Chapter 12: A Voice from the Other Side

Received the third sincere review, here's the bonus chapter!

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The sound of Bulma's sobs filled the Lookout as she sat on the ground, overwhelmed by the loss of Vegeta, Goku, and the rest of the Z-Fighters. Her phone lay discarded next to her, Chi-Chi's voice still echoing through the speaker, wailing over the loss of Goku and Gohan. Dende and Mr. Popo stood nearby, their expressions grim, unsure of how to comfort the grieving women.

Chi-Chi's sobbing grew louder through the phone, her voice cracking with anguish. "My Goku... my baby Gohan... they're gone! What do we do now?!"

Bulma's tears flowed freely, her heart shattered as she imagined a world without Vegeta. Her hands trembled as she tried to steady herself, but the weight of the grief was too much. She couldn't even muster a response to Chi-Chi, who continued crying on the other end of the line.

Suddenly, a familiar voice broke through the despair.

"Hey! Bulma, Chi-Chi! Can you hear me?"

Bulma's eyes snapped open, her tears freezing in place. She recognized that voice anywhere. "G-Goku?"

Chi-Chi's sobbing stopped abruptly, and there was silence for a moment before she spoke. "Goku? Is that you?! Where are you?!"

A faint chuckle came from the other side. "Yeah, it's me! I'm talking to you from the Other World, through King Kai's telepathy! Don't worry, we're all here, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, and Krillin. We're fine, but... well, we're kinda dead right now."

"WHAT?!" Both Bulma and Chi-Chi screamed in unison, their voices cracking.

"Relax, relax!" Goku hurriedly said, his tone playful and calm. "We've been here before, remember? We're training with King Kai! It's not the end of the world."

Bulma wiped her tears, still in disbelief. "But... how can you be so calm? You're dead, Goku!"

"Well, yeah, but we're planning to come back, don't worry," Goku replied cheerfully. "We've got two and a half years before the Androids show up. King Kai's letting us train in his gravity to get even stronger. After that, we'll be ready to deal with the Androids, and then we'll take care of Frieza for good."

Chi-Chi's voice suddenly changed, going from anguish to rage in a matter of seconds. "GOKU! You idiot! How could you leave me and Gohan like that? You're off training in the afterlife while I'm left here to pick up the pieces?!" Her voice was filled with both fury and relief, the emotions swirling together.

Goku laughed awkwardly. "Uh, sorry, Chi-Chi... But it's kinda hard to avoid dying when Frieza shows up. But hey, I promise we'll be back soon! We just need to train hard to make sure we can handle everything."

Bulma's tears had dried completely now, replaced by a look of realization. "Wait a minute... the Dragon Balls!" She slapped her forehead. "Of course! We can use the Dragon Balls to wish you guys back! What am I even crying about?!"

Chi-Chi's voice, still coming through the phone, was dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, well, isn't that just wonderful, Bulma? Maybe next time you can remind me about the Dragon Balls before I have a complete emotional breakdown!"

Bulma rubbed the back of her neck, chuckling awkwardly. "Yeah, I guess I should have thought of that sooner, huh?"

Dende and Mr. Popo exchanged relieved glances, the tension in the air easing slightly as the women's spirits lifted.

"Okay, Goku," Bulma said, her voice steadier now. "You said you've got two and a half years to train? That should give us enough time to get the Dragon Balls together and bring you guys back before the Androids show up."

"Exactly!" Goku's voice sounded optimistic. "That'll give us plenty of time to get stronger and be ready for the fight. You don't need to worry about us."

Chi-Chi, though still irritated, let out a long sigh of relief. "Just make sure you come back, Goku. And bring Gohan back too. I don't care how strong you get; you better not die again!"

Goku chuckled softly. "I promise, Chi-Chi. We'll all be back before you know it."

....

On the Other World, the Z-Fighters were gathered around Goku as he communicated with Earth. Vegeta stood with his arms crossed, his scowl still firmly in place.

"You're way too relaxed about this, Kakarot," Vegeta grumbled. "I'm not waiting around two and a half years for you to catch up. I'll surpass you long before then."

Goku smiled. "That's the spirit, Vegeta! We'll push each other to get stronger. This time, when we face Frieza and the Androids, they won't stand a chance."

Krillin, sitting on a nearby rock, looked thoughtful. "Two and a half years, huh? That's a lot of time. But we've been through this before, right? We just need to focus on training hard."

Piccolo, standing with his usual stern demeanor, nodded. "We'll need to push ourselves beyond anything we've done before. If Frieza could wipe us out so easily, we can't afford any more weaknesses."

Gohan, who had been quietly absorbing everything, finally spoke up. "I'll train as hard as I can too. I won't let Frieza or the Androids hurt anyone again."

King Kai, who had been listening to the conversation, walked over with his trademark grin. "Well, I guess I've got my work cut out for me with all of you here! I'll whip you into shape. But first.." he pointed dramatically at them, "you're all on cleaning duty! Bubbles and Gregory have been making a mess around here, and I could use some help."

Vegeta's eye twitched. "I'm the Prince of Saiyans, and you want me to clean up after some oversized monkey?"

King Kai chuckled. "Oh, don't worry, Vegeta. The gravity on my planet will make everything a lot more challenging. Think of it as training while you clean!"

Goku laughed. "It's not so bad, Vegeta. Besides, we'll get stronger just by being here. Let's make the most of it!"

Vegeta growled in response but didn't argue. He knew Goku was right. If they wanted to defeat Frieza and the Androids, they had to take advantage of every opportunity, even if it meant doing chores.

As they began their new life on King Kai's small planet, Goku approached the Kai, his expression more serious now. "Hey, King Kai... Before we get started with training, can you help me talk to Earth again? I want to make sure Bulma and Chi-Chi know what to do with the Dragon Balls."

King Kai nodded. "Of course, Goku. We'll get that sorted out, and then we'll get to training. But don't forget, no slacking off! You'll need every bit of strength you can get."

Goku smiled. "Don't worry, King Kai. We're ready."

With that, the Z-Fighters prepared for the intense training ahead. They knew that the road back to Earth would be difficult, but together, they would become stronger than ever. Frieza and the Androids wouldn't know what hit them.

The future of the Earth was still uncertain, but one thing was clear, the Z-Fighters weren't going to give up.

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