A/N: Thank you for everyone reading, following, favoriting and reviewing this story. The support means the world to me :).
This chapter is a long one. I haven't finished writing them all yet, but it may remain one of the longest as I wrap up the last couple before posting. The first section is soon after the last chapter ended, and after that the 'highlight reel' method I'm trying takes effect as it jumps ahead a few hours and then we're bouncing all over the place. This section of the show and manga is some of the most confusing with keeping track of where everyone is. In my experience writing this chapter, at least XD. Let me know how it comes across, so I can work on scene transitions in future parts.
Disclaimer: I'm not Akira Toriyama or any of the companies that hold rights to DBZ and related properties.
Warnings: Back in the first chapter, when I said character deaths will start a few chapters in, yeah… that's now, and will continue to the end. Also a note for language and some descriptions of violence, which goes for the whole story.
Videl stood next to Gohan. While she thought he still looked pale, that may be her worrying over nothing. Kibito healed him fine. She rubbed her arms as Gohan moved back to prepare to leave to catch up to his father and the others. Sensing her discomfort, he paused and turned around to her. Before he met her eyes, she blurted out.
"Let me come with you!"
He gaped at her, and she caught a flash of protectiveness in his eyes. She pushed back her anger at the reaction and instead smiled sweetly. "Please." She stepped forward and took his hand. "Let me help."
Gohan rubbed the back of his head. "But you're still in the tournament. What about your next match?"
Behind her, Videl could hear the crowd whispering. At this distance, Videl was unable to pick up words. All she knew was that it was a singular mass, one where – just like her father – she wanted to impress. Her lips twitched sadly. "What match?" Her gaze traveled to Gohan and Kibito. "Both of you two are leaving, several of you have, most likely they'll cancel the tournament." Her heart made the decision to help Gohan save the world, whether she could only be support or more.
Her boyfriend sighed, exasperated, "Promise if it gets too hard you will turn back."
The answer in her gut was no. Her curiosity wanted to see what this problem was, and the hero part of her wanted to help. However, the logical part of her brain conceded that will be best. She did not want to bring anyone down by her lack of experience (at a global scale) with saving the world, especially Gohan. "I promise."
X_X
They had been flying for a while, and they remained far away from their fathers and the weird ki signatures. Trunks was getting annoyed that he and Goten were not there yet. It didn't help that Eighteen caught them in their 'participating in the adult tournament' act. Halting in midair, he turned to face Goten. "Are we really that slow? We're not even 3/4s of the way there yet!"
His friend rubbed the back of his head. "We should speed up? Race you!"
Trunks nodded. Before either of them could fly faster, the ki they were following suddenly switched directions. Now it was like their dads and Gohan were back in the direction of the tournament. "Uh… so what way are we going?"
Goten shrugged and pointed where they were originally going.
X_X
A couple minutes before, Videl paused in the air, having enough energy to keep herself up, though not much more to fly. She thought she had done well in her flying capabilities, but she couldn't keep up with those who did it as second nature. Maybe it was for the best. She did not want to be the girl her boyfriend worried about when saving the world. She'll either be a help, or she will get out of the way. Her pride accepted that.
She sent a silent prayer to Dende that they will be alright, at the same moment cursing herself for letting Trunks and Goten follow after them when she informed the two kids on what was going on. She had known them long enough to acknowledge their curiosity and that her spilling the beans was a bad idea. 'Yeah, I told Goten what's going on like Gohan asked, but now he and Chi Chi will kill me for not stopping the brats.' She rubbed a bead of sweat off her brow. All things considered, she was making good time to getting back to the tournament grounds. She hoped Chi Chi, Bulma, and the others won't take the news badly.
They were used to this kind of stuff, right?
She sped off again, picking up her pace as she was almost there. Remembering her conversation with Goten and Trunks, she wondered what she could have done differently to not have the kids be so eager and reckless.
X_X
Videl paused when she saw two specks flying toward her at high speeds. Within seconds, those specks grew bigger and she distinguished them as Trunks and Goten. For some reason, both were Super Saiyan, and they stopped on a dime in front of her.
"Big sis!" Goten hugged her and Trunks gave her a nod in greeting. She hugged back, and almost dreading the answer, she asked.
