AN: GEEZE. This story would be updated regularly like it SHOULD, but read my rant on my user profile to figure out what happened. ::throws a tissy fit:: And yay-ness for reviews! You guys rock my socks! ...Well, if I had socks on now you would totally be rocking them! And if you haven't read my other story 'Bring me to Life', THEN DO IT. NOW (and review! They make me happy ). It seems to be more popular, anyway. This story will make more sense if you do...
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Being a guardian angel was tricky business. There were many rules that were not to be broken.
First of all, oneself must NOT under most circumstances reveal themselves to their assigned person. Once an angel has revealed himself, the power to alter their destiny is gone. The only reason this would be justified would be a last effort to bring about change of heart.
Most of the regulations of being a guardian angel stem from this ultimate rule, such as carrying the guarded away physically from danger, involving other angels in guarding a person, and showing oneself to someone closely related. All risk being revealed in one shape or form.
Gohan was sitting in a tree, mulling over the ways to fix Goten's predicament. He was wearing a casual form of the robe he wore at headquarters, which was short sleeved and ended at about the length of a shirt. Silky white gi pants were worn underneath, his robe-like shirt being trimmed with gold. The four tassels were still hanging from his belt, and the large amulet still hung around his neck. He was flipping his golden headband in his hands, thinking hard as he watched Goten in his room through his window.
'Show him meaning in life... beyond what he has lost... and in what he has...' Gohan thought to himself. 'My own brother! How am I supposed to... I wish I could just TALK to him... Then I would set him straight.'
Goten was laying back on his bed, playing his stereo at a loud volume, punk rock pouring out from it. Gohan could just see the glazed look in his eyes as he barley moved an inch from his reclined position. It tore Gohan's heart in two just looking at him...
Just as Gohan thought of going to fetch Trunks and encourage him somehow to come visit Goten, something caught the demi-saiyan's eyes. His eyes widened in horror as he saw the glint of metal shine in the dim room.
'Kami no Goten... what are you doing?' Gohan asked himself, fingers feeling numb. Just as he was flying gently closer to see what he was doing, Goten slid the sharp blade into his arm. Gohan cried out in mixed surprise and confusion; how could he do something like that to himself? He saw glittering blood pour gently from his arm as he repeated the process three more times. His younger brother wasn't trying to kill himself with that blade, so why? Why would he do that? Gohan wanted to barge in there and proceed to scream and yell at him.
Gohan sat right outside his window, sighing out. He could feel Goten was not quite ready to commit suicide, but if he kept this up he might do it accidentally. An idea came to mind. He climbed up and worked his way to the kitchen window.
Sliding on his headband, he peered in, to see his mother cleaning dishes. For a moment he focused on how she had aged. In just two years, her wrinkles had become more profound and her hair had grown out to the point of all being pulled back in her bun.
He brought himself back to the task at hand. Being completely invisible and mute to those living, he started talking.
"Something's wrong with Goten!" Gohan yelled. While his mother could not hear him directly, emotions and vague thoughts of guardian angels can usually be picked up. Chi-Chi slowed washing her dishes. "Something's REALLY wrong with Goten!!" Gohan cried, but louder this time. Without his headband on, she would have seen him and heard him at full volume. It was a device created to aid angels who wanted to be able to interact more directly with their 'clients'. His mother put down the dish that she was working on, and looked out of the window, making Gohan shudder. He knew she couldn't see him, but it seemed like she was looking right into his eyes. "GET AFTER GOTEN RIGHT NOW!" Gohan yelled, making Chi-Chi dash off. Gohan flapped his wings and got to Goten's window quickly, arriving just before Chi-Chi's knocks on his door.
"Go away." Goten grunted, making Gohan's heart fall.
"Darling, what's wrong?" Chi-Chi asked through the door.
"Nothing."
"Let me in."
"No."
"I want to see your face..."
This was a thousand times worse than two years of the Silver Sight. Was this what Goten had become? Gohan wanted to just scream. He climbed in through the window, sliding through the mess and sat by Goten.
"Why not just let her in? It's only because she loves you." Gohan urged with a voice of reasoning.
"Can't I have some privacy?" Goten snapped, but his eyes softened after 'hearing' Gohan.
"I'm really worried about you. Honey, please let me in."
