*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.
Warning: Violence, self harm, angst and character death.*
Gohan was sitting on the roof of the lookout palace, watching the events unfold. He was slightly shocked by what Vegeta had said, though he could tell the saiyan prince was torn by his guilt. Guilt that shouldn't even have been his. Gohan hadn't meant for any of this to happen, he didn't want his death to break his prince. Nor did he want to hurt anyone else, he just wanted peace. He just wanted to go to a peaceful place where he didn't have to feel so guilty, or the hateful stares from his friends and mother. He just wanted all the pain to stop and leave him alone, but instead of that happening, he felt even worse. He watched as his mother paged through the photo album, explaining the pictures to his little brother. They were all searching for him now and he didn't know whether he wanted them to or not.
"How are we supposed to find Gohan when we can't even see him?" Piccolo asked, he was still standing at the front of the lookout with Vegeta, Dende and Mr Popo. The others had split up to try and find the broken teen.
"I can try sensing for him," Dende said softly and started to concentrate.
Gohan pulled his knees up to his chest as he felt his heart clench and tears run down his rosy cheeks. He rested his head on his knees and hugged his legs with his arms. Gohan felt his shoulders begin to shake as he gave up. He didn't care anymore as he let out heart breaking sobs, trying to cry his pain away.
Dende and Piccolo turned at the sound of his cries, trying to pin point where it was coming from.
Vegeta gave them strange looks as the two Namekian's looked around, searching for the location from which the cries are coming from.
Chi-Chi, Bulma, Krillin, Eighteen and Marron walked over towards them, noticing the Namekian's were looking around rather frantically. Marron looked up, seeing Gohan sitting there, shaking. She tugged on her mother's pant leg, gaining her attention.
"Momma, the boy is over there," she said, pointing to where Gohan sat on the roof. The others looked up, not being able to see the teen. Vegeta started floating up towards Gohan.
"Be careful, Vegeta!" Piccolo yelled after him.
Vegeta nodded and flew to where Marron had pointed, landing softly. He concentrated, faintly, he could hear the boy's cries.
"Gohan?" Vegeta asked, voice soft for the prince.
Gohan looked up, not having expected Vegeta to have come. He expected it to be Piccolo or maybe even Krillin.
Vegeta sat down, propping one leg up and resting one of his arms on there as he leaned back on his other hand. He was sitting a lot closer than Vegeta usually would, their arms touching, but Vegeta doesn't know, because he can't see the teen. Vegeta sat in silence not knowing what to say or do.
Gohan stared at Vegeta, tears still running down his cheeks before he whiped them off, his cheeks and eyes red. Gohan took a deep breath before he made himself visible for Vegeta as well. He had discovered that he could make himself visible to anyone he wished, but not for long unless he turned into a super saiyan, then he could hold his form for as long as he wanted, a plus was that he could feel then.
"Vegeta," Gohan said softly.
Vegeta nearly fell over, though didn't show it as he hadn't expected the boy to show himself.
Vegeta nodded at Gohan, staring off into the distance.
It was silent for a long while until Gohan decided to ask his prince something.
"Is that really how you feel?" Gohan asked quietly.
Vegeta stared at him, slightly confused until he registered what the boy meant.
"Someone had to carry Kakarot's guilt," Vegeta said.
"No, no one had to carry his guilt, because there wasn't any guilt to carry," Gohan said, voice slightly louder.
"While Kakarot was gone, I had to fill that father figure for him, it's the way of the saiyan's. When you died, Kakarot would have felt guilty that he hadn't noticed what was going on sooner. But, Kakarot wasn't here, so I had to carry the guilt of not noticing," Vegeta explained, though not being very fond with talking about his feelings.
"I didn't want this. I didn't want anyone to feel guilty, because it's all my fault, I killed dad, it's my fault that everyone hates me," Gohan said, a frown forming on his face.
"Hate you?" Vegeta asked.
"I could see it, every time anyone looked at me, they were blaming me, hating me," Gohan said, his voice cracking slightly at remembering all those hateful glares.
"What?" Vegeta couldn't keep the surprise from his voice. Gohan looked at Vegeta, eyes wide at the surprised look on the prince's face.
"No one hated you and no one even considered blaming you, boy. You were the only one blaming yourself for something that Kakarot decided," Vegeta explained.
Gohan opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off.
"There you are!" Trunks yelled, grinning when the two saiyan's turned to him.
Goku stood there where Dende, Popo, Piccolo and Vegeta had. The other warriors walked and stood, staring at Vegeta who looked to be having a conversation with himself.
Vegeta looked back at Gohan, who turned to him.
"It'll be alright, boy," Vegeta reassured before standing and flying down from the roof, landing slightly behind Bulma.
"Come on, big brother, we need to talk to you!" Trunks yelled, trying to get the teenager to come down.
Gohan took a deep breath and jumped down, landing gracefully on the floor in front of Trunks and Goten. The two children stared at Gohan for a minute. Vegeta could still see the boy as Piccolo and Dende listened with their sensitive hearing, curious as to where this was going to go.
