Notes: I gave the gods a pass on Majin Buu. At the time, there was no god in canon that could stop him. But Zamasu was different: he was a rogue god, thus entirely their responsibility to stop. He was powerful, but by no means the most powerful god. So it is not that the gods couldn't stop him. It's that they didn't.

I'm primarily using Japanese terms to describe the gods' titles, so a quick rundown: Daishinkan - Grand Priest. Kaioshin - Supreme Kai. Dai Kaioshin - Grand Supreme Kai. Hakaishin - Destruction God. Kaio - Kai.

Bulma's Suggestion Box

A Dragon Ball Super Fanfic by

Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)

"How long has it been, Beerus-sama?"

Beerus opened one eye. "You mean since either of us have had to meet with that Kaioshin so much in such a short period? Never. I'm positive that it's never happened before. Not unless you've been sneaking over to visit him while I was asleep."

His attendant Whis made an amused sort of noise, one that he only seemed to make when Beerus was not amused at all. "Things are changing for us, aren't they?"

A snort was the answer. Beerus refused to dignify the statement with more of a response than that.

All too soon, Whis tapped his staff, both to announce their arrival at their destination, and to wake Beerus, if he had been napping along the way.

"I'm sure I don't need to remind you to behave, Beerus-sama," Whis said. "You know that harming anyone here could be catastrophic for you."

"If you're sure you don't need to remind me, why did you just do it?" Beerus muttered.

Whis pretended he hadn't heard. "Hello!" he called loudly.

Almost immediately, the Kaioshin hurried to greet them, followed closely by his attendant Kibito. Bringing up the rear was the Elder Kaioshin, and while he had nearly every excuse to move slowly, he still moved faster than most his age had a right to. Clearly, the importance of the gathering was lost on no one.

Greetings were quickly exchanged, and the Kaioshin thanked Beerus and Whis for coming so far.

This was entirely unnecessary: there were faster ways to travel that were easily available to Beerus, but he had chosen Whis over them all. The reason was simple: he expected to leave this meeting with a headache, and he would need the time on the trip back to cool down, or else he risked destroying his own home in a rage. Also, he did not want to depend on anyone for transport who would refuse to leave at a moment's notice.

"Before we get started," Whis said, "what is that wonderful aroma I detect? It smells so familiar."

"We took the liberty of ordering some food from Earth," the Kaioshin explained as he guided them to the meeting room. "I believe that is the 'hot fudge' from the 'make-your-own-sundae-bar' that you are smelling. It came heavily recommended."

Whis smiled. "I will have to remember to thank Bulma-"

"You're very welcome, Whis-san," interrupted a new voice.

Whis paused and turned his head.

Standing in front of the sundae bar, holding a large spoon and grinning like a shark, was Bulma.

"Whis. This was a setup," Beerus noted.

"Agreed." Whis frowned. "Though... they do have hot fudge, Beerus-sama... and cherries!" The last part came out as sort of a whine.

"I suppose it can't hurt to hear them out," Beerus added, wiping the start of drool from his mouth.

Bulma gave him a smug loook. "Help yourselves, gentlemen. Once everyone has decided on their first course, we can get started."

Whis gaped at her. "First? Are you telling me that we get to do this more than once?"

Bulma laughed. "Yes, I am, Whis-san."

Slowly, Whis knelt before Bulma, took her hand, and kissed it. "Dear lady. I am, now and forever, your servant."

Bulma glanced at Beerus, expecting a complaint, but he was already piling ice cream into a bowl. "You can have him if it means more for me!" Beerus called over his shoulder.

Earlier that day, when the Kaioshin had arrived at Capsule Corporation to pick up Bulma and the food, she had told him exactly what she planned to do.

For a moment, he had been absolutely terrified.

Once she got him to calm down a little and reminded him why he himself was in no danger, he at least stopped shaking. Bulma had not been able to dismiss his fears completely, however, and she understood why.

She was essentially challenging the gods, one of whom was the Hakaishin himself. Beerus would arguably be well within his rights to kill her if she misspoke. And he could probably do so in a way that would make it impossible for any set of Dragon Balls to revive her. But if he did, it would only prove Bulma's point about why things needed to change, and fast.

So as she stared at the small collection of gods seated before her, Bulma steeled herself. It was dangerous, but if she didn't do it, there was no telling what losses they might suffer during the next crisis, or the one after that.

"Before I explain the true purpose behind this meeting," she began, "I need to make sure that I have some facts straight." She turned to the Kaioshin, who froze like a deer caught in headlights. "You once told me that before Majin Buu came along, there were five Kaioshin guarding this universe, including you. Is that correct?"

"Yes," the Kaioshin said slowly.

Bulma turned to Beerus. "And I heard that every Kaioshin is linked to a Hakaishin. Is that right, too?"

Beerus glared at her. "Goku has a big, fat, non-secret-keeping mouth."

Bulma smiled at him. "Why are you so concerned about us knowing, Beerus-sama? It's not like we'd ever kill the Kaioshin. He's our friend, and more importantly, it's not like we have Kaioshin to spare anymore!"

"You wouldn't kill him on purpose, but I've seen the trouble Goku gets into, and I know for a fact that all of his mortal friends have been killed at least once. And don't think I didn't hear about that one giving his life to Goku." Beerus jabbed his finger at the Elder Kaioshin. "So from where I'm sitting, even gods aren't safe from Goku's idiocy. The last thing I want is the Kaioshin getting the idea that sacrificing himself might be a good thing."

"Rest assured that I would never do that so thoughtlessly, Beerus-sama," the Kaioshin said. "It is not just my life I would be discarding. I would certainly consult with you first."

"You mean like you did when Majin Buu almost killed you?" Beerus sneered.

The Kaioshin blushed. "I have apologized for that several times now."

