Deeper Than Soul
Disclaimers:I do not own Dbz. If I did, Gohan and all the other fighters would fight forever!
AN/ I've decided to rewrite the first chapters so they can stand up to the finale. These aren't the original but hopefully they are better. I hope to get to the others eventually. I apologize for the ending of this story in advance. I intended to write many sequels but lost all my notes after I moved. So the ending may seem really open- but it probably won't be continued.
Deep in the vapors of cold space, a thin sheet of glass separated the difference of warmth and ice. A room rested beyond this glass draped in a dark veil of obscurity. The shadows stirred and divided from object to child.
Rising from where her body had sat seconds before, the low little being made its way gracefully to the lone window. She pressed her tanned palm upon the crystal and then gently clenched it shut. A small sort of shiver stabbed into her hand and shot up her body. Her pink lips parted into empty words as she spoke to her demon shadows. The darkness in her eyes reflected a solitary planet that orbited just outside this glass. A planet the size of a blue green marble. A gorgeous planet
'This planet… it is… beautiful.' She hissed taking delight in the simplicity of her dialect.
Her dark hair leaked down upon her cheeks until she brushed their soft strands away. They glistened in the light that the earth radiated down through the lowly glass. She spoke again into the silence and the shadows nodded. She smiled even wider.
'It's called something… Something as beautiful as this must have a title of some sort,' whispered the girl delicately. 'Or shall it remain an unnamed and untamed beauty.'
'It…It is called Earth. Home in their native tongue,' A rapt voice answer her own. 'My lady… Has Karis helped you choose?'
'Home…' The girl answered with a longing in her voice.
She clutched the planet once more with her naked and cold fingers. Letting the light dance across her hands she chose not to answer the night yet. Her hard breath stained the glass a cloud white as little girl played with the light.
She frowned as the light from the distant star somewhat blinded her. Numbly, she covered her fingers over the light.
'I have chosen.'
A man dressed in the startling loud garments of orange and blue walked wearily through the deep woods. A smile never faded from his reddened face as he thought of a child and a woman that waited just beyond the wood. The trees smiled happily upon him, speckling him with their traces of sun and shade. The birds certain squawking twisted into cheerful bursts of songs at his presence. He looked up at the roof tops of the trees and wondered… wondered how he could take being gone so long from this place. Then his thoughts broke in to the longing of punching and kicking into a opponent. Getting stronger, getting faster. The addiction that never broke a sweat. He smiled, and bounded onwards. Onwards to home.
Finally, he found himself free from the darkness. The man now stepped into a sun drenched clearing filled with smiling flowers and dancing butterflies. Thinking of the whereabouts of a certain cloud, he broke into a run thorough a struggling creek and up a small hillside. At the top he was greeted by the blur of purple and black. Arms wrapped tightly about the man's neck seeming as if never wanting to release.
"Otousan!" This thing cried.
It was choked by the moisture of coming tears. But the man seemed not to notice much.
He patted the child's unruly ebony hair and nodded. In attempt to break free from the boy's hot grip, he lifted the child upwards into the sunny skies. The child grinned and flapped his tiny arms about the thicket of summer afternoon air. He squealed with delight just to be in his father's embrace once again.
The man laughed along. Laughed out louder then he had in ages. But the addiction caught his throat and silenced him at the sight of someone approaching. The woman the addiction hated but that the man loved…
He sat the child upon his shoulder and continued up the lawn to where Chichi, his wife, stood waiting. She flared no frying pan; no closed fist. Instead she wove herself a mask of smug amusement to her face.
"Ah. Finally decided to come back?" inquired Chichi. "Is Planet Namek not good enough for the great Goku now?"
The man, Goku, smiled sheepishly to those harsh words. And just as always, he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well, you see, Chichi-san…" He began.
She lunged before Goku could predict a thing. Her lips collided with his own and he was held there for several seconds. He hung on her breath and life. When they broke apart, Goku could taste something salty left. She…she was crying, Goku realized quite suddenly, But why?
The child said nothing but did gag immaturely once they were divided again. Goku playfully ruffled his son's hair getting the child to stop.
"I'm six! I don't need to see that!" The boy huffed with certain intelligence.
"Oh? I seem to remember a certain little Gohan-kun enjoying the ending of Sleeping Beauty last night," Chichi smiled tickling him beneath his chin.
