Author's Note:

Here you have it, ladies and gentlemen, the final chapter of this fanfic. I don't really know what I can say now that I've finished this, except that I am glad that I'm finally done with another one (I never thought I'd be able to get around to), and that I am glad that you stuck up for me all the way. I actually began to lose a lot interest in this fic, as the plot was one of the earliest ones I thought of and I thought it was pretty stupid already, but I started it, so I'm supposed to finish it, whether I find the plot stupid or not.

There isn't really much to say; after all, you will being seeing me through other fanfics. So I guess it's self-promotion time! *excited grin, then stops* A-hem. *smiles* I'm working on two other DBZ fics now. One is the humor/pointless In the Eyes of a Child (story ID =717449), wherein Videl gets into a car accident that gives her the mind span of a child. And of course, his boyfriend gets into a lot of trouble. Gohan torture! *rubs hands gleefully* My newer fic, which is most probably my favorite among all that I've written, is Hikari No Will Power (story ID =1035453), a Mirai timeline fic. It basically showcases the remains of the android-wrecked timeline, with a guest star from the present time, Goten. T/P and G/B fans will be disappointed, however, because the pairings are original. Not that I'm a supporter of those two pairings anyway; I prefer Goten (GT) hanging out with his girlfriend, Paresu (or Paris/Palace, whatever you learned her name to be).

Thanks again, everyone! You've given me a finished fic once again, through your support. And now, I bring you the final chapter. Hugs to all!

Crimson Tide
Epilogue

Sabrea, 799 AD

It only seemed yesterday when the Z-Senshi battled the greatest abomination that crossed their path of existence. It only seemed yesterday when, one by one, they fell into the hands of the Grim Reaper. It only seemed yesterday, when one of them turned his back and caused the downfall of many. It only seemed yesterday when they had to flee their homeplanet to seek refuge in a safe haven. It only seemed yesterday when Trunks, who succumbed to the warlord of darkness and betrayed them, snapped out of his trance and rejoined them, giving his life in return for their freedom.

But in reality, three years had already past --- three years of healing and recovery. The remaining warriors, however, recovered at different rates. Gokazu, young and practically unharmed, was the first to pull out of the vortex of depression, his eyes observing his parents in silent wonder as they went on from day to day with heavy hearts. But eventually, Gohan and Videl got over their grief, and focused on the tasks that awaited them as rulers of the planet of Sabrea.

Pan, despite the fact that she wasn't directly harmed, took longer to recover than his brother and parents. Not only was Chichi, her grandmother who was very close to her, killed in the demon's invasion of terror, the young man who she considered very dear to her was roaming through the palace walls for the past three years in a wheelchair. The pain that came to her heart upon the sight of the heavily-injured Boxer remained all those time. She didn't know when she would get over the whole ordeal; perhaps at the same time when her friend would.

The wounds afflicted on Boxer, the youngest remaining member of the Briefs-Vegeta clan, were not only on the outside, but also on the inside. His brother, who he thought was the most sensible one among the four of them, was actually the one responsible for so much destruction. Not only did Trunks betray Goten, his best friend and who Boxer considered to be a brother, the purple-haired demi-saiyajin caused their father and little sister to fall. It's just not fair, he thought bitterly, biting his lip.

Even if she had work to bury herself in, Bulma could not help but crying at the slightest reminder of the loved ones she had lost. Not only did she lose two very good friends --- Chichi and Goku --- she also lost a husband, a son, a daughter; and she felt that she was losing Boxer, too. The most dreadful thing above all those, however, was the fact that she lost her son to the darkness. She could not believe that someone she raised and cared for so many years fell to the claws of evil just like that.

Currently the eldest of the remaining Briefs-Vegeta siblings, Keeney felt the weight of responsibility on her shoulders, along with the heartache that added much to that load. She already lost four of her loved ones --- three to death, and one to another woman; she was about to lose one more, if Boxer's condition would make a turn for the worst. To add insult to injury, not only did she lose the man she dearly loved to someone else --- she lost him to the very same woman who betrayed him by having affair with his best friend.

The person who was hurting above them all was Goten, the victim of the whole ordeal. He gave so much and lost so much. But he did not show how much he hurt inside, no matter how excruciating it was to keep his feelings locked up inside of him, because he did not want to drag everyone else along the depressing ride he was on. And most of all, he had other matters to attend to --- his three-year-old son, Goku, who he named after his father.

"Hey," a soft female voice called out from the far end of his room, and after sitting the little boy on his lap, he cocked his head to the side slightly to see his childhood friend enter the room with a smile that spoke volumes. After settling herself beside him, she took the child and cuddled him on her lap. "You wouldn't mind if I play with him for a while, would you?"

Of course he didn't and he wouldn't. "Feel free," he told her, forcing a smile to push away whatever he was feeling. He did not intend to infect her with his negative emotions; it would only cause more guilt on his part. He then stood up and stretched a few muscles to get rid of the numbness that came to him through his babysitting spree, before he added, "The boy needs a mother to look up to, after all."

The comment made Keeney shook her head. "Oh no," she blurted out, shaking her head in refusal. "I may be able to stand up as one eventually, but definitely not his. Nobody can replace a child's real mother, you know." She shut her eyes, realizing that her statement caused more hurt in her that in the man's own fragile heart. "As much as I love you, Goten, I don't want to get into a relationship that isn't mutual and---"

To her surprise, the demi-saiyajin had taken the opportunity to pull a chair and sit down in front of her, his beautiful raven orbs --- the eyes she had fallen for in the first place --- peering into her sapphire ones intently. He then pulled back, leaning against the back of the seat, and shrugged lightly, somehow not knowing what he exactly was trying to do. "Well," he began, taking a long pause as he sorted out what he wanted to say, "I just realized that I... I've been blind."

