A/N – Ha! Another long chappie out to ya's. Better get used to 'em too, cause I'm nearly finished with the whole story. Hey, here's some fun trivia- Who wrote the music for Star Wars? A hint, he also wrote the music for Indiana Jones and Minority Report. Another hint, he's my favorite composer. Okay, this has nothing to do with Dragonball Z, but I happen to be listening to one of his many compositions right now.

Cookies and acclamations to those who answer!

Changing Faces

Part 3 – Of Ladies and Dragons

Chapter 5 – An Old 'Friend'

As Videl trained to reach her new goal, Gohan trained to keep his mind steady, his heart and soul calm. Not a day passed that he did not feel the ache grow in his heart. He would start his day with a morning warm-up routine and jog, and go to classes. In the afternoon, he would do homework and research. The evening was spent training in the mountains near his childhood home.  

Ten-year-old Goten often joined him in his training. He had shown Gohan his ability to raise his power to Super Saiyan long ago, and had explained Chi Chi's disdain at the transformation.

"She called me a monster," he had said sadly.

"You're not a monster, Goten, you're just a Super Saiyan. And a young one at that," Gohan had explained.

Now, three years after that conversation, two Super Saiyans were sparring, and the elder one was managing to keep up with the younger. A flurry of kicks and punches were blocked by Gohan; Goten zipped back, caught his footing, and attacked again.

Gohan blocked the volley and struck back with a chi blast. Goten leaped over the bolt and sent one Gohan's way. The elder caught the blast and sent it skyward, where it exploded with the show of fireworks.

"Gohan," Goten stopped the match, "I'm hungry."

A rumbling shook Gohan's stomach as it answered for him.

"Alright, squirt, let's go eat," Gohan gave in.

"Cool! But hey, don't call me squirt," Goten protested.

"Alright kid," Gohan laughed.

"Hey," Goten took chase and the two raced home.

Gohan and Goten had just sat down to an overstuff table of food when a tapping was heard. Three heads turned back and forth, searching for the source of the sound. They opened the door, but no one was there.


The tapping came again, this time, from a living room window. Cautiously, the three tiptoed to the shuttered window.

"Is a raven gonna fly in, big bro," Goten asked, referring to an old poem.

"No Goten," he answered, though not entirely sure of himself.

"Don't be scaredy cats, you two," ChiChi chastised.

Open here she flung the shutter, when, with many flirt and flutter, in stepped a stately-

"Mr. Popo!?" All exclaimed, astonished.

He was taken aback as the trio fell over anime style.

"I was not interrupting anything, was I," he asked.

"No no, Mr. Popo, we were, uh, just eating," Gohan answered, then eagerly asked, "Is your visit about the dragonballs?"

"That is the precise reason of my unannounced call. I have come to inform you of their availability," he orated.

Gohan couldn't have been happier in his entire life, "Yes!" He jumped with joy.

He darted up to his and Goten's shared room and threw a backpack on his back. Gohan skidded to a halt in front of his mother and brother.

"Mr. Popo already left," ChiChi said, "You're really going to gather the dragonballs, aren't you?"

"Yes mother," Gohan said with a determined gleam in his eyes, "I love Videl with all my heart, and nothing will stop me from brining her back. I won't give up what we had, what we can have, before it even started."

"Take care, Gohan," she called out the window as he left.

"Can I go with Gohan, Mom?"

"No Goten, this is Gohan's own adventure," she said quietly, "Go finish your dinner."

As the boy left for the kitchen table, Chichi sat on the window sill and watched Gohan fly further and further away. Sometimes I wonder if Goku was even real, just a figment of my imagination. I almost wish I had gathered the dragonballs, to wish him back, to be sure he had really been there.

Still, despite her regrets, ChiChi knew Goku was real, not a flitting dream of a girlish notions. Every time she saw her boys, she was reminded that Goku had come to her, shown her what true love was, given her something to carry on.

She smiled, "Good luck Gohan, I hope you find your true love."

Only three hours had passed, and Gohan had already collected two of the dragonballs. The first he had found in a corn field.

He clicked the radar once more and the dot grew even larger. He stopped flying.

"Well," Gohan said out loud, "It's here somewhere."

