On the Lookout's plaza, Mr. Popo spoke in his usual monotone, recounting a tale that began forty thousand years ago.
When he mentioned that Yamiru had first appeared before him and Lady Annin in the form of a demonic dragon, Tights clenched her fists. The disjointed fragments of time seemed to connect—Yamiru's transformation into a dragon six years ago, his ultimate technique…
"No one knows his true origins. He never spoke of them in detail, only saying that his martial arts came from the Turtle School..."
"Back then, the world was ruled by the Six Great Demon Kings. He and Lady Annin defeated them, one by one..."
"In the end, he became the first Kami of Earth. Then, in a final battle against the most powerful Demon King, Satan, they perished together..."
"He built Korin Tower..."
"Under his orders, Lady Annin, as acting Kami, constructed the Lookout..."
Mr. Popo recounted these ancient events with eerie calm.
Some details Piccolo already knew; others were new even to him.
Gine and Chi-Chi stood frozen, jaws slack in identical shock. The savior of forty thousand years ago, the first Kami of Earth—was actually the Yamiru they knew?
Forty thousand years…
Tights' fingers dug into her palms, her legs threatening to give way. Gine caught her before she could fall.
---
Stumbling forward, Tights numbly walked to the edge of the Lookout, imagining Yamiru standing there for millennia, gazing down at the world below.
Forty thousand years…
The mere thought of that number made her heart twist in agony.
Just then, a gust of wind surged from below, carrying a tiny figure upward—wobbling unsteadily, as if someone had tossed her into the sky.
Joey fluttered erratically before landing in the golden-haired woman's outstretched palm.
"Phew!" she exhaled cutely, settling onto Tights' soft but slightly cold hand. "Hi there!"
"Hi," Tights echoed blankly.
"Someone told me to tell you—" Joey scrunched her brows, as if puzzled by the message she was relaying, but chirped on, "For a long time, Yamiru hid in Korin Tower, refusing to truly live in the world. He even used sleep spells to pass years at a time… She didn't understand why back then, but now she gets it—he didn't want to live alone without a certain someone… Hey, why are you crying?"
Joey fluttered up, hovering before Tights, tiny hands patting at her tear-streaked cheeks.
"I'm fine…" Tights shook her head, biting her lip. "The person who sent you… was it Annin?"
Joey "pah!" slapped both hands over her mouth, eyes wide.
Then, peeking between her fingers, she whispered, "She also said Yamiru would hate you knowing this… but who cares, she's not listening to him anyway!"
She quickly covered her mouth again, blinking innocently.
Tights wiped her eyes with the heels of her palms, then cradled Joey as she sat at the Lookout's edge.
"Tell me more, okay? How did you meet him…?" she murmured. "Who cares what he thinks…"
"Okay!" Joey giggled. "The day I met Yamiru, I was flying my spaceship, zoom! zoom! Then—boom!—I crashed into this huuuge golden cloud… and there he was, sleeping right on it!"
"He always seemed so sad… But I'm amazing, so I just tossed all the sadness right out of his head! Teehee~"
As Joey chattered animatedly, Tights listened with a fragile smile, the tiny girl cupped gently in her hands.
---
At the Lookout's edge, Gine and Chi-Chi watched the plane descend.
"Yamiru's story is just unbelievable!" Gine marveled. "Going back forty thousand years, fighting such terrifying enemies… No wonder he beat Goku!"
Chi-Chi whispered, "Forty thousand years… How did he endure it…?"
Above them, Piccolo's white cape fluttered in the wind, his face unreadable.
Matters of love were far too complex for a genderless Namekian.
---
Tights' plane cut through the sea of clouds, descending toward the world below.
In her mind, two versions of Yamiru overlapped:
The warrior who battled through an age of demons, as told by Mr. Popo…
The man who chose to sleep through centuries rather than live without her, as Joey described…
As the aircraft soared past Korin Tower, sunlight glinting off its windows, Tights spotted Joey wobbling her way into the tower's upper chambers—
A tiny beacon of joy, just as Yamiru had once been for her.
By the railing, a female warrior-like figure sat casually, paying no attention to the passing aircraft or Tights' gaze from within. She simply snatched the tiny flying girl out of the air, playfully pinching and ruffling her, drawing giggles from Joey.
'So that's Annin...'
Tights gripped the control yoke, banking the plane away from Korin Tower and into the distance.
Her eyes fixed on West City ahead, she adjusted the controls with practiced clicks, tightened her grip, and pushed the throttle to maximum.
Whoosh—
Back at Korin Tower, Annin glanced at the shrinking speck in the sky while toying with Joey.
"Tch. Boring."
---
By the time Tights returned home to West City, Yamiru, Goku, and Bardock had already been back for a while.
Yamiru waved from the lawn as her plane descended. When she stepped out, he grinned. "Where'd you go?"
Tights linked arms with him, beaming. "Just shopping for a gift for Bulma's baby."
"Seriously? She's not due for ages!" Bulma rubbed her belly in exaggerated exasperation.
Mrs. Briefs covered a laugh. "Perfect timing! We were just discussing how lucky Bulma is—childbirth sounds awful!"
"Hm?" Tights glanced at Yamiru, who leaned in to whisper an explanation.
Bulma flashed a V-sign. "Guess what? I've got superpowers now!" She patted her slight bump smugly. "No way I'm letting you show me up!"
Tights finally learned about the wish they'd made to Shenron.
Bulma sidled over, grinning. "Sooo, big sis... you really planned that far ahead? Back when kids weren't even on the table?"
Tights laughed. "Well, we'd want them eventually."
"Then hurry up!" Bulma declared, hands on hips. "Or little Gohan will be all lonely. They should grow up together!"
"Gohan?" Tights blinked.
Goku rubbed his head. "Named him after Grandpa. Seemed right."
"I see." Tights looked at Yamiru.
He shrugged. "Your call! Name 'em after a shirt for all I care—"
The group erupted in laughter—Dr. Briefs wheezed hardest, even Bardock cracked a smile.
Time flowed like the wind, swift and untouchable.
---
Months later, in the Briefs' home, surrounded by her parents, a very pregnant Tights and Yamiru, Goku, Bardock, Kami-of-Earth Gine, and others, Bulma snapped her fingers.
Her swollen belly instantly flattened. The loose dress fluttered down—and in her arms appeared a brand-new, wrinkly baby boy, his eyes still sealed shut, wisps of lavender hair plastered to his scalp...
The cries of newborn Son Gohan rose into the air. Time flowed on.
---
Months after that, Bulma cradled a pacifier-sucking lilac-haired infant while eyeing Tights' prominent bump. The golden-haired mom-to-be grinned, laced her fingers with Yamiru's, and—under everyone's eager watch—raised her hand.
A crisp snap echoed:
"Pop!"