The Bond

The moment that the world appeared around Katima she didn't even pay attention to its details. Her eyes hungrily searched for only one thing, and soon, she spotted his young face as it twisted with shock at the sight of her. His big black eyes, so much like his father's, began to well with tears, and the boy ran at her, letting out a wail, "Mom!"

Katima knelt and caught him, pulling him up and holding him tightly to her, her own tears threatening. The one that she truly died for, her son, a piece of her and Vegeta both, clutching close to her heart. She ran a hand over that wavy raven black hair as he sobbed into her shoulder.

"Why did you leave me, Mom?" he choked, "Why?! Why would you and Dad leave me like that, all alone!" his voice cracked and he sobbed harder.

"I'm so sorry, Makoto," Katima breathed, holding him tightly as his little arms held fast around her neck, "We did it because we love you. We thought that it would finish Buu for good, we had no idea how strong he truly was…"

"It wasn't fair," Makoto said in broken, shaky words, "None of it was fair…"

"I'm sorry, son," Katima whispered, "But I'm here now."

"Please stop crying, Makoto!"

Katima blinked in surprise, as little Marin, Krillin and 18's daughter, approached, her eyes wide with fret, "Everthing's okay! I promise!"

Makoto calmed and Katima set him down. He wiped his eyes on the sleeves of his hoody, sniffling still, but for the most part, he seemed better. Katima gently fixed his hair, and kissed his forehead, "Marin is right. Everything is fine, Makoto."

He swallowed and nodded.

"Katima…"

Katima turned to see Gohan, her nephew who was now a head taller than her and in strange elaborate clothing. He went to her and closed his arms around her. She returned the hug and they stood there holding one another for a moment. There was no need for words here. Gohan understood why she and Vegeta did it. He knew what they faced. Finally, they broke, and Katima heard another familiar voice.

"It is good to see you, Katima."

She turned and saw Shin smiling at her, Kabito at his side, alive and well. She blinked, but then understood, "The Dragon Balls… right, they wouldn't work on Vegeta and me since we've both been brought back to life once. It's good to see you, Supreme Kai."

She looked around, taking in her surroundings for the first time. A planet, not much different than Earth is what they all stood on, with rolling hills of lush green grass, brilliantly colored skies, and several hanging moons floating above them, along with two small suns.

"Where are we?" she asked Goku.

But it was another, unfamiliar voice that answered her.

"The home of the Kais."

Katima turned to see another Kai, much older looking than Shin or Kabito, his frail, wrinkled body seemed small even compared to Shin, who was tiny to begin with. His skin was lavender, and there was a white tuft of hair on his head and another above his upper lip. He smirked at her, eyes raking her body in an almost invading way.

"So?" Goku asked this Old Kai, "Is she up to your standards?"

Katima blinked, looking at Goku. Standards? What was THAT supposed to mean?

Old Kai let out a wheezy laugh and nodded, "Oh, you were right when you said she looked human! I'd say she passes all expectations!"

Gohan ran a hand down his face with a groan, and Katima shot a look at Goku, "What's going on?" she demanded.

"Well, see, Katima," said Goku with a nervous laugh, "I told you that there was hope to beat Majin Buu and there is! Trunks and Goten are back on Earth learning the fusion technique which will combine their bodies into one that is far more powerful then it would be with just the two of them fighting side by side, and here, Old Kai has the power to unlock hidden potential within someone, and he can use it on Gohan and Makoto!"

Katima glanced at Old Kai, frowning. He didn't look like he could do much of anything. But Kami was old and frail looking when he was still around, and Goku said he was incredibly powerful. So maybe there was some truth to these words. Maybe.

"Okay," said Katima, "But what does that have to do with me looking human or 'passing all expectations'?"

Goku grinned a bit, "Well, see, Old Kai is a lot like Master Roshi, and well, I said that you could-"

"Wait," Katima interrupted, taking a step toward her brother with narrowed eyes, "A lot like Master Roshi?! Goku what the hell did you promise the old man?!"

