A/N:
First, I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to post a review. Ch10 has more than double the usual reviews, and many of them were really helpful.
I'll reply to a few here, but just because I didn't reply doesn't mean I didn't greatly appreciate your input.
To Tellemicus Sundance: Yeah, religion is a sticky mess. Which is why I put it in to begin with. But religion by itself does not need to be bad, especially when it has someone as kind, gentle and physically present (in-universe) as Gohan as it's object of worship.
And this is not over. It has only just begun. Muhahaha.
Just kidding. Or am I? You'll see.
To Caspian123: Interesting point, but I think this is getting a little off topic, and has little to do with this story anymore.
To Dr. Blue22: Thank you, it was really helpful. And I'm glad to hear you've been enjoying my works.
As for my writing, I'm actually still learning. English is a second language to me, and I didn't really pick it up until a few years back, when I started to think of writing fanfiction.
To Kage-kitsune9001: Gohan didn't transform during his rant, though he did come very close.
To SFBKludge: I think I mentioned it somewhere in my notes before, but this story actually started out as Gohan and the others defending the Earth from those energy-stealing aliens.
Also, I really like reading, and I guess writing as well, about Gohan being put in different situations.
To the people who say I'm having Drama, or I'm using Bulma as a plot-device:
To be honest, I'm trying to avoid unrelated drama where I can. I even cut out a large part of my future plans, simply because they didn't have much to do with the story. I think it's for the better.
About Bulma, I've looked back for a bit, and I may have overused her a little. She's just really easy to put in like this, you know?
As for the last part of the last chapter, I think that might have been better as the first part of this one.
Oh well, mistakes happen.
Chapter 11
Desire
"Is that really so hard?"
They stood in silence as Gohan took off. The broadcast was cut a few seconds later.
Among them, a teenage girl stood up. "I told you so." She said to all of the other cultists in the room. "I told you he doesn't want us to act for him. I told you he doesn't need us to fight for him. But does anyone actually listen to the only person here who actually met him? No!" She slammed her hand on the table.
"Then what is your idea?" One of the others asked.
"You know what it is." She replied confidently. "I've told you a thousand times."
"But he doesn't want us acting for him." The same person protested.
"We're not going to do this in his name, but in our own." The young woman made clear. Despite her age she was still one of the leaders of this organization, but only now did the others actually listen to her.
"It's a way to express our gratitude." She continued. "I know he didn't ask for it, but I'm pretty sure he'd appreciate it. Or do you still think you know better?"
When she saw Gohan fly off, Marron looked up to her mother. "Why is uncle Gohan angry?" She asked.
"Those people were going to do something very bad." Eighteen replied simply.
"You know, this might actually be a good thing." Krillin suggested. "At least now everyone knows that Gohan isn't just some idea or statue to be worshipped passively, but a person with feelings of his own."
Master Roshi nodded. "The question is, what will they do with it?"
Eighteen rolled her eyes at that last part. "We know what they will do with it." She said. "I think we'd better think of how to help Gohan."
King Furry frowned. Though he was happy Gohan finally got to speak his mind, this was neither how nor what he had wished for.
Perhaps if he had a conversation with him, a few misunderstandings could be cleared up.
"He looked angry, didn't he?" Sharpner asked. He just let the TV run. Perhaps something interesting would show up.
"He looked more sad and hurt to me." Erasa replied, her face still lit up with a luminescent blush. She was busy putting her clothes back in place. She had just given Sharpner an image she was certain he was never going to forget. It was her own fault though. She was the one who unhooked herself. And he didn't look for more than a few seconds while she was frozen in place, before politely turning around.
"Yeah, that too." Sharpner nodded as he agreed with her statement. "I guess, now that we know, it is a lot easier to understand why he's upset. I mean, how would you feel if people started executing in your name?"
"Awful." Erasa agreed.
"So, what now?" He asked. "Do you want me to continue the massage?"
"No, thank you." She declined the offer. "I don't think I can relax anymore after that."
"Yeah, that's ok." He stretched himself out a little. "I guess I'll just go get lunch. Request?"
"Chicken Salad please."
Hercule sat there with his eyes cast down, wringing his hands. Across of him sat the most powerful woman in the world, Bulma Briefs. She was enjoying a cup of coffee. He had one too, but left it untouched, forgotten.
"You've met my son then." Bulma started.
"Yeah." He nodded slightly. His eyes still locked to the rope burns on his wrists. She must be talking about the golden haired kid that brought him here. He didn't even know Bulma had a son.
"He said Gohan told him to bring you here." Bulma continued. "I suppose it would be cruel to just kick you out. But I warn you, you stick your nose in my business, or piss of my husband, and you're going to wish you were still tied up on live TV."
He could feel her glare. "Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes ma'am." He cringed.
"Good." She continued. "I'll have someone look up an empty room for you. Seriously though, what were you even doing in Golden City? Everyone believed you had fled a long time ago."
"I did." He replied. "But then I got a voicemail. From Videl."
"From Videl?" She replied in disbelief.
"But it was a fake." Hercule continued. "Bait to lure me in. And I fell for it."
"Of course it was a fake." She rolled her eyes. "You didn't think it could be a trap?"
"I did." He replied, making eye contact with her for the first time since he got here. "But if there was even the slightest chance for it to be real, and she really did need my help, I couldn't not go."
"I see." Bulma nodded slowly. It was quiet for a few seconds, a silent understanding from one parent to another. "I guess you don't know where she is now." She then continued. "Take it from me when I say she is someplace safe."
"Someplace safe?" He repeated. He immediately felt concerned. This woman knew something about Videl, and didn't tell him? "Where is it?"
"Gohan took her to a place where no one can reach her." Bulma replied, sipping her coffee.
"Where is she?!" He raised his voice, losing his meek attitude. Sure, he owed them his life, but this was his daughter they were talking about.
"Kami's Lookout." She replied calmly.
"Don't bullshit me!" He snapped at her. "Do you expect me to believe that?!"
"I don't care!" She slammed her cup down hard enough to spill the coffee, and stood up. "I got a lot on my plate right now, and have better things to do than sit here to argue with you! From one parent to another, I will tell you that Videl is perfectly safe, but if you want to know more you'll have to ask her yourself when she comes back."
