Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ, I just like to play with the characters.
Otherworld Interlude:
They turned to do their onerous task and gasped as Gohan's body disappeared, leaving only that of the youngest Son's. "What happened?" ChiChi cried unbelievingly, clutching at the ground where he had been, "Where is he?"
"He has succeeded," Piccolo said with wonder, "he has taken him."
"Who? Why?"
"The Supreme Kai. I must leave now. Do not linger here." The Namek rose in the air then faded into the night sky, leaving a somber group of friends to their solemn duty.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, in a tremendous building in another dimension, a young man found himself in front of a huge desk where an enormous being sat. "Wow! You're even bigger than Grandpa!" he exclaimed.
"Who are you?" the being thundered, glaring down at him.
"I'm Son Gohan. Where am I?" He looked around as the giant searched through a book on his desk. Blue skinned um, men were guiding fast moving little clouds onto a road leading outside. One had apparently escaped and started jumping about Gohan's knees.
"Son Gohan, and ... er, Son Goten, I believe," the voice rumbled from above and the little cloud cowered at the sound, "I'm King Yamma and this is the Otherworld."
"Otherworld? GOTEN?!!" the teen exclaimed looking down in shock. The little cloud jumped up into Gohan's arms and he could now see it had the features of his little brother's face. "What are you doing here? How many times have I told you not to follow me? Mom is going to be sooo mad!" The cloud got sorry-sad puppy eyes and Gohan gave him a hug.
"Attendant!" the giant bellowed.
"Yes, King Yamma," one of the guards appeared at his elbow.
"Take this little fellow to the waiting room with the others. Knowing his folks, he won't be here long."
"Yes sir," the guard saluted and took spirit Goten away.
"Excuse me, King Yamma, sir, but I can't stay here. I've gotta go back too," the young man protested.
"You're Goku's kid, right? Fine man, good fighter. Sorry Son, you can't go back, not now anyway." King Yamma answered kindly, looking down at him.
"Why not?"
"Because you are to come with me," a familiar tenor spoke behind him.
Gohan spun and faced the entity he had tried to save earlier, "Supreme Kai! What are you..., I mean, you're not dead too, are you?"
"No, I'm just here on business, I assure you." Shin replied, smiling confidently, whole and immaculate again.
"You still need me to fight Buu, don't you?" the youth asked, his face serious.
"Yes," the Supreme Kai answered grimly.
"What about my dad, will he be helping?"
"His leave has already been extended." King Yamma answered him, "You know the price, Kaoshin."
"I agree to the terms. I need to make some arrangements first." Shin floated above the huge desk and used a fine ki-beam to seal a contract.
"It's high time you took some vacation," King Yamma smirked satisfactorily as he filed the contract. "About those arrangements, don't choose someone green, you need a being with experience." At his comment, the Supreme Kai fixed him with an un-nerving stare as he floated down the teen's side. As he touched Gohan's shoulder, Shin quirked his lips in a knowing smile then disappeared with him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After another long, quiet journey, they had dropped off the Satans near their home then continued to Capsule Corps. Declining the room prepared for her, ChiChi and her father borrowed an aircar to bring her son home. Once there, Ox King stoked the fires and sadly set out to find a fitting marker stone.
The mother unwrapped the body of her child and removed the soiled and torn gi. With warm, soapy water and a soft sponge, she gently washed the cold flesh then clothed it in one of his best silk suits. The grandfather returned to carry the boy's body to his room and lay it tenderly down on the bed. They stood silent for a few minutes, then exhausted, retired to their rooms for a few hours sleep.
AN: First off, this isn't what I said was going to happen next. I said I had been through everyone's point of view, then Gohan stuck his hand up and asked, "What about me?", so I had to bring him back in. Once I started writing, the characters refused to cooperate. Sure, they were glib enough while I was driving someplace or laying in bed at night, but sit in front of the computer, ready to take down their words and they were tongue-tied. (In other words, I had writer's block.)
So now, next episode will have the return of Goku and the start of Trunks' dragonball search in a chapter that has some anger, some romance, some humor and still some sorrow. (Though not necessarily in that order.) It won't be such a long wait, I promise.
