Chapter Two: Young Love

“A kindness is never lost.”

Darkness. Life cannot exist in utter darkness. Life needs light. And light needs a hero. Long ago in a distant land there lived a child; a child so happy and innocent it had no decision of its destiny. Fate decided its destiny. Fate led it to the farthest reaches of life where both light and darkness failed to exist. It was there that this child learned of its destiny: to destroy evil.

* * *

Goku woke up suddenly. That dream was different. That dream had a voice; a voice that spoke to him and told him a story. It was a great story, especially when his dream-mind had conjured up pictures to go along with the story. Still, he didn’t understand it. What was the purpose of these strange dreams? Were they all connected?

“Dad, I need to talk to you about something.” Goku turned his head to Goten.

His youngest son had really grown up now. Goku would forget his age, but Goten was probably about 19-years-old. He had taken up Gohan’s teenager haircut, and now he looked ore like Gohan than he did his own father. Goten was also very different from his dad in other ways. For one: he knew how to work a cell-phone, and he spent most of his day on that thing. It was a big surprise that Goten actually wanted to train and camp out tonight, which was something the teenager had seemed to grown out of.

“What is it, Goten?”

Even in the little moonlight, Goku could still see his son blush. “Well, there’s this girl...”

Goku was wide-awake after that. Goten? In love? That was new. He had to find out who his son’s lover was. “Well, what’s she like?” Goku asked, turning his whole body to face his son.

Goten looked up at the sky. “She’s very beautiful.” He closed his eyes, as if concentrating. “Her eyes are like sapphires, always twinkling in the night. Her hair is a golden color that flows through my dreams like honey. Her voice...like a kitten purring softly in the quiet night. Her name is a name I hear everywhere. Her image I cannot forget. Her soft sweet scent follows me even in my dreams and her voice is heard even when my ears are plugged.” Goten opened his eyes and turned to face his father. “I’ve never felt like this, Dad. What does it mean?”

Goku was stumped. His youngest son was deeply in love with someone. Goten was speaking in a way he had never spoken before. Krillin was right. Love made you change some things. Now, Goku had to wonder who this girl was, and if she was really suitable for Goten. It was better if he met Goten’s love first, rather than having Chi-Chi pick out all the girl’s bad points.

Goku looked at Goten who had the look of true love glittering in his eyes. “Son, it would seem that you’re in love with whoever you just spoke of. Since she means that much to you, I guess I’ll just have to meet her. What do you say, Goten? How about I go meet this girl of yours tomorrow?”

Instead of being excited, Goten was confused. “But, Dad, you already know my love. She’s Krillin’s daughter.”

* * *



Marron sighed again. She couldn’t get her mind off of Goten. He was just so handsome and so adorable! It was a good thing her father was already acquainted with Goten, but her mother may not agree. Goten was Goku’s son, but she didn’t see a problem with that, so why should her mother?

Marron sighed. Goten, you handsome lug, why don’t you just come out and admit it? You know you like me, Goten. Why don’t you just pick up the phone and call me? It would be a lot better than flirting with every other girl at school. Huh, they don’t deserve you. They’re all just snot-nosed people, who thing only of themselves.

“Hey, Eighteen! All I asked for was breakfast! Uh...This isn’t fair!” Krillin’s voice was heard through the window.

“You’re going to have to earn your breakfast, especially after waking me up like that!” Eighteen shot back at her husband.

Marron stared out the window. It had been like this for as long as she could remember. If Mom woke up on the wrong side of the bed, Dad would have to fight with her and win if he wanted breakfast. Usually, he lost, but by that time Eighteen had cooled down enough to make him breakfast anyway. Today might be different, though. Her dad might actually win. Marron saw Krillin’s body fly through the air in front of the window and land in the water with a splash. Okay, maybe not.

“Come on, Krillin, you can do better than that!” Eighteen pushed, wanting to continue.

Krillin replied with one of his pointless remarks. “Yeah, I can, but I don’t want to use it on you. Hey!”

