1 Divine Intervention (Rewrite)

Somewhere onboard the Princess Andromeda – June 19th, 2007

Within the ten-story tall cruise ship all sorts of monsters and demigods called home, their leader, Kronos, stirred inside his sarcophagus. It was a ten-foot-long golden casket engraved with depictions of various atrocities and untold destruction on a global scale. Some of these scenes included the utter desecration of famous landmarks and temples built to honor his treacherous spawn, the Olympians. Said gods, at the same time, were being run over by their own chariots in grisly detail.

The sarcophagus's lid had letters from an even older, more ancient language than Ancient Greek carved into it as well. To those who spoke the Tongue of the Old Times once considered common to all Titans like himself, it simply read, "Kronos, Lord of Time." He, however, still would have been considered the lord of everything if not for his children's successful uprising against him.

And after spending thousands upon thousands of years trapped inside that accursed pit, Tartarus, it was now time for him to exact vengeance upon the Olympian brats who defied his rule. He would need help from both his loyal subjects and fellow Titans, of course, but with every new half-blood that swore loyalty to his cause, the more and more rejuvenated he became.

His return was nothing short of inevitable at this point. That was why Olympus's destruction was a moment worth waiting for, from his perspective.

Just thinking about that infidel, Zeus's, death was enough to brighten Kronos's spirits. The sarcophagus glowed with divine power and chilled the room that contained it to below freezing temperatures.

It was then that Kronos, through his instinctive mastery over all time, witnessed a premonition of sorts. He could see the likeness of an adult man with black spiky hair and a gray martial arts gi. He was also wearing white boots and a red sash wrapped around his waist.

What further piqued the Titan Lord's interest, however, was the scythe clasped in his hands. The man imbued this weapon with bloodred energy before laughing maniacally and slicing it at some unforeseen opponent. The vision then ended after that.

Although lacking a physical body, Kronos still felt incredibly confused by what he just saw. He had never seen this man before, yet he possessed a scythe very similar to his own. Could this be a vision of the man that would, one day, become his new body? If so, where would such an individual have even come from in the first place?

He ruminated over his thoughts for a few moments until… it finally dawned on him. The answer was so simple, yet rather complicated at the same time.

This man… Kronos thought. He must be from another universe separate from my own.

A long time ago, he had heard his mother, Gaea, mention the existence of 12 whole universes where their divine authority held no true significance. He once thought such a possibility was utterly blasphemous, but now, it was starting to seem plausible. After all, this individual appeared to be a mortal being, yet supposedly, had power that rivaled any god or Titan in existence.

That incredible power, in fact, was everything he needed to ensure Olympus's end. Luke Castellan, the foolish pawn that he was, would be a far worse host compared to this mysterious, black-haired man.

The only problem was deciphering his current location and whether or not he still existed somewhere.

These other universes may be beyond my jurisdiction, but perhaps, much like the flow of time itself, there is a connection between this point in the cosmos to… well… everywhere else.

Kronos then tapped into all of the divine power he still had and tried, with all his might, to peer into the universe's present timestream. Given that time was his primary domain as a Titan, it shouldn't be all that difficult of a task to perform.

All I need to do is witness the infinite expanse of timelines and probabilities simultaneously. I'm sure one of them must contain the person I am seeking…"

In a matter of seconds, the sarcophagus flashed with golden light as Kronos looked through millions upon trillions of different timelines. He managed to peer through past events like the Trojan War and even events from a completely separate universe that housed fighters with matching red-black uniforms. One of them was a muscular, white-skinned alien with big black eyes, but he didn't see much of that universe to really notice.

A few more seconds passed until finally, to his immense pleasure, Kronos finally stumbled upon a universe that the black-haired mortal called home. This version of the man wore an orange and blue gi, rather than the gray version he saw beforehand.

He took some time to look through the man's life from beginning to end. He held absolutely no interest in the man's idiotic adventures and friendships, but his prowess in battle, on the other hand, caught him by surprise. It looked as if the man had two separate personalities in and outside of combat.

I see. Your name is Son Goku, hm? Kronos thought. Rather moronic and childlike, but his strength… could rival any hero known to mortal kind, especially that arrogant weakling, Perseus Jackson.

He sneered at the mere mention of his demigod nephew. Luke failed to capture him, the daughter of Athena, Annabeth, and his cyclops brother, Tyson, yesterday, so they were currently trying to prevent them from finding the Golden Fleece on their little "quest".