"Just a sec," said Goku and looked at Old Kai, "Just getting the details, Old Kai, is that with or without lipstick?"

"GOKU!" Katima shouted, getting in his face.

"Katima please!" said Goku waving his hands wildly, "If you give Old Kai a kiss he'll use his powers on Gohan and Makoto!"

"A KISS?!" Katima shrieked, grabbing the front of Goku's shirt, "WHAT KIND OF BIG BROTHER ARE YOU?! HOW COULD YOU OFFER MY BODY TO SOME RANDOM OLD KOOT THAT YOU KNOW IS LIKE MASTER ROSHI?!"

"Katima think of it!" Goku wailed, "One kiss could save the world!"

Katima powered up to Super Saiyan, pulling a fist back to punch Goku, "GOKU WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

"A Saiyan!" Old Kai said, "That explains why she's so feisty! I love feisty!" he chuckled.

Katima resisted turning her attention to the frail old man, "Goku we don't even know if his powers even WORK! Why the hell would you offer something that isn't even yours?!"

"Well, you ARE my sister-" Goku began innocently.

"Just because we're siblings doesn't mean you get to dictate who I put my lips on!" Katima screamed.

"How about this," said Old Kai, smirking devilishly at her, "You kiss me on the cheek, and I'll unlock the powers of these boys here, and then, when they defeat Majin Buu, you give me the REAL kiss."

Katima let go of Goku and he sighed in relief as she faced Old Kai, her golden aura still like fire around her.

"Why do you even WANT a kiss?" asked Makoto, "They're gross."

"Wait until you're older, Makoto," sighed Gohan, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"They're not gross!" said Marin, skipping over to Makoto and kissing him on the cheek, "See?"

"WAAAAUUUGH!" Makoto wailed, instantly rubbing the spot she kissed with his sleeve.

Katima sighed in defeat and powered down, her hair returning to black. She went to Old Kai and leaned down, grabbing his chin roughly to ensure he didn't turn his head at the last second, and pecked his wrinkly flesh that covered his sharp cheekbone and then backed away, wiping her lips.

Old Kai was red in the face, looking dreamy, slight drool dripping from the corner of his cracked lips. Katima hissed in annoyance, "Get to work, you old pervert, before I change my mind about not beating you into a pulp."

Old Kai chuckled, wiping his mouth and smirking. Shin and Kabito both looked completely insulted and ashamed.

"Very well," said Old Kai, snickering and went toward the boys, "You two, stand over there, side by side."

Gohan and Makoto looked at one another and then went a few yards away where he indicated. Katima scowled, and went to Goku's side, casting him a glare to let him know he was still in trouble. Marin went over to her side and looked at the boys with her head tilted.

"How did Marin get here?" Katima asked her brother.

"She grabbed Makoto when I was transporting him here," said Shin, smiling lightly at the girl, "Seems she's quite attatched to you son, this one."

Katima blinked down at the girl. She knew that she liked to play with Makoto when Krillin and 18 visited, but it really seemed she had bonded with him. Focusing back on the boys, she saw that the Old Kai had started doing some strange sort of shuffle dance around them in a wide circle. He was also making weird chanting sounds. Katima perked a brow.

"This is his power?" she asked.

"Silence!" Old Kai snapped, "This just sets the mood!"

Katima ran a hand down her face, "I kissed that old pervert for dancing… fantastic…" she muttered.

"How long is this gonna take?" Makoto snapped, arms folded and tail twitching irritably.

"Five more hours," said Old Kai between chants, "Power raising! Twenty more after that!"

"Twenty five hours!" Goku gasped, and sighed.

Marin yawned widely and Katima smiled down at her, "Big day, huh, sweetheart?"

She nodded sleepily.

"Come on, Marin," Goku thumbed to a tree nearby, "We can nap under the tree until Makoto and Gohan are all done, kay?"

Marin smiled and nodded.

"Wait- Dad!" Gohan called, making to take a step.