Gohan flushed slightly in the cheeks and looked to his father for rescuing.
Goku cast an admiring stare over his wife and son. The image of perfection battled his thoughts again. So why did he, time and time again, leave this perfect place?
"Goku-chan? Are you alright?" Chichi muttered in concern.
He could still see the certain tears staining her cheeks. Goku smiled and let out an exaggerated stretch.
"I really did miss being back here."
Chichi's smile returned. She claimed smiles stole the youth away from her face- but Goku found nothing more beautiful in the whole world.
"I missed you mores!" Gohan snapped angrily from his father's shoulder.
It was amazing that a child with such intellect that exceeded his years, still feel it necessary to speak in 'baby talk'. Goku turned his head to get a better look at the boy.
He had grown since his father had been gone. Almost an entire foot- Goku guessed. The boy's hair was long and shaggy- only being pulled back by a single band. All of the dark and shaggy mess was his own creation, and Goku never did tire running his hands through it.
But the eyes. Gohan's eyes were unlike his father's and even unlike his mother's. They had their similarities but it evident that Gohan's eyes were uniquely his own. Shining and brimming with such joy and happiness, those eyes filled a hole in every heart. That's what made Gohan so special- so perfect.
"Now that you're back, you can come train with Piccolo-san and I," Gohan grinned happily, quickly releasing his anger.
"Training? Piccolo's training you?" Goku admonished in slight surprise. He knew, long as he had been married, that this was one of those things Chichi didn't easily give in to. Sure enough, his wife spoke to her defense.
"Yes. Yes," She huffed. "And it's holding back Gohan-kun's studies. But what's a woman to do? Can't rightly say no to a child whose father is off saving other worlds."
"Mom don't like Piccolo-san much," Gohan offered translation from his assumed perch. "And Piccolo-san don't like Mom much, neither."
Goku gave his child a side smile. Gohan returned in profusely before dropping off from his father's shoulder. His little brown tail unwrapped from his waist and clung playfully from his father's outstretched and ready arm. Hanging upside down, Gohan coltishly stuck out his tiny pink tongue.
Goku, feeling just as mischievous, spun his son around a few times before letting the boy's feet hit the ground. Gohan's tail released his father's wrist just as he bounded into the grass. Dizzily, Gohan looked up at his father with a grin.
"I've gotten stronger, Otousan. I might be able to beat ya!"
Goku watched, his son's unsteady and awkward jump into fighter's stance- still plagued by his spinning flight, with great amusement. He tried not to show it too much so not to dampen the boy's spirits.
Instead of bounding into an all out spar with his son, he- like a good husband- cast his wife a classic puppy dog look. In response, she merely flung her hands up into the air with defeat.
"It's not like any human can stop you sayians from sparring. Go right on ahead."
"Yata!" Both father and son cheered happily.
But the fight was quick and simple. Chichi had barely finished stitching a patch on a pair of worn jeans when Gohan hit the dirt in defeat.
"You let your guard down," Goku tsked in obvious amusement.
"Piccolo says that all the time..." Gohan grumbled solemnly from the dirt.
The boy lifted himself upwards, giving his father a dirty faced smile. Goku laughed and with almost father-like grace managed add another smudge to the tip of the boy's button nose.
"Say you'll stay for dinner, won't you, Tousan?" Gohan asked earnestly. "Please say yes!"
And Goku's heart gave a painful throb. It was as if he suddenly realized how much of an outsider he had become to his own family. All for a lust of power and ambition. Why couldn't he stay? Why couldn't he finish what he started?
"We'll see," Goku joked, tapping Gohan's nose again.
And the boy thought nothing of it.
Something came. Something came out of the dazzling clear skies and made a spectacular landing just on the outskirts of West city. It was gorgeous plane of some sort. Rumors spread like wildfire and it wasn't long till a crowd of media and the less wary citizens of West city had coiled around its new visitors.
There were introductions. The aliens were very civil. They called out for a leader so as to present their own. The president was almost all too willing.
Then a girl emerged from the ship- flanked by two impressive gray cloaked body guards. She was even more glorious than the ship, radiating with such pure and untainted beauty, the likes of which no human had ever seen.
Black hair swaying in the wind and soft dark eyes casting the reflection of their world, she came before the animal leader.