With that she left the room. Immediately following her departure, another door opened on the other side of the room. At first he thought it was a servant, but banished the thought immediately. His throat dried as he recognised the short but quick-tempered powerhouse from the Cell Games.
"I will give you one warning." The man said softly. "You talk to my wife like that again, and no one will ever find your body, nor discover what I have done to you."
He gulped hard and shook his head up and down. For a second he wondered if everyone here spoke in death threats, but he didn't speak up.
"Good. Now get lost!"
Gohan set down by his front door. He didn't feel his mother inside, but he did notice Goten heading towards West City.
Oh well, looked like he had a little time to himself. Something he hadn't had much of lately.
He decided to make himself lunch and do a little meditation.
On his way here, he had cooled his head a bit, and realised he had spoken rashly. Sure, it was how he felt, but he knew it was only a few people ruining it for everyone else. As usual.
Hopefully his interview of tomorrow had not yet been cancelled. He hoped he could clear a few things up by then.
About two hours later, Gohan was reading his science book, though not really able to concentrate. Well, the fact that he read it so many times he could copy it by memory certainly didn't help either.
He was interrupted when the phone rang.
It was his grandfather, to tell him the press conference of tomorrow had been cancelled.
And the King had requested his audience instead, at the time the conference was, on live TV.
Back at Sharpner's place, Erasa was talking to one of her friends over the phone. But not just any friend, this one had connections to people working in ZTV. It was how she and Sharpner managed to get their interview in the first place.
And she learned a few interesting things. Like Gohan's speech making some waves, as it should, but also some confusion as to what he meant.
They'd like someone to speak up and explain a few things. Someone who knew Gohan personally.
And Erasa became determined to become that someone. The difficult part would be convincing Sharpner, since she believed she was going to need his help. She supposed she'd cross that bridge when she gets there.
While Erasa was on the phone with a friend of hers, Sharpner was surfing the web.
The revelation that Gohan was half human, half alien, no god, had got him thinking. He just couldn't shake the thought. If Gohan wasn't a god, and even half-human to boot, then why shouldn't he be able to learn to manipulate his life force too?
As he thought about it, he remembered the tales of the past tournaments. With the power of the internet, researching them was a piece of cake.
However, finding exactly what he needed to know? Not so much.
Erasa's laugh reached his ears. He found himself smiling a little. She had not spoken to any of her other friends lately, and had a lot of catching up to do. Of course, she knew better than to mention Gohan directly.
After the fiasco with her last interview, he believed she decided to keep her mouth shut.
Seeing her laugh like that made Sharpner think about his classmates, and his fellow students of the Satan School of Martial Arts. He wondered how they were doing, if they faced harassment.
They probably did. He and Erasa got the worst of it at the start, but that died down when people realised they were still friends with Gohan. But the others didn't have that luxury.
Sitting here worrying won't help them, so he went back to his little search. It was amazing how much information was just waiting to be dug up, once you knew the right keywords.
Scrolling through his current search results, he came across a surprising bit of information. Given the events that had occurring lately, he must have been too busy to notice.
The World Martial Arts Tournament this year will be cancelled, due to lack of funding.
That made sense. Hercule was the main sponsor, and all of his money was now gone.
Then Erasa came in, figuratively snagged him by the ear and dragged him along to her house. She needed a few things.
Around this time, somewhere in a dark room were two people. A master and his servant.
"It would seem that the tournament has been cancelled." He spoke to his master.
"Well, there goes plan B." The master replied casually, and shrugged in indifference. "Oh well, back to plan A!"
On his way to the Lookout, Gohan was taking a small break, watching Videl's training with Korin, but decided not to interrupt her
He watched as she came so close to grabbing the Sacred Water she actually touched the thing.
It wouldn't be long now. That girl truly did have talent.
After indulging himself for a small time, he continued flying up, and soon enough he landed on the white tiles.
"Hey." Dende greeted him without looking back. The Namekian was standing at the edge, looking down to the Earth.
"Hey" Gohan returned as he walked towards the other. "What are you doing?" He wondered.
"Watching." Dende replied simply. "There is something going on, but I can't pinpoint it. It is almost like something is hiding from my view."
"There has been a lot going on lately, hasn't it?" Gohan asked.
"True, it is only one of many things." The guardian agreed. "But this one worries me. But how are you doing?" Dende finally looked up at the other. "I heard you have a talk with the King of the World tomorrow."
"A little nervous." Gohan admitted. "I wonder why he suddenly wants to talk to me."
"Probably to do what he can to stabilise things." Dende replied. "By the way, he is a lot more nervous than you are. After all, you're meeting a king, but he is meeting a God."
"I am not a…" Gohan started, but thought the better of it. Besides, Dende was only teasing him. But it did remind him of something.
"Now that most of the world has suddenly turned religious, did you get more work or something?" He wondered.
"To be fair, people don't have to believe in me." Dende returned. "But no, a lot less actually, since they are praying to you rather than me."
"That makes sense." He nodded.
"Would you like my job?" Dende suddenly offered. "Half the planet is praying to you already, and you'd be an actual god."
"Thanks, but no thanks." Gohan denied. "I don't think I'm the right person for that kind of work. Besides, wouldn't that make the Dragon Balls disappear?"
"Not really, I think." Dende replied. "The ones Kami made have became inactive when he fused with Piccolo, but Piccolo can't create Dragon Balls even now, so I guess that does make sense." (F*ck you, GT.)
"Well, I don't want to replace you, you're doing a good job." Gohan argued. "As for now, I think I'll pass by Bulma's for some advice on what to say."
"Well, you could always tell your backstory, but I'm not sure how well the Humans will take it." Dende suggested. "Remember how much a shock it was when your father learned he was part of an alien species of warriors as powerful as himself. And that shock was by people who were powerful fighters themselves, or have known them for a long time. Imagine how people who didn't would react."
"I guess you're right." Gohan nodded. "But besides that, what should I tell them?"
"What do you want to tell them?" Dende asked. "But if you ask me, I think your father is an excellent place to start. After all, he is pretty famous already."
"Good point." Gohan admitted.
Dende watched as the young half-blood made his way to West City. The two had talked for a while, and Piccolo had joined them sometime as well.
"I asked him to take over my place as guardian." Dende told Piccolo.
"What did he say?" The other asked, though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.
"He said he wouldn't be the right kind of person for the job." He replied. "Personally, I think you'd have a hard time finding someone more qualified than him."
