A/N: Here is another one for yall. The end of the Buu saga is drawing near and will last for about three more chapters after this one and they will be longer ones. This one is short because... Well, it was just short. Enjoy it anyway.
Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ.
Chapter 42
Beneath the red skies of the dark dimension, a teenaged boy was quite literally facing down his demon. Gohan looked at his dark counterpart, who stared back with a smirk on his face. Other than his clothes, which were black and red instead of purple and blue, Dark Gohan looked almost identical to the original. Of course, there were some key differences between the two. The demon had narrower eyes with red irises and black sclera. His ears were also pointed like Piccolo's and Towa's. But perhaps the greatest contrast between the two was the demon's aura. It was dark and sinister, feeling twice as dangerous as Gohan's regular energy ever did.
The original looked at his other half with a disapproving look, prompting dark Gohan to raise an eyebrow.
"Oh, come on, don't look at me like that. I mean I just put a hole in his shoulder. You know you wanted to do that too." He said with a chuckle.
"That's where you're wrong." O.G. replied (Short for original Gohan). "I may think he's a jerk, but I don't have any more reason to hurt him. Unlike you, I don't enjoy causing others to suffer."
"Right." D.G. (Dark Gohan) rolled his eyes. "Cell, Bojack, that fish girl, the diamond chick, Broly, Dabura, Vegeta and Buu. You definitely weren't trying to cause them any suffering." His voice was thick with sarcasm and his light counterpart scowled.
"That's different." Gohan denied. "I never wanted to let you out. If it hadn't been for your influence-"
"If it hadn't been for me, the earth would have been destroyed ten times over. My 'influence' is what gave us the edge we needed to win. You want to whine about that? You're gonna moan about how a demon possessed you against your will and forced you to hurt the bad guys?"
"I'm only 'moaning' because you don't know when to stop. Every time I let you take over someone gets hurt unnecessarily."
"Fine, maybe I do go too far from time to time. I am a demon after all. But just where do you think this 'demon' came from? I'm you Gohan. Your anger, your hate, even the love of battle that you long ago rejected because you feared how great your power was. Reject me if you want. Bury me in the deepest corner of your mind, but no matter how much you try and suppress me, it won't change that I'm a part of you. The best part by my reckoning."
"Well, you'd be wrong." O.G. shot back. "You may have gotten the rage, but I guess I got the brains. Nothing about you could possibly be considered 'the best'."
D.G. frowned and cracked his knuckles. "Why don't we put that to the test?"
"Gladly" O.G cracked his neck.
"HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
A storm rose up from the two teens the likes of which the demon realm had never seen. Black and white arcs of lightning burst all around them and the three bystanders were nearly blown away. As they continued to power up, gold energy collided with purple and as the auras fought against each other, it felt as if the whole dimension was tearing at the seams.
Piccolo held his arm in front of his face to block the wind. "Towa!" He yelled over the commotion. "I think you should cast your spell now!"
"I can't!" She yelled back. She had dug her spear into the ground and Dabura, who was weakened from the shoulder wound, along with herself were holding on for dear life. "This is the part that depends on him! He has to conquer his other half before they can become one!"
"WHAT!?" Piccolo yelled furiously.
"If I fused them now, it would only be the same as before! One of them has to submit to the other! Only then can he become whole again!"
"YOU DIDN'T THINK TO TELL US THAT BEFORE HAND!? WHAT HAPPENS IF HE LOSES!?"
"It's a risk we must take!" Dabura joined in. "Son Gohan must become whole! One way or another!"
Piccolo grimaced and turned to Gohan. 'Come on kid, don't you lose.'
""HAAAH!""
At last, the Gohan's finished powering up. Rocks that had been lifted by their sheer power alone began to drop all around them. Good Gohan had jumped straight to super Saiyan two, his hair glowing Gold and blue electricity sparking around him. Across from him, his counterpart's hair was dark with a purple hue and the lightning around him was black.
For a brief moment, all was quiet. Each teen staring the other one down, sizing their opponent up. Piccolo watched his student anxiously.
