Moonlit Conversations

"Come on, Artemis! Pleasssse?"

"No…"

"Just this once? I'll sleep on the floor!"

Goku darted his eyes from left to right, observing Aphrodite and Artemis' argument in visible discomfort. He sort of understood that the two were polar opposites in every single way imaginable, but their constant bickering was a bit difficult to deal with from his perspective. The fact they were arguing about him specifically made things even more awkward.

He sighed and took a small glance at Hestia. She just shook her head and shrugged, being wise enough not to intrude on their conversation.

"No means no, Aphrodite. Goku should be left alone for the night. He deserves that much." Artemis replied coolly. Despite the lack of considerable pain, she knew Goku was still a bit worn out from his fight with Ares. The dried blood stains and torn gi were evident enough of that fact.

"Besides, a goddess of your nature shouldn't even be near my temple in the first place." Artemis reminded Aphrodite of her promiscuous nature. "Even you should be smart enough to know that."

Aphrodite rolled her eyes, figuring the moon goddess would bring up that point sooner or later. Openly expressing her sexuality made her public enemy #1 towards Artemis' interpretation of female empowerment, she supposed. Well, "expressing" may be a bit of an understatement in this case, but it's not like the temple's sanctity would immediately be spoiled by her presence. Was it wrong for her to be concerned about Goku at this time of night?

"A goddess of my nature, huh? Pfft. Leave it to the virgin goddess to be so entitled." Aphrodite snorted. "All I want is to watch over Goku's injuries and make sure he's okay. Is that a crime?"

As Artemis' temple came closer into view, Goku walked in front of the two goddesses with a pensive grin. He pointed at the wounded portions of his body mid-step.

"I'm fine, Aphrodite. Really. Like I said, this is far from the worst I've experienced." Goku assured whilst waving both hands in front of him.

"Of course I know that, silly. It's just the…uh…principle of it all." Aphrodite playfully expressed.

Artemis trailed in front of the group, shuffling towards the entrance of her sacred domain. She couldn't help, but lightly chuckle at Aphrodite's so-called principle.

"The principle of sleeping in the same room as him, I assume?" Artemis said in annoyance.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Artemis?! It's not like that!" Aphrodite proclaimed in offense.

Ignoring the love goddess's incessant pleading, Artemis stood in front of the temple's large, all-encompassing doors. It was nearly identical to her cabin in Camp Half-Blood, being constructed from silver marble that glistened in the moonlight. Symbols of various objects associated with hunting were also carved into its walls, including Artemis' trademark bow-and-arrows, a Celestial Bronze knife, and an active campfire.

"Well, whatever the case, we're at my temple and it's time for you to leave." Artemis affirmed. "Are you staying, Hestia?"

"Thanks for the offer, but I believe I should be heading back to Camp Half-Blood. They'll need all the help they can get cleaning up that mess Ares left behind." Hestia stated with a slight shiver. Based on the sheer damage Goku's fight with Ares caused, it could take days for everything to go back to normal.

As she prepared to leave, Hestia turned her head to smile back at Goku.

"Have a pleasant rest, Goku. I'll see you in the morning." Hestia kindly bade farewell to the Saiyan. Her orange eyes flickered with a sensation of genuine care and warmth.

"Good night, Hestia. Hope the cleanup isn't too bad before I get there." Goku sheepishly waved.

Hestia simply winked at him before disappearing in a flash of orange firelight. Aphrodite stared down at the spot where Hestia was with a frustrated pout.

"Looks like getting some alone time with Goku will have to wait." Aphrodite puffed up her cheeks in disappointment. She then turned her attention to both Goku and Artemis, refusing to follow Hestia's example and leave.

Artemis crossed her arms, impatiently tapping her foot the longer the love goddess stood there.

"Don't make me repeat myself, Aphrodite." Artemis warned. Although gods and goddesses didn't necessarily require rest, Artemis felt exhausted after everything that transpired in one day. She began to assume Aphrodite's antics were the primary instigator for that exhaustion.

Aphrodite tightly clenched her fists. She then gracefully walked up to Goku's side with a calculating smirk.

"How about we let Goku decide, huh? He's the one you're supposed to care for, after all." said Aphrodite. She snuggled up to Goku's left arm, and wrapped her own arms around it.

"What do you think, Goku? Do you want me nearby in case anything happens?" Aphrodite breathily asked. She knew seduction wasn't going to work on a naïve person like Goku, but the love goddess batted her eyelashes, anyway.

Goku felt conflicted. He understood that Aphrodite meant well, but they were already wasting too much time. He just wanted to sleep off these wounds and start fresh tomorrow. If he was going to be camp counselor like Zeus instructed (whatever that sort of job even called for), Goku wanted to get as much rest as possible. And, unfortunately, Aphrodite's presence would make that difficult, given her previous actions.

In the end, he gently pushed Aphrodite away from him.

"Sorry, Aphrodite. Artemis is right. I need to get some sleep and you being around would…uh…distract me from that." Goku declined Aphrodite's offer as gently as he could.

Aphrodite felt somewhat hurt by this response, but he did make a good point. Even she was self-aware enough to realize she'd probably try cuddling with Goku while he was sleeping. The goddess just couldn't help herself.

"Oh…I see." Aphrodite quietly sighed. "Guess I can stay away for tonight."

