Disclaimer: I don't own any characters, and I'm not getting paid. I don't even have a job. Gohan, Goku, Chi-Chi, Vegeta, and King Kai belong to the rich genius behind Dragonball Z. Tenchi, Sasami, Ayeka, Ryoko, Washu, and Ryouoki belong to the people behind the Tenchi shows. Sakura, Li, Madison, Kero, and the Cards belong to the people behind Card Captors. Reenie, Hotaru, Amy, Lita, Mina, Serena, Rei, and Darien (as well as their other personas) belong to the rich person behind Sailor Moon. Also, a big thanks to Cartoon Network and Kids WB for running these wonderful shows.

Summary: Gohan, Sasami, Sakura, Reenie, & Hotaru all run away to King Kai's planet and discover that two of them are destined to be the most powerful beings in the universe.

Note: I love anime cartoons, but I couldn't spell any of the character's names to save my life. I'm asking for forgiveness in advance. Thank you. o_0 This story isn't in any kind of continuity, so don't even bother. (However, if you're a DBZ fan, Vegeta already has the ability to transform into a Super Saiyan, and he is NOT married to Bulma)


Story 1: A Guy, Four Girls, & A Weird Place


"I'm bored, Ryoko," Sasami announced.

Ryoko barely glanced up from the game of cards. "That's nice, kid."

There was one sure way to find out if Ryoko was listening. "Tenchi's dead."

"Great, short stuff."

Sasami frowned. "You're not listening!"

Ryoko pushed her away. "Not now, kid. I'm busy."

Sasami pouted and walked to the other side of the table, where her big sister was equally focused on her cards. "Ayeka, will you play with me?"

"In a minute, Sasami," Ayeka replied, studying her hand. "I'm this close to beating her."

"Yeah, right!" Ryoko snorted.

Sasami sighed unhappily as she walked out of the room. No one was paying any attention to her lately, and it was getting annoying. She decided to go to the one person that always had time for her. She found him outside, practing his battle stances.

"Tenchi, will you play with me?" she asked, staring up at him with hopeful eyes.

"Sorry, Sasami. I'd love to, but I have to finish training."

"Not you, too, Tenchi!" Sasami cried. "You're supposed to play with me when no one else will! You've always been nice to me!"

Tenchi looked hurt. "I'm really sorry, but this is important to me."

"So...I'm not...important to you anymore...?"

Tenchi's eyes widened. "No! I mean, yes!"

Her eyes began to water. "Maybe I was never important to you!" she shouted.

"Sasami, wait! I didn't mean-"

"I know what you meant!" Sasami turned and ran, brushing the tears from her eyes. If even Tenchi was too busy for her, maybe it was time to go somewhere else.

* * * * *

"Mom, stop it!"

"Gohan, stay still! I have to finish this!" Chi-chi insisted. "Now stop fidgeting!"

"But Mom, everyone else buys new clothes!"

"Well, maybe their parents can afford them. But since I'm a housewife and your father doesn't get paid to save the world and kick evil alien butt, guess who gets to make your clothes?"

Gohan sighed and held out his arms. "But how come all your clothes make me look like a dork?"

Chi-chi glared at him as she adjusted the fabric. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

"Can't I just wear my weighted uniform like Dad?"

"No, it makes you look too bulky."

Gohan tried again. "What about the Sai-"

"Gohan, you are NOT a Saiyan, and you will NOT dress like one!"

"But Mom, I AM a Sai-"

"Saiyans are mean aliens that go around blowing up things. You are NOT a Saiyan!"

Gohan sighed and gave up. It was pointless to argue with his mother. At least, until...

"Everything okay in here?" Goku asked as he walked in, giving Chi-chi an affectionate peck on the cheek.

"Your son wants to dress like a you-know-what, thanks to you-know-who being one."

Goku gave her a lopsided grin. "Chi-chi, Gohan has great power. He has to train, and to do that, he has to dress the right way."

"Who's side are you on?!"

Goku turned red. "Um...the right side?"

"That's IT!" Chi-chi threw down her needles. "Since you're suddenly an expert on how to dress MY son, why don't YOU make his clothes?!" She stormed out of the room, muttering to herself.

"Wow, Dad," Gohan said after she had gone. "And I thought Freeza was scary."

Goku blushed. "Right. Gohan, maybe you should go put on-"

"My Saiyan uniform?" Gohan asked eagerly. "Are we gonna train now, Dad? Huh?"

"Um...not exactly. I was going to say the clothes your mother made."

"Aw, Dad! I hate that stuff!"

"I know, but we have put your mother under a lot of stress lately. Go on."

Gohan frowned and went to his room. "Why do they always treat me like a kid? I can dress myself! I bet I could even make my own clothes! ...Maybe..."

* * * * *

"Look out, Sakura!" Madison shouted.

Sakura glanced up just in time to see Li crash into her from the side.

"Watch where you're going!" he muttered, drawing his sword. "The Arrow Card won't miss!"

Sakura was about to point out that Li was the one who had hit her when an arrow tore through her arm. Holding in a scream of pain, she quickly pulled it out and tossed it away.

Li already had the Arrow Card on the ropes when Sakura caught up a few seconds later. "Well, what are you waiting for?" he asked.

Sakura muttered under her breath and drew her wand. "Return to your power confined!" she said, bringing down the wand.

The Arrow Card materialized and flew to Li's waiting hand. "About time. Sometimes I wonder if you're just pretending to be a Card Captor."

With an angry grunt, Sakura bashed Li's head in with her wand. "You jerk! I am a real Card Captor! I'll show you! I'll show everyone!"

Madison watched with concern as Sakura ran off. "Li, you really shouldn't make fun of her so much."

"Who's gun of were so touch?" Li asked, trying to regain his senses.

"She must have hit you pretty hard. Can you see straight?"

"How come there's three of you?"

"Never mind..."

* * * * *

"Your turn, Hotaru. Here he comes!"

Hotaru took a deep breath and swallowed it. Then she closed her eyes, scrunched up her face, and began to wail as loud as she could.

The man just coming around the corner stopped and looked down at her. "What's wrong, little girl? Are you lost?"

Hotaru sniffled and wiped away a tear. "My Mommy's gone, and I don't have any money to call my Daddy to come get me!" She burst into tears again.

The man searched his pockets. "Well, I've got some change. There's a pay phone just down the street." He fished the coins out of his pocket. "There you go."

Hotaru instantly stopped crying. "Thanks, mister!" She waved as he walked away, then turned to her friend. "How much is that?"

"Let's see," Reenie said. "Five bucks from the last guy, three quarters from the other, and seventy-five cents from this guy. That's enough for two ice cream cones!"

Both girls ran down the street and dashed into the ice cream parlor.

"Give us two chocolate cones, Brad!" Reenie ordered, spreading the money across the counter.

Brad looked at them. "That's the third time you two have been in here today. Where is all this cash coming from?"

"Lita taught us how to gamble," Hotaru replied with a serious face.

"I don't believe that for a minute."

"Okay, we've been scamming people," Reenie admitted. "Are you going to give us the cones or not?"

"Fine. But if you get caught, I don't know anything." Brad quickly made their order. "I don't want to see you girls in here until a week from now, okay? That's way too much ice cream in one day."

The girls had just made it outside when they bumped into a woman.

"Sorry, lady," Hotaru apologized. "We were just-"

"Getting into trouble again," Mina finished for her. "Does Serena know you two are out here?"

Reenie nearly choked on her ice cream. "Um...yeah! She told us to get lost for a while, so here we are!"

"Uh huh. Did she also tell you to trick people into feeling sorry for you?"

"No, we came up with that," Hotaru said proudly, and Reenie silenced her with an elbow to the ribs.

"We're supposed to protect people, not rip them off. You two had better come with me."

"Can we at least finish the cones?" Reenie asked hopefully.

* * * * *

"Tenchi, come quick!" Ayeka shouted. "Sasami's missing!"

"WHAT?!" Tenchi ran into the living room. "She's what?!"

"She's gone!" Ryoko said. "We've looked all over the place, and she's just not here!"

"When was the last time you saw her?" Grandpa asked.

"Um...right after we ignored her," Ayeka muttered.

"Then it seems that Sasami has run away."

"But why? Why would she do that?" Tenchi asked.

"Have any of you spent any time with the girl recently?"

No one had.

"So she ran away...because of us?" Ayeka asked.

"It would appear so," Grandpa replied. "By the way, Ryouoki's missing, too..."


* * * * *

"No, LEFT!" Sasami shouted as the ship nearly crashed into a tree. "Now up! UP!!!"

There was a shrill whine all around her.

"Ryouoki, don't you know how to fly yourself?"

There was a confused whine.

"What do you mean, no? So who's steering?!"

Silence.

"Uh oh..."

* * * * *

Gohan walked into the backyard, clutching the bag on his shoulder. "Treat me like a kid, will they? We'll see how they act when I'm gone!" With an angry grunt, he entered the forest, determined to put some distance between himself and his parents.

He hadn't been walking long when there was a loud roar overhead. Looking up, he saw a large, spikey ship coming straight down. "Oh, wow! More aliens? That thing will explode if it crashes at that speed!" He tried to slow the ship down with a focused blast, but that only changed its course. He watched until it disappeared from view and then crashed.

After the ground stopped shaking, Gohan followed the ship's trail unitl he came to a huge crater in the ground. Strangely enough, the ship was gone. Now there was only a girl and a funny looking bunny.

"Are you okay?" Gohan asked.

The girl gasped and looked at him. "Who are you?"

"I'm Gohan. What's your name?"

She hesitated. "My namie is Sasami, and this is Ryouoki," she said, pointing to the bunny-thing in her lap.

"Where's your ship?" Gohan asked.

"Um...that was Ryouoki. She can turn into a ship, but only for a while."

"Cool! Need some help?"

Sasami hesitated again. "No. I'm running away."

"Really? Me, too. I think we should do it together. I can tell you're not from around here, and I know the place pretty well." He held out his hand to her. "Plus, if we run into any trouble, I can protect you."

"Why would you do that? I could be an alien or something."

He shrugged. "I'm probably half alien myself. Besides, I'm not leaving you out here alone."

Sasami thought about it for a moment. Then she accepted his hand and stood up. "Okay, Gohan. Lead the way."

* * * * *

Sakura honestly didn't know where she was going, and she didn't care, either. All she knew was that she was sick and tired of being treated like a kid. She'd saved the city, maybe even the world several times over (with some help from Li), and she still had to be in bed by nine. It just wasn't fair.