"If he doesn't take the job out of his free will, then that's the end of it." Piccolo spoke. "This is not a burden you can just push on someone."
"It's ok to be nervous." Bulma tried to put the teen at ease. "Just be yourself, and the people will get to know the real you."
It was in the early evening. Gohan had pretty much barged in on her, and started asking questions.
"But what if the king asks me something I don't want to talk about?" Gohan asked.
"Just say you don't want to talk about that at the moment." The woman replied. "Seriously, Gohan. You're a deity now, you're allowed to throw your weight around for a bit, you know?"
"It wouldn't be right to just take advantage of the people like that." Gohan argued.
"You really are just like your father." Bulma sighed, thinking of times past. "If it was Trunks in your shoes, he'd have crowned himself God Emperor on the second day, if we're lucky." She reflected.
"Hey!" Trunks called from the other room, where he and Goten were playing.
"It's true, and you know it." Bulma called back through the door. She smiled slightly as she shook her head. "Why don't you keep the two of them company for a while, before they start ticking off Vegeta again." She suggested. "I'll see if I can pull a few strings."
"Thanks Bulma, you're the best." He said happily as he zipped out the door.
"And don't you forget it." She returned playfully. Then she thought for a second. The main problem was people being afraid of Gohan, she knew that much, and his little outburst earlier today was not going to help either.
So what to do? Then she got an idea. And reached for the phone, dialling Kame-House.
The phone rang. And rang. And no one picked up.
"Hey Trunks." Bulma called the boy. "Is there anyone at Kame-House?"
The boy was quiet for a moment as he turned his head to the east. "Uhh… I think Krillin and Yamcha are around there." He replied. Of course, he can't sense Eighteen, and Master Roshi was probably overshadowed.
Perhaps they happened to be outside? Bulma just tried again.
It rang. And again. Then someone picked up. It was a little voice that answered her. "Daddy says the ring tone is annoying, so don't call."
"Marron!" Bulma heard Krillin scream in the background.
"Can you pass the phone to your daddy?" Bulma asked, barely able to hold in her giggles.
"It's for you, daddy." Marron yelled.
"I'm not here." She heard Krillin reply.
"Daddy says he's not here." That one made Bulma snort. Ah, the innocence of children.
"It's me, Bulma." She said between her giggles.
"It's aunty Bulma." Marron informed her father.
"Bulma?" Krillin sounded surprised. "Why is she calling all of a sudden?"
"What do you want?" Marron asked Bulma.
"Just give it to me, ok?" She heard Krillin say.
"Ok." And the phone was handed over.
"Hey Bulma." Krillin said. "Sorry about that. The phone has been ringing almost constantly for days."
"What for?" She asked.
"People wanting to study Turtle Style." Krillin replied. "But Master Roshi is not taking students, and neither am I."
"I thought you'd be happy." She pointed out.
"I am, but Master Roshi says all of these people are doing it for the wrong reasons. Besides, it's too soon."
"I suppose that's true." Bulma agreed. "But listen, I have a favour to ask. You've heard about the interview Gohan is going to have tomorrow, right? I've been thinking, maybe one of us should come along with him, and help him explain a few things?"
The once-bald monk had to think for a second. "I don't know." He stated his doubts. "I don't think explaining things will help right now. People are just too afraid to try to understand." He paused for a second. "But that gives me an idea."
Late at night, Sharpner laid on his bed, thinking of today.
Gohan had came to school, came home with them, stopped a mugging while at it, revealed he was part alien, stopped a live execution and gave a little speech.
Quite a lot for one day. It was going to take a while for it all to sink in. He looked at the dark roof. What time was it anyway?
A soft noise reached his ears. Someone was walking through the house. His first thought was 'burglar', but dismissed it. It was probably Erasa. He wouldn't be surprised if that girl was kept awake by the same thoughts.
But what if it wasn't? A slight worry snuck in his head. He supposed he should go check it out. But before he could do that, the door opened.
He glanced towards it. Though it was too dim to see clearly, he recognised Erasa's outline.
"Sharpner." She whispered. He was about to reply when he wondered why she'd whisper. If she wanted to wake him, whispering wouldn't do the trick. And if she didn't, why say anything at all?
"Hey, Sharpner." She called again, equally soft. No, she was just checking if he was asleep.
And she decided he was, as she closed the door again. But didn't leave. No, she snuck over to his bed. And climbed on it, over him and nestled herself between him and the wall.
"What are you doing?" He asked softly.
He felt her shake in shock and a small squeal escaped her lips. "You're awake?" She asked in a slight panic.
"No." He replied.
"Forget about it." She said, and got up. He grabbed around the middle as she tried to leave, and pulled her back down.
"No." He said simply. "What are you doing?"
"It's not important." She replied, pulling on his arm, but her strength was no match for his.
"This is the second time you sneak in." He replied. "What are you doing?"
"Let me go!" She struggled.
"Not before you tell me." He said.
He felt her thump back down on her back, right on top of him.
"I can't sleep." She confessed. "I can't sleep, ok!"
"Is it because of today?" He asked, thinking of the speech Gohan had given. Or perhaps the talk they had with him earlier.
"No." She shook her head. "I'm just… I dream. About… those guys."
She didn't have to say who those guys were. Sharpner let go of her, but she just remained on top of him.
At day she had kept up a tough front, but now she had put down her mask.
It wasn't the event itself so much as what it was a symptom of. They were feeling weak, and powerless, and Sharpner wouldn't be surprised if the most of Humanity was feeling this way.
At least the two of them had someone to share it with, and to draw strength and courage from.
"You know, I've dreamed about them too." Sharpner confessed. Erasa wasn't the only one putting up a front.
"But in my dream, I can't fight them." She then stated.
"What?" He had not expected that one. He wasn't sure if he felt angry, or just feeling her pain.
"I know that didn't happen, but I just keep having that dream." He couldn't see her face in the dark, but from the sound of her voice, she was either crying, or close to it. "I wanted to talk last night, but you were asleep already, so I just laid down for a bit. And I didn't dream. So I thought…" She broke off.
He reached up to stroke her over the cheek. It was still dry. Rather than being afraid of the guys, she was more afraid to lose him and his support. And it made him feel guilty.
"Do you want to stay here tonight?" He offered out of the blue.