Kronos, at one point, did want to be fully healed by the fleece, but given Luke and his army's track record, he knew they'd find a way to fail him again. That was why Son Goku and other potential warriors from his universe would be a much-needed backup plan.

Judging by Goku's slew of different enemies, a whole army of them would be more than enough to bring Zeus and the entire Greek pantheon to their knees. They wouldn't see any of it coming either.

I just need some way to bring him… and potentially more here. But how?

He then recalled Olympus's current location above the Empire State Building. The usage of an interdimensional elevator was required for mortals and demigods who wished to visit the gods in person. This, essentially, made it able to teleport from one plane of existence to another without much effort.

Who was to say that it couldn't gain access to entirely separate dimensions either? He was certain that Hephaestus had considered such a possibility while constructing the device.

Yes. The elevator to Olympus will do nicely. All that's required is the use of a god or goddess who'd be foolish enough to willingly bring someone like Goku over to this world.

The latest point in Son Goku's life appeared to involve the recent death of his wife, Chi-Chi. He had no such care for mortal squabbles like that, but love was clearly a factor that was now missing in the martial artist's life. Considering how conventionally attractive Goku was by the standards of mortal women (apart from his height and significant lack of intelligence), Kronos had a pretty good feeling that Aphrodite, the promiscuous bimbo that she had always been, would swoop in at the opportunity to claim the Saiyan man as hers. She may be considered the Olympian goddess of love, yet, more often than not, Aphrodite preferred caving into blissfully ignorant passionate lust than actually being considerate of other people's feelings and desires.

In that sense, she'd be the perfect way to strand Goku in their universe without any way of getting back. Not even the so-called Dragon Balls would be able to help him out.

It's settled then. Although Aphrodite may not be aware of Goku's existence yet, she will fairly soon. And once she learns more about him, her infatuation towards the mortal will be all, but assured.

The Titan Lord laughed to himself as he took notice of a small fountain built into the corner of the room. Luke typically used it to communicate with demigod spies via messages materialized by the rainbow goddess, Iris. He would now be using it to thrust his current plans into action.

Using Umbrakinesis, Kronos manipulated the shadow of his sarcophagus and stretched it over to the fountain. The shadow tossed some pieces of golden drachma into the fountain, causing, as expected, the translucent likeness of a rainbow to appear.

Now, he utilized his control over all time to transport detailed images of Goku's past experiences into the rainbow and directly toward Aphrodite's temple on Olympus. There would be more than enough footage of his prior history to keep the goddess occupied for at least a few months or more.

Satisfied with his work, Kronos retracted the shadow back into its original position and continued to think about his premonition. The existence of mortals such as Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu disturbed him greatly, yet also made him curious. Hypothetically, was there a chance his Chronokinesis could help him peer into alternate timelines and universes directly? It would take some practice, but projecting portals to these worlds could increase the power of his army tenfold or even thousandfold.

Goku would certainly not give up control of his body without a proper fight, so enlisting the help of fighters on-par with his and any other Saiyans' powers would be his next goal. The key to destroying Zeus and his rebellious children completely was, in some way, the destruction of Goku's own spirit.

For without a spirit, there'd be nothing left to resist Kronos's control over his body and, potentially, the entire multiverse itself. Thinking of such events brought great joy to the Titan of Time's twisted mind, but for now, he would need to wait.

Don't be long, Son Goku. I anticipate the day that your power will be mine and mine alone to possess.

The Titan Lord then laughed to himself once more, sending shivers down the spine of every monster and demigod in close proximity. As soon as Luke would come back to check on him, Kronos would discuss his findings and another related scheme that possibly involved Daedalus' legendary invention, the Labyrinth.

On Mount Olympus…

The majesty of Mount Olympus was truly a spectacle far beyond the standards of any mortal. Residing on another plane of existence, said "mountain" was a natural paradise free of pollution and all forms of technology. It was a massive city comprised of 12 towering palaces, each designed for the respective Greek gods and goddesses they represented. Along these ancient temples, mythical creatures such as nymphs and satyrs happily ran miscellaneous errands, enjoying the literal heaven they were lucky enough to call home.

The peak of Olympus housed an Acropolis-like structure where each Olympian met to discuss circumstances related to their demigod children and other global phenomena. One such palace belonged to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty, passion, pleasure, lust, and, above all else, love. It was painted a mix of gold and bright pink with detailed heart designs plastered along its marble walls.

