Chapter 3: The Truth Comes Out
"I guess my story starts about seven years from now on May 7." Gochi said as he and Trunks watched the others use their different attacks. "Majin Buu, an evil that's nearly indestructible, will come to Earth. You all try to stop him but it's no use. Eventually, Vegeta makes the ultimate sacrifice to stop him."
"You mean…" Trunks said, even though he knew what Gochi was talking about.
"Yes. But even Vegeta's death wasn't enough to put down that pink psychopath. Piccolo, the present-day you, and Goku's future son named Goten try to stop him as well but that doesn't even work. He begins absorbing everyone, giving him more power than before. Eventually, Goku stops him himself by transforming to SSJ Level 3. But by then, it's too late." Gochi sighs as he tries to recall the old memory. "When everyone finds out what happened, Bulma begins to get severely depressed over Vegeta's death. It's so strong that almost no one could snap her out of it, not even you. Eventually, Goku visits and starts talking to her, getting her to face her grief so she could heal. During that time, old feelings begin to resurface."
"Old feelings?" Trunks asked.
"Yeah. ChiChi becomes jealous of all the attention that Goku is giving Bulma so she gives him an ultimatum: either he chooses to stay with her or Bulma. Goku makes his decision and…" Gochi paused, as if he was hesitant to say this last thing that will reveal the truth about his mission.
"And what?" Trunks asked impatiently. "Did Goku choose ChiChi or my mother?"
"Let me put it like this, Trunks." Gochi said as he turned to him. "One year later, I was born."
Despite having learned this new factor about the future of his friends, Trunks was surprisingly calm.
"I thought as much." Trunks said calmly. "It's all beginning to make sense to me now."
"What are you talking about?" Gochi asked, him being the one who was confused now.
"When I returned home after defeating the Androids, I told Mother about the adventures I had with my father and my friends. She was cynical about my father, noting how stubborn he could be at times. At first, I thought she was merely hiding her true feelings for him. But when I mentioned Goku, she would get this look of recollection on her. It was almost like a deep- seeded regret. When I was younger, she would always tell me stories about Goku's heroics and how they would spend so much time together on their adventures. But after what you've told me, my suspicions are correct." Trunks then looked to where Goku and Gohan were firing their attacks at each other. "For some reason, Goku was always bigger in my mother's heart, more even than Father was. Now I know why."
"Trunks, I need you to promise something for me." Gochi said to him. "I need you to…"
"Don't worry, Gochi." Trunks reassured him. "I won't tell anyone."
"Thanks." With that, both fighters went to rejoin the others in their training.
-----------------
Meanwhile, deep within the inky blackness of space, an object moved at an alarming speed. It was glowing with a dark purple aura, a spirit that radiated with evil intent. Its only thought was fulfilling its mission: to seek and absorb the strongest. It would not be stopped for any reason. He could sense the power coming from the third planet in the system it was headed for. Soon, he would reach the planet of its birth. Soon, he will fulfill his purpose at last.
-----------------
After a few more hours of training, each of the Z Fighters went back to their homes. Gochi, however, went back to his pod. It was small, but comfortable enough for him. When Goku and Gohan returned home, they had to face a very angry ChiChi.
"Where have you two been?" ChiChi said angrily to the two fighters. "It almost nightfall. You know you're supposed to be home before then."
"Sorry, ChiChi." Goku said apologetically. "We just got caught up in our training, that's all."
"I don't want to hear it, Goku." ChiChi almost yelled at them. "I've been cooking and cleaning up all day and I'm in no mood for any excuses right now."
"But Mom…" Gohan tried to say.
"Now, both of you go wash up for dinner." ChiChi told them. "The least you can do is keep yourselves clean." With that, both Saiyans went to the bathroom to wash up and change.
"Geez, when ChiChi is like this, it's so hard to talk to her." Goku thought to himself. "She looses her temper over the smallest things. At first, I used to think that this was the way she was. But now I'm starting to wonder… Oh well. I guess she's just having a bad day."
-----------------
Meanwhile, as Trunks returned to Capsule Corp, he noticed that Bulma was cooking something on the stove. Vegeta was, of course, still training in the gravity room. The blue-haired scientist looked up from the pot she was tending to and saw her future son walk into the kitchen.
"Trunks, you're back." Bulma said as she walked over and gently hugged him. "Did you have fun training with Goku and the others?"
"Yes, Mother, I did." Trunks replied. "Gochi showed us some new techniques we can use later."
"They probably involved some sort of ridiculous ritual, no doubt." They turned and saw that it was Vegeta, sweaty and somewhat worn from training. "Woman, I wanted dinner five minutes ago."