"Yes." She replied immediately.
He shuffled over towards the edge of the bed, and gently pushed her between him and the wall. Erasa laid on top of his arm, which he didn't appreciate since he could already feel his blood flow being restricted.
Though when he tugged on it, Erasa just used it as her pillow instead. And pressed her side into his.
Right on his sensitive bruise, the one he got when he was knocked down and kicked. It made him do a sharp intake of air, which Erasa didn't miss.
She got off his arm, turned around and let her fingertips slide gently over his side.
"Does it hurt?" She asked, sounding concerned.
"A little." He confessed. "It'll be gone soon enough, don't worry about it." He tried to put her, and himself, at ease.
She laid back down, though at this time Sharpner had taken back his arm.
"Are we going to practice tomorrow?" She then asked.
"If you want." He replied.
She made a slight chuckle. "Thank you." And turned her back to him.
No reply. He didn't have to, as Erasa made it pretty clear she just wanted to sleep. And so did he, for that matter.
But having the girl so close he could feel her body heat, even though he wasn't touching, well, it didn't help the poor guy at all.
Sharpner turned face-down, pondering, and trying his hardest not to recall the sight of Erasa's bare top. Which of course didn't work. A certain reaction was making itself known, one he felt immensely guilty for having.
She was trusting him to the point of sleeping in one bed, and he couldn't get immoral thoughts about her out of his head.
'Ugh, you know what?' He sighed. 'I'm a guy, I do guy things, and think guy thoughts. It's not like I'm going to act on it. If she finds out, I'll just say I'm a guy and I have little control over that sometimes.'
It made him feel a little less guilty, and after a short time, which felt much longer than it actually was, he too fell asleep.
When Sharpner woke up, he noticed four things.
One, something was tugging back on his hair. Two, he was laying face-down. Three, there was something warm, soft, large and somewhat heavy moving slightly about on his back. Four, he was drilling a hole in the mattress.
He needed a second to remember last night, where he let Erasa sleep here with him.
After feeling another tug, which he assumed to be her doing something with his hair, he opened his eyes and tried to look back, which resulted in a rather painful tug.
"Don't move." He heard her say, and felt her voice vibrate on his back. That hole just got little bigger. "Also, good morning, sleepyhead." She said in a cheerful tone, one that told him she had been awake for a little while now.
"What are you doing?" He asked in his raspy morning voice.
"I woke up like this, and I don't feel like moving." She replied, tugging yet again.
"So what are you actually doing?" He asked again.
"I'm braiding your hair." She replied as if it was the most normal thing to do.
…
He needed a second to understand that. "Why?" He then asked.
"Because I've been wanting to do that even since you started growing it out, and now I finally have a chance." Erasa replied happily.
Well, at least she was acting like her old self again. Looked like she had a good night's of rest.
"Videl never let me braid her hair, you know?" Erasa continued.
"Ow." Sharpner made a scene when she tugged again. "I can see why."
"Don't exaggerate." She returned. "You didn't wake up until I was almost done."
"Done?" He suddenly had a horrible vision of looking at himself in the mirror and seeing hundreds of little braids needing hours to untangle.
"Yeah, with this one." She replied.
'Oh thank Kami.' Sharpner breathed in relief. 'Or Gohan. Or whatever.'
Another tug sent a bit of pain through his scalp.
"Can't you be a little more gentle?" He complained.
"Sorry, I've never done this before." She answered, not sounding sorry at all.
"Yeah, I can tell." He remarked.
More tugging.
"What time is it anyway?" He wondered out loud.
"Half past ten." She replied.
"Wait what?" The only reason he didn't catapult up was because of the person on top of him. "Did I just sleep for twelve hours?" To be fair, he only went to bed twelve hours ago. He had no idea what time Erasa came around.
"I guess." She replied.
"Did you sleep well?" He asked, a little random, but hey.
"Yeah." She replied shortly.
"Did you dream?"
"Nope, no dreams." She replied evenly. Of course, since she was on his back, he couldn't see her shift colours at the question.
She did dream, but it was quite unusual. Involving Sharpner being very close to her. And Gohan being equally close at the same time.
Yeah, Sharpner didn't need to know about that one.
"There." She tied a little ribbon at the end of the braid to keep it together. "Now, for the next one."
"No next one, thank you very much." Sharpner didn't like the idea, and shuffled aside from underneath her.
"Ow." She pouted, which he also didn't see, since he kept his back turned. Mostly to hide a certain appendage of his.
He grabbed himself some clothes and went for the bathroom to freshen up and do some shaving.
'Hm.' He looked in the mirror. Erasa had obviously been planning to divide his hair into four braids, two on the sides and two over the top. She had only done the top right one though.
And he had to admit, ribbon aside, that didn't actually look half bad like this. So he undid the ribbon and turned it into a knot, to keep the braid from untangling.
"Sharpner." He heard Erasa call. "Gohan's talk with King Furry is about to start. You can shave later."
Oh, right, that was still happening.
"Hey kid." Krillin greeted him cheerfully. "You ready to meet the king?"
Yamcha behind made a chuckle. "Is the king ready to meet Gohan?"
Bulma shook her head, though she also chuckled. "Guys." She muttered under her breath.
"What should I say?" Gohan asked her once again.
"Just be yourself." Bulma repeated herself. "King Furry knows some truths, so don't worry about that."
"Should I keep pretending to be a god?" He asked.
"Just don't outright say one or the other, and you'll probably be good." Bulma replied.
Yamcha swung his arm around Gohan's shoulders. "And be sure to ask for lots of tribute." He grinned.
"Yamcha!" Bulma frowned.
"What?" He asked defensively. "We're not all swimming in money. This is our opportunity."
"Just go." Bulma said to Gohan. "You'll be fine. Oh, and maybe start off as a Super Saiyan? Make a good impression and all that."
Gohan levitated over Central City, towards the kings palace. Beneath him was a large crowd, with plenty of cameras on the sky. He had taken Bulma's advice and turned Super Saiyan beforehand, and with his shining aura he'd be hard to miss.
At the gate there was a free circle, made by guards, as well as a cleared path to the inside.
Flashes went off as he flew over the crowd. The noise died down considerably. He landed in the free space, between the guards keeping many reporters and other people at bay.
He heard many voices, some calling him by his name, some calling him other names, despot, demon, that kind of thing.
