Hora: It's not discontinued, I'm simply taking my time with that story so that I can do as well with it as possible.

xSonallyGirl129x: Thanks, I'm glad to see you liked the chapter. I'm glad to see you like the relationship building up between Gohan and Erasa. I honestly wasn't really sure how it was going to turn out, but judging by your reaction, I didn't need to be so worried. As for using content from Kakarot, I was just exploring every possibility. Yep, Videl is a hell of a lot stronger in this fic, and is able to figure things out much faster, so I think she would be closer to the group than in canon. And yes, Kai blackmailing Gohan, it was only a matter of time. All in all, I'm glad to see you liked this chapter, and I hope you like what comes next.

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Needless to say, after Kai's (somewhat) good natured blackmailing of Gohan to enter the World Martial Arts Tournament, word was quick to spread to the others.

"The World Martial Arts Tournament you said?" Yamcha raised an eyebrow at Kai while he was in the middle of doing a series of situps "Well that sure as hell takes me back, but it seems a little bit out of the ordinary coming from someone like you."

"Yeah well, it's basically the same principle as when I entered that intergalactic martial arts tournament a few years back." Kai gave a nonchalant shrug "You guys and my mom honed your skills in those battles, so I figured it's only right I do the same. Plus there's the fact that I already promised Videl I'd enter, and since I have no intention of going down a road like that without dragging someone with me."

"Right, that girl you've been training for the past few years whose dad you hate. Who did you say she was again?"

"Like I'm telling you that, the last thing I need is for Mother of the Year over there to have some kind of shit hanging over my head. All you need to know is that I never would've imagined that a pathetic piece of shit like him would actually find someone who would ever want to reproduce with him."

"Yeah, you realize that's not going to pan out."

"I'll make it pan out for as long as I have to. All you need to know is that she's actually got a decent personality, nothing like her dad at least. She definitely knows her way around a fight, it's only been about three years since I started training her and I'd say that by now, even without the likes of having her potential unlocked, she's around the level that Frieza was at in his first form back on Namek."

"Really? That's pretty impressive all things considered. Anyway the point is, she's entering the tournament, now me and Gohan are too, and you should think about signing up yourself."

"I figured you wouldn't want anyone stealing your spotlight, so why the sudden change of heart about this?"

"Call it whatever the hell you want, but I think of it as mostly pity, considering how things turned out in the last tournament you were in."

"Oh come on, I made it to the quarter finals."

"Where you got your ass kicked and ended up hurting your balls on the head of a nerd that was possessed by a god."

"...You had to bring that up didn't you? How did you even find out about that?"

"Mother of the Year."

"Fuck, I'm gonna have to talk with her about that."

"And nothing will come of it except you sleeping on the couch."

"...I'm gonna choose to ignore that and just tell you, I'm in."

"Good enough for me." Kai pressed a button on his watch, and his outfit morphed from a red t shirt and jeans to his typical red and black gi "I designed this thing myself, with a little bit of input." he jerked a thumb over at the doorway.

"Wow!" as it turns out, standing in the doorway was a little girl with blue hair, and she was looking at Kai in sheer awe, this being an 8 year old Bulla "Wow big brother, you look so cool like that!"

"Yeah I know squirt, but thanks for the input." on that note, Kai turned back to Yamcha "And for the record, part of the reason why I want Gohan in on it is so I have a decent challenge. It's no fun beating the shit out of people if I don't at least get the blood pumping on some level."

"You say that like I'm not a challenge for you." Yamcha pointed out dryly.

"You stopped being a challenge for me after I got the Namek-Ken."

"Speaking of which, we might as well get Big Green and Cooler in on it too. I've got a theory I want to put to the test, back in the days of the Cell Games they had the upper hand on me when it came to raw power, but since then I have no doubt I've closed that gap. After all, training with a Super Saiyan 2 multiple times per week really helps in that regard."

"Don't think I'm out of this either, I've got more than a few tricks up my sleeve to help even the playing field."

"I'm counting on it."

"Wow!" Bulla's eyes lit up even further "Daddy vs big brother?"

"And I'm gonna win squirt, it's not even a contest."

"I don't know if I would say that exactly sweetie, because I think I'm going to be signing up for this as well." a certain female voice broke into their conversation, leaving Kai and Yamcha both frozen in place.

"What the hell?" Kai looked up in awe "I'd better not be hearing things, that's one voice I would never forget. Is that really you up there mom?"

"Hey there sweetie, and to answer your question, it's most definitely me. I was just checking in to see what you guys were up to, and then I heard you talking about the tournament, so I figured it was about time I added some input into your little conversation."

"Yeah that figures, it only makes sense that you don't have a lot to do when you're dead. But all snarkiness aside for the time being, were you serious about what you said? Are you really going to come back to Earth and enter the World Martial Arts Tournament with the rest of us?"

"That's the plan, at least it is so far. It turns out that as long as you stay on her good side, as hard as that may be from time to time, Fortuneteller Baba will give me a day pass to come back to Earth for a full 24 hours. I don't know when else to use it, but if you and my baby brother are going to be doing the tournament then we might as well make it into a family thing."

"Oh fuck yes to the fuck yes, this is gonna be Rick and Morty levels of insane."

"You'd better hope that doesn't turn out to be a bad thing." Yamcha told him dryly from where he was covering Bulla's ears "I think it's only fair to warn you now sis, I'm a hell of a lot stronger than I was the last time we saw each other. I say that my skills and power are way beyond what I thought possible."

"I don't expect anything less from you, but don't think I've been sitting up here and doing nothing all this time. One thing is for certain, this is going to be a tournament none of us are ever going to forget." she had no idea how right she was, but we'll get to that later.

"Oh shit this is gonna be amazing."

"Yeah I can imagine." Yamcha finally let go of Bulla's ears "Just imagine how everyone else is going to react when they find out, mainly Goku, Krillin, Tien, Tarble and Piccolo."

"They trained with my mom in Other World, or rather most of them did. Didn't she just throw the Triclops and Goku Jr down into hell for a week or two? I'm pretty sure that's what she did back then. Anyway let's get shit underway, we've got a lot of work to do."

"Dammit, right when I let go of her ears! Bulma is gonna have my head if she hears our daughter cursing."

"If she hasn't taught her all sorts of curse words already."

"...Oh yeah that's probably true."

"I know it is dipshit."

"DAMMIT!"

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Later, at a certain sandwich shop…

"No way, your mom is coming back? That's amazing." Gohan made his way into the sandwich shop in question while talking with a certain sociopath on the phone "Now I'm actually looking forward to entering the tournament on some level. Alright I'll spread the word and let the others know, okay I'll see you later." and then he hung up.

"Got another delivery for you to make." 17 promptly shoved a back into Gohan's arms before he could get a single word in.

"I'll get to it in a second, but first, what exactly are you doing here?"

"I owe Raditz a favor, he's doing something with my sister that I assume is along the lines of-"

"Okay okay, please don't be so specific or detailed about that. I'm still scarred from the last time I walked in on them. Anyway I came by to tell him and my dad something really important. By the way, where is dad right now anyway?"

