Title: The Invasion Saga
Author: AstroKender
Warnings: Some gore...Lots o angst...some sap. and Death
Spoilers: None.
Notes: Takes place between the Cell and Buu sagas. Gohan centric.
Feedback: Welcome. Please review
Disclaimers: DBZ belongs to Akira Toriyama and Funimation. This fic is for entertainment purposes and is not in any way meant for profit. Don't sue me.
In the last chapter of Dragonball Z, Garlic Jr. finally made his move by attacking Gohan's mind and taking over his body! Gohan struggled to keep the evil tyrant in check, but Garlic was determined to finish off the half-Saiyan's friends. After narrowly rescuing his younger brother from Garlic's foul deeds, Gohan can think of only one solution; to have his friends kill him. But will they do it?
Ch 5- The Sacrifice
'You have to kill me.'
"No..." Piccolo gasped, his eyes widening.
"What?" Krillin asked anxiously, hovering in midair beside his companion. "What's the matter, Piccolo? You look greener than usual."
Piccolo's hands clenched and unclenched nervously as sweat dripped down his face. Growling, the Namek shook his head furiously. "I won't do it!" He roared to Gohan.
"Do what?" Vegeta demanded irritably. The prince was still powered up as a super-Saiyan, and his temper was shorter than usual. It also didn't help matters that he didn't have the foggiest clue what was going on.
Piccolo watched as Gohan rolled around in agony, fighting fiercely to keep control over his own body. The Namek felt a swift pain strike his chest and his brows drew together in indecision. He had never felt so helpless. He shook his head.
"Go-gohan wants me to kill him."
"What?" Krillin shouted. "Why in the world would he want you to do that?" he asked incredulously. Piccolo would never do that, he thought. Would he?
"I see." Vegeta whispered. "He believes it is the only way to defeat this evil inside of him." Vegeta cracked his knuckled and dropped swiftly down to the Lookout's floor. Filled with dread, Piccolo and Krillin dropped down after him.
"What do you think your doing, Vegeta?" Krillin called out. "You can't kill Gohan!"
"It's what he wants!" Vegeta snarled back, clenching his fists as he powered up.
Piccolo rushed towards him, his fangs bared. "I won't let you do this!" Vegeta growled and blasted the Namek back into Krillin, where they skidded to a halt a dozen yards away.
"Don't interfere," Vegeta warned. He slowly stepped closer towards Gohan's crouched form. "Are you sure this is what you want, boy?"
Gohan painfully raised his head. "Do it," he gasped.
Vegeta nodded solemnly and raised his hand, summoning a large ball of energy. Eyes narrowing, he aimed it towards Gohan at point blank range.
Unbidden, flashes of memories appeared in his mind. A young Gohan, fighting with him when Vegeta was trying to take over earth. Joining forces with Gohan and his bald friend to defeat Frieza's minions. Taunting him when they were all wished back to earth, and watching his tears turn to anger. Watching in awe as he battled Cell. Gohan jumping in front of Cell's blast, taking the hit meant for himself....
'You know, you remind me of myself when I was younger; like you're my little brother.'
'I need somebody like you to polish my boots, and call me Lord Vegeta.'
'I'm sorry, Gohan.'
Gohan.... He was the only person Vegeta had ever apologized to. The brat had spunk and the Saiyan prince couldn't help but like the little runt, even though he was Kakkarot's spawn. Unconsciously, Vegeta's aim wavered.
Shaking himself, Vegeta growled, determination once more filling his body with power. "Sorry, kid." The Saiyan muttered, and unleashed his energy blast, full-force.
"No!" Two small bodies slammed into him, knocking off his aim. The blast flew up into the air, disappearing harmlessly into space. Shocked, Vegeta looked up at the two beings that dared to knock him aside.
"Dad! Don't kill him!" Trunks yelled, flinging himself across his father's chest. Behind him, Goten sat on Vegeta's legs. "You can't kill my brother, Vegeta! Please!"
Vegeta looked into two pairs of frightened eyes, speechless. A long moment passed and Vegeta relaxed his tense muscles, reverting back to his normal form. Raking his hand through his black hair irritably, he shoved the two boys off him and sat up. "Maybe we can just knock him unconscious," he muttered.
"You won't get the opportunity," Garlic growled, raising Gohan's body to his feet. Black eyes glinted with hatred as he regarded the three before him. That blast almost wrecked his carefully laid plans. It seemed he would have to deal with the monkeys before finishing off the human and the Namek.
