"Goten? What's wrong?" came a familiar voice.
Hearing it, Goten spun around abruptly. His breathing was ragged, his heart pounding like war drums. Standing before him was his father — Goku. Alive. Real. Whole. He looked exactly the same as always — the only difference was the worried and confused look in his eyes as he stared at Goten.
Tears welled up in Goten's eyes. Overwhelmed by emotion, he threw himself into his father's arms, hugging him with such force as if afraid he might vanish.
"Dad!.." he breathed out through his tears, burying his face in Goku's chest.
"Whoa, whoa, what's going on, kiddo?" Goku said gently, wrapping his arms around his son and lifting him up. "You must've dozed off out here. Had a nightmare, huh?"
"A nightmare?.." Goten managed to say.
He was still trembling, sobbing quietly. His face was streaked with tears, and his breathing was uneven. But the moment he heard the word "nightmare," he froze. Something inside him felt like it had stopped. Slowly, he pulled away from his father and looked around.
They were in the fields. The day was clear. The sun warmed his skin, and fluffy clouds drifted across the sky above. Goku stood beside him — alive, smiling. There wasn't a scratch on him. Goten himself was fine too: no blood, no pain. Everything looked peaceful… calm…
"It… was just a dream?" he thought, his heartbeat finally beginning to slow.
Seeing that Goten had stopped shaking, Goku gently set him down on the ground.
"Feeling better now, Goten?" he asked, leaning down to look him in the eyes.
Goten nodded silently but stayed close to his father, as if he couldn't bear to let him out of reach.
"Hah! Guess not completely," Goku chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Tell you what — once we're done with work here, I'll train with you a bit. Go over some moves, get your mind off those bad dreams. But first, we gotta finish up here. You'll help me, right?"
"Okay…" Goten answered softly and started to move, ready to help — when suddenly...
Everything changed.
Goku's body began to glow with a bright, almost blinding light. Goten instinctively shut his eyes, but he already knew — he'd seen this before. Not long ago. This was happening again. His heart clenched, and his hands balled into fists.
When the light faded, Goku was no longer standing there. In his place stood a terrifying green humanoid, still disguised in Goku's clothing. His skin had a sinister tone, and his voice was distorted and hollow.
"Huh? What's going on with my body? Why am I green? And… what happened to my voice?.." he muttered, staring at his hands and glancing around in confusion.
Goten took a step back, his eyes widening in horror.
"So… it wasn't just a dream…" he whispered, memories of his parents' deaths crashing back into his mind.
"It all really happened…" he said again, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Tears threatened to rise once more — but this time, he didn't let them fall. Instead, his expression began to shift. The sorrow and despair in his face gave way to something new — firm, unshakable resolve. He would never let this happen again. Never.
He didn't know exactly how to stop it, but deep in his soul, he knew — doing nothing was no longer an option. He had to act. Fast.
Snapping his head up, he rushed toward his father.
"Dad!" Goten called out, running up to him. "We need to leave! Now!"
Goku, still inspecting his body in confusion, looked up at his son. His face showed nothing but bewilderment.
"What's going on?" he asked, clearly still struggling to understand.
"We need help!" Goten said firmly. "Someone has to figure out what's wrong with you. We can't do this alone. Please!"
Goku hesitated. There was something in his son's voice — a tone he wasn't used to hearing. Determination. Goten had always been a serious kid, but right now, he sounded… grown. Like someone bearing a heavy responsibility. That worried him.
"Alright," Goku said, giving a small nod. "Let's fly to Piccolo. He's the closest, and if anyone can make sense of this, it's him."
With that, Goku crouched and pushed off the ground, intending to fly — but to his surprise, he barely lifted off the ground before crashing back down with a thud.
"What the..." he muttered, grimacing. "Why is it so hard to take off?"
He quickly stood, brushing dirt from his clothes, then stepped back. Spreading his arms and clenching his fists, he began to focus. The air around him trembled. His body started to vibrate slightly, and his ki began to rise. He let out a fierce shout, putting everything into it.
Goten felt his father's energy building — but then, all at once, it vanished. Goku stood hunched over, breathing heavily, his expression filled with confusion and growing alarm.
"Dad, what's wrong?!" Goten asked desperately. "We have to hurry!"
Goku looked at his hands. Green. He slowly shook his head.
"This is… strange," he muttered, still in disbelief. "I tried to go Super Saiyan, but all I got was a small surge of ki. This body…"
He trailed off, staring down at his palms. The strength he once knew — it was gone.
"I can't use it…" he added softly.
Goten clenched his fists. His body suddenly flared with golden light, his hair flashing to gold, eyes glowing emerald. In an instant, he became a Super Saiyan. Without hesitation, he grabbed his father by the waist, tightened his grip, and soared into the sky.
"Dad, where's Uncle Piccolo?" he asked, his voice steady and filled with icy resolve.
Goku looked at his son — and realized he wasn't looking at a child anymore. He was looking at a warrior. A true Saiyan.
"He's to the north," Goku said, switching to a more serious tone. "Not too far from here."
"Got it," Goten answered shortly, then accelerated.
He flew faster than ever before. Even his ki felt different — stronger, steadier, as if the universe itself had decided to help him protect his father and prevent the looming tragedy.
---
Meanwhile, back at the spot where Goten and Goku had stood just moments ago, space itself began to distort. A black crack opened in the air, and out stepped… him.
Goku Black.
His eyes gleamed with malice, and a dark grin spread across his face. He slowly scanned the area, tuning in to the faint traces of energy.
"Hmm… strange," he murmured. "He should've been here..."
Closing his eyes, he focused — and then suddenly opened them again, locking his gaze toward the north. His wicked smile grew wider.
"Found you… Son Goku."