Chapter XXIV: Why, and Where?

Videl threw a hand out to drag on the grass as she overshot her target and skidded to a halt. Gohan had already rebounded, somersaulting in mid air to a float, and prepared himself for another round of attacks. Videl blew her stray hairs from her eyes and propelled her body from the dirt track. She passed over the ground with a ready fist and her eyes set on her target.

Gohan dropped himself down and pushed up hard. He took to the sky without giving Videl the chance to slow herself and give chase. She had improved vastly in a short amount of time, but Gohan never allowed himself to take it easy. He always stayed two steps ahead of her, just a hair faster, and always blocking whenever she believed she would finally land a strike, and most especially surprising his pupil at every turn.

Finally coming about on the heel, Videl pushed all the power she had into accelerating into the sky. She felt the winds whipping around her in all directions as she defied gravity, physics and convention. At the beginning of her training with Gohan this was all very new and unreal, but Videl's growing experience cast those thoughts aside and allowed her to focus. It was truly her power, and she was rapidly becoming adept at using it.

She's getting faster. Gohan felt the time appropriate to go on the offensive. He stretched out while facing down on her and gathered powering into his hands. With Videl only a shout's distance, Gohan whipped his arms together and clapped his hands. Instead of a simple smacking sound, a tidal force of raw energy surged out like a wave. Videl felt it, but did not prepare for it. The attack struck her and she lost control. Her concentration broken, Videl felt the Earth below pulling on her once more and went into freefall.

Get a grip, girl! Videl called upon her energy again and felt it respond immediately to the demand. She came to a sudden halt just before impacting and then dropped the remaining two feet to a prone position. The extreme use of what little reserves she still had winded the raven fighter. That's another trick he has to show me.

The thought only lasted a fleeting moment as Videl quickly realized Gohan was barreling down upon her. His cry amplified by the Doppler effect of his downward strike, Videl flung herself out of the way as his foot struck ground and went over a foot in. Dust and bits of soil flew everywhere as she rolled back to her feet several spans away. Gohan, without even looking her way, thrust his hand in her direction and directed another powerful energy attack.

Videl twirled to the side, letting this second invisible energy force pass by without connecting, and briefly saw the wide furrow it left going into the distant hills. Videl's free foot came down in the perfect position to charge forward, but where she expected to be forward she instead felt her body give way. Videl caught herself on the fall with both hands and panted hard as the last of her energies waned away.

Gohan pulled his leg from the deep hole he had created and quickly leapt to her side. He put his hand on her shoulder and his other arm around her. "Videl, are you all right?"

"Yeah." She spoke between breaths. "I'm just . . . so winded."

"You burned through everything you had. I know the feeling. Here." Gohan gently pulled her back in a sitting position and settled down on her side. He kept his arm around her small frame. "Do you think maybe we're pushing this just a little too hard?"

Videl shook her head stiffly. "No way, Gohan. I . . . need to get stronger. Not just for . . . the tournament." She swallowed, which helped moisten her suddenly dry throat, and leaned her head back to stare up at the clear sky. "Do you know how . . . how completely stupid I felt when you helped those workers that day? I couldn't save them and . . . and it was because I knew I wasn't strong enough."

"Hey, I know you want to be stronger, but we've been at this for two weeks straight! It's taking its toll on you, Videl."

She shrugged. "Just one of those things I have to do. You're not going to be around every time I need you, Gohan."

"Well, I'd like to be." He said with a smile. Videl looked to him with a smile of her own. "You know, Videl, I think that's the first time you've admitted you need me."

With a snort, Videl leaned into him a little more. "Yeah, well, you make a pretty good stump." They shared a quiet laugh, but Videl's stopped short of his. She was looking into his eyes again. "I'm not the only one who's tired."

Gohan frowned at the observation. "Hey, I'm not the one using a friend for a stump here."

