Chapter 6: Departure
Gohan smiled as he observed the neatness and order that abounded in the small ship he had prepared. It had been almost eight years since he had last seen his mentor and friend in that final horrific skirmish. He had trained endlessly day after day. The hate of that monster smoldered deep into his heart. He still woke up with the ghost of that pain he felt radiating from his best friend while training out in the desert. It haunted his waking thoughts and nightly ruminations.
The last of the food had all been stocked. It was a trip for two.
His father had decided to come with him. Gohan guessed that the guilt had eaten away into his soul and that he needed this as absolution. Gohan had long lost any animosity towards his father. He no longer hated him but he was deeply disappointed in him.
He sat down at the command panel and figured out the trajectory needed to find his friend. He didn't know how he knew where to go. The knowledge just resided In his brain. It was like water in a cupped hand out of a forest pool. The knowledge was clear and just waiting to be acknowledged and held in the palm of him mind. He supposed it was like a homing beacon. But then he could always find his friend, even when no one else could. He had never questioned that or thought about it till now.
He sighed. He missed his long time friend very much. Piccolo san had been his friend, confidante, teacher and idol. He loved his father, but he had wanted to succeed for his forest dwelling sense!
Reminiscing, he often wondered If his mentor might have in actuality been a forest spirit or guardian of some sort. Seeming out of place on this bustling planet with its teeming millions, he was a pillar of serenity amid a whirling maelstrom of activity. Gohan missed the feeling of peace and comfort in the back of his mind. The bond still existed between the two but at this great a distance, they could not mentally communicate.
However, on Gohan's side of the bond there was a great deal of empathy, so he could at least sense his friend, if not talk to him telepathically or verbally.
He huffed and shook his head, grounding himself in reality once more. A sound issuing from the door alerted him.
Goku stuck his head inside the capsule. His lively ebony eyes wandered cheerfully around the room and finally settled on Gohan. A sad smile came to his normally happy demeanor.
"Ready to go musuko?"
"Hai Otousan. I am ready to go. Are you?" Gohan asked, his voice still soft with all the memories still hovering in his cluttered mind like cobwebs drifting on a slight breeze.
"Hai, Gohan. However. we may have another guest." Goku's face held a sheepish expression. He gazed at his son with an apologetic mask on his normally jovial face.
The young man groaned and slapped his forehead. By the seven Dragonballs and Eternal Dragon! Must his meddlesome little twerp of a brother come too?!
"Otousan . I thought I told you.." He began.
"It isn't Goten." his father stopped him in mid lecture. Goku's eyes narrowed as they bore into his eldest son's. For a fleeting instant he was the saiya jin warrior that drove enemies to their knees in fear. Only two enemies had ever come out equal with him in a fight. He had turned them both into his friends and allies. Both Piccolo and Vegeta were his allies. Though neither would admit it vocally.
Gohan's unyielding ebon eyes held up to the strain of his father's scrutiny.
"Then who?"
Goku's lips pulled up in a half smile. He merely moved out of the way to let a shadow pass into the narrow space between his body and the door.
A rough voice suddenly barked into the silence that separated the two men.
"Shimatta Kakarroto! Get your kusai ketsu outta my way. Or I will blast you to hell!"
Gohan's face suddenly broke open with a look of incredulity. It couldn't be?!
"Fukanou! Vegeta chan?"
Vegeta's lips pulled up into a smirk. "Hai. Sekkan. That's right. Now pick your jaw off the floor and welcome your prince into this dank little hole you call a space pod."
Gohan still could not get over his shock. Was this the coward that had ran with his father on the day of that fateful battle?!
Vegeta seemed to sense this and gave the young man before him a good dressing down with his eyes. While Goku wandered out to round more provisions for the trip, Vegeta stalked silently over towards Gohan.
The two sat in silence. Gohan observed the prince to the side of him and the prince merely looked over the young demi saiya jin.
"I haven't forgot about that day, brat," Vegeta began softly, his rough voice unusually smooth." I remember it as clear as if it were yesterday. "
Gohan snorted. He doubted that. He felt the need to speak and did so. Though he didn't mean to sound condescending, the phrase came out that way.
"If you haven't forgot about it, then why didn't you do something? "
"By the Ryuujin! There was nothing I could do! I was weaker. Way weaker than I am now. You think you have been the only one training? Get real boy!" suddenly Vegeta looked away." You weren't the only one to lose a friend."