Raising his hands high above him, Garlic created a massive ball of energy. The ground shook as the crackling ball grew, awashing everyone around it with an immense blast of heat. Lightning erupted from the clear night sky in reaction to the dreadful power.
Goten and Trunks huddled close to Vegeta, paralyzed as they watched the boy they had played with so often prepare to destroy them. Vegeta closed his eyes, cursing himself for his earlier weakness.
Garlic laughing in triumph. "Say goodbye to your friends, Gohan!" he shouted as he began to throw the energy ball. "Watch how easily they die, all because of-"
"Special Beam Cannon!"
Gohan's body jerked as a corkscrewing blast hit him from behind, ripping through his chest. Garlic screamed in pain and anger as his energy ball faded away. Clutching the small hole that had seared through his heart, the half-Saiyan collapsed.
The others turned to stare at Piccolo, shock written all over their faces. Piccolo's eyes never left Gohan's shattered form. "W-what...what have I done?"
"Gohan!" Dende ran up to his friend, resting his hands carefully on Gohan's bloody chest. "Hold still, Gohan. I'll heal you." His voice quavered slightly, not at all sure that he could.
Gohan grabbed Dende's hands and pulled them away from him, smiling weakly. "No, Dende. This is the way things have to be. Now...I won't be a danger...to anyone." The half-Saiyan's voice came in faltering gasps.
Krillin knelt swiftly at the young boy's side. "Bro, you're back to normal." He tried hard not to let his sorrow show as he grabbed Gohan's hand and gave it a firm squeeze.
"Yup," Gohan laughed, before a coughing fit overtook him. "That coward Garlic Jr. fled back to his own body...as soon as he felt my life-force depleting. Once I'm dead, there will no longer be any way for him to return to earth.... We beat him."
Turning his head carefully to look at Piccolo, he smiled. "Thank you for protecting my family, Piccolo. I knew... I could count on you."
"Gohan...." The normally stoic Namek began to shake. The half-Saiyan looked away, closing his eyes tiredly.
"Look after them, will ya? And don't worry, if I get to see my Dad... I'll make sure to tell him...you all said 'hi'...even you...Vegeta...." Gohan's chest rose one more time, then fell and lay still. Beside him, Dende broke out into tears. Burying his face in his hands, he sobbed piteously.
Goten pushed himself away from Vegeta and Trunks. "Brother? Gohan?" Trunks turned away hurriedly, raising his knees to his chest and closing his eyes. Goten bent to touch his brother's face but jerked his hand back as he felt Gohan's rapidly cooling skin. His eyes widened as Gohan began to fade from view.
Krillin's head shot up as the hand he was holding was suddenly no longer there. Clenching his fist, he shook his head sadly. "He's really gone." He rose a trembling hand up to his head, suddenly feeling very old. "Take care of him, Goku."
Standing slowly, he turned to Piccolo. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked softly. Piccolo gave no answer. Wrenching his gaze away from the spot where Gohan had lain, the Namek turned away, and took to the skies, flying slowly but unerringly towards the Son house.
Krillin sighed and, after grabbing hold of both Goten and Trunks, launched into the air after him. Dende watched them go; his heart heavy. "Aren't you going with them?" He asked Vegeta.
Vegeta stared at the ground dully. Minutes passed with no movement from the Saiyan prince so the young Namek was startled when Vegeta suddenly snarled and drove his fist into the ground.
Jumping to his feet, Vegeta powered up to a Super-Saiyan and began blasting things at random, causing Dende to throw himself to the ground for protection. Screaming incoherently, the Saiyan warrior blasted Kami's lookout until it looked like nothing more than a floating heap of rubble.
Panting slightly, Vegeta halted his attacks and surveyed his handiwork impassively. Without a word, the prince stalked past a frightened Dende and took off into the night air.
After a long moment of waiting, the Earth's guardian finally deemed it safe to rise. Standing, Dende stared sadly at the destruction. "Mr. Popo will be upset that his gardens were destroyed...." Biting his lip, the young Namek once more began to cry. "Oh, Gohan...."
***
"Come on, Chichi. You can't wait out here all night. The boys will be fine."
Bulma poked idly at the small fire she had built in front of the Son house after the boys were discovered missing. She had tried repeatedly to get Chichi to come back with her to Capsule Corp. but the dark haired woman refused, choosing to stay where she was, staring into the sky where the others had disappeared with undisguised worry. And well, Bulma couldn't just leave her alone, in the dark.