"Welcome to Earth, young missy," The president smiled offering out a kind hand.
"Lady Xiea," She whispered just enough to keep the crowd hushed and patient.
"Huh?"
"My name is... Lady Xiea."
"Oh!" The president blushed with embarrassment. "My most sincere apologies, Lady Xiea," He bowed deeply. "Please let us welcome you to our planet."
And then the girl's face twisted into a strange and startling expression. Almost evil.
Her delicate hand lifted, clenched, and then relaxed. And just as her hand made its way back to her side, the president fell, headless, to the floor. To earth.
It was silent for several seconds until the nearest caught whiff of the smell. In all but an instant, the eager and awestruck crowd transformed into a massive stampede of fear and stupidity. Few lagged behind, some struck out in anger, but all were soon trapped- like cattle in a ring.
"Don't worry." A cloaked figure smiled into IBN network's camera. "Lady Xiea shall see us through this tragedy."
Goku instinctively clutched his heart at the jolt. Dread washed over him, quickly killing any plans for that evening.
"Something has happened," Goku spoke sternly to himself.
His eyes trailed over to where his son sat, wrapped in grass and sunshine. The boy's expression read his own. So Piccolo had taught him something.
There was a resounding whoosh behind the two of them, indicating company. Goku turned to face one stoic Namek-jin and one ecstatic bald monk.
"Goku! You're back!" Krillen cheered opening up his arms for embrace.
A green hand caught the back of Krillen's gi effortlessly holding the human back. Krillen cast an annoyed glare at alien just to receive a curt reprimand, "This is no time for reunions. The rest have gone ahead. We must join them."
Krillen attempted mocking Piccolo but Goku cut him off with a swift and silencing stare.
"I guess he's right. But it's so good to see you again, Goku."
Goku nodded but offered no more on the subject, "Do you know what's going on?"
"I don't usually. But I'm sure we'll find out," Piccolo huffed. "Coming or not?"
"Hai," Goku nodded taking an accepting step forward- only to be hindered by the weight of tiny arms.
Goku looked down into the young face of his only son as the boy looked up equally to him.
"I'm coming too," He demanded.
Goku didn't quite know how to respond. He cast a look to the kitchen where his unbeknownst wife worked diligently on possibly wasted dinner. Instead of denying Gohan, Goku questioned him, "Are you sure?"
It was one swift nod- like affirmation to a sentence. And Goku then saw a future where his son would say this more often than naught. There was pain and hurt in the future and unmistakable loneliness.
"Make sure you keep up," Goku smiled softly.
Gohan's face lit up.
Gohan looked upon his idols and friends that flanked his either side. A fierce determination was building in his little heart. This yearning and desperate longing to prove himself supplied him with the sufficient courage to carry on.
Chills swept up and down his spine every time his eyes fell upon their destination. Something horrible was going to happen there. And... oddly, Gohan felt distant to it all. As if staring into a tv set.
How much longer would they all still be here? How long did friends live?
The Z fighters, all of them, landed in one swift swoop, on the outskirts of the cattle rung people. Frightened and fearing for their own heads, none of them noticed the intrusion. And they certainly didn't protest as the group pressed forward for a better view.
Gohan calmly twisted his tail about his waist just as Kaasan always taught him to do when grocery shopping. But just to be safe, he kept a firm hand over it.
Even though they had moved forward- Gohan could still see nothing. Not knowing he shouldn't, Gohan levitated himself up over the heads of the people around him. Goku saw, and skillfully stood were one would mistake him for holding the boy up.
Their inhuman qualities went widely unnoticed.
"What do you see, Gohan-kun?" Goku asked softly.
"There's a girl... She's older than me, I think. And she's... very pretty, Otousan."
Goku thought he could see a girl but the way she looked was mysteriously covered the thousands of bodies in front of them.
"There's two other people too. They are wearing gray blankets. And- And..."
"And?" Goku urged.
"Oh... Oh..." Gohan's face had gone deathly pale. He raised a shaky finger off to the center of the crowd pointing to some otherwise invisible object. "Oh... Oh..."
"What's wrong?" Goku asked in concern.
"There's a man... over there... he doesn't have... without... a head."
Goku turned to face the stern expression of a one time enemy and one sided friend. His expression was far from bleak, in fact he looked quite amused.
