East Supreme Kai's Gift

Fat Buu recovered quickly. Even while weakened, his regenerative ability was formidable, and by the third day he could get out of bed and walk. A week later, he had regained eighty percent of his strength. But he had grown quiet. He no longer laughed and joked like before. Instead, he sat silently in a corner, staring blankly out the window. Satan visited him every day and tried to talk, but Buu rarely responded. "Do you think he's... depressed?" Satan asked Kashu. Kashu nodded. "He blames himself. He thinks he shouldn't exist and that he shouldn't have brought disaster upon Earth." "It's not his fault," Satan said. "It's all that bastard Babidi's fault." "I know, but Buu doesn't." Kashu sat beside Buu, and the two of them gazed at the sky outside.

"Buu," Kashu said, "do you know why you're called Buu?" Buu shook his head. "In an ancient language, 'Buu' means 'friend.' Your creator, Bibidi, gave you that name because he wanted you to be his friend. But he misunderstood what friendship meant. Friends aren't there to be controlled and used. They're there to support each other." Buu turned to look at Kashu. "Can... Buu be your friend?" Kashu smiled. "You already are." Buu's eyes reddened. He threw himself into Kashu's arms and burst into tears. They were tears of release, washing away all his hurt, guilt, and fear. Kashu gently patted Buu's back, soothing him like a child.

"Buu, as long as you want to, you can stay here forever. You're one of the Earth Guardians." Buu cried for a long time, but at last he calmed down.

He wiped away his tears and looked at Kashu. "Buu wants to get stronger," he said. "Buu doesn't want Evil Buu to control him again. Buu will defeat him."

Kashu nodded. "I'll help you." East Supreme Kai found Kashu. "Kashu," he said, "there's something I want to give you."

He took a crystal-clear orb from beneath his cloak. Golden light flowed inside it.

"What is this?" Kashu asked. "A Seed of Supreme Kai Power," East Supreme Kai said. "Every Supreme Kai receives one upon taking office. It stores a Supreme Kai's power, which can be used in a moment of need." "You're giving it to me?" "Yes," East Supreme Kai said. "I've watched you for a long time. Your character, strength, and leadership all make you worthy of this power. And... I'm old. My power is fading, and I can't fully realize the seed's potential." He continued, "But you're different. Your body has been modified and can withstand the force of divine power. You'll become Earth's god—not just in name, but a true guardian wielding divine power."

Kashu gazed at the orb in his hand, silent for a long time. "What will I have to sacrifice to accept this power?" "You'll lose part of your humanity," East Supreme Kai said honestly. "Divine power will change the way you think. You'll become more rational and composed, but also... more detached. You'll see the world from a god's perspective, not a human one." Kashu clenched the orb. "If it's to protect the people I love, I'm willing to pay any price."

He pressed the orb against his chest. It merged into his body, and golden light spread from his chest throughout him. Kashu's body began to glow—not with the gold of a Super Saiyan, but with a deeper, more sacred gold. His hair turned silver-white, and his eyes became golden, with stars seemingly spinning in his pupils. His aura changed completely. It was no longer a raging surge of energy, but a calm, boundless presence, like the universe itself.

East Supreme Kai watched him, awe flickering in his eyes. "God Form... Kashu, you're a demigod now." Kashu lowered his gaze to his hands, feeling the power within him. His senses stretched across the entire solar system. He could detect dust storms on Mars, the Great Red Spot on Jupiter, and ice crystals on Pluto. He could sense the energy of every living thing, from the tiniest bacteria to the largest whales. But just as East Supreme Kai had said, his perspective had changed. He no longer thought of himself as human. He was a god.

He watched Android 18 walk toward him from the depths of the base, and an odd feeling welled up inside him. His love was still there, but it had become deeper and more abstract. He no longer felt the same desire to embrace her; instead, he wanted to protect her, as a god would protect a believer. Android 18 stopped in front of him and looked into his eyes. "You've changed," she said.

"Yes," Kashu said, "but I still love you." Android 18 was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I believe you." A month after Evil Buu vanished, the Earth Guardians began an intensive period of preparation for battle. Kashu's God Form had raised the team's strength to a new level, but Evil Buu was recovering too. Kashu estimated that Evil Buu had fully recovered and might even have grown stronger. "We need more time," Kashu said at a meeting. "At least a year." "But we don't have a year," Vegeta said. "Buu could come back at any time." "We can make time," Kashu said, "by using a parallel world." Everyone stared at him. "A parallel world?"

Kashu nodded. "I discovered a technology in an alien ruin that can open a gateway to a parallel world. Time flows at different rates in different parallel worlds. In some, it moves faster than in ours; in others, slower." He explained, "If we can find a parallel world where time flows hundreds of times slower than it does here, we can train there for a year while only a day passes in our world." "W-would that work?" Bulma asked excitedly.

"It will," Kashu said, "but I need one thing: the ability to travel between worlds. Without it, we could only go to one parallel world, and we might not be able to return."

He looked at Fat Buu. "Buu, you can help me." Buu tilted his head. "Buu? What can Buu do?" "You have the powers of a Supreme Kai," Kashu said. "East Supreme Kai told me. You absorbed Grand Supreme Kai and gained some of his abilities, including the ability to travel between parallel worlds." Buu thought it over, then nodded. "Buu will try." He closed his eyes and concentrated. Golden light poured from his body and formed a swirling portal in front of him. Within it was a deep purple expanse, dotted with twinkling lights. "It worked!" East Supreme Kai cried. "That's a Supreme Kai Space-Time Portal!" Kashu stepped up to the portal and sensed the world on the other side. His divine perception passed through it and reached another parallel world. Time there flowed much more slowly than here—about 365 times slower. A year of training there would amount to just one day here. "This is the one," Kashu said. "Time flows at a ratio of 1:365 in this parallel world."

He looked at everyone. "I'll take you over in groups. First group: Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Cell, and Buu. Second group: Krillin, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, and Android 16. Third group: Android 17, Android 18, and me." "Why split us up?" Bulma asked. "The portal can only transport a limited amount of energy each time," Kashu said. "If we send too many powerful fighters at once, it'll collapse." Everyone nodded. Goku was the first to enter the portal. "I'm going first! I can't wait to train!" Vegeta snorted and followed him in. Gohan glanced back at Videl. "I'll be back." Videl waved. "Good luck!"

Cell and Buu entered the portal too. It closed. The first day of training began.