"Why should you deny her love? Doesn't she deserve to help you? She's already lost one son..." Gohan choked on that last sentence. Usually with the children he worked with, it was easy to say things like that. There should be a rule saying that angels can't work with immediate family...
Goten became misty eyed, apparently picking up on Gohan's distress. He quickly shoved his arm behind his head and underneath his pillow. "Fine, come in mom."
Slowly opening the door, Chi-Chi hesitantly came in. She forced a smile. "Goten, are you alright dear? You haven't been yourself."
His heart slammed shut again. Goten darted his eyes away and became cold once more. "It happens."
Gohan and Chi-Chi both gave him sad looks, nearly at the same time. It irked Gohan, but he found little inspiration for words to alter what was happening. "Goten..."
His mother scanned the room quickly, seeing what a mess it was in and cringing at the music that was playing. Gohan could nearly tell exactly what was happening. Her heart was breaking, and she was having a hard time finding the energy to save her son. It shocked and horrified Gohan that she was already mourning him like he was dead. He shot his head and glared at Goten harshly.
"How could you DO this to her Goten?!" Gohan yelled, raising up to stand. "Can't you see how much she loves you? Just because I died doesn't mean it's the end of the world or something! Look at how much you have! Look at how much love is around you! Do you realize how lucky you are?! DO YOU REALIZE YOU'RE THROWING YOUR LIFE AWAY?!?!?"
Chi-Chi turned and sulked out, but before doing so, she turned to Goten. "Dear, I love you, please don't forget it..." She pulled the door shut slowly.
Gohan was breathing harshly, infuriated by his inability to slap sense into Goten. His younger brother pulled his arm out from underneath the pillow, just to reveal his blood-smeared arm.
"I guess those sheets need to be thrown out too..." Goten sighed. "I'll do it later tonight though." He thought out loud, letting his arm hang off the bedside.
It was unbelievable. Gohan was beggining to think his brother might be a lost cause.
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Gohan decided that he would try and have Trunks slip by and catch Goten throwing out his bed sheets. Perhaps a friend would be able to get through better to the demi-saiyan than his own mother.
Looking into Trunks room, he noted that it was much more orderly than his brother's. A feeling of nostalgia came over him when he spotted a picture by Trunks bed. Inside of the glass case, a chibi Goten and Trunks were tackling a younger, teenage Gohan. He should still be there...
He was startled back into seriousness when Trunks walked into his room. Gohan gaped at him. The young teenager he had left him was now looking more like a man. He was starting to grow his hair out long, and it was swept up into a ponytail on the back of his head, some of it too short for this, so it fell in his face. Gohan forced himself into a professional mind frame. Tapping his head to make sure his headband was on, he talked to Trunks.
"The picture Trunks."
He looked back. With a smile Trunks Briefs picked up the photo taken by his mother ten years ago. "Yeah, those were the good old days." He said to himself while Gohan the invisible angel climbed in, sitting on the windowsill.
"Goten." Gohan figured Trunks would be more open to his suggestions than Goten, whose heart was clamped shut.
Trunks eyes narrowed in thought as he focused on Goten's face. He was so happy... When was the last time he even talked to his friend?
"Why don't you surprise him? Drop by tonight? He would be glad to see you."
Placing down the picture, Trunks walked around, tidying his already neat room. Obviously he was thinking over something, and Gohan hoped it was visiting Goten. He could always try Veda... (AN: If you don't know who Veda is... Kami, it'll take a long while to explain. She's in 'Alive?!' if you care to find out. Basically, the niece of Vegeta. Long story.)
After a moment Trunks left the room. Gohan laughed inwardly. 'Oh man, I've always wanted to try this out...'
Using his wings lazily, he propelled himself towards the parallel wall, sliding right through it once he reached it. 'That... was so... COOL.' He thought to himself. When he reached rank 50 in the Angel Academy, they bestowed his headband to him. Not only allowing the living to not see him, but making him a purely spiritual being. Basically, he could go right through walls if he so pleased. And pleased he was. He followed Trunks downstairs, and mentally let out a sigh of relief.
"Mom! I'm going by Goten's house, alright?"
"Okay honey! Call when you're on your way home!"
"Sure thing!"
Gohan was going to make sure they ran into each other at the right time.
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Comfortably the dead demi-saiyan lay in the grass outside his house. Pretty soon, his presence would no longer be justified. If Trunks ran into Goten at just the right time...