"No, but your eyes get darker every day I see you." Videl pushed herself off his side and out of his hold. "Gohan, are you all right?" He nodded. "There's nothing you want to talk about? Nothing is bothering you?" He nodded again. Her amused expression vanished. "You're lying to me again."

"Excuse me?"

"I said you're lying to me again." Videl stood up, albeit on still shaky legs. "Something is bothering you and I get the feeling you're not sleeping much because of it."

Gohan looked away from her. "What are you talking about?"

"I . . ." Videl found it ironic and a little discomforting that she was revealing a deception with one of her own. "That day I first showed up for training I overheard everything you and your mother were talking about before. I was . . ." It's taking more courage to admit this than I care to admit. "Look, I was eavesdropping. I heard you talking before I knocked and wanted to know that you were saying."

Gohan felt his face flushing out of almost equal parts of embarrassment and anger. Though it seemed anger was filling in more than his shame. "Why not just ask me what was going on instead of sleuthing it out for yourself?"

Videl felt herself growing equally red. "Because you wouldn't have told me anything! Gods, Gohan!" Videl clenched her fists in her hair. "Is there always a double-standard with you? You say 'just ask me' but you'd never actually give me an answer!"

"Well maybe it's not your business!" Gohan was now up on feet as well.

"Why not? Is being your friend not good enough for me to actually care what's going on with you? You woke up screaming, Gohan, screaming the first time I ever came to your house. Then two days later I'm there again and you're still having nightmares. Your mom didn't seem to think it was normal, but you're just acting like everything's all right?"

"There's nothing to worry about!" Gohan snapped. "And I thought you were past snooping around in my life, Videl!" He jabbed a finger at her.

"It wouldn't look like snooping if you bothered opening up! Gohan, I'm not burrowing into your past or trying to uncover any more secrets." Videl turned away from him and shoved a hand into her pocket. "I'm not the one who's hiding and not trying here, Gohan. This isn't friendship if you feel like keeping everything bottled up and not trusting me at all! And if not trusting me wasn't bad enough, you're mad at me for worrying about you."

"I don't need you to worry about me!"

Videl pulled her capsule out and threw it onto the grass. "Well then I won't!" Her hovercopter sprang up out of the expansion cloud. Videl climbed into without another word and gunned the accelerator. Her vehicle floated up and then roared off into the sky.

Gohan stood there staring off after her for some time. He had his anger, but it only held for so long as he considered how they had yet again had another fight. Was she right? Is she right? This really isn't a friendship, is it? I . . . don't trust her enough to tell her everything. I can fly and Goku was my father. That's all she really knows about me. I must really not trust her.

His face fell into a grimace as he considered one other possibility. Maybe, really, I'm just afraid to.

- DBZ -

He had stayed within these walls for two weeks now. That was nothing new to Vegeta. The GR very much seemed like a second home as he spent as much of his time as possible as it was in there training and focusing his power to ever increasing levels. During certain stretches of his training Vegeta could remain locked within the GR for over a month eating only when required and sleeping even less.

It was not the time spent within the GR that aggravated him. It was the lack of progress. Vegeta sat in his meditative position against the outer wall just as he had for fourteen days and fourteen nights, but now trembled with his losing patience. Never had he gone for so long without tangible results for his efforts. The passing of time equates to progress, and he had made none. None!

His eyes snapped open and he pushed himself up from the floor. "Why!?" Vegeta bellowed. It was a shout that had been building within him for days. The release felt good, but it was not enough for the frustration he had endured – all for nothing. "Why!?" He screamed again.

"What am I not doing? What am I not thinking!?" Vegeta locked his attention to the GR's dark, domed ceiling as thought it could provide him his answers. "What was the point of this waste of my time? Tell me that! What did he do that I cannot grasp!? What makes that pathetic wretch of a half-breed worthy of such power while I, I, the Prince of all Saiyans am not worthy of its notice!?"