Without any warning, both fighters vanished, reappearing in the middle, each one having caught the other's oncoming fist. The resulting shockwave shattered the surrounding boulders like glass. They briefly separated before diving back at each other, fists and feet flying faster than even Piccolo could track. The fighters zipped here and there, popping into view, exchanging a rapid volley of blows, then vanishing once more.
The battle was at a level beyond anything the demons had ever seen. Not only was the speed and power off the charts, but what little they could trace of the technique was flawless. There were times when they were so blurred that they couldn't even tell which Gohan was which. It appeared as though the warriors were at a stalemate, neither one getting a leg up on their opponent. But first blood had to be drawn and eventually it was. The observers couldn't tell whether it was by a punch or a kick, but one of the Gohan's hit the other one, sending him speeding down before he crashed like a falling star behind the demons. They looked behind them to see Demon Gohan standing up and wiping a small trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Hm. Not bad." He looked at the blood on his hand and smiled. "Not bad at all." With a dark chuckle, he launched himself back at his other half.
Break
"NGRYAAAAAAAAA!" *BOOOOOOOM*
"WHY!?" *BOOOOOM*
"WHY DID I RUN!? WHY COULDN'T I KILL THEM!?" *BOOOOM*
Buu raged on through the mountainous wilderness, turning the beautiful forests into vast wastelands. He ran. He had won the battle with ease and still he ran. He had bested Broly but for some reason he froze when faced with a woman and a toddler. HIM! The force of pure destruction, stopped by a whimpering child and its mother.
"WHYYYYYYYYYYYY!?" His entire body emitted a destructive wave that completely cleared away the rest of the forest. When the blast cleared, Buu stood still, breathing heavy. He looked around at his handy work, but seeing the destruction gave him no pleasure. Instead, it only reinforced the confusion in his mind. He could destroy all this with barely a thought, but not Goten and Chichi. Why? He had eaten lots of people and never froze, no matter how terrified they were. Was it Goku? Could he be influencing him in some way? It was true that when he absorbed the fat kai his personality changed a great deal. Was it possible that the same thing happened when he absorbed Goku? Perhaps what he had said to Gohan was the truth after all, maybe he was now as much Goku as he was Buu.
But that made no sense to Buu. He had eaten Krillin without any trouble and he was supposed to be Goku's best friend. He had even killed Gohan, so why not Goten? Was it because one was a warrior and the other a weak child? He felt regret at Gohan's death but that was just because he was such a fun plaything, right? Buu shook his head angrily. "What is going on with me!?" He looked around him to see if anything could calm him down, but there was nothing but rock. He needed something living, something that felt fear. Something more than just trees. Looking over at another mountain and sensing plenty of life, he teleported there in an instant.
Break
Darkness surrounded him. A darkness deeper than the blackest hole in space. "What did I tell you Broly?" He jerked his head around in a panic, trying to locate the source of the familiar voice. "The moment you defied me, you lost."
"Where are you!?" Broly shouted into the darkness
"You thought you attained your precious peace, did you? But all you did was become soft while you let others make the sacrifices on your behalf."
"You're wrong!"
"Am I? Your friends are dead Broly. Where is your peace now? You could have saved them. If only you hadn't betrayed me."
"YOU'RE WRONG!" He screamed, feeling tears fall from his eyes. "You're wrong…"
"Your selfishness killed them Broly. When are you going wake up?"
"Leave me alone!" He begged.
"Wake up, Broly. Wake up…"
The darkness started to fade out and the voice changed.
"Come on Broly, wake up." The voice sounded desperate, begging rather than taunting. "You've gotta wake up."
He opened his eyes to see a familiar green head, bent down over his abdomen with his hands emitting a white glow.
"L-Lord Dende?" Broly asked weakly.
"BROLY!" Dende shouted excitedly. "Thank goodness you're ok! We were so worried! I was afraid I might be too late."
"Where are we?" Broly sat up and rubbed his back.
"We tried to get you to a hospital, but you were fading fast." Bulma explained with a weary expression. "Dende made it to us just in time."
