Beginning with an End

Beginning with an End

Part 2

"Gohan and this girl, Nahmi, they really did all that? Wow, that's amazing!"

Gohan opened his eyes groggily. What seemed to be a rich, brown, possibly timber cabin swirled in his eyes. The sound of a young man's voice had awoken him; but perhaps it had just been in his dream. He couldn't be sure. Another man's voice could now be heard. He pushed himself up, attempting a sitting position…when suddenly – whoosh – the entire room blurred and he landed with a thud on hard timber. Pain shot through his left shoulder, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.

"Whoa Gohan, take it easy." He heard the young man's voice once more. Three chairs scraped noisily on the grained floor and light footsteps tapped quickly towards him. The timber he had landed face-first on suddenly came into focus. His mind began to clear and his memory was returning. He pushed himself up with his hands. He recognised the young man's voice…

"Trunks!" The short lavender hair, the piercing blue eyes, the purple Capsule Corp. jacket; the teenage Saiyan crouched beside Gohan.

"You bet-ya bud," he extended his hand towards Gohan. He took it and stood up, some white canvas draping over his hair.

"Hey, watch the hammock Gohan!" Yamcha laughed, standing behind Trunks, with Piccollo by his side. "You don't want any more accidents." He had been the owner of the other voice Gohan had heard.

Well that makes sense, thought Gohan, rubbing his shoulder tentatively, a hammock. He frowned at it, and Trunks grinned.

"Feeling alright?" he asked, in a soft, nurturing voice. With those two words, a sudden rush of thoughts, questions, and memories overcame Gohan and he stumbled backwards dizzily. Trunks, still holding his hand, pulled him forward so as to avoid another accident and held him tightly around the shoulders. He lead him towards a wooden table and chairs across the room.

"Trunks," Gohan mumbled, "…you're alive?" A terrible thought suddenly stuck him and he tripped. Trunks once again managed to grab him and sat him down in a chair… "Or are we all… dead?…" he murmured, voicing his concern slightly hysterically. He quickly gazed around the room, which was slipping in and out of focus. "…Was it all just a dream?"

"Drink this," said Trunks with slight urgency, and put what looked to be a silver flask to Gohan's mouth. A warm liquid fell into his mouth and a feeling of strength surged through his body. The room slowly came into focus and his mind began to slow to a normal thinking pace. Trunks looked at him with concern.

"Don't worry Gohan, I'm alive and so are you. We all are…except -" Gohan cut him off.

"My Dad," He looked down at the ground. Something warm trickled down his cheek. Trunks quickly wiped Gohan's tear away.

"Don't be like that, you know it wasn't your fault." Gohan looked around the room. He could have sworn that he had heard his father's voice. Trunks, Yamcha, and Piccollo all gazed at him quizzically. They hadn't heard it, so he assumed it had just been his imagination.

Trunks, like his father, Vegeta, had never felt comfortable when faced with the emotions of others. He watched Gohan look searchingly around the room. What's he looking for? I hope he doesn't still think it was all a dream and that Goku will walk in here any second. Poor kid… even I couldn't know what he's going through. He gazed at the ground resolutely. I have to say something to at least reassure him that it wasn't just a dream.

"Actually," he paused and looked up at Gohan, "I was thinking more along the lines of Cell…" Perhaps this will distract him from his father, even if only momentarily. "You and that Saiyan girl Nahmi defeated him."

"Nahmi!" cried Gohan, pushing back his chair as he stood to his feet, "how is she?…where is she?" Trunks' mentality had been successful in distracting Gohan thoughts of his father. Gohan wiped his face with his sleeve. "Where is she?" he demanded, "is she alright?"

"She's right over…" but Trunks was interrupted as he turned to point to Nahmi's hammock. His and Gohan's eyes were met with a bright purple.

Gohan felt a hand on his shoulder, "I'm right here…" Nahmi's voice was soft and husky. A pearly tear fell from her closed eyes and spattered on the wooden floor.