"Well, finally, the all-mighty Prince of all Saiyans graces us with his presence." Bulma said mockingly.
"Do not presume to mock me, woman." Vegeta said to her. "Is that sub- standard concoction you call food ready yet?"
"Dinner was ready five minutes ago, Vegeta." Bulma said, matching his tone of voice with almost equal precision. "If you would've stopped training long enough to pay attention to things, you would've known that."
"You are someone to talk about attention." Vegeta told her. "You blatantly ignore me just to tend to the brat and your ridiculous scientific work while the rest of us are busy with much more important things."
That did it. Insulting Bulma herself was one thing, but NO ONE insults her inventions or her child. With one swift movement, she went up to Vegeta and stared him straight in his eyes.
"No one insults my inventions." Bulma said in a low, angry voice. "And that BRAT is your son, in case you haven't noticed. Now, if you want to eat, you're going to serve yourself." With that, she turned smoothly and began to walk out of the kitchen area, brushing past Trunks on her way out.
"Woman, where are you going?" Vegeta demanded.
"To do some of my ridiculous scientific work!" Bulma shouted back as she walked away.
"Don't walk away from me, woman!" Vegeta yelled out. "Don't pretend that you can't hear me! Bulma! BULMA!!!" But she was already gone.
-----------------
Meanwhile, Gochi had been asleep in his pod when he sensed it. It felt like a flaring ki, like someone close to him was angry or in deep passion. Then, it was dulled to a steady flame. He knew what had happened.
"So, Vegeta and Mother are having another argument." Gochi said as he sat up in his cot. "It's beginning already." Just then, he felt a flash of ki run through him. It was cold, like the chill of evil and darkness. Gochi collapsed onto his knees in pain, letting the feeling pass until it was gone. When he got up, he knew where it came from.
"Zero is coming soon." Gochi said to himself. "I hope we're prepared to fight him."
-----------------
A few weeks later, while the Z Fighters were busy honing their skills, something entered the atmosphere of the planet. It crash-landed in a mountain, getting crushed by the falling debris in the process. However, from the crater made by the crash, something emerges. He is surrounded by an evil dark energy, his true form barely visible. The only things that could be seen were his eyes. They were empty and black. He was Zero, and he was on a mission.
"So, this is the planet of my origins." Zero thought. "I can feel the abundance of energy here. Soon, it will help me fulfill my mission. Soon, I shall be complete."
"I guess my story starts about seven years from now on May 7." Gochi said as he and Trunks watched the others use their different attacks. "Majin Buu, an evil that's nearly indestructible, will come to Earth. You all try to stop him but it's no use. Eventually, Vegeta makes the ultimate sacrifice to stop him."
"You mean…" Trunks said, even though he knew what Gochi was talking about.
"Yes. But even Vegeta's death wasn't enough to put down that pink psychopath. Piccolo, the present-day you, and Goku's future son named Goten try to stop him as well but that doesn't even work. He begins absorbing everyone, giving him more power than before. Eventually, Goku stops him himself by transforming to SSJ Level 3. But by then, it's too late." Gochi sighs as he tries to recall the old memory. "When everyone finds out what happened, Bulma begins to get severely depressed over Vegeta's death. It's so strong that almost no one could snap her out of it, not even you. Eventually, Goku visits and starts talking to her, getting her to face her grief so she could heal. During that time, old feelings begin to resurface."
"Old feelings?" Trunks asked.
"Yeah. ChiChi becomes jealous of all the attention that Goku is giving Bulma so she gives him an ultimatum: either he chooses to stay with her or Bulma. Goku makes his decision and…" Gochi paused, as if he was hesitant to say this last thing that will reveal the truth about his mission.
"And what?" Trunks asked impatiently. "Did Goku choose ChiChi or my mother?"
"Let me put it like this, Trunks." Gochi said as he turned to him. "One year later, I was born."
Despite having learned this new factor about the future of his friends, Trunks was surprisingly calm.
"I thought as much." Trunks said calmly. "It's all beginning to make sense to me now."
"What are you talking about?" Gochi asked, him being the one who was confused now.
"When I returned home after defeating the Androids, I told Mother about the adventures I had with my father and my friends. She was cynical about my father, noting how stubborn he could be at times. At first, I thought she was merely hiding her true feelings for him. But when I mentioned Goku, she would get this look of recollection on her. It was almost like a deep- seeded regret. When I was younger, she would always tell me stories about Goku's heroics and how they would spend so much time together on their adventures. But after what you've told me, my suspicions are correct." Trunks then looked to where Goku and Gohan were firing their attacks at each other. "For some reason, Goku was always bigger in my mother's heart, more even than Father was. Now I know why."
