A/N: First of all a big apology. I'm so sorry about how long this chapter
has taken in
coming out. I've been so keen on writing and reading Gundam Wing fanfiction
that my DBZ stuff got left out to dry for a bit. It's here now though and a decent
length, I think anyway ^_~
Secondly I want to say big thank yous to SSJ5Tigger, Cute-kitty2, otepoti,
Saiyagal, katherine131, The Dark Star, and P.L.S. I really enjoyed reading your
reviews. ^_^
Disclaimer: Well this disclaimer is gonna have to count for this chapter and the last
one, cos I forgot it last time^^ So um...I don't own DBZ or its characters or
anything. I just own Benny and Emerald and Paradox. ^_^
Chapter 2: Happenings in the past - part 1
Benny sat staring at the clock, which hung on the wall behind the teacher's desk. He still couldn't quite believe how different his life was now, and it had been a whole year since he had left the workhouse behind.
Since Emerald had adopted him, his life had turned around completely. She had bought him new clothes and shoes, fed him like a king, given him his own bedroom with a really comfy bed, and sent him to a really good school.
St. Paul's Cathedral School was a very decent, fee-paying school. It wasn't one of the posh, uptight London schools but a slightly more laid back establishment, but a definite far cry from the old schoolroom at Greystones. Each boy sat at individual desks and had brand new, impeccably kept chalk and slate. The range of age in Benny's class was kept down to eleven and twelve year olds only.
His teacher droned on and on about something. Benny wasn't really paying attention. He was worried about Emerald. She had been looking particularly frail the last couple of days. Her eyes were more sunken than usual and she seemed to get out of breath more frequently too.
He was brought out of his worried musings by the school bell, signalling the end of school for the day. He jumped up out of his seat and joined the steady stream of boys filing out of the classroom, heading for the cloakroom.
Having picked up his satchel and coat from the cloakroom, Benny walked through the school's front doors, out into the cold, November air, and was immediately surprised to see Emerald waiting for him at the gate, tightly wrapped up in a shawl.
'She never collects me from school. What's up?' Benny thought, before breaking into a run to meet her at the gate.
"You shouldn't be out in the cold." Benny said affectionately, looking into the old lady's gleaming eyes.
She ignored his words and clasped aged fingers around his hand.
"Benny, we must hurry home." She whispered hoarsely, tugging him away from the school gate.
Knowing to wait before asking questions, Benny found his feet and hurried after the elderly witch, wondering what was wrong.
Once inside the warm sitting room of her home, Emerald sank thankfully into her chair. Benny stood a couple of feet in front of her, face expectant.
"I've had a bad feeling in my bones for a while now and it seems they weren't falsely laid. Somehow Paradox is alive again, more powerful and seeking revenge."
Benny's eyes widened in shock and fear as Emerald spoke and was about to say something when the aged witch started another one of her coughing fits. The concerned boy walked up to her and laid a reassuring hand on her shaking shoulder, her hacking coughs ripping through the quietness in the room.
Once the coughing sub-sided, Emerald managed to smile weakly at her young friend before chnaging her expression to one of seriousness again.
"I'm too old to battle him again. I need someone to take my place."
Benny's eyes widened again, his quick brain ticking.
"Yes, Benny. Just like I did with young Gohan a year ago, I'm going to transfere some of my power across to you and then I'll teach you to unlock it."
Benny stared at Emerald, brown orbs wider than ever. with a mixture of fear and excitement washing over him.
"If you are willing of course." She added in a buisnesslike fashion.
Benny nodded, too over-whelmed to speak. Emerald smiled kindly, a knowing look in her eyes. She gently placed a withered hand on his forehead and shut her eyes.
Benny calmly, but with some curiosity, watched the changing expressions on the witch's face as she did whatever it was she was doing. Different emotions swam across her face. The most prominent of them all being shock, as her grey eyebrows shot up and her mouth opened slightly, forming a small o.
