Okay, I know
some things were a little strange in the last chapter, but sheesh I wrote the
whole thing in under an hour at midnight, so you can expect some things to be a
little strange. Personally I think this chapter is better, but you'll have to
read it your self and then you can write a review and tell me if I'm right,
(hint hint). J
The Evil Inside
(Chapter
2)
Gohan awoke to darkness, something was dripping nearby, but Gohan ignored it for the moment. His body felt battered, but differently from all the other times he had been badly defeated. Actually now that he noticed it, everything felt different. He was no longer a Super Saiyan, but he still felt as though he was filled with an indescribable power.
The area around him lightened but he still saw nothing. And that persistent drip was beginning to bother him. He took a few hesitant steps towards the sound. The ground felt unusual, Gohan stomped his foot and a dull thud sounded, and at the same time his head rang dully. Gohan was confused, he didn't know where he was and….
"What the hell is that dripping?!" he yelled. His voice echoed eerily, and the dripping came to a sudden stop. Suddenly the area went from dark to light. Gohan found himself looking at nothingness, a white nothingness that went on forever. Again Gohan felt disorientated, and he thought he spotted areas of blackness within the white but they faded before he could focus on them.
Then he heard that low chuckle, the one he had begun to loath. A dark bubble formed before him, before fading away to reveal Haden. Haden smirked and extended his hand, Gohan spotted the gash immediately. He watched as Haden tilted his hand and a drop a blood, so dark it could have been called black, fell from his hand and landed on the white ground. Drip. Drip.
A dark puddle formed where the blood fell, but it was too large to have come from simply the blood falling from Haden's hand. Gohan stared in horror at the rapidly growing puddle, he found himself wishing with all his might that the puddle would stop growing.
With a lurch the growth stopped. Haden let out a growl, and clenched his fist tightly, when he opened his hand again the gash was gone.
"I see you have a little bit of strength left after all," Haden hissed, Gohan was confused by the comment, what had he done to stop the growth of that… that infection, whatever it was.
Haden watched the confusion run across Gohan face and let out a low laugh, the sound grated on Gohan ears and he shivered.
"You really don't know where we are do you. For a smart boy you're awfully dense, most people would have no trouble recognizing their own minds." Haden scuffed a toe on the ground, and again Gohan felt that strange feeling in the back of his head.
"What do you mean?" Gohan asked, even though he already had a very strong inkling what the answer was going to be.
"Oh really, you are quite amusing," Haden said as he took a few steps closer, walking through the dark puddle as he did. "This is your mind, I want you soul and destroying your physical body wasn't going to get me that. I have to admit, you have an extremely interesting mind. So many useful little tidbits."
With a wave of a leather-clothed arm, Gohan felt a painful wretch as if something inside him was being dragged out. The white abyss faded to a very familiar scene. Gohan recognized it at once, and cringed at the memory.
A young Gohan was overcome with fear as he watched the blazing ki attack head towards him. The older Gohan knew exactly what was going to happen but no matter how hard he tried to move he was frozen. He watched in terrified shock as Piccolo jumped in front of the attack. He experienced over again the ripping sensation as he watched his senshi die because he was a coward.
"No!!" The paralyse broke and Gohan ran for Piccolo but before he could reach him, the Namek faded from sight and the scenery changed again.
Gohan clenched his eyes shut as he fought off the remembered pain, but a low whisper reached his ear. "To much of a coward to even dodge an attack. Instead you let your senshi, one of you best friends die. What a shame."
Gohan shuddered as a small part of him acknowledged this statement as true. He felt as though somebody had reached in and ripped out a part of his soul. He opened his eyes hoping that it was all just a nightmare only to be confronted with another memory.
******************************
Haden watched in glee as each memory tore the boy more apart. He stood in the white abyss, his strength growing with each black spot that appeared. The sight of those lovely black spot pleased him immensely, because each part represented a piece of Gohan's soul that now belonged to Haden.
Haden was very pleased with how well things were going, the boy was practically destroying himself, all Haden had to do was sit back and take what was offered.