"He kept setting the kitchen on fire, I'm not even sure how since I'm pretty sure none of the stuff in there was actually flammable, so I sent him out to attract new customers." he jerked a thumb towards the front window, where they saw Goku outside in a sandwich suit, dancing around the sidewalk and spinning a sign with surprising gracefulness "It's times like this that I remember that even though he's the man who single handedly destroyed the Red Ribbon Army when he was 14, he's still a moron with surprising levels of skill and gracefulness."

"Where did you even get a sandwich suit that fits his hair like that?"

"We had it custom made, you'd be surprised how much it costs to make something like that in the first place."

"...Note to self, don't let Kai learn about that or he'll never let me hear the end of it."

"Knowing that little bastard and what he's like, I wouldn't be surprised if he already knows about it."

"I know, but a guy can dream right? Anyway I just came by to let you guys know, his mother, you know Scarlet, she's coming back down to Earth to join the World Martial Arts Tournament in a few weeks."

"Tournament huh? I heard about a few of those tournaments. Do we get any money out of entering this?"

"Only if you enter the top 5, in that case you can get somewhere between 1 million and 10 million Zeni."

"And you and the others will be participating?"

"That's how it looks at the moment."

"Then count me in too. Get that delivery stuff underway, I'll tell Raditz and my sister later after we close up." this was followed by the sound of a horn honking, and then several very loud crashing noises "And that sounds like a good reason to close up shop early."

"What exactly was that?"

"My best guess would be your dad's so-called "Skills" causing a massive car crash."

"...Get the closed sign, I'll get moving."

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About an hour later, on Mount Paozu…

17 let out a sigh as he finished explaining the situation to Raditz "The less I tell you about what happened in the aftermath, the better."

"Sounds like a good time to not be there." Raditz cringed at the thought "So did Kakarot end up getting arrested?"

"Thankfully no, they just let him off with a warning, mostly on account of him being able to break their strongest handcuffs like they were made of wet paper, but whatever. So the short version is, Gohan's making a delivery, the shop is closed for the rest of today, and apparently the mother of the little sociopath is coming back down here to enter some tournament."

"The World Martial Arts Tournament, yeah Kakarot did mention something like that to me a few times. I might get in on that too, see how it is and go from there."

"I do look forward to going up against you at some point, so I say do it."

"I have to admit, the thought of actually going up against you and that little bastard does get my blood pumping, but the question will a certain someone approve?"

"Keep your eye on the birdie!" this was when a small blue-colored Ki blast hit Raditz square in the back, courtesy of a little girl with black hair in a ponytail, piercing blue eyes and a brown tail sprouting from her back "How was that daddy?"

"You're definitely getting better Ranch, that one stung." Raditz knelt down before his 5 year old daughter and ruffled her hair, causing her to giggle.

"I say enter it anyway." 17 told him "Even if you do get your ass kicked, you'll still end up with some cash in your pocket."

"Define cash in this case." this was when 18 made her way out of the building, arms crossed and eyes still somewhat cold as ever "As in, how much prize money are they offering?"

"Based on what Gohan's told me until now, the grand prize is a solid 10 million, second place is 5 million, third place is 3 million and so on."

"And just like that I've heard all I need to hear. Raditz you're entering this tournament, I don't want any protests from you, and of course I'm entering too."

"Yeah, momma and daddy kicking butts!" Ranch cheered, earning a few odd looks aimed in her direction.

"See you heard what she's saying, we're winning this, plain and simple."

"You know you didn't have to try and coerce me into fighting." Raditz pointed out dryly "I was still going to do it anyway."

"Sure you were, and I'm Mary Poppins."

"Who?"

"Nevermind. So who else is entering this tournament?"

"Well I know Goku is going to for sure." 17 told her "Kai is still spreading the word himself, so at least a few others will at least try to participate. I for one just hope to go up against that little bastard and rip him a new one."

"You're not very fond of him are you?" Raditz noted dryly.

"Hey, being snarky and punching people out is how he connects with people, so why can't it work with me?"

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Meanwhile, with a certain Son…

'Okay, the further I get away from the restaurant, the less likely I'm going to be considered an accomplice.' Gohan made his way to the address on the bag and rang the door bell, but it was only after he did so that he noticed something 'Wait a second, isn't this… Oh crapbaskets, what did I get myself into?'

The door promptly opened to reveal a tall man with short blonde hair, familiar blue eyes and a suit and tie "Is this my order from Uncle Jesse's?"

"Yes sir, right here as requested." he handed him the bag.

"Thank you." the man studied Gohan intently for a moment "Son Gohan I presume?"

"Um… yes sir, how did you know?"

"My daughter speaks of you a great deal, and I can tell that you match that description of hers to a T." he held out his hand "Michael Pencil, nice to meet you."

"You as well sir. Wait a moment, as in Professor Michael Pencil, the Quantum Physics professor at West City University?"

"You've heard of me?"

"I follow your lectures almost every week."

"I see, so a fan. I should be honored, but truth be told I see this as an opportunity to meet the young man that my daughter appears to have taken such an interest in. A good thing too, after all I never approved of some of the young men from her school, like that Sharpner. Tell me, how do you feel about people like him?"

"In all honesty sir, I never really gave it that much thought. When I'm at school, I mostly like to focus on my studies."

"Fair enough. And you have a job, I like that. Tell me something, what time do you get off work?"

"Well considering what's going on down there… right now."

"Good. Do you have any dinner plans?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary for me."

"You do now. Come on in."

"Um… okay then. I just have to make a call, my mom can be pretty strict and she'll have my head if I show up late without a good excuse."

"Fair enough."

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Meanwhile, up on the Lookout…

Piccolo raised an eyebrow at what he was hearing from Kai "Is that right? I have to admit, that does sound rather interesting."

"I figured at the very least, you would want to participate." Kai noted "So what do you say Big Green, you in?"

"I'm in alright, but never call me that again."

"Okay."

"Really?"

"No. So what about you Little Green, I'm guessing you're going to be abstaining."

"You're right about that." Dende told him "I'm not really a warrior in any sense of the word, so all things considered I'm really out of my element in that regard."

"Fair enough."

"I have to ask though." Piccolo got his attention "That girl you've been training with, is she your student?"

"What you mean Videl? Yeah I guess you could say that. She's got spunk, she's got a metric fuckton of determination, and thanks to yours truly, she understand that a martial artist never settles."

"I see." Piccolo gave a small smile "I've watched you over the years Kai, and I've watched you grow not just as a man, but now as a teacher as well. I'm proud of you."

"I do what I can. Anyway Yamcha's telling the cueball and the Triclops about the tournament, but in the meantime I think I have one other person in mind who would be pretty interested about the tournament."

"Who do you have in mind?"

"You'll see soon enough."

