I am sooo sorry it has taken so long to continue. Let me assure you that I have every intention on completing my stories. There are more chapters - and surprises - as the story progresses.

And now, without further ado, here is...

Chapter Eleven

Vegeta knew fear when he saw it.

One of the first things his father had taught him was how to detect fear. It was always important to know if – and how much – the enemy feared him. Showing fear was always a sign of weakness, and it was that weakness that guaranteed defeat each and every time.

Yamcha reeked of fear. The stench of fear was unmistakable. That…along with the scent of saltwater.

Years ago, when he first appeared on Earth, Yamcha and his friends were ready to face him and Nappa. Kakarrot had not arrived yet, but still they faced the challenge with everything they had. In fact, it was Yamcha who went first to defend the planet. There was not nearly enough fear in him compared to right now. Back then, Vegeta would have welcomed that fear with open arms. He expected it from him. But, now…

Yamcha should have seen this coming…

All he wanted to do was show Trunks the shard he found, and hope it would help him feel better about everything that had happened. He knew he'd encounter Bulma, and he was actually ready to talk to her. But it never occurred to him that he'd have to face Vegeta. Doesn't Vegeta do non-stop training anymore?

Maybe... Maybe he doesn't need to anymore.

It was no secret that Yamcha had an on-and-off relationship with Bulma. No matter how hard they tried, they could not go any further than just being friends.

He never in a million years thought he would ever see Bulma show concern for the saiyan who once killed him. And he never forgot the day when Vegeta returned from searching for Goku in outer space. She was actually worried for Vegeta as the ship was low on fuel. And then, when Vegeta emerged from the ship, she demanded that he come in and take a bath. Yamcha didn't know what was more unbelievable: Bulma talking to Vegeta like that…or Vegeta letting her talk to him like that. He followed her into the house without saying a word…

…and has been living with her ever since.

And now, here they were. Vegeta stood over him as Yamcha sat helplessly on the couch. And never before has Yamcha felt so helpless. All he could do was wait and see what Vegeta would do. He would never be as powerful as Vegeta was, but Yamcha was not going to go down without a fight. He was prepared for anything…

"Thank you, Yamcha."

…except that.

It was at that moment when Bulma returned with Trunks in tow. "Trunks, Yamcha has something to show you."

Trunks took one look at Yamcha and was not sure what to think at first. He had never seen Yamcha with a beard before. Then again, he had not left the house since that day. He will never forget how he convinced Goten to sneak into the cave with him. All he wanted was to get a look at the spellstone – that was it. He never thought that he would end up scaring Oolong into the cave, causing a chain reaction that lead to Goku getting killed. He can never face Goten again… not until he can find a way to bring his father back. The dragonballs can't bring him back, but maybe the spellstone can.

If only he could find some! Just one little piece…!

Yamcha knew he needed a shave. He knew he needed a bath. But his appearance paled compared to Trunks' eyes… It was safe to say he had not been getting enough sleep. That clinched it. Yamcha knew this had to be spellstone…more for Trunks' sake than his own. So, after a deep breath he said, "Hey, Trunks… Word is you're trying to find some of that spellstone. Well…" He knelt down and held out his hand. "…I found this back at the island. It's a small chunk, no question. But maybe you and your mom can…"

Trunks could no longer contain his emotions. He wanted to thank Yamcha for finding the shard – he really did. But right then and there, all he could do was cry…and he did.

ROSHI'S MAINLAND HOUSE (not the island home)…

Krillin and Master Roshi cannot believe the progress Oolong has made.

From the moment his training began, Oolong has been determined to become stronger. And he has. He lost some weight and gained some muscle. He's been sticking to his workout regime and with some helpful tips from Puar, Oolong's shape-shifting has improved dramatically. He can now maintain different forms for almost thirty minutes.

Roshi had everyone move to his mainland beach house for a while. Even Eighteen and Marron came along. With the progress Oolong was making, Roshi decided it was time to intensify his training. That meant moving to the mainland for a different training ground. Roshi had Oolong transform into a sword, and he tried him out on some fallen branches. The cuts were clean and sharp. Next, Oolong changed into a hawk and did some pretty good flying maneuvers.

There was no doubt about it: Oolong was not the same pig he was before.

"Wow!" Krillin said. "I never thought I'd see Oolong wear the orange outfit. I thought he'd call it quits after a few days, but he's really serious about his training. I can barely recognize him."

Even Puar had to admit Oolong had changed for the better. He, too, figured it wouldn't last. But the pig that bullied him in shape-shifting school has done a complete one-eighty. As long as he didn't over-exert himself, he'll do fine.