Artemis scoffed in disbelief. "He basically repeated what I told you multiple times, yet now, you listen?"

"Cause he said it nicely." Aphrodite barked. Artemis simply rolled her eyes, and prepared to open her temple's doors.

Blowing a strand of blonde hair away from her eyes, Aphrodite smiled lovingly at Goku.

"Well, then. I'll see you first thing in the morning, Goku. Or should I say, my fellow Camp Counselor. Hehe." Aphrodite giggled. Goku lightly laughed along with her remark.

"Heh. Yep. Good night, Aphrodite." Goku stated with a light wave of his hand.

Aphrodite skipped away with a spring her step, blowing a kiss at Goku while in motion.

"Good night, sweetie." The love goddess sweetly replied. Goku didn't know what to feel about her kissing gesture, but he just continued to smile, regardless.

While Goku wasn't looking, Aphrodite childishly stuck her tongue out at Artemis. The moon goddess, as always, was not amused, but she didn't want to risk instigating Aphrodite's behavior any further. She just waited until Aphrodite was near her own temple and officially out of sight.

"Finally. I thought she'd never leave." Artemis sighed in relief.

She gently pressed her hand against the temple's two doors, causing it to ominously glow with silver energy. The entire structure began to rumble until each door opened by themselves in a slow, steady motion.

"Wow…" Goku whistled in amazement. He'd never seen doors that fancy-looking before.

Artemis gestured for Goku to follow her. "Come along, Goku. Make yourself at home."

Nodding, Goku did as Artemis instructed and entered the temple. It was fairly similar in design to her cabin at Camp Half-Blood with a few unique characteristics here and there. There were various weapons hanging up on the walls, alongside mounted sculptures of animals Artemis hunted in the past. Marble columns, all of which were silver or gray-blue in color, firmly connected the ceiling's features to the floor's as well. Additionally, a neatly made queen-size bed resided in the center, sporting a bow and arrow symbol on its comforter. It was essentially a stark contrast to the bubbly, cute architecture of Aphrodite's temple.

"Nice place you got here, Artemis." Goku complimented as he continued to look around. He suddenly darted his eyes to the floor, noticing a larger-than-normal bear's pelt being used as a rug.

"And pretty…uh…interesting too." muttered Goku whilst moving his foot to avoid the bear's face. Artemis quietly observed Goku's movements, setting her bow and arrow on the bed while doing so.

"Thanks. I don't really stay in here that much because of my annual hunting trips, but I still try to keep it neat and organized." Artemis thoroughly explained. She undid her ponytail, letting her auburn hair fall downward like it was in the Hall of the Gods.

Goku nodded. "That's nice. You do seem like the type of person to keep things in order. I'm kind of a slob when it comes to this stuff. Haha."

From another part of the room, Artemis glanced at the shredded tatters that used to be his gi.

"Given all the fights you've been through; I can see definitely why." Artemis bluntly remarked. Goku couldn't deny that point, so he just innocently scratched the back of his head.

"Anyway, before you can get a new set of clothes, I'll need to fix up those injuries." Artemis walked up to a container near the rightmost corner of the temple. She opened it, burrowing for a specific object that could help heal Goku.

After a few seconds, Artemis brought out a small bag. She then closed the container and stood in front of Goku.

Artemis dug into the bag, pulling out a white, slightly golden square cake. It was approximately the size of her palm, albeit a bit smaller in terms of width.

"Take this, Goku." Artemis said, giving him the strange food. Goku looked puzzled, never seeing any food like this before. He noticed that it let off some type of faint glow, eerily mirroring the Olympian's strange aura.

"What is it?" asked Goku curiously. He brought it close to his eye, admittedly disappointed that Artemis couldn't give him something bigger.

"Ambrosia. Us gods eat it as a delicacy here on Olympus." Artemis briefly explained. "Demigods typically use it to heal their injuries, but only in small increments. Eating a whole piece like that can disintegrate mortals from the inside."

Goku's eyes widened in shock. "You mean this tiny thing could kill me?"

"For a typical mortal, yes. But with you, I'm not so sure. Your Super Saiyan transformation was stronger than Ares, so maybe ki could help endure the ambrosia's effects." Artemis presumed based on what she saw of Goku's overwhelming strength. She looked him in the eye to give a stern, cautious glare.

"I wouldn't risk it, though. I recommend eating as little of it as you possibly can."

Goku gulped as he brought the square closer to his face. Taking Artemis' warning to heart, the Saiyan agreed to only eat a small chunk of the entire piece.

"I'll just pretend it's a Senzu Bean, I guess." Goku thought to himself.

"Welp, down the hatch then." Goku proceeded to take a small bite of the divine delicacy, handing what was left back to Artemis. He chewed a few times to get a sense of the ambrosia's flavor. Strangely enough, its taste reminded him of different foods he ate in the past, including giant fish from Mt. Paozu and Chi-Chi's delicious meals. He couldn't help, but feel warm from these nostalgic thoughts with each consecutive bite.

However, once he swallowed, that same warmth shifted into an intense burning sensation. It felt as if his body was thrown into the sun multiple times over.

"Gah!" Goku groaned as he flung himself off the bed.

"Oh no…are you alright, Goku?!" Artemis shouted in worry. She knew the ambrosia would hurt a mortal like him in some way, but not to this extent.