But there was one voice that stood out. "Uncle Gohan!" He looked in the direction it came from, and got a glimpse of a blond little streak slipping underneath a guard's legs and head towards him.
He caught the little girl as she jumped up to him. "Hey Marron." He said, taken aback. "What are you doing here?"
"Mommy and I came to see you." She replied as she reached for his glowing hair.
Gohan looked around. Of course, Eighteen didn't have energy to sense, so he had to find her the old fashioned way.
It only took him a second. The woman was just behind the row of reporters. Their eyes met, and she gave him a small nod.
Marron probably didn't escape by accident.
"Are you going to meet the king?" Marron asked him. "Daddy said it was ok I come if you let me. Can I?"
"Err…" Gohan looked over at Eighteen again, who gave another nod. "Sure."
"Yeay!" She called enthusiastically. She was the only voice now. While he was busy figuring out what Marron was doing here, the adults seemed to have lost their ability to speak.
Bulma leaned back with a grin, sipping her wine. She, Krillin, Yamcha, Chichi, Trunks and Goten were gathered in a room, sitting on or around a couch. On the large TV was Gohan, in his Super Saiyan, aura up, glowing up a storm, holding a little girl, who was perfectly comfortable being held despite the golden energy flowing around her.
"What is she doing there?" Chichi next to her asked.
"My idea." Krillin took credit. "We all know Marron has taken a liking to Gohan. I thought it would help make him a little less scary."
"But then, why'd you suggest he'd go as a Super Saiyan?" Yamcha wanted to know. "Isn't that counterproductive?"
"No, it isn't." Bulma replied. "Because now the news finally sees him as he is. Powerful, but also kind and gentle. I wanted someone to come along with him, and explain how he is a nice guy, but this is actually much better."
Gohan walked down the path cleared for him, Marron on his arm. The people around him regained a few of their higher brain functions, and flashes were going off once more.
Hs had put his aura away, but kept the transformation. Bulma advised him to be Super, and now he heard that Krillin had told Marron she could come along, without even asking Gohan. Yeah, they were trying to help him reduce his image of fear.
There were plenty of people calling for him from the sidelines, reporters hoping for a few words. But he ignored them. He had somewhere to be.
Inside there was a path leading him to a large room, where he saw a raised podium in the middle of a crowd, with two armchairs around a small table. One was occupied.
Not bothering with the stairs Gohan flew up to the podium, landed on the edge and walked forwards.
The king stood up, and had his hand extended. "Welcome." He said as the two shook hands. "I'm glad you could come. And do I see a little hitchhiker?"
"I'm not hisshiser, I'm Marron." She replied defiantly.
"Nice to meet you, Marron." He shook hands with her as well. "Is she yours?" The king then asked Gohan.
"No, she's from a close friend of mine, but I am her godfather." Gohan replied.
"Is she one of you?" He asked.
"One of…" He repeated before be caught on. "Oh, no, she's a perfectly ordinary girl. Both her parents have the abilities though. I don't know if they will teach her, but for now, no."
"Are you the king?" Marron asked.
"Yes, I am." He replied kindly.
"But you're a dog." She pointed out. "Why don't you bark?"
"I'm not a dog, I'm a person shaped like a dog."
"I'm sorry." Gohan grinned as he apologised on her behalf.
"It happens all the time, don't worry about it." The king waved it away. "But come, let us sit down." He gestured to the chairs.
Gohan did just that, setting Marron on his lap.
"Here we are then." King Furry started. "A lot has happened these last few days, hasn't it? And you've made a lot of waves."
"You can say that again." Gohan agreed. He let Marron stand up so she could play with his blonde hair. "I never imagined it would all escalate like this."
"I suppose that is why you didn't call a press conference immediately?" The other asked.
"I underestimated how much of an impact I would have." Gohan replied. This wasn't quite what he had in mind, but he supposed he could fall back to talking about his father when things fell silent. "By the way, I didn't return that day. I never left since the Cell Games. None of us have. We just prefer to keep to ourselves. And going public would expose us. So I was hoping the whole thing would solve itself."
"You pretended it wasn't there and hoped it would go away?" The king asked, humoured.
"Sort off." He admitted. "But I've changed my mind. I guess I can no longer afford to stand and watch."
"Then what are you planning?"
"I'm not sure yet. I thought a press conference to clear a few things up would be a good start. But then yesterday happened."
"Ah, yes. I've seen the broadcast" The king nodded. "Do you really believe those people would have gone through with it?"
"They very well might have. But it was mostly one person manipulating the group. The moment I arrived his followers could have been the captives for all he cared."
"And you were understandably upset. But what are you going to do now? The world is in turmoil, and the truth we believed in turned out to be a lie all along. It is not something the world can just bounce back from."
"I am well aware. But I have faith in Humanity. Right now, the world is going through a transition of some sorts, but I believe you can sort yourselves out."
"So you will not intervene directly? Some are saying you should take an active role in keeping the peace. Others believe you should turn yourself over to the government to be researched." King Furry said. It looked like he had a list of points he wanted to go over. It suited Gohan just fine.
"First off, I have never even heard of these before." The boy pointed out.
"They are opinions expressed in more private circles. The general public believes you to be divine, and would most certainly take offence."
"But if everyone says something because they believe everyone says so, then yes, everyone says so." Gohan reasoned out loud.
This made a confused frown appear on Furry's face. "I'm sorry, but I'm not following you."
"What I mean is, everyone thinks that most people in the world worship me." He explained himself. "I highly doubt it. Or at least, I doubt everyone who says they worship me actually do so." At this point he started addressing the people watching rather than the king. "But that is fine. You don't have to believe in me. Well, my existence and powers are a documented fact at this point, so it's not really belief anymore." He felt the need to point out. "But if you don't want to worship me, that's perfectly fine. You have the right of free speech, and I am not taking that away from you, nor will I allow anyone else to do so. If you do want to worship me, by all means, go ahead. Just don't expect me to answer you or repay you, nor should you try to force others to follow your way of thinking."
"You don't care either way?" The other asked, though he didn't sound all that surprised. Then again, the king already knew that, and was probably only asking for the viewers.
