33Disclaimer : Dragon Ball belong to Akira Toriyama and Toei Animation, I do not own them.
Hello for this chapter which has been in the works for a long time - It took 21 attempts to actually get it right! I have a huge issue to make aftermaths flow well. Thanks to the Neo Z Fighters for their support in this endeavor (Check out said forum, we are pretty chill!).
Thanks for your reviews, your favorites and following, you have no idea how much it means to me as an author to know that my work is appreciated and you can enjoy something which has been in my head for a long time. At the end of the chapter I answer the reviews adressed to me.
On this, Enjoy, Read, and Reviews!
Broly Saga : End and Aftermath
Thankfully Dende had already been on the way when everything was happening, it was simply a matter of meeting him halfway for Gohan. For him it was a simple matter that if Goten in his state could not be brought to the young God, then he just had to bring said God to Goten.
Speaking of which, Goten was the first one treated by the Namekian's expert hands as his injuries were the most extensive. His legs which were not the most grievous injuries had been broken in at least seven points as Dende had said.
All in all, it was not surprising why his elder brother was still in his Super Saiyan Two state, only seeing his baby brother in such a state was enough to make him want to once again kill Broly.
His death had been too swift for his liking. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on the point of view, his father's death had taught him to always go for the kill instead of dragging a fight out. Deep in his musing it was no surprise that the Super Saiyan did not realize that everyone had been healed by this point in time from Trunks to his father. Said warriors were gathering all around him and his little brother.
In their immediate vicinity where earlier today was a lush even if frozen forest only a barren no-man's land laid. The earth had been tainted grey, deep crater littering it from which black fumes emanated. All in all the plains looked akin to something out of a picture book supposed to illustrate the moon craters. Scorched Earth, and remnants of a thunderstorm were the scene of their reunion.
Soon enough, gathering around him was his mentor, his father's rival, said rival's son, the young guardian of the Earth and his schoolmate.
The almost solemn calm was broken by a young hostile voice "Who are you?!" Gohan recognized the voice although this did not stop him from being taken aback by Trunks sudden hostility, his posture being even as unrefined as it was almost a mirror of his father's one years ago. He was poised for combat.
Gohan's narrowed eyes softened somewhat in confusion "What do you mean? It's me, Gohan!-" It struck him as this moment, of course the young Trunks would not recognize him, he had basically de-aged. Oh God, he did not feel like explaining this…
Another voice, this time more mature and far rougher interrupted his line of thoughts "Obviously it is you, what I would like to know is why you look as you did seven years ago, and what happened to Broly…" This did not bode well, he recognized this almost indifferent tone of Vegeta, it was anything but. As long as he had known the Prince, he had had ample time to gather that this would end badly. The flame-haired warrior had perfected to an art form his threatening form of speech which heralded a coming storm if something displeased him.
As for the two last person in the clearing, the only female one was too busy thinking the new developments over to speak. 'So… That man called the Delivery Boy 'Gohan', and I saw him morph into the Delivery Boy after he made his wish…' Videl was anything but an airhead or an idiot, That was a description more suited to her father and that was only at times thankfully… 'What I would like to know is why becoming younger would make him stronger, that does not make any sense…'.
"You used the last wish for this didn't you?" Piccolo's voice was one of rebutting disapproval however. His disciple should have expected this from his strict teacher turned friend.
It was not with a low head that he answered him though, Gohan's eyes bore into Piccolo's meeting his gaze without backing down. Not quite the same eyes that stared Broly's down but a far cry from his usual gentle eyes "Yes, I did…-" Before he could elaborate though he was interrupted.
"You used a WISH to make yourself stronger?!" Vegeta was seething "You spent seven years doing nothing while I trained myself to the bone and you make a wish as if these years did not even happen?!" Kakkarot's brat would stoop to this to further humiliate him? He was not able to protect Trunks and was ridiculed by Broly and now once again an eleven years old had overtaken his power by a simple wish and saved him?
He owned his life once again to the brat?!
And now his son had to shoulder the same fate? Being saved by Kakkarot's shadow?
It was not Gohan's voice which provided a retort though but the Namekian "Don't get all and mighty with him Vegeta, I remember a time when you tried to get the Dragon Balls yourself to defeat Frieza." Normally the Namekian warrior would not have taunted Vegeta like this as he had come to somewhat respect him as a comrade but his tone rubbed him the wrong way.
