Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

That day changed his life forever. For the better, now he wasn't alone. He didn't mind his secluded life, but it would be a lie if he said it never got lonely every once in a while.

It had been a normal day in Mount Paozu. He was just heading home after a long day when the sky glowed a bright blue color. When he went to investigate, he saw a weird circular object. A spaceship no less, but that wasn't what caught his attention. He could hear the faint cries of an infant, and upon getting closer, he could see that the front was open, revealing the small infant inside. The baby stopped crying for a moment and just looked up at him. Son Gohan went to try to pick him up, but the baby bit him. It's not that he couldn't handle the small sting, but he was surprised by the strength of the bite. Something so small shouldn't be able to bite that hard now, could it? He knew different species showed their differences in the most peculiar ways, but the surprise was still there.

He went and picked the baby up. The baby was kicking and screaming, but Gohan was prepared for that. "Aren't you a strong one?" the baby kept going as if not hearing him. When he was checking the small thing for any injuries, he saw a fuzzy brown tail thrashing out in what he would guess was anger. Or maybe fear. "Where are your parents, little one?" The baby didn't respond as he expected, but it was still worth a try. The next village was miles away, and with the kids' strength, he doubted many orphanages could take care of him. And he couldn't just leave him. He made up his mind right then and there.

"Well, I can't just leave you here; you'll get eaten pretty quickly, won't you." he said teasingly. The baby stopped at that. Did he understand him? "Why don't I take you home and take care of you, eh?" the baby kept looking at him; at least he stopped hitting him. "I could raise like my grandson"---something he couldn't have"---and for your name, I know! Goku, and you could have my surname." He kept talking to the now quiet baby as he made his way back home. Little Goku's energy seemed to return because he was back to fighting Gohan as they went to the small house. Even though he couldn't feel anyone's ki, he still felt like someone was watching them.

Very quickly did Gohan realize that taking care of this kid would be hard. No matter what he did, the kid kept his savagery attitude. It was understandable, being a baby far away from his parents, but it was still troublesome. Bathing him was the real challenge. It seemed his behavior worsened when the water touched his skin. It took almost an hour (maybe more) to successfully bathe him. Goku seemed to calm down a bit when he was dry, but now he was growling at Gohan whenever he tried to pick him up. Gohan mentally sighed. Well, he can leave him be for a while; in the meantime, he should prepare something for them both to eat.

Gohan walked outside and went to where he stored food. At first he thought about getting some dried meat (he didn't catch that many fish this morning) but decided to get fruit instead. Something easily mashed. He knew the kid had teeth, but just in case. He walked back to the house, and right at the door he could see Goku crawling away at a speed much faster than a baby should have. Not faster than him, of course. "Hey where are you going?" he asked playfully. Goku looked at him for a moment, then started crawling faster. Ok. Gohan quickly got him before he got himself hurt and went back inside.

Goku started eating the fruit before he could even smash it first. Well, that took care of that. Gohan took a bite of the dried meat he had in his pocket and looked at Goku eating. Clumsily, he didn't know how to eat it well but still managed to finish the fruit. "Not that, kid," Gohan told the young boy once he got to the seed. He didn't know whether or not the kid could eat the seed or not, so better not to take that chance. Goku, on the other hand, dismissed Gohan's warning and bit the seed. He hurt his teeth and began to cry. "Why'd I say?" Gohan chuckled. Yes, this is going to be hard. He grabbed the crying infant and tried his best to calm him down. He doesn't know a thing about taking care of babies, but it's a good place to try. He copied what mothers do in shows and comics he saw do, and it seemed to work. Goku fell little by little asleep on his shoulder. Gohan let out a relieved sigh at that. He walked gently to his bed and placed the sleeping Goku near the corner. He'll have to get another bed or a futon next time he goes to town, but for now he lies beside his new family member and falls asleep under the night sky.

Kakarot found this earthling weird, but more than anything annoying. No matter what he did, this "Grandpa Gohan," as he called himself, wouldn't leave him alone. He had a mission he had to do, and that was to annihilate all life on earth. Then he'll go back home. Back to his family. For now though, he'll have to be with this earthling. The earthling knows a lot of things, is what he noticed. Whenever they go to a big blue place, Gohan ends up getting a creature from it. The creature then becomes food. Then there's the juicy food that Gohan keeps getting from these things called "trees" that are everywhere.