She was an extremely gorgeous woman with emerald green eyes, long, flowing blonde hair, and a curvaceous hourglass-shaped figure. On top of having a beautiful face without any trace of imperfection, she also wore a rather revealing pink tunic that showed off her long legs and, more specifically, her large breasts, which could be adjusted to become any size. A red sash was also bound around her waist in order to keep the entire outfit in place.

Although being desired by every male mortal and god in existence, Aphrodite was starting to feel, for lack of a better term, bored. She'd slept with her lover, Ares, countless times and had multiple demigod children with any handsome mortal men she could find, but after doing the same thing for millennia, the goddess craved something different.

At this point, she wouldn't mind settling down and genuinely falling in love with one special person who could make her happy. It was a selfish mindset, of course, but given the fact that her "marriage" with Hephaestus was essentially forced upon her, it was about time that she took part in something that gave herself pleasure, not someone else.

Aphrodite sighed and sadly walked into her temple. She approached her heart-shaped bed and plopped down on top of it, looking dejected.

"Ugh. That settles it. I can no longer stand to share the same bed with Ares over and over again. The passion is all, but nonexistent now…"

Their open relationship may have been fun thousands of years ago, but now that everyone and their mother was aware of the sexual escapades they took part in, she got absolutely no enjoyment out of… doing it with him anymore. Even mortals, no matter how attractive they could be, did much to remedy her loss of outward affection.

"Maybe I should try finding a… good, genuinely sweet guy for once. They're typically not my type, but one of them could sweep me off my feet. Who knows?" Aphrodite thought while lying down on her bed. "Although, I wonder if me having so many children will get in the way of that…"

She snorted and started haughtily giggling at such a silly remark.

"Pfft! What am I saying? I'm Aphrodite! I can have any man I want, anytime, anywhere!"

After singing her own praises, a rainbow was projected from the nearby fountain. She tilted her head to the side in curiosity.

"Huh? An Iris Message?"

She then leapt off her bed and inspected this mysterious message. Once she drew close enough to see what the message entailed, the rainbow transformed into a projected recording of some random world she was unfamiliar with. It showcased dinosaurian creatures, aliens, animals walking and talking like people, and, strangely enough, martial artists who could shoot energy from their hands.

"Strange. Why would Iris send me something… like… this…"

Her eyes widened at the sight of a muscular, strikingly handsome man with black spiky hair. He wore an orange gi that accentuated the size of his large muscles and chest, making him look all the more impressive in his fights against multiple, highly powerful opponents.

Her cheeks burned a bright red as her heart relentlessly beat against her chest. She had to sit back down on the bed just to stop herself from falling unconscious at the sight of such… an impressive specimen.

Upon hearing the name of this man be uttered by a few different people, Aphrodite licked her lips and smiled from ear-to-ear. "Son Goku, hm? Where have you been all my life?"

She then magically changed her dress into a set of pink lingerie and got herself more comfortable on the bed. The goddess was quite interested in viewing Goku's from the very beginning and growing to understand the type of person he was.

"And how can I begin to learn more about you?"

For the next few months, she would take time out of her day to learn about the martial artist located entire universes away. Her feelings for him would grow stronger and stronger as time went on, inadvertently bringing forth the very moment that would make Kronos's diabolical plans become a reality.

That moment would mark the day Son Goku, mortal protector of the 7th Universe's Earth, would cross paths with the Olympian gods and goddesses, and alter their lives forever.

Mt. Paozu, Thursday, December 13th, 2007 (Age 775)

The world was marginally in a state of peace after the destruction of Majin Buu. With everyone on Earth being resurrected by the Dragon Balls, there were no more threats that needed to be dealt with by the Z-Fighters and life, as a result, went back to normal. Unfortunately, the only person who couldn't return to a normal life was the very Saiyan warrior responsible for Buu's defeat. He had felt empty inside ever since the death of his wife and childhood sweetheart, Chi-Chi, a few months prior.

In place of Goku's usual carefree smile was a depressed grimace as he sat atop the roof of his house and gazed upon Mt. Paozu's distant horizon.

Chi-Chi… I…

The poor man couldn't even bare to recall what happened to her. Although he only married Chi-Chi because of a promise he accidentally made as a kid, it still seemed like an important part of him was torn to pieces before his very eyes. He couldn't eat right, sleep properly, or even do the most important thing in his entire career as a martial artist: fight! Sure, he might have been infuriated by both of Krillin's deaths, but that was only because he had the power necessary to prevent those situations from taking place. Deep down, he knew that his best friend would be wished back sooner or later.