"Vegeta! They took off a man's head!" Goku gasped in a suppressed whisper.
The full blooded prince merely shrugged his royal shoulders and headed over to a nearby tree he could lean upon. Children that had pulled themselves upon the lower branches for a better view, cowered and went back to their parents at his approached.
They must have already met, Goku frowned.
"From this day forward, Lady Xiea shall be your ruler," A deep voice bellowed somewhere amidst the crowd. "Ruler of all human beings."
Goku flinched at the suggestion. Looking amongst his comrades, they all secretly exchanged mute smiles. Pushovers. Arrogant pushovers.
"Anyone that thinks they are better Lady Xiea, let them speak. We all enjoy the occasional laugh..." There was a silence and when it was obvious no one would defend themselves, the bodiless voice continued.
"From now on you are all slaves. You will all work for one creator, and you will all prosper under one ruler. Xiea's heirs and her legacy will forever rule this planet from this moment on. And you will all fear and love her without complaint.
"You will be fed," the man continued. "And cared for- for as long as you are useful. It will take awhile for you to get used to us- but you all will learn to live and belong to Xiea. You will all learn."
"Aw. Hell with this. Let's get them now, Goku!" Krillen spat angrily.
Goku just raised a hand to silence him. The man had stopped talking- and whispers were starting to overtake the crowd. Goku looked up at Gohan who hovered at his side. The boy was pale- still looking ahead. He must have sensed his father's eyes for he soon spoke, "Otousan... Otousan!"
"What is it?"
"He's looking... He's looking straight at me."
The sea of people suddenly parted just as Goku made a grab for his son. One of the cloaked figures was coming right at them with slow dignified steps.
And Goku could see the girl now, Lady Xiea. She was gorgeous. Her eyes were watching the guard go to them, without any expression on her beautiful face.
"Xiea is ruler of all humans," The creature beneath the hood smirked insidiously. "All non humans are threats to the perfect coexistence between shi and human. All non humans are to be killed. Starting with this one..."
He stopped before Goku and son, giving no regard to the tight circle the z warriors were weaving around them. He lowered his hood revealing his own shear inhuman qualities. White hair and empty and bottomless blue eyes. Like a ghost.
"Give me the boy."
Goku's heart pounded heavily against his chest. Had it just been him, he wouldn't have been scared- but this creature wanted his son. It tore his soul out at the mere thought. They wanted... they wanted to make an example of them... of Gohan.
"No," Goku sputtered stumbled backwards from the man.
The circle wound tighter. Gohan buried his face deeper into his father's chest- tears springing from his eyes. The air had gone so cold... Gohan was hyperventilating, and Goku could scarcely breathe himself. He was almost frightened. And that, in itself, was frightening enough.
"Give me the child," smirked the alien holding out a threatening hand. "And I promise he won't die painfully."
"Leave us alone," Goku snapped hugging Gohan tighter to his chest.
"Very well."
There was a suddenly flash of light and Goku found himself flying backwards through the air. The circle dispersed with the light unable to break Goku's flight. There was a shout of his name and a shout to stop. But his body didn't stop until in collided with Vegeta's tree. And there he fell immobile. Vegeta still only watched.
"Observe humans, what happens when you get outside help."
Gohan was in his hands. Hanging by his tail in those horribly cold hands. He struggled only slightly, drugged by the pain of his captive tail. The humans ogled over the unhuman sight- either awestruck by the sight of a monkey tail on a seemingly human child or by the death they were sure would occur.
Curiosity was a horrible thing.
Pain filled Gohan. Horrible intense and mind blowing pain. He screamed out this pain until it filled his throat as well. Hanging limply, Gohan found his voice failing- and the thousands of pitiful faces fading away.
Gohan heard his name ringing throughout his head and saw the distant light. It was growing all the more. The lightheadedness from being hung upside down disappeared as he reached... and reached out for it.
Years would pass and Gohan would still remember this experience. There wouldn't be a time that would pass without him wishing he was the first.
There were screams and a silent thud. He felt grass between his fingers and then nothing. Not even pain.
"What happened?"
Gohan heard the voices but chose to stay quiet. He felt so warm and so safe.
"It was a freakin' ambush. Damn things. There were only three of them and... hell. I haven't seen something like that since Freezia."