With a sigh, she took another giant leap, just missing a skyscraper in the process. Sakura had used the Jump Card before, but she hadn't quite learned to calculate where her jumps would take her. She wasn't trying to learn now, though. The most important thing was to get as far away from home as she could.

Away from her family, her friends, and her partner (she hated to admit, but Li was still a fellow Card Captor, and a much better one than she was). Away from everything and anything she knew.

"Sakura, where are we going, anyway?" asked a small voice from her coat pocket.

"I told you before, Kero. It doesn't matter."

"In other words, you don't know, right?"

"...go back to sleep, Kero," Sakura muttered.

* * * * *

"You two are impossible," Amy said with a shake of her head.

"We were just having a little fun," Reenie pointed out.

"By taking people's money," Lita reminded her. "You were still wrong, kid."

"Hey, Hotaru helped me do it, y'know!" Reenie shouted, trying to take all the attention off herself.

"Traitor," Hotaru muttered.

"You're both still in trouble. I'm going to call Serena right now," Mina said.

"Mina, you used to be cool," Reenie complained.

"Reenie, even you can do better than that."

Reenie pouted. "You guys are no fun!"

"Be quiet before they call Darien, too," Hotaru whispered, elbowing her friend.

Reenie finally fell silent, but she kept a frown on her face.

* * * * *

Sasami squealed in delight as she and Gohan burst from the clouds, racing across the afternoon sky. "This is great, Gohan!"

"WHAT?!" he shouted. "I can't hear you!"

Sasami tightened her grip around his waist and leaned closer to his ear. "I said this is great!!!"

"Yeah, flying's great! You wanna go faster?"

"WHAT?!"

"Do you wanna go faster?!" Gohan asked, raising his voice a bit.

"Sure! Let's do it!" Sasami replied.

Gohan gritted his teeth, mentally calling on the powers within him. As he increased speed, an aura of white flame surrounded his body.

"Does that hurt?" Sasami asked quietly, a concerned look on her face.

"WHAT?!" Gohan shouted.

"Does that hurt?!" Sasami shouted back.

"No, it kinda tickles! We're about to hit some rough winds, so keep your head down!"

"WHAT?!"

"Keep your head down!"

Sasami did as she was told, but the strong winds were already whipping at her arms. "Gohan, I can't hold on!"

"WHAT?!"

He never heard her reply, or even felt her grip loosening. But when Gohan glanced down and spotted Sasumi several feet away, alarms went off in his head. Instantly changing direction, Gohan did his best to ignore the rough winds and sped towards his new friend, silently telling himself that she wouldn't be harmed as long as he was around.

But as he got closer to her, Gohan noticed that Sasami didn't look afraid. Her eyes were locked on his, and there was almost a tiny smile on her face.

Gohan grabbed her hand and drew her closer, until he was able secure an arm around her waist. "Are you okay?" he asked, carefully slowing down until they were hovering in mid-air.

"Yes," she replied, brushing the hair away from her face.

"Were you scared?"

"No, Gohan." Sasami smiled. "I knew you'd save me."

Gohan smiled back. "Are you saying you let go on purpose?"

"Nope. Just that I knew you wouldn't let anything happen to me."

"So you didn't let go on purpose?"

Sasami grinned mysteriously. "I didn't say that, either."

Gohan shook his head. "You've got a weird sense of humor, Sasami."

"And you're cute when you're confused. You almost look...like...Tenchi..."

Gohan looked puzzled as he started flying forward again. "Who's Tenchi?"

Sasami blinked and shook her head. "No one. Forget I said anything." She did her best to ignore Ryouoki as she squealed and struggled inside her kimono.

* * * * *

Darien wiped the sweat from his forehead and glanced at the cookbook. "Four eggs, two ounces of sliced ham, onions, and three kinds of cheese." His eyes darted to the various items in the pan. "Check. Now, if I could only figure out how to fold this thing..."

"Darien?" Hotaru stuck her head in the kitchen. "We're still hungry."

"I know, Hotaru," he replied. "It's just been a while since I made omlettes. Where's Reenie?"

"She's watching cartoons on the big TV." Hotaru walked over to him and tried to peer into the pan. "What's that brown stuff?" she asked, wrinkling her nose at the smell.

Darien placed a hand on her head and gently pushed the girl away. "It's just a well done spot. Don't get too close or you might get burned."

"But that's not how Auntie Mina makes them."

Closing his eyes for a second, Darien held in a grunt of frustration. "Well, if 'Auntie Mina' hadn't dumped you two on me last night, you'd be eating her omlettes. Instead, you're going to eat my third-rate breakfast while Mina wakes up to a meal fit for a queen, and she won't give any of us a second thought until Serena asks where you two are."

Hotaru stared up at him with a look of shock. "I-I'm sorry, Darien," she whispered, fighting back tears.

Darien lowered his head, instantly ashamed of himself. "No, I'm sorry, Hotaru. I shouldn't have gotten upset. It's not your fault. How was it that you two got in trouble again?"

Hotaru sniffled a bit. "Reenie thought it would be fun to play a trick on some people."

"No offense, Hotaru, but you're a bright girl. You know Reenie has a tendency to get into trouble. How is it you always manage to get caught with her?"

"I have to watch out for her. She's my best and only friend."

Darien chuckled and turned off the stove. "So what am I, yesterday's sushi?"

Hotaru blushed. "NO! Of course not!" She desperately tried to find the right words to correct her mistake. "You're...um...great, Darien!"

"Sure. You're just trying to make me feel better."

"No, I'm not! I swear it!" Hotaru approached Darien from behind and hugged his leg tightly. "I don't know what we'd do without you, Darien," she mumbled into the soft fabric of his pants leg.

It was just then that Darien remembered something very important. At least, to him, anyway. Serena had often gotten jealous when other girls paid attention to him, and she'd gotten so upset once that she accidentally revealed that nearly all the Sailor Scouts had a secret crush on him. True, it was before Hotaru had come along, but still...

* * * * *

"Sakura, we really need to have a talk right about now."

"Quiet, Kero!" Sakura hissed, tightening her grip on the wand. "We're almost out!"

"Excuse me, miss." The voice came with a large hand that suddenly gripped Sakura's shoulder. "Would you mind letting me see what's in that bag?"

Sakura slowly turned around to see a rather large security guard. "Huh?"

"Your bag," he repeated. "I have to inspect it before you board the plane."

"Oh. Right." Sakura's face fell as she began to loosen the shoulder strap.

"Sakura?! What are you doing?!" Kero cried from inside the bag.

"Shut up," Sakura ordered. Fortunately, Kero obeyed as she handed over the bag. She offered a weak smile. "Sorry."

The guard took the bag and stared at her. "Are you feeling well, miss?"

"Never better! Say, could you hurry a bit? I think my flight's leaving soon."

The guard unzipped the bag and examined its contents. He handed it back within a few seconds. "There's just one more thing," he said.

"Now what?" Sakura asked, beginning to get annoyed.

"Surrender."

"WHAT?!"

The guard grabbed her arm. "I know who you are. Give me the wand."

"No! Let me GO!" Sakura shouted, struggling to pull away.

"There is no escape. Surrender the wand now, girl!"

Other people began to stop and watched the strange scene. One man in particular took great interest, even going so far as come much closer.

"Sakura, what's going on?" Kero asked nervously.

Sakura tried to think of answer, but all she could think of was getting away.

Suddenly, a round man with a mustache popped up. "Excuse me. Just what do you think you're doing?"

The guard looked at him. "Who are you?"

The man snorted and chuckled at the same time. "I am King Warren Peace! I am here to speak to the UN on behalf of my people, but I can see that will no longer be necessary!"

"Huh?"

The man smacked the guard's hand away from Sakura. "This happens to be my daughter, Princess Omigosh! Now that I have witnessed your country's savage treatment of foreign diplomats, I can see that peace between us is no longer possible. This means WAR, young man!" He shook a chubby finger for emphasis. "You can tell your President that it's all YOUR fault, too!" With that, he grabbed Sakura's hand and waddled away at an amazing rate. "Come, Omigosh! We must be going."

"What was that all about?" Sakura asked when they were out of earshot. "And who are you?"

"Keep walking," the man instructed. "My name is King Kai, and you're very lucky that I found you so quickly, young lady. Did you really think you could sneak by?"

"I was hoping, yes. Why...did you just turn blue?!"

"No. It must be a hallucination," he answered quickly. "For you own safety, I suggest you come with me at once."

Since she was already doing that, Sakura only quickened her pace as she followed King Kai out of the airport.

* * * * *

"We make a good team, huh?" Gohan asked through a mouthful of soup.

"The best," Sasami agreed. "I'm just glad to finally meet someone that appreciates my cooking."

"Is there more?"

"No, silly!" she giggled. "You ate the rest of it! All that flying must have taken a lot out of you."

Gohan wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Can I ask you a question? You don't have to answer, but I'm curious."

"Sure."

"Who's Tenchi?"

Sasami seemed to wince as she took his bowl. "He is--was--a friend of mine."

"Is he why you ran away?"

She turned away, silently commanding herself not to cry. "Yes. Well, my other friends, too. They weren't paying any attention to me. It was like they were too busy, or they just didn't care at all."

Gohan squeezed her shoulder. "It sounds like they weren't very good friends."

"But they were!" Sasami insisted, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. "They just...forgot!"

"I wouldn't." He gently turned her around and cupped her face in his hands. "I don't see how anyone could forget someone special like you."

"Oh, Gohan. You don't even know me!"

"Yet," he added, brushing a tear from her face. "But I like what I do know, and I want to know more. If you'll let me, Sasami, I'd like to be your friend."

"Too late," Sasami whispered, a faint smile touching her lips as she hugged him tightly. "So, why are you running away?"

"My parents kept treating me like a kid." After an awkward look from Sasami, he quickly added, "I'm older than I look."

"You can't be that old."

"Maybe not, but I've seen a lot. I've fought evil aliens in deep space and helped saved the world at least twice from destruction, and I'm still not allowed to dress myself."

Sasami's eyes drifted down to his uniform. "Your parents dress you like that?"

"Nope. This is my Saiyan battle suit. It's the only thing I have to remind me of where my family comes from." Gohan glanced up at the moon. "We should probably get some sleep. It'll be easier to get an early start tomorrow."

"That reminds me," Sasami said. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"Anywhere but here," he replied with a shrug.

* * * * *

Serena stared at the two girls on the couch. "Let me get this straight. You two were actually stealing?"