Chi-Chi, on the other hand, died from an undisclosed he couldn't see coming or have any sort of control over. Since neither Earth's or Namek's sets of Dragon Balls could resurrect someone who passed away from natural causes, the mother of his children was truly gone for good and it broke him in ways he didn't think were even possible for a dense musclehead like him. It seemed like it was Grandpa Gohan's death all over again, but without the chance for a potential reunion.

"I-I wish I could have been there for you, Chi. I'm sorry I didn't realize that before… before…"

Goku cut himself off as soon as a few misty tears tricked down his face. He thoroughly rubbed his face before any more tears could fall and began to levitate in midair. As he prepared to take flight, the martial artist peered down at his adoptive grandfather's shrine. Goku lightly grinned at the memories it represented, thinking back to the first time he met Bulma and how their search for the Dragon Balls led to him meeting Chi-Chi. Life was a whole lot simpler back then, but as proven with recent events, the good times couldn't always last.

Not wanting to depress himself further by dwelling on the past, Goku sighed and placed two fingers on the bridge of his nose. His quietly sensed the world around him and prepared to use one of his signature techniques, the Instant Transmission.

"I need someone to talk to. Maybe King Kai will have some advice." He whispered to himself in an exhausted tone. "I can't keep thinking about Chi-Chi like this…"

With that last thought, he closed in on the Lord of Worlds' energy signature and teleported over to his planet.

Meanwhile at Capsule Corp…

In an attempt to give their dad some space, Goten was put under Gohan and Videl's care until further notice. All three of them were invited to Capsule Corporation's main building by Bulma, so they could figure out a way for Goku to properly cope with his wife's death. Losing his mother wasn't something Goten wanted to think about or discuss either, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He, like his older brother, just wanted his dad to be okay.

Mostly all of the Z-Fighters were summoned there by the blue-haired scientist, much to Vegeta and Piccolo's immense chagrin. Everyone situated themselves around the building's dining area, either sitting down at the kitchen table or standing somewhere close by.

In a separate room, Goten attempted to spar with his best friend, Trunks, but, admittedly, his heart just wasn't in it. Even the attendance of Krillin and Android 18's cheerful daughter, Marron, didn't do much to ease his troubled mind.

He sluggishly attempted to evade a punch from his fellow Half-Saiyan and, in the process, left himself wide open for a swift kick to the face. It sent him flying into the training room's wall, leaving a sizable dent that looked identical to the shape of his prepubescent body. He then fell to his knees and struggled to breathe, causing the little blonde-haired girl to gasp in concern.

"Oh no! A-Are you okay, Goten?" Marron cried.

Goten lightly massaged the large bruise on his face and sighed. "Don't worry, Marron. I'll be alright…"

Trunks wasn't buying this little act for a second. He crossed his arms and glared down at Goten in an attempt to act tough.

"Tsk. Alright, my ass! You should have seen that attack coming from a mile away, Goten! What's with you today?!"

Goten sniffled, trying his best not to break down and cry. "Sorry, Trunks. I'm just… having a hard time without my mom around. That's all…"

The fierceness in Trunks's blue eyes softened a little. He scratched the back of his head and tried to think of something he could say.

"Look, I get it. I'm sure losing your mom that way was tough. I'd probably act the same way if my mom… ergh… you know…" He muttered. He then walked over to where Goten was sitting and held a hand on his shoulder. "But you can't be mopey and sad like this all the time. That's for your dad, Gohan, and the other grown-ups to worry about right now. I mean, think about it. Would Chi-Chi really want to see you like this?"

Goten rubbed his eyes and thought over Trunks's words. Considering that his mom and Gohan both dealt with Goku's death for over seven years, she definitely wouldn't want him to give into despair so suddenly.

"No. She probably wouldn't…"

"Exactly. You still have a lot of stuff to be happy about, Goten." Marron added from the sidelines. "Your mom may be gone, but you still have me… erm, I mean, us to talk with."

She shyly looked away from Goten to hide her now-embarrassed, blushing face. This caused Trunks to roll his eyes and smirk at his current sparring partner.

"Plus, Saiyan blood flows through our veins, doesn't it? The best way to settle our issues is a good few rounds of fighting." He proclaimed while standing in a fighting stance. "So start putting in your A-Game, alright?"