She shook her head once again, understanding where he was getting at. "Look, Goten," she said, stopping whatever she was doing to look at the other demi-saiyajin in the eye. As much as she wanted to jump into his arms and tell him that she wanted to be with him until the end of time, she knew it was wrong. "Celeste's your wife. You can't replace her with someone else just because she's dead, no matter what she did to you, no matter what that new someone can do to you, and no matter what you've realized."

"At least for Goku's sake?"

That made her eyes soften considerably, her love for him shining through them. He knew that she could not be his wife; but he knew that she could very well be the boy's mother, someone the child could look up to as he would grow up. At that, Keeney smiled. "We'll tell him the truth when he's old enough, right?" she asked, and as she saw Goten nod, she continued, "What choice do I have? You know I can never refuse you when you ask a favor of me."

He sighed heavily. "Fate likes playing cruel tricks on its subordinates, doesn't it? I mean..." he trailed off, unable to put his feelings into words. Instead, he stood up and smiled. "Thanks, Keeney. I don't know what I'd do without you. And... I don't know what I could've done with you in my life right from the beginning."

At that, Goten turned away, tears springing up into his eyes. The truth was painful, so much more if it was realized at a time so late. He was mistaken when he decided to get married to Celeste after only a short period of engagement; he loved her, yes, but not as dearly as he loved his female best friend. If he gave himself more time, he would've seen it. Keeney would've been the real mother of his child, and Goku wouldn't have to grow up under a shield of lies.

The demi-saiyajin could hear Keeney's stifled sobs from behind him, and he knew that she, too, felt the same.

"Why am I doubting the security of this mission?" Videl voiced out worriedly, her eyes resting on the starfighter Espoir in which their daughter was loading up. Pan, along with her Uncle Goten and the Briefs-Vegeta siblings, had decided to go back to Earth and check up on the planet. They've received reports that everything was more or less back to normal, and they wanted to see it for themselves.

Gohan only put an arm around her in assurance. "Don't worry too much. It's not like they're going to fight or anything," he told her, but then his eyes narrowed considerably as a young man in a wheelchair strode through their line of sight. "Although I think Boxer shouldn't go. If things get dangerous, he'll slow them down and put them in danger."

His wife turned to look at him with slightly angry cerulean eyes, which greatly surprised him. "You've got to give the boy more credit, Gohan," she rebuked before flickering her gaze towards the injured demi-saiyajin. "Did you fight Thanatos? Did you even try fighting him? Boxer, on the other hand, did --- and got himself into that condition because of that battle. All I'm saying is that you give him more credit, and nothing more than that."

He smiled. "I trust him, Videl," the demi-saiyajin replied, before his voice dropped drastically. "But not in that condition."

Their daughter, Pan, scrambled up to them and gave them both a hug. "Dad, Mom --- thanks. You've been the best, and you'll always be." She flashed them a wink, accented with the renowned Son smile, then mocked a low bow as if she was wearing one of the gowns she kept in her closet. "I shall be sending a report about the status of our mission as often as I am able to, Your Majesty. Until we meet again."

"Come here, you little---" Videl exclaimed, pulling her daughter once more in a hug. She had the feeling that it would take a long while before they would meet again. "--- twirp." The older woman, as soon as they pulled away from each other, wiped away the tears that threatened to fall out of her eyes. "Do take care of yourself, dear. You know I'll never stop worrying about you."

"And me, too."

"Oh Gokazu, you dope."

The siblings gave each other one final hug, before the younger one broke off and took up a sharp, mocking salute. Pan was actually amused, and not at all intimidated, that she replied with a salute of her own. "I wonder who's the dope," the male demi-saiyajin teased with a michievous gleam in his eyes. He had recovered, all right, because that gleam was genuine. "I mean, who's running off with a knight in a shining wheelchair?"

The rest of the crew said their goodbyes, including an emotional one from Keeney that brought tears to the eyes of her mother and her friend. Finally, Goten stepped out of the palace and headed towards the starfighter, but not without stopping by his brother and his sister-in-law to bid them farewell. "Everything's going to be all right, you two. Stop looking like this is the end! We're going to meet again, of course, so don't think of this as a big deal," he said with a smirk, as those words were what his brother told him when they left to rule the planet they were in now fifteen years ago.

The others were unable to do anything but laugh and hug him. Then, the royal couple stepped back, along with the blue-haired genius, and waved one last time as the Espoir took off for the planet that they had all called their home at one point in time or another.

A few light-years away, the blue-and-green planet called Chikyuu revolved around its bright orange sun peacefully, as it had been for the past three years. There had been no sign of danger or any threat, unlike what had taken place a few years back, only a tranquility that was remarkably unusual --- perhaps because its kind usually did not last long --- for that span of time.

The remains of Capsule Corporation, the leading company in that world with its capital in the country of Japan, stood undisturbed in between a vast terrain of dust and dirt for those three years. Those who were familiar with the place could not help but wonder where its owner, Bulma Briefs, had gone off to, along with her gruff-faced husband and her four children, who all excelled in the field they got himself in.

But inside the light-deprived alcazar was a mysterious calligraphy worth investigating, although no one ever stayed long enough in the deserted building to find out what it truly meant. It was because those who have seen what was written claimed to have heard voices and loud, maniacal cackles that echoed from one wall to another, making them shiver in terror and leave in a dead run.

Forged in blood, it read:

Ol og ewnr lmu puzowwowz ek lmu uwq.