When Emerald finally lifted her tired eyelids, Benny was shocked to see the new flame of hope flickering in her gleaming orbs.
"What is it?" he asked, curiosity etched on his face.
"I can't believe I didn't realise this before. You're a carrier."
"I'm a what?" Benny's expression changed to one of complete bewilderment.
"A carrier is someone who has the magical ability inside of them and just needs a jump start, so to speak, from another magical person. Which means you could become a very powerful young man." Emerald explained, stating the last sentance with an encouraging smile.
Benny swallowed all this new information about himself with a rush of different emotions rushing over him. He was about to ask another question when Emerald raised a withered finger to her lips to stop him.
"There's not much time. Paradox could find us anytime soon. I need to jump start your magical ability immediately."
With that said, Emerald rested her fingertips on Benny's forehead once more and closed her eyes.
Benny stood stiffly upright, his brown eyes wide, gazing at his guardian as she stood in front of him. She didn't seem so frail at the moment. It was like a second burst of energy had erupted inside of her.
He then felt a strange sensation come over him. It was like he was floating, weightless even. He also felt increasingly warmer, as if a fire had been lit in the pit of his stomach and the warmth from the flames was seeping all over his body. He had to mentally stop himself from letting out a sigh of pure content, not wanting to put Emerald off.
Approximately two minutes later, Emerald gently took her hand away from the young boy's head and spoke softly to him.
"Benny, your magical ability has now been awakened. I can now teach you how to use it."
Benny's eyes were as wide as saucers as he looked into Emerald's weary yet dazzling eyes. He felt so powerful all of a sudden. He now realised how Gohan must have felt when he when he went Super Saiyan. Although his power was very different to Gohan's. He gazed expectantly at his guardian, his face creased in determination.
"Benny, can you feel the power inside of you?" Emerald asked, gazing intently back at the young boy.
On Benny's confident nod, Emerald proceeded in teaching him how to reach into his power, like she had done for Gohan the year before.
Naturally the process was harder than last year because Gohan had been trained to release his ki whereas Benny hadn't, but the fact that Benny had a pure, natural magical ability was a definite advantage.
Once Emerald had managed to get him to lapse into a calm meditation in search of his magical energy, she sat back; keeping one eye on her young charge and one on the door.
Benny sat in a complete state of calm. He had successfully managed to block out all outside noise and lapse into a full meditation on his third attempt. Now all the noise he could hear was that of his own body working. He could hear his heart beating, the blood pumping through his veins and his lungs taking in and releasing air.
He delved straight through all of these noises, searching for the magical energy Emerald had said would be deep inside his being. He didn't really understand what she meant but his sheer determination made him look for it. He was sure he would know it when he found it.
Emerald watched as Benny's determined face tensed up a bit in concentration and she smiled faintly.
'I'll miss you when I'm gone.' She thought sadly. 'You're going to have to be really brave and even more determined. I do hate having to burden you like this though.'
A triumphant sound coming from deep down in Benny's throat brought Emerald out of her sad thoughts and, as she looked in the boy's direction, she gaped in surprise. Benny was holding a green light out in front of him, much like Gohan had done the year before.
"You've found it!" Emerald exclaimed. "I can't believe you managed to so quickly." She added, staring at her pupil in loving admiration.
The green light faded as Benny opened weary but triumphant eyes.
"I...did...it!" He gasped out, the concentration he'd put into his task causing him to be slightly out of breath.
"Well done, Benny. I'm so proud of you." Emerald congratulated him warmly. "Now you just have to munipulate it by..."
The elderly witch was cut short by the front door being blown apart and a deep voice filling the room.
"I've finally found you! You knew you couldn't hide from me for long."
Emerald calmly turned to face the time travelling humanoid, who had been her nemesis for so many years.
"Well I was expecting to see you sooner than this. I guess time has dimmed your senses."
Benny looked on in astonishment. The frail woman he'd been talking to barely a minute ago had been replaced with a strong talking warrior, though he knew it wouldn't last long. He had a feeling Emerald knew it would be her last battle and that if the Earth wanted a peaceful future he would have to leave her.