Foolish mortals, he thought. He waved his arm and darkness gathered to form a large black throne with carvings of snakes twining around the arms and back. Haden turned and lounged back in the chair, enjoying the pleasant experience of sitting. He sat back with a grin and watched the memories destroy Gohan's very soul.
*******************************
Gohan moaned, the memories still assaulting his mind. He didn't want to fight anymore; it hurt too much. He clenched his eyes shut trying to stop the next memory to come.
"Gohan,"
Gohan curled up in a little ball, trying to ignore the voice, wanting it to all end.
"Gohan,"
Slowly, the voice penetrated Gohan's subconscious. It was so familiar and brought with it gentler memories of better times. But Gohan still wouldn't open his eyes; he couldn't stand to be faced with another memory of his failures.
A hand touched Gohan's shoulder, the callus roughened palms so familiar.
"Gohan, look at me."
There was a touch of command in the voice, but there was also boundless love and gentleness. Gohan shuddered slightly and his eyes cracked open a bit. He could see nothing at first, so he opened his eyes a little wider, and found himself looking at the gentle face of his father.
"Daddy?" Gohan whispered, fearing that this was some cruel joke and any minute he would see his father be brutally murdered. Instead, that goofy grin that only his dad could have managed spread across Goku's face.
"Hey Gohan,"
A choked sob escaped Gohan, and he lunged into his father's arms. "Daddy, I'm so scared. Help me."
Arms wrapped around the weeping boy, and Goku's hushed him. "Gohan, why aren't you fighting, you're letting that creature take you away part by part."
Gohan raised teary eyes to meets his father's. "But dad they hurt. It's all my fault." He let out another sob and hugged his father close.
"Gohan," Goku received no response so he tried again. "Gohan, listen." The young boy raised his eyes once more to meet his father's, which were very serious.
"Nobody blames you for what happened. You have shown over and over again that when it comes down to it you can always be counted out. The choice I made was not your fault, I have never in your entire life ever been ashamed of you." He gently ruffled Gohan's hair, "In truth you have amazed me time and again. You're such a pure soul; people can help but love you. But you can't hate yourself, it doesn't work that way, you have to accept all of you. Don't be so hard on yourself. You can easily defeat this guy."
Gohan stared up at Goku, "But he's so fast, I can't even catch him."
Goku laughed and Gohan found himself grinning at the joyous sound. "You don't need to catch him. He's darkness, you're light, there's no way he can beat you. Besides this is your mind not his, remember the puddle, you stopped it without even realizing it." Goku placed a finger over Gohan's heart, "Just show that monster your inner light and he won't stand a chance."
Then Goku tilted his head as if he was listening to somebody else for a moment before he looked back at Gohan. "I have to go now. I love you; tell your mother I miss her. Don't worry Chichi's gonna get some good news soon that should help cheer her up."
Gohan watched as a bright light condensed around Goku. Gohan shielded his eyes, but before the light faded he felt a pair ghostly lips touch his forehead, and a whisper, "I'm proud of you, son," before everything faded and Gohan found himself seated in the middle of that white abyss.
Gohan climbed to his feet, "I'll miss you dad," he whispered, but he no longer blamed himself for what and happened and he was filled with an unshakable faith that one day Goku would come back. But for now he had somebody to get rid off.
He looked around the empty abyss, wondering how he was going to find Haden before he remembered what his father had said, this is your mind not his. With an evil smirk that could have rivalled Vegeta's, he closed his eyes and concentrated, with a flash of light he disappeared.
******************************
Haden was pissed, very, very pissed; he was beyond pissed. Somehow he had lost track of Gohan, at the same time all those glorious dark spots he had been cultivating began disappearing. Something had changed and he was damn sure it wasn't in his favour.
It wasn't fair, everything had been going so well, the stupid brat hadn't even tried to fight back, but now… now he couldn't even find the kid.
"Not fair!" he yelled as he plopped down on his dark throne.
"Really? What's not fair?" Haden flinched, as a bright spot of light appeared in front of him and faded to reveal a very composed looking Gohan.