"I-I'm fine! I-It's just…gah…burning me somehow." Goku assured her that the pain wasn't too extreme. As he continued writhing around on the floor, each bruise and bloodstain caused by Ares began to steadily fade away. It was as if they were never there to begin with.

Artemis was relieved by this sight. "The ambrosia's working, Goku. Just hang in there a little bit more."

Goku panted a few times, his body emitting a golden, ethereal glow. Every blemish he once had was completely dissipated until, in one single flash of light, Goku looked good as new. The burning sensation suddenly vanished as well.

The Saiyan of Earth took deep, rhythmic breaths as he rested his knees on the temple's floorboards. Drops of sweat dripped down his forehead, but apart from that, his condition was perfectly fine.

"Well, that was more intense than I expected…" Goku mumbled as he slowly stood up. He wiped the sweat off his brow and did a small arm stretch for good measure.

"It could have been far worse. Ambrosia has been reported to turn a normal mortal's blood to fire and bones to sand upon consumption." Artemis bluntly pointed out.

"Yikes, really?! It's a good thing I didn't eat that whole thing then, huh?" Goku gawped in further shock and horror. He took a good look at this lower body, noticing that every single injury was completely healed.

"Wow, you weren't wrong, Artemis! These ambrosia thingies really do the trick." Goku whistled in amazement. He smirked, triumphantly slamming a fist into his palm. "I feel better than ever!"

Artemis let out a light chuckle. "That's good, Goku. But, how did eating the ambrosia feel exactly? Its taste is dependent on the person's memories, so no one can really have an identical experience."

"Well, it kinda burned like I was being dropped into the sun over and over again, but before that…I don't know. It reminded me of the fish I caught with my grandpa back on Mt. Paozu or the stuff Chi-Chi used to cook me for dinner." Goku vividly described as his mouth began to water at the thought of food. "Man, she could be a great cook when she wanted to be."

Artemis nodded understandably at this description. Ambrosia always changed to adopt the guise of a person's favorite foods, so since Goku liked all food equally, it became a combination of meals attributed to his father figure, Grandpa Gohan, and his wife, Chi-Chi. Both of them were, of course, no longer alive, so them being the primary figures on Goku's mind made sense.

She then placed the remaining ambrosia piece back into the bag, walked over to its original container, and put it away. They could use the rest for later in case Goku or one of her Hunters severely injured themselves.

"Makes sense. I'm glad the ambrosia didn't do anything too extreme." Artemis calmly expressed. "It appears that your durability does indeed know no bounds."

"Hehe. That'd be an understatement." Goku sniggered in reply.

"Alright. All that's left is a new pair of clothes and then, we can call it a night." Artemis said resolutely. Assuming Goku wanted to maintain the appearance of his favorite gi, she placed some energy into her hands and fully outstretched both arms.

In a split second, Goku's torn outfit was replaced with a new, nearly identical one. However, while it was the same gi stylistically, there were some changes Artemis made to the design.

"Thanks, Artemis. My friend, Piccolo, has a similar ability back home." Goku beamed, comparing Artemis' ability to Piccolo's Clothes Beam. "But, uh, any reason for the changes?"

He curiously inspected himself, noticing that the Turtle School emblem was replaced by the letters, "CHB", in bold, black text within the same white circle from before. The symbol on his back was also replaced with a stylized, black Pegasus with "Camp Half-Blood" on top and "Long Island Sound" on the bottom.

"Seeing as you're going to be a new counselor at Camp Half-Blood tomorrow, I figured it'd be fitting for you to sport the camp's colors and branding. It's the least I can do after everything that's happened today." Artemis kindly explained with the best of intentions. Admittedly, Goku would need some time to get used to this new outfit, but he appreciated the sentiment, regardless.

"Ah, okay then. Thanks again, Artemis." Goku smiled gratefully. "But, you don't really owe me anything. You helped a lot during that whole trial business, so there's no ill will between us. I promise."

Artemis felt somewhat taken aback by Goku's words, but nodded in understanding, anyway. "If you say so, Goku. Consider this a way of helping you get situated then. That's what my father tasked me with, after all."

"That's fine with me."

Artemis peered at the clock placed above her bed. Its hands, which were stylized to look like one of her silver arrows, both pointed somewhere past midnight. It was getting late, so most of her fellow Olympians were probably sleeping by now (or in her father's case, still being berated by Hera).

"I believe it's time for bed. We both deserve some time to sleep everything off." Artemis stated matter-of-factly. It'd been quite a long time since she's slept in a real bed, so its relief of her stress would be extra potent.

Goku yawned loudly. "You're right. I could use some well-deserved shut eye."

He stretched out his arms before coming to a sudden realization. He blinked a few times, darting his eyes from Artemis to her huge bed.

"So, where am I sleeping, exactly?" Goku asked in confusion. Artemis blankly stared at him as she took her jacket off and magically replaced it with a silver nightgown.

"On the floor, of course." Artemis replied, saying it as if the topic wasn't even up for debate.

"Aw, man. The floor?!" Goku childishly whined.

"Yes, the floor. I'm a virgin goddess, so it's more comfortable for us to sleep separately than in the same bed." Artemis firmly elaborated her principles. "I've never slept beside a man before and I prefer to keep it that way."

"I guess that makes sense…" Goku said while anxiously stroking his cheek with one finger.