"What are you guys doing out here. What's going on at the tournament?" Half the members had simultaneously dropped out for no apparent reason. Neither boy was eager to answer, both miffed and disappointed at something. Weird.
Trunks gave her a quick assessment, which Videl imagined he got from both his parents. "Do you know what's going on, where did everyone go?"
She nodded. Pushing that moment aside, one that told her to hold her tongue, she said. "Yeah, Gohan asked me to update everyone else what was happening."
The two children suddenly morphed into, well, children's puppy dog faces begging to know. She rubbed her arm uncomfortably. "You see…"
X_X
Yep, she could have handled that better. The two had flown off almost as soon as she finished. Neither was around with the last major threat to the world – Trunks was just a baby – and as super-powered children neither grasped the full extent of possible danger. Maybe she could have held back some of the info and said she'll tell the rest once everyone else was present. That way someone who was more adept at handling to two could have stopped them.
'I hope they will be all right. Gohan, take care of your little brother. I'm sorry for sending him after you.'
She could see the stadium in the distance. Around that same moment, a nagging feeling at the back of her head became a red flag. There was overwhelming ki signatures from there, at the level where she felt light-headed from even being near them. It felt like Gohan, Goku and Vegeta? That made no sense. Videl left them over an hour ago, and even if she was no where near their level, she would notice if they passed her again.
Rubbing her head, she would have to talk to Gohan again to figure out this mess once she landed. She needed to land; sweat trickling down her neck as the exertion of the flight caught up to her.
Before that could happen, the red flags became a blaring siren and she flew up on instinct. A split-second later, a quarter of the stands and much of the city below her was decimated by a large ki blast.
Videl stared down, mouth agape as her shaking hands raised to it. She could not comprehend what just happened. What happened? Her gag reflex activated and she curled up in midair. Gohan? His ki was still there, steady and true, but she could not concentrate on anything else to see who else was alive. Who wasn't.
Screams drifted up to her from the survivors in the stands. The people who were dead in the blast, well, they did not have the chance. By the time Videl collected her bearings, another blast rang out, and a couple hundred more people were dead.
X_X
Trunks stopped in midair again and turned around. He scratched his head, but beyond that he had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He could not place a why, but he suddenly needed to hurry up and catch up to his dad and the others. The prickle went up his side and he glanced at Goten. His friend did not seem to sense the same problem, yet he stopped and sent a concerned look to him anyway.
"What's wrong?"
Trunks sighed at the question and sped off again. He called over his shoulder. "Let's hurry up! I want to see this Majin Buu guy!" The anxiousness hardly reached his voice, and he sped off again.
They flew for another half hour, and Trunks did his best to not focus as his dad's ki keep changing directions. Goten's face was also scrunched in confusion but neither slowed. At one point though, Goten spoke up. "Doesn't it feel like our dad's are fighting each other?"
Trunks frowned. "I guess it does." The eight-year-old was not used to being this unsure of himself. His fists clenched and added a burst of speed, with Goten right at his heels. A couple more minutes passed by until a huge ki spiked in the close distance and halted the boys in their tracks. Trunks gaped, and Goten's eyes grew as wide as saucers. They glanced at each other, back toward the direction of the ki, and back at each other. That was the ki they were following.
"Is that Majin Buu?" Trunks asked. Goten nodded, mute in his own shock. Then he grinned, and the older boy managed a small one of his own.
"Race you!" And then he was off. Trunks rolled his eyes and charged after him.
X_X
Videl took a few more minutes to find a place to land. She did not want to be obvious about her entrance, for one, but she also wanted to avoid the rubble and bodies. Whichever way he came to be back here, Gohan was already gone, too far away for her to sense his ki properly. All she could do is put her faith in him being all right. Dust still drifted in the air, not yet settled on the barren terrain. She coughed, a more hacking sound than she would usually allow herself. The next second tears stung her vision and she surged forward.
"DAD! ERASA!" She tripped on a stone slab, and she was too disoriented to catch herself. With a heavy thud, she landed and her body took a few seconds before delivering the pain. "Sharpener!" Her voice was weaker, yet her muscles were steady once she pushed herself to her feet. A couple tears shed over her cheeks, hastily being wiped away. They had to be all right.
She started running again, not checking any bodies, as she was terrified what she would find. Videl had to find her family and friends whole. She just had too.