"Yes, and I don't ever recall saying I forgave you, so just keep it in mind for the next million years or so."

Bulma coughed lightly to regain their attention. "There's just one more fact I need to confirm, if you don't mind, Beerus-sama?"

Beerus sighed. "Yes, what is it?"

"If every Hakaishin is linked to a Kaioshin, and there were once five Kaioshin guarding this universe, then surely that means there were once five Hakaishin assigned to this universe as well?"

This question was met with a prolonged, tense silence.

"Am I mistaken?" Bulma asked. "If I am, and there was only ever you, Beerus-sama, then I will need to scrap my whole-"

"There were," Beerus muttered, as if he had tasted something foul.

Bulma looked shocked. "Wait. You mean... there were five? But how can that be? You alone seem so... efficient? Why would any universe need five of you?!"

"It didn't. And I like to think that's why there aren't five anymore."

"But... Majin Buu!" Bulma protested. "He killed the Kaioshin! And the other four Hakaishin in the process!"

"I'm aware," Beerus replied calmly. "He did me a huge favor, doing that. I suppose I really should have owed him for that, but then he had to go and get selfish with the pudding."

"Then... you wanted Buu to destroy them? Weren't they friends? Family? Comrades?"

"No to all. I hated those idiots, and I can't say I've ever missed them. If not for the pudding incident, I might have considered asking Whis to train him up one day. He might have done well as the Hakaishin for some substandard universe, anyway."

"I... I see," Bulma said slowly. "This changes everything. No, it confirms everything I feared."

"Oh, really?" Beerus asked, making no attempt to hide his curiosity. "And what did you fear?"

"Ever since Majin Buu's first rampage, which claimed the lives of eight different gods, this universe has been greatly understaffed! And I'm thinking that's exactly why Zamasu was able to do so much damage to the future timeline! Because there were only so many gods left to stand against him! Doesn't that make all of you furious?! Or at least concerned?!"

There were a few exchanged glances between the gods, but not one seemed to share Bulma's concern.

"Bulma-san," the Kaioshin began gently in an obvious attempt to soothe her. "I am beginning to understand how things must seem from your perspective. But as it is a human perspective, there are many things you do not understand about the gods, and a wealth of information that you are not privy to. So you cannot possibly even begin to-"

"It's Zeno-sama, right?" Bulma interrupted.

The Kaioshin's face went white, and the other gods in attendance also tensed.

"It is, isn't it? He's the one who can appoint new gods, and he's the one who didn't do that for some reason. I'm right, aren't I?"

"D-Don't be silly!" Kibito laughed nervously. "What would make you think that?"

Bulma frowned at him. "Several things. First of all, Zamasu was an apprentice to Gowasu-sama. But I never got the impression that Zamasu was assigned to him. It sounded more like Gowasu-sama picked Zamasu personally for that role. Which suggests that Kaioshin are allowed to pick their successors. I'm sure the higher-ups have final say, but the Kaioshin at least get to suggest a candidate. And I'm thinking the same applies to Hakaishin, based on what Goku and Vegeta have told me about Beerus-sama making them offers, and Whis-san agreeing to train them. But based on the way that all of you react anytime someone even says 'Zeno', then he must have the power to dismiss any of you at a moment's notice. So it makes sense that the only being who could prevent those empty slots from being filled is him."

"It is as you say," the Elder Kaioshin said at last. "There have been attempts to replace those fallen gods, but each time, we are... discouraged from doing so. But in a way, that is the highest honor: that Zeno-sama clearly believes that two gods are capable of carrying the workload."

Bulma shook her head. "Somehow, I'm not so sure the gods that Zamasu murdered in the future timeline would agree with that."

"Bite your tongue, Bulma-san!" the Kaioshin cried. "You are questioning Zeno-sama now!"

"Maybe it's because I'm human, but I just don't understand any of this. I run a huge company, and if I lose eight highly-valued employess, I replace them as soon as possible with eight other employess, if not more. Now that I've met Beerus-sama, the idea of even one Hakaishin other than him makes no sense to me. Maybe that's because, as a human, I don't like to think about so much of the universe being destroyed when I've seen so little of it. But that's exactly why, as a human, the idea of four Kaioshin not getting replaced for so long terrifies me. I would never be so bold as to accuse Zeno-sama of being wrong. But from a human perspective, there have been too many gods slain, and no reaction to those deaths. There were so many times when we would have been lost without our Kaio-sama. A Kaioshin must be even more vital, even if most humans aren't aware of it. How can it possibly be that this universe continues to function without those valued gods? How can you be so sure that leaving their posts empty didn't in some way make it easier for Zamasu's evil to succeed in the future? I have no right to request this, but I want to understand. When my family and friends stopped Buu, at the time I thought we were so lucky. But now that I know there were gods far more powerful than Buu, and I have to believe there was a reason they didn't stop him. And yet, Zamasu was a god who betrayed and murdered other gods. If that, too, is no cause for concern for Zeno-sama, then... I'm scared. For me, and for all of you, who I would like to think of as friends one day. You're gods. You're supposed to outlive me easily. You aren't supposed to die, and certainly not in such large numbers all at once. And that's why I need to understand."

Beerus snorted. "You honestly think you can count me among your friends?"

Bulma frowned at him. "Maybe not, but I'd rather have you here, and not wake up one day to find you'd been replaced by some muscle-bound thug that can't be reasoned with."

"Do you really think I, or Zeno-sama, would allow that?" Whis asked.

"That's my point: I have no idea what he is thinking. Suppose he has you replaced next, Whis-san? Or the next Hakaishin does? Or worse, you both get wiped out and he doesn't replace either of you, and the next time we really need something destroyed, there's no one to do it? Where does that leave us? Unless you were serious about being my servant, I don't have a lot of confidence that we could do anything about such a situation."

