Epilogue
"It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine"
-R.E.M
Nearly two weeks later, Gohan found himself hiding from his new teachers: Bardock and Fey herself. Although Bardock did not so much teach as try to catch him in not paying attention, he was there quite often, and there were many times that Gohan wondered what in the world had happened during the two days that he had been out, because he and Goku had an unspoken agreement of some sort, Gohan was sure.
They had fallen into a pretty good routine: Fey would come to his house in the afternoons and instruct him on how to allow the Blaque Stone to reign without taking control—an interesting, difficult feat at first. (Bardock had resorted to all out attacking him when he wasn't paying attention, until Gohan figured it out). He would study for most of the mornings, but for the few mornings he was able to escape and go spar with Piccolo or take a walk with Goten.
Currently, however, he was supposed to be with Fey, but instead, he was walking with Goten cackling madly from where he was perched on Gohan's shoulders, several dozen people staring at them as they strolled down the street to Eighteen and Krillin's house. Bird walked along beside him, trying to both disappear into the asphalt and not laugh at his shenanigans. Of course, she was failing at both.
"Do you think it has upset Chichi that I have been spending time with Eighteen and Krillin?" Bird asked as she nervously twisted her blond hair around her pointer finger. Gohan slung his brother back up onto his shoulders, making the little boy shriek with laughter, and looked over at the girl.
"No! I think Mom is thrilled that you have found the place where you are most happy and comfortable," he said. Bird nodded.
"I do hope that this baby is a girl," she said absently. Goten's eyes grew big.
"I want a little brother!" he protested shrilly. Gohan chuckled and jostled him.
"Sorry, Goten, no one gets a say in what it is," he said. He did shoot Bird a sideways glance.
"What are you saying, exactly? Do you think she has too many boys already?" Bird smiled the easy, loose smile that Gohan had learned to attribute to Bird's evil side. It was the hide-the-pudding-under-Gohan's-pillow smile: in other words, it equated devilish qualities.
"I just think she could use someone who is a bit more capable of taking care of themselves," she said innocently. Gohan narrowed his eyes.
"Babies can't exactly take care of themselves," he returned.
"She would still take less work than you two!" She replied happily. Gohan snarled playfully and lunged at her, but they had made it to Eighteen's house and Bird squealed and rushed into the house. Marron, seeing Gohan go after Bird—whom she had grown quickly attached to—hopped up and latched onto Gohan's left arm for dear life.
"No, no, no, Gohan!" She chanted as Bird dodged Gohan's hands, her cheeks turning quite rosy as they tussled about the living room until Eighteen came in and called it quits. Bird lifted Marron from Gohan's left shoulder, and Goten scooted back up onto his brother's shoulders, looking down at the girls with triumph.
"I am so glad you could come again, Bird," Eighteen said easily. Gohan smiled. This was the fifth time Bird was going to stay the day and night with her mother, and Eighteen had finally begun to loosen up with her. Marron was sold on her sister nearly immediately, but Eighteen had been stiff with her. Not sure what to do about it, Bird had come to him for advice, and Gohan had told her just to wait and to not give up. After the third time, Eighteen seemed to relax a little.
"Gohan, don't you have an appointment with your teachers?" Eighteen asked pointedly. Gohan looked at the floor and fought the urge to ask her if she had been taking lesson from Chichi on how best to cause guilt in one's offspring.
"They were just walking me here," Bird assured her. "He will go straight there now." Gohan tossed her a look, but she was undaunted and smiled in return. Nope, definitely did not need any more females in his life.
"Thank you, Gohan, for walking Bird over, but you need to get back to your tutors before I call and tattle on you," She said as she opened up the door and they stepped outside.
"That isn't necessary," replied a gruff voice near the street. Gohan's heart sank as he turned and found Bardock and his father both waiting for him.
"Oops," Goten breathed. The stark worry in the little voice made Gohan burst out laughing, which was apparently not the best reaction for the moment as Bardock growled and strode forward. The older warrior plucked Goten from Gohan's shoulders and looked him in the eye.
"You're the little miscreant who orchestrated this whole affair aren't you?" he demanded. It had taken a few days for Goten to loosen up around his grandfather, but once he had, he had followed the man around nearly as much as he followed Gohan and Goku around, although he was still understandably cautious with the stern man.
"Did not!" the little boy retorted, giving the man a pouty face. Gohan laughed.
"Nope, it was all me," Gohan admitted. He pressed his wrists together and held them out for his grandfather to see as Goten reached for Goku. "Arrest me for wanting to take a break, then!"
Of course, he should have seen it coming and thus known better. Bardock smirked, and before Gohan could react, the warrior had his wrists bound together with wire.