If Vegeta was not enraged before now he was "You don't know anything, Namekian!" he snarled averting his eyes from said sickening scene "We are going, Trunks!" the Prince then abruptly took off cursing himself for his weakness.
"Dad?…" A bewildered Trunks let escape it from his mouth as the winds unleashed by his father's take off almost sent him barreling backwards, his hair now ruffled. His face was conflicted however.
Piccolo sighed as Gohan did for the mess that went down "Trunks you should go with your father, Goten will tell you everything afterwards." Piccolo's student always marveled at his ability to seemingly read minds as Trunks nodded reluctantly before taking off after his father.
Gohan took that as his cue to finish was he was about to say "Piccolo, Dence, I did wish for the Dragon to return me to my peak ability" He admitted
Piccolo's eyes narrowed "Fortunately it turned for the best but what if it had not been enough? The original wish was to sent everyone to New Namek…"
"Piccolo, that's…" Dende began hesitantly
"That's okay Dende" Gohan said softly "Piccolo, at first I did not make any wish, Broly interrupted me, I did not even realize that I was speaking aloud but… Shenron heard me" The Half-Saiyan sounded almost nostalgic for some reason "And he granted my wish, in that moment I knew that I could defeat Broly if I had my old strength. It was not something I decided but… After everything that happened I had to do it Piccolo, it came just like that."
In the clearing everyone was silent, from his little brother who was unusually quiet to Videl who was frowning. Piccolo however seemed to wait for him to elaborate.
"Today… Was the worst day of my life" Gohan pursued in a soft yet firm tone "I had to be taken apart repeatedly while I was not able to defend my little brother. The one I swore would never have to live what I lived through." His fists clenched "I had to see as he showed so much bravery to try and protect me when it should have been the other way around, Piccolo! I watched helplessly as Goten was broken in that madman's hand as I could not do anything but exactly that, watch. And Broly knew it. He loved every second of it." Gohan was clenching his fists so hard at this point that blood was flowing from his hands freely. "
As nobody was breaking the tense silence and Piccolo had a look of grim understanding on his face Dende looked sick and his brother hung his head low. Taking a deep breath, Gohan continued.
His eyes closed briefly as he opened them once more "So I made that wish, it was a selfish wish and I know it, but at that moment it was personal. I had to protect my brother and my friends even more than I had to protect the planet and so I did. Failure was… Not an option. I saw my brother almost die Piccolo, I saw you almost die, I saw Videl almost die too." Said girl looked taken aback as she was mentioned in a conversation she had no part in previously making even Piccolo looked at her. Gohan looked ready to pursue however he stopped as he felt a hand on his shoulder, squeezing firmly.
Piccolo smiled "It feels nostalgic to once again have to lower my head to speak to you, Gohan." Gone was the disapproval from before, there was only relief and understanding "You did a good job out there."
Suddenly, the twisting knots in his stomach lessened.
Silence returned but this time, it was Videl emboldened by being mentioned who took parole "I don't understand though Gohan." In her mind a whirlwind of questions made themselves known "How could becoming younger make you stronger? People becomes stronger as their body ages through teenage-hood not the opposite around! It makes no sense! And… And…" She bit her lower lip "You lied to me… About everything, about you being the Gold Fighter, and more importantly the Cell Games!"
Surprised by the outburst, Piccolo raised his non-existant eyebrow as Gohan looked worried "Videl?…"
However, Videl was not finished "You knew. You knew that my father was a liar, that he had never defeated Cell, didn't you?! You were there, you look like him and after today I can't believe that he killed Cell… Actually I'm pretty sure that you did…" She was speaking loudly at first but as she progressed in her sentence her tone became softer "Don't get me wrong, I'm immensely relieved and thankful that you saved us today but… Why did you never say anything? Why did you let my father take credit for something he never did?!"
Most probably, Piccolo, Dende or even Goten should have said something but it felt like a mysterious instinct in their gut told them that was something Videl and Gohan had to resolve by themselves so they watched.
Gohan sighed as he could feel that Videl would not let go without an answer. He felt that he owed her at least this after today "You are right, I did kill Cell…" Videl had the perfect expression of "I knew it." on her face "…But for your father, I had no idea he had taken credit until months after the Cell Games and at the time I thought it did not matter."
Hercule's Daughter eyes went wide, she did not expect this "What do you mean by "It did not matter"?! Someone takes your credit and lies to the world and you don't say anything?! It is wrong Gohan!"