"Something bad has happened," Chichi moaned, her first words in hours. "I can feel it."
Bulma fought the shiver that wracked her spine, telling herself she was only cold. "Your imagination is just running away again. You'll see, Vegeta and Krillin will return with Gohan, Trunks and Goten in tow, and we'll all laugh this off as another crazy adventure over some hot cocoa at my house."
But Chichi just shook her head, rocking herself slightly. Sighing, Bulma glanced at her watch and yawned. It was almost morning. They had both been up all night. "Chichi-" she started again.
"Shh! I hear something."
Bulma stood quickly, immediately aware of the nighttime rustles around them. Swallowing, nervously, she crept closer to Chichi. The dark haired woman stared intently into the sky above them; hands clasped as her eyes searched for those two figures she so desperately needed to see.
The trees around them began to wave as if being buffered by a strong wind. Chichi's strained ears caught a strange rushing sound coming towards them. Then, silence.
Bulma jumped about a foot into the air as Piccolo dropped from the trees practically right beside her. "Eep!" she gasped, falling backwards.
Chichi barely gave the Namek a glance as she continued searching the skies. A few minutes later, a silent Krillin dropped to the ground, his arms full with the huddled forms of Trunks and Goten. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Goten ran passed his mother and into the dark woods beyond the ruined remains of the Son house. Shouting, Trunks ran after him, ignoring Bulma's attempts to stop him.
Chichi glanced after Goten worriedly before biting her lip and staring fixedly at a small cluster of stars. Bulma looked from one silent figure to the next with growing dread. "Hey guys, what's going on?" she asked, afraid of the answer.
She needn't have worried because no one volunteered one.
Getting increasingly frustrated and frightened, the aqua haired woman was about to stalk up to the nearest body and beat some answers out of them when Vegeta seemed to appear out of thin air right before her. Without speaking a word, Bulma suddenly knew that he was the last that would be returning. Staring into Vegeta's eyes, she shook her head. "No.... It can't be...."
Her eyes darted over to Chichi, whose head was still raised to the heavens searchingly. She watched as Krillin hesitantly walked up to her, clearing his throat. "Chichi.... This is going to be hard for you. Hell, it's hard on all of us, but Gohan...Gohan-"
"Gohan is dead." Piccolo finished the words Krillin seemed unable to force out. Chichi's head finally lowered to stare straight ahead, expressionless.
"How?" she asked.
Piccolo hesitated for a moment, before answering. "I killed him." Bulma gasped and leaned against Vegeta as her knees threatened to buckle. The Saiyan prince for once didn't push her away.
Chichi turned and walked slowly towards the Namek. Staring at him for a pain-filled moment, she arched her hand back and smacked him across the cheek. Piccolo's head whipped to the side, more from the emotional blow than the physical one. Chichi glared at him, her eyes blazing with hatred.
"I liked to think that we had an unspoken understanding." She said bitingly. "You would save Gohan whenever he was in danger and I didn't complain too much when Gohan ran off to do whatever you guys did together." Goku's widow clenched her fists, suppressing the urge to strike him again.
Piccolo stared at her, silent, his eyes reflecting back her accusations a thousand fold. Chichi shook her head. "Our silent pact is broken. I never want to see you around my family again or I will wish for the Dragon to cast you into the farthest pits of hell." Turning around, she silenced Krillin's protests with a glare. "Now get out of my sight."
Feeling a blast of air hit her back, Chichi sighed, knowing that Piccolo was gone. Eyes filling with tears, she fell to her knees. She struck her fists into the dirt, wailing like a madwoman. "Why?" She screamed. "Why must you take them from me? Gohan! GOHAN!"
Bulma closed her eyes and leaned closer to Vegita. She knew she should be going over to her friend and comfort her, but she couldn't get herself to move. Instead, she stood there in the shadow of the Prince of Saiyans; tears leaking out between tightly closed lids.
Vegeta stared into the small fire beside him, oblivious to the crying women around him. Krillin looked around him sadly before walking off, intent to find a spot where he could watch the sunrise, alone. Glancing into the sky, he wished Piccolo well.
***
Piccolo flew higher and higher into the sky, ignoring the thinning levels of oxygen. Blasting through cloud banks, the Namek repeatedly relived the events of the last few hours. Every agonizing memory sent him hurtling faster towards space.
He had killed him.
His first friend. His best friend. His only friend for the longest amount of time.