"Good." She then tucked herself under the covers without another word. Noticing that Goku was awkwardly standing there in confusion, however, Artemis set aside some of her coolness to give him something to sleep with.

"Here, I'll give you my comforter and one of my pillows. Is that better?" Artemis asked in slight frustration.

"Yep!" Goku nodded enthusiastically. Artemis couldn't help, but compare him to an easily pleased puppy in that moment.

As promised, she grabbed her comforter and one of her pillows, giving them both to Goku. He wasted no time in laying down beside the bed with each item in toe. He plopped himself underneath the comforter, and rested his head on the pillow right afterwards.

"These sure are comfy." Goku sighed contentedly. This pillow was almost comparable to the Flying Nimbus in terms of softness.

"That's not surprising. Mostly everything on Olympus exceeds most mortal products in terms of quality, especially beds and pillows." Artemis sleepily described the difference in standards between mortals and deities.

"Huh. The more you know." Goku shrugged absentmindedly. Artemis then turned her body around, ready to let this stressful night pass by.

"'Night, Artemis."

"Good night, Goku. I wish you luck tomorrow."

"Thanks. I'm definitely gonna need it. I've never really experienced organizing a camp before." Goku anxiously replied. With all of the villains he's fought in the past, there was no time to really deal with something like that, even when he was a kid himself.

"I'm sure you'll do fine…" Artemis tiredly stated. Most of the demigods seemed to have an interest in Goku already, so they shouldn't give Goku too much trouble. The only issue Goku would have to deal with was Dionysus' grouchy attitude, in her opinion.

"Maybe. I'll have to see." Goku whispered back. He then folded both arms behind his head, taking a better look at the ceiling. He never really noticed before now, but in the dark, a perfect recreation of the night sky came to life. A copy of the moon resided in the middle while various constellations and other stars encircled said celestial body.

The glow of this ceiling's moon made Goku think more about Artemis' character. Unlike Aphrodite, there was so much he didn't know about her yet. When did she first form the Hunters of Artemis? Why do her and Apollo not seem to get along? What caused her distrust in men to begin with? There were so many questions he wanted to find out. He supposed they would be answered with time, but one particular question kept coming to mind.

"Hey, Artemis. Can I ask you something?" Goku hoarsely whispered, hoping that he wasn't disturbing her.

"What?" Artemis grumbled as she reluctantly opened her eyes.

"I know you've never slept beside a guy before, but…" Goku trailed off in slight reluctance. "Was there any guy in the past you came close to doing that with?"

Artemis' eyes widened considerably. If any man dared to ask her that question before, she'd turn them into a chipmunk or some other small animal on the spot. However, given Goku's naivety, she knew his choice to ask that was not done with malicious intent. It seemed like he genuinely wanted to know more about her in a sense.

She stared up at the ceiling. She'd only known Goku for a day at most, so detailing every waking moment of her past was not necessary. Then again, Goku already revealed so much about his love for Chi-Chi, so she supposed giving the man an honest answer wouldn't hurt. Just thinking back to that moment thousands of years ago would, on the other hand, hurt a lot.

Her eyes darted along the collection of various constellations. One, that of which had a belt composed of three stars, immediately caught her attention. Her expression became sadder at the mere sight of it, though Goku wasn't able to notice.

"If it's too personal, you don't—"

"There was one, but that was a long, long time ago. I prefer not to talk about it." Artemis softly interjected. She then tucked the covers back over her body once more, and didn't say another word.

"Oh. I see…" Goku whispered dejectedly. Based on the sound of her voice, he could tell this was a subject that deeply hurt Artemis. It was almost similar to how he felt discussing the topic of Chi-Chi's death or finding another wife. They just made things worse from his experience.

In that moment, he figured learning more about Artemis would be a slow, gradual experience. Artemis wasn't the type to express her feelings all that much, so taking things one step at a time would be the most ideal method. It worked with both Piccolo and Vegeta, at least.

The sudden recollection of his friends back home made Goku frown. He turned his body over to gaze at the ceiling's "night sky" once more.

"Good night, everyone. I hope you guys are doing alright back home." Goku regarded his family and fellow Z-Fighters. At this point, he had no idea when he'd see them all again.

With that last, melancholic thought, Goku drifted off to sleep.

Back on King Kai's Planet…

It had been many hours since Goku was whisked away by that strange, glowing elevator from an alternate universe. And for that very reason, King Kai was currently freaking out. He continuously paced back and forth, both wondering how he was going to fix his damaged vehicle and how he was going to inform the Z-Fighters about Goku's disappearance. The thought of telling Gohan and Goten that their dad was gone, knowing that their mom just passed away mere months ago, was not something his heart could take. He was supposed to make people laugh, not burst into tears! His entire body began to shiver in nervousness as he proceeded pacing to near-exhaustion.

"Get a grip, King Kai! You're going to have to tell them, eventually!" Gregory sighed in frustration.

"Ook, ook!" Bubbles frantically nodded in agreement. Seeing his master in such a sorry state wasn't something he was used to.

King Kai's walk came to a sudden halt. He glared at the two with a noticeably angry expression.

"Easy for you to say, morons! You're not the one who has to tell an 8-year-old boy that he could potentially be an orphan now!" King Kai shouted temperately.

"Oh, come on. This is Goku we're talking about. I'm sure he's all fine and dandy in this other universe." Gregory optimistically assumed based on Goku's past experiences.