Whis sighed. "To be clear, you suspect incompetence because eight gods have been lost in this universe, and not one was replaced?"

Bulma nodded.

Whis stared hard at Beerus.

After a long moment, Beerus snapped, "Fine, I lied!"

Bulma blinked. "About which part?"

"There were never five Hakaishin here, only me. All the Kaioshin are linked to my life. Which is why I don't want the last one dying."

"So you're admitting you'd prefer there were more Kaioshin? For security if nothing else?" Bulma asked.

Beerus nodded. "Now that I've met Goku, I wouldn't mind it. But it isn't my call to make. And we've already told you why we can do nothing about it."

"Would you be opposed if I tried to do something about it?"

"If that involves you trying to change Zeno-sama's mind, don't even think about it. Say the wrong thing and you could get this universe erased."

"But that could happen anyway, if we're still down four Kaioshin when the next big crisis comes along," Bulma pointed out. "Besides, it's not like I'm going to march up to Zeno-sama and start yelling, I have some tact. I'll just make some very polite suggestions."

Bulma was not kidding. It took a few days to arrange and prepare for, but the next time that she hosted a sundae bar on the Kaioshin's world, there were some extra special guests.

Zeno did not show up, and Bulma would have been shocked if he had. In his place, however, he sent the Daishinkan, who was his main attendant, and who also happened to be Whis's father. Given that, it seemed rude not to invite Vados. But as having both Beerus and Champa in the same room was sure to cause a fight, and Beerus insisted on being present (both for the ice cream and to ensure Bulma did not overstep), the invitation was extended solely to Vados, who made some excuse to Champa. She certainly didn't tell him that she was going to a meeting where there would be dessert, and that he wasn't invited.

Again, Bulma served the sundaes first, to get everyone in a good mood. It worked. Whis particularly enjoyed serving his father and sister, and making suggestions on which toppings they might enjoy. Beerus had looked especially grouchy at the start, but once he had a few bowls worth in him, he mellowed considerably. Bulma kept him well-supplied with cherries and hot fudge, just in case. She didn't want anyone leaving this meeting sealed inside a sword.

Bulma was trying to decide how best to start the discussion when Vados suddenly walked over and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"You are a very brave woman, Bulma-san. I commend you, and not just on your excellent desserts. I can assure you that you are in no danger of being destroyed at this meeting, but even so: tread lightly, or at least respectfully. I am told that you are unsatisfied with the way the gods rule your universe, but trust me: if the gods should turn away from you, you will be far more than unsatisfied."

As Vados moved away, Bulma looked up and realized that all eyes were now firmly fixed on her. She cleared her throat and decided to just dive in. "When I planned this event, I never imagined that you would all agree to attend. You each honor me with your presence, and I can't accurately express how grateful I am to you all. Even if your main reason for coming was the food, I'm still very glad you're here."

"Whis has been bragging about your desserts to anyone who would listen, and quite a few who refused to," Vados volunteered with a smirk at her blushing brother. "It's not the only reason I came, but that alone was worth the trip for me."

Whis looked as if he might retort, but the Daishinkan opened his mouth to speak, and both of his children instantly fell silent and looked to him.

"I have very few chances to see Vados and Whis these days, and certainly not together. So I welcomed any event that would give me the opportunity. For that, you have my thanks, Bulma-san. Perhaps I can repay you by addressing some of your concerns. I was given the impression you had some suggestions you wanted to run past me?" He smiled in a way that was both inviting and somehow very perceptive.

Bulma gaped at him. Somehow, the Daishinkan seemed to know exactly what she was planning. At that point, she strongly suspected that he already knew most of her suggestions. But he had invited her to present them, so she was going to.

"Please forgive my ignorance, but I had just one question first: what is it that you do, exactly?"

He chuckled. "That is a rather long list, but to keep it simple? I serve Zeno-sama. Among my duties is welcoming and escorting guests. I also expel intruders and guests who have... worn out their welcome. Also, as in the case of this meeting, I represent Zeno-sama if he is otherwise occupied, and then relay to him the events I have witnessed."

Bulma's eyes gleamed in triumph. "Would it be fair to say that you have Zeno-sama's ear, then?"

Another smile. "More accurate than fair, I should say. It is not an exaggeration to say that Zeno-sama values my opinion. But there are times when he will not listen to me, if he feels passionately enough about something. In those times, I do not think he will listen to anyone. Not even a childhood friend of his good friend, Son Goku. Which is unfortunate."

Bulma blinked, not sure how to take that. "So if I happen to suggest something here today that you agree is a good idea?"

The Daishinkan nodded. "I will, of course, mention it to Zeno-sama. Although depending on the nature of the suggestion, I may or may not mention that it came from you."

Bulma smiled. "If it gets the idea to him, I don't care who takes credit for it. Thank you very much!" She shot a smirk at Beerus, who made a point of not looking at her. This seemed to amuse the Daishinkan.

"I have agreed to express your ideas, if I hear one I approve of. But I have not approved of one yet, Bulma-san," he reminded her. "I haven't heard any at all."

"Oh, right! Sorry! Well, in light of recent events, I think this first suggestion makes a lot of sense. I was hoping you might consider the creation of a position for a god of time."

The reaction to this was immediate and noteworthy: the Daishinkan smiled. He did that a lot, Bulma noticed. But this time, so did all the other gods, even Beerus, which was just weird.

"Please, go on," the Daishinkan said. "This idea... interests me."