What?!" Haden yelped, the shock extremely evident on his face. Gohan narrowed his eyes and with a single thought collapsed the throne Haden had been sitting on. Haden let out a yelp as he hit the ground, hard. With a growl he jumped back to his feet and glared at Gohan, his fangs glittered dully as he curled up his lip in the beginnings of a snarl.
"How the hell did you do that?" he snarled. Gohan stood quietly before tensing up, with a flood of power he transformed into a Super Saiyan.
"The same way you did I imagine, only it was a lot easier for me," Gohan replied as he felt the power flow through him and for once didn't shy away from this part of himself. He didn't need the power to defeat Haden but it felt right to use the power he had been so afraid of until just now.
Haden's mind was racing; he knew he was serious trouble. "What happened? I had you!" his voice rang with anger, but the main reason for the question was to buy him some time. He was to far in to retreat out of Gohan's mind so he had to find a way to beat him back down to the level of misery where he would be in power.
Gohan appeared to be considering the question, which gave Haden the time he needed to form a black ball of negative emotions. Haden felt assured that with a touch of the ball Gohan would be bogged under the responding emotions within himself. Unfortunately, the Neg Ball took a far amount of Haden's energy, but anything less powerful Haden wasn't sure would succeed.
"I had a divine visitation," Gohan finally replied, the tone of his voice indicated that it was much more then that, but Haden didn't really care, he had gotten the time he needed. However he did feel a flash of irritation that somebody had interfered, but it didn't really matter, once he had the boy back under his control he would keep a better watch over him.
"Ahh isn't that sweet. A divine visitation, how can I possibly stand against that?" He tossed the Neg Ball lightly in his hand making sure he would be able to throw it hard and fast. "I've been so evil, but after a look at this glorious mind I found myself wanting to turn over a new leaf."
Gohan had a look of amazement on his face, but Haden could see the disbelief underneath it. This was the only chance he was going to get, so with a growl he launched the Neg Ball straight at Gohan.
Gohan watched the ball of dark emotions speed towards him. With his own growl of rage for listening to that man for even a second, he reached inside and took all his pure emotions and flooded his body with them, knowing on some level that the only way to defeat dark emotions was to smother them with pure emotions.
His body glowed with a pure white light and as soon at the ball touched that gentle but powerful light it simply disappeared. Haden stumbled back, even though the light hadn't touch him he could feel the goodness pouring out of the boy, and it hurt him in a way he didn't even understand. He felt a yearning for that goodness at the same time as it ripped him apart.
He couldn't run, he couldn't even really think, he just stood there and watched the light spread outwards towards him. At the last moment when the light touched him he opened himself completely, feeling what he had been missing his whole life. His last though was simply, Thank you.
Gohan opened his eyes to the rising sun; he found himself sprawled on the ground next to the spring. With a moan he pushed himself to his knees, then crouched there for a moment as the world spun wildly. His body felt terrible but his heart was freer of pain then it had been in years.
He turned newly opened eyes to watch the glory of the rising sun as if it was is first. He ran through the memories of the last few hours and wondered if they had been a dream, but the peace he felt inside proved him wrong. He let out a sigh, but it wasn't a sad sigh, it was a sigh that was only used when a person felt so at peace that couldn't find the words to express it.
He felt a spark of regret for Haden but he had a feeling that the end hadn't been painful and that perhaps he had gone on to a better place. He was almost grateful to Haden, for freeing him from the guilts that had been destroying his life.
Gohan glanced in the direction of home, but he figured his mom would still be cooking breakfast, so he had a few minutes to waste.
A happy smile spread across his face as he leaned back against the bank and listened to the birds greet the morning.
Finished!!!! Well, what did you think? Did it suck? Was it fabulous? Write me and tell me I really want to know. I know I chickened out on the memories, but I was having trouble writing them, so too bad. Did it make sense? Review and tell me, and maybe I'll write another Gohan one. Cause I have to admit I found this fic kind of fun. J Well, I'm done blabbing, don't forget to REVIEW! Bye. J