Avatar: The Legend of Goku

Chapter 2: Dragons Have Balls? (Rewrite)

*Hey, everyone. Here's the rewritten version of Chapter 2. It basically combines Chapters 3 and 4, so from this point on, the original will no longer be found on this site. I included some notable changes to the main storyline, so I hope you enjoy it.

Goku was quickly led into a large, open chamber. After a few seconds of prep time, all five members of The Council of Elders, including Gyatso, sat in front of him. They each sat atop rectangular cushions designed with black markings placed on all four sides. However, Pasang, due to holding the title of High Monk, had a white and gold umbrella that was placed directly above his head. This both signified his importance to the Southern Air Temple and shielded him from the outdoor light.

"So, your name is Son Goku, correct?" Pasang asked sternly. His hands were concealed by the orange sleeves of his robe.

On his right, Monk Gyatso and another airbender wearing a red robe with a long black and white beard extending from the nose down sat in patient silence. On the left, Monk Tashi grumbled to himself alongside another airbender with rounder facial features than the others.

"Uh...yep. That's right." Goku sat cross-legged on a mat much smaller than that of the elders. His tail swished around sporadically, subconsciously searching for some form of sustenance in this ever-expansive temple from another world. Tashi, not really taking notice of the tail at first, pointed accusingly at the boy.

"Boy, is that tail real? Are you some kind of spirit?" Tashi rudely probed Goku for more information about himself.

Goku boldly turned his head in the direction of his backside and lightly tugged on it, trying not to tire himself out like what happened during many previous occurrences. Seeing this, the elders became more interested in figuring out what Goku even was.

"Spirit? Nah, I was just born with a tail. My grandpa, Gohan, told me so." Goku admitted with some sense of pride.

Tashi scoffed, not deeming Goku's response satisfactory enough. Born with a tail? That kind of nonsense had to have been a joke.

"And did this "Gohan" have a tail as well? You did describe him as your relative, so genetics had to have been at play somehow." Tashi questioned. Before now, he had never heard of a human being born with monkey-like characteristics, so Goku's presence there further confused him.

Goku lightly frowned at the remembrance of his deceased grandfather. Monk Gyatso took note of this sudden change in mood.

He interrupted the conversation by glaring at Tashi as a sign for him to "back off". Displeased with this gesture, Tashi sighed and crossed both of his arms in anger. Gyatso then glanced back at Goku and smiled sympathetically.

"Could you tell us about more your grandfather, Goku? Earlier, you referred to him as a martials arts instructor of yours." Gyatso asked in a much more considerate tone than Tashi's.

In a split second, Goku's somber expression shifted into one of childish admiration. Stars could practically be seen shooting out of Goku's eyes in that moment.

"Sure! He was a super awesome martial artist! When I was a baby, he found me in the woods after my parents left me there. Since then, Grandpa taught me how to fight and protect myself from wild animals on Mt. Paozu!" Goku's described his earliest childhood memories.

"Hmm, I see. So, he's an orphan then." Gyatso gathered from Goku's relatively brief mention of his "parents". "Just like Aang..."

Much like most airbending children, Aang never really knew his biological parents. From birth, he was almost immediately taken in by the Southern Air Temple's nuns and raised by them until early childhood. Gyatso agreed to become Aang's legal guardian ever since and frankly, he wouldn't change that decision for the world. Goku seemed to have gone through a similar experience, albeit because of different circumstances. The question was: what did happen to Goku's parents in the first place? He supposed that would be a much more difficult question to answer.