"Really?" Bulma asked, growing excited by the encouragement. "Well, I can't pretend to know anything about how gods are appointed, but I did have some ideas about the position itself. As you may all be aware, a future version of myself built a time machine. I'm now aware that this was illegal, but at the time, she was desperate for a solution, and she wasn't in regular contact with any gods that could help her. And yet, I still think time travel was the only solution to her case. So I would want a god of time that patrolled the time-streams, and evaluated requests for time travel on a case by case basis."

The Daishinkan blinked. "You are suggesting that the god of time should hear public requests for time travel, a forbidden act?"

"No, no!" Bulma cried. "I'm not saying that just anyone should be able to walk up to a god and ask permission to time travel! But I am saying that a warrior, who has proven himself to be on the side of justice, who has sacrificed everything to defend his planet, and who would happily aid the gods if they asked him, should not be out of options just because he isn't strong enough to defeat a threat. And I don't think it should ever get to a point where time travel is the only option. Which is all the more reason for there to be a god who could have prevented Zamasu from reaching the future in the first place. So if there was someone with pure intent that needed to time travel, maybe the god of time could offer them... I don't know, a temporary time pass? Or some sort of escort that would allow them to time travel, but not to impact anything that they shouldn't?"

"This idea," the Daishinkan said slowly. "I will have to think more on it, and explore it later on my own."

Bulma hesitated. "What does that mean?"

"It means that you have given me much to think about, Bulma-san. Do not misunderstand me: this is not a dismissal. Call it... inspiration. Yes. You have inspired me. Please, I am anxious to hear your next idea."

"This next one is less an idea, and more a clarification that may lead to an idea. Beerus-sama mentioned he couldn't go to the future and destroy Zamasu. I can imagine why a Hakaishin wouldn't be allowed to time travel. But there was a time when Zamasu, as Goku Black, came here from the future. Would it have been forbidden for Beerus-sama to destroy Zamasu then?"

"I do not believe I have enough information on the incident to answer that," the Daishinkan said. "I would have to ask Beerus-sama to share his judgment on the matter."

Beerus frowned at Bulma. "You are not as clever as you think you are, you know. If you wanted to know why I didn't destroy him then, you could have just asked me."

"And if you weren't in the mood to tell me, or thought it was none of my business, would you have?" Bulma asked.

"No. But you could have asked. Yes, I could have destroyed Goku Black the moment I saw him. But the only thing I knew for sure then was that he had a Time Ring and Goku's face. Had I destroyed him, we would have learned nothing, and it would have in no way stopped the Zamasu in the future."

"I understand that," Bulma said. "But what I'm asking is if it would have been allowed for you to destroy him, with only that little to go on."

Beerus shook his head. "You have the wrong idea. There is nothing and no one I am forbidden to destroy. That is my purpose, after all: to destroy. However, there are a few things and beings that I would face grave consequences for destroying, so I do not. If I had believed Goku Black to be impersonating a god, or known that he had slain even one god, I would have taken immediate action. But I did not have enough information to make either of those assumptions, and had I destroyed him then, I never would have gotten that information."

Bulma nodded. "In that case, I do have a suggestion. An addition to your current laws, since I'm almost certain that this very situation isn't covered. A god that witnesses anyone, especially another god, participating in an activity that goes against the laws of the gods, should either take immediate action to prevent further law-breaking, or immediately report it to the appropriate god who can."

Beerus smirked. "You realize that means if I catch you meddling around with time travel again, I'm supposed to do something about it right away?"

Bulma blushed. "Yes, well, now I know it's a crime. And if you accept some of my other ideas, I should never need to time travel without permission again."

"May I ask what inspired this idea, Bulma-san?" the Daishinkan asked.

"It's something Zamasu said. He claimed to have killed all the gods in the future. How could that be possible? Surely at least one god must have sensed another being slain, and warned someone else. Which leads me to another idea. There should be an automated warning system in place. Any time a god expires, either through natural or unnatural means, every god in that same universe should be alerted and know the circumstances of the death. I have to believe that since multiple gods died against Majin Buu, and even more died against Zamasu, that the current system, if there is one, is in dire need of an update."

"This," the Daishinkan said slowly, "is an idea I agree with. Yes, I will certainly bring this to Zeno-sama. It is true that our means of communication are rather dated, while yours seem far more efficient."

Bulma grinned at him. "I'm so pleased that you agree! If you like, I can show you some of my company's products! I'd have to retool them for god use, but I love a challenge!"

"Are you actually trying to make a sale?" Beerus demanded.

"Of course not! No charge for gods who don't threaten to blow up Earth," Bulma said pointedly, drawing a scowl from Beerus.

The Daishinkan chuckled. "Was there more, Bulma-san?"

"Oh, yes! I think it would be wise for the gods to have increased protection. Even if he was stronger than them, Zamasu should not have been able to take them all down with only one partner helping him. One attendant each simply isn't enough. Unless that attendant is Whis-san, and clearly that wasn't the case. And since it wasn't, I think each god should be assigned a bodyguard who has at least gotten some training from someone at Whis-san's level. Even one such being would have been enough to stop Zamasu, so there's no way he would have gotten through several of them."

"What a bold idea," the Daishinkan murmured. "I do not know if Zeno-sama will agree to it, but I can certainly see the benefits. I will bring this to him, as well."

"Excellent!" Bulma cheered. "Then I just have one more suggestion, and maybe you can ignore it, if you get the warning system up and running. I'm not sure how often gods do this, but I think an annual scan of their territory to check for new potential allies and threats is a must. Kaioshin-sama was shocked by the power of the Saiya-jin when he met them. But if he had been watching them as much as Kaio-sama has, then he wouldn't have been surprised at all. Oh, and I got the distinct impression that those two had never met before, so that needs to change. Better communication can really improve our security in this universe."

The Daishinkan nodded. "I agree. Some of us have been out of contact for far too long. You have many useful ideas, Bulma-san, and I would like to explore them. I believe the best course of action would be to test them in your universe first. If they prove successful, then I will not only have an idea to take to Zeno-sama, but an idea with proven results."