"It wasn't really stealing," Hotaru protested.

"Yeah, we didn't hold them up at gun point. We just tricked them out of their money." Reenie made a face. "Besides, you told us to get lost."

"That was AFTER you switched my shampoo with ketchup," Serena pointed out. "You're lucky Darien was nice enough to watch you for the day."

"Well, you're our guardian!" Reenie shouted.

"Technically," Hotaru added.

"Yeah, and you're responsible for us! Which means...this is all YOUR fault!"

Serena snorted. "YOU rip off some gullible people and it's MY fault? You couldn't win that claim even if Darien was the jury!"

"At least he was nice to us," Reenie said.

"I don't HAVE to be nice," Serena snapped. "I'm still your mother."

"Not for another century or so," Reenie mumbled.

"Oooh! You little brat! It's no wonder your parents sent you here! They're probably sick of you, too!"

"You shut up about my parents!" Reenie cried. "You're not my real mother! You're just some dumb blonde that doesn't deserve to be a Sailor Scout! I wish Mina was Sailor Moon! I HATE YOU!!!"

Serena was so shocked by Reenie's words that she couldn't say anything.

"Come on," Hotaru said, pulling Reenie away from the couch. "We better go before we get into more trouble."

Reenie gave Serena one last glare before following her friend.

* * * * *

"Where are we, King Kai?" Sakura asked.

"This is my planet."

"Planet? Doesn't it have a name?"

"No. It's where I live, so I call it home."

Sakura sighed. "Never mind. Why'd you bring me here?"

"Simple. You're one of the girls in the prophecy."

"Huh? Prophecy?"

King Kai smiled. "Sit down and I'll explain."

Sakura found a comfortable beanbag chair. "Okay. Shoot."

"I was going through my basement the other day, and I found an ancient prophecy from the Saiyan homeworld. I assume Goku must have left it down there the last time he was here."

"Um...who's Goku?"

"Nice guy. Big hair. You'd like him."

"Um...okay," Sakura said slowly.

"Anyway, the prophecy said that the Eternal Prince would have to choose a wife from four young girls. At first, I assumed that it meant Vegeta, but then I read more. The prophecy clearly states that the Eternal Prince would be the offspring of a Super Saiyan and a female from Earth. That means that Goku's son, Gohan, is the prince."

"What does all that have to do with me?" Sakura asked, obviously confused.

"You're one of the young girls, of course! You could be a princess!"

"I could?"

"Only if he picks you, though. Otherwise, you'll just be nothing."

"Gee, thanks."

* * * * *

Gohan slowly opened his eyes and nearly gasped. Sasami's head was resting on his shoulder, and she had a peaceful look on her face. His eyes drifted lower and saw that his arms had somehow ended up wrapped around her small waist.

Sasami suddenly yawned and slowly opened her eyes. "Hi," she said shyly, smiling at him.

"Hi. Um...is it just me, or were we in separate sleeping bags when I fell asleep?"

Sasami blushed. "I had a nightmare, and I got too scared to sleep alone. I didn't want to wake you up, so I thought I could share with you." She fell silent, then added, "You make a great pillow...?"

Gohan laughed. "I guess that's a compliment. C'mon, we'd better get moving."

"Um...Gohan? We're not in the forest anymore..."

Gohan paused and looked around. "You're right. Was it like this when you woke up last night?"

"Yes, but I wasn't thinking about it. What is this place?"

Gohan looked at the winding path they currently stood on. Then, he knew exactly where they were from his father's stories. "This must be Snake Way. Which means we're close to King Kai's planet!"

"King who?" Sasami asked. "I don't understand."

Gohan shushed her and closed his eyes. He reached out with his mind until he felt a familiar presence.

"Gohan! Where are you?"

"I'm on Snake Way, King Kai. Can you tell me which way I should go to get to your house?"

"Certainly, son! Just head towards the bigger clouds, and whatever you do, don't fall off! You're welcome to bring your girlfriend, too!"

Gohan blushed. "Sir, she's not my girl-"

"Yes, that's fine," King Kai interrupted. "Just hurry it up! The others should be here soon, and they'll all be dying to meet you!"

Before Gohan could ask any questions, the connection was severed. "That's weird. I didn't think anyone else would be there besides him, Bubbles, and Gregory. Who could these others be?"

"Gohan, who are you talking to?" Sasami asked, sounding worried.

"I was talking to King Kai, Sasami," he replied. "He gave me directions, and he says to hurry."

"So you know this king?"

"Yeah, but he's more like a teacher. He trained my Dad and taught him how to use Kao-Ken."

"Kao-Ken? What's that?"

Gohan grinned. "Hopefully, with some training from King Kai, I'll be able to show you one day. For now, we have to get there first."

* * * * *

Reenie sighed and played with a loose strand of Hotaru's hair. "Aren't you done yet, 'Taru?"

Hotaru didn't answer. Not that she would've if she had a choice.

Reenie groaned impatiently. "Y'know, when you said you could teleport us all by yourself, you didn't say it would take forever. Is it gonna take this long every time?"

"Done." Hotaru opened her eyes and stood up.

"Huh?" Reenie looked around. "Hey, this isn't the park!"

"I told you I was done. Are you coming or not?" Hotaru started walking towards the house a few yards away.

Reenie gradually followed her over to the house. "Who's in there?"

"One way to find out." Hotaru knocked on the front door.

A moment later, a girl answered the door. "You're Reenie & Hotaru, right?" she asked eagerly.

Reenie looked confused. "Yeah, but how did you-"

"Finally!" The girl sighed in relief. "I was hoping you'd get here soon. Maybe you can explain this whole situation to me. I'm Sakura, by the way."

"You girls should probably get away from the door," a voice inside the house warned.

"Why?" Reenie asked.

"INCOMING!" Hotaru shouted.

Sakura and Reenie looked up just in time to see a glowing shape heading straight towards them. It was too small to be a comet, but too big to ignore. The girls all tried to scramble inside the house at the same time, but all they managed to do was get stuck in the doorway.

The glowing shape stopped just outside the door, hovering in the air. Then the glow faded to reveal a young boy with a girl on his back. "Um...sorry about scaring you guys, but we just ran into this really freaky princess that tried to eat us, and she-"

"'You saw him glowing. Right, 'Taru?"

"Yes, Reenie."

"Okay. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't losing it or anything."

* * * * *

Once King Kai had everyone seated in the den, he cleared his throat. "For those of you that don't know, I'm King Kai, and this is my home. It's small, but it's quite comfy! Now, I bet you're wondering just how you got here, and why. Am I correct in assuming you all ran away?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Splendid! Well, not the running away part, that was bad, but it's good that I'm right! Now, how many of you have some sort of powers, magical, mystical, or otherwise?"

Everyone, including King Kai, raised their hands.

"Good! Gohan, why don't you demonstrate for us?"

Gohan stood up nervously. "But I don't wanna wreck any of your stuff, King Kai."

"Don't worry about that. Just aim a blast at me, please."

Gohan still looked doubtful, but fired a small blast of energy at King Kai's chest. The energy simply bounced off and headed straight for Sasami, who was sitting next to Gohan. With a quick dive, Gohan swatted the blast away with one hand. The energy flew across the room and stopped in front of Hotaru's face. There, it shaped itself into a ball and dropped into her lap.

"Wow," Sakura said quietly.

"Indeed," King Kai agreed. "Hotaru, you and Gohan come with me. The rest of you, go outside. Bubbles will be with you shortly."

"I don't know what's worse," Sakura muttered. "The fact that we're actually on this crazy planet, or the fact that no one seems surprised."

Reenie smirked. "We see stuff like this every day. At least nothing's tried to kill us yet."

* * * * *

Tenchi paced back and forth in his room, muttering to himself. Sasami & Ryouoki had been gone for almost two days now. Ayeka had turned the house upside-down looking for clues to where they might have gone, but had found nothing. Washu was busy working on a device that would be able to track down Sasami's DNA sequence. Ryoko was calling in all favors through her various connections, and even Nagi, who had a certain fondness for the girl, was out searching the galaxy for her. Unfortunately, no one had seen Sasami. That either meant that she was hiding, or...

"No," Tenchi said to himself. "Don't even think that. Sasami's probably just staying with a friend of hers. Eventually, she'll start to miss us and come home. She could be back any minute now."

It was then that he saw the cricket on his bed. "What in the world?"

"The name's Gregory, chump!" the cricket said. "Read this!" He shoved a note in Tenchi's hands before flying out the window with incredible speed.

"Hey, wait!" Tenchi shook his head. "I'm talking to a cricket? Well, weirder things have happened." He unfolded the note and read it. Then he reread it.

"WHAT?!"

That's exactly what everyone else said when he read it to them ten minutes later.

"That doesn't make any sense," Ryoko said. "Nobody runs away to school!"

"And nobody sends messages by talking crickets," Washu added. "But then again, it sounds like this one was faster than a bird. Maybe I should breed some super-crickets..."

"Read the note one more time, Tenchi," Ayeka pleaded. "I want to make sure I heard you right."

"Okay, but I don't think it'll help much." Tenchi scanned the note again. "To Whom It May Concern: Congratulations! Sasami has been chosen to attend a very exclusive training school. She will learn how to develop her inner strength, and to become a brighter student. However, visits are not allowed, so you will not see her again until she completes the training course. Should you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to direct them towards anyone. Not that you'll get any real answers, but it should be fun to try! Sincerely, King Kai of King Kai's School for Talented Youth."

"I've never heard of any King Kai," Ayeka said. "He's certainly not known on my planet."

"Well, there's an address on here, but I don't think we'd be able to find it," Tenchi added. "Do any of you know where Way Up High Drive might be? The location's listed as End of Snake Way, but that sounds even worse."

"I'll run it through the computer," Washu offered. "Maybe we'll get lucky. In the meantime, who's going to make dinner? Sasami made all our meals."

"I could make some stew," Ryoko volunteered.

Tenchi made a face. "Um...maybe I should call for a pizza..."

* * * * *

"Hey, watch it!" Gohan shouted, barely avoiding the attack. "We're just practicing! Take it easy!"

Sailor Saturn did no such thing. In fact, she increased her attack power and charged, nearly taking off Gohan's head with her weapon.

"Amazing," King Kai said as he watched the battle. "Hotaru and Sailor Saturn almost seem to be two different people. Hotaru is a shy, insecure little girl, and Saturn is a merciless, highly dangerous fighter. Her powers could very well rival those of Gohan's!" His antennae twitched thoughtfully. "Perhaps the girl suffers from split personalities. That would explain many things."