Goten chuckled and stood in his own fighting stance, ready to take Trunks up on his offer. In that moment, he looked like the splitting image of his father, Goku's, younger self.

"Hehe. Kay then! I won't be holding back this time, though, so get ready!"

"Oh, I'm more than ready, Goten."

Both of them then transformed into their Super Saiyan forms. The sheer force of their golden auras almost knocked Marron off her feet. She, thankfully, managed to recover and continue watching the two spar like before. More than anything, however, she was just happy to see Goten acting like his own happy-go-lucky self again.

"What do you think they're all talking about, anyway?" Goten asked as he exchanged faster-than-light blows with his friend.

"Probably your dad." Trunks assumed.

The spiky-haired boy frowned in acknowledgement and continued fighting without any more distractions. He then thought about the sad look on his dad's face, wondering when they'd be able to spend time with each other again… as a family.

Meanwhile, Gohan expressed similar sentiments in his own mind. He was sitting next to his new wife, Videl, as Bulma addressed the elephant in the room.

"So… how's Goku holding up?"

The Half-Saiyan scholar took off his glasses and set them down on the table, frowning.

"Not too good. Goten said he hasn't eaten a decent meal in weeks."

A theoretical pin dropped throughout the room as the world's greatest fighters and their allies gasped in horror. Vegeta, leaning on the furthest wall with his arms crossed, growled angrily at this news.

"Did I hear that right? Goku hasn't been eating?!" Krillin gulped in disbelief. He was wearing a red shirt and currently had a full-head of short black hair.

"Are you sure the world wasn't destroyed by Buu?!" Yamcha lightly joked.

Temper now far past its breaking point, Vegeta unleashed his energy to drown out the mindless ramblings of everyone else and slammed a fist against the wall.

Everyone immediately went quiet to stare at him.

"Shut up, you damn idiots! Don't you realize what this could mean?!" He growled with fully narrowed black eyes.

Krillin, Yamcha, and the others, expecting this kind of reaction from the hotheaded Saiyan Prince, glared back at him in response.

"We Saiyans live on two things: eating and fighting! If Kakarot continues to be hung up on this Earth woman and refuses to do either, his current power level will continue to stagnate until he's nothing more than an inconvenicence in combat!"

Bulma stood up from her seat and shouted, "That woman was our friend and their mother! Don't you care at all about that and how her death affected Goku?!"

Vegeta scowled at her, but his eyes noticeably softened in what could best be described as understanding.

"I know she meant a lot to Kakarot. All I'm trying to say is that, with the way he's been for the past few months, he'll be completely useless against a threat even greater than Majin Buu ever was." He replied. "For the sake of the Earth's safety, do you really want that to happen?"

The other Z-Fighters couldn't really argue against this point. Even Bulma was relieved by how thoughtful and unselfish Vegeta's statement truly was.

"Guess you're right about that, Vegeta. It's hard to think that anyone could surpass Buu in power, but to be fair, anything's possible." Krillin said. He then slumped his shoulders in growing sadness. "I just wish Goku came to me before any of this got so bad. I am his best friend, aren't I?"

His wife, Android 18, rested a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Sometimes the company of friends isn't enough, dear. It's nothing to beat yourself up about."

Tien sighed at 18's answer and crossed his arms. The pupil of his third eye darted from left to right for any sort of solution to this problem.

"Well, if that's the case, then what should we do?"

Piccolo, noting the sudden disappearance of Goku's presence, closed his eyes and got a good idea of where he might have went to.

"He seems to be on King Kai's planet right now. Maybe we should just leave him alone until he comes to us."

Gohan shook his head and tried to argue against the Namekian's suggestion.

"But it's been around six months, Piccolo! We can't just leave him alone forever or else—"

Videl tugged at the sleeve of his suit jacket and grimaced. She glanced at him with melancholic sapphire eyes.

"Gohan…" She whispered. "I know you're concerned, but there's nothing more we can do right now. Just let Goku process his own emotions as best he can and be patient."

"Videl—"

Seeing the visible concern in Videl's eyes, Gohan slumped back into his seat and took a deep breath. It was no use arguing against either her or Piccolo any further. Deep down, it really was the best thing they could do at the moment.

"You're right. We'll give Dad some more time."

With that last, bittersweet thought, each Z-Fighter departed from Capsule Corp with a hint of disappointment. Gohan and Videl, however, were free to stay behind, so Goten could spend some more time hanging out with Trunks.