Later that day, Roshi treated everyone to dinner at a restaurant. Roshi would never say it out loud, but he was thankful that his new pupil did not share Goku's appetite. He remembered when Goku had literally 'eaten' all of the prize money he won from posing as Jackie Chung. And Goku was just a young boy at the time. His appetite showed no sign of slowing down as he got older. He will never understand the true power of a saiyan's metabolism.

When they left the restaurant, Oolong decided to ask, "Has anyone heard from Trunks or Goten? How's Yamcha doing?"

Puar sighed. "Yamcha would be up and gone before I wake up. He says he's trying to move on, but I don't think he'll ever get over it."

"Now that you mention it," Eighteen added, "I spoke to Bulma a few days ago. She told me that Trunks buried himself in research ever since it happened. He's trying to find out everything he can about that spellstone. She also told me about Pilaf. That spellstone must've had some powerful magic properties for him to go after it. Trunks wants to find some so he can bring Goku back. Poor guy. I wish there was something we could do to cheer him up."

The rest of the walk was silent. No one knew what to say. It was hard talking about losing someone who had made such a tremendous impact on their lives.

When they reached the house, Oolong decided to wait outside for a while. He needed a moment alone. He knew that losing Goku motivated him into training - everyone knew that. But he also wanted to do this for himself. He was tired of being a coward. It felt like everyone else was doing something to protect Earth while he just hid behind the sidelines, and he was sick of it. One way or another, he would find a way to help his friends the next time danger approaches.

The sun was setting. Oolong headed back toward the house when he noticed a reddish glow on the beach sand. He went to investigate and found what looked like a deep red stone – or at least a piece of it. He figured it might not be worth much, but it was pretty to look at; so he decided to keep it as he hurried back to the house.

MOUNT PAU…

It will be dinnertime soon. Chi-Chi thought about preparing meatloaf for dinner, but decided against it. Goten doesn't cry so much as before, but he was still miserable about losing his father, and meatloaf was not his favourite dish.

It was tiny little details like that that made her think about Goku. Despite his faults, there was one thing she always loved about him: Feeding him was no problem. As long as there was food in the house, he would eat it. His incredible appetite made cooking such a pleasure. There was no dish she made that he did not enjoy.

Sometimes… Sometimes she still expected to see Goku come home, plopping a huge fish on the table. He never brought home a paycheck, but at least he put food on the table…

Chi-Chi shook her head to snap herself out of her trance. Whether she liked it or not, her beloved husband was dead. She still had two sons to worry about. Gohan had to return to college in a few days. And Goten… Somehow she had to help him move on.

She headed upstairs. She peeked into Goten's bedroom.

Ever since that camping trip, he has never been the same. His comic books are piled up in a corner gathering dust. All he did was read Gohan's old encyclopaedias, hoping to learn about that 'spellstone' that killed his father. (My poor little boy… Even if he does find it, would it really bring Goku back to us…?)

"Mom…" Chi-Chi turned to see Gohan right behind her. He motioned for her to join him in his bedroom. Once his door was closed, he whispered, "Vegeta just called. Yamcha found a shard. It's a small piece, but Bulma and Trunks are examining it right now. Yamcha thinks it could be spellstone. He found it at the crater where the island used to be."

Chi-Chi was speechless for a moment. "D-D-Do you th-think…?"

"Bulma's analyzing the shard right now. Everyone has their fingers crossed. She wants to make sure before we say anything to Goten. If it is…Trunks wants to be the one to tell him. Maybe he'll finally stop grounding himself."

"Trunks grounded himself…? Oh, wait. Yes… Bulma did mention that. That's why he hasn't been coming over."

"He's been punishing himself this entire time. He wants to redeem himself by bringing Dad back."

"But… You said it's a small piece. Would it work?"

Gohan took a peek through his bedroom door. No sign of Goten. He must still be in his room. He closed the door and whispered, "I want Dad back as much as anyone, but with one small shard… Can we really afford to get Goten's hopes up? We should wait for Bulma. She should have some results in the morning."

One of the advantages of being a saiyan is having advanced hearing. Even a half-saiyan can have a higher sense of hearing than an ordinary human. And Goten was no exception. His room was not that far away from his brother's, so he heard everything.

No matter how many times he looked through Gohan's old books, there was nothing about spellstone…nothing at all. So Yamcha found a piece and gave it to Trunks. Goten sighed. Trunks' mom knew about science and stuff like that. But what if Gohan is right? What if that one piece isn't big enough?

What if there were more pieces to be found?

A few minutes later, Chi-Chi and Gohan snuck a peek through Goten's door. He was tucked into bed. They decided to let him sleep. It will give Chi-Chi a good excuse to make a hearty breakfast. It would be just like cooking for his father again.