Gohan backed away, trying to catch his breath. "I'm warning you! I don't wanna hurt you, Hotaru!"

Saturn's violet eyes flashed, and she raised her hand. "Saturn Blast!" A ray of violet energy flew from her finger and slammed Gohan to the ground. Saturn stood over him, an impassive look on her face.

"Simply incredible," King Kai whispered. "That's enough, Sailor Saturn. You've won again."

Saturn raised her hand, preparing another blast.

"Saturn, I said that's enough," King Kai repeated.

"He must be destroyed," Saturn said.

"Saturn, I said stop. NOW!!!"

She blinked. "Oh. I'm sorry, sir. I guess I got carried away." She powered down and helped Gohan up. "Are you okay, Gohan?"

"I'll tell you when my head stops spinning."

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Gohan shook his head. "I've gotten hit by worse before."

"But I really feel badly about this. Let me make it up to you!"

"That's okay. You don't have to-"

Hotaru quickly kissed Gohan's cheek. "Isn't that better?"

Gohan grinned. "I dunno. Maybe you should do it again..."

"That's enough," King Kai interrupted. Come now. We should see how the others are doing."

* * * * *

Reenie collapsed facedown in the grass. "I give up. That monkey's way too fast."

"My turn!" Sakura drew a card from her skirt. "Dash Card, release and dispel!" She waved a wand in her other hand, then struck the air in front of the card. Instantly, a blue glow surrounded her body.

Sasami watched in awe as Sakura disappeared. It took her a few moments to realize that the girl was just moving faster than the eye could see. Sakura returned a few seconds later, dragging Bubbles by the tail. "Wow! That was incredible, Sakura!"

Sakura grinned. "Being a CardCaptor helps. You wanna try it?"

Sasami shook her head. "No way! Hey, have you seen Gohan around anywhere?"

Sakura tapped her chin thoughtfully. "You mean the little guy with the black hair?"

"He was kinda cute," Reenie added. "Is he yours, Sasami?"

"Huh? Um, well, we just....um...yeah!"

Sakura grinned. "Took you long enough. Which either means you're lying..."

"Or you really suck at telling the truth," Reenie finished. "Personally, I think he's up for grabs. Too bad Hotaru's got a head start on the rest of us."

Sasami began to get very nervous. "But King Kai said they were training!"

"Like you just said Gohan was yours," Sakura pointed out. "Which he apparently isn't, or you wouldn't look so worried right now."

* * * * *

Like most mad scientists, sometimes the one thing Washu failed to use was common sense. She'd been working on the DNA locater day and night for the past two days. Common sense would've told her that if she didn't go to sleep, she would soon fall asleep. Of course, since she wasn't using it, she just happened to fall asleep in the middle of the project.

Which was probably why she'd forgotten to close one of her extra star portals.

It was bad enough that she'd attached it to a dimension she'd never been to. It was even worse that someone from that dimension had noticed it. But then, who wouldn't notice a pink star popping up out of nowhere?

As if things weren't bad enough, that someone had evil intentions. Well, unless you consider ruling the world by force a good thing. In that case, his plans were just peachy. Otherwise, it just made him much more dangerous.

Angry Saiyans are bad enough as it is. Angry Saiyans with plans for revenge and world domination are even worse. Now add in the power to instantly transport yourself virtually anywhere. Well, he couldn't do that. Yet.

But, thanks to Washu's lack of common sense, Vegeta was now standing in her lab, examining her portals very closely. Sure, he was greedy, but he was also pretty smart. Wouldn't you read the instructions to something like that before testing it out on yourself?

"Incredible!" he thought. "Not only could I rule Earth, but then I could conquer every other planet in the galaxy! I'll rule the universe!" Vegeta stuffed a bunch of the portals into the open one. It just so happened that Washu had opened it inside his ship, which was very convenient for him.

As I said before, Vegeta was a pretty smart guy. Naturally, he soon realized that the number of portals he could steal just then were limited. Of course, if he actually had the person that created them, that would be different.

That was how Vegeta had ended up in his ship, speeding towards King Kai's planet. He figured he might be able to convince the guy to train him in the ways of Kao Ken. Sure, he was already powerful enough to block things of that nature, but if Goku had trained under this guy, it had to be worth it.

Again, Vegeta's pretty smart. But like most greedy people, he got so greedy that it was just downright uncomfortable. It's pretty tough to pilot a ship when there's tons of star portals poking you in the ribs. Not to mention a small woman with big hair in your lap, snoring her head off. Actually, Vegeta liked that part. Aside from the hair getting in his eyes and the snoring, anyway.

* * * * *

"So you're saying that Hotaru and Sailor Saturn are two different people, and neither knows that the other exists?" Reenie asked.

"Quite correct," King Kai replied. "It's simply amazing. As far as Hotaru knows, she's a normal girl, and she thinks you are, too."

"So why'd she raise her hand when you asked if we had powers?"

"That's the tricky part. Saturn's presence is so strong inside Hotaru's body, she can emerge at any time without warning. There's almost no way to tell who she is at any time unless you ask her."

"Then which one is my best friend?" Reenie asked, obviously confused.

"From what I saw today, it's Hotaru. Saturn doesn't seem to have any feelings, unless you count rage and extreme focus."

"Is there any way to help her?"

"Not that I can see," King Kai admitted. "However, I would suggest spending more time with Saturn. If she becomes too dominant, she may control the body for good."

"But isn't that bad?"

"Very, Reenie. That's why you should become friends with her now. That way, if Hotaru does cease to exist, you'll have nothing to fear from Saturn."

* * * * *

Just outside King Kai's office, Gohan was having problems.

"Are you sure you're okay, Gohan?" Hotaru asked for the third time.

"I'm fine!" he insisted.

"If you say so. Want some company?"

"Not really, no."

"Are you and Sasami together?"

Gohan turned red. "Um...what?"

"Are you dating?"

"Well...it's complicated," he said at last.

"How?"

"I like her, and she likes me, but...that's all I know for sure."

Hotaru grinned. "You also know I kissed you."

"Yeah...right." Gohan didn't look too happy.

"What's wrong?"

"If Sasami finds out, she might think I like you better than her."

"Don't you?"

"NO!" Gohan blushed. "I mean, I don't know! I barely know you, and I just met her yesterday."

"Don't forget about Reenie and Sakura."

Gohan paled considerably. "What?" he asked weakly.

"They like you, too. At least, Reenie thinks you're cute. I'm not sure about Sakura."

"What is it about me that everyone likes, Hotaru?"

Hotaru tilted her head slightly. "It might be your eyes."

"What about them?"

"They're just...so intense," she said, leaning closer.

"Um...really?"

"Yes." She gently pressed a cold hand to his cheek. "You have wonderful eyes and a beautiful soul."

Gohan blinked. "Hotaru, you're starting to scare me."

"Who's Hotaru?"

Something like an alarm went off in Gohan's mind. "Never mind. I have to...um...talk to King Kai."

Fortunately, King Kai chose that minute to emerge from his office, followed by Reenie.

Gohan quickly scrambled off the couch. "Sir! I'm ready for that talk!" He grabbed King Kai's hand, dragged him back into the office, and slammed the door.

"What was that about?" Reenie asked.

"I have no idea."

"'Taru, your voice sounds-"

"Who?" the girl asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sorry. Saturn. Can we talk for a minute?"

"I suppose."

"Great! Um...do you hate me?"

"Why would I do that?"

"No reason," Reenie said quickly. "I'm just curious. It seems like we don't talk much."

"Simply because I don't talk much," Saturn replied. "I'm actually quite fond of you."

"You are?"

"Yes. You remind me of someone I know."

"You didn't say anything to Gohan, did you?"

"I simply told him I thought he had nice eyes."

"Uh oh." Reenie bit her lip. "What'd he say to that?"

"He became quite nervous and suddenly remembered a pressing appointment with King Kai."

* * * * *

Vegeta came out of his hypersleep state to see a very alarming sight. The woman he'd kidnapped was rapidly pressing buttons on his ship's console and making little amused noises. Quickly losing any hint of drowsiness, he seized her wrists. "What are you doing?!"

"I was just making some improvements. Do you realize how second rate this technology is?"

"Second rate?!" It took Vegeta a few seconds to calm himself. Not that it helped very much. "Saiyan technology is NOT-"

She snorted. "Saiyan, smaiyan. This stuff is ancient, and I was giving you an upgrade. See for yourself!"

Vegeta growled, but pushed past her to get a better look. There were some major changes so far, most of them incomplete, but he had interrupted her. Vegeta was no rocket scientist, but even he could tell it was definitely the work of a genius. He was also impressed, but he wasn't about to tell her that. "Can you do more?"

She beamed. "Can I?! Step aside, little man!"

Vegeta grunted as she shoved past him. The space was already cramped, since it was designed for one person and was still crowded with pointy star portals. The fact that two people were present was uncomfortable enough without shoving. "Little man? I'm taller than you, woman!"

"Yeah, whatever," she muttered, glancing back at him. "The name's Little Washu, Mr. Kidnaps-People-from-Their-Labs. Feel free to use it." Without another word, she went back to work on the console.

Vegeta sat down (he didn't have much other choice), suddenly wishing he'd upped the dosage of the ship's hypersleep option. He didn't have much time to think about anything else when his face was sprayed with a green gas. He recognized the scent a little too late.

"Nighty-night, big shot," Washu chuckled as Vegeta fell into a deep sleep. "That should keep you quiet. Besides, I need a chair, you're elected, and I don't want any backtalk about it." She sat down in his lap and pulled a spare power source from her pocket. "Now, it's time to see what this baby can really do!" After hooking up the power source to the ship's fuel storage, she hit the ignition.

Washu squealed in delight as the ship veered sharply to the left, then rocketed forward. She pulled up the coordinates Vegeta had entered into the navigation system. "That's funny. I've never heard of this place before. I wonder why he's headed there?"

* * * * *

"King Kai, I can't take this kind of pressure!"

"This from a person who defeated Garlic Jr.?" King Kai asked.

"That was different!" Gohan shouted. "He wasn't in love with me, and there weren't four of him!"

"Five," King Kai corrected him. "Hotaru and Saturn are different-"

"And that's ANOTHER thing! Why didn't you tell me she was...well...two shes?!"

"I just figured it out myself, Gohan. Try to calm down!"