The silence angered him as much as his own failure. "Tell me, damn you!" Vegeta whirled around and brought his fist into the GR's wall. The entire building groaned about him and then violently warped as the structure gave way to the sheer force of his strength. Emergency lights and warning sirens came on and the GR's only door swung open. A cool female voice, that of the computer, came on instructing him to evacuate the premise. Vegeta's anger ebbed as he realized the result of his action, but he felt no regret over it. It was just a thing.

The man he had killed was no thing.

Vegeta pause in stride for a moment as the memory struck him. Why did he still come back to that memory? Vegeta shut the alarm off on the GR's still operational center console and walked out. He had no reason to stay there. It was a cool and clear night outside. The stars were out; one of which he knew was the light of Vegetesai's sun. Were the people of this primitive world to look closely enough at it they may still see his home. It would be thousands of years before the light of his home world's violent death came to Earth. Until then its memory was still preserved.

I killed someone. Vegeta kept his focus to the stars, but felt his consciousness wandering back to that day. I killed someone and . . . and I know it should never have affected me as it did. I shouldn't have cared! But, then why? I hadn't killed a living being in my rage since my return to Earth. I slaughtered the remnants of Frieza's empire, but that was the last. The truth surprised the Saiyan prince. He was a warrior, one of the remaining few of rare breed. Killing had been his whole life but had disappeared from it so quickly.

He began floating up into the sky. How had this happened? How did I grow so soft? I was so angry with Gohan for claiming I was no different from when I first came to Earth. Why? Why should I be angry for remaining the powerful, strong individual I have always been? I will not be ashamed for path I chose!

Vegeta could now see the entire city from this height, but he instead studied his clenched fists. They were rough, calloused, and taut with great power. They were the hands of a fighter. But I'm not the same, am I? I've lost that edge, the focus, the frame of mind that allowed me to be completely ruthless in combat. I can't fight with that same ferocity ever again as I am now. Why? Why do I hold myself back!?

"Is there anything you want to talk about?"

Vegeta heard her voice as clear as if she were standing right behind him, ready to throw her arms around his body with that softness that she only showed for him, but Bulma was not up here. It was only his mind's voice haunting him.

She would never love that man. Vegeta's fists trembled and he clenched his fingers tighter into his palms. I changed because of her. I could not have that love as the murderer I was. Thin blood trails crept from his fingertips and began to drip to the distant Earth. Vegeta went into the clouds with his vision blurring away. I have a mate, a wife, and my son . . . and what has it cost me? My stature, my tenacity, my very pride surrendered to others who fought the battles I should have won.

Kakkarot. It always came back to Kakkarot: his very existence, and the spawn of his loins. Do I truly owe him the happiness of a woman as much as I have owed him my life? Vegeta felt the stinging threat of tears in his eyes. Were they of sadness, or anger? I should have never come here. I should have never met Kakkarot. Why was I cursed to cross his path? Why did he pester me, hound me with his belief in a friendship we never had? Is life here on Earth his idea of saving me? Touching my soul? Changing me into something less than I was?

Vegeta brought his bloodied hands to his hair and gripped it roughly. He craned his neck back, eyes tightly shut, and roared into the heavens. "This is not what I wanted!" His words carried far, but there were no others here to listen. "KAKKAROT!!"

- DBZ -

Gohan wished he could remember this place. His dreams were always vivid, bordering the edge of lucidity, and they usually relived moments of his past. The good and the bad. This place, though, Gohan could not remember. It seemed small for an actual planet. Gohan's observations of the curvature of the horizon told him that.

Looking up into skies, Gohan beheld a very strange site. Up there floated a moon which seemed too large to possibly be a moon. It had atmosphere, and lush greens hugging vast stretches of blue. It was a beautiful sight. The world above him seemed a fitting partner to the one Gohan sat on. It did not flow with life, but instead the surface seemed a never ending stretch of rocky terrain. That did not make it any less striking. The rock of this little planet consisted of a mixture of blue hues and silvery grays. There were even pools of water scattered about. The light of the sun reflected and bounced off in all directions like diamond facets.

