A shimmering light spiraled into existence high above Mount Paozu.
The birds in the trees scattered as the space between reality bent, condensed into a single glowing point—and with a sudden flash, the light exploded outward in a brilliant flare. From it, a figure emerged.
Goten.
Taller. Sharper in the face. His once-rounded cheeks were now sculpted with a trace of adulthood. His hair, still untamed and wild like his father's, had grown slightly longer, and his black eyes held a steady, thoughtful depth. His slim frame was now more defined, layered in the traditional Yardrat clothing—loose white pants, a deep purple vest with gold accents, and brown boots. Around his waist, a blue sash fluttered gently in the wind.
He lowered his fingers from his forehead from using the Instant Transmission.
The air smelled of pine and mountain spring. The wind was fresh and cold. He took a deep breath.
"Home…"
He floated down gently, boots touching the soft grass just outside his house. The Son family home stood quietly beneath the trees, unchanged, serene.
A wave of warmth and tension hit Goten all at once.
It had been a whole year in Earth time of silence, distance, training, transformation. He wasn't the same kid who had waved goodbye to his family and rocketed into space to train in Yardrat. He had seen distant planets, battled illusions in the Chamber of Ancestral Reflection, and unlocked power within his spirit and mind he never knew existed.
But this place… This place brought him right back to being a boy.
He stepped forward slowly.
From within the house came the familiar sound of running water and humming—a voice he hadn't heard in so long, yet one that felt like a part of his very soul.
"Mom…" he whispered.
Inside, Chi-Chi was busy as ever, hands submerged in sudsy water as she scrubbed a dish, humming a tune from years ago. It had been a difficult six months. She had heard very little since Goku and Gohan left. Bulma had explained everything in those first few days about the ship, the Dragon Balls being sent into space, and the boys going after them.
But not a single word since.
She'd stayed strong. Tried to keep busy. But in her heart, worry simmered just beneath the surface.
She didn't expect the knock at the door.
Knock. Knock.
Her hands froze. "Who could that be…?"
She dried her hands quickly, heart pounding. A part of her always feared who might show up at the door when the world was in danger.
But nothing could have prepared her for what she saw.
She opened the door.
And there stood Goten.
For a moment, she couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe.
His silhouette was backlit by the sun, his hair glowing faintly, his body taller and leaner, his face older—no longer the little boy she remembered.
He stood nervously, half-smiling.
"Hey, Mom…"
Chi-Chi gasped, a hand flying to her mouth. "Goten…?"
Her knees nearly buckled as she stepped forward. She stared up at him, eyes wide. He was taller than Gohan had been at his age—leaner, more mature. And that outfit…
Her eyes locked onto the Yardrat gi.
Instantly, a memory pierced her heart—of Goku, sick and shivering in that same outfit, barely able to stand, stricken with the heart virus.
Her eyes welled up. "That outfit…"
"I know…" Goten said softly. "I thought it might scare you a little. I'm sorry."
Chi-Chi exhaled shakily, hands trembling. "It's not your fault. It's just… I haven't seen those clothes since…"
Goten stepped forward and gently hugged her. "I'm okay, Mom. Really. I've grown a lot… and not just in height."
Chi-Chi wrapped her arms around him tightly, burying her face into his shoulder. He was taller than she remembered—his body warm and strong. It was like hugging Gohan when Cell was around the Earth, but now it's different.
"You're so much like your father…" she whispered.
They held the embrace for several moments, and when they finally parted, Chi-Chi took a step back and looked at him through motherly eyes, wiping her tears quickly and putting on a firm expression.
"You've grown so tall!" she said, half-laughing through her emotions. "You're even taller than Gohan was during the Cell Games."
Goten scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I noticed that. Yardrat's gravity is intense. I guess it helped."
Chi-Chi nodded, smiling again, even if her voice shook slightly. "You look like a man now… but you'll always be my baby."
She reached out and touched his face.