"Be still!" snapped Old Kai.

Katima chuckled as Goku and Marin went under the tree and plopped down. Marin was asleep within seconds, her head on Goku's stomach as he dozed off almost as quickly.

"Shin," said Katima, looking at the Supreme Kai, "Would you mind sending me back to Other World? I want to try and find King Kai and see what's going on below."

"Sure," said Shin, nodding.

"Mom, don't go!" Makoto called.

Katima smiled back at him, "I'll be back, son, I promise."

Makoto pouted.

"Don't worry," said Katima, "You just behave, okay?" she added sternly.

He sighed and nodded.

Shin extended a hand, "Shall we?"

Katima nodded and took it, and with a bright light, they vanished from Kai world, and reappeared in Other World, near the check in station.

"King Kai will be near Grand Kai's palace," said Shin, releasing her hand, "I'll send Goku when the boys are done."

"Thank you Supreme Kai," said Katima and looked him in the eye, "Do you think we stand a chance?"

Shin sighed and frowned for a moment, then smiled a bit, "I will not give up hope," he said simply before vanishing.

*scene change*

It was time to finally truly test the Fusion.

Rilan looked at his son and Goten as they very carefully matched their power levels. Piccolo was clapping rhythmically for them to time their breathing exactly. It had taken a lot of silly dance practice, a good twenty hours, and two failed tests, in which one result was an over weight child that stumbled everywhere with no remarkable power at all, another where the boy was frail and thin, again, weaker than Trunks or Goten was by themselves.

Both times, Rilan and Piccolo had spotted that the boys had made a slight mistake in the formation, which caused it to mess up their fused body. They were outside in the courtyard now, since everyone wanted to see this in action. Bulma was hanging onto Rilan's arm, her face distraught. He gently pushed some hair behind her ear and she smiled at him.

"I know it's to save the world," she murmured to him, "But… is it selfish of me to wish it didn't have to be our son? I don't know what I'd do if…"

"Don't worry," assured Rilan.

Krillin let out a heavy sigh, "At least you know where your kid is. Marin is off on some planet with God knows what…"

"Isn't she, in a sense, with God?" asked Rilan, smirking.

Krillin frowned, "Yeah, well still… Hopefully Goku is up there with her."

18 folded her arms, but the look in her eyes suggested she hoped the same thing.

"Okay, boys," said Piccolo, "Let's try this again, and no mistakes this time!"

The boys nodded, and started that ridiculous formation.

"Fuuuuuuuu-" they began, stepping toward one another, "Sion!" they're arms went opposite of each other, "HA!" they touched fingers perfectly.

There was a blinding light that interlaced them both, and their forms melded into one another. Rilan held up a hand to shield his eyes and Bulma's grip on his arm tightened. The light slowly formed into one silhouette, and then, it cleared, revealing not two, but one boy beneath.

Rilan stared.

This boy stood with a smirk and a dark confidence in his eyes. His hair shot straight up, mostly black, but with purple highlights on the sides around his ears and back of his scalp. His clothing had changed as well, a half vest over a bare chest that was toned with muscle, and baggy white pants tied about his waist by a long purple cloth, the same material around his ankles on his black boots.

But the most astounding part was that power.

"It worked," Rilan breathed.

Piccolo smiled widely, "Good job boys- er well…" he frowned at the single boy before him, "What should we call you?"

This boy looked over all of them, that confident smirk still on his lips, "Gotenks," he said, giving them a thumbs up. His voice was two, Goten and Trunks talking at once.

Rilan slowly walked forward looking at his… wait was it still his son? Half of it was, right?

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Heh," Gotenks looked at his palms, and chuckled, "I suppose it was to be expected, with the two of us in one, this power."

"This is good," said Piccolo, nodding, "After the half hour wears off, we'll have you do it again transformed. Then, we will wait for Supreme Kai to bring back Mak-"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Gotenks shook a finger at Piccolo as if scolding him, "That won't be necessary. I can finish Buu as is right now."