Gohan stared at the small, wet droplet at his feet. Why's she crying, he thought, and was suddenly rushed back to the memory of the battlefield, where that was the last thing he remembered thinking before falling into a deep slumber. Her balance wavered and he caught her and assisted her to his chair.

Nahmi didn't want Gohan to know why she was crying; she didn't want to upset him. She had lain awake in her hammock since a loud thud had awoken her. She listened to everything that happened after that, but her thoughts dwelled on one thing only: Gohan's words, My Dad. A long silence had followed, after which Gohan had directed all his attention to discovering her whereabouts and condition. He's so caring…why did he, of all people, have to lose his father?

"Hey, don't worry. It turned out for the best." Nahmi suddenly opened her eyes.

"What's the matter?" asked Gohan with concern.

Trunks handed her the flask, but she simply gazed at the table, trying to make sense of what she had just heard. "I… I heard an unfamiliar voice," she looked up at the three, to her, complete strangers, "but it was transmitted telepathically. It was a man's voice; he sounded rather cheery." She cast her gaze at the table once more and ran her fingers over a knothole. Cheery for someone speaking about another man's death, she thought to herself. Unlike Gohan, she had had much experience in telepathy and could always distinguish a voice transmitted so.

"But you don't understand; it wasn't another man's death." She heard the man's voice again, but what he said made her reel with confusion and disbelief.

"So… so you mean you're…" - she couldn't think straight.

"Yes, that's right, I'm Gohan's dad; Goku."

"Dad!" shouted Gohan, "I knew it was you!" He too had heard this last sentence. The word 'Goku' echoed through his mind; it hadn't been his imagination after all.

"Hey listen guys, don't be sorry that I died. It worked out for the best."

"How did it work out for the best?" asked Nahmi, still slightly confused but under control.

"How can you say a thing like that dad? I let you die!" Gohan shouted angrily.

"Hey," said Goku sternly, "I thought I told you not to be so hard on yourself. There's no one to blame, especially not you son. It all happened for the best."

Trunks, Piccollo and Yamcha all stared at Gohan and Nahmi, who were both talking to the roof, one of whom was shouting.

"Yeah, I worked it all out. If I didn't die, there was no way that the two of you could have truly awoken your hidden power and defeated Cell. It was your anger for my loss and the fact that Cell provoked it that became his downfall."

Nahmi was angry at Cell for killing my dad? Gohan looked at the ground. He was in disbelief…Is that why she was crying? Because Cell killed my father? Amid his confusion, a promising thought suddenly struck him.

"Dad!" he cried, "You have to meet Nahmi," he smiled at her and she blushed scarlet. "Yeah, now we can wish you back with the Dragon Balls; I mean, Dende made a new dragon so it might work now."

Here, Piccollo understood what was happening. "Uh, Gohan," he said tenderly, "we've already been to wish with the Dragon Balls. Shenron undid all the damage that Cell had caused, but it was beyond his power to restore Goku."

"Oh," said Gohan disappointedly, his mind working overtime as he searched for ideas. "I know! How about we go to the new Namek and use their Dragon Balls. Parunga can restore you dad, being the original dragon and all!"

"Uh, hang on a sec Gohan, before you get too excited… I think I'd prefer to stay here."

What? Thought Gohan and Nahmi at the same instant. Nahmi began to concentrate with all her might. She wasn't sure she had heard correctly.

"Yeah," Goku continued, "I realised that even thought I was sent to Earth to destroy it, and I have spent my life doing the opposite, in a way I always have been fulfilling my original mission…"

"But how dad? You gave up your own life to save the Earth!"

"I know, but think about it Gohan, all the people who have tried to destroy the Earth have been doing it to get to me. If I stay up here, there will be no more threats to Earth and it won't need me anymore."

"But that doesn't mean I won't!" Tears began to form in Gohan's eyes. He blinked them away furiously.

