AN: I've been hooked to my PS2 and my dancing mat game lately so that takes my valuable updating time and I'm on semi-vacation already... Thanks a billion for reviews! You guys are awesome! Special Thank for Emi Sue! You really cheered me up! To BinderR: The reason why Goku is so easily wounded and 'weak' is because he doesn't have his chi anymore for Hell' blocks it and he only has his physical strength and speed. He can't boost his punches, speed or body with his chi. The reason why Saiyajins in particular are so tough is because of their high chi levels; chi protects the body and boosts the muscles etc. for greater capability in power. (Or at least that is how I have understood it by watching DB/DBZ/DBGT)
Disclaimer: No! I could travel around the universe and DBZ still wouldn't be mine! Waaah!
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Chapter XI – Out of the bag
" How can it be?" Trunks whispered and stared at the face that didn't change to anything else no matter how much he stared. Despite all the blood and grime and the tiny scar on the man's face it was complete replica of Goten's. The glass field glittered around them in complete silence, glowing blood red, reflecting the sky. The dark and unorthodox vortex loomed in the sky.
" How is this possible?" Goten asked, not understanding, " How can he have my face, Trunks! How?" The little half-Saiyajin was shocked beyond belief and his little mind had lot to cope with. Trunks frowned and poked the man they had come to know as Shadow on the cheek; a man who now carried Goten's face.
" I don't know, Goten..." the other boy replied just as confused before a wild thought occurred to him, making his little heart leap. Could it be...? He gasped and Goten looked at his friend worriedly.
" Or maybe... or maybe you have his face..." Trunks said slowly, looking intently at the hauntingly familiar face. Goten's eyes got wide.
" What? What are you saying? How that could be that!"(not a typo just little Goten speaking...)
" He's older than you, so it must be so that you have his face and not vice versa!" Trunks concluded triumphantly, satisfied with his ingeniousness.
" But how I could then have his face! And how come he looks very much like my big brother too!" Goten wanted to know, his face now set in stubborn expression over the topic. It was almost uncanny how much the man looked like Gohan too. Shadow continued lay there idle and unconscious: a state his over-exerted body much needed for rest. Goten's innocent question stopped the lilac-haired boy's train of thoughts and he too fell silent.
" Uhm...? I dunno..." Trunks admitted hesitantly after a while of pondering. He still remembered when he thought that the man reminded him of Gohan, but more powerful and confident version.
After sitting in silence for few more minutes they duo looked around. Red glass sea stretched out for miles. The sun was starting to burn their skins and hunger and thirst rearing their ugly heads. Shadow's warnings echoed in their heads. Hell's a dangerous place... it wants to eat you alive. Even the environment; ground; sky; stones of the earth want to hurt you... see you suffer... demon's loving to see you as their meal... still alive while they eat your intestines... the day time is bad... but night... so much worse... worse than worst... everything is ice cold. Even demons start fires to keep the biting and demanding chill outside... at nights Hell's also their enemy... Hell is nobody's friend ever.
" Wah!" Goten yelped as the scorching hot glass surface suddenly burnt holes on his pants and signed his skin. He jumped on his feet quickly, Trunks following his example before he'd get burnt too. The direness of their situation was beginning to sink in. Their protector and guide was knocked out, weaponless, they had lost the cloak and the magical water bottle; the main thing that could keep them alive. All of their equipment must have perished when the dragon-jeti detonated...
Trunks turned to look at Goten, a horrible though in his mind. " Goten? Do you have any idea how much of the day has gone by... until night arrives?" His voice shivered as panic rose again. Goten realized what Trunks was implying and blanched despite the tan he was gaining in Hell's hot climate.
" Uh... ten hours?" he guessed. They both gulped, suddenly feeling so tired and worn.
" Shit!" Trunks spat out, a word picked from Shadow's extensive vocabulary along their journey. The boys grimaced at the slip and almost expected a screaming storm from their mothers for saying a curse word like that, but it didn't matter right now fortunate for the two urchins.
" I agree Trunks... total, complete shit..." Goten gulped and glanced at Shadow's prone form, hoping the man would wake the hell up soon! Answer their troubling questions, save them and just do something about everything!
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Gohan landed with a thud in front of the meditating Saiyajin Prince in the forest he had found him. The eldest half-breed glared hotly at Vegeta who only ignored him, hovering few inches above the ground; arms crossed and eyes gently closed. Gohan was first slightly surprised to find Vegeta in such calm and docile position, but his anger won quickly.
" Vegeta!" he hissed, " Goten and Trunks are missing! I know you know that and here you are..." he almost chocked on his rage for the prince's ignorance on the situation. Vegeta opened his right eye and peered indifferently at fuming Gohan. A smirk formed on his face.
" So, it still can fly..." Vegeta retorted snidely.
Gohan bristled up visibly and swallowed his fury that threatened to escape form his throat. Vegeta's smirk only widened and he continued his meditating. Gohan inhaled deeply few times to calm himself down and finally sighed tiredly.