"What?" Piccolo snapped, "No, that isn't how this works," he narrowed his eyes, "You'll wait and be the most prepared we can be, understand?!"

Gotenks laced his hands behind his head, as if bored by the conversation, "What for when I can just go kill Buu now?"

"Gotenks," Rilan stepped forward, "Listen to Piccolo, rushing into something based purely on arrogance is foolish and could get you killed, show some warrior's discipline!"

Gotenks shot him a look, "You're not my Dad."

Rilan blinked, taken completely aback. He had never been treated with such disrespect from Trunks, or even Goten! Why did his attitude rocket like this?

"Well, my son is part of you!" Rilan snapped, clenching his fists, "And you would be and idiot to go fight Buu right now, no matter how strong you feel! You would get killed, and then there would be no hope for saving Earth from him!"

Gotenks scoffed, waving him off, "Ha! I don't think you know what you're talking about old man. In fact, I'll prove that I can beat him," he hopped into the air.

"Trunks!" Bulma shouted, then shook herself, "I mean, Gotenks! Stop this!"

"Don't worry," Gotenks smirked, "I'll be right back with Buu's dead body."

And he rocketed away with speed that Rilan didn't think possible.

They all stood there in shock for a moment.

Finally Rilan shouted after the boy, even if he was too far to hear, "WHO ARE YOU CALLING OLD MAN?!"

*scene change*

"Well, that didn't end well," sighed Katima, taking her hand off of King Kai's back.

The fusion of Goten and Trunks, Gotenks, had just gotten rather roughtly defeated by Buu. Not killed, but definitely defeated. He had made it back to the Lookout, beaten and bloody, to be yelled at by both Piccolo and Rilan. It was odd, Katima wondered where that stark arrogance came from, it reminded her of…

She shut off her thoughts in that area. It was just too painful to think about.

"This isn't good," said King Kai gravely, "The boys aren't finished on the Kai World, and this fusion didn't work!"

"No, if they transform, they'll have a much better chance," said Katima, "With all… four? Three? Of them Buu should be beatable…"

King Kai sighed, "I hope you're right."

Katima grimaced, she hoped so too. However, her worry was interrupted for a moment by the sudden appearance of Goku. He had Marin in his arms, and she squealed happily at the sight of King Kai, "Looky it's a big cute buggie!"

"I'm not a bug!" King Kai snapped.

Katima looked at her brother, "Isn't there still about three hours?" she asked.

Goku held out his free hand to her, "Makoto is going to snap if you're not there to calm him down," he said with a nervous laugh.

Katima sighed. Sometimes that boy was too much like his father. She took his hand, waved goodbye to King Kai, and then was teleported to the Kai World. The scene was at least a bit less ridiculous than when she left. Makoto and Gohan were sitting side by side, cross legged, eyes closed, but Katima could see the tension in her son, the clenched jaw, the tail lashing, one eye opening a crack every so often. He completely broke his composure when he saw Katima.

"Mom!" he called.

"SILENCE!" demanded Old Kai, who was sitting across from them, hands held out toward them, however, there appeared to be a magazine in his lap.

Makoto pouted and closed his eyes again, and she could nearly feel the irritation coming from the boy. He had never been one for patience, and sitting here for twenty-two hours must be really testing him.

"You listen to the old perv for now, Makoto," said Katima, "I promise, if all this doesn't work, I'll let you take a punch on him."

"Katima!" Shin cried, "How can you say that?! This is the oldest of the Kais, you should be more respectful?"

Katima approached the Old Kai and peered at his book in his lap and snorted in disgust, "Right, as soon as he shows respect for the woman's body," she stormed off toward the solitary tree and sat at its base, folding her arms.

Playboy Bunny! Who knew that it reached even the Kai World!

Marin came skipping over to her and sat down next to her.

"Miss Katima?" she said.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Katima smiled at the girl, her sweet innocent presence calming her a bit.

"Makoto was crying because you and Mister Vegeta died, but you're right here!" she said, looking over her and poking her knee.