******

"Right, that's it Goku! I'm cutting off the link! I've go to talk to you! Hurry up and say good-bye; and make sure that Gohan knows that it isn't for the last time."

Goku blinked at King Kai. "Uh, okay, whatever you say." He stared at him for a second in his surprise. King Kai cleared his throat. "Oh, right…"

"…Listen Gohan, King Kai wants to talk to me urgently, so I'll talk to you about this more later son…Good-bye, Oh…and it was nice meeting you Nahmi, I'm really proud of both of you."

King Kai turned on him in a storm of anger, "WHAT ON SNAKE WAY DO YOU THINK YOU'RE SAYING?"

Goku blinked again, rubbing the back of his head, "Gosh King Kai, you know that's what I think, I had to tell him some how."

"YES! BUT NOT LIKE THAT!!!" He took in a deep, claming breath. "… Goku," he said more softly, "sometimes you forget that he is still just a little kid."

"I know he'll understand that it's for the best though."

King Kai began to pace and Goku watched him, still a little startled. "Listen Goku, he's only eleven and he still needs you as a father. And what if the world is under a greater threat than he can handle? Now before you say anything, listen, I think I know a way that we can get the best of both worlds and make both Gohan happy and take away your threat to Earth. And then there's Chi-Chi with how she is and all. Uh-huh, mmm, you'll be needed on Earth more than you think, and you'll be wishing that you hadn't made this choice before long. Oh-yeah; I can guarantee it." King Kai stopped still and nodded severely at Goku.

"I don't know what you mean," said Goku questioningly.

"Don't worry," King Kai scratched his chin, "you soon will."

******

Nahmi continued to concentrate, but suddenly slid sideways off the chair towards Gohan. He grabbed her swiftly and eased her into a sitting position. Still blinking furiously, he gazed at Trunks, who seemed to be at a complete loss for words.

"What's…" he took in a deep breath and wiped his eyes. Trunks' gaze was full of pity and understanding. Gohan began again, "…what's wrong with her?" He stood behind her chair, supporting her by the shoulders.

"She's weak at the moment," he said. By the look on Gohan's face he too now understood what had been going on, and he had an idea of what Goku must have said. Poor kid… this is just too much for him to deal with. "Telepathy takes a lot out of you," he continued with what Gohan wanted to know, "she'll need to drink some of this and rest for a little longer." He handed Gohan the flask, who put it gently to Nahmi's mouth. She stirred, a look of discomfort on her face, but she did not awaken.

"I'll take her back to her hammock," Trunks offered and reached towards her. Piccollo put his hand out in front of him. "Huh," he stopped and gave Piccollo a searching glance.

"You're too weak Trunks," he said gruffly.

"Oh," Trunks took a step back and cast his gaze to the floor, "right."

"Yamcha, you take her. I would, but she doesn't know me well enough and…well…" Piccollo was unable to finish.

"Oh, I get ya," said Yamcha, hurrying towards Nahmi. He lifted her with ease. "You don't want her to wake up in the arms of a big, unfamiliar green guy. Yeah," he walked carefully towards the hammock, "come to think of it, if I didn't know any better I'd be pretty scared if I woke up in your arms too– I mean… don't take that the wrong way or anything – I don't mean like that." Trunks and Gohan laughed. Good, he thought, that's what I want to see, Gohan…. He lowered Nahmi softly into the hammock. "Hey guys," he whispered, "I think we better let her get some sleep; we better go. Hey yeah, you haven't seen this place yet, have you Gohan? It's real neat; c'mon, we'll show ya."

"Uh," Gohan sat down in the chair, "I think I'd like to stay here," he said softly.

Piccollo gave Trunks and Yamcha a warning glance, and established a telepathic link. "We can't let him sit here dwell on his father's death."

"Yeah, but if we try to force him to come it will only upset him more," interjected Yamcha.

Trunks was pondering another situation, "I wonder what Goku told him? Maybe we should try to talk to him and let him think about it."