"It did not matter to me if he took my achievements, I never wanted the publicity anyway, I wanted… A normal life" He sighed
"That's stupid, you are not normal Gohan!" When she saw his hurt expression she backpedaled "Not in that sense, I mean why would you want to be normal? You have the power to actually matter that's something I always wanted, that's why I aspired to be stronger than my father!" She said bitterly "But you lied to the world and you lied to me! All this time I spent running after a lie! And I'm not the only person in the world in this situation" Videl actually spat.
Gohan was not ready to back down either "I did not even know you at the time!"
"But you do now, and you have known me for months now!" She interjected "And not once you thought about telling me, about telling the world. You let me believe in a lie! And I thought we were friends…" Her eyes felt strangely moist as she said this, it really hurt to know someone she actually let close to her deliberately let her think herself in the right path "Not two months ago, I thought my father to be the strongest person on Earth and myself a close second, and now I find that not only it was not the truth, that my whole life was a lie but the person I actually found myself close to knew and knew how I could actually really improve and never told me!"
The son of Goku took all of this in stride as his previous anger slowly left him, leaving him to revert back to a Super Saiyan. "I'm sorry, Videl" and he meant it. He absently thought that he had apologized enough in one day for a lifetime.
Said girl's eyes narrowed as she pursued "It still is not right. There are billions of people believing in a lie and a false savior out there while my father drags actual martial artists through the mud!" she said "Come the World Championship, I hope you will do the right thing and reveal the truth to the world… Otherwise I will do it!" She glared. "Now I need some time to think about all of this, alone!" At this, she slowly took off in righteous anger toward her home. Gohan wisely chose not to follow her.
This day had been eye-opening.
Piccolo seemed strangely amused though contrary to Gohan "She seems to have a strong sense of Justice…Unlike her father."
Dende shifted "Hey Gohan?…" said Saiyan turned to one of his longest friends "…I'm sorry for not having been there to help all of you somehow, in the end I arrived too late, I could have healed you. But Mr. Popo stopped me from leaving the lookout, he said that if Broly killed me it would be the end…"
"And he did well." Grumped Piccolo "If you had died then the Dragon Balls would have followed you and the situation would have been lost."
"But…" Dende began but Gohan beamed at him
"You actually saved the whole situation Dende!" Said Namekian seemed perplexed, pointing at himself quizzically. "If not for the Dragon Balls that you created, I would not have been able to defeat Broly at all! You saved us all through your power, through Shenron!" The Saiyan said.
Piccolo smirked "He is right you know? You should be proud too"
Dende actually blushed at the attention suddenly wishing he was not there! "I… Uh…It isn't much…"
Gohan laughed at his expanse before turning serious once again "I promise though Dende like I promised to Shenron… I will not waste this second chance to do right. I understand. If it was not for the Dragon Balls, these years of slacking would have been our end. There is no reason for me to be able to do at eleven what I was not able to do… To do better actually when I was Eighteen, Vegeta was right"
Narrowing his eyes, his mentor interjected "Gohan I have known you all my life, I watched you grow. And I was content to let you make your own choices throughout it all whenever possible. Hence why I never forced you to train during these years, I knew you were not a fighter, not like us, you never liked the battlefield, you never liked hurting anyone even in spars. I know you always wanted to be a scholar, to live a normal life and I respected that about you, you fought for what you wanted" The Namekian paused "Do you really want this? To train to do something you don't like? To force yourself through it? Doing something which you do not enjoy cannot bring you happiness Gohan"
"Mr. Piccolo…" In his shock, Gohan reverted to his old manner of addressing his mentor and now he realized. His mentor even if he was harsh at the beginning always had his best interests in mind. Unlike his father who was not there and his mother who wanted him to drop everything and study, Piccolo let him make his own choices. He was concerned about his well-being.
He felt a surge of gratitude all of a sudden, to his mentor figure, to the man who was almost a second father to him.
"It is true that I do not like fighting Piccolo… But today I realized something" The young warrior stated.
His brother was lying at Broly's feet one moment, and the next he was thrashing Broly.
Vegeta was behind him at the Cell Games, alive even if moments ago a beam from the monster's hand should have ended said warrior life. He had intercepted it.
Android 20 was draining Piccolo's life, just before he attacked the mad inventor to make him stop.
He forced Frieza to back down, leaving enough time for Dende to save Krillin's life.
He attacked Dodoria, saving Dende's life.
He attacked his uncle Radditz to save his father.