As time went by, Kakarot got used to this new guardian, but he still didn't particularly like him, though. Their routine was basic. Wake up, have breakfast, go out, then later in the evening Gohan would train for a little bit. Kakarot couldn't understand what the earthling was doing at first, but later on he realized that it required him moving around, and that somehow made him stronger. He will learn to do that to complete his mission because so far it seems like the beings from this planet are stronger than he thought. He only managed to kill some lizards and insects, nothing more. That infuriated him.

The day was like any other. Gohan woke up and made breakfast, which he realized had to be a lot more than he thought this kid could eat. So for that, he got dressed, put Kakarot in a basket, strapped him to his back, and made his way through the forest. He could probably walk through the forest and its mountains blindfolded by now. Everything was captured in his memory---every step, every rock, every tree. What he didn't account for was the small infant on his back. Kakarot made a grab for a peach in a nearby tree, lost his balance, and started to fall down the mountain. Gohan turned his head right as Kakarot fell. Without thinking, Gohan jumped and got him in midair. The wind was merciless as he fell down, holding Kakarot close so as not to get hurt. Gohan landed on his feet, which would have critically hurt any other elderly person but not Gohan.

Gohan had a shocked expression when he landed and breathed barely. He quickly put Kakarot in front of him and scanned for any injuries. Thankfully there weren't any, and he let out a relieved sigh. That was a big scare. He hadn't felt that scared in a while. This kid is definitely going to keep him on his toes. "Don't do that, Goku; you could have died," he tells the now-scared infant. Oh right, he is just a baby; he doesn't know any better. He places Kakarot back on the basket, and this time he straps him to his chest and begins to go up the mountain.

That night was a full moon, and Gohan saw how his grandson turned into a giant monster. That night was a beautiful night. He had told Goku about how pretty the moon was in the sky, and then he just sat quiet and began to grow. Now there was a rampaging monster in the middle of the forest. Gohan knew about such beings who transform with the full moon. The werewolf and manwolf are good examples, but not the only ones. Just his luck that the kid he picked up was one of those. Unfortunately, the kid wasn't conscious at the moment, so he couldn't just snap him out of it. Could he even if the kid was conscious? He was just a baby. Gohan didn't want to fight him, but the kid was a danger to him and himself. So he spent the entire night distracting Goku. The night left, and so did the transformation. Now there was just his grandson asleep on the ground. Gohan was tired and sore. He grabbed Goku from off the floor and went inside their little house, destruction everywhere. It was alright; they could sleep in for the night.

Years passed and everything went according to plan. He stayed with the earthling for 6 years now. He ate, slept, and trained with him. Kakarots' favorite activities were training and hunting, especially in water. He was getting stronger every day, and Gohan tells him about that all the time. Was it a human thing? Kakarot didn't know. Kakarot realized that Gohan has been teaching him how to use the bo-staff more recently. At first he thought that maybe that's all Gohan knew, but memories of Gohan training with varying weapons told him otherwise. Maybe it was his favorite? Who cares. Just as long as he gets to train.

"Hey, Goku, come and look at this." Kakarot looked at the human and walked towards him. Gohan had a big piece of paper with drawings on it that Kakarot couldn't understand. As he looked closer, the names of places he recognized Gohan talking about came into view. "This is a map, a thing that helps people learn how to navigate through the world. And here," he pointed to a place on the map, "this is where we are." Kakarot looked at the section Gohan pointed out for a moment before looking at the rest. There were many colors in the map. Blues, greens, and yellows littered all throughout the map. "What do the different colors mean?" he asked Gohan. "The green over here are forests, the yellow is desert, the brown is land, and blue is water." Gohan answered. "And how do you get from one place to another?" "You can either get on a boat; these help you cross and hug bodies of water. Huge machines that float through the water with a person managing it, or you could get on a plane, huge machines that can take you to other places through the sky." Gohan answered his question almost fondly. Maybe remembering his past life with other humans as he usually talked about. Kakarot looked back at where they currently are. A small area with bumps all around it most likely represents the many mountains. A small place in a big world.

Kakarot has lived with Gohan for 10 years now, and not much has changed. The routine was still the same, but now he gets to train more than before. A couple of years ago, he was only allowed to see the ki training, but now Gohan is teaching him how to control his ki. Kakarot wondered if his family back home knew of these techniques or if it was just a human thing. Well, whatever the answer is, he was still good at it. He could see it on Gohan's face that someone his age was not this good at it.

