he could think of to show her that everything was fine.

The kiss was delicate, soft and warm. No lust or despair there, just the purest possible and most loving of feelings.

When Goku leaned back a little, he gave his wife in his arms a small smile. They could feel each other's warm breaths fanning their faces.

"I just wanted to say... that I love you. I will always love you, forever, no matter what. You have changed my life in a way that I can’t even fathom right now. Just believe me" He whispered.

Chi-Chi was red-faced, surprised, stunned, scared, in love ...

All at once, and she couldn’t take it.

Soon, tears were streaming from her eyes, but she smiled at him when she felt her feet back on the floor as he released her, his arms still around her and hers still around his neck.

She really loved those words, so sweet and unusual, certainly unusual, but they flew out of Goku’s mouth so abruptly that it was astonishing to her. He seemed different from her usual Goku, and that worried her.

But why destroy this exciting mood with questions? That statement could be a good thing, so why doubt your husband? She will never doubt the words coming from someone she loves so much, and even more now.

She laughed weakly at her husband, "Son Goku, what happened to you...", she swallowed, teary eyes looking at him when he gave a weak laugh. "I love you too, silly, and I will never give up on how I feel about you."

Goku knew this very well, and she never gave up on their relationship, no matter the flaws they had and the obstacles they had to endure. Somehow, their love for each other was always stronger than anything that could arise.

And he wanted her to know that he loved her and still loves her in a way that he could’ve never imagined and that... man, and what a spectacular life they built together. Their children, their granddaughter and their friends. All of it, he wanted her to know all of it, he wanted her to know how grateful he is grateful for all that love.

And that he will love her for eternity.

Now Son Goku can rest in peace.

Chi-Chi hugged him tightly with her arms around his neck. She understood. She simply did.

He buried his head in the back of her neck and hugged her tightly too, absorbing every bit of he could from her essence.

Chi-Chi moved back and they stared into each other’s eyes.

"Hey Chi-Chi! Look at the amazing shoes I got you as your wedding gift!" a family friend called out, interrupting the connection the couple had established with their eyes.

“Are you coming?” Chi-Chi asked, looking at him while wiping her tears.

Goku smiled and nodded. "Go ahead, I'll be right there."

And so his wife shook her head and slowly moved away from him. When there was enough distance, he felt his body crumble, becoming transparent until nothing was left.

He noticed that a little over five minutes had passed...

"Thank you dragon balls". And those were the last words of one of the greatest warriors the world has ever known. Turning into nothing more and nothing less than bright points of light spreading like fireflies between the petals of flowers in the air, dancing in the autumn breeze.

Rest in peace, Son Goku!

The bravest and kindest fighter who ever lived.

The End

Janwum Update: 16,141

I’m just gonna think out loud for a minute. Here’s a screencap of Chi-Chi for you to look at while you nod politely during my mad ramblings.

All right, so yesterday I was trying to figure out how Trunks could investigate Luffa’s backstory without altering history, and I considered some sort of alternative time machine tech, like the stuff they use for Parallel Quests, but then I realized they already have something like that in the SDBH games.

The plot of World Mission introduced this idea that SDBH runs on a simulated version of history. Beat and Note are Earthlings who just like playing video games, but the bad guy, Sealas, is trying to use the game as a model for the real world. He changes history inside the game world to see how it’ll affect the game world’s present, and this let’s him test out how his plans will work on the real thing. So the Time Patrol sent Trunks to stop him, and he assembled the Dragon Ball Heroes Team to help him defeat Sealas in the game. Then the tech they use to fight in the game world somehow gets used to give them real powers in the real world, and I have no idea how that works. The point is, it’s a simple matter for Trunks to use the SDBH simulation to investigate clues of Luffa’s origins. He can’t just relive the first 140-odd chapters of my fanfic, because he doesn’t know exactly where or when to go, but he could if he had that information. So this is perfect, I can have him pull an all-nighter in the Hero Lab learning bits and pieces of what I want him to know.

For my part, the biggest hassle I have in working DBH continuity in with Xenoverse continuity is the frequent use of Xeno Goku and Xeno Vegeta. They’re like alternate versions of the Goku and Vegeta we see in Dragon Ball Super, but they never really explain where they came from. The manga suggested that Chronoa summoned them from Trunks own memory, except he shouldn’t remember anything about Super Saiyan 4, or fusion, or whatever else. Even if there were a suitable account for this, I wouldn’t want to use it, because it defeats the plot of the Xenoverse games. Why should Trunks wish for a partner if he can just call up Goku and Vegeta whenever he needs help? An Xenoverse 1 even ends with Chronoa summoning regular Goku to pitch in against Demigra, so it just doesn’t work. So I’m sort of going with the idea that a lot of DBH stories happened, but without these “Xeno” characters involved.

I think that’s probably in the spirit of the concept. The SDBH games probably only used those characters to beef up the Time Patrol’s ranks, since Trunks doesn’t have a legion of OC’s to back him up like he does in the Xenoverse games. On the flipside, the SDBH anime hardly ever uses Time Patrol Trunks. They just want an extra Goku and Vegeta on hand, for whatever reason. And there’s no sign of Beat and Note, which is kind of weird, since they’re the stars of the game. These things are modular, so I think it’s fitting that I only use the DBH components I want, and not the ones I don’t want.

What was tripping me up was the idea that the SDBH game is somehow able to replicate events recorded in the Scroll of Eternity, like Capsule Corp. has the technology to read this cosmic document and write source code that’s compatible with it. I figure that it must have been a project designed by the Time Patrol. They wanted a simulation for training and research purposes, so they rigged it up within this arcade game. It’s mostly harmless, until a rogue Patroller like Sealas tried to exploit it against them.

The main side effect of all this is that I can’t see a lot of the goofier power ups from SDBH working in my continuity. Trunks had to go Super Saiyan God to defeat Mechikabura, which doesn’t really work with Xenoverse 1, where he has absolutely no idea what Super Saiyan God is. I watched some videos of a playthrough of World Mission and Beat discovers he’s one of Goku’s descendants, and so he eventually learns to turn Super Saiyan Blue. That’s not a terrible idea in a story where SSJ4 Gogeta is teaming up with him, but without Gogeta, I’m probably better off saying Beat doesn’t have divine ki, at least not right away.