Bulma then went back to her usual work while Vegeta stood behind and looked through the kitchen's glass window. As much as he didn't like showing or admitting it, the Saiyan royal was also a little concerned for his rival's wellbeing.

Get well soon, Kakarot.

He then stormed off to spar in the Gravity Chamber as per usual.

Back on Mount Olympus, Thursday, December 13th, 2007 (Age 775)

It had been nearly six months since Aphrodite first discovered the existence of Son Goku, a Saiyan warrior native to a separate, alternative universe from hers. After thoroughly viewing every moment, battle, and image of his life from childhood to adulthood, she was now borderline obsessed with this naïve, simpleminded martial artist. The love goddess spent ages jumping around from partner to partner without a care in the world, but now, after seeing the Saiyan raised on Earth in action, the feelings she felt for him were much different than before. Mainly because she couldn't claim him without jeopardizing the entire universe's safety, but also because of his selflessness and heroism.

Unlike Ares, whom she cheated on her husband, Hephaestus, for physical attractiveness alone, Goku fought to protect his friends and improve himself, rather than cause mass destruction on a global scale. He was just the type of man she wanted and it was completely unfair that such an impressive specimen could not be claimed by her.

After all, as the love goddess, Aphrodite always got what she wanted one way or another. Goku's affections would be no exception.

"Oh yes!" She cried out in excitement. Her eyes and hair were currently shapeshifting into different colors based on the goddess's current mood.

Floating in midair was a pseudo-television screen that mirrored the likeness of a rainbow. It, like before, projected play-by-play recording of Goku's greatest fights, starting from his first bout with Vegeta to the most recent destruction of Pure Majin Buu, or as others called him, Kid Buu.

"He's soooo amazing!" Aphrodite squealed in a shrill, semi-sultry voice. She slightly adjusted her position on the bed to get a better look at the screen.

As soon as Goku's Super Saiyan form showed up, Aphrodite went back to sporting her usual long blonde hair and green eyes.

"Pause it right there!"

Upon command, the interdimensional Iris Message stopped abruptly on Goku's intense stare-down with Frieza on Planet Namek. She swooned aloud and suggestively crawled closer to the projection, so she could caress his face.

"Oh, my sweet Goku! If only you weren't an entire universe away, I would have you all to myself. So innocent, yet so brave. So monstrously powerful, yet so… so…"

Her cheeks began to burn a bright red just imagining the muscular, battle-hardened body that could put Ares' and any other gods' to shame.

"…handsome!"

She lustfully licked her lips, and tried her best not to get too aroused right then and there. That could certainly come later.

Aphrodite tightly clenched her fists and slammed them down on the mattress. She was starting to get desperate and desperation for a goddess like Aphrodite was quite dangerous.

"I must have him! Goku needs to know what it really feels like to love someone and to have that love reciprocated!" She determinedly shouted. "Hmph. I bet I could make him much happier than that inconsiderate harpy, Chi-Chi, ever did…"

She subconsciously growled at the mere thought of Goku's sorry excuse for a "wife". She was a love goddess, so jealousy could be quite commonplace, especially regarding the exes of her prior lovers. Chi-Chi was no exception.

She may have known Goku since childhood, but past experience could only get her so far. Aphrodite was confident that she would inevitably become Goku's one, true love and she wouldn't accept any other option.

With her mind made up, the love goddess blew a kiss at Goku and sent the Iris Message back to her personal fountain. It was filled to the brim with golden drachma, coins that could be sent as tribute to Iris, the rainbow goddess, herself. She glanced over at the fountain in thought.

"It is still a little odd that visions of Goku's world appeared to me so suddenly. Guess outer portions of the cosmos can be accessed based on how much drachma is given as tribute to Iris…"

She had tested such a hypothesis two months ago. Somehow, she managed to see glimpses of a world ruled by pirates, one with superhuman ninjas, and another occupied by Japanese Shinigami, or death gods, with ridiculous-looking swords. The love goddess couldn't exactly tell if these were alternate timelines of some sort, but in the end, she didn't really care all that much.

None of their inhabitants were as interesting as Goku, in her opinion. She shrugged off those miscellaneous thoughts and changed her attire to that of an expensive fur coat.

"Well, if really want him here, then I'm going need to take some action." Aphrodite said with a confident smirk.

She quietly opened the door to her temple and tiptoed outside. She made sure that none of the other Olympians woke up to her scuffling and stood in front of a massive elevator door. It served as a teleportation device that connected Olympus to New York City's Empire State Building.

