Planet Yardrat came into view as a small, violet orb against the star-splattered backdrop of space. Through the ship's cockpit window, Gojo Satoru and Launch watched with shared curiosity. Yardrat was known among the Z-Fighters as the place Goku had learned Instant Transmission, a world famous for arcane techniques and hidden wisdom rather than brute strength. Gojo, with his space-bending sorceries and Launch, with her unpredictable sneezes and shifting personalities, fit right into that realm of the unusual.
"Looks kinda small," Launch observed, brushing aside a strand of her blue hair. She was currently in her fiercer persona, which meant a rough edge to every word. "Hard to believe Goku picked up something so crazy here."
Gojo smirked beneath his blindfold, fingers running over the control panels Bulma had installed. "Size isn't everything, you know. Sometimes the weirdest secrets hide in the most unassuming places." His voice held a note of anticipation. Truth be told, he couldn't quite explain why he was drawn to Yardrat. The Universe was vast, and they had countless options on where to go next—but something about this place called to him.
It hadn't escaped Launch's notice, either. "You've been acting funny since we left Namek," she teased. "Got a hunch we're about to find some big secret?"
He gave a noncommittal shrug. "Maybe. I can't shake the feeling that I'm supposed to be here."
Their ship's AI chimed in: "Entering Yardrat's atmosphere. Landing protocols initiated." Outside the viewport, swirling lavender skies and ridged mountain ranges appeared as the friction from reentry encased the vessel in a faint orange glow. Within minutes, the ship touched down on a flat expanse of grayish rock dotted with patches of pale grass.
When the hatch slid open, the breeze carried a faintly sweet aroma, like nectar on the wind. Launch stepped onto the rocky surface first, machine gun slung over her shoulder by habit. Gojo followed at a leisurely pace, his senses heightened. He could feel the planet's subtle energies—the swirl of ki that resonated from its inhabitants. Yardrat, for all its seeming calm, was alive with hidden power.
"Welcome, Earthlings," came a soft, echoing voice. A small group of Yardratians approached them, each clad in loose-fitting robes and sashes that glowed with faint pastel colors. They resembled short, rotund humanoids with gentle expressions and elongated heads. One stepped forward, hands folded in greeting. "We sensed your arrival. My name is Pybara."
Gojo, hand in pocket, offered a slight bow of his head. "Gojo Satoru. And this is Launch." He paused as Launch sneezed—"Achoo!"—her hair flipping from blonde to blue. She transformed into her gentler, wide-eyed self mid-introduction.
"Oh," she murmured, blinking. "I… guess we're here now?"
Pybara and the Yardratians smiled without alarm. "No need to worry. We're used to unusual energies here."
Launch nodded sheepishly. "Right, of course. Sorry about that."
Gojo couldn't help but chuckle. "We're hoping to learn more about your techniques—and maybe see if you can shed light on a certain mystery."
Pybara gestured for them to follow. "Come. We'll offer you rest and hospitality. Then we can discuss whatever brought you across the stars."
They walked across a field of smooth, violet grass, under a sky streaked with pastel clouds. Smooth, rounded buildings rose from the ground like organic formations. Yardratian architecture flowed in curves, as though grown rather than built. Inside the main hall, they found soft mats, warm lanterns, and a hush that invited introspection.
Launch set her gun aside—recognizing there was no threat here—and settled onto a cushion. Gojo took a seat beside her. Pybara and another Yardratian, Yagori, joined them. Gojo explained how they had ended up traveling the galaxy, how Earth had been saved from Cell's terror, and how they were simply exploring. Yet a question burned in his mind, one he'd kept mostly private: the Eternal Flame he had stumbled upon months ago. It had felt otherworldly, and though he'd tried to ignore it, bits of memory nagged at him—a sense that the Eternal Flame had somehow pulled him into this universe in the first place.
As if reading his hesitation, Pybara folded his hands. "You carry a strange aura within you. I sense a flame-like presence—ancient and powerful."
Gojo exchanged a glance with Launch. So the Yardratians could see it. "I… encountered something called the Eternal Flame a while back," he said carefully. "At first, it seemed like a curiosity. I thought I'd left it behind. But it might be the reason I ended up here—transported from my world to yours."