"No, I don't." Gohan replied firmly. "We have kept to ourselves because we prefer to be left alone. We will protect our home when necessary, from outside or inside threats, but it is not our job to rule it. Nor to police it. And we shouldn't have to. We don't have to, as a matter of fact." He smiled slightly as he thought of something. "Before I revealed myself the world had an unprecedented era of worldwide peace and prosperity. You don't need us, humanity is perfectly capable of looking after itself."
"So it might seem, but some would argue that the peace from before was nothing but an illusion, and it was people like you who kept the world safe from behind the scenes." The king argued, though still sounding polite and tactful.
"That is true, but the peace was no illusion. That was the result of global cooperation, not of a few fighters."
"And the removal of certain threats. Like the Red Ribbon Army."
"Not really, Gohan disagreed. "At the time it was them against the world already. And just removing them isn't enough for world peace. The people themselves have to work for it."
He was distracted when Marron started tugging on his shirt. "Uncle Gohan." She called. "You're my favourite uncle of all time."
"Aw, that's sweet of you." He smiled at her, wondering where that came from.
"Can I have ice-cream?"
That made both Gohan and King Furry burst out laughing, as did most of the audience.
"If you're good." Gohan rubbed her over her head, chuckling to himself. "We can go get some when we go."
"But I'm bored." She complained.
Gohan made a small ball of golden energy, glowing slightly, and letting it float about.
King Furry smiled slightly. "You are seventeen, aren't you?" He suddenly asked.
"Eighteen, actually." He replied, somewhat taken aback. "I've spend a year outside of time and space."
"Wait what?" The king did a double take. "What for?"
"I was training with my father for the Cell Games." Gohan replied simply.
"I suppose that's what you meant when you said you sacrificed years of your life." The king recalled.
"I already had several years of training at the time already. Cell was only the last of a series of people." Gohan explained shortly.
"Then I suppose you are still training for the next threat?" Furry asked directly.
This made Gohan blush slightly in shame. "Not exactly." He admitted. "Ever since the Cell Games I've let go of my training, and settled down in peace."
"But why?"
"Because I could." Gohan replied honestly. "I've only ever fought because I had to. I never liked fighting. I never liked having to hurt people. And now, I don't have to anymore. The fights are over."
"That does open a question." The king hooked in once again. "Why did you have to fight?"
"Because I am powerful." He answered simply. "That power was needed back then. At my peak, during the Cell Games, I was by far the most powerful. Today I daresay I have been surpassed. But that's fine. I will fight if I have to, but I won't if I don't have to. It has always been like that."
"There are others more powerful?" Furry sounded worried, and not entirely ungrounded.
"I don't know for sure, but there are others at least in the same league as myself." Gohan explained. He swirled the ball of energy in his palm for a bit, tempting the toddler on his lap into chasing it.
"I see." The King nodded. "That reminds me, that one glowing kid, well, he was obviously glowing, but he mentioned something about his father doing something terrible if he get's angry. Should we be worried about that?"
"Well, he is in my own league, and he does have a bit of a temper, and a bit of a history." Yeah, just a little bit. "But I don't think it is anything to worry about. I have known him for most of my life. He has a few rough spots, but he always came through where it mattered."
"Well, I'm sure that's a relief for many of our viewers." The King smiled slightly. "I believe that covers everything I was planning to ask you. Is there anything you'd like to address, or perhaps ask me?"
Gohan thought for a second. "Not really, no." He then replied.
"Then would you perhaps mind indulging me?" The king started. "Like I said before, you're still only a teenager, yet when I see you, and talk to you, you seem so much older than that. Is that a part of your heritage as well?"
"Not really." Gohan shook his head. "I suppose it has more to do with the way I was raised. I was forced to mature in order to deal with the things I went through."
"So, in a way, you sacrificed your childhood for the sake of the world." The king tried to summarise.
"There's more to it than that." He protested. "It wasn't like I was forced into anything. I had a choice, just like everyone else. But unlike everyone else, I was only a kid. And soon enough, that life was all I knew. But after the Cell Games that was over. I could go back to the life that I was ultimately fighting to have, but hardly remembered."
The King smiled as he nodded. "I understand. And I'm glad you have found the peace and happiness you were looking for."
He made a gesture to his side, and promptly there were two people walking towards the two of them, who placed two things on the table.
One a single small box, the other three of the same boxes fitted together.
"You are the son of Son Goku, are you not?" Furry asked, more as a point to start rather than an actual question.
"Yes, I am." Gohan answered.
"There has been something I have been meaning to give to him." The king opened the one box. "The Blue Star Medal, the highest honour in my power to grant. I wished to hand this to your father for his defeat of King Piccolo all these years ago, but he disappeared on me after the fight, and we could never track him down, until recently."
"I see." Gohan replied, looking at medal. He had always known his father was well known, but this?
"It has been sitting in a storage safe ever since, gathering dust." The king continued "I know it is a bit unusual, I suppose handing it to you in his memory would be an appropriate gesture."
Gohan nodded to herself. "I'm sure my mother would like it" He said.
"And I have something for you as well." The King continued. He opened the first little box of the set of three. "The Purple Heart, granted to those who killed or wounded in the service of the army. Though you're technically not a part of the army, you did fight against Cell, and sustained injuries during that brutal fight, so I daresay no one is going to object to me giving you this."
He opened the second box. "The Silver Cross, given to those who have shown courage and valour in battle, disaster or other hazardous circumstances. I give it to you for your many acts of kindness and selflessness that you no doubt have committed before and since the Cell Games."
He opened the last box. "And for the Cell Games themselves, I give you the Blue Star Medal, the highest honour I can grant."
"That is really not necessary." Gohan could feel himself going red. "I didn't do it for a reward. And besides, I didn't do it alone."
"I am well aware." The king replied. "Usually there is a whole ceremony, and a long, drawn-out speech, but considering your motivations, I don't think I'd be doing you a favour." He closed the boxes and pushed them towards Gohan. "So, please accept these as a token of our gratitude. As for the others, there is currently a debate going on as to who and what." Furry made a sweeping gesture. "Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Chiaotzu, among others I believe would prefer to remain anonymous."
"How do you know?" Gohan asked out of a sudden curiosity.
"I have spoken to your grandfather, the Ox King, and he has explained a great many things to me." Furry replied. "They will get their due, don't worry. Though I think it would be best if I just made an announcement and sent the things over the mail, or something like that."
"I suppose." Gohan laughed.
