Chapter 5
Gohan yawned and tried to identify some of the constellations in the sky. The grass was soft and still green, but the dew was beginning to settle.
"I thought Videl was coming to train," Goten said. He was sprawled in the grass just down the hill, flanked by Trunks. Both boys were sporting matching black eyes, which was probably going to get Gohan in trouble with his Mom, not to mention Bulma.
"I guess something came up," Gohan said. He really believed it too. After the talk they'd had, he didn't doubt Videl's feelings. There would be a message waiting for him at home with an excellent explanation for her absence. Admittedly, he was a little worried about her, but Videl could take care of herself. She was one tough girl.
"I bet mom's almost got dinner ready. We should probably go home," Goten said. A loud rumble from his stomach punctuated the statement.
Gohan gave one last look at the horizon toward Satan City and tried to sense Videl. What he did sense, stopped him cold. "Hey Goten, Trunks, you feel that." Gohan was on his feet in seconds, staring into the distance.
Goten followed his brother. "I don't know. Something cold."
Trunks nodded. "Now that you mention it. I don't like how that feels. You think it's a monster, like Buu?"
Gohan shook his head. "It's unique. Nothing like Buu or anything else I've ever felt."
"Kids, I want you to go inside and tell Master Roshi that something's coming, and then I want you to stay inside till I call you, understood," Gohan said.
"Awwww no way," Trunks and Goten chimed in unison. "We want to see what's coming."
"You can see from the window. Let me handle this for now. I'm the big brother. It's my job. Now go," Gohan ordered. Trunks seemed like he was going to protest, but stalked over to follow Goten inside.
Gohan took the few moments left until their unannounced visitor arrived to focus. Fight with your heart, that's what his dad always told him. Maybe there wouldn't be a fight. Maybe this is just a friendly visitor. A wave of chill bumps washed over him. Friendly visitors didn't usually feel like that. At least Videl wasn't here. She wouldn't be in danger.
When the new arrival finally touched down it was a bit of a let down. No big pink jelly-bellied monsters, or green armored enemy today. If anything, this guy looked like a hero out of a storybook. Long blonde hair, armor, and a cape, he was practically sir Galahad. All he needed was the white horse.
"Are you the Golden warrior, Gohan?" the man asked.
Gohan's mouth dropped open briefly. He hadn't expected it to be looking for him by name. "That's me. I'm afraid I don't have a clue who you are. What's your business with me?"
The knightly figure bowed. "I am Rinback. I have come on a holy mission to save the life of my lady, my love. To do that, I need your help."
That was different, a quest for a lover, not to save the universe. "You need my help? Well, tell me what you need. I'm generally not opposed to helping in a worthy cause."
"Don't listen to that thing, Gohan." Piccolo had landed a few steps away and was glaring at Rinback. "It is dangerous and unnatural. Whatever it wants, will be destructive, I can guarantee it."
Rinback's eyes went glassy blue and he glared back at Piccolo. "Whatever you are, you know me not. Do not judge my intentions. I have no desire to hurt Gohan or anyone in this world. But anyone who stands in the way of a cure for my lady, will die at my hand."
Gohan shook his head. "Sorry Rinback. If Piccolo says you're a bad-egg, I have to go with his gut. He knows his bad guys. He used to be one."
"But you haven't even heard my request." Rinback allowed his energy to flow freely around him. The blue fire danced over his flesh. "You will fight me, golden warrior, to the death."
Gohan gasped at the energy pouring from the fighter. He wasn't Cell or Buu, but he wasn't exactly a push over either. "I may fight you, but I won't die," Gohan said.
"I pray you are correct, for time is short. I truly have no desire to kill you." Rinback lifted his head and tossed his last tiny crystal into the air. It twirled and flashed reappearing as a window to nowhere. "I love you, lady!" Rinback cried into the night.
Piccolo grabbed Gohan's shoulder. "If this thing wants you to win, then you can't fight. Something bad will happen. I can feel it."
"Okay, but which one of us is going to ask him nicely to go home. He could cause a lot of destruction."
Rinback turned on Gohan. "Remove yourself green man. I came to fight the golden fighter."
Piccolo stepped between Gohan and Rinback. "There won't be a fight here today. If there is one, it will be between you and me."
The entire flock of pixies had returned and were buzzing around Rinback's head. "You can't beat the green one. You must die at the other's hand. You will die, as will your lady if you fight the green one. You mustn't die until you face the golden fighter. You must face Gohan."
"I will not fight you, green man." He caught Gohan's eyes and held his gaze. "If you will not fight me Gohan, then your Videl will die." The window over Rinback's head flashed and an image of Videl curled up, unconscious, on a marble floor filled it.
Time stood still for a moment. Gohan had always been the rational one, the smart one, sometimes the afraid one. He hadn't lost himself in a real rage since her was a little boy. "What did you do to Videl?" Gohan's energy spiked and he shifted into his super-saijin form. There was power in rage. "If you hurt her, I'll kill you."
Piccolo winced. "No Gohan, he wants you to fight. Something isn't right here. Hold onto your emotions."
"The only way your Videl can ever be returned to this realm, is if I die at your hands Gohan. The window above me will return her, should you kill me. Only that will open the door."
There is danger in rage too. Perspective and judgment vanish. There is only the moment and the battle at hand. "I'm sorry Piccolo. He has Videl." Gohan less than gently pushed Piccolo out of his way. He turned an angry glare on Rinback. "You want to die? You came to the right place and messed with the right people."