"Great! But you won't get in trouble for testing them without permission, will you?" Bulma asked.

"It is kind of you to worry, but no. This type of thing also falls within my many duties to Zeno-sama, I assure you. Very few beings speak with him directly, more for their own safety. I also feel the need to point out that as they are the ruling powers within your universe, you will need to coordinate your efforts with your Hakaishin and Kaioshin. I am merely stating that if your ideas prove effective, I will be happy to take them to Zeno-sama."

Bulma risked a glance at the two gods. Beerus looked somewhat grumpy, which she could understand because she'd basically gone over his head. The Kaioshin, however, seemed thoughtful rather than upset. Apparently he was giving at least one of her ideas a great deal of consideration. That was fine. Bulma expected she'd be dealing more with Whis than Beerus, anyway. And Whis looked composed, as usual. Kibito looked more like he was trying not to have a fit, which Bulma assumed was because the very idea of a human even in the Daishinkan's presence was sacrilege to him. She wondered if maybe Whis putting him through some training might loosen him up. If she had her way, she might even get the chance to find out.

Years Later

The tricky thing about having kids, Bulma had discovered, was that a first in no way necessarily adequately prepared you for the second. Trunks had been spoiled but easily managed, due largely to both admiration and fear of his father.

Bra was not afraid of her parents. Or at least, she did not fear them as much as a standard four year-old would. And this was because, nearly every day of her life, she had been told something. Something that Bulma never would have thought to say to a child, and certainly not one born into a wealthy family, at least not so frequently.

It was all Vegeta's fault. Because unlike other fathers, when he told his daughter that she was a princess, he really meant it. And Bra believed everything her father said.

Princesses didn't get in trouble. And even when they did, it was never for long, because they were princesses. Everyone forgave princesses.

Sort of. Marron and Pan hadn't come over to play for a whole week after Bra had called them peasants. Thankfully, Bra had realized her error on her own and apologized. Bulma had noticed that Bra was not quite as bossy around them anymore, and that Marron, as the oldest and most even-tempered, generally decided what they would do, which was for the best. Pan generally wanted to train, which was fine for her, but Marron preferred to only watch, and Bra tended to avoid things that got her dirty, thank goodness.

So this afternoon's playdate had been canceled: Pan had gone with Goten to train in the mountains, and Marron had gone shopping with her parents, which left Bra to tag along with Bulma. Fortunately, Vegeta had also explained to Bra that princesses were dignitaries, so she was unusually accustomed to entertaining guests. This worked out nicely for Bulma, who often had meetings and could take Bra along without too much fear of embarrassment. She never had to worry about Bra misbehaving in general, but there had been a few occasions where Bra had become outraged that someone doubted her royal blood. And in those cases, anyone Bra called a peasant was getting off easy, as far as Bulma was concerned.

Today's guests were easier, in that Bra had met them before, and was arguably comfortable with them. Or rather, she seemed comfortable with arguing with them, so it was a mixed blessing.

"Remember: keep it civil," Bulma warned as they approached the conference room.

Bra glanced up at her with a frown. "I'm a princess. I'm always civil."

"On second thought, keep it nice. Your civil comes off as offensive. So does your nice, but not as much."

"They started it!" Bra protested.

"You asked what they did, and they told you. It wasn't a contest until you made it one. So, for the last time: be nice."

Bra pouted and said nothing as they entered the conference room, where their two guests were standing at the windows, taking in the sunlight. The first guest was of average height, female, and wore a red Kaioshin vest with yellow trim over a pink undershirt and matching pants, secured by an orange sash. The second guest was green-skinned, tall, male, and wore white robes over a blue undershirt, along with a brown turban-like hat.

"Sorry!" Bulma apologized, bowing to them. "Did we keep you waiting long?"

Bra remained silent and certainly did not bow as the guests turned to face them. She only bowed to people that her father was afraid of. Which to date was pretty much anyone at Hakaishin rank or above. Although she could be convinced to bow to Bulma on each of their birthdays.

The female guest smiled. "I consider it a blessing to be able to bathe in the sun's light once more, Bulma-sama. I have you to thank for that. You may keep me waiting as long as you wish." She turned her gaze to Bra. "It's lovely you see you as well, Bra-sama."

Bra grinned. "Wassup, Pinky and Not-Piccolo."

"Bra!" Bulma cried angrily. "That's no way to speak to a Kaioshin and her attendant!" She turned to them and bowed again. "I'm so sorry, Kaioshin-sama, Pikkon-san. It will never happen again."

"We are accustomed to young Bra's opinion of us," the West Kaioshin said with a twitching smile. "It's not a problem."

"I do not mind being compared to Piccolo," Pikkon agreed. "He is a worthy opponent, and I make time to spar with him whenever I visit this planet."

"Still, Bra knows better than to be rude to friends," Bulma insisted, glaring at her daughter.

"Better she be rude to friends who will forgive her, than to strangers who will not," West Kaioshin suggested. "In any case, we are not offended. And I would not expect your daughter to hold her tongue, when it is that very same trait in you that is responsible for me being here at all, Bulma-sama."

"Yes, well, that was different. I was being rude to Kaioshin in order to better my universe. Bra is only doing it because she's a brat."

"Princess brat," Bra corrected smugly, earning another glare from Bulma.

"Bra, can you please do something that doesn't involve you talking for a few minutes?"

"I have an idea," West Kaioshin said. "Bra-sama, if you can climb to the top of Pikkon's hat without falling, I'll give you a treat from the last planet I visited."

Bra's eyes gleamed at the thought of having an otherworldy prize. "Don't move!" she ordered, pointing at Pikkon.