What was left of the stadium was deserted, and her voice fell on deaf ears. That's what she thought, until she heard a soft voice to her left, "Videl." Her steps slowed, throat tight.
A blonde woman stood a few paces away, a young girl in her arms. Videl swallowed the heaviness she felt and took a tentative step forward.
"Eighteen?"
The older woman nodded, and Videl ran toward her, relief evident on her face. She figured the rest of the Z Fighters could handle themselves, so they weren't the first concern in her mind yet to see the older woman all right made her chest feel a hundred times better.
Before she could ask, Eighteen beat her to the punch. "What happened? What happened to the others?" Right, she promised Gohan she would deliver the news. Her mind and mouth did not want to connect, and she stood there frozen.
"Videl?" Her voice lacked the typical coolness Videl was used to. Instead, it sounded young. Eighteen's physical age was hardly older than her, and this was the first time she noticed it. Marron was curled up in her mother's arms, face hidden. They were just as shaken up as she was. Videl needed to get herself together.
"I, I'm sorry." She curled her shoulders in and stared at her hands. "I turned back because I wasn't enough to catch up. I don't know how they are." The teenager rubbed her eyes, "I couldn't do anything. Maybe if…" she grabbed her arms and hugged herself. "I- I need to find a way to help someone- do anything."
Eighteen grabbed her shoulder with her free hand, holding Marron in her other. Ice blue orbs stared into hers and the blonde sounded more like herself as she responded. "You got the dragon balls earlier this year, right? That will do it. Bulma has kept them at Capsule Corp. She said we'll use them to bring everybody back."
Videl nodded. It felt like she was wearing her weighted clothing, although all she had on was her beaten up gi. That's it. She was not all lost here. "But. I need to find my friends. Dad…"
"He's alive." Eighteen replied. "Your friends… several people surrounded the idiot after the blasts went off. I'm sure they were there." Videl relaxed; however, she was aware the low probability of Eighteen actually knowing that. She only showed pictures of her friends from school a couple times.
A hand rested on her chest, and she searched out her friends' ki. There was nothing. She clung to the hope anyway, and her pessimistic side was unable to vanquish it. They must be alive. Everyone she left behind today, and that was a lot of people. She forced a smile. Eighteen must be worried sick. Krillin was not one of the ones she felt return to the stadium briefly. The best she could do is offer some of her own faith as well. "I'm positive he is all right. There's too much for him to come home to without fail."
She stepped closer to Eighteen and followed her, doing her best to ignore the destruction around her. That of which, she had little luck in. "What happened? I thought Gohan was here for a minute, but none of them passed me. And…" Words died in her throat. As it was, everything she got out already trailed together in a rush. The magnitude of the situation hung over her head.
Eighteen glanced at her, brushing hair out of her face. She paused, clearly thinking through her words. Then the blonde sighed and spoke over her shoulder.
"Vegeta."
Videl blinked repeatedly, not comprehending. "What?"
X_X
"Damn it, Vegeta." Gohan stood in front of the pulsing ball that contained Buu. Pink steam started to come out of the stand, and Babadi was laughing maniacally. "I'm… I'm sorry, Dad. But damn you, too." Stupid battle lust Saiyans, stupid grudges, stupid monsters! He pressed his lips together, and eyes squeezed shut.
"I, I don't understand. He shouldn't be gaining energy this quickly." Supreme Kai was stunned beside him, expression marred in terror. Gohan's heart went out to his companion, but this was what happened when you counted on Saiyans to save the world. It always screwed up.
He straightened up, hands wiping against his knees fruitlessly. "They must both be beyond Super Saiyan. The damage energy they are putting out must be amplified."
His modified Saiyaman uniform was in near shreds thanks to his fight with Dabura; he was about to see the world possibly end – again – and he wished he could be angry. Miracles (and severe consequences) happened when he was angry. All he was, was tired.
All he wanted was to spend the day with his father, family, and friends, Videl… But no! Seven years was too long for peace. He screamed in frustration.
In the back of his mind, he remembered his father's words when he had the final showdown with Cell. How he messed up back then and was able to fix it. He watched, in his mind's eye, catching up with his father after seven years, enjoying his mother's comfort and cooking, seeing the kids laughing, watching the sunset with Videl.