"I feel happiness… When I'm able to protect. Not to protect the planet, not only that but when I'm able, with my own hands to protect the people who matter to me. I realized that leaving the protection to others felt wrong. If I'm a man and if I have this much power, I should use it, nurture it to make sure people like Broly are never a threat again" His eyes closed he was turned in his memories as he stated "When I was younger… I hoped that people would just stop being so horrible to each others… Then I grew up and deluded myself that peace would be everlasting, because my father sacrificed himself to make sure no more people would come after him" The words were bitter on his tongue, the aftertaste was acidic "It was like an excuse to be complacent, I let myself grow weak and all of this happened!" Fists clenched, blood was once again dripping on the ground "If I can never again feel the hopelessness of being powerless, and only the happiness to know I can ensure my family's and my friends's safety… It is worth it to train myself to the ground and this is something I will gladly do… With no regrets"
Solemnly, Piccolo smiled as he put his hand on his pupil's head. Said hand began glowing softly then harshly as Gohan's gi repaired itself and a white weighed cape appeared on his shoulders. As said clothing materialized the oldest Namekian in the clearing told Gohan "Gohan, know that… I'm proud of you, and this will never change. Especially for your choices today" In good humor the warrior added "Strange that you have now become a man but you are in a child's body though…"
Dende, Piccolo and Gohan laughed at this in a well-deserved laughter, even if the latter was somewhat embarassed.
The latter could not shake the feeling that something was wrong, Goten was not laughing with them, actually he had not spoken a word after all of this happened. This worried him. "Goten? Is something wrong? Are you still hurt?"
His head lowered, the youngest son of Goku stared at the ground as if it was the most interesting and offending thing in the world, from his previously still form though, shakes became to make themselves known as formerly silent sobs grew louder with sometimes interjecting sniffles.
In a caring manner his older brother put a soft hand on the youngest's head ruffling his palm-tree like hair in a reassuring manner "Goten, everything is fine now - Hmpfh!" The sudden sound which escaped his mouth was to be blamed on the orange wearing fighter's sudden embrace as he threw himself at his older brother to take him a bear-like hug which cut his intake of air for a second.
"I-I-I thought you were going to die!" He cried "We were playing and then that Broccoli guy came and got all of us!" Sobbing louder he added "Then he attacked Trunks and I only barely p-p-p-protected him! Then you came and then the Dragon could not do anything! And then he tried to kill y-y-you and I couldn't do awyphing!" Between his cries he swallowed hard before resuming "And then… then… It hurt so much!"
"Shhh… I got him Goten" Gohan said as he rubbed his brother's head reassuringly.
Goten turned his tearing eyes at his older brother "But I couldn't do anything! He was beating you and I couldn't do anything to help!"
The eldest son of Goku cursed himself. His little brother sounded like he did when he was at the same age, something he never wanted. Looking at Piccolo for assistance, said Namekian only nodded his head reassuringly. He found himself repeating words he once heard from his mentor even if they were not in the same context at his brother "But it's thanks to you that everything turned fine in the end" His sibling looked at him quizzically as if to say 'I didn't do anything' but he broke that train of thought with his next heartfelt words "Yes, it's thanks to you that I remembered… What I was fighting for… And that is to protect you. It's thanks to that that I managed to defeat Broly even when I was unable to before. It's also thanks to you gathering the Dragon Balls. Thanks to that and that resolve you made me find again… I became able to get him in the end"
"You mean it?" Goten seemed relieved as he dried his tears.
Gohan smiled "Of course I mean it kid!" Suddenly he wondered why he called his little brother 'Kid' like Piccolo did before… It felt like he had become the Piccolo to Goten's Gohan as he thought 'I wonder if that is what Mr. Piccolo thought when I was the same age?… To me he was like my big brother or… A second father' He smiled at Piccolo and ruffled his brother's hair as he said "Hey guys… It's been one Hell of a day".
"Let's go home!" He finished.
They took off towards Chi-Chi's house.
And then as Piccolo and Dende returned to the Lookout everything made a turn for the complicated as they entered the house.
A fuming Chi-Chi welcomed them in her own manner, all traces of worry fading as she yelled "Do you realize how late it is?! We are past 2AM! I was worried sick! Where were you Goten?!" She yelled as Goten looked decidedly uncomfortable while she proceeded on to her eldest "And you Gohan-!" She stopped in her rant as everything was silent save for the cracking of the leaves outsides and the noises of the nightlife.
