Author's Note: It's been months since I last updated! Gosh, I'm so sorry for those of you who have been waiting. I've been so busy with school and all, and above all, I had a really serious case of writer's block. I wish there was medication for that...T.T

Well, if you're still with me, then please read this chapter and review it for me. I promise that I'm going to work on updating a bit sooner again like I used to. I got through this chapter, which was the hardest for me to write, seeing as how I didn't know how o go about it, but I figured it out. So I hope you're still interested and I hope you enjoy. :)

Chapter 8:

Young Hope

"Okay, so we've got six dragon balls," Yamcha said as he steered the plane. "One more to go…"

Videl eyed the shiny dragonballs curiously. "I just hope these things really do work…"

"Oh they work," Chi-Chi said, looking turning to look at Videl. Chi-Chi was now standing behind the co-pilot seat, looking at the dragon radar in Bulma's hands. "You don't have to worry about that, Videl."

"Well that's good," replied Videl. "But don't you guys think we should be looking for Trunks and Goten now? Isn't that more important?"

Chi-Chi thought about it for a minute before turning toward Bulma. "What do you think, Bulma?"

"I don't know," she answered as she turned her head to look back at them. "But Trunks and Goten could be anywhere. At least with the dragonballs, we know we're accomplishing something." Bulma slowly turned back around and stared down at the flashing radar in her hands. "Besides, I want to bring back all the people Vegeta killed in the stadium back to life. I owe it to them. That was a terrible thing that he did."

"We should be getting close now," Yamcha said cheerfully. "What did you say? One hour?"

Bulma nodded her head without looking up. "We're pretty close. Just keep heading in this direction. I'd say another fifteen minutes or so."

"Be honest, Bulma," Chi-Chi said leaning closer to her. "Is one of the reasons that you're so intent on getting the dragonballs because…you think something happened to the boys?"

"Actually, I'm not worried too much about them," Bulma responded. "I know they'll be fine. I just have a sick feeling in my heart about Vegeta, though…" She looked back at her with sad blue eyes. "I might have to wish him back…but I'm not sure I wanna wish him back…" She lowered her eyes. "Unless…he's back to the way he was…"

"Don't worry, Bulma," said Chi-Chi. "He'll be fine. Vegeta's not one to be controlled."

"I hope you're right…" she said. The dragon radar suddenly began beeping louder. "Hey, we've got an exact fix on that last ball! Steady as she goes, Yamcha!"

"RIGHT!" answered Yamcha.

Videl's eyes fell to the dragonballs beside her once again. "It's kind of hard to believe that you can actually bring people back from the dead with these things."

"Well, look at me," Yamcha said turning to look at her. "I was as dead as you can get and I was wished back to life!"

"Don't worry, Videl," said Bulma. "Most people come back normal."

"HEY! WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"

"Slow down, Yamcha," Bulma suddenly replied, ignoring his question. "It must be on that little island over there. The dragon radar says it's at sea level so that's got to be it."

"Okay!" Yamcha said preparing to land. "Here we go! Hold on tight!"

On its decent, Yamcha somehow lost control (again) and the airplane furiously began to shake around, yet again tossing everyone around. It swiveled from side to side, hitting the waters below and bouncing a few times until it came to a rough stop on dry land.

"What the hell was that, Yamcha?" Bulma exclaimed.

"Hey, that was a difficult landing!" he replied back.

"Especially if you don't know how to land!"

"There it is…HEY GUYS I FOUND IT BUT I CAN'T REACH IT!" Bulma was situated on top of a cliff. The dragonball was within a nest on a small fragment of the rock face, just barely out of her reach. "HOW ABOUT SOME HELP UP HERE?"

"No deal!" Yamcha shouted back teasingly. "You said you wanted to find it on your own, remember! And get some aggression out!"

'UGH!" she growled as she continued to reach out. "If I get my hand on that dragonball, the first thing I'm gonna do is throw it at Yamcha's head!"

"Hey Bulma!" Yamcha sneered. "Are you stuck?"

"Give her a break!" Videl said. "She's a mother, you know…" Videl looked up at the cliff and cupped her hands around her mouth. "YOU CAN DO IT! YOU'RE DOING GREAT OLD GAL!"

"Old gal?" Bulma grumbled with fiery blue eyes. "You better watch it!" She turned her attention toward the dragonball. "Almost…there…!"