"I would have made it sooner, but I'm not such a fast flyer." Dende added.
"How did you know I needed help?"
The namekian's expression grew darker. "I've been watching the situation from the lookout. I… It's not good." Tears started to form in his eyes, and he gripped his knees hard. "Gohan… Gohan's gone!" The tears flowed freely when he thought of the loss of his dear friend.
"I know…" Broly bowed his head. "That thing killed him and Zangya. I didn't believe it, but after fighting him… Gohan was strong, but that thing was beyond anything I've ever seen."
"They aren't the only casualties either." Dende said through his tears. "Krillin and 18 too."
Broly clenched his teeth. Chalk up two more deaths thanks to his weakness. He wished that the monster had just killed him too. Then it occurred to Broly. "Wait, why didn't he kill me?" He turned to Dende. "What happened?"
"Goten and Chichi got in his way-"
Broly jumped up and the floor started to rock. "Watch it, we're still air borne!" Bulma reprimanded, but Broly ignored her.
"Where are they! Don't tell me they're…"
"Calm down!" Bulma shouted. "Chichi and Goten are still alive. What happened was me and Chichi tried to get the boys out of the city when we realized there was fighting outside. Then out of nowhere, Goten started shouting that you were in trouble and ran away. Obviously, Chichi followed. I don't know what they did, but from what I saw, when that pink freak saw them, he flipped out and ran away."
Broly cocked his head back in surprise. "What?"
"Yeah, I know, it's super weird. He was already flying away by the time me and trunks got there."
Broly sighed in relief. He had grown to care a great deal for the Son family and would never forgive himself if they died just to protect him. "Where are they now?"
Bulma looked down and rubbed her head. "In the back of the ship along with Trunks. They…" *Sniff* "They didn't take the news of Gohan and Zangya too well. And Vegeta…" She looked away to hide her grief at the loss of her husband.
"I'm sorry." Broly offered with his head low. He truly was sorry for the loss of the others. He was sorry that he hadn't been there to help his friends. He was sorry that they had to die while the monster was still alive. But he was also sorry that he was the one who survived. If he had a choice, he would have traded his life for any one of them. "It should have been me." He started to tremble as he closed his eyes.
"Broly, please don't say that. It's bad enough that we lost them." Dende tried to comfort his large friend but it was no good.
"If only I had been stronger. If I hadn't been so selfish!"
"Stop it." Bulma chided. "You risked your life trying to beat that thing. There was nothing more you could have done."
"Yes, there was!" Broly shook his head angrily. "I could have trained! I could have gotten stronger instead of wasting my time goofing off! If I had been serious all year, I would have stood a chance against him, no matter how many times he multiplied his power. But I didn't and now people are dying. It's my fault!"
"No, it isn't!" Dende rebuked him. "If anyone's at fault, It's me! I'm the earth's guardian and I allowed this monster to do what he pleased. It isn't your responsibility to protect our planet."
"Dende's right Broly. I know it hurts. Believe me I know. But what's done is done. The best we can do now is search for the dragonballs. Then we can wish the others back. Maybe if you all fight together, you'll be able to beat that freak."
Broly sunk back down in defeat. "Right, the dragon. Zangya told me about him. I don't suppose there's any chance he could give me an extra year to make up for the one I wasted?" He asked dejectedly.
"I don't know if Shenron can do that or not." Replied Dende. "But I do know a way you can make up for a year's worth of training."
"You do?" Broly raised an eyebrow.
Break
Buu looked around for something to kill. Killing always cleared his head. He needed something to reaffirm his power. Like all bullies, he needed a victim that would remind him how terrifying he was. He needed to shake the experience with Goku's family from his head, but the mountain was quiet. Maybe all the wildlife fled when they sensed his presence. He was about to just destroy the mountain but then he heard a loud noise, like a very large animal was stomping through the woods. Buu turned around to see what it was and as soon as he did, a giant t-rex came barreling out of the trees.