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Meanwhile, with the student in question…

By this point, Videl was walking with Erasa through the streets of Satan City "I don't know what happened exactly, but somehow Kai talked Gohan into entering the tournament, but he refuses to tell me how."

"Well then I think the tournament is as good as won for him." Erasa told her nonchalantly, which earned a raised eyebrow.

"I thought you were on my side."

"I thought I didn't have to pick sides, but Gohan is a tough guy. Still though, he's lot better than some of the other guys around here." her cheeks started turning pink "I mean he really is a great guy, plus he's got his whole future mapped out, or at least a rough idea of it. I mean he's got the IQ of a mega genius, he's on the path to what I think is going to be a career in teaching, and he's also-"

"Inside your house." Videl pointed through a window, where Gohan was sitting on a sofa inside and talking with Michael.

"...Oh dad you didn't."

"You think he's giving him the dad talk?"

"I'm praying not, the last time that happened one guy ended up in a coma, and the other guy… I don't think they even found his body."

"...You'd better get in there."

"Way ahead of you." and so she bolted inside.

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Meanwhile, inside…

As it turns out, the conversation that Gohan had going with Michael as actually rather pleasant, as in they were going over something rather complicated "So in an isolated system, particles are able to co-exist in a stable phase relationship."

"And if the system is interfered with then that stability turns into chaos." Michael finished that statement for him "Such a thing is unpredictable and dangerous, but at the same time it can also be beautiful."

"And so isolated completely, a quantum system would be able to revert back to separate states of matter, each of them being tangled with a distinct state of its environment."

"So in other words, the object in question would be both in and out of phase-"

"-with multiple parallel realities."

"You really know your stuff don't you?"

"I've done a lot of studying over the years."

"So I can see, I have to admit I'm impressed."

"Dad don't hurt him, we can't afford another guy in a coma because of your method of trying to protect me!" this was when Erasa suddenly bolted into the room so fast that she was practically gasping for air, only to stop when she noticed that there was literally nothing happening worth noting.

"Hey sweetie, welcome home."

"I feel like I just entered an alternate universe, you're actually spending time with a guy from my school and not trying to maim him in some way."

"Nice to see you too." he glanced over at Gohan "You're quite the sharp from what I can tell, and he seems nice enough. Besides, if I told my daughet no then I'm fairly certain that she would be out for my blood. But in all seriousness, treat her right or I will be coming for you. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir." Gohan gave a simple nod.

"Good. Well I have some work to do, so I'll leave the two of you to your business, but keep it nice and low key." and so he made his way out of the room.

"Well… that was less intense than I was expecting, but all things considered your dad seems really cool."

"I shouldn't be surprised you're the one guy he actually likes." Erasa let out a sigh "I guess I never mentioned that he was an advances physics professor. I guess it just slipped my mind."

"Like how I never mentioned that Kai is a certified sociopath."

"So we've both got some skeletons in the closet. So you're gonna compete in the tournament in a few weeks?"

"That's the plan, at least for now. The real problem is that I'm going to have to skip school in order to train for it properly. My dad will be thrilled about that, but the real problem is getting my mom to give me permission to enter in the first place. I love my mom, but she can be pretty strict."

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Later, at the Son home, during the event that Gohan was dreading…

Chichi shot a skeptical look in Gohan's direction "So what exactly is so important that you needed me to come out here in order to ask me, and what exactly are you doing?"

"Oh you mean this?" Gohan stopped gathering a massive pile of boulders in front of him "This is just my way of trying to protect myself from the potential backlash of what I'm about to ask you about."

"You want to ask her if you can her if you can enter the World Martial Arts Tournament and see if you can beat your old man?" Goku offered with his classic Son grin "Hey come on Chichi, I say we let him do it."

"Dad please, I've got this one." Gohan stepped out from his self made barrier "For the record, between me and dad I think we can take home 5 million Zeni at least, so then-"

"Of course you're going to enter the tournament!" Chichi immediately barked at him with surprising levels of enthusiasm "Forget about 5 million, between the two of you I say you can easily get 15 million Zeni out of this!"

"...As much as I appreciate the enthusiasm mom, I don't really know if it's going to be a sure thing that we're going to win."

"Watch your mouth young man, we didn't raise you to be a quitter Son Gohan!"

"Okay, but for the record I'm going to have to take some time off from school if I want to be in the best condition possible for this."

"Fine I say go ahead, drop out or do whatever it is you have to, you can make it up later for that kind of money! Wow, what are the odds huh? Just as the money from my father starts to run out, to think a windfall like this drops straight into our laps!"

"We still have dad and Uncle Raditz at that sandwich shop don't we?"

"And your dad caused a huge traffic accident today."

"...Prize money it is." Gohan glanced up at the moon shining brightly above them, and his thoughts began drifting 'Maybe Kai was right after all, if this tournament is a reason to get everyone training then that works out for all of us. The more we train now, the better prepared we're going to be when the time comes to deal with this Majin Buu creature.'

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Meanwhile, with a certain Arcosian…

Cooler raised an eyebrow at what he was hearing through a communicator "So the reason you contacted me is for the sake of a martial arts tournament behind held on your planet?"

"That's about the sum of it."

"And the reason you contacted me was because?"

"The simplest way to describe it is that I want you here so I can test myself against you, my Spirit Ken against your final form."

"I should have anticipated as much. And there will be numerous powerful warriors gathered at this tournament?"

"We're all gonna be there, so you tell me."

"I see. If all of your comrades intend to participate in this tournament, or at least be present, then I will attend as well. When is this tournament?"

"A solid month from now, a full 30 days. Don't even think about slacking and don't give any bullshit excuses, I want to see you there at your absolute best."

"And believe me Kai Sapien, you shall." on that note, Cooler severed the communication link with Kai, then promptly put on a Scouter "Salza, Zangya, please report to me immediately for an urgent matter."

Sure enough, within seconds, Zangya and Salza appeared before him "You called?"

"I received a message from one of our comrades on Earth regarding a certain event taking place."

"So then…?"

"I'm not finished. I also received a message from the Supreme Kai, in which he states that he has been coming closer to Earth with each day that passes."

"Will these events correspond with each other?" asked Salza.

"Consdiering the amount of powerful warriors with massive energy reserves that are going to be gathering, it is more than likely. I'll have to train hard for when that day comes, and I'll need your help if I'm to be prepared properly. Can I count on the two of you?"

"Of course my lord."

"And Zangya?"

"I may as well." Zangya stepped forward and looked Cooler in the eye, then promptly grabbed him by the shoulders "And I know just how to start." that was enough for Salza to find a convenient excuse to get the hell out of there.

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Another day came, and training was continuing in full swing for all of those present, though for some it proved to be pretty serious.

Goku stood on the highest point of of Mount Paozu, calming and collecting himself while the air was still 'Remember, harness your rage and keep it under control, focus it.' and then with a primal roar, he flashed into Super Saiyan, then went straight to the next level, that being Super Saiyan 2 'There's another level of power beyond this. It's down there somewhere, I can feel it even now. I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about the tournament, so I have to make sure I'm ready. Rage can only take you so far in battle, and all of the power in the world doesn't mean anything if you can't harness it properly.'