A sudden large shadow loomed over her back without her knowing about it. The next thing she knew, Bulma felt something weird fondling her underside. She gasped and turned around angrily with cheeks burning red. "HEY! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?" Her face fell when she realized what had touched her and she screamed in horror.

"It's a monster!" Charisma cried with her hands on her head. "It's gonna eat Auntie!"

Videl abruptly took off toward her to help. She landed in front of the winged pink beast. It almost instantly launched its icky pinky tongue at them. Bulma barely escaped it, only to realize that the dragon had gone for the nest, swallowing the eggs and dragonball that were in it.

Bulma gasped and her fear turned into anger. "Hey! Give us back our dragonball right this second, you hear me! Cough it up, you overgrown fiend!"

The beast flew up into the sky and almost left. Without thinking, Yamcha blasted it while it was over the water. The monster fell from the sky and landed in it, now diving deeper under the sea. Bulma watched helplessly and looked down at Yamcha from her place on the cliff. "You idiot! Go after it! We need that dragonball!"

Yamcha shook nervously and ran over to the edge of the precipice. He stopped at the edge and took one look down. "That's…one heck of a jump…"

"WELL?" Bulma growled angrily. "What the hell are you waiting for?"

"I can't go in there!" he retorted and gestured toward his clothes. "These clothes are expensive!"

"What kind of excuse is that? Take them off and go in your underwear!"

Yamcha chuckled uneasily. "Well you see…I'm not wearing any…"

"LIAR! You're just chickening out!" Bulma bellowed and looked over at the others. "Well, what about you, Roshi?"

Master Roshi coughed a few times. "I would but I've got this terrible cold!"

"The men are scared!" she exasperatedly snarled.

"Well I'm not," 18 said. "But I don't feel like getting wet so, no!"

"At least you're honest about it!"

"I'm already drying off!" Charisma said grabbing onto the edge of her skirt.

"That's okay, Charisma. I know you've got more guts than these so-called men! What about you, Chi-Chi?"

Chi-Chi sighed with frustration and began walking toward the boundary of the cliff. "All right you cowards, I'll do it!" Just as she made it to the edge, Videl dove from up beside Bulma and went right into the water.

"Wow!" Charisma said running over beside Chi-Chi to take a look. "She's awesome!"

"Hey don't get killed!" Chi-Chi called to her. "Gohan would never forgive me!"

"She's got guts," Bulma said softly.

After a few minutes, there didn't appear to be a sign of Videl or the creature. Chi-Chi took a deep breath. "Well, if no one's going to help that courageous girl, than I'll have to go in!" she announced and jumped off the edge.

"Chi-Chi!" Yamcha called after her.

"ME TOO!" Charisma shouted optimistically with a fist lifted in the air. She ran off the edge as well and dove into the water.

"Charisma, wait!" Yamcha tried to reach for her, nearly losing his balance and falling in. "Oh great…first they nail me with guilt and Bulma's going to kill me for lying to her…" He quickly took off his pants and shirt, clad in nothing more than his tank top and green starred boxers. "Here I go!" He jumped in and joined the others.

Videl was almost about to be swallowed by that thing. Luckily, Chi-Chi and Yamcha had latched on to the beast's right and left arms respectively. Charisma swam over to its tail and began pulling on it, trying to get it to stop fidgeting. Videl took this opportunity to reach the surface and take a breath of air before heading back down.

Master Roshi and 18 watched from the edge of the cliff. 18 glared at him and signaled for him to go help. He immediately began coughing. "I hope…they're okay!"

18 growled and kicked him right on his behind, launching him into the air just as the creature began trying to fly away. "Oh no!" cried Chi-Chi, still holding onto it with the others. "It's gonna eat Roshi!"

The dragon saw the prey falling from the sky and happily opened its mouth to swallow him. Master Roshi panicked but came up with a solution. He covered his nose and let out a huge fart that echoed through the country. The poor animal was in tears and covered its nose.

Chi-Chi let go along with the others, all covering their noses as well. "EWWW!"

"Eww, rancid!"

"That's so disgusting!"

"My nose!"

All four of them fell into the water again. The beast remained in the air, throwing up the dragonball it ate. It spit the thing out like a seed, and it flew like a bullet right into the still airborne Roshi's head. Thankfully, the dragonball was in safe hands and all seven of them were finally together.

"That was definitely one for the record books," Yamcha said when everyone was together on dry land. "Good going, Master Roshi!"