So many happy memories, and every body's lives will be wiped away if he did not stop Buu awakening here. "No!" His ki picked up and whipped dust around him. Gohan focused on the initial rage he felt on realizing his failure, and the deep-seated desire to protect the world he grew up on. Sparks formed around him, as his hair turned longer, breaching Super Saiyan 2. After avoiding the transformation for years, and doing it a few times today already, he found the rush prickle in unease at corner of his consciousness.
This won't be Cell, though. He was focused. "Stand back!" He shouted at Supreme Kai and got in position. The god's stance was one of astonishment, lips parted in his shock, as Gohan's ki grew higher still.
"Right!" He grinned at him. "You got this Gohan!"
The teenager smirked and faced the ball that contained Buu. 'Since it's too late to worry about the energy he's getting, I'm throwing everything I got into this.' "Kame…" The ball of ki grew in his hands, already spiked hair blowing back with its force. 'This is for everyone.' "Hame…" He scowled, eyes narrowed as he spotted Babadi and Dabura in the background. His soft voice carried over to the villains, and they stared at each other in confusion.
"HAA!" He fired the beam, throwing all his last hopes into it. 'I'm not letting you down this time, Dad.' The blast collided with Buu's ball. The containment rocked in place as Gohan continued to keep up the attack. He forgot about his confrontation with Cell, and instead passed everything he had to hope that this would work out.
He heard Babadi's scream as the ball was knocked out of place, and Buu's prison rolled a couple feet, yet continued to suffer the full brunt of Gohan's attack. "Now!" Gohan shouted, with a final surge of power firing into the attack.
X_X
Miles away, Goku paused in his fight with Vegeta. "Gohan," his son was doing it, yet he felt it would not be enough. "Hey, Vegeta maybe we should st-" The other Saiyan's fist collided with his face, and he flew back before he could finish.
"Enough talk and fight me Kakarot!"
X_X
Gohan's hands dropped to his sides, and he shook with adrenaline as he took a step forward. Buu's ball blackened under the force of his attack, but it remained whole. The evil ki overwhelmed him and filled all his senses. He clenched his teeth and gathered his reserves in another attack.
"Gohan," He ignored Supreme Kai, ignored the anxiousness in his voice, and instead zeroed once more on his target. Sweat traveling down his neck as he took a step forward and another.
"Ha!"
Deep down, he knew this was pointless. That this time, despite his rage, willpower, and Saiyan biology, he lacked the ability to resolve this issue now. Nonetheless, he pushed on because he had a life he wanted to continue to live, and Saiyan stubbornness did perform miracles before.
X_X
Dust rose in the distance and despite being miles away they both stared as the earth shook below them. Goten's typical cheerful face creased with worry. Neither brought up how it was difficult to detect their fathers' or Gohan's ki in comparison to Buu.
When they were close enough to feel overwhelmed by the energy, and the dust cloud of battle obstructed their more immediate vision, the kids dropped to the nearby cliffs. "Over there!" Trunks looked over to the sound of Goten's voice to see where his friend was pointing. It appeared like a Piccolo statue. Weird. The Namekian's ki was nowhere around here, although it should be, since he left with everyone else.
He dropped next to Goten and together they walked around the stone replica. Trunks poked the side, and brushed Goten's hand away when he tried to bat him away.
"How did a statue of Piccolo get out here?" Goten questioned, flying above to get a better view. Trunks shrugged.
"It seems like it should be Piccolo, but I can't sense any ki." He scratched his face and pushed on the statue. It tittered for a moment, and the boy's eyes widened. It was feeble stone, not secured in anything, so he should watch his strength…
"Trunks! Over here!" Trunks turned around as the Piccolo statue fell and shattered on the ground. Trunks shivered, but pushed the restlessness of what that meant aside, and climbed down to meet Goten.
The black-haired child was walking around another stone statue, this time one of Krillin, with the face one of terror. Goten giggled and flew around him. "He looks funny. I don't think Krillin would appreciate this likeness of him." Trunks stood a distance away, head tilted to the side as he tried to piece together what was going on. It was almost enough to forget the looming ki in the background that belonged to Buu.
He was about to go check because he wanted to see the supposed evil being before his father beat him. However, Goten gasped behind him, and the curiosity of his immediate surroundings won out. He did remember to suppress his ki though, as the other ki that was fighting Buu disappeared.
