Part 5: The Beginning of the End
Chapter 28: The Earth is Gone?
I do not own Dragonball Z.
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The doors throughout the ship slammed shut as g-forces pulled at them. Sharpner, Erasa, and Lime staggered under the pressure while Gohan and Videl were unaffected.
"What the hell was that?!" Yelled Sharpner.
"I don't know." Replied Videl, an odd expression on her face. Something isn't right. It felt like something important is gone.
"We're in space." Said Gohan, his face wearing the same expression as Videl's.
"What?! We can't be in space!"
"I swear I didn't see any buttons marked launch or go or"
"It's ok. Bulma taught Gohan and I how to pilot these things." Replied Videl as Gohan slipped into the pilot's seat.
"So you can get us back?" Asked Sharpner before realizing something. "If we're in space then how come we're not floating?"
"Artificial gravity." Replied Gohan. "Oh man, I would of thought that Bulma wouldn't have changed so many of the controls on this model." Added the demi-Saiya-jin as he pressed several buttons. A few seconds later the ship spun around to reveal something none of them had expected.
The four teenagers stared in shock at what they saw. Or rather, at what they didn't see. It just wasn't possible. It couldn't be real. But it did explain what felt so wrong to Gohan and Videl.
"Ummwhere's the Earth?" Asked Sharpner.
"It's"
"gone." Gohan finished for Videl.
"G-gone? How can aPLANETS CAN'T JUST DISAPPEAR!" Screeched Erasa.
"It didn't disappear." Lime replied solemnly. "It blew up." The two blondes looked at her like she had just lost her mind. "Look there, and thereall around us. Unless this ship we're in already took us to the asteroid belt then that isthe Earth."
Gohan and Videl snickered before laughing. The situation wasn't funny to the three other people there with them but to the two demi-Saiya-jins this situation was so ironic that it's funny.
All his life Gohan had fought beings bent on destroying the Earth or its people. He, along with his father and his friends, had stopped them. But in the end it was in vain. The Earth wasn't destroyed by some enemy that had announced their presence but by something unseen or unknown. And as they laughed tears slowly fell from their eyes and Videl sank into Gohan's lap.
It was purely by luck alone that they and the three teens with them had survived. By some miracle the sensors of this ship had detected whatever it was that had destroyed the Earth and launched itself.
Behind them they could hear Erasa, Sharpner, and Lime talking. This situation was more then those three could comprehend at the moment. It would take a few hours for the reality of it to sink in. To realize that everyone they know is gone. It was only from Gohan's hard life and Videl's knowledge of it that allowed them to accept it so quickly.
A flash of light, unnoticed by the group of teens, illuminated space a few feet from the ship and caused a small indicator light to blink on the control panel. It wasn't until an alarm sounded that they took notice.
Upon looking out the window Gohan's eyes widened in shock, "It can't be," Muttered the demi-Saiya-jin.
"What can't be?" Asked Sharpner. Gohan ignored him and maneuvered the ship so that the object could be brought into the cargo bay.
"Why would Trunks be back?" He asked himself as he pressed the controls to seal and repressurize the cargo bay.
"Isn't Trunks the name of Mrs. Brief's son?" Asked Erasa.
"I'll explain later." Replied Videl before following Gohan. But he stopped in the hall and told her to stay with the others. After a few seconds thought she nodded.
A slight hiss could be heard as the transparent bubble on top of the yellow machine opened.
"D-d-damn it's c-c-cold in s-space." Said a shivering Trunks with chattering teeth. He quickly warmed himself with his ki. "Now that I think about it, why did I materialize in space? Mom made some changes to this thing before she died but I wouldn't think it'd be that far off."
"The Ear"
"Wow, you really grew Gohan." Said Trunks, interrupting Gohan.
"Errthanks. So what brings you here?"
"Wella few months after I killed the androids in my time this army showed up on the Earth. They were Frieza's and wanted revenge for his and his father's deaths."
"So you think they'll show up here?" Asked Gohan before something clicked in his mind.
"I don't know. It's possible."
"Are they that strong? I mean the Ginyu Force wouldn't be any trouble for us so how bad could the regular army be?" Asked Gohan.
"They weren't any match for me one on one or even in small groups, but in larger groups it's not really possible to stop them without damaging the Earth. And they" Trunks trailed off as his face looked grim.
"What is it?" Asked Gohan as he rested a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"They killed herthey killed my mom." Gohan's eyes widened in surprise. "Butthat's only part of why I left. It's strangeI lived there all my life but with out my Mom there it no longer felt like home."
"I-I'm sorry Trunks."
"It's ok. I know that she's happy in Other World."
"Yea, she finally gets to boss Vegeta around again." Said Gohan as he and Trunks laughed lightly.
"Yea, she's probably having a blast while dad is have the worst time of his lifeafterlife." Replied Trunks.
"Gohan?" Came a voice that always sounded like music to the demi-Saiya-jin's ears. He should have been mad that she didn't do as he wished. But he wasn't since he had known that she wouldn't listen.
"My, who's this lovely lady?" Asked Trunks as Videl approached them. A low growl from Gohan was his only response. Trunks gulped at the glare Gohan is giving him. But his fear quickly turned to amusement when the girl suddenly smacked Gohan on the back of the head.
"Knock it off Gohan. Jeez." Gohan blushed and rubbed at his head.
"Sorry Vidy." Replied Gohan while giving her his puppy dog eyes look.
"You're forgiven." Replied Videl before giving Gohan what was intended as a quick kiss on the lips but ended up lasting for several seconds.
Trunks stood there with pink tinged cheeks as he watched them. Surely this isn't the same shy little boy he had met during the Cell Games. Then he saw them, the marks on their necks partially obscured by their shirt collars, and it all made sense. "Looks like you chose a good mate Gohan. Although I'm surprised that you two have mated before getting married." Said Trunks when the two teens pulled apart.
Videl and Gohan both laughed at this. With how Gohan's mother acts most of the time one would think she'd disprove of premarital sex. But they knew that it was quite the opposite since the woman wouldn't mind a grandchild or two even if her son isn't married when she gets them.
"We'll get married in a few years when it won't be a scandal." Trunks raised an eyebrow at this but only got twin looks saying "we'll explain later" in reply.
"Come on. You might as well meet the others that are with us." Said Gohan as he, with an arm around Videl's waist, led them back to the cockpit.
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