"So if I train how to use my better, then that means I can get stronger?" Kakarot asked Gohan at mealtime. "Yes, but remember, Goku, don't only use it for your own pleasures. This power is not to be used carelessly; if not used correctly, it could bring destruction." Gohan sounded serious. Kakarot could tell it was dangerous (he made a dent with just one tiny blast!) but that's exactly why he wanted to use it. He was angry at how he couldn't hit Gohan, not once! He needed to get stronger if he ever wanted to go back home. If he couldn't d̶e̶f̶e̶a̶t̶ kill Gohan, then how was he supposed to kill Master Roshi? Gohan had talked about the man more times than Kakarot could count, and they all ended the same. Gohan is telling him how master Roshi was the strongest man Gohan ever knew.

Kakarot had the idea that if he killed Roshi, the world's strongest, then he could kill anyone in this world. Kill everyone on this planet. Kill Gohan...

He always had a weird feeling when thinking that. He knew that if he ever wanted to complete his mission, then he had to kill every life on earth, including Gohan. But he always felt sad about it. He shook his head. No, he shouldn't get attached. Gohan wasn't blood. He shouldn't matter. Maybe he should do it fast so he wouldn't feel anything, though; he deserved that much.

It was his eleventh birthday when Gohan gave him the power pole. A weapon passed down from Roshi that can extend and retract on command. Kakarot was happy with this new object. This can make up his height when fighting. They spend the rest of the day doing his favorite activities: fishing, eating, and training. Today was a good day.

A week passed when it happened. It was nighttime, and the full moon was out. Kakarot woke up in the middle of the night really thirsty. Gohan had told him of monsters that came out when the full moon was out, so he went outside quietly. He made sure he only heard the wildlife when getting out. As he made his way outside, the sight of the moon stopped him. With how early they went to sleep during this time of the month, he never got to see the moon. It was beautiful; he wondered if there was one back home.

The train of thought left as his eyes turned red. With each second, his heartbeat quickened. He started to get bigger with each thud of his heart until he was just a mindless monster. The one thing people could hear from miles away was an abnormal roar that shook the forest.

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It was daytime when Kakarot woke up. He was confused; wasn't he just looking at the moon a few seconds ago? There was destruction everywhere. The trees looked like something ripped them out of the ground, and there were many holes in the nearby mountains. Like something huge was shot at them. Something bad had happened; he could feel it in his bones. He felt cold and realized he didn't have any clothes. He was even more confused now, but the Gohans' smell took him out of his thoughts. He seemed to be close. Kakarot could ask him what happened and then get a change of clothes. Yeah, that's what's going to happen. The feeling of worry wouldn't leave him.

He found Gohan laying in a giant crater. Expression unrecognizable in death. Kakarot almost expected him to get up and tell him not to worry. Nothing but silence. Kakarot kept looking at him, expecting something. Anything. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing..... Nothing

He buried Gohan as he heard many humans do. Once finished, he looked at the grave he made. It should have made him feel glad that now that Gohan was dead, nothing tied him to this world. The one human to whom he had any relation is now dead. He can go and finish his mission now. No one to stop him. No one to make him reconsider. No one to care for. Kakarot just stood there looking at Gohans' grave as silent tears came running down his face.

Chapter Text

"A power level of two! That has to be a new record right!?" "No there was the other baby with a power level of 1" "But that one didn't survive, it has an excuse" "I guess" "How did Bardock react to the news" "Not well, to say he was disappointed would be an understatement" "I would too if my child came out with a power level like that" "Well what do we do with him now? it's not like he'll be any worth" "He will be send to a planet the residents call earth, it has one moon and the residents aren't strong. It'll be good for someone with his power level." Both figures look at the small crying baby. "You heard that! You will be useful for something" it fell on deaf eyes as the baby kept crying. "He has lungs though" "Yeah, no matter what I did I couldn't get him to shut up."

The workers were getting the pod ready when a female Saiyan came barging through the door. "Gine! don't scare us like that!" Gine didn't give any attention to his comment. Instead she looked at them with anger and desperation. "What do you guys mean he is going to be send off already!" "Now Gine, you know how this works-" "But he was just born two days ago-" "And in those days he showed no reason to keep him here" There was silence for a few seconds. The worker sighed "Look I know how you feel, had a couple myself, but there's not really anything either of us can do" he put his hand on her shoulder as tears started to form in her eyes. "You can go say goodbye if you want" his voice was low but sympathetic. The other worker just rolled his eyes. Saiyans shouldn't care- couldn't get attached to any other than themselves. Everyone knew the consequences of their job. There were many cases where babies were sent off and never came back but that was just how it is. The natural order of being a Saiyan.

