Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ, I just like to play with the characters.
Sweetheart, Dead-heart:
It had been some time since the Supreme Kai had left and still Piccolo seemed to feel a tingling on his arm where he(?) had touched him. The sensation disturbed him as he meditated, waiting for the others. AT long last, his sensitive ears heard the sound of the approaching jet-copter and he felt the familiar ki signatures. Soon, the boy heard it as well and woke up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
ChiChi got off first and went straight to Piccolo, "Where's Goku?" she asked, distraught.
"Shin took him to Dende to be healed," the former demon stated. Hope grew in the woman's eyes, then fell as the Namek directed her attention to the shrouded forms, "Your sons are there."
Wordless, ChiChi walked over, knelt and drew away the cloth. Gently she touched the still, cold cheeks of her children. *Gohan, you've grown up to be so handsome and smart. Goten, my baby, you should be all curled up in bed with your thumb still in your mouth.* She imagined how strong they had been that morning- the dutiful one and the cheerful one, then she collapsed, keening her sorrow.
Trunks saw his mother emerge from the jet and ran to her. "Mom! Oh Mom!" he cried as he hugged her fiercely. She held him tightly for comfort, combing the tangles from his hair with her fingers. "I'm sorry I said it... I didn't mean it... it wasn't Dad's fault... Goten shouldn't have got in the way... an' now he's goooone!" He wailed, wiping his face on her dress, leaving dirt and tears smeared across it.
"I know, sweetie, I know," Bulma rocked him, crooning. She didn't really know yet what he had gone through, but it helped ease her own pain to hold him close.
The last five got off, Yamcha and Kurillan went over to an annoyed Piccolo. "What is he doing here?" he pointed to Hercule.
"He's here with Videl," the short fighter answered, "Don't worry, he won't cause any problems." He chuckled dryly, remembering the recent fight.
"Huh?"
"Yeah, Kurillan, here, taught him a little 'lesson'." Yamcha smirked.
"Hmm, he'd better not. We have enough worries without him causing any more."
Hercule followed the slight form of his daughter and held her as she looked around dazedly. He was confused about the landing in the dark, quiet valley. Then he saw the tall, white draped figure step forward into the light. When the other men joined it, the hair on his neck (arms, back, and…er, um) started to rise as he recognized with horror fighters from the Cell games for the second time that day. A high-pitched whimpering rose in the air and joined the boy's blubbering from his mother's skirts in a fearful way. As his daughter moved forward, he held her back from seeing the awful thing there had to be there, "Stop, Videl."
"Let her go." A cold, low voice from the blonde witch froze him and the girl slipped from his grasp.
She walked slowly, dreading what she may see, yet needing to know. Then she saw them... him, and her heart seemed to stop. Light from the 'copter flickered through the leaves, giving the illusion of movement, of life to the boys laying on the grass. She knelt beside the larger one and looked at him. She had known he was strong, but now she could see the muscles he'd kept hidden under his usual loose clothes. She closed her eyes, her ears, pretending he was just asleep in the woods near his house. She reached for his hand, to hold it, then jerked back at the cold stiffness of it. *He is dead.*
Her eyes snapped open, sight and sound returned as she realized the true horror of her surroundings. *He is dead.* She stood shakily, hands to her mouth, and ran back to the jetcopter and cowered trembling in her seat, brokenly repeating the word "no...no..." over and over again. *He is dead!* Soon her father's arms were around her as they had been when her mother had died, rocking her until she fell asleep.
The three men stood together- tall, medium and short; powerful fighters all- all feeling unequal to the situation at hand. "Three hysterical women, what could be worse?" Kurillan asked.
"I'll tell you," Piccolo answered, his voice rumbling, under-scoring the keening sobs, "Vegeta didn't succeed. Majin Buu survived."
"WHAT!!" the other two exclaimed, looking at the Namek in horrified surprise.
"How can we hope to defeat it now?" Yamcha asked, gesturing with his arms to indicate the scene before them.
"The Supreme Kai seems to have a plan. He took Goku to Dende to be healed and went to the otherworld to reprieve Gohan." The others looked hopeful at his words, then got solemn again as he continued, "Buu is recovering now, I can already feel him getting stronger. This place will not be safe much longer."
"I understand," the short man nodded gravely, "We're going back to Capsule Corp, so we should probably get going." He sighed, reluctant to interrupt ChiChi's mourning to move her sons' bodies.
"I won't be coming with you," Piccolo stated, rubbing a spot on his arm absently, "Shin told me to meet him on the Look Out." The other two glanced at him curiously, then shrugged acceptance.