He had let Gohan die--No! He had caused him to die! Screaming, Piccolo surged out of Earth's atmosphere. Floating for what seemed like eternity, the Namek reached for the nearest star, his vision dimming.
"Gohan...."
Piccolo's eyes rolled back into his head and he dropped from the sky like a meteor, falling swiftly towards the planet he left far below. Smiling, the warrior spread his arms, praying silently that the fall would kill him.
After endless moments of free falling, the wind howling past his ears, Piccolo's body met the hard resistance of the ground. He slammed into it with devastating speed, creating a large crater around him. Coughing up blood, Piccolo lay there, gasping.
'Don't worry kid, I won't let anything happen to you. I promise.'
With one swift shot of his beam cannon, Gohan's life was snuffed out like a dying candle. Piccolo painfully lifted his hand, wondering how such a familiar object could betray him as it had. Because of this arm, he had broken his promise, and with it, the blackened lump of flesh he called his heart.
Growling, Piccolo grabbed the offending limb, ripping it from his body and casting it aside like the trash it was. Holding his bleeding shoulder, the Namek's head dropped back as he finally allowed the tears to come.
***
Trunks ran through the woods, searching. He tried homing onto Goten's ki, but the boy's power levels were rising and falling so rapidly it was hard to get a fix on him. Ignoring the shrubs that scraped his hands and face and pulled at his hair, Trunks searched furtively for his friend.
Stopping, he sighed. "I'm just going to get myself lost this way."
Trunks prepared to take to the air, but halted as he heard a noise nearby. Walking slowly closer, his sharp ears caught the sound of quiet snuffling. Tiptoeing past the last few trees that blocked his vision, Trunks stared silently at his sobbing friend.
Goten looked up. "Wh-why did Gohan have to leave?"
"I don't know." Trunks looked down at his feet.
"He said he'd never leave mom by herself like Daddy did. He said he'd always be there for me!" Goten shouted. "He promised!"
Trunks' eyes widened as he watched Goten stand, the air throbbing around him in anger. Shaking his fists, Goten screamed up at the sky. "YOU LIED!"
Goten's tousled black hair began to rise up, flickering slightly. A giant blast of power hit the violet-haired boy and almost bowled him over. Raising his arm to shield his face, Trunks watched in awe as the trees began to uproot and fly backwards, crashing into yet more trees, decimating the forest around them. The glow around Goten became so bright that Trunks could not longer see him.
Gradually, the glow diminished, and a golden haired Goten screamed at the sky. "Brother!" The name trailed off into an inarticulate shout of anguish.
Trunks felt his lower lip began to tremble. He had liked Gohan, a lot. It was like he was Trunks' older brother too. He still had his mom tell him stories at night. Stories about an older version of himself that came to the past from a shattered future, determined to change the course of history. How that boy saved the lives of everyone, thanks to the power given to him by his best friend and master.
Now Gohan had died in this timeline too. It just wasn't fair. Breathing heavily, Trunks felt tears carve their way down his cheeks and, shaking his head, he added his own scream of torment to his friends. He screamed and screamed and screamed, until at last, something snapped.
Trunks fell silent, his now green eyes meeting Goten's own in silent understanding. Goten stared at Trunks' blond hair and sighed, feeling his own hair drop and fade back to black. After a moment, Trunks followed suit.
"We can't tell anyone about this," Goten whispered. "It would just upset them more." Trunks nodded silently in agreement.
Goten sighed heavily and scrubbed the last remaining tears from his face. Looking back at his best friend, an idea formed in his mind.
"Trunks, we've got to fly to your house."
"Huh?"
"We need to get there before anyone else does!" Goten said quickly, light coming to his face once more. Trunks shifted on his feet.
"Uh, sure Goten. But why?"
Goten smiled wide, but his eyes remained unusually hard. "We're going to wish my brother back. And we need your mom's Dragon Radar to do it."
The battle has drawn to a close, and the remaining Z fighters mourn for their lost friend. The world seems a little dimmer as another one of Earth's heroes pass on. Will life be the same without Gohan? Goten doesn't seem to think so. Hold on, Gohan! Your brother's going to wish you back to life! That is, if Vegeta lets him.
In the next chapter of Dragonball Z. Gohan gets a firsthand experience of Underworld travel, as King Yemma happily sends him off to find the one person the half-Saiyan needs most right now; his father. But how will Goku take the news of his son's death? Is the afterlife ready for this Father/Son combo? Find out on the next Dragonball Z! Chapter 6: Interlude.