The beast stopped when it saw Buu and the majin smiled. "I suppose you'll have to do." He charged a pink ball at his side and readied to fire, but before he launched his attack, another creature came out of the forest with a wild cry.
"MEGATON PUNCH!"
The second being collided fist first into the head of the dinosaur and the larger beast went toppling down with X's in his eyes. "BAHAHA! Well alright! I finally got you, ya no account dino! Guess who's eating well tonight!? ME! That's who!"
Buu stared at the odd-looking man. He didn't have a great deal of power from what Buu could sense but he was definitely human, and humans felt fear better than animals. "Alright then, even better." Buu started floating towards his new target when the man suddenly turned to him. The action itself didn't throw Buu off, it was the fact that the man smiled at Buu, which was altogether a new experience for the monster.
"Well, howdy!" The man greeted. "I wasn't expectin' company all the way up here! What brings you up to this neck of the woods?"
"Hunting." Buu replied with a psychotic grin.
"Oh, what a coinquidink! I didn't kill yer prey, did I? I mean I been after this one for days, but I kept getting the wrong t-rex. See, I aint too good at sensin' energy yet."
Buu tilted his head in puzzlement. This response annoyed and confused him. Buu was a monster. Someone to be feared. Why didn't this man react in the same way as all the other people did when he flashed his evil smile? Maybe it was the same thing that kept him from killing Goten and Chichi. Then it hit him. Buu realized that the man was wearing a cloth over his eyes.
"Hey!" He shouted. "Take off that stupid rag that's covering your eyes!"
The man tilted his head. "Uh… Why?"
"So, you can see how scary my face is!"
"…" The man was silent, then he suddenly burst into laughter. "BAHAHAHA! Sorry pal, No can do! Even if I took the bandana off, I wouldn't be able to see yer face, no matter how ugly you say it is!"
"I said it was scary not ugly!" Buu growled angrily. "And why wouldn't you be able to see it! Don't your eyes work!?"
"Well, not exactly. Due to a uh… freak accident, it wasn't anyone's fault mind you. It could have happened to anyone really, but even if it was on purpose, I don't hold a grudge. After all-"
"JUST TELL ME!"
"I'm blind."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Is that all?" Buu asked.
"Uh, yeah, that's usually the thing what keeps people from seein."
"Here!" Buu ripped the bandana from the stranger's eyes and put his hand over them.
"Hey! What the…"
A pink glow surrounded his face and when he pulled the hand away, the man blinked several times. "Holy… Did you just?"
"That's right." Buu gave him a sinister grin. "Now, look at my face and trem-"
"OH HALLELUJAH! I CAN SEE! I CAN SEE!" Hercule jumped around joyfully.
"-Ble…" Buu's face fell. This was not the reaction that the man was supposed to give.
"Oh, I'm so happy I could cry! This will make finding Videl so much easier!" He stopped dancing and turned to Buu. "You! Thank you so much! I don't care if ya are an ugly son of a gun, I can't thank ya enough!"
Buu growled. Why was he putting up with this moron? He was clearly insane and not worth Buu's time. He should just head to a city and wreak some havoc there. That would help him get out of his little identity crisis. He was about to kill him and move on, but the next thing he said stopped him in his tracks.
"I know! How bout I make ya dinner!? I make a mean dino steak!"
"Dinner?" Buu asked excitedly, this single statement pushing all other thoughts from Buu's mind.
"Yeah! There's more here than I can eat, so what do ya say? It's been so long since I had any company."
"There will be food at this dinner, right?" Buu asked hopefully.
"Um… Yeah, the uh… The dinosaur."
"Well, what're we waiting for! Let's cook this sucker!"
Break
The battle in demon world raged on, neither Gohan gaining much ground on the other. A kick was blocked, countered with a punch which was dodged, and an elbow was returned, followed by a knee that was stopped by two hands. Again, it seemed like an endless cycle of blows that just wouldn't hit.