"We did die, Marin," said Katima gravely, "But I did a lot of good things in my like like my brother Goku, he's dead too," she poited at Goku who was talking with Shin and Kabito, "But since we were really good during our lives, we were allowed to keep our bodies." She indicated the halo above her head.

"So then where's Mister Vegeta?" asked Marin.

Katima felt a sharp pain in her center and was reminded of the vast emptiness in her mind where the Bond used to lay, "Well… Vegeta didn't always do good things, Marin… He used to be really bad. And even though he did a lot of good things later, he just did too much bad to be allowed to keep his body."

Marin frowned, "That's really sad," she said, "My Daddy said that you and Mister Vegeta were SUPER strong!"

Katima smiled a bit. Good old Krillin. Vegeta was out to kill him before, nearly did it a few times, but still, the little man forgave him.

Shin conjured them some food, and they ate while they waited for the next three hours to pass. Katima prayed that all was going okay down on Earth, and part of her wanted to be back with King Kai to hear the details.

But she felt plenty…

*scene change*

It was a surreal thing, when a new Buu arrived at the Lookout. Piccolo and Dende had told them what he could sense down below before this new Buu showed up. Apparently, in waiting for Gotenks to return even stronger, Majin Buu made a home out in the wasteland alone. Apparently, Hercule Satan was sent to destroy him, which was rather laughable. His crew dropped him off, wished him luck, and ran away. However, something rather unlikely happened.

Hercule acted up like he was there to be Buu's friend. And Majin Buu, with his strange child like mind, believed him. But what really set it into strange lands was that puppy. A little puppy was playing in the wasteland near them. However, a couple of cruel people were up on the ridge, shooting random things for the sport of it, believing it to be the end of the world and that it was their time to live. They shot the puppy right before Buu and Hercule who had been playing with the puppy.

Infuriated, Hercule actually did something heroic and jumped up to these men and beat the tar out of them. He returned back down and patted Buu's shoulder, apologizing for the fate of the little puppy that Buu had grown fond over. But Buu used his powers to heal the puppy, and the three of them have been staying in the home Buu built, waiting for the days to pass for Buu to fight the challenger that Goku promised, which he did not take to be Gotenks who had been beaten so terribly his first time challenging him.

At one point, Hercule explained to Buu that killing was bad. And, to their great astonishment, Majin Buu agreed to never kill again. For once in his life, it seemed Hercule Satan had legitimately saved the world. However this victory was short lived. The man that shot the puppy returned and snuck into the home while Buu was away, and shot Hercule. Being just a human, the bullet went straight through him. Majin Buu returned just in time to see his new friend fall, fatally wounded.

Majin Buu went into a rage, killed the gun man, and healed Hercule. He quickly told Hercule to leave, to run, when the man awoke and thanked him. Hercule refused to leave, confused. Majin Buu went outside, and fumed, like a tea pot, steam spewing from his head, and, from the steam, produced all the evil that Majin Buu had inside him, taking on the form of a new, gray Buu. These two Buu's fought, but the evil side won, turning the good, jolly Majin Buu into a cookie and eating him. This in turn, transformed him into an entirely new Buu.

Still pink, but no longer fat and jolly and innocent and child like. This Buu had an eerie air to it, bare-chested, poofy white pants, dark bracers on each hand, that large tentacle on his head that tilted as he smirked.

He found Hercule and the puppy, and they had been certain that they were done for. However, Hercule reminded him who he was, that they were friends. And Buu left him there, alive, with the puppy. With that was a small sliver of hope that the good side of Buu, which, who knew that existed in the first place, was still in there. However, hope seemed laughable at the sight of this new Buu before them.

After he left Hercule, he sensed their familiar power levels at the Lookout.

He had found them.

Rilan swallowed hard, standing next to Piccolo. He placed himself in front of Dende. Mr. Popo was to his right, and further behind him was Krillin and Yamcha, both looking white as ghosts.