Author: AstroKender
Warnings: Some gore...Lots o angst...some sap. and Death
Spoilers: None.
Notes: Takes place between the Cell and Buu sagas. Gohan centric.
Feedback: Welcome. Please review
Disclaimers: DBZ belongs to Akira Toriyama and Funimation. This fic is for entertainment purposes and is not in any way meant for profit. Don't sue me.
In the last chapter of Dragonball Z, Garlic Jr. finally made his move by attacking Gohan's mind and taking over his body! Gohan struggled to keep the evil tyrant in check, but Garlic was determined to finish off the half-Saiyan's friends. After narrowly rescuing his younger brother from Garlic's foul deeds, Gohan can think of only one solution; to have his friends kill him. But will they do it?
Ch 5- The Sacrifice
'You have to kill me.'
"No..." Piccolo gasped, his eyes widening.
"What?" Krillin asked anxiously, hovering in midair beside his companion. "What's the matter, Piccolo? You look greener than usual."
Piccolo's hands clenched and unclenched nervously as sweat dripped down his face. Growling, the Namek shook his head furiously. "I won't do it!" He roared to Gohan.
"Do what?" Vegeta demanded irritably. The prince was still powered up as a super-Saiyan, and his temper was shorter than usual. It also didn't help matters that he didn't have the foggiest clue what was going on.
Piccolo watched as Gohan rolled around in agony, fighting fiercely to keep control over his own body. The Namek felt a swift pain strike his chest and his brows drew together in indecision. He had never felt so helpless. He shook his head.
"Go-gohan wants me to kill him."
"What?" Krillin shouted. "Why in the world would he want you to do that?" he asked incredulously. Piccolo would never do that, he thought. Would he?
"I see." Vegeta whispered. "He believes it is the only way to defeat this evil inside of him." Vegeta cracked his knuckled and dropped swiftly down to the Lookout's floor. Filled with dread, Piccolo and Krillin dropped down after him.
"What do you think your doing, Vegeta?" Krillin called out. "You can't kill Gohan!"
"It's what he wants!" Vegeta snarled back, clenching his fists as he powered up.
Piccolo rushed towards him, his fangs bared. "I won't let you do this!" Vegeta growled and blasted the Namek back into Krillin, where they skidded to a halt a dozen yards away.
"Don't interfere," Vegeta warned. He slowly stepped closer towards Gohan's crouched form. "Are you sure this is what you want, boy?"
Gohan painfully raised his head. "Do it," he gasped.
Vegeta nodded solemnly and raised his hand, summoning a large ball of energy. Eyes narrowing, he aimed it towards Gohan at point blank range.
Unbidden, flashes of memories appeared in his mind. A young Gohan, fighting with him when Vegeta was trying to take over earth. Joining forces with Gohan and his bald friend to defeat Frieza's minions. Taunting him when they were all wished back to earth, and watching his tears turn to anger. Watching in awe as he battled Cell. Gohan jumping in front of Cell's blast, taking the hit meant for himself....
'You know, you remind me of myself when I was younger; like you're my little brother.'
'I need somebody like you to polish my boots, and call me Lord Vegeta.'
'I'm sorry, Gohan.'
Gohan.... He was the only person Vegeta had ever apologized to. The brat had spunk and the Saiyan prince couldn't help but like the little runt, even though he was Kakkarot's spawn. Unconsciously, Vegeta's aim wavered.
Shaking himself, Vegeta growled, determination once more filling his body with power. "Sorry, kid." The Saiyan muttered, and unleashed his energy blast, full-force.
"No!" Two small bodies slammed into him, knocking off his aim. The blast flew up into the air, disappearing harmlessly into space. Shocked, Vegeta looked up at the two beings that dared to knock him aside.
"Dad! Don't kill him!" Trunks yelled, flinging himself across his father's chest. Behind him, Goten sat on Vegeta's legs. "You can't kill my brother, Vegeta! Please!"
Vegeta looked into two pairs of frightened eyes, speechless. A long moment passed and Vegeta relaxed his tense muscles, reverting back to his normal form. Raking his hand through his black hair irritably, he shoved the two boys off him and sat up. "Maybe we can just knock him unconscious," he muttered.
"You won't get the opportunity," Garlic growled, raising Gohan's body to his feet. Black eyes glinted with hatred as he regarded the three before him. That blast almost wrecked his carefully laid plans. It seemed he would have to deal with the monkeys before finishing off the human and the Namek.
