Disclaimer—I don't own DB/Z/GT! I do own the tapes that are coming out
tomorrow, however—can you believe I bought them in advance?!
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The Z-senshi sat solemnly, gathered in the living room at Capsule Corporation. Over the years, this room had come to represent a sort of safe haven, a place where they did not have to hide who and what they were. They had gathered here for parties and picnics, barbecues and births, and, as was the case today, for deaths.
Always it had been for deaths in battle—deaths where the victim could be revived, and when they couldn't, this room had played host to feverish and impossible plans, all intent on doing the impossible—rescuing Life from Death. Today the memory burdened room played host to such plans once again.
Few of the senshi really understood what had happened. Perhaps only two of the whole group understood the kind of gnawing self-loathing that had driven the boy—little more than a child, really, to such an incomprehensible act.
One of these two sat pale faced next to his young mother, purple bangs masking eyes that shimmered with tears at the loss of his beloved sensei once again, even if it was in another world. The second, who just happened to be father to the first, had taken off for parts unknown and there remained—left alone to deal with his conflicting emotions at the death of his son and the death of his fiercest rival, who he had been so sure he hated, but whose noble sacrifice mere hours before had filled him with an angry respect, and more confusion than he could possibly have imagined.
Sitting silent and alone, Vegeta had felt the strange but powerful surge of energy as Shenlong, the eternal dragon, had brought his son Trunks back to life. A moment later, he had also felt the brief but intense flare as Gohan's ki had snuffed itself from existence.
On a rock in the middle of nowhere, Vegeta's surroundings made a stark contrast to the turmoil and tumult inside of his head. Unspeaking he sat. He had a lot to think about.
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At Capsule Corporation, Piccolo had explained to them all a little bit of Gohan's past. Just the few, tiny revelations he had allowed, had set the Z- senshi off with reactions ranging from stunned silence to an angry hornet like buzzing from Yamcha.
Bulma was the first to get over her anger—from the few things Vegeta had revealed to her, she had come to have a more realistic view of his and Gohan's lives under Frieza. With the cloud of anger pushed to the side, Bulma explained her plan to the others. Namek. The Dragonballs there. It was foolproof—Goku and Gohan would be back before the month was out!
Interrupting their excited exclamations, a familiar voice echoed through the Brief's living room, "Hey, don't I get a say in this?"
Krillin looked up, eyes wide with astonishment, "G-Goku?"
There was a small smile in Goku's voice, "Yeah—hi guys, it's me! Listen, I know this might be hard, but I really need for you to listen to me. I've got Gohan with me up here, and I don't want you guys to trying to wish us back."
On the couch next to Bulma and Trunks, Chi-Chi's eyes widened and filled with tears, "But Goku—w-why?"
Goku's voice was sad, but everyone could hear and was shocked by, the anger behind it, "It's Gohan. He-he's in really bad shape. I think if you tried to wish him back right now, he'd just find some way to kill himself again."
Chi-Chi muffled a gasp, slapping a hand down over her mouth as the tears spilled over the rims of her eyes.
Goku continued, a bit more gently, "I'm sorry Chi—you just don't know, I mean I didn't even know, how much he blames himself for everything. I'm here in Otherworld with King Kai—he thinks he can help Gohan, and I want to let him try. So please, don't go to Namek, and don't try to revive him when the Dragonballs charge, ok? I'll be in contact via King Kai when he's ready to come back. And speaking of coming back, I don't think it's that good of an idea that I do." Goku went on to explain his feelings on why he shouldn't return, focusing on the fact that everyone who had attacked the Earth in recent years had somehow been looking for him. "Anyway, I've got to go guys, I'm holding up the line," a distinct mental chuckle from King Kai echoed through all of their minds, "Remember, I'll see you all again someday, and I'll call you when Gohan's ready to come home."
The voice faded and there was nothing left but the lingering presence of their old friend who was now gone for good. Solemnly, the Z-senshi sat in huddled silence. They, too, had a lot to think about.
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Four years passed with relative calm. There were no great enemies, no momentous battles. Of all people, it turned out to be one of the weakest and most comic fellows at the Cell Games by the name of Hercule Satan who took credit for the defeat of Cell. Aside from restraining the remaining Z- senshi from blowing the fool up, Bulma did little but work and raise her son in peace until the call from heaven came.