Gine went over to her small baby and carried him for one last time. He looked a lot like his father. There was practically nothing of his mother in him. Except his power level. " I am so sorry you were born like this. If you had a stronger mother then maybe you could have stayed" she stroked his face just a little as he fell asleep. "You'll just have to be there for a bit then you'll come back. I'll be here waiting for you but please live you have to live ." Kakarot was placed in the pod and sent to earth. The room was filled with the sound of machines and a crying mother who just lost her child.

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*You have to live*

Kakarot didn't remember much of his home planet but he did remember his mother or maybe it was just a woman's voice but he like to think it was his mother. *You have to live*. He will. He will survive in this world then destroy it to go back to his mother. He will..

Kakarot didn't do much after Gohan died. He went with the routine he knew his whole life in a daze. Wake up, get ready, catch food, eat food, train, train, train, train, train,train- he collapsed unto the floor. He was breathing heavily. Gohan's death should have been the one thing to push Kakarot closer to finishing his mission but he hasn't advanced in anything! A whole year of training to himself and nothing seemed to change. .....But he didn't train everyday. Most of the time it looked as if he just lived. Wake up, get ready, catch food, eat food, train, train, train, train....

His ki-blasts were a little stronger. Just a little stronger. No they have to be stronger. Get stronger. He just looked at the tree in front of him and did nothing. He decided to go back h̶o̶m̶e̶ to Gohan's house. It was late, he should really get something to eat. It was dark outside like usual in this time of the day. Or maybe it had been like that since before. Ever since Gohan died the world wasn't as vibrant as before. The sun rose but it didn't feel the same. *Get stronger. *He told himself. *Just get stronger*. It was too late to get anything from the river so he decided to go with fruit for dinner. As he made his way to the peach trees something caught his eye. There was a bear nearby and it had its eyes set on Kakarot. Kakarot just looked back at it. Dead eyes looking back at soon to be dead ones.

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He made his way back to Gohans house with a bag full of peaches and a dead bear in one hand. First he cleaned himself up and then prepared the fire. He can now concentrate his ki-blast just enough to make fire with it. After finishing his meal, Kakarot walked slowly inside the house. He looked at his bed for a moment before looking at something on a table. A small orange sphere with four stars. It had been Gohans' before he passed and Kakarot couldn't bring himself to throw it out. He took it as something to remember the elder human by. As he laid down to go to sleep tears flowed out but not a sound could be heard.

*Wake up, get ready, catch food, eat food, and then train. Get stronger.*

The day had been like any other he had just caught a fish when he heard something he'd never heard before. He turned around and saw something weird coming towards him. He couldn't move in time as the thing hit him.

Bulma almost didn't see him. She didn't expect anybody to live up here non-less a little boy. She swerved the car as fast as she could but still heard the boy fly out. Did she hit him? Kakarot got up fast and looked at the thing with anger. Quickly he ran under neath the thing and with all his might he through it to the other side. This worked on bears so it should work on monsters. Bulma popped out of the window and with some resolvement she shot at him. She didn't want to kill anyone but she had no other choice.

Kakarot felt a stinging sensation, like when he got bitten by bees, when the bullets hit. That just seemed to anger him more. "Alright monster" he said while getting up "You think you can just walk up here and hurt me with one of your spells and expect me not to fight back, well you're dead wrong!" Bulma looked surprised and scared. "How did you survive that" "Well you're going find that out you monster!" Kakarot ran towards her, power-pole in both hands about to attack. A yellow see-through ball quickly materialized out of thin air and Kakarot found himself floating in mid-air. "What-" Kakarot started thrashing around inside the ball but no matter what he did nothing happened. "I think I just saw my life flash before my eyes" Bulma said still in shock her arms outstretched with one finger pressing something on her wrist. She quickly regained her composer. "Gah! What is wrong with you! You could have killed me!" Kakarot looked at her in anger. "That's the point, now put me down and actually fight me you monster!" "I'm not a monster, dummy, I am a human being" she said in an almost bored tone. Or one you would use to state the obvious. That made Kakarot stop "A Human?" "Now, if you promise you won't attack me again I'll put you down got it?" Kakarot looked at her for a moment. "Fine" with that she lowered her arm which caused Kakarot to move down as well. Then when he was right above the ground, she pressed something else on her wrist and the yellow ball popped. Kakarot landed on his legs. "You know to be a human you look totally different from..." "That might be because I'm a girl" A girl? He'd never seen one before but Gohan had told him to be respectful if he'd ever met one. "Oh, than I guess that's why" he just stood there awkwardly, he hadn't talked to anyone since Gohan died. He did say to be respectful but how can someone be "respectful". The only thing he could think of is the way of food. And it's been a while since he talked to someone. "Hey uhm, would you like?....something to eat, you know for almost killing you and all?" he really sounded unsure of himself. Bulma on the other hand looked at him for a moment and then took something from her bag. Kakarot twitched. She clicked on it once and looked back at him. "Ok, lead the way" she said cheerfully. - The radar showed that the dragon ball should be here, maybe it's in this kids house and if he tries anything else I can just put him in the bubble again- They started walking towards the small house. -Now that I think about it the kids tail is moving, so he isn't human-