Raising his hands high above him, Garlic created a massive ball of energy. The ground shook as the crackling ball grew, awashing everyone around it with an immense blast of heat. Lightning erupted from the clear night sky in reaction to the dreadful power.
Goten and Trunks huddled close to Vegeta, paralyzed as they watched the boy they had played with so often prepare to destroy them. Vegeta closed his eyes, cursing himself for his earlier weakness.
Garlic laughing in triumph. "Say goodbye to your friends, Gohan!" he shouted as he began to throw the energy ball. "Watch how easily they die, all because of-"
"Special Beam Cannon!"
Gohan's body jerked as a corkscrewing blast hit him from behind, ripping through his chest. Garlic screamed in pain and anger as his energy ball faded away. Clutching the small hole that had seared through his heart, the half-Saiyan collapsed.
The others turned to stare at Piccolo, shock written all over their faces. Piccolo's eyes never left Gohan's shattered form. "W-what...what have I done?"
"Gohan!" Dende ran up to his friend, resting his hands carefully on Gohan's bloody chest. "Hold still, Gohan. I'll heal you." His voice quavered slightly, not at all sure that he could.
Gohan grabbed Dende's hands and pulled them away from him, smiling weakly. "No, Dende. This is the way things have to be. Now...I won't be a danger...to anyone." The half-Saiyan's voice came in faltering gasps.
Krillin knelt swiftly at the young boy's side. "Bro, you're back to normal." He tried hard not to let his sorrow show as he grabbed Gohan's hand and gave it a firm squeeze.
"Yup," Gohan laughed, before a coughing fit overtook him. "That coward Garlic Jr. fled back to his own body...as soon as he felt my life-force depleting. Once I'm dead, there will no longer be any way for him to return to earth.... We beat him."
Turning his head carefully to look at Piccolo, he smiled. "Thank you for protecting my family, Piccolo. I knew... I could count on you."
"Gohan...." The normally stoic Namek began to shake. The half-Saiyan looked away, closing his eyes tiredly.
"Look after them, will ya? And don't worry, if I get to see my Dad... I'll make sure to tell him...you all said 'hi'...even you...Vegeta...." Gohan's chest rose one more time, then fell and lay still. Beside him, Dende broke out into tears. Burying his face in his hands, he sobbed piteously.
Goten pushed himself away from Vegeta and Trunks. "Brother? Gohan?" Trunks turned away hurriedly, raising his knees to his chest and closing his eyes. Goten bent to touch his brother's face but jerked his hand back as he felt Gohan's rapidly cooling skin. His eyes widened as Gohan began to fade from view.
Krillin's head shot up as the hand he was holding was suddenly no longer there. Clenching his fist, he shook his head sadly. "He's really gone." He rose a trembling hand up to his head, suddenly feeling very old. "Take care of him, Goku."
Standing slowly, he turned to Piccolo. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked softly. Piccolo gave no answer. Wrenching his gaze away from the spot where Gohan had lain, the Namek turned away, and took to the skies, flying slowly but unerringly towards the Son house.
Krillin sighed and, after grabbing hold of both Goten and Trunks, launched into the air after him. Dende watched them go; his heart heavy. "Aren't you going with them?" He asked Vegeta.
Vegeta stared at the ground dully. Minutes passed with no movement from the Saiyan prince so the young Namek was startled when Vegeta suddenly snarled and drove his fist into the ground.
Jumping to his feet, Vegeta powered up to a Super-Saiyan and began blasting things at random, causing Dende to throw himself to the ground for protection. Screaming incoherently, the Saiyan warrior blasted Kami's lookout until it looked like nothing more than a floating heap of rubble.
Panting slightly, Vegeta halted his attacks and surveyed his handiwork impassively. Without a word, the prince stalked past a frightened Dende and took off into the night air.
After a long moment of waiting, the Earth's guardian finally deemed it safe to rise. Standing, Dende stared sadly at the destruction. "Mr. Popo will be upset that his gardens were destroyed...." Biting his lip, the young Namek once more began to cry. "Oh, Gohan...."
***
"Come on, Chichi. You can't wait out here all night. The boys will be fine."
Bulma poked idly at the small fire she had built in front of the Son house after the boys were discovered missing. She had tried repeatedly to get Chichi to come back with her to Capsule Corp. but the dark haired woman refused, choosing to stay where she was, staring into the sky where the others had disappeared with undisguised worry. And well, Bulma couldn't just leave her alone, in the dark.
