The sky above Khami's place stretched wide and cloudless, painted in the soft pastels of an early morning sun. A gentle wind whispered through the high-altitude air, stirring the leaves of the small plants adorning the lookout's garden.
Goku and Tien stood at Khami's place, bags packed, waiting for Mr. Popo. The air was heavy with anticipation.
Chichi, Ox King, and Master Roshi had come to see them off, their presence a mix of support and quiet dread.
Korin, arms crossed over his furry chest, glanced at Khami.
"Khami, how much longer till Popo arrives?" he asked, his voice carrying a hint of impatience.
Khami checked the antique watch on his wrist. "He should be here any moment now."
Goku stepped toward Chichi, his gaze softening as he saw her cradling their baby, Goten. With a gentle hand, he ruffled the boy's hair. "Pray that I come back in time to watch him grow," Goku said, his voice low, laced with both hope and uncertainty.
Chichi swallowed, nodding, though tears welled in her eyes. "You will... God willing."
"Look!" Master Roshi shouted, his voice breaking the tension. He pointed to the sky.
A small speck appeared in the distance, growing larger by the second until the unmistakable shape of a spaceship materialized.
Goku's brows furrowed. It was time.
The wind picked up, whipping through their hair.
Inside the ship, Mr. Popo smiled, Khami's lookout growing closer. "Ah, it's good to be home."
The spaceship descended slowly, stirring the air with increasing intensity. Master Roshi and Goku watched in solemn silence, the wind tugging at Roshi's beard and tousling Goku's hair.
Tien took a deep breath.
Goku turned back to Chichi and Goten, pulling them into a loose but heartfelt embrace. "Goodbye. I'll come back." His words were steady, but the weight of them hung in the air.
Ox King placed a comforting hand on Chichi's shoulder, though his own eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
Everyone felt it: the creeping sense that this journey was different, that the threat they faced was unlike any before.
Khami's hand tightened around his staff. "It's time for you to go."
"Right," Tien said, nodding solemnly.
The spaceship finally touched down, and the door hissed open. Mr. Popo hopped out and walked over to Goku, handing him a worn instruction manual. "Since you've gotten used to piloting a spaceship from your trip to King Gai's planet, I won't be coming along this time."
Goku accepted the manual with a nod. "No problem."
Popo continued, his voice softer. "Make sure to check the shortcut I scribbled on the back. You'll need it if you want to make the trip in three days."
"Got it," Goku said, pocketing the manual.
With their gear strapped to their backs, Goku and Tien exchanged one last glance with the group. Then, in a swift movement, they floated up and into the ship, the door closing behind them. Goku waved through the window, his heart heavy with the knowledge that this might be the last time he saw his loved ones.
The ship's engines roared to life, and as it slowly lifted off, Goku's friends and family waved back, the reality of the moment sinking in.
The wind howled as the ship ascended higher and higher. It hovered for a moment before, with a surge of energy, it shot into the sky, vanishing into the distant horizon as nothing more than a faint twinkle.
.......
Yajirobe snored loudly, still bound to the chair in his dimly lit room, blissfully unaware of the fate that awaited him. The door slid open with a soft hiss, and in stepped the soldier Apulle, a space pistol gleaming in his hand. Apulle's presence was imposing; he was no mere grunt. As the fourth strongest in Frieza's security battalion, he ranked just below the likes of Dodoria, Cui, and Zarbon. In the Planet Trade Organization, he held the grim title of executioner.
With deliberate calm, Apulle approached Yajirobe, the weight of his footsteps echoing in the silence. He leveled the pistol against Yajirobe's face, the cold metal pressing into skin.
Yajirobe's eyes snapped open, his breath catching in his throat as he stared down the barrel of the gun. His heart pounded violently in his chest. So this was it. His end had come.
To be continued...