The stone Krillin thrummed softly, as the rough surface transitioned to smooth skin and rumpled clothes. For a couple seconds, he was eerily still until the short man gasped out and placed his hands on his chest. "Oh, I'm back to normal. Where's that Supreme Kai guy, and Goku and the others?" When he noticed Goten and Trunks, he blinked in confusion. "Hey, kiddos. You probably should not be here. What happened?"
Goten glanced at his friend, yet Trunks was trembling in horror. "I need to check on something." He floated to where he broke the other statue. 'Shit, Piccolo. I murdered Piccolo!' His worst fears were realized as he saw the broken pieces of the Namekian, but instead of clean stone they were twitching piles of flesh.
He gagged and scrubbed his face harshly. 'No, no, no, no.' His head swirled as he returned to the other two. He worked his mouth; however, at first no words came out. "Um, so, we have a problem. I…"
"What is it?" His friend's face was the picture of innocence. He suddenly felt the urge to protect the boy from what he done.
In his shock, it took a moment to realize Goten was not the one who spoke. He spun around to see a perfectly healthy Piccolo. "How?" Trunks squeaked out.
Piccolo guessed what was bothering the kid and tapped his head. "As long as this remains intact, I can regenerate from anything." Goten remained confused, yet Krillin gulped. Trunks, relieved, sunk to the ground with a heavy sigh.
"What happened?" Piccolo continued questioning, but his voice trailed off as he spun around. "Is that from Majin Buu?"
They all focused on the ki and climbed up to a better vantage point to see what was going on. Trunks narrowed his eyes; the pink blob in the distance was dancing happily as he patted his belly.
"Uh huh. I saw him turn the other guy into a cookie and eat him before we landed." Goten said in a conspirator voice.
"What?" Trunks had not remembered seeing that. He inched closer, gaze strained on the figures in the distance. It looked like Buu and the short guy – Babadi? – were the only ones there. Where was everyone else?
Piccolo focused on Goten, fingers drumming against the rock in agitation. "Where's Supreme Kai? Gohan? Or Go-"
"Dad!" Trunks shouted. He leaned forward from his crouch, a smile spreading across his face.
"Yes, and Vegeta." Piccolo nodded stiffly. Trunks shook his head and pointed just as an explosion rocked the valley they were overlooking. A new ki spiked in the vicinity, and the older boy saw his father's silhouette in the distance. Once the dust cleared, it was obvious he turned Super Saiyan, but one stronger than Trunks had ever witnessed.
He chuckled, hands balled eagerly at his side. This is what he came all this way for. "I get to see Dad beat up Buu."
Both children were eager to see the fight, perched on the edge as they started to cheer Vegeta on. Caught up in their excitement, neither noticed the utter terror and defeat cross Piccolo's face as his super hearing picked up what Vegeta was saying. "Go- Gohan…" Krillin glanced anxiously at his friend but did not question it.
It was difficult to see the full extent of the battle from where they were but from what was shown it was clear that, right now at least, Vegeta was winning. Piccolo was nervous that Buu wasn't fighting back. Trunks, meanwhile, had all his focus on his father. He never saw Vegeta fight all-out before, and any worry he had about it was pushed to the side. "Go, Dad, go!" He punched the air, swinging his legs over the edge.
He supposed if everything went normally – and if he did not try to sneak into the adult tournament – this was what it would have been like cheering on his dad as he fought Goku or the others. With that thought, he glanced at Goten. His friend seemed momentarily unconcerned, as attentive to the current fight as he was. He was biting his nail and muttering in concentration. "Come on, Uncle."
This was a battle for the world, and Trunks was smart enough to realize it. That was further down his consideration list because he had full faith his father would come through. He whooped and jumped in the air after Buu was blasted in the stomach.
"He did it!"
"Yes!" Goten echoed, bounding up next to the older boy.
Piccolo growled, and Krillin was on the edge. They noticed that Buu's ki remained steady, while Vegeta's was starting to go down.
Trunks paused as Buu healed himself. His cheers tapered off, and he stammered in confusion. "What… what's going on?" He was hovering in the air out of his joy prior, but now he had half the mind to fly over to help. He did not get the chance, as Piccolo shouted at them.
"Get down!"
"Beat him up, Dad." He murmured than hurried to a sheltered spot with the others.