"So you brought that boy back to life." Paradox said, having noticed Benny for the first time. "What a waste of energy. Don't worry though, he'll be next, after I've destroyed you that is, and then I'll find that bastard of a half-breed." He ended his speech with a vengeful glint in his eyes.
"You'll do no such thing." Emerald said forcefully, before rising a few inches off the floor, her long grey hair billowing out behind her as she charged up her magical energy.
Benny took this distraction as his queue and was about to make a darting run for the door when Paradox sent a powerful ki blast crashing through the room towards Emerald. It ripped up everything in it's path and Benny had to dive down behind Emerald's now vacant chair.
"You think that's going to harm me?" Emerald said, a powerful green aura surrounding her which caught the incoming purple blast.
Paradox growled in frustration and concentrated more energy into his attack.
Benny watched in horror as the blast ate away at the green energy surrounding his guardian. He moved his gaze up to her face and noticed how she seemed to have regained her frail look already.
"Emerald! No!" He screamed, as if the louder he projected his voice the more energy it would give the old woman.
Emerald gave a faint smile and blew a single, farewell kiss to her adopted son/grandson.
"Benny, you must leave now. Be strong, be brave and don't look back."
With that said, Emerald put all her energy into a spell to force the evil humanoid back long enough for Benny to hopefully make a successful escape.
With tears falling rapidly fron his eyes, obscuring his vision, Benny fled from the house he had been able to call home for one, amazing year, stumbling over objects he couldn't see and eventually exiting through the huge, gaping hole the excessive energy had created at the front of the house.
End chapter.
There you go. Chapter two completed, something I didn't think would ever happen. Lol. Hopefully the next one will be out a lot quicker than this one was but I'll have to see how things go. I can tell you that a couple of old faces will be popping up in the next chapter. Virtual pocky for anyone who can guess who they are ^_~. Other than that, just r&r plz.
Ja ne.
Alana^_^
coming out. I've been so keen on writing and reading Gundam Wing fanfiction
that my DBZ stuff got left out to dry for a bit. It's here now though and a decent
length, I think anyway ^_~
Secondly I want to say big thank yous to SSJ5Tigger, Cute-kitty2, otepoti,
Saiyagal, katherine131, The Dark Star, and P.L.S. I really enjoyed reading your
reviews. ^_^
Disclaimer: Well this disclaimer is gonna have to count for this chapter and the last
one, cos I forgot it last time^^ So um...I don't own DBZ or its characters or
anything. I just own Benny and Emerald and Paradox. ^_^
Chapter 2: Happenings in the past - part 1
Benny sat staring at the clock, which hung on the wall behind the teacher's desk. He still couldn't quite believe how different his life was now, and it had been a whole year since he had left the workhouse behind.
Since Emerald had adopted him, his life had turned around completely. She had bought him new clothes and shoes, fed him like a king, given him his own bedroom with a really comfy bed, and sent him to a really good school.
St. Paul's Cathedral School was a very decent, fee-paying school. It wasn't one of the posh, uptight London schools but a slightly more laid back establishment, but a definite far cry from the old schoolroom at Greystones. Each boy sat at individual desks and had brand new, impeccably kept chalk and slate. The range of age in Benny's class was kept down to eleven and twelve year olds only.
His teacher droned on and on about something. Benny wasn't really paying attention. He was worried about Emerald. She had been looking particularly frail the last couple of days. Her eyes were more sunken than usual and she seemed to get out of breath more frequently too.
He was brought out of his worried musings by the school bell, signalling the end of school for the day. He jumped up out of his seat and joined the steady stream of boys filing out of the classroom, heading for the cloakroom.
Having picked up his satchel and coat from the cloakroom, Benny walked through the school's front doors, out into the cold, November air, and was immediately surprised to see Emerald waiting for him at the gate, tightly wrapped up in a shawl.