Pikkon stared at her blandly.

Bra seized his ankle and begin to climb, slowly but with obvious determination.

Bulma leaned over to whisper in West Kaioshin's ear. "Did you ever think when you were feeling her kick inside me, that she might turn out like this? Be honest. And if you did, why didn't you warn me?"

West Kaioshin smiled. "As you know, Kaioshin do not generally intefere in mortal affairs unless there is an undeniable need."

"And you didn't think I needed to know that I was carrying a brat?"

"You are a very intelligent woman, Bulma-sama, but also rather stubborn. If a god had come to you and warned you against having your son, would you have taken it as well-meaning advice, or a deity trying to control your life?"

"Fair point, but you've met Bra. She's no Trunks."

"True, but thanks to your son, I try not to underestimate any of your children."

"Sure, flatter the one I didn't physically give birth to," Bulma sighed. "So, you're here for an update, I assume. How are things?"

West Kaioshin beamed at her. "Pikkon has made great strides in his training. Whis says he hasn't had a student so eager to learn since Goku. It will take Pikkon some time to reach Goku's level, but he is far more determined than I first imagined."

"And Maraikoh?"

The smile vanished. "He is not progressing as quickly, mainly because he thinks he doesn't have to. That should change if someone other than Pikkon embarrasses him in a fight."

"Embarrasses, or totally humiliates? Because for a few cases of pudding, I could get Buu to flatten just about anyone."

West Kaioshin shook her head. "Maraikoh remembers Majin Buu. He is not quite that deluded. No, I am sure Whis will be able to suggest someone. You know, I have evens started taking lessons from him mys-"

"NO FAIR!"

Both women turned to see Bra, pouting fiercely as she hung upside-down by one foot. Pikkon was holding the aforementioned foot and doing his best not to seem pleased.

"He moved!" Bra complained. "I was almost at his hat and he moved!"

"I don't recall that not being allowed," Pikkon answered.

"Yes, it was! I told you not to move!"

Pikkon arched an eyebrow. "And who are you to order me?"

"I'm the princess of all Saiya-jin!"

"And I am the attendant of the West Kaioshin, who rules over the entire section of the universe that your home planet and its people reside in. I don't take orders from you."

"He's got you there, Bra," Bulma agreed.

Bra glared at her mother. "You're supposed to back me up!"

"I'll be happy to, when you're actually right about something."

Bra's sixth birthday party was nearly over. Bulma had dashed into one of the rarely-used labs to bring out Bra's last gift: a hovercar that was based on the design of Future Bulma's time machine. It would never time travel, of course, but it was nice to look at it and recall.

That was the plan, anyway. But when Bulma got to the lab, there was a man already there, inspecting the hovercar with a frown.

"You can't really be meaning to send another kid into the time-stream, kaa-san?" he asked.

Bulma stared at him. "You're... Trunks?"

He smiled. "You don't recognize me?"

Bulma continued staring. It was Trunks... sort of. He had to be in his mid-thirties, at least. And his body was more solid. Not with muscle, but with the kind of pounds that came from not fighting for his life daily, and living in a time where peace was abundant enough that people were allowed to gain weight freely. She liked the glasses and lab coat, though. At least he hadn't just been sitting on a couch somewhere.

"Am I too old for a hug?" he asked.

Bulma blinked and slowly moved closer. "It's just... you've changed so much."

"You haven't," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "You're just the way I remember you."

Bulma smiled into his shoulder. "It's one of my best features. And not that I mind, but why are you here? Please don't tell me a world, universe, or timeline is in danger again?"

"No, nothing like that. I got special permission to visit, just for a few minutes."

"A few minutes?!" Bulma cried, outraged. "Why in the world would you time travel just to see me for a few minutes?! Do you have any idea how restricted time travel is around here?!"

He grinned. "I wanted to show you something. I thought you'd get a kick out of it." He removed what looked like a laminated card from his pocket and handed it to her.

Bulma quickly scanned the card, her eyes widening. "Wait. Is this really...?"

"A temporary time pass."

Bulma's head jerked up, and she stared into his eyes eagerly. "Wait! Does this mean there's a god of t-?"

"Whoops, look at the time, gotta go, love you, kaa-san!" Trunks said in a rush, winking at her as he abruptly turned transparent and then vanished from sight.

"Hey, wait!" Bulma cried, but he was already gone... and his temporary time pass was still in her hand. At least, it was until it suddenly became transparent, and then vanished as well.

Bulma checked the lab immediately. There was no sign at all that Trunks had been there, so there was little point in telling anyone. Well, that wasn't entirely true. There was one sign he had been there, but Bulma didn't realize it until nearly a week later, when she was polishing Bra's hovercar and noticed a message scrawled on the side, which read, "Bra-chan's Non-Time Machine. Behave yourself, kaa-san."

Bra thought it was hilarious. Of course, she also thought her present brother had written it, and to go along with this, Bulma took his allowance away for a week. It wasn't fair, but she was sure he'd done something she didn't know about at some point.

The Daishinkan and Zeno had tea parties for just the two of them twice a week, if time allowed. It gave the Daishinkan a chance to update Zeno on anything he had been unable to see to personally, and allowed them to remain close friends.

As the Daishinkan had suspected, Zeno had been reluctant about some of Bulma's ideas, but he had seen the wisdom in others. So he had granted the Kaioshin permission to revive only one other Kaioshin with the Super Dragon Balls. The West Kaioshin had been selected. The Daishinkan found it curious that she had been the one, rather than the Dai Kaioshin, or the South Kaioshin, who had been among the strongest of them.