Narrowed eyes from the listener greeted this statement, but widened as the information set in.
He suddenly looked away from the older warrior.
"Gomen, Vegeta. I didn't mean it to come out that way," he whispered.
"Don't worry about it, brat. You have every right to speak to me that way. Yes, I feel I was a coward when I ran. That's why, like you, I have been training hard since that day. I knew you would eventually go after him. I just didn't know when. But I prepared just the same." Vegeta intoned quietly.
"I miss him, Vegeta. I love him. He is my first and best friend. I can't leave him like this. Alone and not knowing if he will ever get home. I would be an ungrateful whelp if I didn't. Plus. I . . ." Gohan left off as a tear escaped his cheek.
Vegeta gave him a penetrating look. His ebony orbs stared resolutely at the young man before him. Suddenly they widened and realization set in. He rose and stretched his muscles, asleep from sitting too long in one position as he talked to the boy.
"Well, in any case. You will have to put up with an extra passenger. I expect you and your father to at least spar with me once a day. We need to keep training to beat that son of a bitch and plus," Vegeta's voice caught a playful yet mocking tone," I will be able to kick you and your father's ass on a daily basis. This will be a pleasure cruise to me."
Gohan grinned wolfishly at the shorter warrior. He knew Vegeta was kidding but played along anyway.
" Fine by me, o royal pain in the ass. If you think, my royal slouch, that you can spar with me and dad and actually when, then who am I to prick your delusions of grandeur?" He replied, his tone as mocking as his princes.
Vegeta barked a laugh and went to claim a room as his on the ship, disappearing around the bend in the ship with the lethal panther like grace he possessed.
Gohan shook his head. Even though he wouldn't admit it, he was actually glad the two were coming along. The trip would prove very interesting. Especially with the underlying tension between his otousan and the prince.
Gohan had been watching the two react with each other. Thanks to life on Chikyuu, Vegeta had mellowed out somewhat. He and Goku had started sparring with each other on a regular basis. Just the two of them, no one else. The young man could sense electricity spark between the two. Vegeta obviously liked his younger counterpart. And Gohan had a feeling that his father felt the same towards his Vegeta no Ouji.
The two men had become strangers to their wives after the whole ordeal with Buu. Chi Chi basically had nothing to do with Goku anymore and had eventually moved out and back into her old kingdom. Bulma and Yamcha had eventually hooked up and Vegeta and Goku now lived together in a decent sized capsule house with a gravity room on the outskirts of South City.
Vegeta's reason to Gohan was that he didn't want to waste his time and energy to fly all the way over to Kakarroto's just to whip his butt. Why not come live with him instead?
Gohan had nearly choked on his tea when Vegeta had told him. He nearly died laughing. He knew the real reason.
He just wondered when they would admit it to each other.
'Maybe I can hook the two up finally. This trip ought to be long enough. Five months in space out to get them together.î He mused his thoughts on the future.
ëI canít wait to see you again, Piccolo-san.í He thought wistfully
After what seemed like days, Goku finally made his appearance in the spacious pod. He set the fifty crates of food in the storeroom and locked it, punching in the security code. Finishing, he walked over and sat down next to his son in the co pilot's chair.
"All ready and packed. Just waiting on you son," he said, his ebony eyes dancing.
Gohan closed the front hatch and walked over to the pilot's chair. After activating the primary scan sensors he determined there was no one or nothing around that could be injured by the take off. He punched In the launch code. The cooling system kicked in to keep the engines from over heating.
"Thrusters on full power. Heat shield in place. Stealth mode on standby." The computer's female voice intoned. " Launching. now."
Gohan could feel the slight drag of gravity on him as the ship rocketed out of the thick earth atmosphere. The ship once off of the planet could go sublight. But even so, it would still be a five or six month journey to the planet. Once upon a battle, they simply could have used Goku's Instant transmission, but during the battle of Buu it proved to be a failure. After a particularly hard blow to his head, the memory and knowledge of how to do it was lost. And Yardrat had been destroyed by their sun going nova. That being a natural occurrence, the dragon could not wish them back.
Finally the buffers kick on and the pull of gravity disappeared. They escaped the pull of their planet and shot past the moon, intent on the inner part of the Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way.
Gohan swiveled his head to catch his father's eyes with his own. His lips turned up in a small smile as he spoke only one phrase.