"Yeah," agreed Yamcha, "I mean, we're only delaying it; he'll have to think about it sometime."

"He'll talk about it when he's good and ready;" Piccollo glared at them, "we will not try to talk to him about it, he is obviously still having trouble handling it."

"Mmm," they both agreed and looked at the ground, ashamed of their foolishness.

"Well, maybe by distracting him, we will actually be making Goku's death harder for him to face up to," Trunks pondered once more, "Maybe we should just leave him be." Piccollo broke the link.

"Alright Gohan," he said, "we'll come in and get you when supper is ready."

They all filed out of the room, each giving Gohan a concerned glance before exiting. Gohan continued to gaze at the table, running his fingers over the knothole as Nahmi had done. Tears began to form in his eyes once more and he put his head to his arms, which were folded on the table. The darkness enveloped him and his mind began to wander, as a small puddle of salty water formed beneath his nose.

Dad, how could you? How could you make such a sacrifice? I know it's for the good of the Earth….but….argh… He banged his fists on the table… I wish I could be so caring for others Dad….I know this is selfish…but I need you. How can you do this to me? Gohan's mind was in turmoil. He was angry with himself for being unable to choose the needs of the Earth above his own as his father had done. Argh, it's not you to blame; it's me. How can I be so selfish? He suddenly heard a familiar voice in his head.

"It's not selfish to wish you had your father with you." The voice he heard was Nahmi's. He wiped his face and looked over at her. She was sound asleep, her chest rising and falling with her slow breathing. How is she doing that? thought Gohan, slightly confused.

"It's a little complicated," she tried to explain.

She heard me? Gohan thought, taken slightly aback.

"Yes I did, I'm sorry Gohan I heard everything you've been thinking, I'm really sorry, I had no idea that you were included until you started talking about your father. I had to say something."

Gohan was slightly angry; he didn't like that she had been listening in on his thoughts, "Included in what?" he glared at her sleeping body. He suddenly remembered what she had said to him -'It's not selfish to wish you had your father with you.' "I'm sorry," he looked downwards and fiddled with the knothole once more, "I shouldn't be so angry with you."

"No gohan, I'm sorry. If there were anyone's thoughts in the world that I wouldn't want to hear; they're yours. But it was an accident, I really didn't mean it to happen."

"How did it happen?" he questioned.

"Well, when I first began to learn the art of telepathy, I discovered that when I fight to keep a telepathic link to the point that I faint, the link remains connected until I awaken." Gohan suddenly understood what had been wrong with her. "I only fainted this time because it was so difficult to keep the link between dimensions."

"So it happened by accident." he said, ashamed of the anger he had displayed towards her, "Gosh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's me who should be apologizing to you. I really tried not to listen…" she trailed off.

"Yeah, I know. But I'm glad you heard me…what you said really helped."

"But Gohan wait!" she said, "I don't think that there is any need for you to be so…" she trailed off again.

"Upset?" he finished questioningly. Her voice had been slightly excited and he had even sensed a hint of hope.

She continued, "When your father formed the link, he had used the powers of someone named King Kai. It was because of him that he had to break it. Your dad suddenly became confused because this King Kai was so angry at him."

"You could hear my dad?…And King Kai?" asked Gohan, astounded.

"No, not King Kai. But the next thing that I knew, your dad was amazed by something that King Kai had said. I didn't have to wonder for long as to what it was…he began running over it through his head. King Kai must have told him that there was a way that he could save the Earth from his threat of being there, but still be with you…and…Chi-Chi?" she questioned, "He was very worried about her."

"I wonder why he was worried about my mom?" Gohan pondered, but was distracted, "How could he be away from Earth and be here at the same time?"

"I don't know," Nahmi answered, "It seems that King Kai didn't reveal that much, possibly so as not to get his hopes up."

"Oh," Gohan replied disappointedly.

"But at least there's hope," Nahmi added.

by Lolli