The blast crumbled their surroundings, yet everyone in their group was intact. Trunks rubbed his head and looked around. The terrain seemed completely different, with dust particles trapped in his throat and his head throbbing. Goten let the lizard he was protecting go, and Trunks ran passed his friend.
"DAD!" His voice reverberated in the air for a couple seconds, and he did not care if anyone else heard him. He wanted his dad to hear him. He narrowed his eyes to slits, and through the settling terrain he spotted Vegeta still standing. He sighed in relief, yet his spine stiffened so he couldn't move.
"Uncle…" Goten stopped next to him. Then he shook his head rapidly, surveying every inch of land he could see. "Where's big brother? Dad? Shouldn't they be helping?" Goten was about to search for them, staying away from Buu, but he had no ki to pinpoint to. Trunks grabbed his wrist to hold him back, and kept his focus ahead of him. Behind him, Piccolo stammered and Krillin was starting to think something else was really wrong here.
"Dad," Trunks liked to think it was the dirt in his throat that made his voice scratchy. He let go of Goten and winced as the fight continued, with Vegeta on the defensive. He started to gather ki around him instinctively, with pebbles bouncing lightly on the ground.
Piccolo had seen enough moments of Gohan before his rage that he could guess what the child was thinking. "Hold, Trunks." The boy trembled, hands gripped tightly at his sides. He did not hear Piccolo, all he imagined was his father's grunt in agony.
"DAD!" He turned Super Saiyan and blasted off the ground. Piccolo and Krillin drew back as a couple rocks flew up with the force.
"You won't do anything but die too and put him in more pain. Trunks!" Piccolo stared at Goten as he went Super Saiyan and sped after his friend. The Namekian reached out and grabbed the child's arm before he could. "It won't do any good, kid." Despair welled up in his voice, but Goten ignored the warning and yanked free.
The words he yelled next put him in shock. "If big brother was here he'll go!" Then there was only a golden aura trail as the kid disappeared.
Piccolo lowered his trembling hand, and all the pent-up energy and stress deflated from him. Krillin stood behind him and let out a hollow chuckle. "They're kids. Saiyans. I don't think it will be possible to stop them." Piccolo admitted defeat and surveyed the scene. No sign of Gohan, Supreme Kai, Goku. He did spot one adversary he could address, though.
"Stay here. I'll be right back."
X_X
Trunks kicked Buu in the face, and in the same movement flipped back around and helped Goten free Vegeta. The Majin skipped once on the ground and then disappeared in the rubble a half mile away. Good. The lavender-haired boy dropped to his knees and started to shake Vegeta's shoulder, careful not to agitate his injuries.
This was wrong. His dad was supposed to be unbeatable.
"Dad. Dad!" He shook harder, leaning over and blinking rapidly. The air was really dry; his eyes were itchy. "C'm, Dad. You have to wake up." He placed his hand on Vegeta's chest and raised his ki higher, hoping his presence alone will wake the older male wake up. "Papa! Please!" His shoulders shook.
Goten was a couple feet back on Vegeta's other side. His brow lowered in worry as he helped try to revive the adult Saiyan. Trunks couldn't hear what his friend was saying, until one sentence broke through the older boy's consciousnesses. "Do you think he's dead?"
"Shut up." he snapped. It was getting difficult to see as the tears broke free. All that mattered though was noticing the minimal rise and fall of his father's chest. "He can't die. He's the Saiyan Prince. Someone like that won't die to a thing like Buu." He lowered his head and tried to jostle him awake one more time.
Vegeta groaned and managed to open his eyes, surprise flickering in them as he saw the two half-Saiyan runts in his immediate vision. "Trunks?"
"Dad!"
"Uncle!"
They happily let Vegeta up as he stumbled to his feet. He was exhausted. Trunks punched his palm and beamed up at his father, tears drying on his face as his ki and Super Saiyan aura danced around him. "We can beat him together now." Vegeta did not return the smile, instead glaring in the distance as Buu's bouncy step came closer. Trunks was accustomed to him not responding with enthusiasm or a return smile, yet the expression made his smile drop a moment later. "Dad?"
"Take care of Bulma, your Mom, Trunks. Promise me."
"Huh?" Trunks was confused. His voice shook. "What do you mean, take care of Mom?"