"I found you," said Buu in his new, creepy, scratchy voice. He tilted his head eerily to the side, smirking.

"I liked the old one better," Krillin groaned.

Rilan had to agree. Somehow, the pudgy Majin Buu was nearly as terrifying as this Buu. Because it was true, his power level, if possible, had increased with his new form.

"Produce," said Buu, and then, he screamed it, psychotically, unstable, "PRODUCE!"

With that a sharp slap of power rushed at them. Rilan was the only one who didn't nearly fall over. He narrowed his eyes.

"Produce what?" snapped Piccolo, "What do you want?!"

"I was promised a good fight," said Buu. It was even eerie to hear such logical sentences coming from him instead of the childish way the pudgy one spoke, "Produce the challenger…" his eyes traveled over Rilan, who had his fists clenched and his eyes narrowed, "Is it you?"

Rilan was tempted to say yes. This creature had caused so much pain. Gohan, Katima, Vegeta, all dead. But he knew very well that even he didn't stand a chance.

"No," he said sharply, thinking of the boys. They had just gone to sleep to rest after some vigerous training. Trunks had actually managed to get himself to the second level of Ascention, like the way his future self could. They couldn't face him, now, they were too worn, "He can't fight right now, he's taking a nap." He carefully spoke of them as one person.

"Well wake him up!" Buu snapped.

Piccolo intervened, "But he only just went to sleep," he said, "Please, let him rest. Wouldn't you rather fight him at his full strength?"

Good idea, play to his itch to have a good fight, like they would do with Cell because of the piece of Vegeta that was in him.

"I don't like waiting, waiting's boring!" Buu stretched his back, "Produce!"

"But the promise was for two days," said Rilan, "We still have one."

"Well, that is true," said Buu, stretching, "But I'm here now. Produce!"

"Please!" Piccolo begged, "He'll be at his best tomorrow, I promise, just give us ONE more day!" with his voice cracking and hesitating for a moment, her added, "There's still plenty of people down on Earth you can kill for your amusement until he's ready…"

"Piccolo!" Dende cried, looking horrified.

"Quiet Dende!" snapped Piccolo.

Rilan knew that Piccolo didn't want to sacrifice innocent people, but the Dragon Balls could be used to wish them all back… If it meant getting the day they needed, it was worth it.

Buu seemed to consider and paced along the edge of the Lookout. Rilan heard the girls coming out from the building behind them and looked back at them, holding up a hand to warn them to stay back. He couldn't imagine what he'd do if he lost Bulma to this monster.

Piccolo hissed to Krillin, "Go wake the boys, get them to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, quick!"

Krillin nodded and rushed away. He only just entered the building when the lights started flying.

Rilan gasped as little pink wisps sprouted from Buu's hand, spilling out around them and down to the Earth's surface.

"Nobody move!" Piccolo ordered.

Good idea, since these wisps seemed to be intentionally missing them. It lasted for about five minutes, until Buu lowered his hand and the lights stopped. He smirked back at them, head tilting.

"No more. Produce."

"No more?" Rilan echoed, "What are you talking about, no more what?"

"No more people," said Buu simply, "Now produce the fighter."

Rilan stiffened. No way… he didn't!

But… he did. Reaching out his senses, Rilan felt nothing, nothing but maybe… four life forms down below. Hercule Satan and the puppy were still alive, and was that… Tien and Chiaoutzu? Good, at least he missed them. But everyone else, every single human, was gone and dead.

"I… I see," said Piccolo shakily, "Very well. He can be ready in an hour."

"What's an hour?" Buu demanded, narrowing his eyes.

So no more child like attitude, but still child like knowledge.

Piccolo summoned a large hour glass. He flipped it and set it down, the green sand within beginning to trickle slowly, "When all the sand has reached the bottom of this glass, an hour will be up," he explained.

Buu squatted by it, watching the sand for a moment before hissing, "No! No way! NOW!"

"Why?"