I don’t plan on using Beat and Note much, but I would like to do some stuff with them later, but the trouble with that is that I have to write two characters who are pretty thin on personality. That’s not a knock on the games, the whole idea is to have fairly flat protagonists so the player can “inhabit” them better. All I really know about Beat is that he’s a natural at playing SDBH, and he’s a big fan of Trunks’ alter ego, Great Saiyaman 3. And all I know about Note is that she’s apparently not descended from Saiyans, and she addresses Trunks as “Master”. I think there might be an implied romantic connection between them, but they look pretty young in the game and the DB Wiki doesn’t seem to know for sure, so I’m betting that’s just fans reading into things. My big idea for them was to use older versions of the characters, maybe 17 instead of 14, or whatever, and that way they can be a little different from the official versions of the characters because a few years have passed for them.

The main reason I’m going over all this, though, is that I’m not sure if or when I’ll have a chance to circle back to any of this, and some of these details may never make it into the fic at all, so I wanted to make a note of it.

Kakavege Week Day 7: Fusion Memories

@kakavegeweek

The ocean below glowed under the setting sun, almost appearing to glitter as he flew above. The breeze that flowed through his hair was refreshing, and it relaxed him. He didn’t know why he had been summoned, but it was nice to fly around and just be himself.

But who exactly was he? He was neither Goku nor Vegeta, but they were two components that made him, well him. It wasn’t like there were two saiyans fighting for control in his brain. The only voice inside his head was his, even if his voice was just a mix of the two. A part of him didn’t care enough to ponder the question but another part did. Two conflicting personalities. He worried that if he thought too hard, he might split before the thirty minutes were up. It would be best to just enjoy the view while he could. Who knew when he’d get another chance?

------

“You know, I had a strange dream last night.”

“What makes you think I care?”

“No need to be so rude, Vegeta.”

Instead of responding, the saiyan prince threw a punch that Goku easily blocked and countered. Today was another day dedicated to their sparring sessions. Before Broly had appeared, the two saiyans hadn't been training together as often as they did now. It was as if the newest saiyan had revitalized their desire to grow stronger, and the only suitable training partners they had were each other.

But since their fierce battle, Goku had started getting strange dreams. Dreams that didn’t really feel like dreams, but they must have been. The two hadn’t fused since the fight. So, of course they were dreams.

“Stop,” Vegeta scowled, “You’re distracted. I can tell.”

“Am I?” Goku asked, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

“Tch. Bored of me already, aren’t you? Whatever, you can go train with Broly for all I care.”

Leave it to Vegeta to make everything dramatic. Goku hadn’t even done anything.

“Don’t be such a drama queen. I told you, I had a weird dream last night.”

“What did you call me?”

“Say, do you ever dream about Gogeta?” Goku asked, changing the subject before Vegeta could start pummeling him, “Last night I dreamt about flying above the ocean, but I was Gogeta.”

There was a strange look on Vegeta’s face, thankfully forgetting what Goku had called him.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just shut up and focus.”

----

While the view of the setting sun was gorgeous, he had to admit there was a certain beauty to the ocean when the moon and stars were the only ones illuminating it. It looked mysterious, and he wondered what he’d find if he dove in. There was only one way to find out.

----

Goku was surprised when he managed to land a clean shot to Vegeta’s face so early. The prince scowled and cursed as he grasped his nose in pain, and Goku couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Who’s distracted now?”

“Shut up.”

“Is something up?”

Vegeta crossed his arms and looked away. Goku was about to drop it and continue their match when, “Did you dream about Gogeta last night?”

Goku blinked. “I did. Did you?”

“I...we were flying above the ocean, but this time it was nighttime.”

“This time? Wait, this isn’t your first Gogeta dream?”

Vegeta didn’t answer, but he didn’t need to. The look on his face said everything. Excitement bubbled in his chest.

“Are we having fusion dreams? Are we gonna be able to talk to each other in our dreams?”

“It must be some aftereffect from fusing. But I don’t recall having any strange dreams when we fused into Vegito.”

“Now that I think about it, I don’t think I had any either. Maybe fusing with the dance is different than fusing with the potara earrings. Piccolo might know more.”

“There’s no need to ask the namekian about it. It’ll probably go away soon.”

“You might be right.”

----

If Goku did farm work, did that mean he did as well? The knowledge was certainly there in his brain. As he stared at the carrots in the ground, he knew they were ready to be pulled out.

If he was having a conversation with someone and they asked if he’d ever worked on a farm, what would his answer be? Yes but actually no. He crouched down and wondered if it’d be alright to pull one out. Goku was going to harvest them in the morning, so it’d be fine if he took one, right?

But was this real?

He’d wondered that ever since he grew conscious. He felt real. Nothing about the world around him seemed like a dream. But every time he had come to be, he didn’t recall the two saiyans fusing. When he had fought Broly, he definitely remembered. It had been a long trial and error but he remembered. Why was this different?

Without a second thought, he pulled a carrot out. He’d have his answer soon enough.

------

Goku awoke to the sound of his phone ringing. With a groan, he reached for it and answered.

“Hello?”

“I woke up with a carrot in my hand.”

That woke Goku up.

“We’re fusing?” Goku gasped as he sat up. Chi-Chi absently smacked his arm, and he made his way out of the room. “Are we fusing in our sleep?”

“How are we doing that ridiculous dance in our sleep?”

“I don’t know! You got a better idea?”

Clearly Vegeta didn’t. Goku didn’t need to be present to see his eyebrows furrow in frustration.

“Let’s go ask Piccolo.”

-------

“That’s...certainly strange.”

As Goku explained the situation to Piccolo, the namekian’s face did not reveal his thoughts.

“Do you think we’re fusing in our sleep?”

“It’s possible. In general, fusions are weird. We don’t know much about them except how to create them. Perhaps deep down you two want to fuse, so your subconscious—”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Vegeta interrupted, face growing pink, “Deep down I want to do that stupid dance? Like hell!”

“It’s just a theory, no need to get so defensive, Vegeta,” Piccolo said with a rare smile.

“Why don’t we just ask him?” The two looked at Goku, a bit confused with what he was suggesting. “Well, Piccolo can ask him actually.”