"It's a moon." Gohan spoke without interest.

"Gohan . . ."

That voice! Gohan rose from his seat and snapped into his battle stance. The voice was disembodied, unfamiliar, and yet Gohan could remember hearing it once before. He scanned his surroundings, both along the horizon and the air above, but saw no one. The dream feeling gave away to cold reality. What was this place? "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"We sensed you, Gohan . . ."

Chills went down his spine. Gohan felt suddenly cold, and his nerves were afire. He had felt this before. He had felt this that time, on that world, years ago. "W-why?" He rasped. His breathing became labored and heavy. "Why is this h-happening?"

"You should not have come to the Library, Gohan . . ."

The memories of his dreams over the past month flooded Gohan's memory. He collapsed to his knees before one of the dark pools and wrapped his arms around his sides. His own breath was visible now. It crystallized the moment it hit the warm air around him. Jugger was staring up at him from the water. The villain was bloodied, dying at Gohan's hands, with the Vengashi protruding from his chest.

"No!" Gohan clutched a hand to his face. "No, that's not what really happened!"

"Across space, no matter the time, we sense you, Gohan . . ."

Jugger's face washed away as Gohan threw his fist into the image. The water's surface rippled for a moment before calming to reveal another sight. Gohan gasped as he took in his own appearance. His skin had paled to a ghostly white, his hair had become streaked with silver, and his pupils were no longer an onyx black but instead a pearly white. His body convulsed; Gohan cried out as he fell to his side and clutched at his body all the more desperately.

"Please," Gohan whimpered, "please stop this . . ."

"You should not have come to the Library . . ."

"Please . . ."

"I am so sorry, Gohan . . ."

Tears ran down his face and into the rocks he lay upon.

"We sense you . . ."

The Saiyan teenager lurched up in his bed with such speed the sheets flew off and across the room. They puddle to the floor upon hitting his bedroom wall. He did not scream in fear like other nights this time. Sweat rolled all over Gohan's skin. The moonlight from the open window cast a pale glow off his shirtless body. It was too pale. Gohan fought back the urge to vomit as the memory of his appearance came back. He swung his legs over the bed and stood up.

Goten was still soundly asleep in his own bed. Gohan had not spoken or called out in his sleep. He rested an open palm on his little brother's head for a moment before walking over to the window. Gohan leaned on the frame with both hands and relished the cool breeze from without and the warmth of his own body within. It was too real this time.

Gohan tensed as it all replayed in a flash. His mind's eye had no mercy for him. Gohan wanted to forget these dreams, forget everything that he had done in space, forget how none of it made any sense, but his own memory was a curse. He pulled on the windowsill and flung into the fields. Gohan landed on his feet in a hunch a few hundred yards away still wearing only his underwear. The grass felt good on his bare legs, and the air across his back and chest was revitalizing.

"What is happening to me?" Gohan set himself down on his knees and clasped his hands in his lap. He still felt sick all over. The feelings he experience in these dreams states were unbearable. This last one, though, was so different. It was not a reenactment of his time with Duran, or his fights with Jugger, but something else. It felt too real.

"Why now?" He asked the winds. "Why do I feel this way? Why do I think these things all the time?" He looked upwards for his answer. "My family, my friends . . . Videl . . . they're all so worried but I . . . I can't . . . I want it to be over . . ." Gohan felt his left hand trace over the watch Bulma had given him. The watch that held his Saiyaman battle armor.

Irrational impulses merged with rational thought for that moment in time. Gohan stood up on the field and pressed the button. His barren body instantly became encased in the black suit. Gohan clenched his fists in the gloves and once again addressed the heavens. "I WANT IT OVER!!"

And then Gohan vanished.