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The rain was pouring down over the skies above in a certain wasteland.

Videl charged towards Kai at full speed, her milky white aura flaring higher and higher with each and every second that passed 'Dammit, I can't even see his attacks before they hit me, but that doesn't mean I'm just gonna lie down and die like some kind of animal!'

"Don't let your guard down, you can't even see my attacks coming so you sure as hell won't be able to do any serious damage!" Kai didn't miss a beat as he dodged, blocked and weaved his way around every punch and kick being thrown at him, and eventually he kicked Videl's legs out from under her, which successfully threw her off balance.

Videl used her lack of footing to her advantage and tried to deal Kai a kick to the face, only to be hit with a shockwave that sent her flying.

"So that's where you're at right now in terms of skill, a metric fuckton beyond that naive spoiled brat I first met."

"I'm not the same person I was back then."

"I can see that. You know I spoke to Piccolo a few days ago, back when I told him about the tournament."

"The green guy that trained you and Gohan, and what exactly did he say?"

"About what I was expecting from him at some point, he wanted to get details on how you started out, how you've progressed since then, where you're at right now. He's taking his time right now with his own training, the same going for pretty much everyone else."

"And what did he say when he got what he wanted to know?"

"He said it sounded like you've been handling yourself pretty well up until now, but at the same time he confirmed what I had suspected: You've still got a long way to go, and a lot of potential that you have to unleash before you're ready for the big time. The first thing I did after that was head to Korin and get some Senzu Beans for us to use while I push you to the next level over the next few weeks." he threw the bag in question to the side "You should be glad that I got these, because from here on out I'm gonna be kicking things up a few notches."

"I wouldn't expect anything less. I'm more than ready for you Kai, if I'm going to go to the top in this tournament then I need to get stronger than I've ever even dreamed of being!" so on that note, Videl flared her white aura once more, and with a roar she burst forward, launching a rapid barrage of punches and kicks.

Kai dodged and weaved his way aroun Videl's attacks, taking only a single scratch across his cheek as he did so, but eventually he discovered an opening and slugged her clear in the gut, the force sending her tumbling backwards "You're not the only one who's aiming to get ready for what's coming next."

"Yeah well… here's what I say to that…" Videl staggered back to her feet and promptly spat out some blood "Is that all you've got?"

"You're eager and spunky, I'm gonna have to beat that out of you soon enough, even if it is kind of hot."

"What?"

"What?"

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Training was continuing on Mount Paozu.

Goku was meditating at the highest point on the mountain, only to stop and look back when he noticed something "I thought you were out training by yourself or with Kai, I didn't think you'd come and approach me like this Tien."

Sure enough, Tien stood before him, clad in his new dark blue shirt and white cape, as well as white pants and black boots, and his eyes blazing with resolve and determination and his body radiating that milky white aura "I think we both knew this was going to come Goku, the time has come for you and me to face off with each other."

"You know, seeing you now I think I realize just how much you've grown in the last few years, both as a warrior and in general. You didn't go into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber without me or anyone else did you?"

"I thought about it, but I decided it would best be saved for when I really need it. I've been training with Krillin and Yamcha for the past week or so, but right now I think what I need to do the most is test my power for real, against someone that I've long strived after. You and me, one on one, nobody else getting involved in it."

"Alright then, let's get to it." Goku pulled himself back to his feet, spiking his own milky white aura as he did so, and then he flashed into Super Saiyan "You'd better get serious now Tien, if we're going to do this then I don't plan on holding back against you."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you." Tien's own white aura flared even higher as he flashed into his Spirit Ken, and then he flared it even higher, the force of his power shattering the ground beneath him.

'His mastery over this Spirit Ken technique is a lot better than I thought it would be, I guess training with the others as much as he does is really paying off. I'm gonna have to go all out against him in this fight, not that I wouldn't, especially not if he needs me to. I doubt he would like it if I held back against him, so I might as well oblige him. So this is it Tien, is this how far you can push yourself, at least in regards to this Spirit Ken technique?"

"That's one way of looking at it yeah, I've had almost five years to hone this technique, but I can still feel just how far I have to go. I learned a long time ago from someone I hold in very high regard that there's a difference between those who aim for the top and those who settle, and I can't settle for being better when I could be the best."

"This tournament gives us the perfect opportunity to see just how far everyone has come since the battle with Cell, but even since then there's no guarantee that what we've been putting ourselves through is going to be enough the next time the Earth is in danger. I have to admit, as much as the thought gets my blood pumping, part of me is a little bit nervous, but I still feel calm knowing that my friends are by my side, and that you all have the drive to get stronger right alongside me!" and so Goku charged forward, meeting Tien in an explosive collision and dealing him a solid elbow to the face.

Tien dodged the next attack and began firing off a furious barrage of punches and kicks at full speed, resulting in the two of them trading even blows until their fists collided in a blinding flash, but then they broke away "Tri Beam!" and so he fired forward a Tri Beam.

Goku quickly blitzed out of the path of the Tri Beam and fired a barrage of Ki blasts at full speed and power.

Tien wasted no time or effort as he dodged, blocked and deflected every Ki blast being hurled at him with ease "Don't think that's all it's going to take for you to defeat me!"

"That's the last thing I would expect from you!" Goku blitzed behind Tien and dealt him a sharp kick to the face, the force sending him crashing to the ground in a nearby plateau, and then he prepared to follow up with a quick Kamehameha blast.

"Dodon Cannon!" Tien rebounded just in time to fire a golden-colored Ki wave from one hand, which proved to be enough to overpower Goku's Kamehameha as a result.

Goku blitzed out of the path of the blast, blitzed down towards Tien and promptly aimed a kick at his chest while he was still stuck in the position of firing the Dodon Cannon.

"Four Witches!" despite being preoccupied by his blast, Tien sprouted an extra set of arms from his back, which allowed him to deal Goku a second Dodon Cannon, this one to the gut, the force proving to be enough to send him tumbling backwards a great distance.

Goku rebounded after a few seconds as the two of them both took to the skies, their auras blending together in the form of a double helix that lit up the skies for miles around.

Tien took the opportunity to deal Goku a furious barrage of attacks, dealing him a series of repeated knees to the spine "I don't want you holding out on me in this fight!" the two of them started repeatedly punching each other in the face and torso, which ended with the two of them grappling with each other in a fierce power struggle "I told you that I didn't want you to hold out on me Goku, I want you to take this seriously!" he grabbed Goku by the arm and hurled her even higher into the air, and he charged in to finish it as he flared his Spirit Ken aura "I know that you're still holding back against me, I told you that I wanted to to come at me with everything you've got!"

"You want me to give you everything Tien? Well fine, but don't forget that you're the one who asked for this!" with a mighty roar, Goku's Super Saiyan aura ascended to the next level, Super Saiyan 2.