"Something bad has happened," Chichi moaned, her first words in hours. "I can feel it."
Bulma fought the shiver that wracked her spine, telling herself she was only cold. "Your imagination is just running away again. You'll see, Vegeta and Krillin will return with Gohan, Trunks and Goten in tow, and we'll all laugh this off as another crazy adventure over some hot cocoa at my house."
But Chichi just shook her head, rocking herself slightly. Sighing, Bulma glanced at her watch and yawned. It was almost morning. They had both been up all night. "Chichi-" she started again.
"Shh! I hear something."
Bulma stood quickly, immediately aware of the nighttime rustles around them. Swallowing, nervously, she crept closer to Chichi. The dark haired woman stared intently into the sky above them; hands clasped as her eyes searched for those two figures she so desperately needed to see.
The trees around them began to wave as if being buffered by a strong wind. Chichi's strained ears caught a strange rushing sound coming towards them. Then, silence.
Bulma jumped about a foot into the air as Piccolo dropped from the trees practically right beside her. "Eep!" she gasped, falling backwards.
Chichi barely gave the Namek a glance as she continued searching the skies. A few minutes later, a silent Krillin dropped to the ground, his arms full with the huddled forms of Trunks and Goten. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Goten ran passed his mother and into the dark woods beyond the ruined remains of the Son house. Shouting, Trunks ran after him, ignoring Bulma's attempts to stop him.
Chichi glanced after Goten worriedly before biting her lip and staring fixedly at a small cluster of stars. Bulma looked from one silent figure to the next with growing dread. "Hey guys, what's going on?" she asked, afraid of the answer.
She needn't have worried because no one volunteered one.
Getting increasingly frustrated and frightened, the aqua haired woman was about to stalk up to the nearest body and beat some answers out of them when Vegeta seemed to appear out of thin air right before her. Without speaking a word, Bulma suddenly knew that he was the last that would be returning. Staring into Vegeta's eyes, she shook her head. "No.... It can't be...."
Her eyes darted over to Chichi, whose head was still raised to the heavens searchingly. She watched as Krillin hesitantly walked up to her, clearing his throat. "Chichi.... This is going to be hard for you. Hell, it's hard on all of us, but Gohan...Gohan-"
"Gohan is dead." Piccolo finished the words Krillin seemed unable to force out. Chichi's head finally lowered to stare straight ahead, expressionless.
"How?" she asked.
Piccolo hesitated for a moment, before answering. "I killed him." Bulma gasped and leaned against Vegeta as her knees threatened to buckle. The Saiyan prince for once didn't push her away.
Chichi turned and walked slowly towards the Namek. Staring at him for a pain-filled moment, she arched her hand back and smacked him across the cheek. Piccolo's head whipped to the side, more from the emotional blow than the physical one. Chichi glared at him, her eyes blazing with hatred.
"I liked to think that we had an unspoken understanding." She said bitingly. "You would save Gohan whenever he was in danger and I didn't complain too much when Gohan ran off to do whatever you guys did together." Goku's widow clenched her fists, suppressing the urge to strike him again.
Piccolo stared at her, silent, his eyes reflecting back her accusations a thousand fold. Chichi shook her head. "Our silent pact is broken. I never want to see you around my family again or I will wish for the Dragon to cast you into the farthest pits of hell." Turning around, she silenced Krillin's protests with a glare. "Now get out of my sight."
Feeling a blast of air hit her back, Chichi sighed, knowing that Piccolo was gone. Eyes filling with tears, she fell to her knees. She struck her fists into the dirt, wailing like a madwoman. "Why?" She screamed. "Why must you take them from me? Gohan! GOHAN!"
Bulma closed her eyes and leaned closer to Vegita. She knew she should be going over to her friend and comfort her, but she couldn't get herself to move. Instead, she stood there in the shadow of the Prince of Saiyans; tears leaking out between tightly closed lids.
Vegeta stared into the small fire beside him, oblivious to the crying women around him. Krillin looked around him sadly before walking off, intent to find a spot where he could watch the sunrise, alone. Glancing into the sky, he wished Piccolo well.
***
Piccolo flew higher and higher into the sky, ignoring the thinning levels of oxygen. Blasting through cloud banks, the Namek repeatedly relived the events of the last few hours. Every agonizing memory sent him hurtling faster towards space.
He had killed him.
His first friend. His best friend. His only friend for the longest amount of time.