- DBZ -

"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you or not?" Erasa asked in the middle of another chunk of her large, juicy hamburger. Videl nipped off the end of a fry while blanching at the sight. How did Erasa pack away anything she ordered? The blonde girl would take the simplest meal and add upon it to gluttonous proportions. The hamburger had two patties, three kinds of cheese, red onions, white onions, pickles, jalapenos, lettuce, tomatoes, sauerkraut, and finally ketchup, mustard, and a gob of mayonnaise.

Videl was jealous of her friend's ability to stuff herself without gaining an inch to her waist. What kind of freakish metabolism allowed a person to do that? "I'm really not sure if I feel like talking about it." Which is kind of the issue that started all this.

It was just the girls today. Sharpener seemed more than willing to go with them, more so when Erasa told him she would be with Videl all day, but quickly remembered another appointment when the mall was revealed to be the plan. Again.

Erasa swallowed the bite that would have made Gohan proud and washed it down with her soda. "Oh, come on, Videl! I haven't gotten to see you at all for weeks now! You and Gohan have been so gung-ho on your training for the tournament that . . . wait, is this about Gohan?" Erasa rolled her eyes. "Again?"

"I didn't say anything!" Videl protested.

"Like you had to." Erasa smirked. "Your face said it all as soon as I mentioned his name. Really, Videl, what is it with you two. Things go from good to bad and then back to good and then really, really terrible all the time. Can't you kiss and make up?"

"Oh, hah! Hah, Erasa, very funny." She's never, ever letting me live down that stupid kiss. Videl fumed. "If you're so damned insistent then fine; yes, we had another fight."

"About?" The blonde waved her hand around, urging Videl to continue.

"About him, okay? About him lying to me."

Erasa sighed and pushed away the tray with her half eaten meal still on it. She was no longer interested in food. "I thought you were past his whole 'secrets' deal. Face it, Videl, Gohan's probably not going to tell us everything there is about him. Is it such a big deal, really?"

"But that's not what I wanted him to tell me, Erasa! This wasn't about any of that. Something's wrong with Gohan, and I mean really wrong and bothering him, and when I tried to bring it up he just brushed it aside." She crossed her arms and let out a growl. "He's such a pigheaded man, you know that? I show that I'm concerned and he just completely snaps at me for it."

"Ah . . ." Erasa bit on her lower lip. "How long ago was that?"

Videl shrugged. "A couple days. I don't really want to talk to him yet, if at all."

"And what does that mean?"

That kinda just came out. What do I mean by that? Videl frowned as she took a drink from her water cup. Her throat was parched. "I . . . I really don't think this is working, Erasa. I mean, it's great, everything that he's teaching me, but I don't think friendship's going to work."

"Now you don't mean that."

"Don't I?" Videl hissed. "And it's not all just him, either, Erasa. It's me too. I'm . . . I'm too bitter about all of this and it's just not going away. We can get along so well and then it will fall apart. I don't need that."

They sat at the table in silence for a few minutes after that. Erasa stared at Videl for just a bit and then went back to picking at her meal. Videl chose to stare at anything else, no matter what, so long as she did not have to meet her friend's gaze.

I really don't need this. "I know you want to say it."

"Say what?" Erasa asked as she finished off her fries.

"Say that I should go back and talk to him."

"Well . . ."

Videl brought her gaze back up. "Why does it have to be me anyway? I mean, he knows where I am, and if he didn't know where I was regardless he could still find me so that's not a problem. He can come talk to me whenever he wants." Her communicator watch began to beep. "Oh, now what. Wait here a minute." Videl stood up and moved to a more private distance from the concession tables and other customers before answering. "Videl here."

The voice of the Chief of police, a voice Videl had not heard in some time thanks to the more peaceful days, crackled through. "Videl, we could use some assistance over here at the Shin-Fell World Bank. There's a guy in a costume robbing the place and holding hostages on the roof."

"I'm on it, Chief!" Videl turned to Erasa and shouted. "I have to . . ."