The king stood up, and so did Gohan. The two shook hands again. "It was a pleasure speaking to you here today." Furry said kindly. "And I am glad to hear you haven't given hope on Humanity just yet."
Gohan just grinned foolishly, as he had no idea how he should respond to that.
"And you." The king addressed Marron. "Be nice to uncle Gohan, ok?" He pinched the girl's cheek.
"We're going to have ice-cream." She stated happily. Ah, Gohan had almost forgotten about that.
"I'm sure we'll meet again." King furry said. "I wish you the best of luck."
"You too."
Bulma turned the TV off. "That actually went pretty well." She admitted.
"Yeah, if they want to twist Gohan's words this time, they'll be really stretching it." Yamcha agreed.
"Oh they'll find a way." Bulma replied. "There is no end to Human stupidity. Or Saiyan stupidity, for that matter." She quickly added, an eye on her husband's sly smirk. "But this will clear up a lot of misunderstandings."
Somewhere, someplace, sometime after the broadcast with King Furry, a small group of people in matching uniforms had gathered.
"It is a weakness." One of the people stated. "One we can exploit. If we can get the Golden God on our side, global conquest will only be a matter of days, hours even."
"Until we lose the leverage." Another protested. "We will also be at the top of his shit-list."
This ticked their leader off. "Are you questioning my tactics?" He asked.
"Not at all." The protestor replied unflinchingly. "But this is a guy who made an entire city shake with just his voice. I feel like kidnapping a three year old, or basically anything that would piss him off really shouldn't be plan A."
The leader stroked his chin for a moment. "That is actually a pretty good point. Ok, let's hear some other ideas."
A little time later, Gohan landed on the beach. In his arms he carried a curled up and sleeping toddler, whose clothes were covered in brown and red stains.
He was greeted by Krillin, who scowled at the sight, which made Gohan grin an apology. "I swear, I only took my eyes off her for a second." He tried to excuse himself.
The short man took the girl from his arms. "Judging by the evidence, I herby conclude she has ritually sacrificed a cone of chocolate and strawberry ice-cream." He sounded like a detective.
Gohan nodded as he laughed.
"Ah, kids will be kids." Krillin broke the scowl as he laughed as well. "Did you two have a good time?"
"Yeah." Gohan answered and followed him inside.
Over the rest of the day, as well as the next one, the talk with King Furry was pretty much the only topic worth talking about.
Gohan delivered the medals to his home, where his mother put Goku's Blue Star Medal in a frame and put it next to Goku's picture.
Gohan's three medals she also framed, and hung up in his room.
Gohan was pretty happy, especially since the plan to make him look less scary had paid off. People were now openly debating him and his powers, making whatever opinions they had known to the world.
They weren't always nice, but at least they could speak up now.
And one voice in particular was interesting. A general of the army. This guy was claiming Gohan should be registered and reveal how his powers worked, so they could safely lock him up for the greater good.
When asked what this greater good was, the man became evasive.
Another general claimed they should elect Gohan as the new King of the World.
A third argued Gohan was a terrorist, whose sole purpose was to kill the king.
Gohan was getting the distinct impression none of those three had been paying attention.
But such is life, and his got a lot more peaceful after his talk. He spent his time at his home, spending quality time with his brother.
A man sat on his knees, telling his master about the recent events. He told them of the Golden God, and how he was going to be a major problem.
"A touching story, but I highly doubt this so called deity will be a problem to us." The master replied. "We have warriors more than capable of handling anything this planet can throw at us. You will do as you are told."
Sharpner carried a few bags to his car. Behind him, Erasa was shaking her head at the guy, who insisted he could carry everything in one go.
Yesterday, not long after Gohan's talk, she got a call from her friend at ZTV. They wanted someone who knew Gohan to come over and talk about a few things. And Erasa was at the top of a short list.
But how was she going to tell Sharpner?
Little did she know, Sharpner was having plans of his own, and was wondering how to tell Erasa.
Both of them decided to wait until evening.
Erasa had just pawned one of the jewels she 'borrowed' from Videl, and celebrated by going on a bit of a shopping spree.
Well, they also got groceries, and other things they thought they were going to need.
Seriously, how do adults manage to keep doing that every week? It is so tedious to go through everything, and so tempting to buy other stuff.
The two managed, to some degree of success. Only when they came home they realised they forgot to buy toilet paper, the main reason they went in the first place.
So they set out once more.
A few hours later, after dinner had been had, and the sky was starting to darken, Erasa decided to speak up.
"Just yesterday I got a call from my friend at ZTV." She started. "And they want us to have a little talk about the things Gohan has said. It is scheduled for tomorrow. I know you don't like it, but I think it is best if we both go, so we can give…"
"No." Sharpner interrupted her. "I'm not going." He flat out refused.
"Oh, come on." She rolled her eyes. "This one is actually for Gohan. You know how much he hates appearing in public."
"Not enough to refuse a talk with King Furry on live TV." Sharpner returned. "If he wants you to speak for him, he'd ask you. Besides, I had plans for tomorrow."
"Plans?" She picked up.
"I have heard of a place where the old ways of martial arts are taught." He explained. "The kind that was used at the old tournaments, the kind that Gohan practices. And I want to learn it."
"Learn it?" She repeated. "You're leaving?"
"Yes, I am." He replied evenly.
"But you can't." She panicked. "You can't leave me here alone."
"You can come with me." He offered. "We'll study the old arts together."
"No!" She refused. "I can't leave the city, I'm needed here!"
"I'm pretty sure you're not." He pointed out.
"I AM!" She yelled at him. "Who else is going to explain Gohan's words?!"
"Gohan is not a god-dammed god, and you know it!" He argued. "Stop treating him like one! I swear, it's like you're trying to win him over or something!"
"What if I am?" She returned, to his surprise. "He's gone, so this is the only way I can get his attention! I have been living in Videl's shadow for years. Now I can finally get noticed, and I'm not about to run off!"
That one hurt. Erasa wasn't the only one living in Videl's shadow. And Gohan was casting an ever bigger one now.
In a way, him leaving the city might be his way of trying to escape that shadow.
But there was one thing that bothered him.
"I can't protect you if you do this." He said after several seconds. "People are explaining Gohan's words in a way that fits their view. You try to tell everyone that this or that way is the only correct one, and you'll paint a bull's-eye on your back." He tried to explain. Somewhere between the start and the finish his anger had turned to worry.