"I said to give me everything, because that's what I'm giving you!" Tien promptly crossed his arms and spiked his Ki.

"And everything is exactly what you're going to get!" Goku charged downwards towards Tien at full speed, resulting in a blinding clash as he slugged Tien full force in the gut.

Tien coughed up some blood, but then he shot Goku an uncharacteristic smirk as he motioned behind him.

'What the- Oh crapbaskets.'

As it turns out, a second Tien blitzed between the two of them with his hands in a very familiar position "Fuck power levels, fuck Super Saiyans, and FUCK YOU! TRI BEAM!" he fired forward a full power Tri Beam, which proved to be powerful enough to send Goku tumbling backwards across the battlefield.

Goku pulled himself back to his feet and spat out some blood himself, though now he was forced to revert back to Super Saiyan "To think that was powerful enough to blast me clear out of Super Saiyan 2… You really have gotten a lot stronger since the fight with Cell."

"That Tri Beam was packed with as much power as all of the ones I used against Cell, but combined into a single blast. Combine that with the fact that I perfected my Multi Form so it doesn't divide my power level, and as arrogant as this may sound, I may very well be able to match a Super Saiyan."

"Looks like you managed to pull that off even better than I was expecting, you really are something else you know." Goku spiked his golden Super Saiyan aura "Now come on Tien, I say it's time for us to finish this!"

"Believe me Goku, I intend to!" pushing his Spirit Ken to the absolute limit, Tien charged forward towards Goku as he pushed his speed to the max, resulting in a blinding clash that lit up the skies across the mountain, as well as shaking the mountain itself to its core. When everything had subsided after a few moments, Tien had lost his Spirit Ken and Goku had lost his Super Saiyan form, and as such, both of them tried to press forward, but only ended up falling to the ground in two simultaneous heaps.

Goku was the first one to lift his head and met Tien's gaze, and the two of them promptly shot each other a smirk "Let's call this one a tie for now… But we'll keep pushing each other, and we'll keep growing stronger, like any true martial artist does."

"A tie, huh… I can live with that… This time at least… Can you get up?"

"No… you?"

"No…"

"...We might have a problem."

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The rain was pouring down from the skies above.

Videl was sent crashing to the ground in a heap, but she didn't waste a second as she pulled herself back to her feet and readied herself for her next attack "I'm not done yet… not by a long shot… I have to get stronger… I have to get so much stronger… I'm gonna be the best… I will stand… I will fight… I will win…"

Kai studied the look in Videl's eyes intently for a moment, but then he just facepalmed himself rather hard "And that right there is another one of your many issues presenting itself. The fact is that you're just psyching yourself up and making yourself far too eager for your own good."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that if you just tell yourself that you have to win then you can't call it training, there's no point to it. You have to be willing to face the reality of your situation and do whatever work is necessary, and if you can't tap into the true power that lies within then all of the motivation in this world or any other won'd be enough for you to meet your goal." that left Videl frozen to her very core "I know as well as anyone that having a goal to strive for can make you stronger, but the problem is that when your emotions get in the way of reasoning and cloud your judgement, they can turn into more of a hindrance than a help. You want your emotions to complement your strength rather than just compensate for it. If you're too desperate to win and if your desires make you afraid, then you won't be able to assess the situation from a logical standpoint, and that in turn will cause you to misjudge the abilities of your opponent, and that's going to result in you losing."

"So then… that's what I've been doing wrong… Dammit… How the hell could I have let myself be so blind?!" with a furious roar, Videl spiked her aura and shattered the ground beneath her as a result.

"If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that there's no such thing as a fight that you can't lose, and I've learned that the hard way, god only knows how many times. Anyway, it might have taken me a long time but I've come to terms with that fact and accepted it, and now you have to do the same. Then and only then will you be able to come out on top."

"Kai… Yeah, I think I get it now."

"You've got what it takes, I have faith that you'll overcome these obstacles and end up as part of the big leagues. I believe in you, and you have to believe in yourself."

"And I promise on that faith you put in me, I won't let you down."

"I know you won't." Kai glanced over in a certain direction "That's enough for today, I've gotta go check on something. You good to fly your way home?"

"I'll be fine."

"Good enough for me." and so he blasted off, the bag of Senzu Beans still in hand.

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About an hour later, up on Mount Paozu…

Goku and Tien pulled themselves back to their feet as they finished consuming the Senzu Beans being given to them by Kai "Thanks for that Kai, if you hadn't come along when you did then who knows how long we would've been stuck like that."

"You would've been up in about an hour at the most." Kai pointed out dryly "Your modesty thing can get old after awhile. Truth be told it was just dumb luck on your part that I found you two jackasses up here."

"Then why did you come here at all?" asked Tien.

"To make sure that Gohan doesn't either end up dying alone, and/or me ending up having to be his life partner."

"...Come again?"

"He texted me and said that he met his future girlfriend's dad, who also turned out to be one of the idiot brothers' best customers and a quantum physics professor that he idolizes. The guy knows his stuff too. Anyway now Gohan's bringin the girl home to meet parents of the year one and two, and I'm here to make sure no one fucks it up beyond recognition."

"So… you're saying that you think Chichi will-" Goku was promptly cut off.

"Look me in the eye and tell me I'm wrong."

"...You're not."

"And there you go."

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Meanwhile, with the love birds in question…

"Alright here we are, home sweet home." Gohan slowly dropped down to the ground on the grounds of Mount Paozu and let Erasa down from where she was being carried by him on his back, though he noticed that she seemed nervous "You okay? What's the mater?"

"Are you sure this is alright?" asked Erasa "I mean you said yourself that your mom is about as open to these kinds of things as Kai is conservative."

"That's an understatement. But they're going to love having you around, just give them a little bit of time and you'll see. Hey mom, I'm home!"

"Hi honey, I was wondering when you were going to-" Chichi poked her head out the door, only to stop when she noticed Erasa standing there "So… who's your friend?"

"Oh this? This is Erasa, a friend from school. Her dad is one of our best customers, I met him a few days ago, and I figured it was only fair that she meet you guys now, so please don't get mad or anything like-" he was cut off by a hand covering his mouth.

"Gohan do I look that unreasonable to you? And for the record, my covering your mouth makes that a rhetorical question. Frankly, the fact that you have a friend your own age that isn't a sadist is a massive relief to me."

"Uh… okay then. I wasn't expecting that."

"I don't think any of us were." this was when Kai landed on the ground out of nowhere and grabbed onto Gohan by the back of his gi "Go ahead and do chick stuff, blonde Botan feel free to get acquainted with the insanity that comes with these people, and in the meantime Gohan and I have some business to attend to." and so the two of them suddenly blitzed away.

Erasa could only stare blankly at the spot where Gohan had once stood "So… does that sort of thing happen a lot?

"Only when Kai is around, which is pretty much all the time." Chichi let out a sigh, then promptly gripped Erasa by the shoulders "Anyway you said your name was Erasa right? Come on in, let's talk woman to woman."