Vegeta’s embarrassment only grew at the suggestion, “There’s no way I’m fusing with you.”

“But aren’t you curious? Besides, this might keep happening if we don’t confront him.”

“Unless, of course, you do want this to keep happening. We wouldn’t judge,” Piccolo teased, riling the prince up.

“Shut up! Fine, let’s just get this over with.”

-------

As he came to being once more, he couldn't help but smile. Vegeta had stared at the carrot in shock when he had woken up. Such a sweet carrot. It had confirmed everything.

“Gogeta was it?”

Piccolo stared at him with expectations. As if he knew how or why the saiyans were fusing without their knowledge. He didn’t. And why would he question such a gift?

“That’s right. I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to your question, however. Not that I mind.”

“You don’t mind?”

“Of course not. I only exist when they fuse. Why would I mind?”

Piccolo pondered this for a moment. “Perhaps your desire to exist somehow causes them to fuse without them knowing. You’re an extremely powerful being.”

“I don’t mean to cause trouble.”

He meant it. Goku enjoyed the experience of being him, but Vegeta had more complicated feelings towards him. He could try to pick at those feelings, but he was certain it would take much longer than the time he was allotted to exist. That was Vegeta’s problem to deal with; he had much better things to do.

“I’m pretty sure they want you to stop.”

“I know. I didn’t do this on purpose. I can...try to lessen my desire? I’m not sure how but I’ll try. But before I go, there is something I’d like to see.”

As he flew up in preparation for his destination, Piccolo called out, “Where are you going?”

He laughed. “I’ll keep that to ourselves.”

And he left, hoping this would not be the last time he’d be awake.

Linked: Chapter 5

Summary: Bulma and Vegeta begin to truly understand their feelings, with a little help from their friends.

Previous Chapters: 1/2/3/4

Also on Ao3.

8-8-8-8-8

Note: I am sooo sorry for this incredibly late update! Some of you may remember that I had gotten really sick soon after posting the last chapter of this, but now that I am better, I am back!

I hope you enjoy this, and as always, feedback gives me liiiiife.

8-8-8-8-8

Chapter 5: Synced

8-8-8-8-8

“Hello?”

Bulma held the phone to her cheek with her shoulder as she tried to answer the call and sort through the growing pile of papers on her desk.

“Good morning. Am I speaking to Ms. Bulma Briefs?” asked the voice on the other line.

“Yes, this is Ms. Briefs. May I ask who is on the line, please?”

“Ms. Briefs, I am Dr. Gero from NRRU, the New Red Ribbon University,” he said, making Bulma straighten in her seat, papers forgotten as she quickly grabbed the phone with both hands.

NRRU was a premier academic and research institute, and she knew of Dr. Gero through the several books he had written on nuclear physics.

“What can I do for you, Dr. Gero?” she asked, her heart leaping within her chest.

“We had received a recommendation for you from one of our colleagues, and I wish to ask if you would be interested in coming in for an interview to fill a job vacancy as a Research Fellow for our Physics Department?”

Her jaw fell slack, mouth open in shock, as she digested what she had just heard.

She had just been asked to try for a post at freaking NRRU.

She nearly wheezed, one hand flying to her chest to keep her heart from ripping straight through her rib cage.

This… was unbelievable…

And she knew exactly who had made it possible.

“Ms. Briefs? Are you still there?”

“Yes!” she yipped, before she cleared her throat and tried to answer with a smidge more dignity. “Yes, Dr. Gero. I am still on the line. And I am, of course, very interested regarding your offer for an interview.”

“Alright then, have you a pen and paper? Please take down these details,” Gero said, and Bulma made a mad scramble for a pen to take down the interview details, now set for three days away.

She thanked him profusely before she practically flew to HR to file for a day of vacation leave, and as she sat back down on her desk, she had the widest smile on her face, immediately alerting Chichi.

“What’s up, Bulma?” she asked.

“Oh, nothing.”

“Bull crap,” replied her friend. “You have been morose for days. Ever since- well, ya know…”

And she did.

When she and Vegeta had agreed to part ways, she had know it would be difficult, but never imagined that it would be so all-consumingly painful.

She wholeheartedly blamed the marks, as she knew that it was the stupid things that caused her so much grief, but she couldn’t help but wonder if maybe…

Maybe…

Maybe she had really been falling for him, Soulmate or not.

He was intelligent, handsome, determined to succeed and unconventionally caring… things that she had always known that she wanted in a man, but had never found until he came along.

And in her – their – stubbornness, they had pulled away from each other before they could discover what they truly had brewing, because both were overly cautious about being manipulated by a fate that they cannot control.

She snapped out of her thoughts when Chichi reached forward to hold her hand, and Bulma’s lips quivered when she spied the pitying sadness in her friend’s gaze.

“Bulma,” Chichi hesitated. “Don’t you think that maybe you should-”

“No, Chi,” she said, cutting off a sentiment that had been repeated to her several times already.

“But…”

“I am not gonna ask him to come back,” Bulma said. “This… this is nothing! I’ve just hit a bit of a snag, but I’m gonna be fine.”

Chichi looked unconvinced, but nodded, pulling her hand back.

Chichi smiled with forced brightness as Bulma did the same, asking again, “So, why were you so happy just now?”

Bulma excitedly told her about the phone call, expecting Chichi to be as ridiculously happy as she was, but Chichi just frowned again.

“What? Why do you look so sad?” she asked.

“Because… well, can’t you see, Bulma,” she responded haltingly. “This was Vegeta’s doing. He is still looking out for you. And if that isn’t a sign of true affection, I don’t know what is.”

“Chichi, I can’t just accept that he’s the one, all because of a dumb tattoo-”

“It isn’t, though!” Chichi exclaimed, suddenly standing up, hands balled into tiny fists at her side. “You are self-sabotaging, as usual!”

Bulma’s eyes widened, and she was about to say something when Chichi held a hand up to her to silence her.

“You always give up before you can start. You find a negative sign before you see the go-signal,” Chichi ranted. “You have sacrificed everything for everyone else, and have gotten so used to compromising that you have never tried to take a risk for yourself!”