Vegeta was silent for a couple minutes, watching as Buu came closer, a small form in the distance growing larger. Not much time now. He turned his gaze back to Trunks. "Ever since you were a baby, I never once hugged you." He held up his hand. It was bloody, and his gi was in tatters, but Trunks was lost on not being able to read his father's expression. "Come here."
Trunks shrugged and stepped forward. Vegeta drew his arms around him and pulled him close. It wasn't a warm hug, like Mom's or Grandma's and Grandpa's. It was stiff, and Vegeta's posture was tense as he did not let go. Trunks felt hard muscle and the soft fabric of the tattered gi, and a small smile crossed his face, even as he remained confused. "Heh, stop it. You're embarrassing me."
Goten watched the embrace, lips pinched together. He wished Mom was here to give him a hug, or Gohan, and Dad gave nice hugs from what he could tell with the one he had earlier. Nonetheless, the gesture for his friend warmed his heart.
"Goodbye, Trunks."
"Hm." The boy glanced up at his father but had no time to question it as Vegeta knocked him out.
"Uncle, what was that for?" Goten bristled and ran over to his friend's unconsciousness form. He grabbed Vegeta's leg and pummeled it with his small fists. "That was mean, Uncle! Why did you do that?" Vegeta's face was neutral as he bent down level with Goten and punched him in the stomach. The world blinked around him and he passed out.
The Saiyan Prince met Piccolo's eyes and gave a solemn nod. The Namekian strolled over to pick up the kids, eyes trailed on Vegeta and then Buu in the distance.
Even without the conversation they had, Piccolo knew Vegeta was ready to go out, bringing Majin Buu with him.
X_X
Videl looked out the window. Her mind was distant, and while there was a little chatter on the plane she could not distinguish the words. She sat next to Eighteen, the blonde tossing Roshi to the back of the plane easily. She had no energy to glare at the old pervert. Her emotions were catching up to her, in shock or denial she did not know.
She glanced at Bulma, who was sitting in the front in a worse state. She wanted to get up and comfort the older woman, but she had no idea what she would say. 'Sorry your husband is still a mass murdering maniac?' That would go fantastic. She sighed and pressed her palm to her cheek, squishing her soft skin. Yes, she knew Vegeta was an asshole, and Gohan had shared some of his past, but overall, she trusted the others, and her own judgment, that he was a decent guy.
Then there was Gohan and the kids. Her heart clenched, and all she could think about was saying goodbye to Gohan and letting Goten and Trunks go. She felt more responsible for that than anything. She looked at Chi Chi and then back out the window. "I'm sorry I let them go."
The mother had already chastised her, first in a heated worry and then in sad defeat. It was so different than what she was used to. The people around her, and those who left the tournament to fight, she was used to them being impenetrable, strong. Chi Chi wiped her eyes and stared down at her hands. "It's okay. Goku will take care of them."
At the thought of the former, and dead, world champion, her curious mind wondered if Goku died again will any part of him exist anymore? That was a somber thought that she would not bring into this already despairing mood.
Eighteen suddenly curled her shoulders in and held Marron closer to her. Her chin rested on her daughter's hair. Videl noted with a touch of worry that the young blonde had dry tears on her cheeks, despite now being in a peaceful sleep. The girl was youngest here, barely older than a toddler. Eighteen took some solace in her daughter's presence though. "I shouldn't have let him go."
Videl imagined how Krillin was doing right now; if he was alive. He had to be. While her master had his feelings of inadequacy around his stronger friends, to her Krillin would always be a respected teacher. A nervous wreck sometimes, but steady and reliable. She gripped tightly on the pants of her Turtle School gi, now rumpled and torn from her fight and several hours of flying today.
"He managed to train my stubbornness, and he survived worst before." Survive may be pushing it, knowing that he had died a couple times. And she had no idea how worse this could get. Videl grinned at Eighteen, her muscles strained, forced. However, the return quirk of the lips meant success.
"It's a good thing you ended up not coming up with a wish for the dragon balls, Videl." Bulma spoke from the front. It was the first time she spoke up in the last half hour. They were almost back to Capsule Corp, where Bulma kept the dragon balls secured for the last few months.
Videl nodded in agreement. Finding them with Gohan felt like ages ago. How did Gohan stay so youthful and peaceful after going through stuff like this? How did any of them? She had a heavy heart, even knowing if her father was safe, and from being too scared to check if Erasa and Sharpener survived the blasts. Its okay. They would be alive again soon anyway. She swallowed.