'She never collects me from school. What's up?' Benny thought, before breaking into a run to meet her at the gate.
"You shouldn't be out in the cold." Benny said affectionately, looking into the old lady's gleaming eyes.
She ignored his words and clasped aged fingers around his hand.
"Benny, we must hurry home." She whispered hoarsely, tugging him away from the school gate.
Knowing to wait before asking questions, Benny found his feet and hurried after the elderly witch, wondering what was wrong.
Once inside the warm sitting room of her home, Emerald sank thankfully into her chair. Benny stood a couple of feet in front of her, face expectant.
"I've had a bad feeling in my bones for a while now and it seems they weren't falsely laid. Somehow Paradox is alive again, more powerful and seeking revenge."
Benny's eyes widened in shock and fear as Emerald spoke and was about to say something when the aged witch started another one of her coughing fits. The concerned boy walked up to her and laid a reassuring hand on her shaking shoulder, her hacking coughs ripping through the quietness in the room.
Once the coughing sub-sided, Emerald managed to smile weakly at her young friend before chnaging her expression to one of seriousness again.
"I'm too old to battle him again. I need someone to take my place."
Benny's eyes widened again, his quick brain ticking.
"Yes, Benny. Just like I did with young Gohan a year ago, I'm going to transfere some of my power across to you and then I'll teach you to unlock it."
Benny stared at Emerald, brown orbs wider than ever. with a mixture of fear and excitement washing over him.
"If you are willing of course." She added in a buisnesslike fashion.
Benny nodded, too over-whelmed to speak. Emerald smiled kindly, a knowing look in her eyes. She gently placed a withered hand on his forehead and shut her eyes.
Benny calmly, but with some curiosity, watched the changing expressions on the witch's face as she did whatever it was she was doing. Different emotions swam across her face. The most prominent of them all being shock, as her grey eyebrows shot up and her mouth opened slightly, forming a small o.
When Emerald finally lifted her tired eyelids, Benny was shocked to see the new flame of hope flickering in her gleaming orbs.
"What is it?" he asked, curiosity etched on his face.
"I can't believe I didn't realise this before. You're a carrier."
"I'm a what?" Benny's expression changed to one of complete bewilderment.
"A carrier is someone who has the magical ability inside of them and just needs a jump start, so to speak, from another magical person. Which means you could become a very powerful young man." Emerald explained, stating the last sentance with an encouraging smile.
Benny swallowed all this new information about himself with a rush of different emotions rushing over him. He was about to ask another question when Emerald raised a withered finger to her lips to stop him.
"There's not much time. Paradox could find us anytime soon. I need to jump start your magical ability immediately."
With that said, Emerald rested her fingertips on Benny's forehead once more and closed her eyes.
Benny stood stiffly upright, his brown eyes wide, gazing at his guardian as she stood in front of him. She didn't seem so frail at the moment. It was like a second burst of energy had erupted inside of her.
He then felt a strange sensation come over him. It was like he was floating, weightless even. He also felt increasingly warmer, as if a fire had been lit in the pit of his stomach and the warmth from the flames was seeping all over his body. He had to mentally stop himself from letting out a sigh of pure content, not wanting to put Emerald off.
Approximately two minutes later, Emerald gently took her hand away from the young boy's head and spoke softly to him.
"Benny, your magical ability has now been awakened. I can now teach you how to use it."
Benny's eyes were as wide as saucers as he looked into Emerald's weary yet dazzling eyes. He felt so powerful all of a sudden. He now realised how Gohan must have felt when he when he went Super Saiyan. Although his power was very different to Gohan's. He gazed expectantly at his guardian, his face creased in determination.
"Benny, can you feel the power inside of you?" Emerald asked, gazing intently back at the young boy.
On Benny's confident nod, Emerald proceeded in teaching him how to reach into his power, like she had done for Gohan the year before.
Naturally the process was harder than last year because Gohan had been trained to release his ki whereas Benny hadn't, but the fact that Benny had a pure, natural magical ability was a definite advantage.