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Meanwhile, with the two heroes of this story…

Gohan released himself from Kai's grip and let out a sigh "Did you really have to drag me out of there like that?"

"You say that like I wasn't saving your ass from what was probably the most awkward situation of your life." Kai pointed out dryly.

"That's irrelevant!"

"No it's not."

"...Fine, let's just drop it. I know why you dragged me off in the first place."

"I talked to Cooler last week, he said that he agreed to take part in the tournament, but only after he heard how many of us are gonna be there."

"You think this Babidi character is going to make his move during the tournament?"

"It only makes sense, that many people that call themselves warriors, and the the real deal in the form of us."

"You think he'll try to steal their energy?"

"I wouldn't be surprised, it's a prime opportunity, and we need to make sure that we're ready for it when the big day comes."

"I still think we should tell the others about it."

"We will when the time comes, but if we tell them without knowing for certain about it happening and it turns out it doesn't, we'll lose any credibility we've got."

"I know the Supreme Kai wants us to stick with secrecy until he's ready to reveal himself, but he has to know that him being "covert" won't mean much if we're caught unprepared."

"Yeah well some higher ups have a habit of being idiots, even in the face of facts just throwing themselves in their faces."

"So what then, we just let it play out?"

"I don't see what other choice we have. All we can do is make sure that everyone is training as hard as we can, although chances are that Piccolo already knows. He is part god now."

"That would not surprise me in the slightest. Well speaking of being prepared, we might as well do some of that while we're out here. You think we have enough time for a quick spar before my mom calls us back?"

"I think there's only one way to find out. Namek-Ken 5x!" Kai activated his Namek-Ken and boosted it to the fifth level "Let's get this shit underway." and so he promptly blitzed out of view.

'He's as fast as ever.' Gohan managed to block the first attack, which quickly resulted in the two of them trading even blows, sending shockwaves across the entire clearing, before the two of them broke away from each other "You're as good as ever."

"You shouldn't sound surprised by that."

"That's not it, what surprises me is the fact that you're holding back against me."

"Even less reason to be surprised then, you're holding back just as much as I am. I say we get this shit underway, for real this time. Namek-Ken 30x!" Kai pushed his Namek-Ken to an even higher extent, his green aura towering high above him.

"Fine by me!" Gohan flashed into Super Saiyan and aimed a kick at Kai's head.

Kai blocked the kick and hit Gohan square in the chest with a palm thrust, sending him skidding backwards, then fired off a Masenko.

Gohan flared his Super Saiyan aura and dissipated the smoke that resulted "I'm not done yet, let's settle this! Ka… Me… Ha… Me...HA!" he fired a Super Saiyan powered Kamehameha.

"Ka… Me… Ha… Me… HA!" Kai countered with his own Kamehameha, the two blasts colliding and engulfing the clearing surrounding them in an explosion, scorching several of the surrounding trees in the process.

With the end of the beam struggle, Gohan powered back down to his base form "I've gotta hand it to you Kai, being able to keep up with me is pretty impressive."

"Like I say, limitations are nothing more than a state of mind. How long did that take?"

"Probably about 10 minutes at the most."

"That figures. Anyway let's head back, with any luck lunch is ready and hopefully we can get there before my mom gives Erasa any major mental scars."

"Hey, that's my shtick."

"Oh believe me, I know."

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About an hour passed, and lunchtime had come.

It was during this time that Chichi continued her lighthearted interrogation of Erasa "So tell me something dear, how long have you been spending time with my son here?"

"I think it's been about two or three months now." Erasa shot a bright smile in Gohan's direction as he was chowing down on some rice "I invited him to sit with me on his first day, but looking back he was probably sitting there mostly because of Kai."

"That honestly wouldn't surprise me, but don't think too much about it. And how did the two of you start spending time together?"

"He chased off a guy who didn't know how to take no for an answer, it turns out my dad is one of the best customers of that sandwich shop in West City, which just so happens to be owned by a certain someone's dad and uncle. He was pretty shy at at first, but he's gotten a lot more open and he's told me a lot about himself. It's really a pretty big honor in my eyes."

"That's good to hear, very good. I'm glad to hear that Gohan has a nice young woman with a good head on her shoulders in his life."

"Oh, well…" she started blushing "I appreciate that, thanks."

"No need, just being honest." with that in mind, she turned to Gohan "So then tell me something else Gohan, you've quite the catch here, so when do you plan to marry this poor girl?"

That proved to be enough to make Gohan do a spit take and for it to land right in Goku's face, which didn't even make him look up from his food "What the- Why do you- I don't-"

"Convienent distraction." Kai held up a gigantic score card "8/10."

"But I don't- That's not- I didn't-"

"So Gohan and Erasa are getting married?" Goku finally looked up "Erasa is going to be our daughter then? Hey Chichi, does that mean that you and I have to do that thing again where we have to-"

"WE ARE NOT GETTING MARRIED YOU GUYS, STOP SAYING THAT!"

"Whatever you need to tell yourself." Kai told him dryly, earning a scream of frustration that sounded far more comical than you should.

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Meanwhile, in Other World…

King Kai watched from his place on the Grand Kai's planet as Scarlet was training hard while using a series of weights on her arms and legs 'She's a natural, to think she picks things up even faster than Goku did!'

"Looks to me like the pretty little lady up there is working up quite a sweat."

King Kai glanced back to see a certain pink skinned figure approach him "Well talk about getting an unexpected guest, it's been awhile hasn't it South Kai?"

"They say that this Scarlet woman is one of the most capable fighters in all of the North Galaxy, or at least she would be if she were still alive. So tell me something North Kai, how heavy are those weights that you've got clamped onto his aerms and legs."

"What, you mean those? They're nothing to write home about, just a simple 2 tons a piece."

"...You said 2 tons a piece?"

"I said 2 tons a piece. What's the matter South Kai, you didn't think they would be that heavy now did you?"

"Well… and here I thought they would be heavier than that. 8 tons is actually pretty simple when you think about it, and I think Papoi's hat weighs more than that. He's the greatest hero in the last 2,000 years in my neck of the woods down in the South Galaxy. He's quite fine, and in comparison to him your guy might as well be a 90-pound weakling."

"Oh really? Well it turns out there's a martial arts tournament coming up soon on a little planet called Earth, and Scarlet has been given special permission to head back down there for a day and compete, so why don't you put your money where your mouth is and let Papoi compete in it too?"

"Oh you bet I will. He's gonna enter that contest, you don't need to worry about that, and he's going to win the entire ball of wax, I guarantee it!"

"Okay then. Hey Scarlet, do you want me to make those weights a little bit more of a challenge for you?"

"Hm?" Scarlet paused in the middle of a kata and glanced down at King Kai "If you think that's for the best then I don't mind, but how much heavier were we talking exactly?"

"I was thinking along the lines of a nice and round number, about 10 tons in total for each one, which should bring it to about 40 in total."

"Uh huh. No disrespect King Kai, but isn't that pushing it a little bit? Even if I'm dead, keep in mind that I can only take so much."