“Chichi-”

“Do ya think Goku and I had it all so easy?” she asked, raising a hand up to pinch her eyes in frustration. “You know what he’s like. He wasn’t ready to settle down. He didn’t even seem to understand what it meant! But I knew that I wanted him, and I fought, Bulma. I wanted that man, I fought for him, and now I have never been happier.”

“It’s not the same thing!” Bulma protested. “You and Goku fell in love with each other-”

“Didn’t you?”

Bulma paused, stunned.

Did she?

Did she actually, really fall for Vegeta?

“Maybe you need to see him again, Bulma. Or talk to him. Just one more time… Your soulmate mark has been wilting so badly lately and… maybe if you talk to Vegeta again, you can use that as your guide.”

Bulma looked down at her arm, where her soulmate mark looked like a branch of wilted leaves, the previously bright scarlet lines now a fading, brownish red.

Her mark looked as miserable as she felt…

“Maybe… maybe after this interview. I just need some more time,” Bulma said.

Chichi smiled sadly at her, leaning down to once again hold her hands in hers.

“I wish you luck, Bulma.”

And Bulma knew, that Chichi was not just talking about the interview.

8-8-8-8-8

NRRU was massive, and Bulma was in heaven as she looked around at the high-tech cars and freshly-painted buildings comprising the Scientific Research Department.

Dr. Gero, a kindly old man with long gray hair, was an amazing person, and Bulma somehow managed to answer all his questions in spite of her rioting nerves.

The fact that Gero was so supportive helped a lot, and nearly an hour after they had shook hands as they met, Gero leaned back in his chair with a very fond grin.

“You really are as brilliant as I had been told you were,” Gero said. “Then again, coming from this colleague of mine, I knew that his recommendations are valuable, as he is rather hard to impress. And you really impressed him, Ms. Briefs.”

Bulma hesitated, before she asked, “I just wanted to confirm… I was referred to you by Mr. Vegeta Ouji, am I correct?”

“Yes, and I should give him a call to thank him. This interview we just had was one of the most entertaining ones I have had in years!”

She beamed, “Does this mean that I pass your screening then, Dr. Gero?”

He nodded. “I shall be forwarding the results of this interview to our Recruitment team, and I will be asking them to expedite your paperwork. I think you will be an asset, Ms. Briefs, and I am looking forward to working with you.”

Bulma wanted to cry from how happy she was, disbelief running along with her unparalleled excitement.

“Thank you so much, Dr. Gero,” she said. “I am so excited, and I am really going to do my best here, I promise.”

Gero stood up, and both of them reached forward to shake hands.

However, as they did, Bulma noticed something strange…

Gero’s sleeve had ridden up, and she saw that his arm was riddled with a pale, ash gray tattoo that was in the vague shape of a butterfly.

Gero noticed her gaze, and with a fatherly smile, he moved to pull his sleeve up, exposing him arm to her.

“Is that…” Bulma began.

“My Soulmate Mark,” Gero confirmed. “Back in the day, this was in the form of a lovely golden butterfly.”

Bulma swallowed, unsure, but curiosity won over and she asked, “Did it also start to fade when you rejected your Soulmate?”

Gero’s eyes widened at her question. “Rejected?”

She nodded, confused.

The old Doctor smiled, shaking his head. “I did not reject my Soulmate. She was my wife, for many years, and this mark turned into this… after she passed away.”

“I am so sorry…”

“It was quite a few years ago, and she left me with my wonderful son, who is working in the NRRU Robotics Department,” he smiled, before he asked, “What made you believe that I had rejected my Soulmate, Ms. Briefs?”

With an embarrassed blush, she pulled her sleeve up to show him her own wilting tattoo. “My… my mark turned into this after my Soulmate and I parted ways. We weren’t quite sure of each other…”

Gero frowned. “Ms. Briefs… the way your mark has reacted… that is not how the Marks react to rejected or unfit Soulmates.”

She furrowed her brow at him, curious.

“If you and your Soulmate find yourselves incompatible, the Marks would change from their original state, but would not transform into more complex patterns,” he explained.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, that the way your Mark looks, is how it would if both your heart and soul have found your match, but you have been made to part ways,” he said kindly, a fond smile on his lips. “The mark would have grown beautiful, but after you left your Soulmate, it faded, as if your soul was in mourning… just as mine mourns every single day after I had lost my dear wife.”

Bulma gaped, stunned. “This means… that my Soulmate… is also the man for my heart?”

Gero’s smiled widened. “I suggest that you try to be with him again. No spat is worth not being with your Soulmate. Believe me, Ms. Briefs… if you return to him, it would be the best decision you will ever make.”

She felt the tears gather in her eyes, and she nodded, mind made.

“Thank you Dr. Gero,” she said sincerely. “Both for this opportunity, and for the advice.”

Within minutes, she was racing out of the university, determined to make things right…

She was going to get her Soulmate back.

8-8-8-8-8

Back in NRRU, an old gray-haired Physics expert was grinning as he dialed the number of a certain colleague in the EASA.

“Yes,” came the curt reply.

“Boy, I suggest you get your butt moving back to that city,” the doctor said. “That young lady looks just as miserable as you do.”

“Dr. Gero-”

“Vegeta,” he said, a note of warning in his tone. “Remember our discussion about Entropy?”

8-8-8-8-8

Bulma sighed, feeling stupid.

She had just realized that she didn’t have Vegeta’s number.

“For a smart person, I sure can be dumb,” she muttered as she sat on her bed in the wee hours of the morning, sleepy but unable to sleep, scrolling helplessly through her phone contacts.

How the hell did she never think of getting his number?

She would have to ask Piccolo if he had it.

She needed to talk to Vegeta. She needed to have him with her again.

As the thought filled her mind, she felt a small tingle begin to run up her arm, like a slither of a current moving beneath her skin.

She placed her phone down on the center table, glancing at her arm…

Her eyes widened, and she brought her arm up close to her eyes, squinting.

The mark had changed, the first visible movement that Bulma had seen since she last saw Vegeta.

The pale red that she had been used to seeing lately had shifted, as if a light had been injected into it from the inside. It bled into a deeper, brighter shade, from the very bottom line that slashed across her wrist to the edges of the wilted leaves along her arm.

A pulse ran through her as she watched the changing colors, and a strange sensation crept up from her chest, as if waiting anxiously for something that was sure to happen…

A sudden knocking sound startled her, and she shook her head to clear it as her addled brain slowly realized that the sound was coming from the front door.