Then her eyes drifted back to the Yardrat clothes.
"Well, you're back on Earth now. And that means…" she turned on her heel, walking quickly to a nearby cabinet. "You're not wearing those anymore."
"Huh?"
Chi-Chi threw open the cabinet and pulled out a neatly folded outfit—a purple gi with black undershirt and orange wrist bands with black and orange boots, and a orange scarf folded atop it all.
"I made this after you left," she said, holding it up proudly. "I thought… if you ever came back, taller… you'd need something that fit. Something that reflected you—but also honored your father."
Goten stared in awe.
"It's the same style as your dad's," she continued, "but with my colors. And this—" she held up the scarf, "—this was your grandpa's. I fixed it up."
Goten took it reverently, brushing a thumb over the fabric.
"Wow… Mom… I love it."
Chi-Chi beamed. "Well, go on! Try it on! But first—" her brow furrowed, eyes narrowing. "Is that a tail behind you, Goten?"
Goten blinked, confused. "Huh?"
He turned slightly—and there it was.
A brown, furry tail swayed gently behind him, curled at the end like a lazy question mark.
He stared at it, stunned.
His hand slowly reached back and brushed against the fur. It was real. Warm. Responsive. He could feel every strand. His tail.
He stepped back in surprise. "Wh—what the…?! I didn't even notice it!"
Chi-Chi's mouth dropped open. "Your tail grew back?!"
Goten's thoughts raced. It had to be from Yardrat—something about the intense spiritual training, the connection to his ancestral instincts. The Chamber of Ancestral Reflection didn't just unlock strength—it awakened something older, deeper… primal.
He closed his eyes, searching within.
Yes.
He could feel it.
The tail was a part of him now. Not a vulnerability—like it had been for Goku—but a fully integrated extension of his power and instincts. The Yardratians must've known. Maybe even intended this outcome.
He smiled.
"No Dragon Balls needed, I guess."
Chi-Chi, however, was anything but calm. She put her hands on her hips, brow furrowed deeply.
"Do not go looking at any full moons, mister!"
Goten laughed. "Don't worry, Mom. I've got control."
Chi-Chi sighed. "That does make me feel a little better."
Then she gave him a gentle look and shook her head in wonder. "I can't believe it… You've really grown, Goten. You're even starting to sound like your father when he came back from training with Kami. All calm and wise…"
Goten smiled again, rubbing the back of his head, bashful. "Well, I had a lot of time to think out there."
"You look like a martial artist now." Chi-Chi stepped closer and touched the side of his face. "But… I hope you've still got time to be my little boy."
"I always will," Goten said, his voice steady and soft. "No matter how strong I get."
Chi-Chi smiled tearfully. "Good. Now go try on your new gi. I want to see how you look in something not connected to my traumatic memories."
A few minutes later, Goten stepped out again—this time in his new outfit.
The deep purple gi sat snugly over a black undershirt, the fabric finely tailored to fit his taller frame. Orange wristbands gave it a bold contrast, and his black-and-orange boots struck the ground with quiet confidence. The orange scarf—once worn by Grandpa Gohan in his younger days—hung loosely around his neck, fluttering slightly in the breeze. His brown tail curled lazily behind him with his power pole on his back, completing the look.
He looked like a fusion of past and present. A symbol of legacy and evolution.
Chi-Chi placed a hand over her heart.
"You look perfect."
Goten smiled. "It fits like it was always meant to be."
She nodded, trying not to let her emotions take over again. "It was."
They shared a quiet moment, mother and son, standing at the edge of the forest just outside their home.
The sun dipped lower into the horizon. Light poured over the land in golden rays. The wind carried a distant calm.
Neither of them knew what had transpired over the last 6 months.
They didn't know that Yamcha and Android 18 had been killed.
They didn't know that Goku, Tien, Krillin, Piccolo, Gohan, Trunks, and Vegeta had all been drawn into a brutal battle against Xenthus's army.