Goten had indeed tucked himself into bed. He needed all the rest he could get. He had big plans for tomorrow…

LABYRINTH CANYON…

It stopped hurting…

For the longest time, Mari Kanata has had to struggle with the painful sensations that came from both the scarring from Mother's scrubbing and the 'medication' that Quacksalver used – which did nothing whatsoever as far as healing went. For the longest time, she had to keep that horrible moment a secret…no matter how much it had hurt her. Father said it was best to just forget about what had happened. Thinking about it will only make things worse, he said. (Sure…easy for him to say…!)

It took everything she had to tell John Doe/Goku the truth about the dreadful scars on her back. Everyone else was able to go about life as though it had never happened, but she was the one who had to carry the scars. She had to wear baggy clothing to hide her half-mummified body. And still…all the chores, all the studying she had to do while in constant pain. Meanwhile, her mother was free to pamper her beautiful favourite…and she never bothered to apologize! Not once!

But, now…she felt okay! She felt like she was finally able to breathe for the first time. And John...was wonderful. He held her firmly but gently as she told her everything. The tears in her eyes could not be stopped. Much to her surprise, he had shed some tears as well. But still he held her safe in his arms…at least until he noticed the fish was burning. Fortunately, she gave him her blessing to save their supper before it was burned to a crisp. She was not ready to see him go after 'the bigger one'.

He made sure Mari had a nice big piece. She happily enjoyed her helping, while at the same time; she enjoyed watching her friend devour the rest of it. It was so refreshing to watch him in action. When he was done, there was nothing left but the bones. Mari wondered if there was enough food in the world to feed this man. (How can he eat so much and not gain an ounce? It's like he has zero body fat.)

"Mari? Mari… Are you okay?"

All of a sudden John Doe was kneeling right in front of her with a worried look on his face. She cleared her throat and said, "Oh, I was just thinking… The way you caught that fish, and how you set up the fire… It's like you've been doing it your whole life. I can't help but wonder if you're starting to remember your past. Are you?"

"I… I don't know. I…just felt like I could do it…and I did it."

Mari smiled and sighed. "I understand, John. I have an idea. I'll deal with the dishes while you have your bath. Once we're done, I'll show you the cave I stayed in, okay?"

While John Doe took his bath, Mari washed the dishes. She knew John would not want to wear the hospital gown, so she took her pants – thankful that she preferred long tops that covered her hips – and used a fork to make a small hole in the back. When John had dried himself off with the picnic blanket, Mari presented him with a pair of spandex pants for him to wear. As handsome as he was, he needed something to wear if she was going to drag him back to the city. He was so glad she did not make him wear that hospital gown again; he thanked her with a big hug. It felt warm and soothing…for both of them.

Being held in his arms… It was a moment meant to last. But it was getting dark. It was too late to travel back. And nighttime is for sleeping, anyway. So…whether she liked it or not… "John… How about I show you where my cave is… Okay?"

The amnesiac saiyan – who still had no idea that he even is a saiyan – also began to notice that it was getting dark. It gave him a strange feeling that he could not describe. He wanted to hold onto Mari for a little longer, but why did the darkness give him…a strange feeling? But he wasn't going to upset Mari again. So he grabbed the basket and followed Mari to her cave. "Okay."

When they arrived at the cave, Mari created an orb of light and sent it rising to the roof of the cavern. "This was 'home, sweet home', at least until I had found you. Then I had my things…moved…" She was halfway down the passageway when she realized that John Doe was still standing outside, staring. Mari headed back up the steps. "John… Are you okay?"

There was something about the cave…and the glow inside…that made John/Goku shiver…

What's happening? I'm wearing those orange clothes again. Where am I? The cave looks different now. Where's Mari? I don't see her.

I can hear voices…but I can't make out what they're saying…Who are all these people around me? Some are tall, some are small… Is that a pig? I think they're talking, but I can't hear the words.

We're in the cave now? What's going on? How did we get in here? Wait – that glow up ahead… Mari, is that you? Wait for me!

It's coming from around the corner – Wait, what's that? It's a big, red glow. It's getting bigger…and brighter. It's blinding me! My body's on fire! My head…it hurts! It really hurts! Mari! Mari, where are you? Mari! Mari…!

"MAAARRRIIII!!!!!!!!!"

Hearing John scream made her forget about the orb – which dissipated into nothing – and levitate up the stony stairway. He just stood there, screaming her name. She hugged his neck and whispered into his ear. "John! John, can you hear me? I'm right here! I'm right here…"

John couldn't take it anymore. It was too much. Who were those people? They were there one minute, gone the next. Why can't he remember them? Will he ever remember anything?

Mari's hug did calm him down, but he was not eager to go in any cave. All he wanted to do was be out in the open with Mari in his arms, under the stars…and the moon.

The full moon…

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Uh-oh…