The old van rattled to a stop with a loud "bruum" right outside the big, shiny building of Capsule Corporation. The place looked like a giant capsule itself, all smooth white walls and huge glass windows that reflected the bright morning sun. Birds chirped in the trees nearby, and the air smelled fresh with a hint of machine oil from all the inventions inside.
"Vegeta! Bulma! Where are you both? Come out now!" Chi-Chi called out loudly. Her voice was very high and sharp, like she was shouting across a big field. She stepped out of the van slowly, her feet crunching on the gravel path. She wore her usual clothes: a simple dress with an apron tied around her waist, and her hair pulled back in a neat bun. She looked tired from the long drive, but mostly angry and worried.
From the back seat of the van, a young boy jumped out excitedly. "Mom, I'm coming! Let me go find Trunks!" Goten said with a big smile. He was full of energy, just like his dad. He wore clothes that looked a lot like Goku's – an orange gi with blue undershirt and boots. His black hair stuck up in spikes, and his eyes sparkled with fun.
Before Goten could run off, Chi-Chi reached out fast. "Bam!" She knocked him hard on the top of his head with her knuckles. Goten saw stars spinning around his eyes, and his head turned bright red from the hit. It hurt a lot!
"Ouch, Mom!" Goten called out, his voice a little whiny. He put one hand softly on his head, petting it gently to try and make the pain go away. He rubbed in small circles, hoping it would stop throbbing soon.
Chi-Chi wasn't done yet. She pointed her finger right at him, her face all scrunched up. "I'm looking for your dad, and now you want to run off too? You both want to give me a serious heart attack!" she screamed. Veins started spreading across her forehead like little blue rivers, popping out because she was so mad. Her hands shook a little, and she breathed heavily.
Goten looked down at the ground, feeling a bit sorry. "Sorry, Mom," he said softly. "But you know Dad is somewhere right now, training to get even stronger." He kicked a small pebble with his shoe, watching it roll away.
Chi-Chi threw her hands up in the air. "All you Saiyans know how to do is train, train, train! No time for anything else!" she yelled. Then, in frustration, she slammed her right hand against the car driver's door. The metal made a loud "thud" sound, and the van shook a little from the force. She stared at the door for a second, breathing hard, trying to calm down.
Just then, there was a "swoo" sound as the big front door of Capsule Corporation pulled open smoothly. Out stepped Bulma, waving her right hand lazily. "Hi, Chi-Chi! What's up?" she said, trying to sound cheerful. But she looked messy – her blue hair was all tangled and sticking out in different directions, like she hadn't brushed it yet. Her eyes were tired and a bit red, as if she hadn't slept well. Her clothes were unstraight too: her shirt was wrinkled, and one sleeve was rolled up higher than the other.
Chi-Chi waved back, but her smile was mixed – part angry, part happy to see her friend. Her face twitched a little, like she couldn't decide how to feel. "Hi, Bulma," she replied, forcing the words out.
Before they could talk more, a voice came from up high. "Hey, Goten! Let's go fight a little!" It was Trunks, flying through the air with a funny, big smile on his face. His purple hair gleamed in the sun, and he wore his usual jacket and pants. He hovered there, waiting excitedly.
"This time I'm not going to lose to you, Trunks!" Goten replied quickly. He jumped up and flew into the air to meet his friend. In a blink, both boys disappeared, zooming away with incredible speed. You could hear the "whoosh" of the wind as they flew off to play and spar somewhere far away.
"Goten! You best come back here right now!" Chi-Chi angrily called after him. Her hands clenched into tight fists, and veins popped out on her arms and neck, stretching like lightning bolts. "Or else I'm going to..." She stopped, not finishing the threat, but her face was red with fury.
Bulma stepped closer and put a hand on Chi-Chi's arm. "Chi-Chi, leave the boys alone. Let them have their fun. Come in, let's talk," she said gently, gesturing with her other hand towards the open door of the house. The door led into a big hallway filled with gadgets and screens blinking with lights.
Chi-Chi took a deep breath and followed Bulma a few steps. "Bulma, I'm here for Goku. Where is he? I haven't set my eyes on him for a whole month now," she explained, her voice still sharp but a little calmer. She closed the distance between them, standing right in front of Bulma. "I can't get in contact with Whis or Beerus either. Piccolo is nowhere to be found. I've asked Krillin and the androids – none of them seem to know his location." Chi-Chi crossed her arms, waiting for an answer.
Bulma sighed and placed her hand on top of Chi-Chi's shoulder. She gave an awkward smile, the kind where your lips twist a bit because you're not sure what to say. "Look, Chi-Chi, I'm not aware of his location too. But you know Goku – I'm very certain he's alright wherever he is. And like always, he will be back." Her voice was trying to be reassuring, but it sounded a little unsure.
Chi-Chi wasn't satisfied. She kept her arms crossed and her eyes steady on Bulma's face, watching every little movement. "Where's Vegeta?" she asked next, her tone suspicious.
Bulma's face twitched awkwardly again. She looked away for a second. "I don't know that either. When I woke up this morning, he was gone." She shrugged, but it didn't look natural.
Chi-Chi leaned in closer, her eyes narrowing. "Do you know something, Bulma? Are you not telling me something?" She locked her gaze on Bulma, studying her friend's eyes, her hands, everything.
Bulma shook her head quickly. "No, no! Well, look at the time!" She pointed at her wristwatch dramatically. "I must get back to repairing the training room. Both our husbands broke it down again – you know how they are with their fights." She started backing away towards the door. "See you later, Chi-Chi!" And with that, she swiftly disappeared inside, the door closing with a soft "click" behind her.
"Bulma! Bulma!" Chi-Chi called out, running up to the door and banging hard on it with her fist. The bangs echoed loudly – "bam, bam, bam!" But no one answered. Chi-Chi stood there for a moment, her eyes turning red from anger and maybe a few tears. Her face was flushed red, and veins popped out on her forehead like they were about to burst. Finally, she turned away. "Fine, I will be back later," she muttered through gritted teeth. She walked back down the path to her vehicle, her steps heavy and stomping on the gravel. When she reached the van, she grabbed the door handle and "bam" – slammed it heavily shut. The whole van rocked from the force. She got in, started the engine with a grumpy rev, and drove off, leaving dust in the air.
Far away from Earth, on a completely different planet, things were much quieter and more mysterious. "Swoosh." A portal of light opened up in the sky, and two figures stepped out onto the top of a tall mountain peak. The mountain was huge, with sharp rocks and snow at the very top. Below, green valleys stretched out, and strange purple rivers wound through the land.
"Piccolo, we have arrived finally," Goku said with a big grin. He stood tall, his orange gi flapping in the strong wind. His spiky hair danced wildly, and he looked excited, like a kid on an adventure.
"Yeah, let's get to gathering that energy," Piccolo responded calmly. He wore his usual green gi and white cape, with his turban-like hat on his head. The wind played with his cape, making it billow out like a flag. His green skin glistened a bit in the sunlight of this new world.
The air blew hard up there on the peak, whistling through the rocks and tugging at their clothes. Goku's hair kept moving back and forth, and Piccolo's cape snapped loudly. Goku smiled wide, his eyes studying the view of the planet below. The planet was called Sidala, and it was rough in a wild way.