"Calm down?!" Gohan pointed an accusing finger at him. "Sir, with all due respect, you're the one that brought us all here, which means you planned this. Which means you KNEW what I was going to experience. Which means you're probably enjoying this."

King Kai smiled. "There is a certain entertainment value, I'll admit."

Gohan groaned. "I'd rather face Vegeta, Frieza, and Garlic Jr. on the same day than go through this."

King Kai's antennae suddenly twitched. "It's funny you should mention Vegeta, Gohan..."

"Sir, there is NOTHING funny about that guy."

King Kai chuckled. "You'd be surprised."

* * * * *

The ship burst through the clouds and came to a stop just above the tiny planet. Washu peered out of the window. "Looks like this is our stop. Might as well find out who lives here." She steered the ship closer and landed it beside the red car in the driveway.

Washu was just reaching for the button to open the hatch when a strong hand grabbed hers.

"Where do you think you're going?" Vegeta asked.

"Outside. Y'know, where the grass is?"

"No. You're staying here. I'm going outside."

Washu frowned. "Look, pal-"

"My name," he interrupted, "is Vegeta!"

"Okay, Veggie. The point is, if you're gonna kidnap a girl, at least be polite enough to take her out every now and then."

"What did you just call me?!" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Never mind that. Anyone ever tell you that you're cute when you're mad?"

"WHAT?!"

Washu giggled. "Forget I said anything." She quickly opened the hatch and hopped out before he could stop her.

Vegeta mumbled something under his breath and climbed out. He had just resealed the hatch when he sensed a familiar prescience. "Well, it seems the son of Kakarot is here, too. This should be interesting."

"What's a Kakarot and does it go squish when you step on it?" Washu asked.

Vegeta bit down on his lip to keep from screaming. "Just follow me!" He marched up to the door and knocked it down with one swift kick.

"Let me guess. You're kidnapping someone else now, right?"

Vegeta didn't bother to answer the question. He'd only taken three steps when King Kai appeared in front of him.

"How can I help you, Vegeta?"

"You can start by getting out of my way, old man. Where is the son of Kakarot?"

"I thought you came here for some training?" Washu asked, peering over his shoulder.

"I changed my mind," Vegeta growled quietly.

A smile appeared on King Kai's face. "What's this? Has Vegeta found himself a lady friend?"

"Emphasis on 'lady', and much less on 'friend'," Washu quickly added.

"I'm done talking, old man. Where is the son of Kakarot?" Vegeta repeated.

"Right here, Vegeta," Gohan replied, stepping out of the shadows. "What do you want?"

"You, kid. If I'm going to rule the universe, I'm going to need an enforcer to handle the grunt work. It won't pay much at first, but if you work hard, I might even let you shine my boots."

"Sometimes I think you talk just to hear your own voice," Gohan spat. "Leave now, while you can still walk without a limp."

"This is the thanks I get for trying to watch out for a fellow Saiyan?" Vegeta's muscles tensed. "Have it your way, kid. You can be destroyed just like all the others."

"I think not, stranger." Saturn stepped forward, stopping at Gohan's side. "If anyone will be destroyed this day, it's you." She raised her hand, gathering energy for a devastating Saturn Blast.

"I've got a suggestion!" Washu stepped between them. "Instead of all this destruction, why don't we work together? I'm sure we can each offer something worthwhile to the others."

"Like what, young lady?" King Kai asked.

"For starters, since you people seem to like fighting so much, I can design some lightweight armor that should withstand the force of at least one megaton bomb. However, if you wanna press your luck with two, you're on your own."

"Interesting," King Kai admitted. "But what would we have to do for you?"

Washu smiled. "You have to train Vegeta, and once you're done, lend us these two kids to use as enforcers."

"For how long?"

"Hey, world domination could take a while. Say one year?"

King Kai frowned. "Sounds like you'd be getting two favors, while we get one."

"True. Okay, I'll throw in Vegeta's Saiyan transport and a few of my star portals."

"WHAT?!" Vegeta roared. "You can't give away my ship!"

Washu giggled and patted his cheek. "Don't worry, hon. I'll build you an even better one later." She turned back to King Kai and offered her hand. "So, do we have a deal?"

King Kai hesitated for a moment, then shook her hand. "Very well, young lady. But if Vegeta attacks any of my students at any time, the deal is off."

"Sir, I don't like this deal," Gohan said uneasily. "I mean, my mom won't even let me dress myself. I really don't think she's gonna let me be Vegeta's enforcer."

"I don't like it either, Gohan," King Kai agreed. "But it's in our best interest right now. Trust me."

* * * * *

"I still don't understand," Sakura said. "I thought Vegeta was a bad guy?"

"He is, sorta," Gohan replied. "But he's also one of the last surviving Saiyans, so we can't kill him."

"But didn't he try to kill you and your Dad?"

"Yeah," Gohan answered, "but he's really not so bad. He even helped me fight the Ginyu Force once."

Sakura shook her head. "Maybe I'll understand this when I'm not so hungry. How's dinner, Sasami?"

"Almost done!" Sasami peered into a large pot. "Sasami's Spectacular Stew is nearly ready!"

"I'm also at a loss," Saturn said. "Sasami, if Washu is your friend, why is she helping Vegeta?"

"I told you she's a little weird sometimes. I don't even know Vegeta. From what Gohan told me, he probably threatened her or something."

"What I don't get is why they only want Saturn and Gohan," Reenie muttered. "The rest of us have powers, too!"

"True, but Gohan's a Saiyan, just like Vegeta," Saturn pointed out. "If I am correct, Saiyans are a warrior race known for their incredible strength, stamina, and fighting skills."

"That's right," Gohan agreed with a nod. "But that doesn't explain why they want you, Saturn."

"Well, I don't mean to brag, but it's very likely that I'm the most powerful student here. After you, of course, Gohan."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Gee, that sounded a lot like bragging to me. Anyway, maybe they just picked you because you're the first two they saw."

"Stew's ready!" Sasami announced. "I made enough for everybody!"

"Does that include me, little girl?" asked a sinister voice.

The kids all froze as Vegeta appeared directly above the table they were sitting around. He hovered effortlessly in the air, staring down at them with one of his more superior looks.

"Um...sure," Sasami whispered at last. "You can have the first bowl." She quickly spooned a big helping of stew into a bowl and held it up to him. "Here you are, Vegeta, sir. Try it!"

Vegeta slowly accepted the bowl.

Sasami blushed. "Oh! I almost forgot the spoon! I'll just-"

Before she could finish, Vegeta was already wiping his mouth with the back of his gloved hand. "You know, for someone so young, you make an excellent bowl of stew."

Sasami beamed with pride. "Wow! You really liked it that much?"

Vegeta landed beside her and handed back the bowl. "Yes. In fact, I think I'll take two more bowls. My companion sometimes forgets to eat."

"Your...companion?" she asked. "Oh, you mean Washu! Coming right up!"

Once Sasami had filled two more bowls, Vegeta thanked her with a nod and left the room.

"He really liked my cooking," she said faintly, a dreamy smile on her face.

"Not to spoil the moment or anything, but would you mind if the non-evil students got a taste?" Reenie asked. "We're hungry, too!"

"Indeed," Saturn added.

Sasami blinked and turned red. "Right! Sorry, you guys!" She quickly filled six more bowls (two for Gohan, and two in case Hotaru suddenly emerged in the middle of the meal) and passed them out.

Once Gohan had polished off a bowl, he glanced at his friend. "Aren't you gonna eat, Sasami?"

"Yeah, you deserve a break," Sakura agreed. "Sit down and eat with us."

Sasami grinned. "No, but thanks, guys. I'm too excited to eat right now."

Reenie shrugged. "Okay. By the way, this stew RULES!"

"Thanks! I'd better save some for King Kai. Where is he?"

"If I know Vegeta, he probably wanted to start the training right away," Gohan replied.

* * * * *

Washu turned off the blowtorch and lifted the mask from her face. "Hmm. Definitely needs more padding around the arms. Otherwise, this prototype armor should be just about done."

Before she could continue the job, a bowl of stew floated past her face. Washu's eyes followed it, only to widen in surprise to see Vegeta standing over her.

"I thought you could use this," he said simply.

Washu took the bowl. "Um...thanks, Veggie. When did you become such a nice guy?"

Vegeta held in a growl. "It's because of you that King Kai has agreed to train me, and to provide me with enforcers."

Washu glanced back at him for a second. "Are you trying to say that you owe me?"

"No. I'm trying to say..." He turned away for a moment, then grunted.

"If there was a 'Thanks, Little Washu' hidden in that grunt somewhere, then you're welcome. But in the future, maybe you should just ask me for help if you want it."

Vegeta snorted. "So you would've helped me if I'd said I was going to take over the world?"

"Helped you?! If you'd said that, I might've kissed you, you big lug! World domination's always been a dream of mine." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Of course, you're going to need a pilot, navigator, scientific genius, strategic planner, weapons specialist, and a really cute lady friend when you take over the world." Then she smiled brightly at him. "Lucky for you, I'm all of the above."

Vegeta laughed. "I knew there had to be a good reason for kidnapping you. You just might prove useful to me after all."

"Great! Since we're going to be partners and all, do you mind if I call you Veggie?"

Vegeta closed his eyes and held in another growl. "I'm going to be Lord Vegeta, Ruler of the World, and you want to call me...Veggie?!"

"I'll make you a deal. I'll call you V-Man if you call me Little Washu."

Vegeta hesitated, then sighed. Before he could answer, there was a loud buzzing sound.

"Vegeta and Washu, please report to the backyard at once."

Vegeta looked at Washu, who grinned. "I took the liberty of installing an intercom system. I figured they wouldn't mind."

* * * * *

"Let me see if I have this right," Amy said. "Hotaru and Reenie have run away?"

Mina shrugged. "We think so. We can't find them anywhere, and no one has seen them in town. Andrew's been keeping an eye out for them, but they haven't been to the arcade. Even the ice cream parlor guy hasn't seen them."

"Well, look at the bright side. They're just kids, and they don't have any money. How far could they possibly get?"

Lita suddenly walked in, holding a strange note. "Either of you ever heard of Snake Way?"

* * * * *

When everyone had gathered in the backyard, King Kai checked his watch. "Okay, this is going to be a contest. Vegeta, I've seen you in battle, but that was a while ago, and I need to get a better idea of where you currently stand. All you have to do is dodge Gohan's attacks."

"Don't be afraid to take a few shots to the chest, though," Washu added. "I need to figure out how Saiyan armor stands up to heavy hits."