They all stared at each other as she looked at Gohan her mouth open so wide one could exaggerate and say her chin reached the floor. Then she proceeded to sputter incoherently "You… Gohan? What ? Happened ? Small ? Shrunk ? Ahhh…"
And she fainted.
Gohan was the first to rush to her "Mom!" he exclaimed as he caught her as she was falling backwards.
The youngest boy in the room merely stared at him before yelling as if he had solved a puzzle "Big brother! You are smaller!" And he sounded so carefree while saying that.
"You notice that NOW?!" Gohan yelled in disbelief. His brother was rubbing the back of his head in a typical patented Son grin.
All was… well in the Son House, as the major crisis they had today had been averted. As Gohan was torn between stirring his mother awake and staring at his laughing brother in shock.
Yes, all was well.
It was now morning as Chi-Chi overcome by fatigue did not show any indication she would wake up before dawn, the brothers opted to take a hot bath and proceed to tuck in for some well deserved rest. There was no time for conversation as they were both too tired to do anything else besides fall asleep immediately, their nights bereft of both dreams and nightmares thankfully for the latter. Their early morning training forgotten as they slept in which was not a common occurrence in the Son household…
*Crash*
…And the calm was broken as they awoke taking a fighting stance in panic as the resounding noise shook the house. Said noise seemed to stem from someone brutally opening a door and running up to their room as the door violently opened to a bewildered duo of Half-Saiyans.
"Oh thank God, I made an horrible nightmare where my dear Gohan was eleven years old again!" A ranting Chi-Chi had erupted in their room as Gohan and Goten exchanged worried glances.
"Mom?…" The eldest sibling tried.
Nonetheless the matriarch kept at it "Just think what it would do to his studies and career! I shudder to even speak about it! That was a ridiculous dream anyway…"
"Mom!" Spoken louder he hoped it would attract her attention.
"Not to mention how I would explain an eighteen years old turning eleven overnight…"
"MOM!" Now he yelled and their mother closed her mouth in shock, once again staring directly at Gohan.
Gobsmacked her brain looked like it malfunctioned when you looked at her face, she promptly fainted once again.
"So it's not a dream?…" They were in the kitchen as Chi-Chi woke up looking downright distraught. "How… How did this happen?" On the brim of tears she said "You… You left the house yesterday and returned looking like that! How are we going to explain that!?"
Somehow, he thought that telling her about the Dragon Balls before she finished talking would not be a good idea. Goten wisely kept himself from speaking.
"What about your life? You were supposed to graduate High School, become a Scholar! And then get married and have your own family! What about your life?" She respired, taking a slow breath to calm herself as she stared at her eldest with deadly seriousness. "Tell me how did this happen, and do not lie to me young man!".
Seeing no other way out, Gohan answered "I made a wish to the Dragon Balls-"
Red-faced his mother yelled "Why would you do something like that?! You were not even old! I would understand if you were fifty or something but there is something you are not telling me!"
Considering telling her that he was going to before she interrupted her he pursued "I did this to recover my fighting skills" seeing as she was about to interrupt, mumbling something about the tournament and how it was not necessary and how she should never have agreed for him to train for it, he kept at it "I had no other choice as we were attacked by someone too powerful for any of us to beat and I had let myself go over the years…" He said sorrowfully. No matter how much time passed, he would always regret that.
As his mother began to speak again, about how it was not necessary he was surprised when none other than Goten spoke up and yelled in a manner he never heard before "If he had not done that I would have died!"
"What?" Chi-Chi was gobsmacked, her youngest son for the first time yelled at her, but before she was able to reprimand him on this, she heard Goten say it.
He would have died. Why?
"That guy came out of nowhere when we were playing with Trunks and Videl and he attacked us! He beat us all and then he beat big brother and Mr. Vegeta and Mr. Piccolo, he was going to kill all of us! Then big brother made that wish and he got him! He was amazing!"
A multitude of emotions passed through Chi-Chi… When she heard her youngest son, the one who looked the closest to Goku, her dead husband say that he would have died something broke inside her. Learning that she was pregnant with him was what made her able to climb back up the slope of despair she fell to when her love died. That and the fact that Gohan needed her in his life. She knew in a manner that horrified her that she may not have been able to go on otherwise. Thus… Learning that her son came close to death not later than yesterday shook her. Any retort she had died down as she got down to Goten's level and embraced him. "He was going to kill you?" She said in a voice full of deadly intent.