"Oh, come on, Gohan would never let that happen." She returned.
"Gohan wasn't there when you were grabbed by those guys either." He replied.
"If you're so concerned, then stay here." She tried.
"No." He refused. "I want to become stronger. Now I have a chance of gaining real power, and I will take it!"
"You bloody hypocrite!" She called him out. "I can't believe you!"
"Yeah, well, did you ever ask me?" He suddenly asked. "Did you ever wonder what is was that I wanted? Did you ask me for my opinion, or my permission even once? No! You're going on and on about what you want, but get pissed off when I want something!"
"I am not!" She protested.
"Yes, you are!" He threw back. "I am going tomorrow, whether you're coming or not!" He stated.
He regretted it the moment the words left his mouth. He wanted her to come along, but he wasn't intending to force the issue like this.
Erasa stuck up her chin, and bit her lip. "Fine." She said, her voice higher than it usually was. "Leave! I don't care!" She turned around to walk away, but Sharpner wasn't having it.
"Why do you have to be so stuck-up?" He asked. "Would it kill you to just let it go for once in you self absorbed life?!"
"Shut up!" She kicked him in the shins, stomped off, and slammed the door behind her.
"Now what?" A man asked. They were a small group, well armed with assault rifles and body armour, sitting around a round table, upon which there were several papers. The main plan. Abandoned, thanks to Gohan's speech.
"I don't know." The leader admitted. "If the Golden God wants peace, then what do we do?"
"I tell you what we do." Another stood up. "We will protect that peace. We will make sure no one can threaten that peace. It is our duty!"
"Welcome." The anchor lady greeted Erasa, and gestured for her to sit down. "I thought your friend was going to be here as well."
"No, he couldn't come." Erasa replied, putting up a false smile. "He had to go and do something, so I guess it's just me."
In truth, Sharpner had left long before she got out of bed, taking clothes, food, some of Videl's jewellery and the car with him. He left a note with a phone number, which she threw in the waste bin.
She knew he wanted to become stronger, but she never expected him to feel this strongly about it, to just leave rather than talk about it.
At this time, several hundred miles away from Golden City, Sharpner was standing at the side of the road, arm horizontal, thumb up, trying to hitch a ride.
In his haste to leave this morning he had forgotten about one little detail. He didn't refuel the car, and thus didn't get very far. With no money, and fuel stations not accepting his little trinkets, he wasn't able to refuel either.
But he was determined to get there, one way or the other.
He had his radio with him, and was listening to Erasa's little talk. It wasn't like he had anything better to do now.
Just before the start there had been a news broadcast. Mostly on Gohan's latest actions, though he hadn't done anything since he left King Furry.
There was also some warning about a heavy storm building up near South City, someone claiming to have found the secret of Gohan's power, again, as well as a few reports on the crime rates around the world.
And it had gone down rather than up.
Especially in Golden City the crime suddenly went down a lot. Probably due to Gohan showing his less dangerous side, putting people at ease a little. There was even a mention of people returning to the city.
The news errant also had something on a few some stabbings in a few villages by West City. It was attributed to some turf war between cultists. Though it was rather strange, as some of the autopsies revealed that the victims had not lost much blood, nor were the puncture wounds all that deep.
Flying high in the sky was a golden cloud with a young lady sitting on it, moving away from Korin Tower.
She was looking down to the land below. Large fields of golden wheat alternated by green grass with livestock, occasionally interrupted by a road or farm. It looked so peaceful from up here. And a lot warmer too. She shivered.
She was headed towards Golden City, but mostly for the lack of having anywhere else to go. For a moment she thought of her two friends. Even though they had denounced her in public, she wished to talk to them, to explain herself to them.
And yet, she wouldn't.
What if they didn't care? What if they just called the cops, or anyone one else on her, and stabbed her in the back again?
She barely got out of the city last time. Next time, she wouldn't be so lucky.
Besides, it was where Gohan lived, and went to school. If school was still open. But was she really just going to pop in, and expect everyone to just accept her. Could she accept them? Could she accept the change, now that everyone knew the truth? Now that she knew the truth?
She wanted to meet Gohan, but then what? Was she going to hang around him, not able to do anything more than annoy him? What a way to express your gratitude.
Making up her mind, she changed course for the north.
"I'm sorry Gohan." She said softly to herself. "But it is probably better if I didn't come back."
End of Chapter
Thank you all for reading, and for supporting me. Seriously, every time I read through the reviews I just grin like an idiot and become really motivated to write more.
And yeay, Videl's back. It took a little longer than I had intended. Also, she's not 'back' back, but at least she's part of the story again.
By the way, I think this is my most light-hearted chapter of Golden God yet. But it's not all doom and misery. Just like there will always be bad things happening, there will also always be good things happening.
Such is life.
As usual, special thanks to MrChuckMan.
Please, leave a review with your thoughts, opinions and/or speculations.
(I'm going on a bit of a rant here.)
I read someone asking about Trunks being reprimanded for his behaviour on live TV, and in fact, I did have something in mind like that, but it just didn't fit in anywhere, so lets just say that happened off-screen.
I've got a little bad news. The next chapter is a bit of a mess. Like, Gohan is acting two kinds of OOC and is swinging between them like a jojo. It would be funny if it wasn't so painful to read.
I also got good news. I finally dotted out (more or less) where this story will end up. And more good news, I do in fact plan on sticking around to finish this story. I'm not sure how long it's going to be, since this story has a habit of growing bigger than I expect.
Like, Ch2 and 3 were supposed to be one chapter, as was 6 and 7, and 5, 8 and 9.
The chapters themselves are also growing bigger. The first 3 are just under 5k. This one and the next one are double that.
I'd also like to point out that Bulma's comment on having Gohan 'throwing his weight around' because 'he is a deity now' is something Gohan will be ignoring, because he's Gohan. Just to clarify.
As for the people who say they want to do Gohan's bidding, yeah, they SAY they do. Let's just let their actions speak for themselves.
By the way, I've noticed how I'm always using those Line Breaks to separate scenes, but this chapter had quite a lot of those. Is that actually a good idea? I started putting the breaks both before and after the titles and the 'end' to make it clearer.
But lately I've been thinking about trying something new.
Thoughts?