Rilan felt his ehart sink when he turned to see Videl approaching, eyes narrowed, fists clenched. No! he thought. She would get destroyed by Buu, what was she thinking?! But he knew. This creature killed Gohan, who she obviously had storng feelings for. He knew that if this monster hurt Bulma, he wouldn't think about how he wasn't strong enough to kill him. He would just fight until he couldn't.

"What's an hour?" Videl demanded, placing a hand on her hip.

"Human girl, you should DIE!" snarled Buu, aiming a hand toward her.

"WAIT!" cried Piccolo, "That girl- she's Hercule Satan's daughter!"

Buu hesitated. Rilan got in front of Videl, and he heard Bulma yell for him to stop, but he held his ground, making his body a protective shield for her.

"It's true," said Buu in a low voice, "Her scent it's like his…"

"That's right," said Rilan evenly, as Buu lowered his hand, "And it's her asking, not us, her, Hercule Satan's daughter. You think you can wait a tiny hour for her?"

Buu looked past his shoulder at Videl, then back at the hour glass. He let out a huff.

"Fine," he growled, "This Majin Buu will wait one hour, but no longer!" he squatted by the hourglass, staring at the sand with a grumpy look on his face.

Rilan and Piccolo nodded to one another, and headed back in the building complex. Everyone but Buu followed them. Up in the main room that overlooked the courtyard was where Goten, Trunks, and Krillin were. They were looking down at the development as Rilan and Piccolo approached.

"That's really Majin Buu?" asked Trunks, "Wow, he must have gone on some diet."

"Make no mistake, that is Majin Buu," said Piccolo gravely, "And he's even more powerful than before. You two both need to get to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to train where a minute out here is six hours in there."

"Wh-what's my mom doing?" Goten asked, looking over the railing.

Rilan rushed forward and looked down, and to his despair, Goku's wife was walking straight toward Majin Buu, with quick purposeful steps. When she reached him, she slapped him across the face.

"Chichi, no!" Rilan cried.

"You filthy beast!" Chichi shouted at Buu, who had not moved, had not removed his gaze from the hourglass, "Do you even CARE you killed my oldest son?!"

Buu glanced at her, "Do you like eggs?" he asked.

Rilan felt a stone drop in his stomach, "No-" he began, but too late.

The tentacle on Buu's head flipped forward, and a pink beam shocked Chichi, and then, where she stood, was a little egg. Goten gasped. Rilan grabbed his arm, because somehow, he knew what was coming as Buu stood.

He smashed it under his boot.

"Aaah!" Goten wailed, "MOM!"

He strained against Rilan's arm.

"Goten, no!" Rilan pulled him back as Buu squatted by the hourglass again, "you go down there, and you'll kill all of us!"

"We can wish your mother back with the Dragon Balls," assured Piccolo.

Goten stood limp now, head bowed, tears dripping, "She was all I had left," she sniffled.

"I'm sorry, Goten," Rilan murmured softly.

"Now I know how Makoto felt," he said, "I… I can't Buu get away with this!"

"That the spirit," said Krillin.

"Come on," said Piccolo, "We have less than an hour now, we need to get you into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber."

They led the boys to the room and let them in. The door shut behind them and Rilan hoped beyond hope that they would come out ready. He turned to go and watch Buu, but something odd happened.

On the path before them, a machine appeared out of no where. He blinked, completely confused as the hatch opened and arguing voices were heard.

"Oh no, see, I TOLD you I should have done the calibrations, we've arrived about five years later than he aimed for!"

"Well, I guess that they'll have had more time to miss us."

Rilan knew those voices. He hadn't heard them for seven years.

"No," said Piccolo, "It can't…"

But it was.

From the vessel hopped two figures, and when they landed and faced them, holding hands, Rilan wasn't sure if he was pleased or terrified at the sight of them. He opened his mouth and spoke in dry words, "Well, you two picked a rather unfortunate time to come back."

It was the future version of his son Trunks, and the daughter that Vegeta and Katima never got to have, Sykaima.