Over the years, Bulma and Chi-Chi had grown closer—with the birth of Goten, it was almost inevitable, as the chibi's enjoyed fighting almost as much as their fathers. Bulma sometimes thought it was only Goten that kept Chi-Chi sane—she knew the other woman had been nearly inconsolable at the loss of her husband and her first son again—it was only the news that she was pregnant that had allowed Chi-Chi to pull out of her funk and start living again—not for her own sake, but the baby's. Bulma was quite sure that Goten had saved Chi-Chi's life.
It was on a calm, peaceful day in late spring, that Bulma received word. She didn't know why she was the chosen recipient of the news, but she could only guess that Goku didn't want to bring up painful memories for Chi-Chi with the sound of his voice. Goku's news was good—Gohan was ready to come home.
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Somewhere in Otherworld, a fifteen-year-old Gohan sat a bit despondently. He didn't really want to leave this place that had been a haven for him, but he knew his father wished it, so he would do it.
Gohan had been a bit surprised, but not unpleased that he had aged in Otherworld—asking King Kai, he had been informed that children who died were allowed to mature normally, for they had never reached their prime, which was the age all souls were returned to when they shed their bodies and entered the afterlife.
Gohan was worried about his return—what the others would say. He felt a faint sense of shame for killing himself—it had seemed to be such a good idea at the time, but now it seemed a faint, sort of cowardly way out. Gohan was by no means convinced of his goodness, but he was also less sure of his evilness now. He had actually met a few of his victims in the afterlife, and had been surprised when they hadn't blamed him—most had actually pitied him! He hadn't actually been able to gauge his own reaction to that pity—the idea had been foreign to him that those he hurt might not agree with his sense of guilt and blame.
Gohan sighed and rubbed a hand nervously through his hair. He would go back. Patched and incomplete as he was, he would go back and make amends through life, rather than death. No longer shattered, not quite healed, Gohan knew that there'd always be something dark and abiding within his soul—something mocking him from within.
Shutting away his thoughts, Gohan pulled himself to his feet—he had some goodbyes to make before he lived once again.
***Hope you liked the chapter, sorry it took so long—I had trouble maturing Gohan—anyway, R&R please!***
_________________
The Z-senshi sat solemnly, gathered in the living room at Capsule Corporation. Over the years, this room had come to represent a sort of safe haven, a place where they did not have to hide who and what they were. They had gathered here for parties and picnics, barbecues and births, and, as was the case today, for deaths.
Always it had been for deaths in battle—deaths where the victim could be revived, and when they couldn't, this room had played host to feverish and impossible plans, all intent on doing the impossible—rescuing Life from Death. Today the memory burdened room played host to such plans once again.
Few of the senshi really understood what had happened. Perhaps only two of the whole group understood the kind of gnawing self-loathing that had driven the boy—little more than a child, really, to such an incomprehensible act.
One of these two sat pale faced next to his young mother, purple bangs masking eyes that shimmered with tears at the loss of his beloved sensei once again, even if it was in another world. The second, who just happened to be father to the first, had taken off for parts unknown and there remained—left alone to deal with his conflicting emotions at the death of his son and the death of his fiercest rival, who he had been so sure he hated, but whose noble sacrifice mere hours before had filled him with an angry respect, and more confusion than he could possibly have imagined.
Sitting silent and alone, Vegeta had felt the strange but powerful surge of energy as Shenlong, the eternal dragon, had brought his son Trunks back to life. A moment later, he had also felt the brief but intense flare as Gohan's ki had snuffed itself from existence.
On a rock in the middle of nowhere, Vegeta's surroundings made a stark contrast to the turmoil and tumult inside of his head. Unspeaking he sat. He had a lot to think about.
________________
At Capsule Corporation, Piccolo had explained to them all a little bit of Gohan's past. Just the few, tiny revelations he had allowed, had set the Z- senshi off with reactions ranging from stunned silence to an angry hornet like buzzing from Yamcha.
Bulma was the first to get over her anger—from the few things Vegeta had revealed to her, she had come to have a more realistic view of his and Gohan's lives under Frieza. With the cloud of anger pushed to the side, Bulma explained her plan to the others. Namek. The Dragonballs there. It was foolproof—Goku and Gohan would be back before the month was out!