" Look, Vegeta, Goten and Trunks found Dragonballs and made a wish that took the power of the second wish as well and now they're missing---"
" ---and completely fine," Vegeta cut the taller man off and opened his cola black eyes to glare indignantly at Gohan, who went speechless at this statement. Seeing his confused face, Vegeta growled exasperatedly.
" Brat, you think I don't know that? The woman made me collect the stupid magic balls few years back for safe keeping and stored them foolishly in her lab. The smaller brats obviously found them and they've heard many times you people, including you and me, telling stories about legendary Dragonballs and thei abilities. Children are curious of nature and of course they wanted to know if it was true legend we kept feeding them. Brats doubt but also believe almost everything they're told... Never underestimate the will and mind of a child. You if anyone should know that..."
Gohan growled, feeling the red hue of shame and embarrassment creeping upon his cheeks. " But they're missing...!"
" Idiot! Bakayarou! No in fucking shit? Are that afraid of the women's wrath? I take they still don't know..." Vegeta's over sarcastic and mocking voice sounded and Gohan cringed at the tone of it.
" You think I haven't noticed it? Can you sense them anywhere on this mudball, brat? Even your weak and pathetic senses should be able to tell you that! Heck! Those two aren't even in this dimension!" the Saiyajin prince continued with biting edge in his voice. Gohan's eyes widened.
" Not in this dimension...?"
" That's what I said! They're fine! As much in trouble as they get they're fine. We have far more important things to deal with at the moment that two missing brats!"
Gohan opened his mouth to say something against, but Vegeta's hand gesture stopped him on the spot.
" I know they're alright. They're in good hands, where ever they are. Do you think I'd sit on my ass in the air if my son really were in grave danger? My only heir and prince of the Saiyajin race? Instead, something is coming... I know you can feel it too. Don't confuse it with the anxiety and worry for the brats. You can sense it; your instincts tingling at the unknown... " Vegeta's voice faded and Gohan's face was narrowed into a slight scowl.
The words Vegeta spoke were true and he couldn't deny them. Closing his eyes, he came to painful decision. It would cost his mother more bruises but it had to be done. Vegeta watched curiously the boy's demeanour change, as feelings were displayed clearly on his face that was almost exact copy of Kakarotto's, not knowing what the boy was thinking through
" Vegeta, help me to get back into shape."
" WHAT!" Vegeta hollered, his concentration breaking and he fell on his ass on the grassy ground.
" I- I cannot run from it anymore! I have to face it, someday! I have to take the responsibility and face my fears; stand up for myself once in my life! I shouldn't have hidden from myself after the Cell Games... to deny my true nature and soul... it's time to fix years of continued mistake and cowardice!" Gohan declared hotly, almost crying. Too long he had been listening to his mother, who only thought of his best, but he realized now he had always known what was best for him but had not acted on it...
He loved studying but even greater part of him, his soul, and heart, loved fighting even more and ached for the thrill of speed and skill his body could demonstrate in a fight. And he owed so much for his father after all... he was almost adult and it was time he began to think for himself!
" Very well..." Vegeta smirked and suddenly Gohan got a painful chi blast square in his face that sent him flying into the woods. " Consider re-learning begun!"
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Goku swam in sea of confusion. He felt non-existent and light; like the limitations of the mortal realm or Hell didn't abide to him anymore. It was dark with stripes of deep purple swimming in psychedelic patterns all around. He felt free and purified after a long time of being damned and stained in Hell. The first days as a prisoner for the demons and their sick mind games that made him almost break mentally were washed away and the torture they put his mortal body through long forgotten... he had gotten away... the demon's had made a mistake of letting him live too long...
Too bad those mind games they had played Goku knew to be true... all the hate channeled to his mind... all the resentment... denial... his heart broken...
The first thing the retarded bastards had done was to bind him to Hell. To make him part of it just like they were, erasing his previous existence. Son Goku was only a name without meaning; the very reason why none could tell where he was. No Enma Daiou, King Kaiou nor even the Eternal Dragon Shenron could pinpoint his location after that.
Thus Shadow was born; his new persona replacing that of Son Goku. Same man and name; new location and existence. If he only could slay that warlock demon that had completed the ritual... When he had escaped he had promised to himself to find a way back and kill the bastards at the demon fortress he had been confined in at first. He would be free...
The dark matter pulsed around him and he felt pure... wearily his black eyes opened and his met with a sight that would become one of those he'd never forget. Something was wrapped into the weird substance. It looked darker than the vortex that hung above Hell, giving off such waves of negativeness that Goku almost puked.
No wonder he felt pure of himself! Everything was pure, innocent and clean compared to this thing.
Two blazing yellow eyes blinked open and Goku let out a scream of panic! It was the feeling! When everything had changed! The night when the wave had washed over the whole Hell's realm and he had felt it...! It wronged everything... So powerful mind... too great... too big...! His consciousness exploded with overload of the being's massive mental presence.
Like his lungs and ribcage had just caved in from a powerful blow, he gasped a deep breath and shot up.
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A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! More to come! Next chapter should be very interesting when Goku is forced to answer some questions... REVIEW KUDASAI AND JA NE!