"We're on our way."
Gohan smiled as he observed the neatness and order that abounded in the small ship he had prepared. It had been almost eight years since he had last seen his mentor and friend in that final horrific skirmish. He had trained endlessly day after day. The hate of that monster smoldered deep into his heart. He still woke up with the ghost of that pain he felt radiating from his best friend while training out in the desert. It haunted his waking thoughts and nightly ruminations.
The last of the food had all been stocked. It was a trip for two.
His father had decided to come with him. Gohan guessed that the guilt had eaten away into his soul and that he needed this as absolution. Gohan had long lost any animosity towards his father. He no longer hated him but he was deeply disappointed in him.
He sat down at the command panel and figured out the trajectory needed to find his friend. He didn't know how he knew where to go. The knowledge just resided In his brain. It was like water in a cupped hand out of a forest pool. The knowledge was clear and just waiting to be acknowledged and held in the palm of him mind. He supposed it was like a homing beacon. But then he could always find his friend, even when no one else could. He had never questioned that or thought about it till now.
He sighed. He missed his long time friend very much. Piccolo san had been his friend, confidante, teacher and idol. He loved his father, but he had wanted to succeed for his forest dwelling sense!
Reminiscing, he often wondered If his mentor might have in actuality been a forest spirit or guardian of some sort. Seeming out of place on this bustling planet with its teeming millions, he was a pillar of serenity amid a whirling maelstrom of activity. Gohan missed the feeling of peace and comfort in the back of his mind. The bond still existed between the two but at this great a distance, they could not mentally communicate.
However, on Gohan's side of the bond there was a great deal of empathy, so he could at least sense his friend, if not talk to him telepathically or verbally.
He huffed and shook his head, grounding himself in reality once more. A sound issuing from the door alerted him.
Goku stuck his head inside the capsule. His lively ebony eyes wandered cheerfully around the room and finally settled on Gohan. A sad smile came to his normally happy demeanor.
"Ready to go musuko?"
"Hai Otousan. I am ready to go. Are you?" Gohan asked, his voice still soft with all the memories still hovering in his cluttered mind like cobwebs drifting on a slight breeze.
"Hai, Gohan. However. we may have another guest." Goku's face held a sheepish expression. He gazed at his son with an apologetic mask on his normally jovial face.
The young man groaned and slapped his forehead. By the seven Dragonballs and Eternal Dragon! Must his meddlesome little twerp of a brother come too?!
"Otousan . I thought I told you.." He began.
"It isn't Goten." his father stopped him in mid lecture. Goku's eyes narrowed as they bore into his eldest son's. For a fleeting instant he was the saiya jin warrior that drove enemies to their knees in fear. Only two enemies had ever come out equal with him in a fight. He had turned them both into his friends and allies. Both Piccolo and Vegeta were his allies. Though neither would admit it vocally.
Gohan's unyielding ebon eyes held up to the strain of his father's scrutiny.
"Then who?"
Goku's lips pulled up in a half smile. He merely moved out of the way to let a shadow pass into the narrow space between his body and the door.
A rough voice suddenly barked into the silence that separated the two men.
"Shimatta Kakarroto! Get your kusai ketsu outta my way. Or I will blast you to hell!"
Gohan's face suddenly broke open with a look of incredulity. It couldn't be?!
"Fukanou! Vegeta chan?"
Vegeta's lips pulled up into a smirk. "Hai. Sekkan. That's right. Now pick your jaw off the floor and welcome your prince into this dank little hole you call a space pod."
Gohan still could not get over his shock. Was this the coward that had ran with his father on the day of that fateful battle?!
Vegeta seemed to sense this and gave the young man before him a good dressing down with his eyes. While Goku wandered out to round more provisions for the trip, Vegeta stalked silently over towards Gohan.
The two sat in silence. Gohan observed the prince to the side of him and the prince merely looked over the young demi saiya jin.
"I haven't forgot about that day, brat," Vegeta began softly, his rough voice unusually smooth." I remember it as clear as if it were yesterday. "
Gohan snorted. He doubted that. He felt the need to speak and did so. Though he didn't mean to sound condescending, the phrase came out that way.
"If you haven't forgot about it, then why didn't you do something? "
"By the Ryuujin! There was nothing I could do! I was weaker. Way weaker than I am now. You think you have been the only one training? Get real boy!" suddenly Vegeta looked away." You weren't the only one to lose a friend."