Interrupting their excited exclamations, a familiar voice echoed through the Brief's living room, "Hey, don't I get a say in this?"
Krillin looked up, eyes wide with astonishment, "G-Goku?"
There was a small smile in Goku's voice, "Yeah—hi guys, it's me! Listen, I know this might be hard, but I really need for you to listen to me. I've got Gohan with me up here, and I don't want you guys to trying to wish us back."
On the couch next to Bulma and Trunks, Chi-Chi's eyes widened and filled with tears, "But Goku—w-why?"
Goku's voice was sad, but everyone could hear and was shocked by, the anger behind it, "It's Gohan. He-he's in really bad shape. I think if you tried to wish him back right now, he'd just find some way to kill himself again."
Chi-Chi muffled a gasp, slapping a hand down over her mouth as the tears spilled over the rims of her eyes.
Goku continued, a bit more gently, "I'm sorry Chi—you just don't know, I mean I didn't even know, how much he blames himself for everything. I'm here in Otherworld with King Kai—he thinks he can help Gohan, and I want to let him try. So please, don't go to Namek, and don't try to revive him when the Dragonballs charge, ok? I'll be in contact via King Kai when he's ready to come back. And speaking of coming back, I don't think it's that good of an idea that I do." Goku went on to explain his feelings on why he shouldn't return, focusing on the fact that everyone who had attacked the Earth in recent years had somehow been looking for him. "Anyway, I've got to go guys, I'm holding up the line," a distinct mental chuckle from King Kai echoed through all of their minds, "Remember, I'll see you all again someday, and I'll call you when Gohan's ready to come home."
The voice faded and there was nothing left but the lingering presence of their old friend who was now gone for good. Solemnly, the Z-senshi sat in huddled silence. They, too, had a lot to think about.
_________________
Four years passed with relative calm. There were no great enemies, no momentous battles. Of all people, it turned out to be one of the weakest and most comic fellows at the Cell Games by the name of Hercule Satan who took credit for the defeat of Cell. Aside from restraining the remaining Z- senshi from blowing the fool up, Bulma did little but work and raise her son in peace until the call from heaven came.
Over the years, Bulma and Chi-Chi had grown closer—with the birth of Goten, it was almost inevitable, as the chibi's enjoyed fighting almost as much as their fathers. Bulma sometimes thought it was only Goten that kept Chi-Chi sane—she knew the other woman had been nearly inconsolable at the loss of her husband and her first son again—it was only the news that she was pregnant that had allowed Chi-Chi to pull out of her funk and start living again—not for her own sake, but the baby's. Bulma was quite sure that Goten had saved Chi-Chi's life.
It was on a calm, peaceful day in late spring, that Bulma received word. She didn't know why she was the chosen recipient of the news, but she could only guess that Goku didn't want to bring up painful memories for Chi-Chi with the sound of his voice. Goku's news was good—Gohan was ready to come home.
_________________
Somewhere in Otherworld, a fifteen-year-old Gohan sat a bit despondently. He didn't really want to leave this place that had been a haven for him, but he knew his father wished it, so he would do it.
Gohan had been a bit surprised, but not unpleased that he had aged in Otherworld—asking King Kai, he had been informed that children who died were allowed to mature normally, for they had never reached their prime, which was the age all souls were returned to when they shed their bodies and entered the afterlife.
Gohan was worried about his return—what the others would say. He felt a faint sense of shame for killing himself—it had seemed to be such a good idea at the time, but now it seemed a faint, sort of cowardly way out. Gohan was by no means convinced of his goodness, but he was also less sure of his evilness now. He had actually met a few of his victims in the afterlife, and had been surprised when they hadn't blamed him—most had actually pitied him! He hadn't actually been able to gauge his own reaction to that pity—the idea had been foreign to him that those he hurt might not agree with his sense of guilt and blame.
Gohan sighed and rubbed a hand nervously through his hair. He would go back. Patched and incomplete as he was, he would go back and make amends through life, rather than death. No longer shattered, not quite healed, Gohan knew that there'd always be something dark and abiding within his soul—something mocking him from within.
Shutting away his thoughts, Gohan pulled himself to his feet—he had some goodbyes to make before he lived once again.
***Hope you liked the chapter, sorry it took so long—I had trouble maturing Gohan—anyway, R&R please!***