A short ways away, a young boy had heard the men talk while he calmed down enfolded in his mother's arms. The words fired a deter-mination within him and sparked an idea. "Mom?"
"Hmm, yes, Trunks?" his mother replied softly.
"Am I the last of the Saiyans?" he questioned.
"For now," she said, holding him tighter.
"Father told me to take care of you, before he..." The boy choked and didn't continue. He felt his mother get very still while her heart started to beat loud and fast. Trunks let go and stood away from her, "I'm going to get the dragonballs."
"Dragonballs?" she questioned blankly, her mind blazing with the thought, *he knew, he knew!*
"Yeah, I'm gonna get them an' wish Goten an' Dad an' all them back!" he shouted excitedly, gaining the attention of the other adults.
"Vegeta's already been wished back once, the Earth balls won't work for him," Bulma protested sadly.
"Well, I'm going to get Goten back, at least," the boy stated stubbornly, crossing his arms in a manner like his father's.
"Of course, dear," his mother smiled back proudly through her tears.
"That's it!" Kurrilan exclaimed triumphantly, smacking a fist in his hand, "That's what Goku meant!" He laughed as the others looked at him strangely, "The dragonballs from New Namek! We can wish them all back, even Goku!" His yells even brought ChiChi around to face him. "He wants to come back, that son-of-a-gun! And we considered him stupid." He chuckled some more, levitating to slug Piccolo in the shoulder.
"Yeah!" Yamcha shouted, jumping with his fist in the air.
"Don't get too excited," the green fighter growled, reminding them of the serious fight to come, "Who knows how many will need to be revived after this is over."
AN: Thanks again to all who reviewed, especially Greywolf2004!
All right, this story has gone on much longer than I originally meant and I finally got to the point of the title. I've been through everyone's feelings and reactions. (I teared up a bit writing through Videl, ChiChi and Bulma.) I hope you don't mind me making Hercule a little more sympathetic, he's a kind of every-man figure who got put in a situation too big for him and made the best of it.
Since I haven't seen the rest of the series, and have just read summaries of it, I am now going AU. There will be more action and less introspection, and some surprises.(Although I have thrown hints.) C-ya!
P.S. Do you know how hard it is to come up with two word titles? Next episode: Goku returns and the dragonballs are found.
Sweetheart, Dead-heart:
It had been some time since the Supreme Kai had left and still Piccolo seemed to feel a tingling on his arm where he(?) had touched him. The sensation disturbed him as he meditated, waiting for the others. AT long last, his sensitive ears heard the sound of the approaching jet-copter and he felt the familiar ki signatures. Soon, the boy heard it as well and woke up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
ChiChi got off first and went straight to Piccolo, "Where's Goku?" she asked, distraught.
"Shin took him to Dende to be healed," the former demon stated. Hope grew in the woman's eyes, then fell as the Namek directed her attention to the shrouded forms, "Your sons are there."
Wordless, ChiChi walked over, knelt and drew away the cloth. Gently she touched the still, cold cheeks of her children. *Gohan, you've grown up to be so handsome and smart. Goten, my baby, you should be all curled up in bed with your thumb still in your mouth.* She imagined how strong they had been that morning- the dutiful one and the cheerful one, then she collapsed, keening her sorrow.
Trunks saw his mother emerge from the jet and ran to her. "Mom! Oh Mom!" he cried as he hugged her fiercely. She held him tightly for comfort, combing the tangles from his hair with her fingers. "I'm sorry I said it... I didn't mean it... it wasn't Dad's fault... Goten shouldn't have got in the way... an' now he's goooone!" He wailed, wiping his face on her dress, leaving dirt and tears smeared across it.
"I know, sweetie, I know," Bulma rocked him, crooning. She didn't really know yet what he had gone through, but it helped ease her own pain to hold him close.
The last five got off, Yamcha and Kurillan went over to an annoyed Piccolo. "What is he doing here?" he pointed to Hercule.
"He's here with Videl," the short fighter answered, "Don't worry, he won't cause any problems." He chuckled dryly, remembering the recent fight.
"Huh?"
"Yeah, Kurillan, here, taught him a little 'lesson'." Yamcha smirked.
"Hmm, he'd better not. We have enough worries without him causing any more."
Hercule followed the slight form of his daughter and held her as she looked around dazedly. He was confused about the landing in the dark, quiet valley. Then he saw the tall, white draped figure step forward into the light. When the other men joined it, the hair on his neck (arms, back, and…er, um) started to rise as he recognized with horror fighters from the Cell games for the second time that day. A high-pitched whimpering rose in the air and joined the boy's blubbering from his mother's skirts in a fearful way. As his daughter moved forward, he held her back from seeing the awful thing there had to be there, "Stop, Videl."