"Dang it," he muttered. Bardock laughed.
DBZ
Over the past two weeks, Gohan had learned much about the creature known as Fey. For one, she was a powerful telepath and could change small aspects of her physical appearance easily. She was extremely old, and was the last living of her kind, although he could never remember what her kind were called. She had said that he could think of them as The Others because their actual name had long since been forgotten by everyone else.
Once Bardock had finally stopped attacking him, Gohan had figured out that the beginning of control started with a thought. Fey had him meditate several hours a week until he could bring on the change on his own. The first time that Gohan had accomplished it had been a rush, to say the least. The startling power was white hot and more powerful than Gohan knew what to do with. Fey was slowly teaching him how to harness it, though, and he had found out that he could literally clothe himself with the Stone. Fey said it was best if he could use an item to help him focus the energy.
The inhabitants of the ship were, surprisingly, mostly scientists, but they were well trained in combat, and mostly friendly. So friendly, that he got to meet several of the monkey aliens personally (the fact that he nearly destroyed one reflexively was ignored and glanced over by all). Apparently, they were called MOGs, which stands for Monkeys On Ground and they were sent to draw him out and take some of his blood for research. Which is not creepy at all…
He had actually learned a lot from the few scientists that he had been able to meet. For the undetermined derations of Fey's time on earth, the ship was located off planet, so Gohan did not get to know many of them at all. Seriff remained aloof and slightly hostile, no matter what Gohan did.
"You will never learn if you do not stop disappearing," Fey admonished him as Bardock drug him to their normal meeting spot in a clearing several miles from his home. Gohan winced as the older warrior shoved him into the clearing. He turned and gave the man a dirty look.
"Going to let me out of your favorite torture device?" he asked dryly. Bardock crossed his arms over his chest.
"Get out yourself."
"Gohan," Fey began quietly. "You have been doing wonderfully, but unless you focus, you will not succeed. You must try harder." Gohan sighed.
He got it, he really did. There was just so much more that he wanted to do with his life.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, reaching for that deep, bottomless power of his own that was tinted in a red color, and then went past that, to the point where it lost all color: that was the Stone's influence. He grasped it and opened his eyes, bringing it with him. He had learned to temper it, but still, the sight of the brightness that radiated from his chest surprised him.
And through the haze of brightness, Gohan realized again, what he had recently come to understand: he had been given a gift. His gift was the power to protect those he loved, and the people to teach him how to do it. Would it be enough for the rest of his life? Who knew? But for the present, his future was looking pretty good.
The End
AN: Wow! I have finished this, the second installment of my Blood Lies series! Yikes! I feel as if I have made progress in my style, but I still struggle with organization, if any of you kind readers have noticed. But, alas, my reason for writing…
As I write this, I note that this baby is over 72,800 words. Yikes! I am still a little in shock that this is real and truly done.
Thank you, any of you who have stood with me through this! I can't express how sad I am that it has taken me SO LONG, but I finally have finished it! And I am pleased where it ended and where all of the guys are.
I make no promises to continue in this world, but I may try my hand at a couple of one shots. I would really like to try planning something and having it finished in a short amount of time—I want to see my organization skills get better. For one, I would love to be able to follow an outline ( I truly suck at outlines…and I have tried many many different version of outlines..) So we shall see what comes of this.
I am also the world's WORST at replying! I am sure you have ALL noticed this sad little quirk in my personality. I have no excuses! SORRY!
To Anthony627AA I thank you for messaging me and apologize for not getting back to you!
To Dr. Blue22 I do hope you were pleased with how everything has turned out! I would love to hear your thoughts!
To 4starfox Thanks! Let me know what you think!
To The Bloody Artist, android727, Sairey13, kittyfiction2008, Rainbow, AuroraDragon,bryer, FloatingCow, shy white wolf, AnimeWolfGirl9, maxriderlover,Nada1224, Bardock821, yesIamheartless, Wow'd, MoonHazels, Bethlovesall: Here you are! Thank you for reading and for posting encouraging reiews and being so VERY understanding for my taking SO LONG! You are all kinder than I certainly deserve!
To .7311 HERE YA GO! ^_^ Thank you for likeing it so much that you begged!
To hhxh99 A big 'ole Thank you just doesn't seem to be enough for your awesome ego boost, but it's all I have to offer right now! THANK YOU!
And to anyone that I did not name, just know that your reviews, comments, messages, and thoughts have meant SO MUCh to me! I wrote this completely for myself, and for my own pleasure, so to see so many of you thrilled to read it has brought me to tears often!
I am CONSIDERING writing more, but I make no promises. I have children and teach…that is enough to make a grown man hide! Haha! Thank you all!
Until next time, be blessed, and keep on writing!
-November