Vegeta chuckled to himself. "I don't plan to get hit. Let's begin."

Gohan nodded. "I plan to make this last longer than our last fight, Vegeta."

Vegeta smiled. "Good. It's been a while since I've tested you. Let's see if you've got what it takes to beat a true Saiyan."

"And...GO!" King Kai shouted.

Gohan formed a triangle with his hands and fired a long stream of energy. Vegeta merely stepped to the side, then leaped away as Gohan tried to tackle him. Vegeta then grunted in surprise as Gohan appeared behind him and attacked with a flurry of punches. The Saiyan Prince turned just in time to block the blows, then hit Gohan square in the chest. The boy slammed against the side of the house and fell to his knees.

"Gohan!" Sasami ran to her friend and gently put her arms around him.

"Don't worry about me, Sasami." Gohan smiled at her. "I'm tougher that I look."

"Vegeta!" King Kai shouted angrily. "You were only supposed to dodge, not retaliate!"

Vegeta smirked. "Well, if your enemy can't fight, there's less to dodge, isn't there?"

"Never mind that! You have to ignore the instincts that tell you to fight back while focusing solely on moving and blocking."

Gohan stood up and brushed himself off. "Okay, Vegeta. You ready?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing, kid!"

The ground seemed to explode around Gohan as a white, fiery aura surrounded his body.

"What's he doing?" Sakura asked.

"He's increasing his power level," Saturn replied. "I can feel it."

With a loud cry, Gohan rocketed forward. Leading with a flurry of punches, he forced Vegeta back a few feet, then hit him with a blast at close range. Vegeta fell back about a yard, then quickly closed the distance, blocking a high kick from Gohan with a quick forearm. The two began to move so quickly that it was nearly impossible to see them.

"Vegeta's having a difficult time holding back," King Kai said. "When he releases all that frustration, I hope Gohan's not in the way."

Gohan suddenly grabbed Vegeta's arms and drove a boot into the man's gut. Falling back, he catapulted Vegeta through the air. Just to be sure that he didn't recover too quickly from the throw, Gohan followed it up with a huge blast of energy.

Vegeta crashed to the ground, then vanished in the resulting explosion. When the smoke cleared, he was on one knee, coughing from the dust. His armor was burned, but otherwise intact.

Washu ran over and grabbed his arm. "Are you okay, V-Man?" she asked, helping him up.

Vegeta waved her away. "Now it's my turn to test HIS armor!" A flame aura appeared around him as he flew into the air. "Come, son of Kakarot! Now we'll see how you do when my hands aren't tied!"

Gohan chased after him, both of their bright auras fading from sight as they flew higher and higher.

"Do you see anything, Saturn?" Reenie asked.

"No, but I--wait! I see Gohan!"

"Is he okay?!" Sasami cried.

"Well...he'll survive..."

Gohan suddenly became visible in the sky. He was falling at an incredible rate, and Vegeta was right behind him. With a mighty yell, Vegeta drove his feet into Gohan's back, increasing their speed. Gohan slammed into the ground with Vegeta's weight on top of him.

Vegeta leaned down and grabbed a fistful of Gohan's hair. "Not bad, kid. But you've still got a lot to learn before becoming my enforcer." He released the boy and walked inside, followed closely by Washu.

Sasami ran to Gohan and carefully turned him over. "Gohan, can you hear me?"

Gohan slowly opened his eyes. "I guess I lost." He coughed weakly.

"Let's get him inside," King Kai instructed.

Saturn walked over and roughly pushed Sasami aside. She tossed Gohan over her shoulder and followed King Kai back into the house.

"That was pretty rude," Sakura muttered. "I'm really starting to miss Hotaru."

"Yeah," Reenie agreed. "Me, too."

* * * * *

Tenchi glanced around the room. "Okay. Washu's gone now, and she didn't finish the DNA scanner. All of her spare star portals seem to be missing, too. She didn't leave any note or tell anyone that she was leaving. Ideas?"

"I think we should keep trying to find this school," Ayeka said. "We know Sasami's there, and that's probably where Washu's headed."

"I don't know," Ryoko disagreed. "The note did say we wouldn't be able to see her until she was done. Washu's smart enough to take care of herself. There's really nothing to worry about."

"What do you know?!" Ayeka cried. "You're nothing but a space pirate!"

"You're a stuck-up princess!"

"I AM NOT!"

"YOU ARE!"

"STOP IT!" Tenchi shouted. "This isn't helping anyone. Maybe I'll get lucky and disappear next..."

* * * * *

"Wake up, Gohan."

With a groan, Gohan opened his eyes. He was lying on a bed, and someone was leaning over him. "Hotaru?"

"Saturn," she said, a frown on her face. "Why does everyone keep calling me that?"

"Sorry." He tried to sit up, then gasped as pain shot through his right arm.

"Rest." Saturn placed a firm hand on his chest and pushed him back down. "You were very brave in the battle against Vegeta."

Gohan closed his eyes. "My Dad taught me never to run from anything or anyone."

Saturn nodded and began bandaging his arm. "May I ask you something, Gohan?"

He slowly opened his eyes and sighed. "Yeah, I guess."

"Why do you insist on wasting your time with Sasami?"

Gohan's eyes narrowed. "What?"

Saturn looked up from the bandage. "You and I are obviously the most powerful students here. There is so much we could do for each other, if only you would open your eyes and reach your true potential. I can help you do that, you know."

"What are you saying, Saturn?"

"I'm saying," she replied softly, leaning closer so that her face was directly above his, "that you and I should be together, Gohan. With our combined power, even Vegeta would be forced to admit we were stronger than him. We could rule the universe with him as a mere servant. You could have everything you've ever dreamed of, my prince. All you have to do is accept me."

Gohan angrily pushed her away and forced himself to stand, despite the pain in his arm. "If you really knew anything about my dreams, you'd know that you're nowhere in them. You'd know that I treasure every moment with Sasami. She's my friend, but you're clearly not. And if you ever insult her again, I'll be there to make you wish you hadn't. Stay away from both of us, or you'll be sorry." He quickly walked past her.

Saturn blinked in surprise. She had never even thought that Gohan might refuse her invitation.

He paused at the door. "This might not make sense to you, but I liked you better when you were Hotaru."

King Kai had been mostly right about Saturn. The number of feelings she could experience was very limited. Sadness was not one of them. So when tears began to roll down the young girl's face, it could only be assumed that Hotaru had finally returned, but at the wrong time.

* * * * *

Reenie, Sakura, and Sasami all stared at the door, as if it would open for them at any moment. They knew that Gohan and Saturn were inside, alone. To them, that wasn't a good thing.

"I don't see why only she gets to take care of him," Sakura said. "We're worried about him, too!"

"I don't get why she had to lock the door," Reenie complained.

Sasami said nothing. She was too busy thinking about Gohan's health. She knew he was strong, very strong. Even so, Vegeta was not one to pull his punches, and Gohan had been very lucky the fight had ended so quickly. She couldn't stop thinking that she should've done something to help him, anything to keep him from getting hurt so badly.

The door suddenly swung open. Reenie, who had been leaning against it, nearly screamed as she fell into the room. Fortunately, Gohan caught her just in time. "Are you okay, Reenie?" he asked.

"Um...fine," she said, blushing as he steadied her.

Gohan quickly headed past them, nodding to Sakura and Sasami as he went by.

Sasami blinked in surprise and ran after him. "Gohan, wait! Please!"

Gohan paused. "Yes?"

She stopped next to him. "A-Are you okay? I was worried about you..."

For some reason, at that very moment, his arm seemed to ache, causing him to flinch slightly. "I'm...fine. Thanks for worrying."

"But...your arm," she said, gently running her fingers along the bandage, which was already stained red.

Gohan caught her hand in his own. "I know it looks bad, but it'll heal quickly. Nothing to worry about."

"So why do I feel like you're just trying to avoid me?" she asked, her eyes traveling up to meet his.

He sighed and squeezed her hand. Right then, Gohan wanted to tell her everything. How he was supposed to end up with one of the girls for the rest of his life. How much he'd wanted to beat Vegeta, just to prove he was worthy of being his father's son. How much he hated Saturn for insulting his friendship with the most wonderful person he'd ever met. How much he wanted to do nothing more than spend the rest of the day staring into his friend's bright eyes.

"Gohan?" she asked.

Gohan looked at her. "Have you ever watched the sun go down with anyone?"

Sasami stared at him with curiosity. "No."

"Would you like to? With me?" It took nearly all of his will power to keep from blushing.

A smile instantly appeared on her face. "I'd love to, Gohan."

He returned the smile. "I was hoping you'd say that. C'mon, or we'll miss it!" He turned and ran, pulling her down the hall after him.

* * * * *

"Okay, V-Man. All you have to do now is stretch your arms and we're done."

Vegeta obediently (but as usual, grumpily) stretched his arms. "Are you positive that you can create better armor?"

Washu smirked as she took his measurements. "Pretty sure. I usually stick strictly with weapons and shields, but I'm sure it can't be that tough."

"I see. And does this armor cover the lower half of the body?"

She shrugged. "Not really, no."

"Then...what are you doing down there?"

Washu quickly searched for an answer. "Um...checking out your butt?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes and walked away from her. "You could've at least made an attempt to lie."

"I'm not in the habit of hiding my feelings for anyone."

Vegeta stiffened. "Tell me you didn't just say 'feelings.'"

She shrugged. "Okay, I didn't."

"You know nothing about me, I kidnapped you, and now you have...feelings...for me?!"

"I know you're into world domination, just like me."

He tried to explain his point without blasting her into another dimension. "I brought you here because I thought your scientific mind would be of some use to me. I didn't bring you here to have feelings!"

"Can't help it," Washu replied. "You are cute, y'know. Are you telling me a girl has never said that?"

Vegeta wasn't about to answer that one. "That's beside the point! I have no interest in feelings, romance, love, or anything of that nature. So don't be surprised if I don't drool when you walk into the room. I have more important things to worry about than feelings."

"So if you're not worried about feelings, how come you're sparing mine?" she asked.

"That's totally different!" he shouted. "I can't make use of your brilliant mind if I've blasted you into a million pieces!"

"I swear, your compliments are sounding more and more like threats every minute."

Vegeta barely managed to keep from pulling out his hair. "ARRRGH! That's it! I've had it with you! If you say another word, they won't even find your bones!!!"

Washu didn't say another word. Instead, she stepped closer, looked him straight in the eye, and kissed his nose. With that, she turned around and skipped out of the room.