"What an attack!" Bulma swooned happily. "You saved the day!"

"I know we usually give you a lot of grief, but being a dirty old man finally paid off for once!" Chi-Chi announced, causing everyone to laugh.

The group quickly boarded the airplane and once again and headed toward Capsule Corp. They gathered around the seven dragonballs which lay on the grass and watched as Bulma began to chant the spell to the earth dragon. The sky began to darken as the dragonballs glowed and the dragon emerged.

Videl and Charisma both watched wide eyed. Videl seemed startled however, while Charisma's eye glistened with wonder and awe. "It's huge!"

"Bring back all of the people who were killed today back to life," Yamcha shouted. "Except the really bad people!"

"It shall be done," the dragon murmured and the wish was granted. "Please make your second wish."

"I wonder if they were really brought back to life," Videl said slowly.

"Of course they were," Chi-Chi replied. "When the dragon grants wishes, he never fails."

"What is you're second wish?" the dragon growled impatiently.

"SECOND WISH? OH NO!" Goku was suddenly standing among them. The group stared at him wide eyed.

"Goku, what are you doing here?" Chi-Chi scolded him. "And where are Gohan and Goten?"

"I'm sorry, but can't explain that now," Goku told her. "But you all have to come with me back to the lookout once I'm finished with my business here."

Goku turned toward the dragon. "You don't have to grant anymore wishes today! We'll call you again sometime! Thanks!"

"As you wish," the dragon said. "Farewell." It retreated into the dragonballs and they lifted up into the sky and flew off into different directions. The sky once again became blue.

"What's gotten into you, Goku?" Yamcha asked him. "We still had a wish that we could've used to help."

Goku explained as much as he could and soon had everyone agreeing on the plan that he had made with Dende, Piccolo, and Krillin. After this, he used his instant transmission technique to return to the lookout with everyone.

"What happened to your parents, Bulma?" Krillin asked once everyone was reunited on the tower. "Aren't they coming?"

"I tried to convince them to come along," Bulma explained. "But they just didn't want to leave their stupid pets. They said that if they did meet a gruesome death at the hands of Majin Buu, I could just bring them back to life with the dragonballs."

"Hmm, logic must be genetic," Krillin said.

"You think?" asked Bulma.

"If only I knew where Tien and Chaotzu were, I'd tell them to come on up here, too."

"Hey Goku," Chi-Chi said to her husband. "Where did you say Gohan and Goten were again?"

"Yeah and where are Trunks and Vegeta?" inquired Bulma as well.

Krillin immediately began sweating. Piccolo and Goku's expressions both became solemn and stern. After noticing this, everyone fell silent and a strong sense of apprehension filled each of them.

"Goku," Chi-Chi said slowly. "Where are my sons?"

Goku remained silent for a few seconds before finally speaking up. "What I have to tell you right now isn't easy to say…Trunks and Goten are going to be fine…but Gohan and Vegeta…are dead. Majin Buu killed them both."

Chi-Chi passed out at the news of her son death, while Bulma cried in disbelief. Videl couldn't believe it either. She had grown to care about Gohan deeply ever since they began spending more time together. Her feelings for him were budding and couldn't believe that she'd never get to see him again.

Charisma's eyes remained glued to the ground. 'Gohan…? And uncle Vegeta?' She could feel tears stinging behind her eyes. Her bottom lip trembled as she heard the cries of despair coming from behind her. She tightened her fist and lifted it up to her eyes and wiped away the small tears that were beginning to spill.

She turned around and looked up at Bulma, who was crying in Yamcha's arms. "Auntie?" she said softly.

Bulma slowly looked down at the girl. "…Charisma…" she said in between a sob.

"Don't be sad," Charisma softly said. "We can bring them back with the dragonballs once Goku kills Majin Buu, can't we?"

Bulma stared down Charisma. Bulma was worried and although she knew that Vegeta could be brought back to life, she still couldn't help but mourn the loss of her love, or the loss of her beloved friend, Gohan. But she could see in Charisma's eyes that the girl wanted to be strong.

"You're right," Bulma smiled through her tears and patted Charisma on her blonde head. "But will you be okay? Is it all right if I cry just a little?"

Charisma wrapped her arms around Bulma. "Of course it is…" she nodded against Bulma's stomach.


Please review! Please say let me knwo that you're still with me! D: If so, then see ya next chapter! :D