"I-I need to ask you something, okay?" Goten asked, not liking the emotionless look on his brother's face.
"Alright," Gohan answered.
"Are you Gohan?" Goten asked nervously. It was silent for a long while. The adults that couldn't hear or see Gohan, thought that Gohan was possibly explaining things to Goten, it sure did look like Goten was listening intently, though he was actually waiting for the older to reply.
"I am," Gohan finally answered, though his voice was cold.
"Then you're my real big brother, right?" Goten asked.
Gohan nodded slowly wondering where this was going.
"And you have the same mommy and daddy as me?" Goten asked again, hope shining in his eyes.
"I do," Gohan said, feeling the need to be cautious.
"Then you don't hate daddy anymore, right?" Goten asked.
It was silent for a long while before Gohan burst out laughing. Though it wasn't a happy laugh. Piccolo winced at the coldness coming from his former student.
"He left me, of course I still hate him," Gohan said coldly.
"B-but he's our daddy! I won't let you hurt him!" Goten yelled, instantly taking on a fighting stance as Trunks followed him.
Gohan stared at them, a look of hurt on his face. So this is how it's going to be? He felt utterly betrayed.
"You're going to defend the man who's responsible for my death?" Gohan asked.
"It's not his fault, brother!" Goten replied, hoping that this would help get through to his brother.
"He left me! He didn't want to stay with me!" Gohan yelled, his betrayal and hurt making way to his voice.
"Neither did you! You left me too, Gohan!" Goten yelled, getting angry.
It was silent, Gohan winced at the fact that Goten had called him by his real name.
"He hurt me," Gohan whispered, hands grabbing his hair tightly.
"Gohan, please-" Goten started.
"Don't call me that! I'm not Gohan anymore! I'm no one now, you betrayed me! I was there for you AND Trunks from the very beginning! But now that your so called father arrived, I'm nothing to you?! Just dirt at the bottom of your shoe? You don't know the things he's forced me to do! I didn't want this! He'll leave, Goten, just like he left me! And when he's gone, who's going to look after you then? You'll come running back to me, like nothing ever happened, like you never betrayed me! How do you think that makes me feel?!" Gohan screamed.
Goten felt his tears falling down his cheeks at his brother's words. The words didn't hurt him, but more the fact that Gohan thinks he's betraying him. He didn't want to hurt his brother, he just wanted them to be a family.
"IT MAKES ME ABSOLUTELY LIVID!" Gohan screamed, finishing his sentence as he started screaming. Piccolo and Dende had to cover their ears because of the volume of Gohan's screaming. Vegeta ran forward, grabbing Trunks and Goten to get away from the angry teenager. He stood in front of them, falling into a fighting stance. The others didn't know what was going on, but seeing Vegeta ready to fight, made the other fighters fall into their own fighting stances. Tien wasn't sure what to expect. He and Chiaotzu had arrived at the lookout when they had felt Buu, but didn't know about Gohan until Yamcha told them.
"Gohan!" Piccolo yelled as the lookout began to shake. The boy became visible to everyone else who couldn't see him before. His Ki was raising rapidly, causing the wind to grow stronger and shockwaves to come from him. He was turning into a super saiyan. Goku took the opportunity to power up himself along with Vegeta and Piccolo. Though, Goku didn't think they would stand a chance against his emotionally unstable son.
"Gohan, sweetie, please!" Chi-Chi begged, but Gohan didn't listen. The betrayal he felt was overwhelming. He took care of those kids and now they were just throwing him away. Like a used up toy. Once Gohan stopped powering up, he glared angrily at his friends and family.
It was silent for a moment, being broken by Goten's whimpers. He was scared of his own brother. The boy who stood up to Buu for him, protected him and played with him. Now that same person was his enemy. Goten began to cry, feeling the same fear he had when Buu came charging at them. The difference now, though, is that he didn't have his big brother to protect him.
"Gohan, please, I'm sorry I left you! We can talk this through, son," Goku said, hoping to calm the boy down.
"No," was all Gohan said, his voice even colder than before.
"My baby!" Chi-Chi wailed before running at Gohan, wanting all this fighting in her family to stop. Just before she reached him, Gohan raised his arm and brought it down, slapping the woman away from him. Chi-Chi skidded to a stop a few feet away, a cut on her cheek from where Gohan had struck her.
"Chi-Chi!" Goku yelled, staring in disbelief at his son.
"Mommy!" Goten yelled, running from behind Vegeta and towards his mother, standing in front of her, arms raised in an attempt to protect her.
Gohan raised his arm again, forming a Ki ball in his hand, much like he did against Babidi.
"Gohan, no! Your not thinking straight!" Shin yelled.
How could this happen? The boy used to be so sweet and innocent, now he was aiming a powerful Ki blast at his own mother and brother. Gohan looked at him with his cold gaze, not really recognising any of the people there. His emotions were in control at that moment. He felt so lost, betrayed, angry and so much sadness, he just couldn't handle the emotional strain anymore.
"Gohan! Don't do it!" Krillin yelled, but it was to late. Gohan shot the blast, smiling sadistically as it exploded. Two down, eighteen more to go.