"HRYAH!" Dark Gohan aimed a powerful roundhouse kick at his counterpart's head, but Gohan caught it with both hands and begun to spin his catch around at incredible speeds, before launching his enemy far away. The demon stopped himself with a shout, but his opponent phased behind him and brought an elbow down. The demon turned just in time to catch the attack on his cross guard.
"You're strong." Dark Gohan said gleefully. "Too bad it won't be enough to match me."
"We'll see about that." Light Gohan shot back before charging in again.
"It's… It's incredible!" Towa said, the pressure the two were emitting nearly forcing her to her knees. She had known the boy was strong but seeing it in person was almost too much to take.
"It is." Dabura got to his feet, Towa having fixed his shoulder. "If this is their power when split, I can't even imagine what the final product will be."
'So this is your power, Gohan… I never knew just how much you were holding back.' Piccolo thought to himself, amazed at the progress of his disciple.
As the fighter's clashed, Gohan maintained a resolute expression while his opponent looked to be enjoying himself. Every punch that Gohan dodged emitted a sonic boom as it ripped through the air. It seemed as though the darker half favored raw power power, but even so, Gohan managed to evade his opponents strikes, returning his own with perfect aim. While one preferred power, the other utilized precision to gain the upper hand.
Few though they were, original Gohan never failed to exploit an opening in his enemy's guard. This didn't seem to worry dark Gohan in the slightest. Despite each hit landing on a vital point, he continued to exercise his immense power.
"Predicting my moves before I make them in order to make up for the power difference. I see that you're tryin' to use your head." The doppelganger commented amidst the melee.
"One of us has to. Besides, who says there's a power difference?" Gohan replied while sinking a hook into his opponent's face.
"Me!" The dark fighter opened his mouth and fired a beam that sent Gohan crashing to the ground. Looking up to see that his opponent was flying down at him like a rocket, he put his hands over his face and yelled.
"SOLAR FLARE!"
A bright light flashed, but D. Gohan closed his eyes at the right moment so as to not be affected by the attack. This did throw his aim off and his elbow strike shattered the rocky ground rather than his opponent. He looked around only to see the good teen aiming two fingers charged with energy at him.
"Special beam canon!"
"Double beam cannon!" The demon fired a drill like beam from both hands, canceling out the oncoming attack with the first while the second headed on towards his other half. Luckily, Gohan managed to dodge to the side, the beam narrowly missing his midsection, singing only his clothing as it passed.
Gohan didn't even have time to sigh in relief as his opponent was quickly back on the attack. "See, I can guess you're moves too!" He bragged to the other him. "We both know you don't stand a chance against me!" Dark Gohan threw several jabs that his target narrowly avoided. "I'm the backbone of this operation remember!" He landed a front kick in Gohan's midsection. "The hidden power inside you!" He landed another kick to the face and brought his hands over his head while charging his ki. "I'm everything that makes you strong! MASENKO-HA!"
"KAMEHAMEHAAAA!"
Dark yellow and blue collided in mid-air, cancelling each other out. Dark Gohan stared through the smoke in confusion while Gohan smiled in satisfaction.
"You obviously have no idea what really makes me strong."
Dark Gohan grimaced. "Tch. Alright, why don't you show me your 'real' strength." Simultaneously, they rushed each other, Gohan catching a punch aimed at his face while his fist landed square in his opponent's stomach. Dark Gohan's eyes widened in shock, but he grit his teeth and lashed out, making his light counterpart flip away, before diving back in.
"You're a part of me, remember? I can guess almost every move you'll make. Looks like I'm the better one between us after all. I don't need my power to be fueled by rage!" He swayed sideways to avoid a hook. "I don't need the hatred you represent!" He landed a front kick on his doppelganger's cross guard. "You might love to fight." He ducked low under a right straight. "BUT I FIGHT FOR THOSE I LOVE!" With a boost of energy, he jumped up firing an uppercut up into his opponent's chin.
The demon went flying up before plummeting to the ground. He landed on in the dirt with a surprised look on his face. Gohan floated down and shook his head at his darker self. "You look surprised. Is it because I'm too much for you to handle? I bet you thought that you'd be as strong as when we fought Broly all on your own. Well guess what? That was when we were combining our powers. Without me as a base to build from, all you are is a black mass of battle lusting rage. You're strong, but you won't beat me. Not when I have so much to protect."