Below him was acre after acre (or kilometer after kilometer) of green corn stalks gently waving in the breeze.

"It could be anywhere," he muttered, "I'll get closer."

The green shoots were just taller than the half Saiyan, but his strategy had worked. The radar was leading him to his right, and there, dusted with soil, was a three star dragonball.

"Bingo!" He exclaimed as he brushed off the dirt.

Suddenly, he was aware of a rumbling coming from behind him. Gohan breathed a sigh of relief when he realized it was just a tractor doing what tractors do in corn fields. Gohan really had no idea. He decided to see where the next nearest dragonball was.

The rumbling grew louder.

With a start, Gohan realized the tractor was coming right towards him. If I fly, the farmer will see me, but if I run, maybe he won't.

So Gohan took off down the corn row, rubbing at eyes and scrapes whipped by the serrated corn leaves. (those suckers hurt!) The field seemed to last forever, but finally he saw a dirt road running parallel to the corn rows. Screeching to a halt there, he looked for the nearest forest or tree line. Of in the distance, through a half kilometer of smaller crops was a dense forested area leading to a mountain.

"Perfect," he exclaimed as near Super Saiyan speed took five seconds running compared to five minutes walking.

Safely hidden in the trees, Gohan breathed a sigh of relief.

After tucking the first dragonball securely in his pack, he located the second ball on the radar.

"It seems like a long flight from here," he said, looking off in the direction of the blip, "I'd better get started."

Within two days Gohan had located six of the seven Dragonballs. His backpack was lumpy with the load, but to Gohan, the pack was feather light. The sun was peaking in the sky, set to begin its long fall to dusk and then night.

"If I can find this last Dragonball before sunset, Videl will be back with me before tomorrow," he said excitedly, "It's been so long since I held her."

He thought of his beloved as he flew towards the last red blip. When he saw what appeared to be a village ahead, Gohan landed along a path that led to it. He walked along the path and noticed the sun was dipping low in the sky.

"Better hurry, that dragonball will be much easier to find during daylight," he said as he sprinted.

The village was close when a figure appeared in a flash right before him. Screeching to a halt, Gohan struggled not to hit the girl. When he got his bearings back, he noticed the girl was familiar.

She recognized him immediately, "Gohan! You've come back!"

"Huh," he replied with his 'uh...' look.

"Don't you remember me," huge green eyes peered into his and her shoulder-length hair bobbed with excitement.

He thought hard.

She didn't give him the chance, "You don't remember me! I can't believe it. You only saved my whole village years ago when Cell was around."

Duh! "Lime, how nice to see you again," he said.

"Yeah, how nice. So what are you doing out here since I know you didn't come to see me."

"Well actually," he held up the radar, "I'm looking for Dragonballs. It looks like the last one is in your village. Mind if I look?"

Her head tilted slightly before she replied, "Sure. You can look. But first, join me for dinner. You must be hungry and it's getting late."

"But I-"

"Come, I'll make you beef stew and rice, my specialty."

His stomach growled compliantly and she latched her arm around his.

"Oh okay," how would a good meal hurt? "Beef stew, huh? You'd better make a lot because I can eat."

A couple hours had passed when Gohan finally noticed it was dark.

Damn! I really wanted to get that last Dragonball today.

Lime sensed his disappointment, "You can stay here for the night, if you wish."

"Will your grandfather mind?"

She was sad, "He died a few years ago. It's just been me since then," she looked at him with tears in her eyes, "I've been so lonely, Gohan, please stay just a while. It would mean so much to me."

How could he refuse that?

"I," he yawned and suddenly felt very tired, "I suppose I will take your offer."

Lime's eyes lit and she moved over to sit next to him on the couch. Gohan felt very very tired.

"You can sleep here," she said as she stood, "I'll go get blankets."

Into her room she went, but not for the blankets. A small ensemble of candles, with two lit, sat on a stand next to her window. Moving her hands above the two burning candles, she lowered them slowly until they were snuffed. Lime then placed her hands over two different candles and concentrated.

With a flicker, they both ignited and burned brightly.

She smiled and her heart sang. No longer would she be lonely. Gohan would keep her company on those long, forsaken days... and nights.