At this, South Kai promptly burst out laughing "You said it quite well little lady, there isn't a single person living or dead who can handle that kind of weight. And you North Kai, was that your idea of a joke?"

"Well truth be told, it's more of a matter of whether or not I can use the Kaioken while I have these things on. I mean as long as I use Kaioken, 10 tons each will be simple. So what's the verdict then King Kai?" she received a thumbs up "Okay then, let a rip."

"Uh…"

"You heard the lady South Kai, let a rip." King Kai told him "Go ahead and do the honors of changing his weights to 10 tons a piece."

"But that's 40 tons in total, if you're bluffing little lady then you'd better say something now, because I'm really going to do it! I'm not kidding."

"I'm not either." Scarlet told him.

"Uh… 40 tons missy, do the math!"

"Seriously, just do it already."

"Alright fine, but if you do the math then it's not my fault, you got me? 40 tons!" with a wave of his hands, South Kai changed the 2 ton weights that Scarlet was wearing to 10 tons, bringing it to a total of 40 tons, which resulted in her slowly sinking towards the ground "Now what do you say to that?"

"I say… Kaioken!" Scarlet's crimson aura flashed into life, and she started going through her katas with breathtaking ease, which left South Kai and Papoi dumbstruck and slack jawed at the sight.

"Uh…"

"So yeah, that martial arts tournament that I mentioned earlier is going to be starting up in 28 Earth days from now." King Kai told him smugly "As strong as he is, I'm sure that Papoi is eager to enter."

"...Actually you know what, I think we're gonna have to pass on that one. Papoi feels that those kinds of tournaments are a real yawn. It's not like we're going to be missing out on anything overly important right?" and so the two of them left.

"Nice try you smoug son of a bitch."

"He's not the only one you know." Scarlet pointed out dryly.

"Maybe, but I still one."

"I rest my case."

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Another day came, and things were getting surprisingly hectic with the Son family, or perhaps I should say, the other Son family.

Meanwhile, with the other Son family…

"Don't let your guard down you goddamn porcupine!" 18 was practically pouncing at Raditz and attacking him with every once of her strength and speed.

"Oh for fuck's sake!" Raditz found himself dodging and blocknig her attacks with ease, though he was growing rather irritated "When I said I wanted to get in an "early morning workout" with you, this is not what I meant!"

"I know damn well what you meant, and if you want to have any chance of getting that out of me then you'll have to earn it!"

"Oh come on, you know how fired up that gets me!"

"I don't need any excuses from you!"

What they didn't notice was that Goku was watching them from near their house, though he looked pretty confused "You know, when Raditz said he was gonna be getting in an early morning workout with 18, I thought he meant something entirely different. Maybe I've been spending too much time around Kai, he must be rubbing off on me and the rest of us."

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Meanwhile, on the Lookout…

Dende watched in awe as Piccolo continued with his meditation, his mind drifting 'He's been at it for almost 48 hours now, and the amount of energy I'm sensing from him is truly amazing. It's like the longer he meditates, the more powerful he becomes. This has to be thanks to everyone else entering the World Martial Arts Tournament.'

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Meanwhile, with another Saiyan and half-Saiyan…

Things were quiet on Mount Paozu early in the morning.

Tarble was in the middle of stretching, with a certain half-Saiyan accompanying him "Alright then, I think I should start by turning Super Saiyan." so on that note, he promptly flashed into Super Saiyan "Okay then, so are you ready to help me train Goten?"

"Yeah!" Goten pumped a fist with the classic Son grin plastered across his face.

'He reminds me so much of sensei, he has the same face and hair, and even all of that energy and cheerful optimism.' Tarble couldn't help but smile slightly 'To think it's been more than ten years since sense rescued me after I lost everything to Turles and his men. I thought that I had no reason left to live anymore, but he took me in, trained me, gave me a family and a home, and he made me who I am. Training his son is the least I can do to repay his kindness.'

"Something wrong Uncle Tarble?" Goten's innocent question quickly snapped Tarble out of his thoughts "Sorry Goten, it's nothing. So are you ready to get started? We both want to become stronger don't we?"

"Yeah!"

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Hours passed, and the day progressed onwards.

By this point, Videl and Kai had taken a breather from training, and were now enjoying a nice lunch break "You know I really do have to thank you Kai, I feel like training with you is exactly what I needed."

"Don't think I'm letting you get soft on me." Kai told her flatly "As far as I'm concerned, your training has only just begun, along with mine for that matter."

"Wait what?"

"Listen to me Videl, I know for a fact that what you've tapped into up until now is only a mere fraction of the power that you have the potential to reach. We've been able to break through one wall up until now, and now I want to find the rest. You can't tell me that you're not curious, that you don't want to know how strong you can truly become. You can't just settle for being better when you could be the best there is. We've only been at it for about two weeks, we still have half that time left before the day of the tournament comes. I say we take that time and put it to good use, you want to be stronger than you've ever been don't you?"

"...Stronger than I've ever been? I have to admit that offer does sound pretty enticing. Alright then, I'm in Kai. I say let's do it."

"Perfect, but before we do, I'm gonna call in a favor from a certain someone. Hang on a minute, I'm gonna go make a call." and so he left.

"...Did he just use that as an excuse to stick me with the bill?"

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About an hour went by.

Kai and Videl touched down in a large abandoned desert "He's not usually one to bring up a ton of dramatic flare, but he knows how to make his presence known."

"Should I be concerned about this guy?" asked Videl.

"Just don't get on his bad side, not that I've actually seen it. The point is, just don't do anything that would piss him off."

It was at this moment that Cooler suddenly materialized in front of Kai via Instant Transmission, with a certain Namekian figure appearing along with him "I see that you've indeed been taking your training quite seriously Kai Sapien."

"The same could be said for you, but let's skip the pleasantries and formalities and all of that bullshit. You know why I called you and Forte and had you come here."

"I anticipated it was because you were in need of his talents."

"Not me specifically, I think I'll be fine for the time being, but I do know someone who would benefit from what he's got to offer." he jerked a thumb at Videl, who was trying to keep herself composed.

"I take it this young woman is the protegee you mentioned?"

"That's the short version, but yeah."

"I see then. Forte, your talents are required."

"Understood my lord." Forte promptly stepped forward and removed his hood, revealing his Namekian features "Now then, before we proceed, if you have any questions for me then feel free to ask them."

"I do have one." Videl slowly stepped forward "So how does this work exactly?"

"Just kneel down before me and let me place a hand atop your head. That will allow me to unlock your potential, at least to an extent."

"What do you mean to an extent?"

"Take Kai here for example. He has had his potential awakened twice in his lifetime. It can be done to a person more than once, but once it has been done to a person, they must biologically age five years before it can work again."

"So once you do this, I have to wait five years before you can do it again?"

"Essentially yes."

"Okay then. I'm ready." Videl knelt down before him.

"Such determination in you child, it reminds me of the young man here." Forte placed a hand on top of Videl's head, and a white glow surrounded her body.