Dark Gohan sighed, getting up from his position on the ground and walking over to his light self. "Why don't you get off your high horse?" Jumping up, he hit Gohan's chin with a flying knee, sending the teen flying back, landing on his hands and back springing to his feet again, only for D.G. to appear behind him and back hand him away.
"You think I don't care about our family!?" He drove his foot into the ground, Gohan having rolled out of the way. "Where do you think this anger comes from!? HRAAGH!" He thrust out a palm and a dark Ki blast shot out, destroying the landscape in front of him. Gohan had managed to avoid the attack by taking to the sky but was knocked down with a hammer fist to the back. "I'm pissed off because of all the $$#015 that keep threatening them!" He sped to intercept his prey and hit him with a rook, making him fly away. "Because no matter what we do there's always, ALWAYS ANOTHER B $T RD WHO WON'T LEAVE US ALONE!"
Gohan flipped and dug his hand into the ground, stopping himself, then turning around, just in time to block a downward punch. "AND WORST OF ALL!" He started to charge another Ki blast and Gohan did the same. "IS THAT YOU'RE TOO DAMN WEAK TO STOP THEM!" They released their attacks at the same time and again, the blasts collided in the middle causing a power struggle to ensue. Both teens pushed against the opposing force. But the more Gohan resisted, the angrier his counterpart became, and he channeled that rage into his attack, eventually pushing Gohan back.
Realizing that he was going to lose the exchange, Gohan abandoned offense in favor of defense. Pulling a trick out of 18's bag, he channeled his ki into a sphere of energy that surrounded him like a bubble, and he let the wave rush over him. When it passed, he released his shield and tried to catch his breath. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw his enemy walking toward him.
"That's why I'm here in the first place." He lunged forward and sunk an uppercut into Gohan's gut. "Because you're too weak." He lifted his victim up and sent him away with a spinning round house. "Even before we fractured, I was there to make up for your weakness. I tried to keep everyone safe from the trash of the universe and what thanks do I get in return?" He vanished and Gohan flew forward as an elbow hit him in the back. "You fear me, your own power. You keep me buried away and think of me as some inner evil. What do you think I'm going to do? JUST WHAT THE HELL HAVE I DONE THAT MAKES YOU ME SO REPULSIVE TO YOU!?"
Gohan got back up slowly. "You… You are my power. That means you're my responsibility. Every time I let you out…" He spoke between breaths. "Every time I've lost control, someone gets hurt. You're right that it's usually the enemy, but if I can't control you, I have no right to sic you on others. Last time you got out, you almost killed an innocent girl to get to the opponent. I can't… I won't let that happen AGAIN!" His aura flared and he flew full speed at his dark self.
Demon Gohan thrust out a palm and fired a mass of Ki, which Gohan ducked under almost before he fired it, allowing him to get inside his guard. He fired a devastating uppercut to his stomach, followed by a series of rapid blows to his middle and finished with a roundhouse to the oblique. Unfortunately, the darker half caught the leg and nailed Gohan with a solid right hook.
"There you go again, blaming me for all the collateral damage! Like your hands are so clean!" He tightened his grip on the leg and threw another punch at Gohan. "Did you forget Piccolo!" Another punch landed in the good teen's face. "He died because you couldn't fend for yourself!" Gohan fired a blast that landed on the arm, freeing his leg. He dropped and swept his doppelganger's legs out from under him. He followed up with a knee, but mid fall, dark Gohan spun to catch it on his hands, though he still flew backwards. "And Krillin on Namek! If you had just been strong enough, we might have beaten Frieza before he got to his final form!"
"GREAAAAH!" Gohan lunged at his opponent with his fist raised.
"And do I even need to mention how you killed dad?"