"Let her go." A cold, low voice from the blonde witch froze him and the girl slipped from his grasp.
She walked slowly, dreading what she may see, yet needing to know. Then she saw them... him, and her heart seemed to stop. Light from the 'copter flickered through the leaves, giving the illusion of movement, of life to the boys laying on the grass. She knelt beside the larger one and looked at him. She had known he was strong, but now she could see the muscles he'd kept hidden under his usual loose clothes. She closed her eyes, her ears, pretending he was just asleep in the woods near his house. She reached for his hand, to hold it, then jerked back at the cold stiffness of it. *He is dead.*
Her eyes snapped open, sight and sound returned as she realized the true horror of her surroundings. *He is dead.* She stood shakily, hands to her mouth, and ran back to the jetcopter and cowered trembling in her seat, brokenly repeating the word "no...no..." over and over again. *He is dead!* Soon her father's arms were around her as they had been when her mother had died, rocking her until she fell asleep.
The three men stood together- tall, medium and short; powerful fighters all- all feeling unequal to the situation at hand. "Three hysterical women, what could be worse?" Kurillan asked.
"I'll tell you," Piccolo answered, his voice rumbling, under-scoring the keening sobs, "Vegeta didn't succeed. Majin Buu survived."
"WHAT!!" the other two exclaimed, looking at the Namek in horrified surprise.
"How can we hope to defeat it now?" Yamcha asked, gesturing with his arms to indicate the scene before them.
"The Supreme Kai seems to have a plan. He took Goku to Dende to be healed and went to the otherworld to reprieve Gohan." The others looked hopeful at his words, then got solemn again as he continued, "Buu is recovering now, I can already feel him getting stronger. This place will not be safe much longer."
"I understand," the short man nodded gravely, "We're going back to Capsule Corp, so we should probably get going." He sighed, reluctant to interrupt ChiChi's mourning to move her sons' bodies.
"I won't be coming with you," Piccolo stated, rubbing a spot on his arm absently, "Shin told me to meet him on the Look Out." The other two glanced at him curiously, then shrugged acceptance.
A short ways away, a young boy had heard the men talk while he calmed down enfolded in his mother's arms. The words fired a deter-mination within him and sparked an idea. "Mom?"
"Hmm, yes, Trunks?" his mother replied softly.
"Am I the last of the Saiyans?" he questioned.
"For now," she said, holding him tighter.
"Father told me to take care of you, before he..." The boy choked and didn't continue. He felt his mother get very still while her heart started to beat loud and fast. Trunks let go and stood away from her, "I'm going to get the dragonballs."
"Dragonballs?" she questioned blankly, her mind blazing with the thought, *he knew, he knew!*
"Yeah, I'm gonna get them an' wish Goten an' Dad an' all them back!" he shouted excitedly, gaining the attention of the other adults.
"Vegeta's already been wished back once, the Earth balls won't work for him," Bulma protested sadly.
"Well, I'm going to get Goten back, at least," the boy stated stubbornly, crossing his arms in a manner like his father's.
"Of course, dear," his mother smiled back proudly through her tears.
"That's it!" Kurrilan exclaimed triumphantly, smacking a fist in his hand, "That's what Goku meant!" He laughed as the others looked at him strangely, "The dragonballs from New Namek! We can wish them all back, even Goku!" His yells even brought ChiChi around to face him. "He wants to come back, that son-of-a-gun! And we considered him stupid." He chuckled some more, levitating to slug Piccolo in the shoulder.
"Yeah!" Yamcha shouted, jumping with his fist in the air.
"Don't get too excited," the green fighter growled, reminding them of the serious fight to come, "Who knows how many will need to be revived after this is over."
AN: Thanks again to all who reviewed, especially Greywolf2004!
All right, this story has gone on much longer than I originally meant and I finally got to the point of the title. I've been through everyone's feelings and reactions. (I teared up a bit writing through Videl, ChiChi and Bulma.) I hope you don't mind me making Hercule a little more sympathetic, he's a kind of every-man figure who got put in a situation too big for him and made the best of it.
Since I haven't seen the rest of the series, and have just read summaries of it, I am now going AU. There will be more action and less introspection, and some surprises.(Although I have thrown hints.) C-ya!
P.S. Do you know how hard it is to come up with two word titles? Next episode: Goku returns and the dragonballs are found.