Vegeta didn't know whether to murder her or simply blow up the entire planet. Who did she think she was? This woman had dared to make him angry, claimed she had feelings for him, and now she'd kissed him? It was going too far, and it would all end very quickly. No one made a fool of him and got away with it.

Without realizing it, Vegeta had become extremely angry. Even if he had been standing in front of a mirror, he would've been too blinded by rage to see his now golden hair and pronounced muscles. He didn't even notice how fast he appeared in the guest room given to Washu. What he did notice was that she, whether unintentionally or purely by great coincidence, was very close to being naked.

Washu didn't realize he was there until she heard a surprised grunt. When she looked up, she nearly screamed as she scrambled to cover up. She finally dove into the bed and drew the sheets up to her neck. It was then that she recognized her visitor.

"V-Man, just a little hint. Even if you badmouth her feelings, when you come into a girl's bedroom like this, it's usually pretty suggestive. Especially when you're all pumped up and sweaty and glowing like that."

Vegeta snarled at her. "You have no idea how much I want to decapitate you right now!"

"But...?"

Vegeta's eyes lowered to the floor. "I can't."

"Because you'd rather join me in bed, right?"

"No, because I'd rather rip off your limbs, hear you scream for mercy, and then decapitate you."

Washu sighed. "You just love ruining the mood, don't you?"

* * * * *

"Kero, how do you think Li's doing without me?" Sakura asked.

Kero took another bite of his apple and swallowed. "Don't know or care, kid. The guy's a jerk."

"But while I'm here, he could be out capturing Cards!"

"So? Just makes your job easier."

"No, it doesn't! If Li has all the cards, how am I going to fight the loose ones?!"

Kero stopped chewing. "That is a good point. Maybe you should let Li-"

"Kero, if you finish that sentence, I'll pound you into the ground."

"Sorry." Kero finished the apple. "The thing is, we can't really get home. We don't know where we are, or how we got here. We don't leave until King Kai lets us."

"Reenie told me that Hotaru could teleport people. Of course, we'd have to get Saturn to let her out long enough for that."

"Are you sure that's right?" Kero asked. "I thought Saturn had all the power."

"The way King Kai explained it to me, Hotaru had some slight control over her powers, whether she knew it or not. Reenie said it always looked like she was in a trance when she used them, but it was really her trying to control the power without turning into Saturn."

"Poor kid. She sounds a lot like you when you first started out as a Card Captor. No idea what she's doing, struggling to contain such a great power, always messing up..."

"KERO!" Sakura shouted, her face turning red. "I was not that bad!"

"Says you! I bet Madison's still got it on tape!"

* * * * *

Reenie was sleeping peacefully when someone's hand touched her face. She instantly woke up and grabbed the person's wrist, twisting it roughly.

There was a startled gasp of pain in the darkness, and the person's other hand tugged at Reenie's fingers, trying to pry them loose.

With her free hand, Reenie turned on the lamp. She blinked in surprise and let go. "Saturn?"

The girl on the floor shook her head, weakly clutching her injured wrist. "I didn't mean to wake you, Reenie," she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "I was trying to find my bed, but I got dizzy."

"Is that you, Hotaru?" Reenie asked.

She nodded slowly.

"Oh no!" Reenie got out of bed and kneeled next to her friend. "Did I hurt you?"

Hotaru continued to clutch her wrist. "It was just an accident. I'll be fine." The red coloring of her wrist said otherwise.

"Oh, 'Taru! I'm so sorry!" Reenie hugged her friend tightly. "I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"I'm...okay," Hotaru insisted.

"If you were, you wouldn't be crying." Reenie gently wiped the tears from Hotaru's face. "Do you want me to get some ice for it?"

Hotaru shook her head. "No, but thanks. I just need some sleep."

Reenie helped her into the nearest bed. "Are you sure there's nothing else you need, 'Taru?"

"Well, there is one thing," Hotaru admitted. "It's about Gohan."

"What about him?"

"I think he hates me, but I don't know why."

Reenie sighed. "He doesn't hate you. Not really, anyway."

"He wouldn't even talk to me earlier."

"There's something I need to tell you first, 'Taru. I know it'll sound crazy, but it's all true. Have you ever heard of people with multiple personalities?"

* * * * *

"Sasami, do you know why we're here?" Gohan asked as they gazed at the stars.

She glanced at Gohan. "Not really. Some people spend their whole lives trying to find out."

He chuckled. "Actually, I meant here, on King Kai's planet."

"Oh! Well, no, I don't."

"King Kai told me that I'm the Eternal Prince of the Saiyans."

Sasami stared at him. "So...what does that mean exactly?"

"According to the prophecy, it says I'm destined to marry a girl from Earth. I'm supposed to grow up and either become the ultimate good or ultimate evil in the universe. The choice is up to me."

"Wow, Gohan." Sasami thought for a moment. "That's why the four of us girls are here?"

"Yeah. King Kai thinks it'll be better if I get to know the girl early. Of course, I have to figure out which one I'm supposed to end up with, because that would affect whether I become good or evil."

"Maybe I can help you," she offered. "It can't be me."

Gohan's eyes widened. "What? Why not?!" He blushed and lowered his voice. "Why can't it be you?"

"I'm not from Earth, Gohan. I'm a member of the royal family on the planet Jurai."

"Well...we're both royalty! That's gotta mean something!"

Sasami shook her head sadly. "I'm not the one, Gohan. And I won't be responsible for you going down the wrong path."

"But...Sasami...don't you even-"

She pressed a finger against his lips. "You have to follow the prophecy. It'll lead you to your destiny. I'm just sorry that I won't be part of it."

Gohan gripped her hands desperately. "Sasami, that doesn't mean we can't be friends!"

"I know," she replied, looking up at him. "But I get the feeling you want to be more than that, Gohan. Am I right?"

He slowly released her hands. "I've never felt this way about anyone before..."

"That's why I don't think we should be around each other for a while. You're destined to be with someone else, and you'll never find her if you're trying so hard to be with me. I won't be the one that ruins your future. I care about you too much."

Gohan swallowed the sob building up in his throat. "Sasami, don't do this! Please! I think I lo-"

"If you really do, that's even more reason not to say it," she interrupted. "This is hard enough as it is." Sasami blinked away the beginning of a tear. "I'm so sorry, Gohan. I know this hurts you, but it hurts me, too."

"So...that's it?" he asked. "I'll never see you again?"

"Of course you will. We're both stuck here until King Kai says different. I just think we should stay away from each other. The other girls have been dying to get your attention, anyway."

Gohan shook his head. "I don't care about the prophecy. Not if it means we can't be friends."

"You know King Kai brought us here for a reason. We can't just ignore that. He just wants what's best for you."

"I know, Sasami, but I still think you're the best for me."

Sasami blushed and avoided his eyes. "That means a lot to me, but I'm not going to change my mind about us."

He sighed heavily and squeezed her hands. "I'm gonna miss you, Sasami."

"I'll miss you, too. Just remember that it's for the best, Gohan." She drew his head down and quickly kissed his cheek before hurrying back into the house.

Gohan silently watched her go, feeling as if she'd taken two-thirds of his heart with her. Then he turned back to the stars and touched his cheek. He barely felt the tears that rolled down his face and slipped through his trembling fingers. Though he wouldn't know it until much later, while it was the first time he'd ever cried over a girl, it wouldn't be the last.

* * * * *

Hotaru watched as Sasami headed towards her room. "I don't understand," she thought to herself. "Why won't Sasami allow what she and Gohan both want to happen?" Normally, she would've stopped there. Normally.

The second voice in her head suddenly spoke. "Who is she to reject Gohan?" it asked. "The little cow keeps him from us, and then breaks his heart! She must be destroyed!"

"Yes," Saturn agreed, clutching Silence Glaive in her hands. "She must be destroyed." With superhuman speed, she charged from the shadows and slammed into the smaller girl, knocking her to the floor.

Sasami gasped in horror as Saturn raised the Silence Glaive. "What are you doing, Saturn?!" she cried.

With two quick slashes, Saturn cut off Sasami's long pigtails. "Perhaps this will teach you something about true power, Sasami. In short, you have none."

* * * * *

King Kai was awakened by the screams of two girls. To be more precise, Reenie & Sakura. He looked up just in time to see them come crashing through his bedroom wall. If he noticed the strange costumes they were both wearing, he didn't mention them.

"What's going on here, girls?" he asked calmly.

"King Kai, Saturn's gone crazy!" Sakura shouted. "She's trying to kill Sasami!"

"Is that all? I thought Vegeta was on the rampage again."

Reenie tugged on King Kai's sleeve. "She can't help it, sir. Hotaru can't control Saturn. Please don't blame her for any of this."

"I won't, Reenie, but we'd better stop her. You go and get Gohan. Sakura, warn Vegeta & Washu. If Gohan can't stop Saturn, they'll have to."

* * * * *

"Why won't you stop dodging and die?!" Saturn screamed, resting the edge of the Silence Glaive against Sasami's throat. "You can't possibly escape the wrath of Sailor Saturn!"

Sasami grunted and closed her eyes. "I won't have to."

Saturn suddenly felt a strong pull on her right arm. "Who dares to touch Saturn?!" She spun around, lashing out with the Glaive.

"I do," Gohan growled through clenched teeth. He caught the blade just before it reached his head.

Saturn's eyes widened in surprise. "Gohan?"

"I warned you," he said quietly. "I told you to stay away from Sasami."

"How can you defend her? She broke your heart!"

Gohan winced inwardly, but retained his steely glare. "Hearts heal with time. You were about to kill my best friend. Nothing on Earth could've healed that."

Saturn narrowed her eyes. "I won't let her hurt you, Gohan! I won't let her keep us apart!"

"As far as I'm concerned, Saturn, you're the one keeping us apart. As for being hurt, I'd say what you tried to do tonight hurts more than anything else. Any hope of us even being friends is gone. All you can do now is hope I've got enough good left in my heart not to destroy you right here and now."

"No," Saturn whispered, letting the Silence Glaive slip from her hand. "I did this for you, my prince. For us!"

Gohan grabbed the weapon as it fell. "You did this for yourself, Saturn. Now you're going to pay for it." In one swift motion, he swung the Silence Glaive upward. The hilt grazed Saturn's forehead, but even that was enough to knock her out cold. Gohan caught her with one arm as she collapsed.

"Is she...dead?" Sasami asked fearfully.