And plus, he didn't know how well he could take this stress. He wanted to see Videl... She would be able to comfort him, to a degree anyway. Videl always made everything seem clearer. A smile danced across his face at just the thought of her.
All he had to do was sit and watch. He planted the thought on Trunks that he would sneak up and surprise Goten. Goten had it in his head he would sneak out almost immediately. The sun was beginning to set, and Gohan had to be back soon. Explaining why he was out this long to Zeal simply didn't appeal to him.
Gohan sneaked around to the back, where the small family dumpster sat. Years ago Chi-Chi hired on a trash service that would come about once a month to gather the family trash. Not that they made much, that is. That's why he only came around once a month.
He settled in comfortably, just to see what would happen, and maybe draw out a course of action for future visits. Technically, he wasn't supposed to directly interfere the first time coming down. He was supposed to 'draw conclusions' and 'evaluate the situation'. Feh. As if he didn't know what his own family problems were. As Videl's saying goes... 'Rules are for the weak!'.
Five minutes went by. Soon, it became ten. Gohan sulked and became anxious when the minutes flew by and eventually became thirty. "AAAUG!" He cried out in frusteration, looking for Trunks' ki. "What the..." Gohan peered through a window. He went stiff and fell over. "WHAT IS HE... GFFFFAAAAUGFLADA!" Jumping back up he looked into the dinning room again, confirming what he first thought he saw. Dinner. They were all... eating... dinner. What happened to the thoughts he planted on them? Trunks and Goten were laughing, his mother was smiling, while his father just plowed into his dinner. It was as if... as if nothing was wrong. 'But there IS something wrong!' Gohan inwardly cried, unable to absorb what was going on. '...I'm not there...'
He shook away his selfish thoughts and smiled. The urge to cry was powerful, but hey, they were happy. So what. That's what he had been wanting for two years, since his horrific death. Then why did he feel so tormented as his family made jokes and laughed? Feeling as if he was made of lead, Gohan slowly took off in the air, lazily beating his wings. Assignment done. Analysis of the situation: Goten was going to get better. He knew it would take more than one visit to make sure he stopped his cutting, but he couldn't think about that right now. He needed to get back to other world and see Videl. With a quick tap of his amulet, his figure dissolved into glittering mist as he transported back.
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Trunks had head back home, and his parent had settled into bed. He acted like he was going to do the same thing. But Son Goten had to take the trash out.
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Being a guardian angel was tricky business. There were many rules that were not to be broken.
First of all, oneself must NOT under most circumstances reveal themselves to their assigned person. Once an angel has revealed himself, the power to alter their destiny is gone. The only reason this would be justified would be a last effort to bring about change of heart.
Most of the regulations of being a guardian angel stem from this ultimate rule, such as carrying the guarded away physically from danger, involving other angels in guarding a person, and showing oneself to someone closely related. All risk being revealed in one shape or form.
Gohan was sitting in a tree, mulling over the ways to fix Goten's predicament. He was wearing a casual form of the robe he wore at headquarters, which was short sleeved and ended at about the length of a shirt. Silky white gi pants were worn underneath, his robe-like shirt being trimmed with gold. The four tassels were still hanging from his belt, and the large amulet still hung around his neck. He was flipping his golden headband in his hands, thinking hard as he watched Goten in his room through his window.
'Show him meaning in life... beyond what he has lost... and in what he has...' Gohan thought to himself. 'My own brother! How am I supposed to... I wish I could just TALK to him... Then I would set him straight.'
Goten was laying back on his bed, playing his stereo at a loud volume, punk rock pouring out from it. Gohan could just see the glazed look in his eyes as he barley moved an inch from his reclined position. It tore Gohan's heart in two just looking at him...
Just as Gohan thought of going to fetch Trunks and encourage him somehow to come visit Goten, something caught the demi-saiyan's eyes. His eyes widened in horror as he saw the glint of metal shine in the dim room.
'Kami no Goten... what are you doing?' Gohan asked himself, fingers feeling numb. Just as he was flying gently closer to see what he was doing, Goten slid the sharp blade into his arm. Gohan cried out in mixed surprise and confusion; how could he do something like that to himself? He saw glittering blood pour gently from his arm as he repeated the process three more times. His younger brother wasn't trying to kill himself with that blade, so why? Why would he do that? Gohan wanted to barge in there and proceed to scream and yell at him.
