Chapter 5
I'm sorry it took me so long to update! It's just that I didn't really have much time to write for about three days after I uploaded Chapter 4. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Also, I'd like to say that criticism is welcome. I'd like to know what I need to improve on, so please, fell free to criticise!
As I always say, I don't own DBZ and I'm not making any money from writing this fic. I do own Bodu, however, and any new characters, places, etc.
The teenager stepped away from the boy who had appeared out of no where, his hands shaking by his side. His chestnut eyes flashed as replied angrily, "I told you, I have never seen you before! Stop accusing me like this! Tell me what happened, and maybe I will be able to help you."
Gohan finally decided that the boy was telling the truth. He relaxed his tense muscles and began to explain, hoping that the boy would not think that he was mad, "Well, I was taking home some shopping for my Okaasan. I reached the forest by the edge of the city, and saw you sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree. I thought it was quite amusing you said that you hated the city, yet you were so close to it. Suddenly, something did not seem right. You started walking up to me, like you were concerned. I did not hear what you were saying though because I could not stop thinking about why I felt threatened That is all I could remember before waking up here."
The teenager widened his eyes in astonishment, and said, his voice shaking, "I was taking a walk in the forest before I found this fawn. I pat its head, and then I felt like I was being weakened. I woke up here, and did not know what had happened. Then you appeared out of no where."
Gohan avoided the teenager's eyes, and thought about what had happened. A strong wind blew over the normally silent forest, causing the tree's brilliant green leaves to shake violently. A sudden sense of desperation filled the half Saiya-jin, a longing to be home. At first he thought that it was just homesickness, but this was more serious. It was that same feeling he got when he knew that something dreadful was going to happen. He had experienced these feelings before, and usually something terrible did end up happening.
The teenager took a step forward, noticing that the younger boy seemed to be frightened. He had just caught a glimpse of the younger boy's eyes before he had started to stare at the ground, and what he had seen had shocked him. The boy was serious about this. Not just serious as in having to do something, but serious as in having to risk his life if it came to it.
Gohan looked up at the teenager, his eyes full of regret before saying, his voice so soft that the teenager could hardly hear it, "Gomen nasai, I have to go now." It sounded more like an order then a plea, so the teenager nodded in response.
Gohan ran off into the woods until he found a suitable place to take off from. He could not risk letting the boy clearly see that he could indeed fly. He took to the skies like a duckling taking to the water for the first time, without hesitation. I have to get home. Something terrible has happened.
As soon as Gohan reached his beloved home, his sense of despair began to rise. No grey smoke spiralled up through the chimney. No shrill voice shouting at Goten. It was just too quiet for Gohan's liking. Knowing that he would be disappointed, Gohan landed on the grass and walked to the house.
The first peculiar thing that the demi Saiya-jin noticed was that the door was open, and that it did not look like it had been forced open by the bullying wind. As soon as he stepped inside, the boy began to feel even more nervous. The floor seemed to echo as he walked down the cold, lonely hallway. He almost began to panic when he realized that the house was deserted, running into the bathroom to splash his face with water
Gohan froze as he saw spots of blood on the edge of the basin. He quickly washed his face, knowing that he had to hurry. He ran to his Kaasan's bedroom Empty.
He then ran to his own bedroom, finding nothing there. But yet, it felt like a stranger had come into his room.
Not able to cope with all of his stress any longer, Gohan fell to the ground and crouched himself up into a ball, his hands covering his head, trying to hold in his tears. What is going on?! Kaasan! Goten! Where are you?!
As Gohan wept, he heard a voice coming from the window, asking, "Gohan?" The voice was not sympathetic at all, it lacked all emotion.
Gohan was even more startled when he looked up, to see Piccolo. Piccolo had a serious scowl on his face as he looked down at his student, not pleased to see him at all.
More tears began to fill Gohan's eyes as he asked his mentor, "Pi Piccolo! What happened to my Okaasan, and Goten! Where are they?"
Piccolo narrowed his eyes and said bitterly, "You should know that, Gohan. Don't pull your stupid acts on me!"
The half Saiya-jin's silver tears began to fall as he cried, "What are you talking about, Piccolo-san?"
Piccolo unfolded his arms and shouted, "Shut up, Gohan! I do not know what has happened to you, you used to be so pure-hearted. But for the past week, you have been terrorising your own friends and family! Nobody wants you back, gaki."
Gohan's tender heart shattered at Piccolo's words. How could one of his best friends say that to him?! And he would never attack his friends or family, never. What was going on?!
Piccolo turned his back on Gohan and flew away, not caring at all.
The half Saiya-jin could not take it any more, he broke into tears. He was crying so hard that he felt that his heart would burst, although it already felt like that had happened. In his mind, he kept on replaying the same thoughts. I am a failure! Nobody loves me! I AM A CRYBABY! Then the horrible voice, the one that had led Gohan to not listening to his Tousan, would shout, Hai, you are a failure! No one in this world ever loved you, or ever will. It was all just a pathetic act! And you definitely are a crybaby!