If Broly had been alive, Gohan was sure she would have attacked him right then and there without regards to her own life no matter how little she could have done to him.
Not wanting to burden his little brother with retelling it all, he squeezed his shoulder as he said "I had to watch helplessly as Broly squeezed him to death, then Shenron offered me a way to save him and I took it. The only thing I regret is not having been able to do anything before then" Later, he would curse himself in hindsight for being so blunt on the details as Chi-Chi hugged her youngest ever more fiercely, as if Goten would disappear if she let him out of her embrace.
"Then… You did the right thing Gohan" That, he did not expect. "Anyway if that was a wish with the Dragon Balls, we can always gather them again to wish yourself back to how you were…"
He… Did not think that it was a possibility. And yet, he knew why. He never considered it because it was not an option. He may not have thought about it at the time but he did not want to go back to how… Powerless he was.
Chi-Chi seemed to feel that something was wrong as her son did not look happily at her for having figured this out. It was cemented when he spoke "I won't".
"What do you mean you won't?!" She screeched "Goten is safe now! There is no reason to stay like this!"
"And next time, who will protect him? Or you?" He stated as recoiled as if struck.
"B-But…" She said "Well… I suppose that even if you stay like this you can still study! Who knows you may be able to major in several fields after all of this?" Somehow, in her voice, he could feel she did not really believe in her words.
Not wanting to crush her hopes, Gohan told himself that he still had to. It would do no good to let her hope in vain "I can't either… I'm going to train."
"NO!" She yelled "Why would you want to?! Every time you, or your brother, or your father before then step on a battlefield you come back injured, at death's door! For God's sake, your father even died on the battlefield! Two times! Do you want to kill me with worry?!"
Looking at her firmly, with the same determination he bore yesterday against Broly or when he spoke to Piccolo, he answered. "That's why I'm going to train. Whether I do or not, I will still go to fight any threat that emerge because I won't let anybody else protect what is mine. My family should not have to rely on anyone else to protect them when I'm there! What kind of man would I be, what kind of person, if I was too weak to help my own brother and my own mother?!" He released his breath "I would not be the son of Goku, and I would not be your son. The son of two person who always fought for what is right"
Being well-studied came in handy when one had to make a point. After all, High School was all about being able to express oneself in essays using arguments and examples. That was the most important skill to learn for College, a level of study he was already at. He put all of this to use when he remembered the scars of yesterday. How infuriating it was to have to stand on the sidelines as a burden when Vegeta and Piccolo fought his battles.
"But… Neither your brother or me would be on the battlefield to fight these battles! We would not be in danger!" She tried to rationalize.
He was about to answer that even his father dying did not stop people coming after them, and that if the Earth fell to enemy's hand or was destroyed then they would still be in danger. What he did not expect was his brother speaking up once again.
"Yes… I would" Goten stated his fists clenched as every head turned to him. "Because it is not right to hide when bad people are hurting others."
"Absolutely not!" Surprisingly, it was Gohan who had said this "I'm not about to train to protect you so that you can just put yourself in even more danger!"
Outraged his little brother yelled "If you are protecting me, then who is protecting you?!"
Gohan's features softened as Chi-Chi watched the by-play "I can defend myself Goten, don't worry about this… You should focus on having a normal childhood, playing with Trunks, studying or focusing on skipping your studies" His mother humphed at that "Catching animals and the like, not train for the next threat!"
He hoped that had settled it but his brother dried his tears looking all the more determined "I will still train and I will still come to help you! I don't want you to leave me behind big brother!"
Scowling his older brother said firmly "It is not a game Goten! You don't know how to really push yourself, you will just get killed you are only seven! Wasn't yesterday enough?!" He hated himself when Goten flinched as he said that but he could not let his brother get hurt. He did not understand that fighting was not a game.
"Then why don't you train me? Then I would get stronger! I want to be as strong as you Gohan! I want to be able to protect you too!
Said Saiyan stopped mid-thinking, it's true. Why could he not train Goten alongside him? He was already a Super Saiyan! If he trained him then his little brother could protect himself better. He also knew that whatever he did, Goten would still train by himself, possibly hurting himself. There was also no possible way for him to stop his little brother from coming to help on fights.
"You both are way too much like your father…" His mother said with a melancholic voice "And you Goten are way too much like your brother"
"Mom?" They both said bewildered, why had she done a complete 180 from her earlier anger?