Once at the house, Kakarot started the fire with one small ki-blast which caused Bulma to gasp in surprise. "So YOU can do magic but almost attacked me for quote on quote "using my magic on you" Bulma said exasperatedly. Kakarot looked at her "this isn't magic- wait, so magic looks like this" Bulma thought for a moment. "Well..yes..or..was it really like that, what do you mean it isn't magic?" Kakarot was about to answer but realized he really couldn't explain it. It had been a while since Gohan had taught him that. A sudden burst of fire took him out of his thoughts. The food! He quickly took the fish away from the fire. It didn't look burned, that's good. He began to cut the fish in half, he took one and gave the other to Bulma. "Here" Bulma looked at the piece given "thank you" she said reflexively -This is a lot of food who could eat this much in one sitting!- she thought but her question was answered as Kakarot was already half way done with his side of the fish. -Well...he definitely isn't human- she started to eat her half when the kid spoke. "What was that you used to hold me up in the air if it wasn't magic?" "Hmm? Oh! It's just a little thing I made at home" So technology. Gohan has told him about how technology works in the city but never something like this. Well Gohan has spent a fair amount of his years here in this forest. It made Kakarot wonder of how much more he doesn't know of the world. Would it be even more different than what Gohan has told him about.

They finished eating and while Kakarot finished cleaning up Bulma got the radar of her bag and clicked once. Yes, there was one dragon ball here could it be in the house? Bulma looked at where Kakarot was. Just one small peak around the house shouldn't be a problem right? No No, that's not a good way of thinking for a lady like her. She could just ask him, he'll show her around, she'll ask for it, and then he'll give it to her. There we go! A nice little plan where she didn't have to play the villain for. Ok, here it goes! "Hey,......" Then she realized she didn't even know the little kid's name. "Um, you..anyways can you show me around your house" she tried. He gave her a look. Couldn't she just look for herself. It's not like there's much to see. Must be a girl thing. "Sure.." he said walking slowly towards her. Bulma mentally celebrated. Things were going as planned. Once he showed her around and she finds the dragon ball he can give it to her and that's that. Well? Another thought came to mind. And what if he didn't give her the dragon ball? She didn't think about that but now if she thought about it, this kid barely knew she was a girl and his manners could be better so it's most likely he wouldn't give it to her just like that. What to do if that happens?

Kakarot walked in front of her and towards the small house Bulma following behind. "This is the entrance, this is my bed and-" Bulma's attention went towards the small orange sphere in the middle of the wall. There it is! She almost ran towards it happily. "So this is where you were!" Kakarot almost jumped at the sudden noise and looked behind him to see that Bulma wasn't there anymore. She was right in front of where Gohan kept the little ball with stars. Actually she was holding it. "Hey! You shouldn't just touch people's stuff without asking! Didn't your parents tell you that!?" Bulma was surprised at the boy's speed. One second he was where the bed was and the second he was taking the dragon ball away from her. "Aw come on, it's not like you were using it. See it's all covered in dust" She...had a point. This sphere was one of the last things that reminded him of Gohan. The other was the power pole which he needed this he really didn't. But the thought of giving it away still irked him.*You shouldn't get attached, You shouldn't get attached, You shouldn- *"No this is very important to me and I wouldn't just give it up" Bulma sighed. She saw this coming but was still annoyed of it. Now how to get this boy to cooperate with her.

The memory of how this small boy picked up her car like it was nothing and how he survived being shot came to mind. What if- "Ok then how about this, you come with me and when I have the rest of the dragon balls you just let me borrow yours?" she asked in her most kind voice she could muster. Kakarot just looked at her as of she was crazy. Oh yeah, she never did explain why she needed it. "Ok so what you have there is a dragon ball there are 7 in total, if the legends are true then when they are all collected a dragon can grant you any wish you want" Kakarot still looked unsure, it sounded like a made-up story, but Gohan did tell him of other magical creatures that lived on earth. If his stories are true then this shouldn't be impossible still. Bulma continued "I see you are very strong and could be a pretty good body guard and don't you want to see the rest of the world?" Kakarot just stayed silent. This could be the thing he needed to finish the mission. Going with this girl he could see what he would have to fight against if he ever wanted to go home. Home...

