(insert song: "Hi-Ka-Ri" by Aya Hisagawa)

Duo's question ended up being directed at a rotund little black... creature...

Duo, Wufei, and Subaru: blink
Mr. Popo, Dende, Piccolo, Gohan, Gokuu, Bulma, Kuririn, Tenshinhan, Chao-tzu, Yajirobee, and Baby Trunks: blink

" You know, " said Duo, " something tells me that if we end up in a fight with these guys, we won't do so good as the last time. "

" What was your first clue? " Wufei inputted sarcastically.

" I feel a lot of lost souls, " Subaru said timidly, " there are many people dying here. "

" Thanks Subby, that was comforting, " Duo chortled.

" Who... are you people? " Bulma finally found the courage to ask. (Leave it to her to do it)

**

(insert song: "Oh What a Lovely Lina" from Slayers)

Heavan's Platform was basically a bowl standing in the sky above the surface of the Earth. It was gilded and fancy, like a christmas tree ornament that had been sliced in half. This was where God lived -- God being a young Namekian named Dende who had been given the job out of the blue when the last Kamisama merged with Piccolo. But once Dende heard the story from the three strangers who had suddenly appeared on his platform, he took to contemplating their words.

Being the scientific one, Bulma got a grasp of the situation first. " So let me get this straight. This Riva person has you jumping dimensions? With no visible means? " Nods all around. " Wow! "

" So who are you looking for? " Gokuu asked.

Shrugs all around.

" What kind a stupid quest is this of yours? " Piccolo growled.

" A stupid one, " Wufei growled back pointedly.

" See, the three of us got letters to say that we were supposed to go on this quest, " Duo explained (again, but it seemed they weren't getting it) " Wu and I got one, and then she sent one to Subaru through Seishiriou. "

Subaru sniffled and gripped the chess piece. " Seishirousan... "

" I see, " Tenshinhan said, " this time there's no Riva, and therefore, no letter. "

" We'd love to help you, " Kuririn stated, " but the fact of the matter is we've got our own problems to deal with. There is an evil force destroying this planet, as soon as the other warriors are done in the Room of Spirit and Time, we will be going to battle. "

Duo rolled his eyes. " Don't we have wonderful timing? "

" Rivasan never said there was a time limit, " Subaru said.

" That's true... " Duo trailed off.

" Oi! Where the hell is everyone? " an abrasive outside voice demanded. From out of the shadow of the building stepped a short man with a shock of upswept black hair that just about made up for his lack of stature. Behind him stood a boy who was slightly taller, with straight lavendar hair that hung to just past his shoulders and crystal blue eyes.

Gokuu turned around and greeted the newcomers with a broad smile. " Hah! Vejiita! Trunks! You're finished training! "

Vejiita glared at the taller Saiyajin. " Yeah, we are. Now who the hell are those people? "

Gokuu scratched the back of his head as he tried to think. " They're here to look for someone. "

" Who? " came the biting retort.

" They don't know... "

Vejiita looked at the outworld trio. " Then they're even more stupid than they look. We don't have time to help fools search for other fools. Now that I'm more powerful, it's time to defeat Cell. "

" Oi, what corny dialogue. Do you actually take yourself that seriously? " Duo commented, put out by the insults from a man who only met his height by moussing his hair to the point where it was downright rediculous.

Vejiita graced him with a glare again.

" Please don't fight, " Subaru pleaded.

Trunks' eyes softened at the boy's plea. " Oi, Tousan, save that anger for Cell, okay? "

" Don't tell me what to do! " Vejiita snapped, but dropped the subject nonetheless.

**

(Insert song: "Kuru Kuru Mirakuru" by Shinohara Tomoe)

Riva sat curled in the computer chair licking her wounds. No - not literally. Okay okay, I'll drop the metaphor. Riva sat curled in the computer chair wincing every time she moved. It had been worth it in the end to get that bastard Seishirou, but still... she really had gotten her ass kicked.

Damn Seishirou...

She wondered how Duo, Wufei, and Subaru were doing. She'd sent them to a pretty difficult point in time on Chikyuu version Toriyama-003.7. Ehn. They could handle themselves. She reached down and grabbed the next letter from the top of the stack. Turning it over in her hands she smiled despite the pain such movement caused her. It wouldn't be too long until she knew what she was doing.

**

(insert song: "Melancholy" by Shazna)

" Oi, I got an idea, " Duo said. Everyone looked at him. " Why don't we tag along? I mean, Wufei's pretty good at fighting, and I've got a gun, and uh, Subaru, can you do anything? "

" Uh, I have a little magic, " Subaru admitted. " But it's mostly for spiritual things, letting souls move on... etc... "

Gohan shook his head. " We can't let you do that. Cell is very powerful. "

Duo screwed up his face in thought. " Can we at least watch? See if there's any clue for who Riva wants us to recruit? I mean, we gotta do something while we're here. "

Dende looked at Gokuu, " I don't see any problem in it. Satan and his followers have been okay so far. "

" Dende!! " Kuririn protested.

The Namekian shook his head. " Duo has a point. "

Gokuu walked up to Duo. " You can ride on my back there. I doubt you can fly, " he offered. Before Duo could say anything, Gokuu scooped him up and deposited him on his shoulder. Duo blinked, then squaked as the bigger man lifted into the air.

Piccolo gruffly offered a hand to Wufei, who gruffly accepted.

Vejiita snorted ungracefully and took off without even looking at the outsiders.

Trunks shot his father a dirty look and walked up to Subaru. Placing a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder he offered. " Would you like to ride on my back? "

Subaru blushed and nodded. " H-hai. "

Duo looked down at the two from Gokuu's shoulder and wrinkled his nose. " Don't tell me this is gonna turn into a Shounen Ai story. "

" But wouldn't it be cute if it did? " interjected Riva from Gokuu's other shoulder.

Both Gokuu and Duo nearly fell over.

" Where did YOU come from?! "  " RIVA!! "

A letter fluttered down between Subaru and Trunks. I think we can all pretty much guess what it said.

Duo looked at Riva in complete and utter unimpression. " So we stood around here for the past chapter for absolutely
nothing? "

" I told you finding them was part of the fun. "

**

Next Chapter: And You Thought Shounen Ai was Bad!