Launch's gentle side perked up. "Oh, so that's what we're here about. I nearly forgot with all our traveling."
Yagori's brow furrowed. "We've heard legends of a celestial flame. It's older than most civilizations in this galaxy. Some claim it has a will of its own."
Gojo's expression turned serious, his usually playful demeanor fading. "So it's real? And it— it can move people between worlds?"
"It's not common knowledge," Pybara said, his voice calm and measured, "but a few among us have studied cosmic rifts and spiritual energies. The Eternal Flame, if it bonds to a host, can open gateways across dimensions. That's likely how it drew you here."
Launch's blonde hair swished as she turned her wide eyes on Gojo. "So that's why you just popped up in our world one day?"
Gojo nodded slowly, feeling a swirl of relief and unease. "I've never been forced anywhere. But if the flame's behind it, it might explain a lot."
Yagori raised a small, three-fingered hand. "We do not claim mastery over such forces. However, we can share what we know. If you wish to remove it from your spirit—or harness it further—that is up to you."
At that, a flicker of amusement returned to Gojo's lips. "I'm used to curses and manipulations of space, but this Eternal Flame is new territory. I'd rather learn to control it than risk it controlling me."
Launch looked around the pastel-lit hall. "Where do we start?"
"Come," Pybara said gently. "We'll guide you to a meditation chamber. The Yardratians have specialized in spiritual forging for centuries. If the Eternal Flame truly resides in you, we can attempt to commune with it."
They followed the two Yardratians through curved corridors lit by soft crystals embedded in the walls. Eventually, they reached a spherical room, bare except for a gentle light that pulsed from above like a heartbeat. The air felt charged. Launch stood to one side, uncertain if she should join. Gojo stepped to the center, feeling the flame stir within him, as though awakened by the environment.
Pybara and Yagori knelt at the edges of the chamber, chanting in hushed, melodic tones. Gojo closed his eyes, letting the vibrations flow through him. Slowly, the world seemed to melt away. In his mind's eye, he saw flickers of golden-blue fire dancing in the darkness.
Memories flooded back—his first contact with the Eternal Flame, hidden in ancient ruins. The moment it fused with him. How from that day onward, his usual curses and space-time manipulations had felt subtly altered. Then, that bizarre rift in his own world that swallowed him, spitting him out in the middle of a desert where he first appeared in this dimension.
He felt a whisper in the back of his thoughts, intangible yet insistent. I am the gate. I am the spark in the void. The voice felt neither masculine nor feminine, just ancient. Gojo's breath caught. Every part of him wanted to push forward, to understand more. But something else—something about the Flame's essence—felt simultaneously warm and alien.
He opened his eyes. The chamber swam into focus again, and the chanting fell silent. Pybara gazed at him. "What did you see?"
Gojo exhaled slowly, brow furrowed. "It… spoke. Or at least I think it did. Called itself a gate and a spark."
Pybara nodded. "A gate to other realities, perhaps. A spark that ignites possibilities."
Launch stepped in, resting a hesitant hand on Gojo's arm. "You okay? You look like you just stared down King Yemma himself."
He managed a grin. "I'm fine. Just realized I've been carrying around this cosmic hitchhiker all this time."
Yagori's kindly face creased with sympathy. "You must decide what to do with this knowledge. If left untended, the Eternal Flame might pull you elsewhere, or bring new forces here. The Universe is vast, and every dimension beyond it is vaster still."
Gojo's mind flicked to the adventures he'd had since arriving—meeting Goku, the battle against Cell, traveling with Launch across planets. Despite the chaos, he'd found a strange sense of purpose. "If it tries to drag me away, I'll handle it. But I'm not looking to discard it. I think it's part of me now."
Launch inhaled, turning thoughtful. "So that's it, then? We keep traveling, but now we know the real reason you landed in my world?"
"Pretty much." Gojo patted her shoulder gently. "Don't worry, you're still stuck with me."
She huffed, though a wry smile tugged at her lips. "You better not vanish before I get my fill of galaxies, got it?"