"Look if you don't believe me" she looked inside her bag and pulled out two other dragon balls. "Ta-da!" and indeed they looked like the one he had in his hands. "This is one 2 stars and this one has five, just like yours has 4." Kakarot thought about it for a bit. "Alright, but I will hold this one, got it!" Bulma nodded and smiled. -Yes! I got another dragon ball and a body guard. He is a bit small but that's not a problem.- "Alright kid, then you have to pack up we need to go" Already, this girl was impatient. Kakarot went to grab his stuff as Bulma went outside and waited. There really wasn't much to take: another pair of clothes, his power pole, and of course Gohan's dragon ball. Not really much to do except-

He walked outside passing Bulma on the way. He stopped to where he buried Gohan a year ago. He looked sadly at the lump of dirt. With a deep breathe he started " Hello, I am leaving. I need to do something...." he didn't really know what to say. He thought talking to the dead was funny in an ironic way. It's not like he'll listen but still. "I am sorry I couldn't be the grandson you wanted nor feel proud of the name you gave me but I am grateful for the years you were here. It was....fun." he looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry I couldn't be Son Goku" The wind blowed, his hair moving with it. "Hey! What's taking so long!" he could hear Bulma walking towards him and stop right behind him. She didn't recognize the grave. Not that anyone could, there wasn't anything to disfigure it from the rest of the piles of dirt. "Nothing" he said finally Bulma noting the different tone of voice. Was it sadness? "let's go." he said as he walked to where she once stood. Bulma looked back at the pile of dirt and walked behind.

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"I knew you were a witch!" Kakarot yelled out as a motorcycle literally proofed into existence. "I already told you it's not magic it's technology!" "What's the difference!" "One you have to built and the other can't!" Kakarot was still looking at whatever Bulma pulled out with power pole in hand in a combative stance. Bulma sighed "look just get on it, it's an easier way to move around" Kakarot looked at her with his eyes narrowed. He saw as she walked in and sat in whatever the inside was. He looked at her, she gave him a reassuring smile, and he cautiously walked in and sat behind her. "Ok, now hold on to me and try not to fall off" "Fall off-Aaa!" Kakarot screamed out as the thing roared to life and started moving. He didn't even have time to register as the motorcycle went down the mountain.

Bulma was yelling in ....excitement? How was this exciting when they went down the mountain in high speeds- Kakarot's train of thought left when he saw everything around them. Far away from trees now (how fast is this thing there should've been trees for miles!) he saw how the sun glowed above the mountains with water reflecting the light of the sun. Was this really where he lived. "Pretty isn't it" he heard Bulma ask him. "Yeah" was all he could say still looking at the scenery. "Oh yeah, I never did get your name what's your name kid?" Kakarot thought about it. His Saiyan wasn't exactly normal it was Saiyan not human. Even if it was for a while then-"I am Goku" "Goku huh, well my name is Bulma Briefs" He couldn't pin point why but that name sounded funny and he started to laugh. "Hey! stop laughing ! Goku isn't exactly normal either!" "It's still better than Bulma!" he said while laughing. He hasn't laughed like since...well since Gohan died. He had to wipe away tears from his eyes from the amount of laughter he was having. The world seemed to go back to it's vibrant self he remembered in childhood. The sun glowing, the sky turning pink and orange, the trees were as green as ever, the water fresh. He took a deep breathe taking in the smell of life.

Even if for a little bit, he could actually believe in the lie he told and be Son Goku for a while.

Chapter Text

There were many things Kakarot still didn’t know about the earth. He expected this, of course, but it was still overwhelming. Was the world always this beautiful? If so, how hadn’t he known?

The ride was calm, so to speak. They rode the motorcycle tillthe sun set. Bulma went into a secluded area and stopped the motorcycle. Kakarot was the first to get off, Bulma the second. Bulma then pressed something on the mmotorcycle,and it turned back into a capsule. She grabbed the capsule containers and put the capsule back and ggotanother one. She pressed the top of it and threw it. A house appeared in a loud “POP” noise. “Come iin;I’ll get something to eeat, she told KKakarot,walking inside the house. Kakarot went in after a couple of seconds.