Erasa nodded back. "It's all right. I have some errands to run anyway. I'll talk to you later, Videl!" She waved.

Videl waved back briskly before running for the nearest mall exit. In a flash she was outside. Videl half formed the thought to fly straight to the scene, but she could feel all the eyes of all the civilians watching her. Videl Satan could not fly of her own free will. A sudden pang of empathy for Gohan washed over her as she chucked the hovercopter capsule onto the parking lot pavement. Videl slipped into the cockpit and rocketed into the air.

At top speed the hovercopter could cross the distance from the mall to the bank within three minutes. Videl pushed the accelerator all the way as she formulated her plan of action. It may only be one man on the scene to deal with, but hostages complicated matters. Her communicator sounded again. "Go ahead, Chief."

"Uh, right, well . . . good news, Videl! We got it all . . . well, under control here."

Videl pulled the accelerator back and the hovercopter lurched to an abrupt mid air halt. "Excuse me?"

The Chief of police made a sad laugh on the other end. "Well, out caped culprit wasn't entirely all there. Just as soon as we had cordoned off the area around the bank he made a speech, which no one could actually hear, and then tried to fly to safety."

Huh? "He can fly?"

"Well, no, not exactly. He sort of flapped his cape a few times and then jumped."

"He did what?" Videl asked incredulously. The Shin-Fell World Bank stood five stories high.

"Oh, don't worry. He's alive. Landed perfectly in an open dumpster of all things! We all got lucky here today. You can still come over and witness the arrest, but we shouldn't be needing you otherwise. Still, thanks for the quick response, Videl. We all miss you."

"Uh, right. Thanks, Chief." Videl turned off the communicator and leaned back in the pilot seat. She had just run out on Erasa to take care of a nut that had just attempted suicide trying to fly and now her day was shot. Videl looked around the bubble glass canopy and thought of where to go.

Without thinking too much of it, her eyes settled due west of Satan City and the far off mountain areas. Videl chewed on her lower lip as the conversation with Erasa in the mall went through her head. As angry as she had been that before, two days had passed. They both had time to cool off from the argument. You'll just regret this, girl. Videl thought as she turned the hovercopter in the direction of area four-thirty-nine.

Go home, Videl. She conversed with herself during the high speed journey. Just go home, or go to the gym, or go to North Star City and find some other bad guys to beat the crap out of. That would make you feel a lot better than facing Gohan and trying to work things out. You'll only end up arguing about it again.

She sighed and flipped the hovercopter over to auto-pilot. Videl had become too lost in her monologue to bother with actually flying. Why did I even stay his friend? I was so angry, so hurt when I learned he was Saiyaman that . . . I could have just walked away. Why didn't I?

Videl glanced out the side to see a large lake running beside one of the smaller mountain ranges that began out here beyond the city limits. Because I had a crush on him. Well, I had a crush on one of him. All these stupid, mixed up feelings about him and I can never get any of it straight. It figures. I've never really had a crush before.

No, that was not true. Yeah, that kid who saved me in the streets. Maybe I have a thing for feeling like the damsel? Videl just about retched at that thought. Gods, am I really such a girl? The only two guys to have ever saved my life are the ones I get gushy about? Erasa would just love hear me say that.

But no one but her believed me about that boy, anyway. I can imagine how it looked to my father. 'Oh, daddy, this boy with these really dark eyes and this spiky black hair rescued me a like a superhero!'

Videl frowned as she repeated the description to herself. Dark eyes, with spiky black hair and was like a superhero? That's . . . that's not right. I mean, I used to trip when I thought of that boy. He always messed with my head. Erasa teased me all the time about it. Gohan's never made me . . .