“Well, you’re going to have to. Otherwise, you don’t get any breakfast! I’m not going to cook for you anymore until you prove that you can beat me in a fight.”

Marron sighed. There they go again. Would her parents ever grow up? There was no reason for them to train anymore. Evil has left the universe a long time ago. What was the point of it all if there was no evil? And even if there ever did come a time when evil showed up again, Goku could handle it. She had heard enough tales of his valiant fights to know that he was a wise and very powerful warrior. And so was his son. Goten. Marron sighed yet again.

* * *

Vegeta woke up beside his son, Trunks. Another snore came from that kid’s mouth, and Vegeta covered his ears in disgust. If he did that one more time...Trunks snored. That was the last straw. Vegeta pushed his purple-haired son over the edge of the cliff, and grunted in satisfaction when he heard a gigantic splash.

“Hey! What the heck am I doing down here? Huh?” Trunks’s complaining voice turned off finally, but then a humongous roar filled the air followed by the demi-Saiyan’s screams. “Ah...Get away from me!”

Vegeta rolled his eyes and flipped himself around so that his face was over the cliff side. What he saw made him shake his head in disgust. Trunks was swimming in circles around the pool of water. The roar had come from a gigantic sea serpent, which was gliding across the water; it’s fangs getting dangerously close to the fleeing demi-Saiyan. If it had been any other circumstance, Vegeta would shrug it off and label his son as a weakling. However, something deep within his soul told him that this was no ordinary sea monster. Something was wrong, and Trunks was in very real danger.

When Vegeta saw the sea serpent’s scaly hand reach out and grab screaming Trunks, he wasted no more time pondering his actions. He stood up and dove into the water, not caring to take off his yellow sweatshirt and blue jeans. As soon as he made it to the top of the water, the shortened haircut Bulma gave him still standing straight up, Vegeta cleared the water from his eyes and searched for his son. It shouldn’t be hard to spot a gigantic sea serpent.

“Dad, behind y...” Trunks’s call was muted, but Vegeta still knew where they were.

The Saiyan Prince turned around, swishing water and creating waves. The sea serpent towered before him and Vegeta searched for his son. The sea monster looked like a huge, blue, snake. Its eyes blazed a golden color like a bright candle in a dark room. Most of the monster was blue scale with the touch of pink hidden in them. Its fangs were long and obviously sharp, and this was where Vegeta saw his son.

An arm, which could only be Trunks’s, hung between the monster’s two long bottom fangs. Purple strands could be seen hanging out of the monster’s right side of the mouth. Vegeta could only see one of the boy’s feet hanging out of the left side. He had to hope that the other one was inside the monster’s mouth, somehow connected to the rest of his son’s body. The blood dripping from the serpent’s teeth didn’t help things when it fell into the water and flowed around Vegeta. He would not allow his son to be beaten by a sea monster! The very idea was preposterous!

Suddenly, Vegeta saw a glimpse of silver, as if from the shining of a sword. He turned his head to the left, where the sun blinded his vision. He brought up an arm to block the sun in his eyes and saw...Trunks? What? Then, Vegeta heard a roar of pain and turned back to the monster. He held up his hands when he saw that the sea serpent was falling on him. His son, Trunks, fell into his outstretched arms. He was unconscious and bleeding from various wounds, luckily still possessing all his body parts.

Vegeta flew out of the water, dodging the falling sea beast. As he held onto his son, ignoring the splashes of water the dying sea creature sent his way, Vegeta looked out of the corner of his eye. He quickly turned his head, again seeing something strange. There he was, the Trunks from the future standing there in broad daylight. He was smiling as he put his sword back in its place across his back, like he had just used it. Then, the future Trunks turned his back to him, and suddenly he wasn’t there anymore. Vegeta blinked his eyes in confusion. No, it couldn’t be, could it? His future son wouldn’t come back, unless there was another warning. Vegeta floated in the air, pondering the strange circumstances he had just witnessed.