"IIE! IIE, I AM NOT A CRYBABY!" Gohan shouted at himself. All the different sides of him were arguing against the other. His mind, body, spirit, emotions, they were all fighting against each other, leaving Gohan dazed and confused.
All of a sudden, a different voice shouted at Gohan, yet this one was encouraging. Go, Gohan. Go fight to protect our peaceful way of living.
Gohan stood up off of the ground, his face fixed into a determined glare, "Hai, Otousan. I will defeat whoever has disturbed the peace of Chikyuu-sei!" The half Saiya-jin did not know where the voice had come from, probably just an old, cherished memory. But he did know that he had to fix what had happened, and that he had to do it now.
He opened the door of his closet and collected his fighting gi, one that looked so much like his Tousan's. He stripped off his house clothes and put on the gi, flexing his muscles.
With a new sense of hope, Gohan took off from his window and flew into the horizon, somehow knowing that it was the direction that he had to take.
The glorious sun began to set as the moon appeared to take its place in the sky. Gohan had been searching for any sense of his family and friend's ki, but could not sense them at all. He sighed fretfully, his hope dwindling away from him.
Suddenly, like the mirage of an oasis in the middle of the desert, Gohan sensed Goten's ki. His little Totochan seemed to be depressed, his normally light-hearted face probably set into a sad frown. But just as suddenly as the sense had appeared, it disappeared again as if it never were.
Gohan was determined enough to take that chance, and changed his route, flying towards Kami's Palace.
Vegeta opened his eyes and hissed angrily, "He is on his way here. We will have to face him."
Bulma looked towards her husband, his expression just a shred more serious than it usually was. Trying to fight the urge to leap into his arms, which she knew irritated him when they were in the presence of others, she asked, "Surely we can try and escape! We can't just stand here and let ourselves be killed!"
Kuririn, who was looking down from the corners of his eyes, clenched his fist and said, "Iie, we can't. He will catch us, since we don't all know how to fly, and then it would be the end."
As Gohan landed on the familiar Palace, he was greeted with angry faces. The young boy's heart almost broke again at the sight of them, they seemed so furious. The little glimmer of aspiration in his ebony eyes burned out, as he noticed the situation. They all hate me. Not one of them trusts me!
Even Goten, who was still so young and innocent, glared at his Niisan.
This had been what Gohan had feared and had nightmares about ever since he had been kidnapped for the first time by Raditzu. That everyone would turn against him, and even though he had only lost grace with them once, he would never be able to get back in.
Unable to speak, Gohan just stared at his old friends, now enemies.
Dende walked between the crowd, right up to Gohan, so close that the demi Saiya-jin could have killed him right then. His eyes were filled with tears, but he blinked them away and said coldly, "You are not welcome here, Gohan. Leave, now!"
Still speechless, Gohan stepped back in terror from Dende's cold embrace. What could have corrupted his old friend so much that he would be so cold-hearted? What had demoralised all of his friends and family into what they were now?
Vegeta also began to advance on Gohan, and sneered, "What's wrong, gaki?! Have you lost your nerve? Don't want to be the 'Ruler of the Universe' any more?"
Gohan took another step back, his whole body trembling. Vegeta had always been a jerk, but he had never talked to Gohan with so much venom. The only time Gohan had heard him speak like that was towards Freeza and Cell, yet they were lone gone. Knowing that he had to be brave, Gohan answered back, trying not to let his voice shake, "Vegeta-san, what are you talking about? I would never want to 'Rule the Universe,' as you say. That was your ambition so many years ago."
Vegeta growled, and was about to strike Gohan for trying to be so smart, but he wavered when he realised that he did not stand a chance.
Tenshinhan also took a step forward and clenched his fist, saying in a low, merciless tone, "Stop trying to act, Gohan! You said that to me just two days ago, how easily could you have forgotten?!"
Yamucha grumbled impatiently, and shouted, "I don't care any more! I don't care if you are stronger than us, Gohan! We have to take you down!"
Everyone nodded their heads, and Gohan was shocked when he saw that his Kaasan and Totochan also agreed.
Then, without warning, Juuhachigou, Kuririn, Vegeta, Piccolo, Kamesennin, Yamucha, Tenshinhan, and even Chiyaosu and Yajirobe, launched forward at Gohan, the only thought in their minds was that Gohan had to be defeated.
Everyone else ran away to the other side of the palace, knowing that they could not really do anything to help.
Gohan stood his ground, but not with determination, but with utter fear. He could not hurt his own friends, he just couldn't!
Yet another cliffhanger! Hehe, and just when things were starting to become serious! Please review!