Taking a moment to soak it in, Videl slowly got to her feet and spiked her aura "You said that your name was Forte right? Thank you for this, it feels incredible. I can feel the power surging inside of me."

"The fire inside of you burns brightly with passion."

"Someone taught me that if I'm going to be the best then I can't settle for anything less."

"You're welcome." Kai told her dryly "But we're not done yet though, there's one last thing we need to do for you."

"Do you wish for me to do the same for you?"

"Not right now, if it can only be done once every five years then I think I should save it and use it wisely, rather than waste it. In the meantime though, Cooler, Forte, you guys can go now." and so he took off, with Videl quickly following right behind him.

Cooler and Forte watched them depart until they were out of sight "It would seem I was right after all to trust in that boy to be prepared for the inevitable arrival of Majin Buu."

"You say that as if you were unsure of it yourself." Forte noted.

"Part of me did show some concerns in regards to the boy's personality, considering how brash and anger driven he used to be, but it seems my concerns were of no consequence. He's matured greatly over the years, and he's a true asset to these warriors and this world."

"He may very well surpass you in time, if he hasn't already."

"Very true my friend. Now come, we must return to the base. I have training to continue with myself."

"So be it then my lord." and so the two of them vanished from Earth via Cooler's Instant Transmission.

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About another hour went by.

Korin didn't even have to turn around from his place at the ledge of his tower to know exactly who was standing behind him "I figured it was only a matter of time before you came back, and you brought company this time around."

Sure enough, Kai stood behind him, with Videl standing right next to him "I shouldn't be surprised that you knew we were here, so you know why we're here too I take it."

"I do, but unfortunately drinking that stuff only works once for each person, so trying it a second time wouldn't do you any good."

"I figured that much, and frankly I'm not here for me, I'm here for her." he promptly jerked a thumb over in Videl's direction.

"Looks like you have the right idea."

"You're damn right I do. The Ultra Divine Water is packed with mystical properties and magical zing, it will greatly enhance the abilities of the one who drinks it, but first you're going to have to track it down in order to drink it and enjoy its benefits."

"Actually those are the old rules, after you drank it during that whole mess with Cell the others got in on it too, and when Tien drank it, he brought it back so we don't have to waste time going through all of that again, so now I keep it here." he revealed the pot and the teacups involved in the process "Go ahead and drink up."

"...Huh. Well that seems anticlimactic."

"Yeah well, watching the same process happen over and over again gets tiresome after awhile, and given what's about to happen, I don't think we can afford to wait for that."

"So you know then?"

"I see a lot of stuff up here."

"Fair enough. Anyway Videl, you're up. Are you willing to take this risk? Keep in mind that if it doesn't work, you will die."

"...I'll do it." Videl's eyes blazed with determination "I can't afford to settle for the level I'm at right now." she took the cup, poured some of the water for herself, and she downed it in a single go, which almost immediately left her writing in agony on the ground as a result.

"So how long does this usually take?"

"Considering her current level, I'd say we have about an hour before she's through." Korin told him.

"Fair enough. So in the meantime, we've got some talking to do about the whole Majin Buu thing."

"So we do. Come with me then." and so the two of them went into another room, at the same time leaving Videl writing on the ground.

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About an hour passed.

Kai and Korin made their way back into the outer area of the tower, and they found Videl still writing on the ground "I thought you said it would be over by now."

This was when Videl slowly stopped squirming on the ground, and then she promptly pulled herself back to her feet "Did I… Yeah I think I did…"

"Yep, you survived, just like the rest of us."

"It's weird though, I don't feel any stronger. I mean sure I feel a little bit different, but I can' really explain it."

"That's about what I felt when I drank the stuff, it's not going to show itself until you actually put it to the test in a fight."

"I'll take your word for it. But on top of all of that, I feel really at peace too."

"Like I said, you get used to it. Come on, let's get moving. We've got another two weeks until the tournament, and I've got more shit to teach you."

"And I'm more than ready for it now." she let out a sigh and shot him a look filled with blazing determination "Teach me everything you can."

'So that means everything except the Dragon Fist. Alright, I've taught you most of the Ki based attacks I know, but I do have something in mind. It's a technique that I learned from a friend a few years before Cell showed up. It's called the Namek-Ken."

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With each passing moment, the day of the World Martial Arts Tournament continues to loom ever closer, but at the same time, a grave threat is also looming over the horizon, one unlike anything our heroes have ever seen before. Whether they know it or not, their training will be put to the test, and they will be in for the fight of their lives. The big day arrives, next time on Dragon Ball Z: the Next Generation!

A/N:

And with this chapter, we get some more slice of life moments and character interaction, along with some serious training for the big event to come: the World Martial Arts Tournament. Not only are most of the main cast participating, but we'll also be seeing the return of Scarlet to the land of the living, if for only about 24 hours. Of course, not everything is going to be lighthearted and fun, since we've got a looming threat to worry about. Now then, to all of you out there, let me just wish you all a Happy Father's Day.

One thing I think that's worth noting right now is that, putting it as bluntly as I possibly can, Goten and Ranch will not be going Super Saiyan, at least not this early in the story. For as long as I've been a fan of Dragon Ball, one thing that's really bugged me is how people keep saying that the original Super Saiyan form isn't anything special anymore, and to an extent, they're right. Granted most of the complaints I hear are about the back tingling with the Universe 6 Saiyans, but that's an argument for another time.

I'm not very good at coming up with puns for names, which is obviously the trend throughout DBZ, so for Erasa's dad's name, I just decided to go with something normal like Michael. I don't think it will stand out too much, seeing how I'm fairly certain there are at least a few people in the DBZ world with normal names.

Yes, this chapter gave something that I'm sure og Dragon Ball fans have been waiting to see for a very long time: a rematch between Goku and Tien. I was originally going to make it a fight between Goku and Gohan, but I thought that was too obvious, and Tien needs a little bit of love, so I decided to give that spot to him instead.

So yes, Videl has had her potential awakened by Forte, the Namekian in Cooler's forces, as well as drinking the Ultra Divine Water, the two combining to give her a substantial increase in power. To clarify, it allows her to compare to people like the Z fighters, at least on some level. Granted she's still a fair ways behind where they're at right now, but you have to start somewhere. As for Kai getting his potential unlocked by Forte again, that will happen, just not yet.

So like with chapter 18, which featured the three years of training in preparation for the arrival of the Androids. The same reason applies here, that being that I figured it might be too confusing, seeing how this is mostly a training chapter, with a minor story focus. The main story focus will return in the next chapter.

Just for the sake of being clear, the lineup for the tournament (at least as far as Z fighters go) is as follows: Goku, Gohan, Kai, Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha, Cooler, Krillin, 17, 18, Raditz, and Tarble. That will leave enough room for Videl, Mr Satan, and two others I plan on having appear in the next chapter. Yes they work for a certain malevolent force, but at the same time they're two characters who haven't appeared in the canon series in a VERY long time.