Once Emerald had managed to get him to lapse into a calm meditation in search of his magical energy, she sat back; keeping one eye on her young charge and one on the door.
Benny sat in a complete state of calm. He had successfully managed to block out all outside noise and lapse into a full meditation on his third attempt. Now all the noise he could hear was that of his own body working. He could hear his heart beating, the blood pumping through his veins and his lungs taking in and releasing air.
He delved straight through all of these noises, searching for the magical energy Emerald had said would be deep inside his being. He didn't really understand what she meant but his sheer determination made him look for it. He was sure he would know it when he found it.
Emerald watched as Benny's determined face tensed up a bit in concentration and she smiled faintly.
'I'll miss you when I'm gone.' She thought sadly. 'You're going to have to be really brave and even more determined. I do hate having to burden you like this though.'
A triumphant sound coming from deep down in Benny's throat brought Emerald out of her sad thoughts and, as she looked in the boy's direction, she gaped in surprise. Benny was holding a green light out in front of him, much like Gohan had done the year before.
"You've found it!" Emerald exclaimed. "I can't believe you managed to so quickly." She added, staring at her pupil in loving admiration.
The green light faded as Benny opened weary but triumphant eyes.
"I...did...it!" He gasped out, the concentration he'd put into his task causing him to be slightly out of breath.
"Well done, Benny. I'm so proud of you." Emerald congratulated him warmly. "Now you just have to munipulate it by..."
The elderly witch was cut short by the front door being blown apart and a deep voice filling the room.
"I've finally found you! You knew you couldn't hide from me for long."
Emerald calmly turned to face the time travelling humanoid, who had been her nemesis for so many years.
"Well I was expecting to see you sooner than this. I guess time has dimmed your senses."
Benny looked on in astonishment. The frail woman he'd been talking to barely a minute ago had been replaced with a strong talking warrior, though he knew it wouldn't last long. He had a feeling Emerald knew it would be her last battle and that if the Earth wanted a peaceful future he would have to leave her.
"So you brought that boy back to life." Paradox said, having noticed Benny for the first time. "What a waste of energy. Don't worry though, he'll be next, after I've destroyed you that is, and then I'll find that bastard of a half-breed." He ended his speech with a vengeful glint in his eyes.
"You'll do no such thing." Emerald said forcefully, before rising a few inches off the floor, her long grey hair billowing out behind her as she charged up her magical energy.
Benny took this distraction as his queue and was about to make a darting run for the door when Paradox sent a powerful ki blast crashing through the room towards Emerald. It ripped up everything in it's path and Benny had to dive down behind Emerald's now vacant chair.
"You think that's going to harm me?" Emerald said, a powerful green aura surrounding her which caught the incoming purple blast.
Paradox growled in frustration and concentrated more energy into his attack.
Benny watched in horror as the blast ate away at the green energy surrounding his guardian. He moved his gaze up to her face and noticed how she seemed to have regained her frail look already.
"Emerald! No!" He screamed, as if the louder he projected his voice the more energy it would give the old woman.
Emerald gave a faint smile and blew a single, farewell kiss to her adopted son/grandson.
"Benny, you must leave now. Be strong, be brave and don't look back."
With that said, Emerald put all her energy into a spell to force the evil humanoid back long enough for Benny to hopefully make a successful escape.
With tears falling rapidly fron his eyes, obscuring his vision, Benny fled from the house he had been able to call home for one, amazing year, stumbling over objects he couldn't see and eventually exiting through the huge, gaping hole the excessive energy had created at the front of the house.
End chapter.
There you go. Chapter two completed, something I didn't think would ever happen. Lol. Hopefully the next one will be out a lot quicker than this one was but I'll have to see how things go. I can tell you that a couple of old faces will be popping up in the next chapter. Virtual pocky for anyone who can guess who they are ^_~. Other than that, just r&r plz.
Ja ne.
Alana^_^