Narrowed eyes from the listener greeted this statement, but widened as the information set in.
He suddenly looked away from the older warrior.
"Gomen, Vegeta. I didn't mean it to come out that way," he whispered.
"Don't worry about it, brat. You have every right to speak to me that way. Yes, I feel I was a coward when I ran. That's why, like you, I have been training hard since that day. I knew you would eventually go after him. I just didn't know when. But I prepared just the same." Vegeta intoned quietly.
"I miss him, Vegeta. I love him. He is my first and best friend. I can't leave him like this. Alone and not knowing if he will ever get home. I would be an ungrateful whelp if I didn't. Plus. I . . ." Gohan left off as a tear escaped his cheek.
Vegeta gave him a penetrating look. His ebony orbs stared resolutely at the young man before him. Suddenly they widened and realization set in. He rose and stretched his muscles, asleep from sitting too long in one position as he talked to the boy.
"Well, in any case. You will have to put up with an extra passenger. I expect you and your father to at least spar with me once a day. We need to keep training to beat that son of a bitch and plus," Vegeta's voice caught a playful yet mocking tone," I will be able to kick you and your father's ass on a daily basis. This will be a pleasure cruise to me."
Gohan grinned wolfishly at the shorter warrior. He knew Vegeta was kidding but played along anyway.
" Fine by me, o royal pain in the ass. If you think, my royal slouch, that you can spar with me and dad and actually when, then who am I to prick your delusions of grandeur?" He replied, his tone as mocking as his princes.
Vegeta barked a laugh and went to claim a room as his on the ship, disappearing around the bend in the ship with the lethal panther like grace he possessed.
Gohan shook his head. Even though he wouldn't admit it, he was actually glad the two were coming along. The trip would prove very interesting. Especially with the underlying tension between his otousan and the prince.
Gohan had been watching the two react with each other. Thanks to life on Chikyuu, Vegeta had mellowed out somewhat. He and Goku had started sparring with each other on a regular basis. Just the two of them, no one else. The young man could sense electricity spark between the two. Vegeta obviously liked his younger counterpart. And Gohan had a feeling that his father felt the same towards his Vegeta no Ouji.
The two men had become strangers to their wives after the whole ordeal with Buu. Chi Chi basically had nothing to do with Goku anymore and had eventually moved out and back into her old kingdom. Bulma and Yamcha had eventually hooked up and Vegeta and Goku now lived together in a decent sized capsule house with a gravity room on the outskirts of South City.
Vegeta's reason to Gohan was that he didn't want to waste his time and energy to fly all the way over to Kakarroto's just to whip his butt. Why not come live with him instead?
Gohan had nearly choked on his tea when Vegeta had told him. He nearly died laughing. He knew the real reason.
He just wondered when they would admit it to each other.
'Maybe I can hook the two up finally. This trip ought to be long enough. Five months in space out to get them together.î He mused his thoughts on the future.
ëI canít wait to see you again, Piccolo-san.í He thought wistfully
After what seemed like days, Goku finally made his appearance in the spacious pod. He set the fifty crates of food in the storeroom and locked it, punching in the security code. Finishing, he walked over and sat down next to his son in the co pilot's chair.
"All ready and packed. Just waiting on you son," he said, his ebony eyes dancing.
Gohan closed the front hatch and walked over to the pilot's chair. After activating the primary scan sensors he determined there was no one or nothing around that could be injured by the take off. He punched In the launch code. The cooling system kicked in to keep the engines from over heating.
"Thrusters on full power. Heat shield in place. Stealth mode on standby." The computer's female voice intoned. " Launching. now."
Gohan could feel the slight drag of gravity on him as the ship rocketed out of the thick earth atmosphere. The ship once off of the planet could go sublight. But even so, it would still be a five or six month journey to the planet. Once upon a battle, they simply could have used Goku's Instant transmission, but during the battle of Buu it proved to be a failure. After a particularly hard blow to his head, the memory and knowledge of how to do it was lost. And Yardrat had been destroyed by their sun going nova. That being a natural occurrence, the dragon could not wish them back.
Finally the buffers kick on and the pull of gravity disappeared. They escaped the pull of their planet and shot past the moon, intent on the inner part of the Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way.
Gohan swiveled his head to catch his father's eyes with his own. His lips turned up in a small smile as he spoke only one phrase.
"We're on our way."