The class teacher had been addressing the class on a new student. Videl had been returning from yet another stern lecture from her principal on her 'extracurricular' activities. The new guy was very tall and standing between her and the teacher. "Oh, Videl, I didn't see you there. I'd like you to meet our newest addition to Orange Star High." The teacher said with a pat to the new guy's shoulder. "Son Gohan, meet Videl Satan."
"Satan?" The boy had asked. He turned around to see her. That was the first look Videl had of Gohan's face and she had tripped. Her hands flew in circles as she tried to catch her balance. The ground was rushing up at her; or more precisely, she was rushing down at the ground. This is going to hurt! She screamed in her head moments before hitting.

But that did not happen. "Whoa there, I gotcha." Gohan's arms had come out of nowhere and wrapped around her. Videl grabbed onto him, surprised to find his muscles as hard as stone, and stood up with his help. There were whistles and gasps in the classroom at the spectacle. Videl noticed a blush come across Gohan's face that probably matched her own.

I saw his face, and I . . . She had not tripped like that in years. Videl ran a hand through her long hair as she realized the hidden truth buried in the back of her subconscious mind all this time. It was Gohan? It was Gohan all this time? But, that's . . . that's not . . .

She had arrived. Videl snapped out of her daze as she took in the familiar land of Gohan's home. She took the hovercopter off of auto-pilot and guided it down to the ground below. She shut the engines off not far from the front door. Videl considered turning right around, all the more tempting with her revelation, but opened the cockpit and leapt out.

She knocked firmly on the door. Just get it over with, girl.

When the Son residence swung open, Videl first thought that it had been a ghost who had done so. She only saw the greeter when her eyes dropped three feet. Goten stood in the entry with his hand on the edge of the door. He smiled at her before turning his head back into the home and shouted. "Mom, it's the girl you said stole Gohan!"

"Huh?" Videl jerked back a step at the little boy's announcement. "Goten, what the heck are you talking about?"

He turned back to her and waved. "Hi, Videl!"

Before Videl could say anything back there came a barreling of footsteps from within and the boys' mother, Chichi, appeared with a large wooden paddle in hand. She pushed past Goten and stopped just before Videl in a heartbeat. Chichi leveled the paddle with their visitor. "You! Where's Gohan!? Huh, where is he!?"

"Miss Son!" Videl skipped backwards to put some distance between herself and the crazed lady. "What are you talking about? I don't know where Gohan is!" She paused after the words had rolled off her tongue. "Wait, Gohan's missing?"

"Gohan wasn't in my room when I woke up and he hasn't come home!" Goten poked his head out from behind Chichi's leg. The boy was missing his usually sunny disposition.

"He came back from training with you upset for the rest of the day and then he took off in the middle of the night!" Chichi gripped at the hems of her apron while tears built up in her eyes. "I was certain my baby-boy had gone off to elope without telling his dear sweet mother . . ."

"W-what? With me!?" Videl waved her hands in a blur as she processed what they had just told her. "B-but I haven't seen him since then. Are you telling me that he's been gone for two days?" The mother and son nodded. Videl raised herself up on her toes to peer back in the house, as if Gohan would be standing there like it was all a joke, and then looked around the fields of their home. "Gohan? Gohan . . . where are you?"

The Author's Annotations:

A few nods to Iron-Man420, Nova Flame, and Tellemicus Sundance! Nice to see familiar faces in the reviews. My email inbox was flooded with messages after the posting of Chapter XXIII. It's probably going to happen again once this one goes up.

Things are coming full circle now. Vegeta's decent back into darkness is now finally putting him over the edge, Gohan's nightmares are very much more than they appear, and Videl is having too many internal conflicts of her own to sort out when it comes to her friendship. That'll only get more interesting as she reevaluates it in the coming chapter . . .

. . . that is, if Gohan is around. Just where is he?

There's not much more to say. With so many chapters focused solely on Gohan and Videl a lot of characters have been pushed to the side. Leave comments on the story, for certain, but also point out errors that I can fix up later on. And besides, who doesn't love reviews? Tell me what you're thinking about this after so long.

See you . . .