"Hopefully this works. I can no longer stand to be away from my Saiyan warrior."

Since Mount Olympus was technically located in a pocket dimension of some kind, Aphrodite assumed that any other world could be accessed in a similar manner, even Goku's. At least, that's what she wanted to be the case.

The love goddess then took a deep breath and entered the elevator. She pressed the button marked as 'Floor 1', causing it to rocket her straight down to the Empire State Building's main lobby.

From there, Aphrodite set her sights on Olympus's head security guard as she stepped out. He was a bald, slightly overweight man with pale blue eyes and a black moustache. He was in the middle of reading some old novel, but upon seeing the love goddess in question, he panicked and almost fell out of his seat.

"L-Lady Aphrodite?! What brings you here at this time of night?" The guard spluttered.

Aphrodite smiled and utilized her typical seductive tactics. She suggestively batted her eyelashes and showed off a bit of cleavage to coerce the immortal guard into helping out.

"Oh, no particular reason. I was just wondering if a big, strong man like you could connect this elevator to a neighboring dimension somehow. Maybe by sending over a teensy-weensy little portal? Would that be okay?" She asked, getting into the guard's personal space more than he would have liked.

The guard was now sweating bullets as he desperately tried to turn down Aphrodite's request.

"B-But that would go against Lord Zeus's direct orders, milady! Interacting with another universe could spell disaster for—"

She shut him up by pressing her breasts against the man's own chest.

"Please?"

In order to make her stop and save himself any further embarrassment, the guard pulled out a pair of keys and walked over to the elevator's command module. He didn't dare draw attention to the tightened part of his pants while doing so.

"I am so getting fired for this…" He whimpered. He quickly adjusted the functions of each button all the way up to Floor 600, or Mount Olympus itself.

"Alright then. If you have a basic idea of where you want this elevator to go, just hold down the 600th and 1st buttons down at the same time. You've only got one shot, so make this quick." The impatient security guard explained in annoyance.

Aphrodite stroked the man's chin as a sign of gratitude, causing a sudden jolt of electricity to surge through his body. He wouldn't be forgetting this night for a long time.

She then kneeled down in front of the elevator and wistfully closed her eyes.

"This is my gift to you, dearest one. Use it well."

She held down the two buttons as instructed and took a step back to view the results. The elevator violently shook about with divine energy and then, all of a sudden, blasted upward in a powerful flash of blinding white light.

As it flew out of reach, the elevator dematerialized and left behind an exact copy for Aphrodite to travel back to Olympus in.

The security guard slumped back down into his seat and sighed. It looked as if he aged a few hundred years due to stress alone.

"No disrespect, Lady Aphrodite, but please leave and pretend all of this never happened." He requested, fearing the almighty wrath of Zeus and what he might do to him if this little incursion was found out.

"Thanks for the help." Aphrodite chirped absentmindedly.

Butterflies were fluttering in her stomach as she boarded the next elevator back to Olympus. Now, all the love goddess needed to do was get some rest and wait for her Saiyan paramour to appear.

On King Kai's Planet…

King Kai was not the right person to call when dealing with the sudden passing of a loved one. While he was in fact dead due to Goku's own actions during the Cell Games, that didn't exactly make him an expert on the subject.

So, in order to help out his former student, the blue-skinned humanoid drove around on his planet in a red Chevrolet Bel Air. Seated in the back of this vehicle were a levitating cricket named Gregory and Bubbles, King Kai's pet monkey. However, due to the Saiyan's fragile emotional state, conversation was getting nowhere real fast.

And that was starting to get on the Lord of World's nerves.

"Have you tried anything to get your mind off of her?" He asked while resting a fist on his chin in boredom. They've been driving around in a literal circle for the past hour or so.

Goku slumped his shoulders and sighed. "No. Eating just makes me think of her cooking and fighting just reminds me of her yelling."

King Kai tightly gripped the steering wheel, starting to lose any sense of patience he had left. Gregory and Bubbles, knowing what was to come, quickly covered their ears in chagrin.

"THEN WHY DID YOU COME HERE FOR?!" King Kai comically screeched.

The Saiyan could only rub his aching ears and shrug in response.

"It was the first place I could think of! Your planet keeps me calm!"

King Kai placed a hand over his face and sighed. He was now driving at a much steadier pace.

"Goku, I don't know the first thing about romance. I'm a Kai of the North Galaxy for Pete's sake, but I think it's best if you tried to find someone new." King Kai suggested, wanting to help his mortal friend the best way he could.