Gohan's eye's widened and he hesitated in his movements. Dark Gohan grabbed him by the arm and flipped him over, sending him crashing into the ground. The demon mounted his good half and started to rain down blows on his face. "We both know you killed him! If you weren't so weak dad never would have had to die!" Gohan struggled to protect his face from the heavy punches, but more than a few made it through his guard. "And now we've lost him for good! We lost him because YOU! CAN'T! FINISH! THE! JOOOB!"
Piccolo observed the battle with narrowed eyes. He had been able to hear the conversation and he grew worried at the mention of Goku. As soon as his father was brought up, the tides shifted so fast and now it seemed that the original Gohan wasn't even able to fight back. "Gohan… Come on, Fight! Don't listen to him."
"I don't understand." Dabura said aloud. "They seemed to be fighting on even ground until now. I know how vicious the boy can be, yet he's barely even defending himself now. Why won't he fight back?" His question was not one of concern, but rather out of sheer curiosity.
"When his other half formed, it was not just a personification of his demonic energy." Towa explained. "When we do not wish to deal with certain things, we push them aside. A term that mortals use is 'bottling it up'. Usually these are experiences or feelings that are too intense or too painful to deal with. What Gohan has created within himself is a creature that represents all of his negativity. His deepest emotions buried along with his demon side gave birth to what we see now. All his most traumatic moments. His regret, his sorrow, his anger and resentment, even his failures. We demons feed on such negativity."
"So Gohan has two enemys to conquer." Piccolo summed up. "He's always shouldered too much blame and his other half is using his insecurities against him. He has to overcome both if he's going to win this." Piccolo grimaced. He felt like he had failed Gohan. If only he had been there for him to relieve his burden.
"Yes." She nodded. "Still, it's hard to think of the kind of life he must have had to create such a terrifying power." Towa said with a mixture of awe and sympathy.
"You have no idea." Piccolo kept his eyes on his struggling friend.
Break
"Do you really think that you can do it?" Dende asked while leading his Saiyan friend through the halls of the lookout.
"If what you say about this room is true, then yes. I've always grown incredibly fast. As long as I train hard, even if I have just a year, I should be strong enough to face him again."
"Broly, I know you're powerful, but he can multiply his powers in an instant. What if he still beats you?" Dende asked worriedly.
"I don't plan on fighting him alone." Broly replied. "Once we wish the others back with the dragon balls, I'm sure all of us combined will be able to beat him."
"But then why do this at all? The room isn't safe to go in alone."
"I'm used to being alone. I need to be stronger." Broly's face darkened. "I refuse to drag others down by my weakness."
"But-"
"Dende." Broly said softly. "You, Zangya, this whole planet. You've all given me everything I have ever hoped for. It's time that I give something back. Please let me do this."
Dende stopped abruptly. Causing Broly to look confused.
"Dende?"
"We're here." He turned and pushed open a pair of wooden doors.
"Thank you." Broly nodded and entered the room of spirit and time. Passing through the threshold, on past the living quarters, and finally making it out to the main chamber. He was awed by the vastness of the room. Everything was blinding white and as he stepped out into the void, he immediately felt an increase in gravity. Behind him, he heard the door shut.
"Alright." He pounded his fist into his hand. "Let's get started."
Break
Back in the demon world, Gohan was still letting his face be pounded in by his other half. "WHY!? WHY'D YOU LET CELL KILL HIM!? WHY DIDN'T YOU WISH HIM BACK!?"
Despite the damage that was accumulating, the teen had a hard time fighting back. A part of him felt like the demon was right and he deserved every bit of this punishment. "YOU LET HIM GET ABSORBED! THERE'S NO COMING BACK FOR HIM NOW! NOW WE HAVE TO KILL OUR OWN FATHER TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE!" Gohan was blocking fewer and fewer hits. He grew tired and his mind was weakening the longer the demon yelled at him. "NOTHING EVER CHANGES, DOES IT!? YOU PATHETIC WEAKLING! WHO'S NEXT HUH!? WHO'RE YOU GOING TO KILL NEXT BEFORE YOU REALIZE I SHOULD BE THE ONE IN CONTROL!?"