"That's the problem, though! Somehow, this universe exists outside of our current multiverse, so I can't even get a general idea of what it's even like." King Kai sorrowfully grimaced. "For all we know, Goku could be trapped there forever."

Gregory and Bubbles exchanged worried glances. This type of pessimistic thinking wouldn't get King Kai anywhere.

"Ook, ook! Ook!" Bubbles cried out in response.

"Bubbles is right, King Kai! Goku's already hurting enough as is after Chi-Chi's passed. We can't afford to give up on him just like that." Gregory pointed out. King Kai peered back at the levitating cricket, realizing that his statement couldn't be argued against.

The Lord of Worlds looked down at his feet while adjusting his black spectacles. Even if this unknown universe was far from any existing Kai's reach, there was no reason to automatically lose hope. Goku, while just another student at one point, was the closest thing he's had to a genuine friend in a long time. And he'd do anything to help repay him for all the good he's done for the North Area and all of Universe 7 as a whole.

"Alright. I'll see what I can do." King Kai finally decided to take action. Gregory and Bubbles both smiled at this decision.

The North Kai lightly stroked his chin, wondering which options he had left to consider. Supreme Kai, Kibito, and Old Kai might have more knowledge on this subject than him, but even they were limited to contacting between the current 12 universes. Any other universe would be a mystery, especially if Lord Beerus himself potentially wasn't aware of its existence.

In the end, he supposed contacting the other Z-Fighters could produce better results. Maybe they'd have some ally familiar with dimensional travel or something similar.

"I'll try contacting Gohan. He should be the first to know about Goku's current…erm…predicament." King Kai stated in mild discomfort. He just hoped Gohan wouldn't be scared too badly by the news.

He then outstretched both antennae and patiently waited for Gohan's mind to receive his signal.

Meanwhile at Capsule Corp…

Rather than flying back to Satan City, Gohan, Videl, and Goten agreed to stay the night. Of course, Goten was enthusiastic about the decision since it'd been a long time since he got to sleep over in Trunks' room. It was way bigger than his room by a large margin. Vegeta, however, only allowed it if Gohan agreed to spar with him in the morning. Given Goku's depressed state, the Saiyan Prince needed someone else to beat on for the sake of his training.

Gohan had too much on his mind to really refuse such an offer. He knew his Ultimate Form would be enough to stand toe-to-toe with Vegeta but fighting really didn't matter to him right now. All he could think about was his dad's current condition.

Obviously, he was devastated by Chi-Chi's death. Losing your mother for good wasn't something a person, whether they be fully human or Half-Saiyan, could easily get over. He didn't even want to imagine what Goten must be feeling right now, seeing as he only recently turned 8. As his older brother, he'd try his best to cheer up Goten as much as he possibly could. His dad, however, was another story entirely.

Goku had been married to Chi-Chi for almost 20 years before she died. While he wasn't exactly the most attentive husband out there, Gohan knew his dad grew to genuinely love her overtime and vice versa. That's why seeing his dad in such a broken state really took a toll on him. His dad was always this beacon of hope he always strived to learn from and improve upon as a fighter. Seeing that sheer positivity he grew up with slowly diminish made Gohan uncertain of what he could exactly do to make things better.

Wearing a set of blue-red pajamas, Gohan sat near an open window and blankly stared up at the night sky. He sadly looked into the eyes of his reflection and frowned.

"I wish I could help more, Dad. I'm sorry." Gohan whispered to himself apologetically.

"What's there to be sorry for?" Gohan turned his head, noticing Videl in a pair of pink, somewhat matching pajamas. Her short, black hair extended just below her head, sporting a red headband.

"Oh…hey. I didn't know you were still up." muttered Gohan as he tiredly rubbed his eyes.

"It's kind of hard to sleep when I'm worrying about you, silly." Videl lightly chuckled. She sat on the other side of the windowsill to face her husband.

Slightly mesmerized by the glow of her deep blue eyes, Gohan awkwardly looked away in embarrassment. Videl simply crossed her arms.

"Well? Aren't you going to answer my question?" the daughter of Mr. Satan playfully reiterated.

Gohan sighed in frustration, ruffling his black hair as he looked up at the moon. In a lot of ways, it felt reminiscent of his dad's presence.

"I don't know, really. I just feel bad that I couldn't find a way to cheer my dad up during all of this…mess going on right now." Gohan explained his present insecurities. "It makes me feel a bit powerless, you know?"

Filled with newfound sympathy, Videl narrowed her eyes and sat up directly in front of Gohan's body.

"Gohan, look at me." Videl ordered.

Gohan turned around to fully look at his wife. She rested a hand on his right cheek and began to gently rub it.

"You've done all you can, honey. We all handle grief in different ways and Goku is no exception. Like Piccolo said, it's best to give him some space for a little while." Videl warmly soothed Gohan's worries. "He'll find a way to overcome this loss, but it'll take time. Believe me, I did the same thing with my own mother when she passed away."

The sudden mention of his deceased mother-in-law, Miguel Satan, took Gohan a bit by surprise, but it was a fitting example, nonetheless. He experienced similar stages of grief when Goku himself decided to remain dead for 7 years. His dad had understandable reasons for doing that, admittedly, but losing your father at 11-years-old still wasn't a happy experience for Gohan to endure.