Her eyes shot to the window as a strong ki spiked up at an incredible rate. So much so, that she could detect it over Buu's, which extinguished and exhausted all her sensing abilities prior. Before she could question that, however, the air shook around them and the electronics of the plane failed. On automatic, Videl grabbed her seat and made sure she was strapped in properly. A flash of light caught her eye outside the window prior to their plane spinning in the air.
"Shitshitshit!" Yamcha struggled to keep them up in the air, pulling on the controls and jamming several of the buttons. His concern went with the stunned screams from the others. Videl should do something. She was a hero after all- right? She licked her lips and moved her hands back to her restraints, this time to release them.
The atmosphere settled before she got the chance, and Yamcha managed to get them in a glide. "Can someone get the plane? I'm busy piloting." Now that the immediate disaster had passed- despite heading in for a rough landing at over a hundred miles per hour- he sounded calmer. These people were crazy. She undid her restraints, although there was nothing she could do to help hoist a several ton plane to land.
Eighteen handed Marron to her as she left to do the job. Feeling helpless, Videl walked to the front of the plane to get a better view. There was a jerk as Eighteen worked on lifting the plane, yet they soon smoothed out. There was no sign of what caused the atmospheric disturbance from where they were. She tried to pick up the ki that caused it, or maybe Buu's, yet there was nothing. None that she could detect.
Bulma was silent in her seat next to Videl. The blue-haired genius had her hands clasped over her heart, blue eyes glazed over in shock and a deeper sadness. Videl adjusted her hold on Marron and placed a hand on the older woman's shoulder. "Bulma?"
She was about to snap back but instead lowered her hands and glanced out the window. "Oh, Videl. It's fine. I'm sure its nothing." That was not the tone of someone who believed their words. Not knowing what she was comforting her for, she squeezed her shoulder.
"I hope it's nothing." The words were so quiet, Videl hardly heard it. She swallowed a lungful of air. What else could go wrong today?
A/N: I could have cut out Vegeta's sacrifice since I hardly change anything from that specific scene and save myself some sanity. I am going to try to incorporate the loss of parents (without being able to do anything) in both Goten's and Trunks' character arcs in this story, so for that reason I went with it. I'm also a masochist and wanted a try writing Trunks' POV for it.
Next chapter will have more original scenes in it, with a couple canon ones that I tweaked a bit.
Another decision I struggled with was on whether or not Videl will stay at the tournament or leave with Gohan, with the knowledge that she was still in it. She could have done more if she stayed, having a decent shot with everyone except Eighteen and the boys. Nonetheless, Videl's character did not agree with me on that point. She's a hero, and she had no reason to think the situation with Buu would be too much for her (before being told the story) and that the tournament would even go on as scheduled. She would not have let Gohan go off alone. With her additional training, she was able to return to the stadium just before Majin Vegeta blew it up though. In the original, it isn't clear if she's back there by then, as next time she's seen is with the others gathering dragon balls.
Although she could have used her wishes back in Chances, I withheld it with her indecisiveness because I knew they would have to use them in the Buu Saga. I'm sneaky, and have the foresight of a finished piece of fiction to know the world is about to end XD.
Review Responses:
Assault1337: Thank you, and don't worry, you haven't missed much time on updates. I finally just got around to posting this in the last week. And greetings and welcomes from North America. It's humbling to see this receive hits internationally, and I'm pleased to deliver a good story :).
insipidscholar917: Aha! Yay to catching so many new readers. I'm glad you liked how I went with that fight, it was a difficult one to decide for.
ValdieWhittaker123: No worries! I have a busy schedule as well, one of the reasons this took me so long. Thank you for the patience. Gohan's protectiveness did go up exponentially. I thought it was a nice way to portray the difference of being in the maybe-like-each-other to actually being together at this point of the story compared to the original. Thanks for the reviews.
Anonymous: That makes sense. With your focus on Videl's improvement, and mine on Spopovitch being an unnatural opponent, we both came up with different outcomes. Despite this difference, I am happy you were able to otherwise enjoy the rest of the chapter. I don't want to create a disconnect with my direction for the readers. Thank you for the feedback and review, much appreciated :).