"I- I don't-..."
"We have some unwelcome visitors. They killed Piccolo and Tien."
"No."
Gohan's mind flared awake. His eyelids snapped open, and he nearly tumbled off the clean bed.
Vegeta saw him wake, but his parents did not. They continued to talk.
"Why!"
"Cause they wanted to kill all non humans. They think that the humans will be helped by aliens so they want to destroy all the aliens and all that ally with them. They were trying to use Gohan as an example," Goku said spitefully his balled fists shaking in his rage.
Gohan looked on quietly. He had never seen his father so angry. It both thrilled and frightened him. Vegeta's cool gaze was still upon him, eyebrows raised. Almost as if he were silently asking, So what will you do boy? Gohan shook it off.
"But you saved him!"
"No. Piccolo did. They destroyed him in one blast."
Gohan swallowed, tears threatening to form.
"And Tienshinhan?"
"As we were trying to escape they assaulted us... there was a whole army held up in that ship. What's-her-face just watched. Tien was shot clear out of the skies."
"And Chaozu, bless his soul, how is he doing?"
"He didn't come... He's sure to know by now."
Vegeta was watching him with strange and calculating eyes. Gohan met Vegeta's gaze with his own.
He wasn't going to cry, Gohan told himself. He wasn't going to be a baby. Piccolo wouldn't have liked that.
Gohan clenched his fists in the sheets and bit his lip determinedly. He wasn't going to cry. He wouldn't let himself cry.
"Oh Kami, how long have you been- oh..." Chichi sobbed spotting Gohan sitting upright behind them.
Goku turned and was startled by his son's solemn expression. The eyes staring back at him were pitch black.
"I won't cry," Gohan snapped. The tears leaking out of his eyes and onto the bedspread were indifferent to him. "I won't. I won't cry ever again."
Chichi sobbed even harder, pulling her son close to her breast. But Gohan still refused to relax and refused to cry.
Vegeta continued to watch, nonchalantly.
"Goku. Come here for a moment," Chichi's soft voice called from the kitchen.
Gohan heard that tone of voice before. It was the same tone she had used to tell them she had found out why they hadn't felt Yamacha's chi signature in weeks.
Beaten to death in some Kami forsaken place. Gohan figured as much. A lot of their friends had found such a fate as well.
They had heard rumors that Baba was silenced quietly in her home but they all had their doubts. The Sons could only hope she managed to flee to the Other World before hand.
Chaozu tried for revenge and his head now hung off some bridge in South Central.
Puar- hell, someone probably ate her.
He didn't know about anyone else- but even that list seemed far too long.
Goku gave his son an encouraging pat on the head before exiting the living room. Gohan took the remote from his father's vacant seat and flipped the channel.
They were trying to be quiet but Gohan could hear them. Even over the nosily static of the television set, he could hear them.
"The whole corporation?"
Gohan sighed. He figured that meant something about Capsule Corp.
"Everyone...please... Gohan can't hear this..."
"...Bulma?"
"...dead...not fast enough...it's all in here."
Gohan sucked hard on front teeth, trying to keep himself together. I won't cry. I won't.
"What about...?"
Gohan didn't hear his name but he figured his father had just uttered the sayian prince's name. The hybrid lowered the volume of Rumple Bumble Kitty's squeaky voice just a tad. It was no loss.
"I don't..."
"...living there... right?"
"Yeah... but... identifiable bodies...I just... Goku."
Kaasan was crying now. Gohan sucked his teeth again.
"So... they're gone?"
"Just like Piccolo... in one blast."
Gohan shut off the television. He heard his parents stir in the kitchen- but before they could reach him, Gohan had already slammed his bedroom door shut.
Gohan hurled himself upon his bed without a moment's hesitation.
I won't cry. I won't. The demi sayian told his bed sheets as he buried himself in them. I won't. I won't.
Goku took his son up in a giant bear hug. Gohan only weakly complied. He knew they were lying, the lot of them, about where his father was going.
Everyone non human was dead save for his dad and himself. Gohan knew his father would go fight Xiea. He just didn't think it would happen so soon.
Kaasan was crying so hard. Gohan was not. He just stared, indifferently.
"If I don't go... they'll just hurt more people."
"I know... I know."