"Just promise me you won't be so hard on yourself, okay? I don't like seeing you get that upset." Videl stated in loving concern. Gohan pondered over her words for a few seconds before changing his deep frown into a small grin.

"Okay. Thanks, Videl." Gohan said. "I needed that."

Then, he placed his own hands on Videl's face and gave her a small, yet passionate kiss out of gratitude. After their lips parted, Videl's cheeks blushed a deep red that contrasted nicely with her blue eyes.

"Y-You're welcome…" Videl stammered, coughing a few times to calm herself down. Just as the two were about to leave, a loud voice suddenly rung through Gohan's subconscious.

"Gohan!" the voice shouted. It reverberated through Gohan's ears in the form of a faint echo.

"Ah!" Gohan grunted in confusion. He held the sides of his head, trying to figure out what was going on.

Videl attentively ran over to his side. "What's wrong?"

"I-I'm not sure. Someone's trying to communicate with me telepathically, I think." Gohan replied, trying his best not to wake everyone up.

"GOHAN! Hello?! It's me, King Kai!" At the utterance of "King Kai", Gohan's eyes suddenly widened in recognition.

"King Kai?" repeated Gohan in slight astonishment. While he did meet Supreme Kai, Kibito, and Old Kai, his dad's former instructor was someone he never got the chance to interact with before. "This is a surprise. My dad's told me so much about you."

"Heh. Only good things, I hope." King Kai shook his head to keep himself focused. "But, that's not important right now! Your dad's disappeared, Gohan!"

Gohan immediately shot up from his seat in horror. The worst moment he could have possibly imagined seemingly came true.

"W-WHAT?! Disappeared?!" Gohan shouted in disbelief. "But, how? What happened to him?"

Videl looked equally shocked by Gohan's words. "Oh, no. You don't think he—"

"Shh. I'm trying to find out, Videl." Gohan rudely interjected. Videl's expression soured as she patiently waited for Gohan's conversation with King Kai to continue.

"I can't really explain it myself, unfortunately. This weird elevator appeared in a flash of blinding light and wrecked my car. Then, Goku went to investigate the damages and right as he touched its doors, he vanished with the elevator."

"An elevator?" Gohan quirked a brow in confusion. "But, how does that make any sense? Doesn't an elevator need to be attached to something in order for it to work properly?"

"Don't shoot the messenger, Gohan! I'm just as baffled as you are." King Kai exasperatedly snapped. "My theory is that this so-called "elevator" is really a dimensional transportation device from an alternate universe. Which means…"

"Dad was…sent to another world different from ours?!" Gohan gaped in realization. Videl was lost the moment other universes were brought into the picture. She didn't even acknowledge the possibility of a multiverse existing beforehand.

"Exactly. And if I were to guess, it's a universe without any Kais or Supreme Kais to watch over it. Meaning, I wouldn't have much knowledge of what it's like there even if I tried." King Kai somberly elaborated. "Your dad's condition is up in the air right now."

Gohan took a step back, feeling like he was about to be sick. With everything his dad was going through emotionally, he didn't deserve this kind of fate at all.

"Damnit! Why now of all times?" Gohan groaned angrily. His thoughts immediately went out to Goten, knowing how devastated the little guy would be if he found out about this.

"Fate can be a cruel, cruel mistress, it seems. I figured you'd be the first one to know about it." King Kai stated remorsefully.

"Gohan…" Videl whispered in further worry. She started rubbing her husband's back comfortingly, even if doing so wouldn't help much.

Gohan just stood there in silence, letting King Kai's information fully ruminate throughout his subconscious. Apart from Other World and Hell, he had absolutely no familiarity with alternate dimensions. Where would he even begin with a situation like that? Was there even a way to freely travel between universes? It wasn't just any ordinary planet they could fly a spaceship to, after all.

Suddenly, due to Gohan's slightly raised voice when talking with King Kai, Bulma and Vegeta both appeared from their rooms. Neither seemed to be happy with this rude awakening, but Bulma was visibly the most displeased. Her usually gorgeous blue hair was shooting up in all sorts of crazy directions.

Surprisingly, Goten and Trunks were still fast asleep. All four of them were determined to keep it that way. Gohan, especially, didn't want Goten to find out about their dad's departure so soon.

"Alright, guys. What's with all the racket? Is there some sort of "trouble in paradise" going on here?" Bulma crabbily hissed. Videl clicked her tongue, appearing to be offended by Bulma's snide remark.

"Tsk. For your information, Bulma, Gohan's discussing something very serious with King Kai." Videl harrumphed, placing both hands on her hips.

"King Kai?" Bulma's expression changed into one of piqued curiosity. Last time she checked, Goku was supposed to be training on King Kai's planet. Why would he try contacting Gohan at this hour?

"Hmph. There better be a good reason for this, Kakabrat." Vegeta threatened with an accusative point of his finger. "I want to be well-rested for our spar tomorrow, in case you've forgotten about that."

Gohan cringed at the mention of his old, hated nickname, but chose to shrug it off. He was smart enough to realize that Vegeta intended to get him annoyed on purpose.

"There is, Vegeta. It's my dad." Gohan gulped down a building lump in his throat. "King Kai said he went missing a few hours ago."

A figurative pin dropped as Bulma and Vegeta were both rendered speechless by this news.

"G-Goku's…gone?!" Bulma stuttered. She almost couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. Vegeta's reaction was even worse by comparison.