Lost in thought, she walked robotically towards it, but as she turned the knob, she didn’t peer through the peephole to see who had come knocking.

She pulled the door open, and her heart nearly stopped at the sight that greeted her…

Painfully familiar dark hair in riotous flame-like waves, a sharp widow’s peak that accentuated severe dark eyes… whose penetrating gaze went through her like shards of lightning, making her heart beat a thunderous rhythm within her chest…

She trembled, overwhelmed; her hands slowly raised to hold in a sob that threatened to break through her lips…

She choked on his name as her eyes greedily roved his form, grateful for the chance to see his frowning face and his muscular body clothed in a simple white button-down shirt and blue denim jeans.

She clutched her throat as she finally found her voice, but now it was her mind that began to claw for something to say.

Yet, she came up blank, and the only thing she managed to do was choke out a single word.

“Vegeta…” she called softly, eyes searching his as he stared intently at her.

He too opened his mouth as if to speak, but quickly snapped it shut, his brows furrowing so low as his brilliant brain cast around for his thoughts, and just as she had begun to think that he was also coming up empty, he growled.

“Entropy,” he said, making her grimace in confusion.

Of all the things to say, she never expected that.

“What?” she asked, lost.

“We were too hasty. We rushed through our inferences and came to incorrect conclusions,” he said, his words stumbling quickly, one after another.

“Vegeta, are you alright? You’re not making sense-”

“We’re not in chaos, Bulma. We just need to analyze our degree of entropy,” he said, eyes now wide and unreasonably bright. “We have a bit of disorder and randomness on our hands. But it is not the disarray that we had first seen it as.”

Bulma was still lost, her confusion giving way to irritation as his cryptic words stirred up her already jumbled mind. “Why are we talking about physics at two in the morning?”

“Physics is our point of commonality, is it not?” he asked. “It seemed as if we were thrust into this strange situation in complete bedlam, but it is all simply random, and not really chaotic, isn’t it? May I come in?”

Dumbfounded, she nodded, wordlessly stepping aside as he moved past her and promptly took a seat on her couch, dropping a backpack on the floor beside him.

She moved to close the door behind him before she turned to face him once more.

Vegeta looked up at her then, brows furrowed together, and much to Bulma’s amusem*nt, he gestured towards the chair, patting a spot beside himself as in inviting her to sit on her couch.

She chuckled in disbelief before she obliged him, promptly taking the seat beside him, her knees knocking softly against his when they both turned to face each other.

“Ok, Vegeta… I need you to slow down. What are you trying to tell me?” she asked gently, trying to placate the clearly manic man sitting before her.

He shook his head. “Bulma- This… Us. It is not as chaotic as we had thought. It was just that it had felt so random. It was just a seemingly random match-up, but if we sit still long enough to analyze it…”

He trailed off, staring intently into her blue eyes, a look akin to helplessness leaking from his dark gaze. “Randomization removes the risk of bias. If we had been left to our own devices to find our matches, we would have been stuck searching uselessly within a biased set, an easily-accessible control group that did not contain the variable that would yield the best possible outcome.”

Bulma sucked in a deep breath, her sleepy mind jolting awake as she finally began to understand what Vegeta was getting at.

“I suppose…” she started, gulping between unsteady breaths. “If we had searched by ourselves, we would only be able to look within our current environments, our separate crowds. We would never think to look beyond our own cliques and the people surrounding us.”

“Exactly,” he nodded. “And these Soulmate Marks… They were not random, after all. They were the most calculated things to have ever come to be. They were installed upon us by a higher power who knew that something-”

“Someone,” she corrected softly.

He stared harder at her, his eyes melting her from the inside and out, before rebuilding her, sculpting her into something that would only grow more beautiful beneath his hands.

“Someone,” he amended in a whisper. “Someone better for us… is out there, previously completely inaccessible to us both.”

“For who would think that my Soulmate would be a hotshot astronaut?” she agreed.

“And who would suspect that the woman I would someday fall in love with was a blue-haired academic writer stuck in a backward, sleepy city?”

She gasped, eyes going wide as his muttered question spread from her ears to every fiber of her form.

“In… in love?” she asked hoarsely, her breaths shallow in elated disbelief.

“I do not know how… neither do I know when,” he said earnestly, “But somehow, between the time I pushed you away from the path of a speeding car, and the time you spoke of your past to me in that small restaurant…”

She began to shake, and as if sensing her turmoil, Vegeta hesitantly, slowly, reached up to grasp her trembling hands within his larger, steadier palms.

“My... My heart,” he stuttered in a voice nearly too soft for her to hear, but Bulma knew that her own heart could have heard his words, even if her ears had not.

“Your heart…?” she egged on.

He swallowed, face simultaneously pale and flushed. “My heart… began to yearn for what my soul knew I needed. And… and…”

She hiccupped, and it was only as she tasted salt on her lips that she even realized that she had been crying in response to his words actions.

“Vegeta,” she spoke, trying to see him through her watery eyes.

She needed to watch him, see him clearly as she finally accepted what her spirit had known all along.

“I need you with me,” she said, her heart threatening to pound through her chest as she finally, finally understood. “You’re what I want. I was so stupid to try to reject it…”

“We both were,” he admitted. “Bulma, our minds were the only ones in chaos. We had been overthinking things-”

“And it conflicted with what we both could already feel,” she cut in. “And what I feel for you… Vegeta…”

She felt her arms begin to burn from her Soulmate Mark, but the sensation was not painful…

On the contrary, the flowing fissures of energy felt invigorating, divine…

And as Vegeta moved closer, taking her face in his palms as his thumbs wiped away the tracks of her tears, Bulma surrendered to the all-encompassing knowledge that, gods and tattoos aside, this man was the man for her.

Her hands clutched at his arms as she trembled, as she felt his own body shake in response to her nearness, and compelled by the beauty of his lips, the depth of his eyes, she moved closer to him as he too reached down to clutch her against him.

Their lips met, his caress but a soft touch that felt like clouds upon her mouth, and Bulma closed her eyes with an eager moan as she felt him hold her tighter. His powerful hands felt sure, secure against her back as he pulled her to him, his mouth devouring her while she luxuriated in his warmth.