But within just a year, the Daishinkan, too, began to understand the choice. Upon learning that Bulma had been the driving force behind her revival, West Kaioshin had become Bulma's most vocal supporter. She had eagerly recruited West Kaio's top two students as her bodyguards, and sent them to Whis for training. She was also always one of the first gods to test Bulma's latest technology, including a video conference device that kept her in regular contact with East Kaioshin (a title he was still re-adjusting to) and West Kaio.

Even now, West Kaioshin was viewed as a bit unusual for embracing mortal ideas so frequently. But the Daishinkan could not blame her, as it was a mortal idea that brought about her revival in the first place. And there were several gods who had their mortal vices: North Kaio and his love of cars, Beerus and his new preference for Earth foods. And given how much Bulma had done in service of both Earth's and the universe's stability, it was hard to say that she was a bad influence on any god.

And the Daishinkan was not concerned about Bulma being too influential for one very simple reason: Zeno had not deviated from his overall plans for Universe 7 at all. If anything, he was now more determined than ever that they remain on track. So it was rather surprising that he had allowed the revival of a Kaioshin at all, as it seemed counterproductive. But he was nothing if not patient. Eventually, everything would fall into place.

At some point, the two Kaioshin would die. Beerus and Whis would go with them. And that would leave Universe 7, for the first in ages, in need of a new Hakaishin.

And Zeno already had one picked out.

Goku had to be asked several times before he agreed. Honestly, being a Hakaishin just didn't sound very interesting, what with all the sleeping Beerus did. Then it was explained to him that he didn't actually have to sleep as much as Beerus did, and that certain allowances could be made so that the job would be a more comfortable fit.

First and foremost, Goku didn't want to get bored or lonely. He was allowed and even encouraged to keep Whis as his attendant. But just one companion wasn't enough, so Goku was allowed to move in his immediate family, once they were ready. Except he needed a sparring partner, so Vegeta and his family got to move in as well. And before long, people who really had no legitimate reason to be there, other than they knew Goku, had moved in. This didn't bother Goku at all.

Being a Hakaishin was a great deal of fun. There was lots of travel involved, so he got to meet all sorts of different people. And when there wasn't enough fighting for his taste, he only had to go home and fight Vegeta. They had to set up a pocket dimension for such fights though, and Whis got tired of doing it, so Bulma invented a machine to do it for him.

Perhaps because Zeno thought Goku had worked out so well, when it came time to find a new Hakaishin for Universe 6, Goku suggested Buu, and Zeno listened. Others were against it, but once Goku pointed out how similar Buu was to both Beerus and Champa (easily controlled by food, rather grumpy if anyone got in the way of eating, and good at blowing up stuff), it was difficult to argue. It could also be seen as Buu repaying his debt to the gods, as well as drastically reducing the odds that someone like Zamasu could emerge in Universe 6, since long naps got in the way of eating as far as Buu was concerned. Vados agreed to stay on as attendant because, once again, it wasn't all that different from what she was used to. If anything, Buu had even less imagination than Champa, so he was easier to handle.

Except, of course, when Buu and Goku got together, they ran into the same problem that Beerus and Champa had: they inevitably started fighting each other. Not because they were siblings and eternal rivals, as those two had been, but because there were so few in their league, it was hard to get a decent fight out of anyone else. They had tried to track down Beerus in Other World for that very reason, but he had either ceased existing entirely, or was just hiding from them extremely well.

The End.

Endnotes:

I don't actually believe this is the reason why the four Kaioshin were not replaced. But even a somewhat silly reason is the only one I was able to come up with. So maybe Zeno is of the opinion that they need a new breed of god, who originated from some place other than where Kaio and Kaioshin do. Maybe that's why he is so interested in Goku.

And for those interested, I use the name Bra solely because I can't stand the name Bulla. And this from a person who convinced himself to go from Bolt to Boruto, so that should give you some idea of how resistant to this I really am.

Relax, I am not ignoring GT, though I suspect some might be fine with that. Goku would become a Hakaishin at some point after he flies off with Shenron. And all those people I mentioned moving in would more than likely have halos.

I will give DB Super credit for giving the gods a much-needed shot in the arm. But in trying to mesh the canon of Z and Super, they've opened up some plot holes of varying sizes. I'll be discussing some of them here. They are long, so skip them unless you're extremely interested in my rant on various plot holes.

Lasting Impact of Majin Buu: One of the biggest problems in adding Beerus and saying he's been around virtually forever is justifying why he did nothing both times when Majin Buu ran wild on the universe. Even if you make the case that as a Hakaishin, Beerus would have seen nothing wrong with a demonic force that destroyed nearly everything it encountered, there's an issue. In both of Buu's rampages, he specifically targeted Kaioshin, who were linked to Beerus's existence. So even if Beerus was asleep at the time, Whis should have woken him up in order to have him deal with Buu. And if it left Beerus in a bad mood, so what? Better he be mad, than dead. Anyway, Buu was defeated, but not before destroying four Kaioshin. And I use the term 'destroy' specifically, because they haven't been seen since, so it's not as if they're in the same state as North Kaio, dead but still functional. They are gone. Which leaves Universe 7 with one official Kaioshin in East Kaioshin, and one unofficial (or at least arguably inactive) in Old Kaioshin. To go from five active Kaioshin to one and a half is a considerable loss.