"Kakarot? Missing?!" he struggled to speak both sentences as his temper steadily skyrocketed by the second. Although Vegeta did finally acknowledge that Goku was better than him during their fight with Kid Buu, the Saiyan prince still wanted the chance to be recognized as his fighting equal and rival. It's the main reason why he kept training on a near-daily basis.

Now that Goku seemingly vanished without a trace, all of that effort would suddenly become meaningless. Goku was his main reason to keep fighting and getting stronger, so he could not accept his disappearance just like that. Vegeta needed answers and he needed them now.

"Explain, Gohan. Tell me where Kakarot went." Vegeta demandingly growled at the Half-Saiyan. He tightly balled his fists in a mix of rage and anxiousness.

"From what King Kai told me, he's trapped in an alternate universe or something to that extent. He touched a magical elevator that landed on King Kai's planet and vanished instantaneously."

"You're kidding? An elevator?" Bulma furrowed her eyebrows in befuddlement. Gohan just shrugged, not sure how to explain that detail either.

"Hey, don't look at me. I'm just going by King Kai's explanation."

"Another universe? Figures. Of course, the damn idiot had to rope himself into something that complicated." Vegeta pinched the bridge of his nose in agitation. He hoped Goku was able to fight some strong opponents there, at least.

"It's not like he had a choice in the matter, Vegeta." Bulma said.

"Whatever. A magic elevator should have immediately raised some red flags. Kakarot shouldn't have even laid a finger on it in the first place."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about that now. What we need to do is come up with a way to bring Goku back home." Bulma stated with the utmost determination. Vegeta nodded, crossing his arms as he looked up at the ceiling.

"Right. Any bright ideas, Bug-Man?!" Vegeta shouted up to King Kai. Since more people were in the room, King Kai slightly adjusted the position of his antennae to communicate with all four.

"I resent that remark, Vegeta! And, sadly, I don't." King Kai grimaced in dismay. He wished he had more assistance to offer. "That's why I set up this little meeting with Gohan here."

"Are you always this useless?" Vegeta bluntly grunted.

"I taught Goku the Spirit Bomb and Kaioken, jerk! Without my help, Kid Buu would still be alive, and you'd probably all be dead right now!" King Kai angrily reminded the cocky Saiyan prince.

"Fair enough." Vegeta sheepishly darted his eyes away from the ceiling. Even he wasn't prideful enough to deny King Kai made a good point there.

"Anyway, I'm open to different options you might have." King Kai coughed, admittedly pleased with himself for successfully snapping at someone as ferociously powerful as Vegeta.

Bulma, Vegeta, Videl, and Gohan all spent a few seconds thinking over their options. Bulma's Time Machine wasn't invented yet, so that was out of the question. The Time Room on Kami's Lookout could potentially work, but even then, it only traveled to different time periods that existed in this universe, not any other. That left two big ones for them to ponder over, which were, admittedly, quite obvious.

"What about the Dragon Balls?" Bulma asked King Kai.

"Hmmm, those could actually work. Depending on the wish, Shenron may be able to accumulate knowledge about outside universes, including the one Goku arrived in. However, that's only a 50/50 chance. For all we know, that type of vast knowledge could be beyond his power." King Kai thought over the possible pros and cons of summoning Shenron.

"There's always the Namekian Dragon Balls and Porunga to fall back on just in case. Traveling to New Namek shouldn't be too difficult with Supreme Kai's help." Gohan pointed out, knowing that Porunga was far older and potentially more knowledgeable than Shenron.

"That's true. Looks like those two sets of Dragon Balls are our best bet then." Bulma said with a more hopeful look than before.

"The only problem is gathering all of the Dragon Balls again. I think the only one we have right now is the Four-Star Ball." Videl recalled, knowing that particular ball was in Goku's possession the last time Gohan saw him. It might still be at his and Chi-Chi's house on Mt. Paozu.

Bulma passively waved off her concerns. "That's the easy part, Videl. I didn't make multiple copies of the Dragon Radar for nothing, remember?

"I suppose you're right." Videl shrugged.

"Guess it's settled then. We'll gather the rest of the Z-Fighters tomorrow morning and start gathering the Dragon Balls." Gohan proclaimed, smacking a fist into his open palm.

"Tomorrow morning after our spar, you mean?"

Gohan slumped his shoulders in annoyance. "Yes, Vegeta. You don't have to keep reminding me."

"Hmph. You won't need to be reminded once I beat you." Vegeta snickered confidently. His eyes sported a competitive glare usually seen in his fights with Goku.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say." Gohan continued to brush off Vegeta's boasts.

"Sounds like a plan to me. Good thinking, guys." King Kai agreed with their plan to find the Dragon Balls. If both the Earth and Namekian sets failed, there's no telling what they could do to find Goku.

Gohan smiled, relieved that they came up with some sort of lead to Goku's current location. It wasn't a perfect plan, obviously, but he'd be fine with any method at this rate. The Dragon Balls haven't let them down yet, and he hoped it would stay that way.

He took a look at the nearest clock, noticing how close to the morning they really were.

"It's getting late, King Kai. I'll keep you posted if anything new comes up." Gohan assured the bug-like deity.

"Thanks, Gohan. I'll speak with all of you again tomorrow. See ya!" King Kai then disconnected with the foursome's minds and ended their short pep talk.