The inside was different than what Kakarot was used to a house having. Well, it is bigger than Gohan’s, so it should have been expected. Bulma went into a place where he assumed is where food is kept. He walked around the house to see what other things there were. In the middle of the house there was a big soft thing that once touching it he could feel how soft it is. “Don’t get on anything until you’ve showered!” he heard Bulma say from across the house. Ok then, he went to a black thing in the same room. (TV) He wondered what it was for. “Hey Goku, what do you feel about bread and coffee...or milk?” Bulma asked, peeking over a corner.

“What’s that?” he asked. Bulma looked surprised for a second then sighed. -Oh yeah, Goku, the kid I found in the middle of the mountains—she thought to herself. “Alright then, how about milk and sweet bread to ease you up on normal food?” she said, walking back to the kitchen. He had heard Gohan talk about milk before, something about training with it. He wondered how something could be used for both training and eating. Was it like hunting? “Ready!” Bulma said. Kakarot walked to the kitchen and saw a table with chairs. “Come sit,” she said, pulling out a chair and going to sit on one herself. Kakarot sat (more like jumped; they’re tall) on the chair. In front of him was a cup filled with a white liquid and a piece of yellow bread. “What’s this?” he asked. “It’s food; try it,” was all Bulma said while drinking something totally different than what he had.

He looked at his food and slowly tried to grab the yellow bread. “Oh wait!” he jumped as Bulma spoke all of a sudden. “Wash your hands before you eat.” He was confused. “But there’s no river nearby,” he told her. She got up from her seat and began to walk. “Follow me,” she said. They walked into the bathroom. “This is the bathroom. This is where you will use the restroom, wash your hands, and take baths, she said, then pointed to the sink. “This is a sink. This is where you wash your hands, like this,” she began washing her hands. “See, that’s all you have to do.” Kakarot looked at the sink and then tried to mimic what Bulma did. All he did was break the sink.

“What was that for?” Bulma screamed at him. “It broke by itself!” he screamed back. Bulma looked irritated and took a deep breath with two of her fingers at the bridge of her nose. Wait, she thought to herself. “You’re very strong, right?” she asked. Kakarot just put on a face that screamed, “Well, duh.” “Ok, then I know how to fix that,” she said, moving to where the switch is. She pulled a little opening and revealed a lot of multicolored buttons. When she pressed a grey one, everything that was once there was seemingly swallowed up by the walls. A blue hologram of the room appeared in front of her. “How about this here... that there.. no, over there would be better... this could still be here and… Done!” Once the hologram left, everything came back from the walls. Some in different places, others didn’t really change. Kakarot was in a fighting stance. “What just happened!?” he said, poking the now new sink. “I just changed the placing and material of the things, nothing much,” she said calmly.

Kakarot looked back at her in confusion and was about to ask something else, but she interrupted. “The sink was too weak for you, which caused it to break, correct?” she told him, “So I had to make them stronger for you; now try,” she motioned him to the sink. Kakarot was still confused but proceeded to mimic Bulma once again. This time the sink didn’t break. “See, stronger, though now I will have to make another bathroom for myself,” she said mostly to herself as she walked out of the room. Kakarot was still trying to take in what just happened. - So nothing that just happened was magic—he thought to himself.

Once back at the table he grabbed the yellow bread and bit it. The taste was unlike anything he ever had. It was sweet but not like any fruit he had; he didn’t mind the flavor. What he didn’t like was the texture. It was smooth but had the minimal texture of holes. “Don’t like it,” Bulma asked. His face answered her question. She sighed. “You ate fish like it was nothing, so let’s try something meaty,” she said, getting up.

After a few minutes she came back with a plate of sausages. “This could work as something small, right?” She handed him the plate. The smell was familiar, like wild boar. He grabbed one and bit into it. Again his face answered whatever question Bulma had. “So this is a thumbs up, huh?” she asked, but it went on deaf ears. Kakarot then looked at the white liquid he still hasn’t touched. “Wait, let me—” Bulma said, grabbing the cup. She went back into the kitchen and came back with another cup. “If you broke the sink, then you’re definitely breaking the cup,” she said, giving him the cup. He grabbed it, and it didn’t break. He took a sip. It was thick, but the flavor wasn’t bad. He decided he liked this.

After the food, Bulma told him he had to shower and wasn’t really surprised when he said he didn’t know how. They were now back in the bathroom, but he was naked in the bathtub. “This is how you turn the water on and off: reds hot—” she pointed at it, “—and blues cold,” she pointed at the one near it. “This is shampoo, and this is body wash,” she pointed to each, respectively. “I’ll bathe you today and you’ll try to do it yourself tomorrow,” she told him.