Dark Gohan's fists felt like meteors as they burrowed into his opponent's face. The demon was right. Maybe he just needed to give up.
"IS DENDE GONNA DIE FOR YOU NEXT!? AND OUR FAMLY!? YOU GONNA LET GOTEN FIGHT THE NEXT VILLAIN WE FACE!? WHAT ABOUT ZANGYA!?"
Gohan's eyes shot open, and he caught the next punch before it landed. "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" with a wild shout, Gohan threw his opponent off him and he got up. Memories of Zangya shot through his mind.
"I wanted to prove that I've changed. That I can be one of the good guys now. That I can be a hero, like you."
"I know you can do anything. You're smart and resourceful and, above all, you care about others."
"The Gohan I know wouldn't ask questions about helping someone. The Gohan I know would jump in front of an energy blast just to save someone, who only moments ago tried to kill him."
He may not understand why, but for some reason, Zangya believed in him. She called him a hero. "I'm not going to let her down." Gohan told himself.
"Still not giving up, huh?" Dark Gohan growled.
"Sorry, but I can't do that." Gohan said flatly. "You might be right about a lot of things. I was too weak before. I've made a lot of mistakes. But I realized something just now."
"Oh really?" Dark Gohan sneered. "Do go on."
"Zangya." He replied simply. "She believes in me. Me, not you."
"I'm the only part of us she needs!" Dark Gohan snarled.
"Would you have spared her?" Gohan asked. "Would you have protected her from Bojack?"
"…" The demon went silent.
"That was me. She started to change because she believes I'm something special. I don't know why, but she does. We aren't perfect, but I'll die before I let her down."
"YOU ALREADY DID LET HER DOWN! YOU LOST TO BUU!"
"Yeah, I did. But I'm still alive and I won't lose next time. If she believes I'm a hero, then that's what I'll be. So, what do you say?"
"What do I say to what!?" He spat furiously.
"A truce." This stunned the dark half.
"You were right." Gohan continued. "I was afraid of you. I feared you because I didn't want to lose control. I didn't want anyone to get hurt. I was afraid that I would lose myself to the power. But mostly, I was afraid that even with all our strength, even after releasing my inner demon, I still might fail. But the funny thing is, when I think of her, I'm not afraid anymore." Gohan walked closer to his opponent and held out a hand. "I know you care about her too, right? So, no more split. We can just one Gohan. We can do this together. For her."
Dark Gohan looked incredulous. He looked down at the hand, then back to his opponent's face. "…" he raised his hand and reached out. For one brief moment, Gohan thought it was all over, but then the expression on his twin became one of rage and he slapped the hand away. "Not on your life weakling. We're finishing this fight, and I'm going to win."
Gohan narrowed his eyes and he powered up, his aura dancing around him. "Have it your way."
End chapter
Will Gohan be able to overcome his dark side? Can Broly obtain the strength he seeks in the time chamber? And what of Zangya? Will the ritual be completed before Buu destroys the earth? Find out next time!
I hope nobody is disappointed with the Gohan battle and I am sorry I had to end the fight on a cliff hanger. It's gonna get even more intense next time. I'm not drawing it out to be a jerk, I just don't think that the issues Gohan has can or should be resolved in a single chapter. Two chapters on the other hand is much more realistic. Right? Or I just like cliff hangers.
Is Gohan being too hypocritical in this one? Maybe, but I think it's pretty realistic for the circumstances. I think it's hard to accept your flaws and it's easier to blame it on someone else. In this case, it's his literal inner demon that he blames for the traits in him he doesn't like. Gohan has started to accept it, but both sides must reconcile before a conflict comes to a close. Or you can beat the crap out of the opposing side. Violence is a wonderful tool in the garage that is negotiation.
Anyway, next chapter will be a small amount of Broly in the time chamber, a little bit of Buu and Hercule and a brief appearance from the lovely Zangya. But mostly it will be Gohan vs dark Gohan.
Oh yeah, Hercule went blind and is still alive. We'll see if Buu turns him into dessert or not next time. fun huh?