Gohan sat right outside his window, sighing out. He could feel Goten was not quite ready to commit suicide, but if he kept this up he might do it accidentally. An idea came to mind. He climbed up and worked his way to the kitchen window.
Sliding on his headband, he peered in, to see his mother cleaning dishes. For a moment he focused on how she had aged. In just two years, her wrinkles had become more profound and her hair had grown out to the point of all being pulled back in her bun.
He brought himself back to the task at hand. Being completely invisible and mute to those living, he started talking.
"Something's wrong with Goten!" Gohan yelled. While his mother could not hear him directly, emotions and vague thoughts of guardian angels can usually be picked up. Chi-Chi slowed washing her dishes. "Something's REALLY wrong with Goten!!" Gohan cried, but louder this time. Without his headband on, she would have seen him and heard him at full volume. It was a device created to aid angels who wanted to be able to interact more directly with their 'clients'. His mother put down the dish that she was working on, and looked out of the window, making Gohan shudder. He knew she couldn't see him, but it seemed like she was looking right into his eyes. "GET AFTER GOTEN RIGHT NOW!" Gohan yelled, making Chi-Chi dash off. Gohan flapped his wings and got to Goten's window quickly, arriving just before Chi-Chi's knocks on his door.
"Go away." Goten grunted, making Gohan's heart fall.
"Darling, what's wrong?" Chi-Chi asked through the door.
"Nothing."
"Let me in."
"No."
"I want to see your face..."
This was a thousand times worse than two years of the Silver Sight. Was this what Goten had become? Gohan wanted to just scream. He climbed in through the window, sliding through the mess and sat by Goten.
"Why not just let her in? It's only because she loves you." Gohan urged with a voice of reasoning.
"Can't I have some privacy?" Goten snapped, but his eyes softened after 'hearing' Gohan.
"I'm really worried about you. Honey, please let me in."
"Why should you deny her love? Doesn't she deserve to help you? She's already lost one son..." Gohan choked on that last sentence. Usually with the children he worked with, it was easy to say things like that. There should be a rule saying that angels can't work with immediate family...
Goten became misty eyed, apparently picking up on Gohan's distress. He quickly shoved his arm behind his head and underneath his pillow. "Fine, come in mom."
Slowly opening the door, Chi-Chi hesitantly came in. She forced a smile. "Goten, are you alright dear? You haven't been yourself."
His heart slammed shut again. Goten darted his eyes away and became cold once more. "It happens."
Gohan and Chi-Chi both gave him sad looks, nearly at the same time. It irked Gohan, but he found little inspiration for words to alter what was happening. "Goten..."
His mother scanned the room quickly, seeing what a mess it was in and cringing at the music that was playing. Gohan could nearly tell exactly what was happening. Her heart was breaking, and she was having a hard time finding the energy to save her son. It shocked and horrified Gohan that she was already mourning him like he was dead. He shot his head and glared at Goten harshly.
"How could you DO this to her Goten?!" Gohan yelled, raising up to stand. "Can't you see how much she loves you? Just because I died doesn't mean it's the end of the world or something! Look at how much you have! Look at how much love is around you! Do you realize how lucky you are?! DO YOU REALIZE YOU'RE THROWING YOUR LIFE AWAY?!?!?"
Chi-Chi turned and sulked out, but before doing so, she turned to Goten. "Dear, I love you, please don't forget it..." She pulled the door shut slowly.
Gohan was breathing harshly, infuriated by his inability to slap sense into Goten. His younger brother pulled his arm out from underneath the pillow, just to reveal his blood-smeared arm.
"I guess those sheets need to be thrown out too..." Goten sighed. "I'll do it later tonight though." He thought out loud, letting his arm hang off the bedside.
It was unbelievable. Gohan was beggining to think his brother might be a lost cause.
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Gohan decided that he would try and have Trunks slip by and catch Goten throwing out his bed sheets. Perhaps a friend would be able to get through better to the demi-saiyan than his own mother.
Looking into Trunks room, he noted that it was much more orderly than his brother's. A feeling of nostalgia came over him when he spotted a picture by Trunks bed. Inside of the glass case, a chibi Goten and Trunks were tackling a younger, teenage Gohan. He should still be there...