It was as if his kiss had filled her with light, as Bulma felt glorious in his arms, the shivers running through her pulling goosebumps beneath her skin.

Vegeta groaned, and she gasped as he deepened their connection, as he held her even tighter, and Bulma didn’t even consider resisting when he pushed her down to lay upon her couch.

His backpack on the floor was later joined by his shirt, her thin sleeping gown…

As they gave in to their hearts, to the songs of love ringing in their souls, the rhythm of their pulsing hearts serenaded them as they slowly, gently made love until the early morning light began to filter through her windows.

And when they woke up after their night of passion, both looked down upon their Soulmate Marks, smiling at each other as they realized that the leaves on the tattoos had come back to life, with flowers that were now in resplendently full bloom.

8-8-8-8-8

To be continued…

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Heya I don't mean to sound passive aggressive in any way, but I was just wondering why is it that you dislike Super a lot? I mean you're allowed to like and dislike whatever you want, and I'm in no way trying to change your opinion. I'm just curious as to why you seem to have a burning hatred for it?

Nah you don’t sound passive aggressive ^^ if you were you wouldn’t have acknowledged that my opinion is a valid one, you’re cool

I’ve avoided going into too much detail to avoid The Discourse, but essentially it comes down to a few main points: ships I don’t like, characters I don’t care about, pacing, terrible one-note characterization, and the fans.

I know a lot of that sounds really petty but with all my Sweet Home Alabama discourse yesterday are any of you surprised

I’m going to put my more detailed reasoning under a cut because boy howdy it is longand I have some Things To Say

Ships I Don’t LikeOkay this, honestly, is incredibly petty, and it’s not even the pettiest thing on here. But I HATE Trunks/Mai. I hate it. It is the worst ship that’s had the word“canon” sneezed at it in all of DB history, and that’s coming from someone who firmly believes Yamcha/Bulma was unhealthy for both parties. One of my rules for accepting writing commissions and requests is that I will not accept ships with an“aged up” child character in a relationship with an adult. (Aged up children in relationships with other aged up children are a different story, as they’re at least at the same stage of development, but that’s an issue for another day.) Trunks/Mai has the opposite problem: it’s an“aged down” adult character in a relationship with a child. You can argue about Future Trunks’s age all you want, but that changes nothing about kid Trunks and Mai. She’s in her forties. He’s nine at most. How is this not the creepiest thing in the world what the f*ck.

Even with Future Trunks and Future Mai, it still grosses me out because it’s the same thing. Assuming the Pilaf Gang did (somehow) wish to be young again in the Future timeline (which...I don’t see how they could have, that doesn’t make sense continuity-wise, but continuity has never been DB’s strong suit), that still makes her way older than him. And if they didn’t, well, that’s just worse. Also how is she still that young looking.

Honestly the only reason I can think of for Toei/Toriyama to bring that into existence was so people would stop shipping Trunks with Goten and Future Trunks with Gohan. Which. I get it, you don’t like it, they’re your characters, et cetera, but could you maybe not have done it in a somewhat less creepy way? Dude. What 40-something wants to be in a relationship with a kid? Even if said 40-something lookslike a kid? It’s creepy and gross and I hate it more than any other canon ship.

Characters I Don’t Care AboutI’ve heard a lot of people refer to Super as The Goku and Vegeta Hour and...yeah. DB’s never been great at remembering their MILLIONS of side characters (humans especially once Z happened) and Super doesn’t take enough steps to change that imo. Don’t get me wrong--I like Goku, and I...tolerate Vegeta, but characters who were once considered major players are relegated to backseat viewers again, and nobody can keep up with Goku except Vegeta sometimes (when previously most of them could at least hold their own). I’ll admit, I like the looks of some of the new characters, there are some who seem like they have interesting characterizations (like Kale.....though I’ll be the first to admit I’m biased as hell towards buff women). But Zamasu/Goku Black or whatever just seemed like a couple of sh*tty Hot Topic teens. I went to high school with people like them and they were annoying.

There’s just too much of a focus on a few specific characters while other characters get the shaft, and the new characters and plot points they bring up just...aren’t interesting. I don’t give a sh*t about yet another“gotta get stronger” plot you guys. Ugh.

PacingOKAY I’LL ADMIT this is the pettiest thing on this list but like...I’ve neverliked the DB anime’s pacing. Ever. Remember how I used to liveblog DBZ? I got like 10 episodes in and got fed up with how long it took to getanywhere. Stuff that took like...a couple chapters in the manga took five half-hour episodes to deal with. And you’d think they would’ve learned in 30 years, especially since they don’t have to base everything off the manga now, but no, the pacing is still awful. And it’s not just the whole“Namek takes half a season to explode” stuff (although that is really annoying, and knowing the real-world reason for it doesn’t make it less annoying), it’s that every shotlasts longer than it needs to. You could cut the running time in half just by trimming the shots slightly. It’s bad, and I’ve always stuck to the manga because of it. It’s not that I’m a Manga Purist(TM) or anything, I just...can’t watch the anime.

Terrible, One-Note CharacterizationYou all know who I mean when I say this, but it extends to more than just Yamcha.

Videl’s character was absolutely decimated in this show. 18′s the only female fighter we have left anymore because of it. I once saw an argument saying that Videl not fighting anymore makes sense because she was traumatized by being killed by Buu, which okay fine fair enough, but 1) nobody said she had to fight in life-or-deaths situations, AT LEAST LET HER BE SAIYAWOMAN AGAIN YOU COWARDS, and 2) that doesn’t mean you have to get rid of her firecracker personality and replace it with the sweet, docile housewife type. We saw it with Chi-Chi...sort of, we don’t need it with Videl, too. Once a female character gets married in DB, they stop fighting (except 18) and stop being important to the plot (except Bulma...sometimes (remember when Bulma was the main character? Pepperidge Farm remembers)). Three times is a pattern, Toriyama, I’m just saying.