Pybara and Yagori exchanged a look, quietly pleased. "You're welcome to stay here and train further, to deepen your understanding," Pybara offered. "Though Yardrat is peaceful, our knowledge of spiritual arts is yours if you wish it."
Considering the proposition, Gojo weighed his typically carefree mindset against the desire to truly master the Eternal Flame. He knew there was more to discover—a technique or a bond that might ensure it didn't yank him between universes against his will. "I think… I'd like that," he said. "But for how long, I'm not sure. We're on something of a cosmic road trip."
Launch crossed her arms, half-embarrassed but clearly intrigued. "We'll stick around as long as it takes for you to do your weird meditation stuff. Just promise you won't skip out on me if it gets boring."
Gojo laughed softly. "Deal." He turned to Pybara. "Thank you for your help, truly. I'd hate to be blindsided by some cosmic entity living in my chest."
Yagori smiled. "The Universe connects us all. If the Eternal Flame chose you, there must be a reason. Perhaps you are meant to bridge worlds in ways we cannot foresee."
With that, the small group parted ways, leaving Gojo and Launch to settle into a modest living space the Yardratians had prepared for them. The night sky over Yardrat glowed with shimmering colors, like an endless aurora. By day, Gojo would train under Pybara's guidance, learning breathing techniques and mental focus methods that complemented his own powers. Launch found her own routine—sparring with some curious locals, exploring the curving city structures, and occasionally sneezing into her alternate persona when the exotic Yardratian spices tickled her nose.
Each day, Gojo delved deeper into the Flame's nature. He learned how it might allow him to slip through dimensional boundaries with more control. He discovered faint echoes of other worlds beyond Earth—somelike illusions, some real. Yet every time he touched that cosmic threshold, he pulled back, unwilling to let the Flame yank him away just yet. After all, he liked where he was. Earth had become a second home, and this Universe held countless wonders still unseen.
Soon enough, they reached a comfortable rhythm. When Gojo felt he'd gleaned enough from a particular lesson, Launch would drag him off to see something new—ancient Yardratian temples, odd glowing caverns, or mysterious floating platforms high in the atmosphere. Inevitably, their travels around the planet left them equally amazed and amused, forging a bond that no cosmic flame could break.
Weeks passed this way, and by the end, Gojo felt a certainty in his heart. The Eternal Flame was part of him, yes—but he was more than just a host to it. With each technique he mastered and each subtle test Pybara gave him, he grew confident that if the Flame tried to sweep him into another realm again, it would be on his terms.
On a day when Yardrat's lavender sun rose overhead, painting the world in soft pastel light, Gojo and Launch prepared to depart. Pybara and Yagori met them at the spaceship to offer final words of thanks and guidance. The Yardratians, in typical fashion, bowed politely.
"Safe travels, young ones. May the spark within you illuminate the path and never consume it," Pybara intoned. "You too, Launch. May you find peace between your two selves."
Launch's cheeks reddened slightly. "Ah, thanks. Maybe I'll figure out how to sneeze on command one day."
Gojo extended a hand, and Pybara shook it in a warm, sincere gesture. "Thank you for everything," Gojo said. "If the day comes when we need more wisdom—or if you need our help—don't hesitate to call."
The spaceship's hatch sealed shut, and the engines rumbled. As they lifted off from Yardrat's surface, Launch marveled at the planet receding below. "Well, that was enlightening. Literally."
Gojo grinned, programming the next set of coordinates. "No kidding. Guess we know now how I landed in your Universe to begin with."
Launch settled into her seat, crossing her legs. "Think you'll ever go back to wherever you came from?"
His tone softened. "I'm not in a rush. I've got plenty of Universe left to see here. Besides…" He glanced her way. "I kinda like traveling with you."
She cleared her throat, cheeks pink. "Yeah, well, you better not ditch me for some cosmic quest without telling me first."
Outside the window, the horizon of Yardrat gave way to the boundless starfield. The Eternal Flame pulsed within Gojo's spirit like a quiet heartbeat, but for now, it was content. He'd tamed it—enough to keep it from ripping him away from the life he was carving out in this new Universe. He gave a final wave to the diminishing planet behind them, then pushed the thrusters to full. Their star-hopping odyssey continued, the possibilities endless as the cosmic night enveloped them once more.