Lifelink Confusion: We are only specifically told that Beerus is linked to East Kaioshin. But that's rather random, that the Hakaishin is linked solely to the East Kaioshin. The most sensible implication is that Beerus was linked to all active Kaioshin, but with East Kaioshin being the only survivor of the group, he is Beerus's last link left. But again, there is an issue: Old Kaioshin. Beerus was around 15 generations previous to seal away Old Kaioshin. At the time, Old Kaioshin presumably was active, and thus linked to Beerus, which is why Beerus did not kill him. Sealing Old Kaioshin effectively made him non-functional without killing him. So if that did not nullify his link to Beerus, then surely the next East Kaioshin appointed in his place did. Which brings up an interesting point: Old Kaioshin should no longer be linked to Beerus. Note that Beerus is concerned solely about East Kaioshin surviving, and doesn't spare a thought for Old Kaioshin. Which to me suggests that East is the last Kaioshin linked to Beerus, which also means that Old Kaioshin is not, or at least is not any longer since he is not an active Kaioshin. I think much of the confusion is a choice of wording. If you're familiar with the manga Ah! My Goddes, they have a similar system where every individual goddess is linked to an individual demon, which I originally thought was the case here. But it is more accurate to say that the active Kaioshin were balanced against the Hakaishin, rather than linked to. The idea that they come and go as groups is misleading: if that were actually the case, Beerus would have become inactive when Old Kaioshin's generation did, but that is not the case. What is most accurate is that if all active Kaioshin are destroyed, so is the Hakaishin. And as there is only one active Kaioshin, that is why Beerus is so worried about him surviving. As he should be, since their future counterparts did not survive, specifically because the East Kaioshin was mortally wounded, and as he was the last, that was the end of Beerus as well.

Lack of Communication: In the dub, North Kaio flat out says that he's never seen the Kaioshin before. He's met Beerus, but not the sole Kaioshin left. The implication is that Beerus, one of the less active gods, still gets out more than the Kaioshin does. And maybe that's just because Whis is a better attendant than Kibito, as Whis can get Beerus to do things he wouldn't on his own, while Kibito is more of a yes-man. North Kaio and the Kaioshin never having met also indicates that the Kaioshin, up to that point, had not been paying close attention to Earth, despite what he claimed about monitoring Majin Buu's ball. He would have known exactly how strong the Saiya-jin were if he'd been paying attention to Earth (or if he'd met with North Kaio), and he had no idea. He even said he went to Earth in pursuit of Babidi, clearly without notifying North Kaio despite it being in his territory. This is a clear disconnect between the Kaio and the Kaioshin, possibly even outright disrespect when you get down to it. And it is not an indicator of gods that have a good working relationship, or that stay in even semi-regular contact. I know gods at differing ranks don't meet up often. But that is exactly my point: they should, especially since North Kaio had information that would have been vital to the Kaioshin. And who better to notice strange things on Earth than North Kaio, who often watches it, or Dende, who always watches it? Yet both were bypassed by the Kaioshin, who consequently had no idea what he was dealing with.

Inconvenient Rules: More than once, the rules of the gods get in the way of them stopping Zamasu. Things such as Hakaishin not being allowed to time travel, or gods staying out of mortal affairs, make perfect sense. But there are some rules that seem designed more to get in the way than anything else. Consider angels: they are powerful enough to keep a Hakaishin in check. Yet they generally cannot awaken a Hakaishin that is sleeping, nor are they allowed to take part in combat, outside of training. This, while annoying, at least answers the question of why Beerus nor Whis interfered when the Kaioshin's life was endangered fighting Babidi: Beerus was likely asleep, and even if Whis had been watching, he wouldn't have been allowed to do anything about it. At the same time, there are rules that Beerus has no problem bending or outright ignoring. He repeatedly claims that mortals should not depend on gods to solve their problems. True enough, since the gods don't even seem willing to solve their own problems, which are numerous. And yet Beerus is used as comic relief in that he can be instantly summoned for food, making him a more convenient answer to Buu. I also don't agree that his classification of a rogue god that kills both other gods and mortals is a mortal problem. Especially since even if he had agreed it was a god problem, Zamasu had already killed the gods in the future timeline, so even if it was their job to stop him, there was nothing they could have done about it.

An Example of Failure: The manga goes into greater detail as to how Goku Black came to power in the future timeline: he specifically searched for a timeline where Beerus would be unable to stop him. And he finds one, where the Kaioshin dies immediately after fighting Dabura and Babidi. And since here the Kaioshin is again the last active one, Beerus and Whis die as well. And Goku Black only watched it happen. In other words, even if the Kaioshin had survived the battle, Goku Black would have immediately killed him. But Goku Black only watched, so just by letting things play out naturally, he found a timeline where both the Kaioshin and Hakaishin of a universe were a non-factor. This is a perfect example of why the current reduced population of gods is risky, exposes the gods to extreme danger, and puts mortals in even more danger. Anyone strong enough to kill the one Kaioshin can rule the universe. It's true that this timeline had suffered more damage than the current one, but it had the exact same upper-tier gods that the current timeline does. And ultimately, the solution was to erase the timeline entirely, because too much irreparable damage had been done to the universe. There is no better example of why the way the gods operate at present must change.

DB Super Episode 68: This entire episode was devoted to the idea of possibly reviving North Kaio. That is an odd concept, because the only notable differences between him being alive or dead are his halo, and that the other Kaio make fun of him for being dead. But even if he were alive, they would just find another reason to tease him, as they are a highly competitive bunch. Being dead seems to in no way prevent North Kaio from doing his job. Especially compared to the Kaioshin who no longer exist in any form and thus cannot possibly be doing their jobs. So even though North Kaio deserves to be revived for all he's done, I still feel that it would be a better idea to revive a Kaioshin. Or at least to find out why no one, mortal or god, seems interested in replacing them and restoring balance, so that bad guys like Zamasu can't exploit the imbalance.

God of Time: I do not expect a god of time to ever be mentioned on any Dragon Ball show. At this point, it would really be a bad idea, given how often time travel has been abused. If a god of time were introduced, we would have to accuse them of sleeping on the job more than even Beerus. Why, that would almost be like introducing an Omni-King that only seems to do his job when summoned. And then he just goes overboard and wipes out everything, including the stuff he should be trying to save. Oh, wait.