Goku even gets hit with shades of this. He’s not an idiot, you guys, he can read a dang grocery list. Yes, he’s selfish and simple and bad at communicating and often doesn’t realise what he’s done wrong until it’s pointed out to him, but he’s also a fast learner, a really good tactician (like. look at some of his fights in DB and early Z, those are some Good Tactics), and not a complete asswipe. We don’t get to see those good traits much in Super. He had noreason to not tell people the stakes for the tournament to get them to join. None. There was no reason to lie. Yes, his biggest flaw is his inability to communicate with his friends and teammates (COUGHS LOUDLY AND LOOKS AT THE CELL ARC) but Jesusyou guys, his friends would have helped him if he told them the real stakes too? He didn’t need to lie? There was no point? I’m so angry?

The worst of it though is Yamcha. For the love of f*ck, you guys, Yamcha has more characterization than just“guy who sucks at everything and has a thing for Bulma.” Like that’s some Funi dub sh*t there, not original canon. What happened to when he said he’d given up fighting in the Buu arc? Where did that go? You could have done so much morewith that concept rather than have him still be overconfident in his abilities and slamming him at every turn. Even when he does get to do stuff, it’s obvious that it’s just a setup to make him fail so Vegetawill look good by comparison. It’s awful. The writers have such an obvious hard-on for Vegeta and they keep cutting Yamcha down. Those bits where he’s waiting for Goku to ask him to the tournament even though we all know he won’t? They’re not funny, they’re just sad. Also, on that note, why is Roshi there? Yamcha surpassed Roshi years ago, Roshi himselfsays so! I get that he wasn’t in the RF movie because his voice actor was busy, but they couldn’t have given a better reason than just Tien leaving him behind because he didn’t think he could keep up? At least have him sick in bed with a fever and wanting to go anyway and being forced to stay behind by a worried Tien or something guys, geez. And his VA was obviously around for that arc of Super, so what the hell.

(Yes I was salty earlier about Yamcha still fighting and sh*t but if you’re going to drop the“Yamcha retiring from fighting” plot point then at least DOsomething with it you cowards)

FansOH GOD, THE FANS. Not to say that people who dislike Super are perfect or ideologically pure (I once knew a person who bragged about trolling/picking on Super fans...we do not talk), but the people who dolike the show seem to spend an awful lot of time yelling at us and telling people they’re not realfans if they like GT more than Super or don’t like either or whatever.

And of course the VegeBullies are out in full force over it, too. VegeBul gets a lotof screentime, and when fans of other ships (GoChi primarily) say“hey we’d like more content” they get shut down or yelled at. They demand more content despite already having more than anyone else at this point. Shut the f*ck up and let me enjoy the fact that Tien and Yamcha stood next to each other again in peace.

But that’s getting dangerously close to ship war territory and I try to stay out of that. (It’s hard, because I’m a salty, bitter person, but I try.) I’ll also say Not All VegeBuls(TM) even though I shouldn’t have to because if I don’t I’ll get at least 10 angry anons in my inbox flipping their sh*t.

You know what the really sad thing is? When Super was first announced, I was megaexcited. And I really liked the first couple episodes! But they veered away from making it the Martial Arts Themed Slice of Life Comedy Hour we deserved, they retold the same story the movies already did instead of just making the movies canon and continuing from there (thereby drawing it out way too much), and they just...f*cked it up in general. I can’t stand Super and while I don’t expect to sway anyone’s opinion with this, you didask me why, and I hope now you can understand.

What They Don’t Understand

Figured I’d actually toss up one of my earliest works. Think this was, like, the 4th or 5th thing I wrote. And it did not feature the usual characters.Yep, that’s right, It’s a GoChi fic. Well, less a story than kinda shilling for their relationship via the characters (heh) but a GoChi shill! Maybe you’ll at least find it entertaining.

A young boy about the age of eight sat outside his home, running his fingers through his black hair that was finally starting to grow out of a rather unattractive bowl cut while listening to the voices of his parents coming from inside the house. They were fighting. Again. And his dad hadn't been home longer than a week.

Well, perhaps fighting wasn't the appropriate word; in all actuality, they were arguing. Once again, it was about him; his mother felt he was spending too much time training, not enough studying and his father was of the opinion that he was doing fine. Now, Gohan did have to admit that he'd been slacking on his particular end of their deal; he'd be allowed to train with Piccolo and his father, but only if he did a set amount of schoolwork per day. But, at the same time, he was YEARS ahead of anyone else his age. He could hold off on picking up a single book for the next four years and still be considered advanced for his age But, once again his mother had noted this fact and threatened to rescind their deal, and his dad had jumped in, saying that he was doing fine with what he had accomplished so far that week

Now, they were arguing again and he couldn't stand it.

Normally, this wouldn't have bothered him. Normally, he'd just shrug it off as his parents being… well, his parents. But now, after what the others had said, it worried him.

Not more than ten minutes ago, a group of kids about his age had passed through the area on a nature hike, part of some scouting organization or other. Gohan had relished the opportunity to talk to them; after all, his mom was always encouraging him to make some friends his own age, and though he considered Krillin and Piccolo to be very close, he had to admit it would be nice to hang out with someone his own age. Granted, Piccolo wasn't technically much older than he was, but still. Besides, playing catch or chasing butterflies wasn't exactly the large Namek's idea of fun.

Well, he'd finally had a chance to meet those kids and things had gotten off to a pretty good start, when the first shouts had come from inside the house. The result was the other children leaving quite quickly, but not before saying some things that worried him.

The house fell suddenly, quiet as Gohan began to dread what had occurred, when an entirely new sound began to come from the house, a sound that was of a different nature, but was still quite disturbing to his young mind. It never ceased to amaze him how his parents could go from fighting one minute to… to doing THAT the next. A disturbing thought indeed, but it did bring him a little comfort. It was certainly better than hearing those two fighting.

The noise was rather short-lived, as Goku soon came walking out the front door, that same dopey grin on his face as he called out at the top of his lungs, not realizing that his son was actually only a few feet away from the door.

"GOOOOHAAAN! DINNER"S ALMOST READY!"

The boy clamped his hands firmly over his ears and resisted the urge to jump out of his skin. One fact could not be denied, even by Vegeta: if nothing else, his father had the strongest set of LUNGS in the universe…

Gohan released his ears and looked up at his father. "Um, I'm right here, Dad."