He was startled back into seriousness when Trunks walked into his room. Gohan gaped at him. The young teenager he had left him was now looking more like a man. He was starting to grow his hair out long, and it was swept up into a ponytail on the back of his head, some of it too short for this, so it fell in his face. Gohan forced himself into a professional mind frame. Tapping his head to make sure his headband was on, he talked to Trunks.
"The picture Trunks."
He looked back. With a smile Trunks Briefs picked up the photo taken by his mother ten years ago. "Yeah, those were the good old days." He said to himself while Gohan the invisible angel climbed in, sitting on the windowsill.
"Goten." Gohan figured Trunks would be more open to his suggestions than Goten, whose heart was clamped shut.
Trunks eyes narrowed in thought as he focused on Goten's face. He was so happy... When was the last time he even talked to his friend?
"Why don't you surprise him? Drop by tonight? He would be glad to see you."
Placing down the picture, Trunks walked around, tidying his already neat room. Obviously he was thinking over something, and Gohan hoped it was visiting Goten. He could always try Veda... (AN: If you don't know who Veda is... Kami, it'll take a long while to explain. She's in 'Alive?!' if you care to find out. Basically, the niece of Vegeta. Long story.)
After a moment Trunks left the room. Gohan laughed inwardly. 'Oh man, I've always wanted to try this out...'
Using his wings lazily, he propelled himself towards the parallel wall, sliding right through it once he reached it. 'That... was so... COOL.' He thought to himself. When he reached rank 50 in the Angel Academy, they bestowed his headband to him. Not only allowing the living to not see him, but making him a purely spiritual being. Basically, he could go right through walls if he so pleased. And pleased he was. He followed Trunks downstairs, and mentally let out a sigh of relief.
"Mom! I'm going by Goten's house, alright?"
"Okay honey! Call when you're on your way home!"
"Sure thing!"
Gohan was going to make sure they ran into each other at the right time.
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Comfortably the dead demi-saiyan lay in the grass outside his house. Pretty soon, his presence would no longer be justified. If Trunks ran into Goten at just the right time...
And plus, he didn't know how well he could take this stress. He wanted to see Videl... She would be able to comfort him, to a degree anyway. Videl always made everything seem clearer. A smile danced across his face at just the thought of her.
All he had to do was sit and watch. He planted the thought on Trunks that he would sneak up and surprise Goten. Goten had it in his head he would sneak out almost immediately. The sun was beginning to set, and Gohan had to be back soon. Explaining why he was out this long to Zeal simply didn't appeal to him.
Gohan sneaked around to the back, where the small family dumpster sat. Years ago Chi-Chi hired on a trash service that would come about once a month to gather the family trash. Not that they made much, that is. That's why he only came around once a month.
He settled in comfortably, just to see what would happen, and maybe draw out a course of action for future visits. Technically, he wasn't supposed to directly interfere the first time coming down. He was supposed to 'draw conclusions' and 'evaluate the situation'. Feh. As if he didn't know what his own family problems were. As Videl's saying goes... 'Rules are for the weak!'.
Five minutes went by. Soon, it became ten. Gohan sulked and became anxious when the minutes flew by and eventually became thirty. "AAAUG!" He cried out in frusteration, looking for Trunks' ki. "What the..." Gohan peered through a window. He went stiff and fell over. "WHAT IS HE... GFFFFAAAAUGFLADA!" Jumping back up he looked into the dinning room again, confirming what he first thought he saw. Dinner. They were all... eating... dinner. What happened to the thoughts he planted on them? Trunks and Goten were laughing, his mother was smiling, while his father just plowed into his dinner. It was as if... as if nothing was wrong. 'But there IS something wrong!' Gohan inwardly cried, unable to absorb what was going on. '...I'm not there...'
He shook away his selfish thoughts and smiled. The urge to cry was powerful, but hey, they were happy. So what. That's what he had been wanting for two years, since his horrific death. Then why did he feel so tormented as his family made jokes and laughed? Feeling as if he was made of lead, Gohan slowly took off in the air, lazily beating his wings. Assignment done. Analysis of the situation: Goten was going to get better. He knew it would take more than one visit to make sure he stopped his cutting, but he couldn't think about that right now. He needed to get back to other world and see Videl. With a quick tap of his amulet, his figure dissolved into glittering mist as he transported back.
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Trunks had head back home, and his parent had settled into bed. He acted like he was going to do the same thing. But Son Goten had to take the trash out.
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