With their plans for tomorrow all set in motion, Bulma loudly yawned from exhaustion.

"Welp, I'm going back to bed, guys. I really need to get my beauty sleep." Bulma said whilst pointing at her facial features. There appeared to be some small wrinkles here and there, but no was brave enough to tell Bulma about that.

"Tsk. You could say that again…" Vegeta grumbled to himself. Hearing this comment, Bulma dangerously narrowed her eyes in anger. She speedily grabbed ahold of Vegeta's ear and started pinching it as hard as possible.

Surprisingly, this hurt Vegeta way more than he expected. His ear began to turn blood red in mere seconds.

"Ow, ow, ow! I was joking, you crazy Earth woman! Lemme go!" Vegeta wailed in comical agony. Videl tried her best not to laugh while Gohan stood there in utter speechlessness.

"Sure you were." Bulma smirked deviously. She then dragged Vegeta back into their bedroom and shut the door without another word.

Gohan and Videl slowly looked at each other in discomfort. Who knew Bulma could be that terrifying when she wanted to be?

"You…uh…won't do that kind of thing if I make you angry, right?" Gohan nervously asked. Videl then beamed, lovingly kissing Gohan on the cheek.

"Don't make me angry and you won't have to find out." Videl giggled mischievously. She winked at Gohan before walking back towards the guest room.

Remembering the fiery temper Videl once had during their time at Orange Star High School, he did, indeed, not to wish to find out. A shiver went down his spine just thinking about it.

"Note to self: don't give Videl a reason to be angry at you." Gohan mentally reminded himself.

Right before he followed after Videl, Gohan took one last look at the glowing, full moon. He narrowed his eyes in the form of a glare that screamed fervent desire and relentlessness.

"Don't worry, Dad. We'll bring you back home somehow. I promise." Gohan mentally sent out an oath to wherever his father was. Afterwards, he turned around and shut off the lamp closest to the window. Capsule Corp was now completely dark as everyone drifted off to sleep.

King Kai's Planet

After disconnecting his telekinetic link, King Kai couldn't help, but sigh in relief. Talking with Gohan and the others definitely relieved some of the pressure weighing down on King Kai's shoulders. The Dragon Balls possessed many magical capabilities, so as he told them before, Shenron might have knowledge on where to access different universes. Porunga was even more of a likely candidate due to him being thousands of years old, but even then, it still paled in comparison to his own age.

Nevertheless, he still worried for Goku's safety. Sure, Goku was immensely powerful and his Super Saiyan 3 transformation could probably destroy a whole galaxy at full power, but there existed many individuals far stronger than him. Some of which could even be considered superior to all of Majin Buu's forms combined. Beerus and the multiverse's other Gods of Destruction were examples of such terrifying beings. God forbid if Goku ever had to fight those deities at some point. At this current level of strength, Goku would never stand a chance.

King Kai wasn't assuming this new universe did contain inhabitants of that caliber, but based on the strange, almost divine light emitted by that elevator, it was a possibility. All he could really do was hope this universe's own gods weren't as malevolent and irate as the ones here. Considering Goku's character, he probably wouldn't hesitate in challenging such a person in that condition.

Adjusting his glasses once more, King Kai spun around to address Gregory and Bubbles.

"So, they're playing the safe route and going with the Dragon Balls as an option?" The giant cricket asked based on what he heard. The Kai of the North Galaxy solemnly bobbed his head in confirmation.

"It's really all they can do for the time being. Both Shenron and Porunga might be able to open up other possibilities, if their reality warping abilities just so happen to not be powerful enough." King Kai said while rubbing the sweat off his brow. Gregory nodded in hesitant agreement.

Suddenly, a concerning thought came to the cricket's head.

"Say, if this universe is separated from the rest of the multiverse like you said, where do you think it came from?" Gregory asked in puzzlement.

King Kai froze in place, never even considering the potential origins of this outer realm. He knew that all 12 universes were created by a single deity, the Omni-King, billions of years ago, and that included Supreme Kais, G.O.D.s, and Angels as well. Technically, there used to be 18, but six of them were annihilated during one of the Omni-King's many temper tantrums. That information particularly intrigued King Kai. What if the universe Goku entered was intended to be destroyed, but ended up escaping the Omni-King's grasp somehow? Maybe that was the reason Supreme Kais or other commonplace species couldn't be sensed there.

However, King Kai didn't like to dwell on such existential thoughts. Compared to the Omni-King, Zeno, he was essentially a tiny, insignificant ant and thinking of such overwhelming power greatly unnerved him. He couldn't even stand to be in the same room as Beerus, after all.

"That's a mystery to me as well, Gregory. And I don't think it's one we want to solve just yet." King Kai stated in an uncharacteristically downcast tone. For a literal bug, Gregory could definitely understand that answer.

That aforementioned mystery was, in a way, unintentionally thrust into the hands of Goku himself. If this unknown universe was indeed one of the six intended to be erased by the Omni-King, he prayed that Zeno wouldn't find out about it. The Omni-King may be apathetic at times, but he could be immensely terrifying depending on the circumstance.

"Be careful out there, Goku. Delving deeper into the multiverse can be more dangerous than you think." King Kai inwardly forewarned.

With that last thought, King Kai walked over this shack and prepared to start fixing his damaged vehicle. It'd take a long, long time, even with the proper tools in his possession.