"No, just stunned." Gohan handed the Silence Glaive to Sasami and lifted Saturn's limp form in both his arms. "Take that to Washu and have her install some kind of device that limits Saturn's powers. I'm going to see if Reenie knows anything that might help her."

"Thanks for saving my life...again."

"You're very welcome." Gohan started towards the house.

"Am I really your best friend?"

Gohan stopped and glanced back at her. "No, Sasami. You're much more. But I guess we'll never find out how much more, will we?" With that, he carried Saturn inside.

* * * * *

3 Years Later

"Wait for it," King Kai said.

Washu nodded and looked back at the console. "Just tell me when."

King Kai waited a few seconds before shouting, "NOW!"

* * * * *

Gohan dove to the ground just as Frieza's Destructo Disks sailed over his head. He could taste blood in his mouth, and both of his arms were numb. It had been stupid to defeat Nappa and Raditz first. With any luck, they would've eventually destroyed each other. The battles left Gohan quite drained, and naturally, the computer had been saving the best bad guy for last.

"Say goodbye, monkey boy!" Frieza chuckled, pointing a fatal finger at Gohan.

"Goodbye, monkey boy." With ruthless accuracy, Saturn suddenly appeared and drove a sword right through Frieza's gut.

As it was programmed to do, the computer instantly stopped the simulation. "All opponents have been defeated. Time has been improved by 9.47352 seconds."

Gohan slowly stood up. "Where'd you get the sword?"

"One of my opponents had it. I believe he was a Saiyan."

"You beat Trunks?! He's a Super Saiyan!"

Saturn smiled thinly. "I never gave him the chance to prove that."

There was a loud buzz as King Kai activated the intercom. "Great job, you two! Go wash up and then come to dinner. We're having some nice, healthy rice cakes!"

Gohan groaned. "We push ourselves to the limit, and he gives us rice cakes for dinner?!"

Hotaru placed a hand on his shoulder. "At least it's not tofu again."

"Oh, don't get me started on THAT stuff..."

* * * * *

"I still don't get it, Sasami," Sakura said as she set the table. "Why are you always in such a hurry to make dinner and leave before anyone gets here to eat?"

"Personal reasons," Sasami replied. "Pass me that knife? Thanks."

Sakura shook her head. "Okay, but it's almost like I don't see you until I get assigned kitchen duty. Where have you been hiding these days?"

"Um...I just try to stay busy. There's always some work that needs to be done around here."

"Yeah, but Washu's either done it all or invented something that does it twice as fast."

Sasami glanced up at the clock. "Oh no! I'm ten minutes late!"

"Relax, will you? It's not like you're gonna die or anything."

Sasami ripped off her apron and tossed it into the cabinet. "Sakura, could you turn off the stove for me?"

"Sure, but-"

"Thanks!" Sasami ran out of the kitchen and slammed into two other students that were just walking in. They all fell to the floor hard.

"Ouch," Hotaru mumbled, rubbing her head. "What hit me?"

"I think it was my head," Gohan answered. He froze when he realized just who it was they'd bumped into.

"Are you okay, Sasami?" Hotaru asked.

Sasami instantly nodded. "Um...yeah. Just great. Bye!" She jumped up and quickly ran off.

Hotaru watched her go. "Was it something I said?"

"No," Gohan replied with a sigh. "More like something I said. C'mon, let's go eat dinner."

Hotaru glanced at Sasami's fleeing form one last time before following Gohan to the kitchen.

* * * * *

"Okay, V-Man!" Washu shouted over the loud roar of the ship's engines. "Try it one more time!"

Vegeta's golden, flamelike aura seemed to grow brighter as he instantly raised his power level. "Are you sure about this?!"

"Very! Just aim for the cockpit!"

Vegeta fired a powerful beam of energy. He watched in amazement as the blast hit the cockpit and disappeared. "What in the world?!"

Washu climbed out of the cockpit and smiled down at him. "I made a few modifications to the ship's defense system. Not only does it block high-powered blasts, it absorbs them and strengthens the shields."

"So the more we get hit, the stronger we get." Vegeta powered down and placed a hand against the ship. "You never cease to amaze me with your intelligence, Little Washu."

Washu stepped onto the ship's wing and hopped into his waiting arms. "Just think. Three years ago, you couldn't stand me. Now, you're actually giving me compliments."

Vegeta chuckled as he set her down beside him. "I've learned to enjoy life much more," he said. "I always thought Kakarot was a fool for doing that, but now I realize that's why he's lived such a full life."

"Speaking of life, it's about time to start a new chapter in ours," Washu pointed out. "Your training's complete, and we're all packed. All we need now is Gohan & Saturn. Where are they?"

"They're probably saying farewell to the others," Vegeta replied. "We can wait a while."

* * * * *

"You're really going with them, aren't you?" Reenie asked sadly.

Hotaru nodded. "I have to, Reenie."

"But you're a Sailor Scout! We need you!"

"Do you?" Hotaru asked. "There was a time when all of you were afraid of me. Sometimes I think you still are. Even you, Reenie."

"That's crazy talk! You're my best friend!"

"But Saturn isn't," Hotaru pointed out. "You're afraid of her power, so you're afraid of me, in a way. I would be, too. Maybe I'll learn how to control my power with Vegeta & Washu's help. King Kai could only teach me so much."

Reenie hugged her friend tightly. "Don't go, 'Taru. Don't make me go home alone. Please?"

Hotaru gently kissed Reenie's forehead. "You know I can't, Reenie. You mean the world to me, but you can't protect me forever. I have to learn about myself, and this is the best way to do it."

"But I'll miss you!"

Hotaru smiled and held her close. "I know, and I'll miss you more."

* * * * *

Sakura & Sasami sat in the driveway, watching as Washu did some final tests on the ship.

"I can't believe we're all leaving," Sakura said. "It seems like we haven't been here that long."

"Really?" Sasami asked. "It seems like forever to me."

Sakura smirked. "That's because all the exciting stuff that happened involved you. What's the deal with you and Gohan, anyway?"

Sasami avoided Sakura's eyes. "We're friends."

"So would you mind if I asked him out?"

"No, but I wish you wouldn't. There's no telling what Hotaru might do."

"It's not like they're a couple, Sasami."

"Maybe not, but they are much closer now. She's probably protective of him."

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, you're right. So what's in the box?"

Sasami glanced down at the small box in her lap. "Um...well...it's a present...for Gohan."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you the one that won't go out with him?"

"Yes, but-"

"So why are you giving him presents?"

"Sakura, it's not that simple! I wish it was, but it just isn't. Anyway, we can't be together, but we'll always be friends, one way or the other."

"You sure? I didn't see him with any gifts for you today."

Sasami closed her eyes and sighed. "It doesn't matter. I know how he feels about me, and that's enough."

"If you say so." Sakura stood up and shouted, "Kero, time to go!"

Kero flew over and landed on her shoulder. "Are you sure you know how to do this?"

"King Kai showed me how. We just have to use the Jump Card more carefully."

"You mean YOU. I just get dragged along for the ride."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Kero." She turned back to her friend. "Hope we meet again someday, Sasami. Seeya!"

Sasami waved as Sakura leaped upward and slowly disappeared in the evening sky.

* * * * *

Gohan ran a hand through his hair and stretched out across the ship's wing. In ten minutes, he'd be on his way to parts unknown with Vegeta, Washu, and Hotaru. The thought frightened and excited him at the same time. Vegeta had definitely changed for the better, but Gohan still wasn't sure if he could be trusted. He knew even less about Washu, but Sasami trusted her, and the woman seemed to bring out Vegeta's human side. Hotaru was a good friend, when she was Hotaru. Saturn was dangerously unpredictable, but a good ally to have in battle. Fortunately, there hadn't been any sign of her since she and Gohan's confrontation.

He was just beginning to fall asleep when someone tapped his head. Opening his eyes, Gohan looked up to see Sasami leaning over him.

"I was hoping I'd find you here," she said.

"Well, you did." Gohan sat up and looked at her. "You leaving today, too?"

She nodded. "Washu modified Vegeta's old Saiyan transport and said I could borrow it to get home."

Gohan lowered his head. "Sasami, I don't exactly know where we're going, so it might be hard to stay in touch with each other."

"I got you something," she said quickly, pushing a small box into his hands. "Open it now."

He slowly opened the box. Inside, he found a lock of Sasami's hair and a slip of paper with a phone number scribbled on it.

"In case you ever do get to a phone," she explained. "My address is on the back, if you're ever in town."

Gohan turned the lock of hair over in his hands many times. "Sasami, I don't have anything to give you," he finally admitted.

"I know that. I didn't expect you to. The important thing is that you didn't leave without seeing me."

Washu suddenly appeared. "Better wrap it up, kiddies," she suggested. "We're leaving soon."

Gohan stood, then helped Sasami up. "Friends?" he asked, offering his hand.

Sasami slapped his hand away and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Always," she replied, kissing his cheek. "I'll never forget you, Gohan."

He returned the embrace, inhaling deeply. "I'll never forget you, either. I just wish there was something I could give you..."

"I've got an idea," Hotaru interrupted.

Gohan looked at her. "Huh?"

Hotaru stretched out a lock of Gohan's hair and snipped it off with the Silence Glaive. She tied a rubber band around it and handed it to Sasami. "Sorry about attacking you," Hotaru said, bowing her head.

Sasami accepted the lock of hair and smiled. "Don't worry about it, Hotaru. Just do me a favor and keep Gohan out of trouble, okay?"

Hotaru nodded seriously before disappearing into the ship.

Gohan scratched his head. "Sasami, I know we won't see each other for a while, but..."

"But what?" she asked.

"Well...if you ever need me...for anything at all...I'll be there for you."

Before Sasami could reply, Vegeta walked up behind her. "It's time, Gohan."

Gohan nodded. He quickly gave Sasami one last hug before entering the ship.

Vegeta placed a hand on Sasami's shoulder. "Don't worry about him, kid. I'll make sure he comes back to you, safe and sound."

Sasami stared up at him in surprise. "Um...thank you, Mr. Vegeta, sir..."

He nodded and squeezed her shoulder before walking into the ship. "Take care of yourself, kid, and have a safe trip home."

Sasami jumped off the wing and put some distance between herself and the ship. She watched as it gradually rose into the air. She was about to turn away when she spotted Gohan & Hotaru at one of the windows. They were waving at her. With a smile, Sasami waved back until the ship disappeared into a larger version of Washu's star portals.

"Ready to go home, Ryouoki?" she asked the small creature in her pocket.

Ryouoki squealed loudly.

"Me, too."

The End, For now!