"You can't stop him from training Gohan just like I could not stop you when you were his age, you are both too righteous for that." She seemed to both like it and regret it "No matter everything that I did… I could not stop you from following in both your father's footsteps and mine even though that way only leads to suffering and very few praises" She put an hand on both her sons's head "I wanted a life away from strife for you both, I really tried too!" Gohan hated himself as she was starting to cry "But seeing you both speak like that to each other, I realize that it is impossible, you both will always fight, no matter how strong you are for Good won't you?"
"Mom…" Gohan did not know what to do with this new development, and he could not help but feel guilty at bringing this about.
"Promise me one thing Gohan!" And she was back to yelling even if it was not on the same tone.
"Of course, what is it?" The elder Half-Saiyan said softly.
Eyes as serious as always Chi-Chi told him "Train your brother, he is too much like you, he will run after you and get hurt whatever we say or do also… I won't tolerate my sons becoming lazy bums! If you train you better train so hard that nobody will ever be able to wound you! That's why… Promise me that whatever happen you won't die" She cried.
'Promise me that you won't leave me too' Was the hidden meaning.
"Of course" The brothers both said as Gohan said.
'Nobody in this house will die as long as I'm alive' Was Gohan's hidden resolve.
As she observed both of her sons eat, Chi-Chi was deep in her thoughts.
She had seen her eldest son come back with her youngest after a day and night worrying over them as the television reported strange natural happening on the Earth, as she recognized the light of a Kamehameha in the skies as it was being reported.
As a fighter, even one not attuned to KI she could feel the tremendous forces at play on Earth and the Golden Lights being emitted by a Super Saiyan, something which looked more like delinquents bleaching their hair than anything Super in her opinion.
She knew her sons were in the middle of it despite her best wishes and prayed for their safety. Praying seemed to be the only thing she was able to do as she did whenever her husband was wounded. She used to be a fighter, she still was, someone who at that was used to always get her way somehow. She was a princess in life who knew how to fight for what she wanted.
She hated feeling so powerless that she could not defend her family, the only thing she could do was try to stop them from getting themselves in fights which were a parody of what a martial arts fight should be and were nothing more than glorified slaughters.
She could stand martial arts tournament and proving someone superiority at such an art but seeing it perverted into something meant to harm her family was something she abhorred and tried to prevent. Leave the defending to someone else… Why couldn't they be at least a little more selfish?
'That's idiotic I know… I would not have married Goku if he was a selfish bastard and I can't stop myself from wishing they were at least selfish enough to put their family life and theirs lives above other's'
They would not be who they were if they did however.
Today though, when her sons came back, she was infuriated, what had happened to Gohan? What had happened at all?
She was shocked to learn that he actually wished for himself younger, sacrificing his everyday life to retrieve a power he would have nurtured had he kept fighting. That more than anything shook her beliefs and she knew that there had to be another reason.
She learnt it eventually, her youngest son had been at death's door, specifically targeted as his brother was no better and forced to watch it. She could not bear herself to imagine herself in his shoes.
She was actually glad that he did, and guiltily wondered if encouraging her son to keep up his training could have averted this. She prided herself in her youngest's normal life, teaching him martial arts as a way to connect with his father, something which was ripped apart yesterday while she could only hope had left his innocence intact.
The worst was, she could not bring herself to oppose Gohan's decision to stay like this and keep training. She could see a resolve strangely familiar in his eyes, what got to her was that it was not his father's resolve.
She saw these eyes everyday in a mirror after all.
Those were the eyes of a person determined to protect his or her family at any cost. This was the most admirable of unshakeable determination. Her husband was always determined to protect them, sure but he had the same determination exactly to protect the whole planet, and the same determination to defeat an opponent for himself.
Her husband sought battles for the sheer thrill of it. She mistook this in her sons for the same desire as their father, one she would label as selfish to prefer a good challenge to their family life. But now she realized it was not.
Like she wanted to do after seeing Piccolo almost kill her husband on what should have been their happiest day, her eldest had become a man wanting to protect what was his. His family now composed of his little brother and herself.
She did not like it, but she would be an hypocrite if she condemned this. Her son had shown his resolve with that wish. Even if she thought he did not realize at the time how much he would sacrifice - His own identity, legally, and everyday life - for it.
Her youngest sported the same expression as the first and only time her eldest opposed her before, when he wanted to go to Namek. He would not budge and would do everything to protect not himself but his brother.