The martial artist rested a hand on his chin, trying to figure out what the Kai was implying.

"Find someone? To fight?"

Bubble, Gregory, and King Kai all simultaneously face palmed. Even while depressed, Goku's thickheadedness would never truly go away. Part of them was relieved by that, but it still didn't make his antics any less infuriating.

"No, you buffoon! Someone to love, maybe even marry! Like you did with Chi-Chi back in the day!" King Kai replied.

"Oh… right. But, where would I start, though? I don't think anyone would really be that interested in me." Goku doubtfully responded, inspecting his muscles and orange gi. "I mean, to be honest, I'm not the most romantic guy out there. Even Chi-Chi had some problems with that."

King Kai gave him a funny look and then patted him on the back comfortingly.

"It'll take some time, Goku! Who knows? Maybe a potential sign could appear right in front of you—"

King Kai's philosophical advice was interrupted by a giant elevator teleporting smack-dab in the middle of his stone road.

"GYAAHHHH!" All four passengers screamed as the red vehicle was about to crash right into the mysterious contraption. Goku thought fast and frantically placed two fingers on his forehead.

"GRAB MY SHOULDERS, GUYS!" He yelped.

King Kai, Bubbles, and Gregory hung on for dear life as the fully grown Saiyan teleported out of the doomed vehicle. Once they were away from the wreckage, King Kai's car smashed into the larger-than-usual elevator in a fiery explosion. Its hood was completely caved in while smoke billowed out of the fractured engine.

"MY BABY!"

King Kai sobbed uncontrollably and darted from place to place in full inspection of the damages. While he groveled over his most prized possession, Goku's attention was drawn to the elevator that caused this mess in the first place. He noted that, due to the collision, a large dent was left in its doors with a few sparks of static electricity flying outward.

These sparks, interestingly enough, seemed to be some strange form of ki. Goku couldn't sense it completely, but he could still notice some similarities.

"Hey, King Kai! What is this?" He asked curiously, intrigued by the bronze design of a skyscraper engraved in its doors.

King Kai, already having an extensive knowledge of the multiverse and multiverses beyond their own, looked up to see Goku attempting to touch the foreign machine. He clenched his teeth and tried to stop the man from making a huge mistake.

"Goku, don't touch it!"

His cries were heard too late as Goku placed a hand on the elevator's metallic exterior. This caused a dazzling beam of energy to surround his entire body in direct response, much to his sudden confusion and horror.

"King Kai, w-what's going on?! Where am I—"

He wasn't even able to finish that last sentence. In mere seconds, Goku and the elevator to Mount Olympus disappeared in a bright flash without any sort of trace.

"Oh no! Goku!" King Kai cried out in dismay.

Gregory and Bubbles quickly reconvened with their master. They shared similar looks of concern for Goku's safety.

"What just happened?! W-Where did that elevator send him?" The cricket gulped nervously, trying not to wonder how the Z-Fighters would react to this little predicament.

King Kai, still tending to his "wounded" automobile, outstretched his antennae in search of the Saiyan's ki signature. Across different galaxies and universes, the results were sadly inconclusive.

The Kai bowed his head in clear displeasure.

"It's just as I've feared…" He muttered sorrowfully, resting each red-sleeved arm behind his back. He looked into the skies of his planet, grimacing.

"Feared what?" Gregory almost regretted to ask.

"That elevator or whatever it was sent Goku to another universe outside of my or any Kai's jurisdiction. It will be difficult to bring him back for a long, long time." King Kai explained, adjusting the position of his circular spectacles as he spoke. "Even the Dragon Balls won't have much luck in bringing him back. At least, not at their current level of power."

Shocked by this news, both Gregory and Bubbles exchanged nervous looks with one another.

"Do you… know what this universe could be like?"

"Ook, ook!" Bubbles nodded along in shared intrigue.

King Kai shook his head. "Afraid not. As far as I'm aware, there are only 12 universes that currently exist. This elevator, however,… may come from a potential 13th universe that must have been hidden somehow, somewhere."

Gregory's large black eyes widened. "So, what you're saying is that…"

"Yes. Goku's on his own for now." The Lord of Worlds murmured. "I just hope that wherever that elevator takes him, it isn't anything which will strand him there… permanently."

All three of them then silently prayed that they'd be able to see Earth's sworn protector again. Hopefully, he'd be able to find his own way home sooner or later.