Goku put his hand behind his head and laughed sheepishly. "Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. Well, c'mon, food's almost done." He waggled his eyebrows at him. "Mom made your favorite…"

Gohan just looked back down at the ground and began to trace light patterns in the dirt with his finger. "Yeah. I'll be there in a sec."

Goku's eyes widened a bit at that statement. Gohan, like him, had never been one to refuse a meal, especially when it was his favorite. It didn't take a genius, thank God, to know that something was wrong with the boy. He sat down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Gohan turned to look at his father, not quite sure where to begin. So many questions were running through his mind right now, he didn't know which to voice. Finally, he managed to come right out and ask. "Are you and Mom gonna… are you gonna get divorced?"

Goku's eyes flew open in shock. "What?! No! What in the world gave you that idea?!"

"Well, there were these kids that came this way earlier and they heard you two arguing. One of the girls asked me if you guys did that a lot because her parents used to do that before they got a divorce, a-and I'm worried that…" Gohan trailed off as he fought back the urge to cry.

Goku placed a hand over his face and sighed. He somehow knew this talk would come sooner or later, but not like this. "Gohan, your mother and I love each other very much. We're not gonna get a divorce."

"But…" Gohan became quiet again as his father held up a hand for silence.

"I know, it seems like we argue a lot, and we do. But that doesn't mean we don't love each other, and it certainly doesn't mean we don't love you. It's just…" he paused, looking for the right words. "It's just that, your Mom and I, well… we can be stubborn at times. And sometimes, when you have two stubborn people who have two different positions on a subject, they'll argue. But, nobody gets along all the time, Gohan. Heck, Bulma, Krillin, Yamcha and I practically grew up together, and we fought all the time! But, we're all still friends, aren't we?"

Gohan nodded and sniffled a little as his father continued. "And I know that a lot of the things we seem to disagree on revolve around you, but I want you to know it's not your fault, okay?"

He wrapped an arm around his son in a gentle hug. "Your mom and I both love you and want what's best for you. It's just that we disagree on how to go about that."

He smiled down at his son. "Mom just wants to make sure that you don't end up like me in the sense that, well, aside from fighting, I really don't have marketable skills. Granted, the way I was raised I didn't really have an opportunity for an edu- uh- education? Yeah, that's it. I kinda had an excuse, but there's a price to pay for that. Unless there's a tournament that's held somewhere, we don't really have an income. Fact is, we've actually had to live off Grandpa for a while now.

"But one day, you're gonna meet a girl…" Gohan made a face at that statement. Him, with a girl? Gross!

Goku smiled at his son's reaction. "Yeah, you might think that now, but one day you're gonna meet a girl and have a family of your own. Mom wants to make sure you can provide for them, and I agree with her. I do think she can be a little strict at times, but she's only doing it because she loves you."

Gohan then decided to ask his next question. "But, what about what people say about the way Mom acts? I mean, Vegeta says she's a crazy lady and stuff because she's always getting mad at us for doing what he says Saiyans are supposed to do..."

Goku winced, knowing full well what the 'and stuff' was that Gohan was referring to. Saying it to him was one thing, but to say it to Gohan…

"Look, Son, your mom only does that because she's worried about us."

Gohan looked confused. "But, Mom knows you're a Super Saiyan now. Why's she still worried?"

'Time for a history lesson,' Goku thought to himself as he searched his mind for the best possible answer. "Son, you know your Mom and I were only 17 when we were married, right?"

"Yeah…"

"And you remember what happened to me when the Saiyans showed up, don't you?"

Gohan remembered that painful experience all too well. "Yes…"

Goku looked down at his son, a tinge of sadness in his eyes. "Well, when that happened, your mom and I had only been together for five years. She was only 22 years old and she became a widow. That's not exactly pleasant. Before that, all we ever had to worry about was Piccolo, and he seemed to be too busy sulking to ever try to attack us again. Even if he did, he was nothing all of us put together couldn't handle if had doubled his power. So to your mom, losing me hadn't really been an issue. Then you came along and she just couldn't stop pining over you." He smiled at his son. "And I've got the baby pictures to prove it.

"Then the Saiyans arrive and suddenly, I'm dead and you're 'kidnapped' by the one she had always thought to be the greatest threat to her family. It wasn't easy on her, living here all alone. She couldn't really be visited by anyone, either, since they were busy preparing for Vegeta to arrive; Bulma came out when she could, though.

"Your mother pretty much lost us both for a full year, and the next time she saw us, we were almost dead again! If I were on the other end, I might get a little overprotective, too. She just wants to make sure we're both gonna stick around for a while."

Goku looked at Gohan and spoke the next words with all seriousness. "Son, I want you to know that you can't take everything Vegeta says seriously; he's just bitter. No matter what anyone says, to you, you should be proud to have her as a mother." He then seemed to switch topics. "Did you know that most men marry women like their mothers?" He scratched his head as he thought. "At least that's what Bulma spouted to us from her girly magazines that she always read on the island. We never really got the concept, since we never really got to know our parents. But, if my Mom was anything like Chi-Chi, then I'd say I was proud to have a mom who loved me that much."

Gohan looked at his father in a state of shock and awe. This was a side of him he'd never seen before. His grandiose thoughts were pushed aside, however, when he heard his father's stomach give a loud lurch.

Goku let out another laugh. "Wow, sounds like someone's getting impatient!" He stood up and offered his hand to Gohan. "C'mon, let's go get some food!"

He couldn't help but smile as he took his father's hand and pulled himself up off the ground. Sure, some people might think his parents seemed strange, but he knew better. They weren't really any different than anyone else; it was their circ*mstances that were different. It was a concept some people just didn't understand.

He was greeted upon entering the kitchen by a smile from his mother. "Well, it's about time you two got in here. I was about to go out and get you." She closed her eyes and her smile grew slightly. "Unfortunately, I had to pack your dinner up to take with you."

Gohan was slightly confused by that last statement. "Huh? Why'd you do that?"

"You're going to Grandpa's house for a few days, sweetie." She gave a sly smile to her husband. "It's that time of the month again."

Gohan regarded the way his parents looked at each other and remembered the noises coming from the house earlier that day as realization dawned on him. Without another word, he rushed up the stairs to grab his bag that he always kept packed for such a time as this.

'Then again,' he thought to himself, 'maybe there are some things about Mom and Dad that even I'M better off not knowing.'