"Trunks, I need you to promise something for me." Gochi said to him. "I need you to…"
"Don't worry, Gochi." Trunks reassured him. "I won't tell anyone."
"Thanks." With that, both fighters went to rejoin the others in their training.
-----------------
Meanwhile, deep within the inky blackness of space, an object moved at an alarming speed. It was glowing with a dark purple aura, a spirit that radiated with evil intent. Its only thought was fulfilling its mission: to seek and absorb the strongest. It would not be stopped for any reason. He could sense the power coming from the third planet in the system it was headed for. Soon, he would reach the planet of its birth. Soon, he will fulfill his purpose at last.
-----------------
After a few more hours of training, each of the Z Fighters went back to their homes. Gochi, however, went back to his pod. It was small, but comfortable enough for him. When Goku and Gohan returned home, they had to face a very angry ChiChi.
"Where have you two been?" ChiChi said angrily to the two fighters. "It almost nightfall. You know you're supposed to be home before then."
"Sorry, ChiChi." Goku said apologetically. "We just got caught up in our training, that's all."
"I don't want to hear it, Goku." ChiChi almost yelled at them. "I've been cooking and cleaning up all day and I'm in no mood for any excuses right now."
"But Mom…" Gohan tried to say.
"Now, both of you go wash up for dinner." ChiChi told them. "The least you can do is keep yourselves clean." With that, both Saiyans went to the bathroom to wash up and change.
"Geez, when ChiChi is like this, it's so hard to talk to her." Goku thought to himself. "She looses her temper over the smallest things. At first, I used to think that this was the way she was. But now I'm starting to wonder… Oh well. I guess she's just having a bad day."
-----------------
Meanwhile, as Trunks returned to Capsule Corp, he noticed that Bulma was cooking something on the stove. Vegeta was, of course, still training in the gravity room. The blue-haired scientist looked up from the pot she was tending to and saw her future son walk into the kitchen.
"Trunks, you're back." Bulma said as she walked over and gently hugged him. "Did you have fun training with Goku and the others?"
"Yes, Mother, I did." Trunks replied. "Gochi showed us some new techniques we can use later."
"They probably involved some sort of ridiculous ritual, no doubt." They turned and saw that it was Vegeta, sweaty and somewhat worn from training. "Woman, I wanted dinner five minutes ago."
"Well, finally, the all-mighty Prince of all Saiyans graces us with his presence." Bulma said mockingly.
"Do not presume to mock me, woman." Vegeta said to her. "Is that sub- standard concoction you call food ready yet?"
"Dinner was ready five minutes ago, Vegeta." Bulma said, matching his tone of voice with almost equal precision. "If you would've stopped training long enough to pay attention to things, you would've known that."
"You are someone to talk about attention." Vegeta told her. "You blatantly ignore me just to tend to the brat and your ridiculous scientific work while the rest of us are busy with much more important things."
That did it. Insulting Bulma herself was one thing, but NO ONE insults her inventions or her child. With one swift movement, she went up to Vegeta and stared him straight in his eyes.
"No one insults my inventions." Bulma said in a low, angry voice. "And that BRAT is your son, in case you haven't noticed. Now, if you want to eat, you're going to serve yourself." With that, she turned smoothly and began to walk out of the kitchen area, brushing past Trunks on her way out.
"Woman, where are you going?" Vegeta demanded.
"To do some of my ridiculous scientific work!" Bulma shouted back as she walked away.
"Don't walk away from me, woman!" Vegeta yelled out. "Don't pretend that you can't hear me! Bulma! BULMA!!!" But she was already gone.
-----------------
Meanwhile, Gochi had been asleep in his pod when he sensed it. It felt like a flaring ki, like someone close to him was angry or in deep passion. Then, it was dulled to a steady flame. He knew what had happened.
"So, Vegeta and Mother are having another argument." Gochi said as he sat up in his cot. "It's beginning already." Just then, he felt a flash of ki run through him. It was cold, like the chill of evil and darkness. Gochi collapsed onto his knees in pain, letting the feeling pass until it was gone. When he got up, he knew where it came from.
"Zero is coming soon." Gochi said to himself. "I hope we're prepared to fight him."
-----------------
A few weeks later, while the Z Fighters were busy honing their skills, something entered the atmosphere of the planet. It crash-landed in a mountain, getting crushed by the falling debris in the process. However, from the crater made by the crash, something emerges. He is surrounded by an evil dark energy, his true form barely visible. The only things that could be seen were his eyes. They were empty and black. He was Zero, and he was on a mission.
"So, this is the planet of my origins." Zero thought. "I can feel the abundance of energy here. Soon, it will help me fulfill my mission. Soon, I shall be complete."