Chapter 4 Who are you?

Goku was tensed in his fighting stance as the being walked the rest of the way through the light. Once the stranger was all the way through, Goku finally understood that if they fought, it would not be easy, or if they could even win. The man was easily as tall if slightly taller than Piccolo, highly tan with pitch black hair and eyes. He did not wear a shirt but a pair of pants that appeared easy to move in but tied at the bottom to prevent extra movement.

And the jewelry, he was covered in it. A large gold necklace with different gems, bracelets that looked snug around his arms, one gold bracelet around his left forearm and two, one around his wrist and another on his other forearm decorated his right, all of them decorated with what looked like gems, what kinds though Goku did not know. A band of gold with more stones sat around his head as the man looked at the sky in wonder.

If Goku could not feel his energy, he would have thought he was some rich man. But he could, and he could tell he was a fighter. And judging by the way the stranger was looking at them with his eyes narrowed, he would not hesitate to kill them. After what felt like eternity, he smiled brightly; laughing like someone just said the funniest thing in the world, as everyone in the z gang looked at him in confusion.

"Ah man, you guys are still alive! When Malcolm said that the time flew different, I was hoping that there was a small chance that you were still around!" He said in between laughs, nearly on his knees as he gasped for air. Piccolo narrowed his eyes in suspicion. The energy he felt was similar, but he wasn't quite sure. He needed to verify first if this was who he thought he was.

"Do you know us?" Goku asked, as Krillin shakily nodded his head.

"Yeah, I don't think we've ever seen you before Mr. Rich! Who are you?" Krillin asked as best as he could as 18 looked on beside him. As he stood up, Goku could have sworn he saw that smile somewhere.

"What, you don't remember me dad, Mr. Piccolo?" The stranger asked as he stepped forward. Goku gasped as he realized where he remember where he saw that smile before. He seen it on Gohan, before he disappeared a little over a year ago.

"Gohan?" Goku asked wearily. The stranger, no Gohan, smiled in his usual way.

"Yep, I'm home everyone."

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It took a solid 2 minutes before everyone finally moved. Honestly, Gohan thought they were caught in a time trap and was looking for the device before they moved. They all pulled in for a hug, his dad practically cutting off his breath. Piccolo of course stayed back, but he smiled as he looked at his former apprentice, no his friend; and Vegeta wanted nothing to do with the short little fiasco going on.

"Ah man Gohan, where have you been? And what's with the get-up?" Goku asked as he looked over his son for the first time in over a year. Looking at him now, he knew Gohan was still very strong, but now he could not wait to spar with him. Gohan rubbed the back of his neck in the Son way everyone was familiar with.

"Well, I was trapped in another world; speaking of which, I have to send this back over and close the gate." Gohan realized as he broke free of everyone.

He wrote on a parchment that looked like paper, but pitch black, and as he wrote on it with what looked like a giant feather, white glowing letters appeared. As soon as Gohan finished, he rolled it together, tide it together with (what it appeared to Krillin,) a string of liquid gold. Gohan held out a hand as small glowing ball of Ki formed, taking an odd shape that Piccolo quickly realized was a bird; a bird that he never seen before.

Gohan gave the letter to the Ki bird, (which is called a messenger) and sent it through the gate, before he made a strange gesture, across the bottom and going from the top to bottom of the gate. The red light shrunk till there was nothing but a little red stone where it once was as Gohan picked it up and pocketed it.

He turned around, noticing everyone looking at him in wonder; except Vegeta, but he really couldn't hide the shock out of his eyes.

"Any way, I'm guessing that everyone has questions, and I really don't feel like telling a story twice, why don't we meet up tonight around 10?" Gohan suggested.

"Alright, we can celebrate while we're at it!" Goku added as he jumped in excitement. Gohan laughed again at his father's antics as Goku stopped and smiled at him.

"Ok then, let's go! I've been waiting for so long to see mom and Goten again!" Gohan exclaimed as he started taking to the sky, Goku and Piccolo following him.

"That's right! What would you're mother say?!" Goku exclaimed as Piccolo looked on.

"Knowing her, she'll either brake down and cry, pass out, or hit me with the Pan of Doom." Gohan theorized.

"Those are pretty good guesses." Piccolo complimented as Gohan looked on, relishing the moist air.

"Those are not guesses Piccolo, but possible outcomes of a situation. Now I know what the possible outcomes are, I can prepare for anything." Gohan explained as Piccolo narrowed his eyes.

"You know it's impossible to prepare for every outcome right?" Piccolo asked. Gohan slowed down, turning back towards Piccolo with hardened eyes.

"Piccolo, you may say it's impossible, but that's not true. You can spy on your enemies to learn their way of thinking; their plans; then you can easily counter their every move, no matter what they do. It's a finer rule of thumb during war." Gohan continued as Goku and Piccolo looked at him in shock.

"But Gohan, there isn't any war going on." Goku stated as Gohan stopped moving altogether. He looked at them sheepishly and rubbed his neck again.

"Oh, well that's nice." He said as they went back to flying onward.

"Gohan, was there a war in the world you went?" Piccolo asked, but Gohan did not answer. Gohan heard him, as well as the sudden intake of breath from his father, but he just did not want to answer. Fortunately, a distraction came in a form a bundle of clothes and black hair as someone flew smack into Gohan!

"Goten, I told you to stay in the house!" Goku scolded Goten as Gohan and Piccolo looked on.

"But I felt you and Mr. Piccolo coming back with someone else, so I thought it was safe. Even Trunks is on his way!" Goten explained as Gohan felt another energy heading their way.

"You are lucky we did not run into an enemy Goten, but don't do this ever again. Anyway, we have to get home!" Goku reminded them as they went on their way, Goten kept sending glances towards Gohan.

Eventually, Trunks finally met up with them as they neared their mountain.

"Hey Goten, who's that man?" 10 year old Trunks asked, not recognizing him either.

"What, you don't remember Trunks, Goten? We used to play together when mom did not have me doing homework!" Gohan introduced himself as the both of them gasped. They looked at him with wide eyes before going to him for a hug.

"Gohan! Where were you? We went to your house last year but you and big sister Videl were gone!" Goten asked, but when he looked up, he noticed Gohan had a distraught look in his eyes.

"Yeah, speaking of which, where is she?" Goku asked as he looked around. Gohan continued to ignore them as they to the house.

As they reached the door, Goten barged in and yelled for Chichi, who was in the kitchen finishing up cleaning from the dinner they had.

"What is it Goten? Why are you yelling?" Chichi yelled back as she ran towards the front door in the living room. She stopped when she took in Gohan. She didn't need no words or hints on who it was. It was evident as clear as day.

"Hi mom, I'm home." Gohan greeted as Chichi passed right out. "Well, at least my estimations were correct, do you perchance have any salt?"

{To any readers, thank you for spending time reading this. I also want to send this out before anyone sends a false report. I did not copy this from anyone if you're wondering about the fast updates, but it's because I've been sitting on this fanfic for about 2 years and writing down new chapters as soon as I think of them. I'm writing down and editing any mistakes I had from then, and Chapter 5 should be the last speed chapter I've written up to there. After that it will be once a week. If you have any thoughts about the book, please comment and leave me motivation, suggestions to make it better or even criticism, I'll read them all!}

{Thank everyone once again for reading!}