Otherworld Interlude:
They turned to do their onerous task and gasped as Gohan's body disappeared, leaving only that of the youngest Son's. "What happened?" ChiChi cried unbelievingly, clutching at the ground where he had been, "Where is he?"
"He has succeeded," Piccolo said with wonder, "he has taken him."
"Who? Why?"
"The Supreme Kai. I must leave now. Do not linger here." The Namek rose in the air then faded into the night sky, leaving a somber group of friends to their solemn duty.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, in a tremendous building in another dimension, a young man found himself in front of a huge desk where an enormous being sat. "Wow! You're even bigger than Grandpa!" he exclaimed.
"Who are you?" the being thundered, glaring down at him.
"I'm Son Gohan. Where am I?" He looked around as the giant searched through a book on his desk. Blue skinned um, men were guiding fast moving little clouds onto a road leading outside. One had apparently escaped and started jumping about Gohan's knees.
"Son Gohan, and ... er, Son Goten, I believe," the voice rumbled from above and the little cloud cowered at the sound, "I'm King Yamma and this is the Otherworld."
"Otherworld? GOTEN?!!" the teen exclaimed looking down in shock. The little cloud jumped up into Gohan's arms and he could now see it had the features of his little brother's face. "What are you doing here? How many times have I told you not to follow me? Mom is going to be sooo mad!" The cloud got sorry-sad puppy eyes and Gohan gave him a hug.
"Attendant!" the giant bellowed.
"Yes, King Yamma," one of the guards appeared at his elbow.
"Take this little fellow to the waiting room with the others. Knowing his folks, he won't be here long."
"Yes sir," the guard saluted and took spirit Goten away.
"Excuse me, King Yamma, sir, but I can't stay here. I've gotta go back too," the young man protested.
"You're Goku's kid, right? Fine man, good fighter. Sorry Son, you can't go back, not now anyway." King Yamma answered kindly, looking down at him.
"Why not?"
"Because you are to come with me," a familiar tenor spoke behind him.
Gohan spun and faced the entity he had tried to save earlier, "Supreme Kai! What are you..., I mean, you're not dead too, are you?"
"No, I'm just here on business, I assure you." Shin replied, smiling confidently, whole and immaculate again.
"You still need me to fight Buu, don't you?" the youth asked, his face serious.
"Yes," the Supreme Kai answered grimly.
"What about my dad, will he be helping?"
"His leave has already been extended." King Yamma answered him, "You know the price, Kaoshin."
"I agree to the terms. I need to make some arrangements first." Shin floated above the huge desk and used a fine ki-beam to seal a contract.
"It's high time you took some vacation," King Yamma smirked satisfactorily as he filed the contract. "About those arrangements, don't choose someone green, you need a being with experience." At his comment, the Supreme Kai fixed him with an un-nerving stare as he floated down the teen's side. As he touched Gohan's shoulder, Shin quirked his lips in a knowing smile then disappeared with him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After another long, quiet journey, they had dropped off the Satans near their home then continued to Capsule Corps. Declining the room prepared for her, ChiChi and her father borrowed an aircar to bring her son home. Once there, Ox King stoked the fires and sadly set out to find a fitting marker stone.
The mother unwrapped the body of her child and removed the soiled and torn gi. With warm, soapy water and a soft sponge, she gently washed the cold flesh then clothed it in one of his best silk suits. The grandfather returned to carry the boy's body to his room and lay it tenderly down on the bed. They stood silent for a few minutes, then exhausted, retired to their rooms for a few hours sleep.
AN: First off, this isn't what I said was going to happen next. I said I had been through everyone's point of view, then Gohan stuck his hand up and asked, "What about me?", so I had to bring him back in. Once I started writing, the characters refused to cooperate. Sure, they were glib enough while I was driving someplace or laying in bed at night, but sit in front of the computer, ready to take down their words and they were tongue-tied. (In other words, I had writer's block.)
So now, next episode will have the return of Goku and the start of Trunks' dragonball search in a chapter that has some anger, some romance, some humor and still some sorrow. (Though not necessarily in that order.) It won't be such a long wait, I promise.