The night was calm and beautiful, a perfect canvas above the lively estate of the world's richest family.
Son Goten, finally wide awake after his ordeal, sat quietly atop a secluded rooftop. From this vantage point, he could see the entirety of West City. It was a staggering sight, completely different from the ruin and desolation of his own timeline.
Here, the lights of countless homes sparkled across the metropolis. West City was still the bustling, prosperous heart it was always meant to be.
Everything about the view felt both familiar and strangely foreign. Familiar, because this was undoubtedly the city he knew. Foreign, because the millions of people whose lives went on below simply didn't exist in his shattered world.
As a soft sigh escaped Goten, and a small, bald man materialized silently beside him.
It was Krillin, the version that belonged to this world. Slightly tipsy, he staggered over and clapped a hand down onto Goten's shoulder.
Goten turned his head and recognized him instantly.
"Krillin Ojisan…" Goten murmured, his eyes slightly unfocused.
But the daze cleared quickly. This Krillin was not the same Krillin Ojisan from his own timeline. He could sense his Ki. In Goten's world, his Krillin Ojisan had been converted into an Android, completely devoid of any energy signature. Here, Goten could clearly sense that Krillin's power wasn't particularly strong, yet it was undeniably there.
Even so, seeing a man who looked exactly like Krillin standing before him filled his heart with a sudden, aching warmth.
"I already heard about your situation, kid," Krillin said, his tone half-slurred from the drinks, but brimming with good nature. "Don't be sad! From now on, this world is your home! Don't worry! Here, have a drink!"
He thrust the bottle in his hand toward Goten, then somehow conjured another one for himself and took a long swig.
"Idiot! Krillin! What the hell are you doing?!"
A sharp, ringing female voice sliced through the night, the unmistakable voice of the world's strongest woman.
Before Krillin could react, a fist slammed down on his head.
"OWW! That hurts! What are you doing, Chi-Chi?!" Krillin cried, clutching his sore scalp.
"You're setting a bad example for the kids! Honestly!"
Chi-Chi scolded him furiously, but the very next second, her expression melted into a gentle smile as she looked at Goten.
It was only then that Goten realized, this woman was his mother in this timeline.
She looked a little different, though, much younger than the last time he'd truly seen her. This was actually the result of Bulma and Chi-Chi using the Dragon Balls together. After all, vanity knows no bounds, and since Bulma and Chi-Chi were close friends in this world, it was no surprise that Chi-Chi had happily regained her youthful looks.
Chi-Chi's eyes flicked toward the bottle in Goten's hand, and a brief, cold glint flashing within them.
An invisible pressure suddenly bore down on Goten's mind.
He immediately set the bottle down, sitting up straight like a child caught red-handed, and looked at her nervously.
"Mom…"
He had just opened his mouth when Chi-Chi cut him off, She suddenly pulled him into a fierce, tight embrace, holding him deeply in her arms.
"You poor child…" she whispered into his hair.
"From now on, no one will ever hurt you again! You have your father here, and your big brother too! I won't allow anyone to bully you ever again!"
Her words were full of a protective, righteous fire.
At that moment, Son Goku and Gohan both walked over to them.
Goku thumped his chest with confident reassurance. "Goten, Chi-Chi's right! You're home now!"
Gohan smiled warmly. "I've always wanted a little brother. It's great to finally have you here."
It wasn't just the Son family; the others began to gather around as well, offering words of comfort and encouragement to Goten. The boy who had lost his home once again felt the undeniable, engulfing warmth of a family.
Yet, even wrapped in that powerful embrace, a hint of confusion still flickered in his eyes.
Goten's affection for everyone else was steadily rising. But the moment his eyes fell upon Gohan and Son Goku again, his expression briefly froze. Deep in his heart, he still carried the wounds inflicted by Goku and Gohan from his own shattered timeline.
Perceptive as ever, Bulla immediately noticed the subtle emotions hidden within Goten's eyes.
When everyone else eventually drifted away, she quietly walked over and sat beside him.
"Goten, what are you thinking about?" she asked, though she already suspected the answer.
Goten shook his head. "Nothing."
Bulla smiled playfully, a genuine, easy grin. "Oh? Then let me ask you a question: how old are you this year?"
"Not quite seventeen," Goten replied.
With a sweet little smirk, Bulla said, "Then you're my little brother. I just turned seventeen."
Having established that, she scooted closer until she was sitting right by his side.
"The past can't be changed, but the future can," she said softly, her voice taking on a rare serious tone. "Goten, you have to look forward."
"Actually, I once had a very strange dream… it felt so real I couldn't tell if it was a dream or just what really happened."
She began telling Goten about the events from her previous life, her prior existence, disguising them as part of that powerful "dream."
As he listened, Goten felt an unexpected sense of profound connection, as if her words reflected his own most terrifying and heartbreaking experiences.
From the way Bulla described it, Goten could tell this was no mere dream.
"Oh, right," Bulla added suddenly, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Goten, the Gohan from this world isn't the same as the one from yours."
"My brother told me once, if it weren't for our Gohan back then, our world might have been destroyed too. He was the one who saved us."
Bulla then continued, explaining everything that had happened in this timeline, detail after detail.
By the end of her story, Goten's deep-seated impression of Gohan had changed completely. The Gohan of this world was a fundamentally different person from the broken, terrifying figure he knew.
And the Son Goku here, he hadn't done any of the maddening, confusing things that Goten's father in the other world had done.
That other world had already been erased by Zen'ō, the King of All. Just like Bulla said, the past couldn't be changed. What mattered now was facing the future, and accepting this place as his second, real home.
"Oh, by the way, Goten," Bulla said suddenly, tilting her head curiously, "why do you have the same haircut as Uncle Goku?"
"At first, I actually thought you were him."
She leaned in even closer, reaching out playfully to poke at his spiky, crab-like hair. The faint scent of her perfume brushed past Goten's nose, making him freeze up awkwardly.
He turned his head slightly, creating a little distance between them. "Everyone always said I looked a lot like my dad," he explained.
"So… they raised me to be like him, even told me not to change my hairstyle."
Hearing that, Bulla could clearly feel the faint trace of hurt and resignation in his words.
"Goten," she said firmly, "you should be yourself."
Then, without hesitation, she grabbed his hand. Before Goten could even react, Bulla was already pulling him along at full speed.
And at that exact moment, Chi-Chi and Bulma happened to see them from a distance.
"Uh… what's going on here?" Bulma blinked in confusion.
Chi-Chi's lips curled into a gentle, knowing smile. "Who knows? Something tells me my new boy is about to get a makeover, though."
Bulla dragged Goten all the way into her own lavish room. She pulled out her extensive set of hairstyling tools and grinned mischievously.
"Well then, let's start with your hair, Goten!"
Taking his hands, she led him to stand before the large mirror. "Now, sit down."
Still a little lost, Goten obediently sat in the chair. Under Bulla's careful touch and creative flair, a brand-new Son Goten slowly emerged, one unlike any from the past.
(End Of This Chapter)
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