He had let Gohan die--No! He had caused him to die! Screaming, Piccolo surged out of Earth's atmosphere. Floating for what seemed like eternity, the Namek reached for the nearest star, his vision dimming.
"Gohan...."
Piccolo's eyes rolled back into his head and he dropped from the sky like a meteor, falling swiftly towards the planet he left far below. Smiling, the warrior spread his arms, praying silently that the fall would kill him.
After endless moments of free falling, the wind howling past his ears, Piccolo's body met the hard resistance of the ground. He slammed into it with devastating speed, creating a large crater around him. Coughing up blood, Piccolo lay there, gasping.
'Don't worry kid, I won't let anything happen to you. I promise.'
With one swift shot of his beam cannon, Gohan's life was snuffed out like a dying candle. Piccolo painfully lifted his hand, wondering how such a familiar object could betray him as it had. Because of this arm, he had broken his promise, and with it, the blackened lump of flesh he called his heart.
Growling, Piccolo grabbed the offending limb, ripping it from his body and casting it aside like the trash it was. Holding his bleeding shoulder, the Namek's head dropped back as he finally allowed the tears to come.
***
Trunks ran through the woods, searching. He tried homing onto Goten's ki, but the boy's power levels were rising and falling so rapidly it was hard to get a fix on him. Ignoring the shrubs that scraped his hands and face and pulled at his hair, Trunks searched furtively for his friend.
Stopping, he sighed. "I'm just going to get myself lost this way."
Trunks prepared to take to the air, but halted as he heard a noise nearby. Walking slowly closer, his sharp ears caught the sound of quiet snuffling. Tiptoeing past the last few trees that blocked his vision, Trunks stared silently at his sobbing friend.
Goten looked up. "Wh-why did Gohan have to leave?"
"I don't know." Trunks looked down at his feet.
"He said he'd never leave mom by herself like Daddy did. He said he'd always be there for me!" Goten shouted. "He promised!"
Trunks' eyes widened as he watched Goten stand, the air throbbing around him in anger. Shaking his fists, Goten screamed up at the sky. "YOU LIED!"
Goten's tousled black hair began to rise up, flickering slightly. A giant blast of power hit the violet-haired boy and almost bowled him over. Raising his arm to shield his face, Trunks watched in awe as the trees began to uproot and fly backwards, crashing into yet more trees, decimating the forest around them. The glow around Goten became so bright that Trunks could not longer see him.
Gradually, the glow diminished, and a golden haired Goten screamed at the sky. "Brother!" The name trailed off into an inarticulate shout of anguish.
Trunks felt his lower lip began to tremble. He had liked Gohan, a lot. It was like he was Trunks' older brother too. He still had his mom tell him stories at night. Stories about an older version of himself that came to the past from a shattered future, determined to change the course of history. How that boy saved the lives of everyone, thanks to the power given to him by his best friend and master.
Now Gohan had died in this timeline too. It just wasn't fair. Breathing heavily, Trunks felt tears carve their way down his cheeks and, shaking his head, he added his own scream of torment to his friends. He screamed and screamed and screamed, until at last, something snapped.
Trunks fell silent, his now green eyes meeting Goten's own in silent understanding. Goten stared at Trunks' blond hair and sighed, feeling his own hair drop and fade back to black. After a moment, Trunks followed suit.
"We can't tell anyone about this," Goten whispered. "It would just upset them more." Trunks nodded silently in agreement.
Goten sighed heavily and scrubbed the last remaining tears from his face. Looking back at his best friend, an idea formed in his mind.
"Trunks, we've got to fly to your house."
"Huh?"
"We need to get there before anyone else does!" Goten said quickly, light coming to his face once more. Trunks shifted on his feet.
"Uh, sure Goten. But why?"
Goten smiled wide, but his eyes remained unusually hard. "We're going to wish my brother back. And we need your mom's Dragon Radar to do it."
The battle has drawn to a close, and the remaining Z fighters mourn for their lost friend. The world seems a little dimmer as another one of Earth's heroes pass on. Will life be the same without Gohan? Goten doesn't seem to think so. Hold on, Gohan! Your brother's going to wish you back to life! That is, if Vegeta lets him.
In the next chapter of Dragonball Z. Gohan gets a firsthand experience of Underworld travel, as King Yemma happily sends him off to find the one person the half-Saiyan needs most right now; his father. But how will Goku take the news of his son's death? Is the afterlife ready for this Father/Son combo? Find out on the next Dragonball Z! Chapter 6: Interlude.