Goku shown that radiant side smile of his down upon Gohan. Gohan's heart felt lighter at the sight. It almost, in this moment, felt as though Goku would indeed make it all go away.
"Don't let them take you alive, my son," He said placing a familiar red pole in Gohan's waiting and capable hands. "Be careful and watch over your mother. I am leaving you in charge."
Gohan fought the tears. He fought them so hard but they finally won. Gohan flung himself over his Otousan's waist and cried so heavily that he could barely breathe.
Son Gohan was only seven years old when they stole his Otousan away the last time.
I won't cry. After this, I won't cry anymore.
Screams reverberated off the hollow walls of the Son household. A human scout watched indifferently as another one of those Shi freaks grabbed the alien's whore by her hair and dragged her out of the house kicking and shrieking. He flinched at the sound of them beating her. But then- it wasn't really his place.
The man walked up the stairs and to the last room. Upon opening the door he found a neatly made bed, a study and neat wooden desk holding an enormous quantity of books, and an open window- curtains waving with certain condolence in the wind.
"Damn," He said simply staring out the lone window with longing. "Lucky bastard."
"Tommy! No Tommy! Don't open it, please!"
"Rawwwwwwwaggh!"
"Tommy! Oh no! Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
"She warned you, buddy." Krillen shrugged apathetically while digging into his popcorn bowl again.
The sound of rustling caused the young monk to look over his couch to Muten Roshi's front door. Dark shadows played on the lone light of the room and Krillen suddenly found himself ripping the lamp and its plug right out of the wall. It was far too late for friendly visitors. It would have had to been the third intruder this week. Muten Roshi's had suddenly been a very popular candidate to point fingers at. Now that the Son's were all dead.
"I told you guys already. There's only humans here. Dammit!" Krillen stubbed his foot on the outcropping of the couch. Ignoring the blinding pain, Krillen rose his lamp in a threatening way. "I'm armed. Now just come out nice and slow."
There was no immediate answer. In fact, there was no answer at all. Krillen carefully situated himself so that when he opened the door, he'd be able to attack the person from the side. But when the door swung open at his call, a little broken and bloody child fell in.
"Gohan!" Krillen gasped grabbing the boy by the chest before his face hit the floor. "Holy shit! Hold on, buddy."
He turned the boy about in his arms, examining the wounds. The bruises were nasty and the cuts were deep but none of what Gohan had endured seemed fatal. Just when Krillen began inspecting Gohan's face, the boy's eyelids snapped open. Startled, Krillen nearly dropped the boy. Gohan stared up at Krillen with confusion, almost as if he was trying to fit a name to the face...
"Krillen-san," Gohan smiled weakly proud at remembering it.
"What happened, Gohan? Who- How did you...?" Krillen found his words faltering.
He knew who did it. It was only too obvious. If it were the Shi, Gohan would have dead- just like his mother and father before him.
"They knew..." Gohan sighed his eyes watering and voice cracking as he spoke. "They knew I was different... because of... because of my tail. I didn't want to hurt any of them but... but... they were hurting me."
"Shhh. It's okay. Shhh..."
Gohan smiled up at Krillen, blood lining the corner of his lips.
"Hey. I guess it's just you and me now. My parents- my mom..." His voice darkened. "I saw them take her. She's dead. I know it."
Krillen tried to smile back but his mouth hurt. There were screams in the background from the television set. The human just wanted to disappear.
I didn't want to get in any deeper...
"I'll be here, kid," Krillen smiled softly. "Till the end, I promise."
Gohan frowned deeper not by pain but by thinking of something. He then looked up at Krillen with a resolute expression on his face.
"Krillen. Please. Remove my tail."
The human's eyes widened.
"Gohan... What if you don't..."
And Gohan squeezed his hand tight. Krillen made a small gasp, bewitched by the complexity of Gohan's amazing eyes. He thought he saw a shimmer of purple.
"I'll make it," Gohan muttered quietly. "I'm a sayian, remember?"
Krillen nodded- tears taking adventurous treks down his cheeks.
"Of course."
A horrible scream filled the air… and so marked the beginning of the horror of the Shi. It was the day that Earth became inevitably lost.
To Be Continued...
Please R + R!
This was the Rewritten Prologue of DTS. Chapters immediately following this may not be as well written...
At least they won't be until I finish rewriting them.