Gohan yawned and tried to identify some of the constellations in the sky. The grass was soft and still green, but the dew was beginning to settle.
"I thought Videl was coming to train," Goten said. He was sprawled in the grass just down the hill, flanked by Trunks. Both boys were sporting matching black eyes, which was probably going to get Gohan in trouble with his Mom, not to mention Bulma.
"I guess something came up," Gohan said. He really believed it too. After the talk they'd had, he didn't doubt Videl's feelings. There would be a message waiting for him at home with an excellent explanation for her absence. Admittedly, he was a little worried about her, but Videl could take care of herself. She was one tough girl.
"I bet mom's almost got dinner ready. We should probably go home," Goten said. A loud rumble from his stomach punctuated the statement.
Gohan gave one last look at the horizon toward Satan City and tried to sense Videl. What he did sense, stopped him cold. "Hey Goten, Trunks, you feel that." Gohan was on his feet in seconds, staring into the distance.
Goten followed his brother. "I don't know. Something cold."
Trunks nodded. "Now that you mention it. I don't like how that feels. You think it's a monster, like Buu?"
Gohan shook his head. "It's unique. Nothing like Buu or anything else I've ever felt."
"Kids, I want you to go inside and tell Master Roshi that something's coming, and then I want you to stay inside till I call you, understood," Gohan said.
"Awwww no way," Trunks and Goten chimed in unison. "We want to see what's coming."
"You can see from the window. Let me handle this for now. I'm the big brother. It's my job. Now go," Gohan ordered. Trunks seemed like he was going to protest, but stalked over to follow Goten inside.
Gohan took the few moments left until their unannounced visitor arrived to focus. Fight with your heart, that's what his dad always told him. Maybe there wouldn't be a fight. Maybe this is just a friendly visitor. A wave of chill bumps washed over him. Friendly visitors didn't usually feel like that. At least Videl wasn't here. She wouldn't be in danger.
When the new arrival finally touched down it was a bit of a let down. No big pink jelly-bellied monsters, or green armored enemy today. If anything, this guy looked like a hero out of a storybook. Long blonde hair, armor, and a cape, he was practically sir Galahad. All he needed was the white horse.
"Are you the Golden warrior, Gohan?" the man asked.
Gohan's mouth dropped open briefly. He hadn't expected it to be looking for him by name. "That's me. I'm afraid I don't have a clue who you are. What's your business with me?"
The knightly figure bowed. "I am Rinback. I have come on a holy mission to save the life of my lady, my love. To do that, I need your help."
That was different, a quest for a lover, not to save the universe. "You need my help? Well, tell me what you need. I'm generally not opposed to helping in a worthy cause."
"Don't listen to that thing, Gohan." Piccolo had landed a few steps away and was glaring at Rinback. "It is dangerous and unnatural. Whatever it wants, will be destructive, I can guarantee it."
Rinback's eyes went glassy blue and he glared back at Piccolo. "Whatever you are, you know me not. Do not judge my intentions. I have no desire to hurt Gohan or anyone in this world. But anyone who stands in the way of a cure for my lady, will die at my hand."
Gohan shook his head. "Sorry Rinback. If Piccolo says you're a bad-egg, I have to go with his gut. He knows his bad guys. He used to be one."
"But you haven't even heard my request." Rinback allowed his energy to flow freely around him. The blue fire danced over his flesh. "You will fight me, golden warrior, to the death."
Gohan gasped at the energy pouring from the fighter. He wasn't Cell or Buu, but he wasn't exactly a push over either. "I may fight you, but I won't die," Gohan said.
"I pray you are correct, for time is short. I truly have no desire to kill you." Rinback lifted his head and tossed his last tiny crystal into the air. It twirled and flashed reappearing as a window to nowhere. "I love you, lady!" Rinback cried into the night.
Piccolo grabbed Gohan's shoulder. "If this thing wants you to win, then you can't fight. Something bad will happen. I can feel it."
"Okay, but which one of us is going to ask him nicely to go home. He could cause a lot of destruction."
Rinback turned on Gohan. "Remove yourself green man. I came to fight the golden fighter."
Piccolo stepped between Gohan and Rinback. "There won't be a fight here today. If there is one, it will be between you and me."
The entire flock of pixies had returned and were buzzing around Rinback's head. "You can't beat the green one. You must die at the other's hand. You will die, as will your lady if you fight the green one. You mustn't die until you face the golden fighter. You must face Gohan."
"I will not fight you, green man." He caught Gohan's eyes and held his gaze. "If you will not fight me Gohan, then your Videl will die." The window over Rinback's head flashed and an image of Videl curled up, unconscious, on a marble floor filled it.
Time stood still for a moment. Gohan had always been the rational one, the smart one, sometimes the afraid one. He hadn't lost himself in a real rage since her was a little boy. "What did you do to Videl?" Gohan's energy spiked and he shifted into his super-saijin form. There was power in rage. "If you hurt her, I'll kill you."
Piccolo winced. "No Gohan, he wants you to fight. Something isn't right here. Hold onto your emotions."
"The only way your Videl can ever be returned to this realm, is if I die at your hands Gohan. The window above me will return her, should you kill me. Only that will open the door."
There is danger in rage too. Perspective and judgment vanish. There is only the moment and the battle at hand. "I'm sorry Piccolo. He has Videl." Gohan less than gently pushed Piccolo out of his way. He turned an angry glare on Rinback. "You want to die? You came to the right place and messed with the right people."