She did not like it once more, but she would support it. On the condition they trained together. That would not stop her from complaining about how they had neglected theirs studies but…
'Studies are only useful if they are alive after all…'
Chi-Chi sighed, strangely smiling 'Goku, you would be proud of your sons… But you could not be prouder of them than I am. They are fine boys who understand the most important thing in life after all…'
Now, she had preparations to do. They had training to start and she could not wait until the day of the tournament to see them roll on the competition.
And that's a wrap! Now on to the answer to reviews ! I wanted to actually put the first training scene between brothers but it was already more than 7000 words... So it will be for the next time. Read and reviews though (answer to precedent reviews are under this). Don't hesitate to tell me if you feel a character is OOC without believable explanation, I tried to nail Chi-Chi's character, alongsides Vegeta and Videl which counting the circumstances was excedingly hard in one chapter... ;)
I did actually listen to "Turnabout Sisters Compilation" which helped me write the Goten/Gohan interactions...
Force Smuggler : As for Vegeta being furious... You have not seen anything yet. I do hope that I stayed in character for said Prince, he is... Hard but enjoyable to write.
Joepaul6 : You have no idea how much I love the fact you enjoyed it! That's what I wanted to write about in this fight against Broly : Gohan recovering that sheer badassery he had during his fight with Cell and the art style he had. I can't stand his new hair after the buu saga... ^^'
FriTik : Glad you loved it, love the formulation of the review though! Hope you stay tuned for more ;)
RKF22 : Here's more, even though there is even more coming! I can't wait to go to the good parts... ^^
LpBoyXIII : There must be a price to recover all of this with a wish. The only reason the Dragon was able to was because at said age, Gohan had them. His eleven years old body reflexes in his eighteen years old body would only have served to make him less effective. This is also my attempt at giving back to Gohan an actual Teenagehood. Alongside something else. ;) I do hope you will come to love it once you see what I have in mind!
First Guest : I find it hard to swallow than a point of Power Levels (which are not even cannon as the only powerlevel, as actual we have is Freezer's second form as everything on the wiki is data from Jump (which is said to not be canon) and calculations based on Freezer having 120 000 000 units which is a misconception. It's easy enough to see. Also, power levels are up to the author ;)! A story should be enjoyed for it's character developpement, story, and in the case of DBZ, fights scene, power levels are secondary as long as they are believable and not bashing territory but that's my opinion.
Also, if one thinks about it, if Frieza had 120 000 000 instead of the actual 12 000 000, as the Kai canonically stated, when Goku came to fight Frieza he was already using Kaioken Times Ten. He used Times Twenty against Frieza which was at 50% as said by himself which would mean that Goku had an actual power level of 60 000 000 with 20 times Kaioken which would mean a base power after "Zenkai" (which isn't a canonical term). Acknoleding that without Kaioken against Ginyu he was at 90 000 that would mean a Zenkai of... 2 910 000 to get to 3 000 000 base power against Frieza? When he had no mortal wounds and was only roughed up opposed to Vegeta having a hole blasted through his stomach?!
A power level of 300 000 after Zenkai seems more believable. Meaning after twenty times Kaioken a power level of 6 000 000. Half of 12 000 000. Also if we start believing that Super Saiyan is a 50x Multiplier (which I highly doubt!) then it would means 300 000 x 50... 15 000 000, enough to defeat 100% Frieza with slight difficulties.
I for one would believe that, but I actually believe something else : Power Levels are Bullshit as TFS Abridged Vegeta is prompt to say and have no actual meaning after Second Form Frieza.
I would have answered that on PM but as you are a guest I could not, sorry for the other for the sizeable answer.
Second Guest : I will have to agree for the Gohan SSJ2 in the second movie being highly debatable! Thanks for your support and sorry for the sporadic updates, I'm however trying hard to provide chapters in spite of my issues stopping me from posting a chapter unless I feel it's at least "adequate" in my standards.
Nancy103 : Stay tuned for some more Videl-Gohan drama! And Cell drama too ;)
Power Levels corner! :
Goten Normal Form : Around the same level as First Form Frieza, giving him the power to turn Super Saiyan having exceeded the average Saiyan by a mile. Though as he never really trained as hard as Goku or Gohan alongside his age playing against him he is far from their levels at the Cell Games.
Goten Super Saiyan : His Super Saiyan being nowhere near mastered he is at Third Form Frieza's level.
Mr. Popo : ? ;)