She then got some of the shampoo and started to wash Kakarot’s hair. “No wonder your hair stands up like this; you’ve never bathed before,” she said. Kakarot touched the parts of his hair covered in soap. “Is it supposed to look like this?” he asked, his hand covered in foam. “Yes, now you can wash your back, right?” she said, giving him the brush. His tail is what grabbed it, and he started to wash his back. Bulma looked at his tail. “So you’re not exactly human, are you?” she said, not as a question but more as an observation. Kakarot stopped and looked at her. “Not that it’s bad; there are many different species on earth, after all, but you probably didn’t know that,” she said, putting her hands up and smiling.

So there were more beings other than just humans. Gohan had told him, but having another person say it solidified it. More strong beings. From what he knows, Gohan was stronger than your average human. (He had told him much), and Kakarot couldn’t defeat him. Another thing he had to think of was the fact that Gohan was old. Humans grow weak as they age, and if Kakarot couldn’t defeat him at his worst. How would younger, stronger humans be now with the other beings in the picture? Just how could he go back home?

.

.

.

Bulma kept helping him wash himself when she spoke. “Just how old are you, Goku?” she asked him. “I am….” he then counted a bit with his hands. “12?” he finally said. “12,” she said. “1 and 2 together,” he told her. “Then you were correct. Well,  you have a lot of muscle for a 12-year-old and scars,” she said, looking at the scars. They looked like they healed, but Bulma still shivered at the thought of having that many. After the bath came the next step: drying.

Kakarot didn’t like the feeling of Bulma trying to dry his hair. After she took off the towel from his head, his hair floofed up more wildly than it did before. Bulma was bewildered. “Either it’s like this naturally, or it’s like this due to the amount of years you haven’t bathed.” Kakarot tried to get in clothes before Bulma stopped him. “Wait there; you have to wash those clothes; they smell disgusting. Here,  I’ll give you something,” she said, going out and coming back with a new set of clothes. -Thank Kami I listened to Dad before leaving—she thought to herself. The clothes were something Kakarot was not used to, but he couldn’t really say anything as Bulma had already put his clothes to wash. They were placed in a machine in front of the bathtub. Kakarot looked back at the new set of clothes and resigned himself.

He did feel better after the bath. He was looking at himself through the mirror that the bathroom had while Bulma went to “make him a room,” whatever she meant. He had dark circles under his eyes. He kept looking at himself and touching his eyes. Did he always have these? Or are these a new thing?

Meanwhile, Bulma went to the space near the bathroom and pressed a button in the wall. The wall opened up, and inside an empty room appeared. She did the same course of events as in the bathroom, and a bedroom was created by the same material as the bathroom. “There, Goku! Your room is ready!” Kakarot walked to the room that definitely wasn’t there before. He walked in.

“The material is made by the same people as the bathroom; it’s usually used for teenage Manwolfs, but I thought it could also be used for you. Now I’ll go and take a shower; good night if I don’t see you after.” With that, she walked out. Kakarot walked around the room. There were things he didn’t know the purpose for everywhere, and there was the black thing in front of the bed like the “living room” had. He felt the bed. It felt different than the one he had slept in at Gohan’s house. Kakarot jumped onto the bed and almost melted at how soft it was. He fell asleep almost instantly.

His dreams were clouded with images of what “home” looked like.

Bulma was lost in thought. She was currently in her bathtub full of bubbles. This new person in her life was strange, so to speak. Of course, how could he be normal if he was raised in the woods for practically his entire childhood, but the Bulma Briefs can handle that? No, what bothered her was the condition of the boy. He was strong, and his body demonstrated that with all the muscle and scars he has. His eyes, though, don’t match his body. A young boy shouldn’t have those eyes. Eyes that not even her father has.

Earlier when they first met, Bulma couldn’t help but notice the boy’s eyes. Like he was barely alive. Eyes so full of something that got greater at the mention of the man who raised him. Eyes full of grief.

Something soldiers usually had was not a young boy. Bulma knew she was gifted with the life she has. She didn’t have to worry about anything, and seeing a boy not much younger than her suffering from the loss of a parent was a slap of reality. She didn’t know what to do in a situation like this. How can you? What exactly can you do to make someone feel better? She didn’t have an answer. For now, he can still be her bodyguard, and in return, she can teach all there is about the outside world that she can. Maybe it’ll help. Even if it’s just a little. She’ll try.