Shining Friendship
Here is the next chapter. Hey, I just realized something…I'm updating faster now! Yaay! A-hem…I need to control myself more often…
The stars shone in the night sky as Goten lay crouched on the floor, waiting for the arrival of either his brother or father.
"Don't worry, Goten," Dende looked at him. "Your brother will be back safe."
"But what if he doesn't?" Goten asked. "What if my brother dies? And what if Buu was telling the truth? What if my father really is dead?"
"Don't say that, Goten," Dende said. "It's foolish of you to think of your father as 'weak'. We all know that Goku is great and he can't be defeated in such a short amount of time. Perhaps, your father is okay."
But what if he isn't? Goten thought. What if Dad really is dead? If big brother dies too, then that'd make three people I'd lose. Trunks…Dad…and Gohan. Wait a minute.
"Dende?" Goten stood up from his crouched position on the floor. "Um, what about the dragon balls?"
"What about the dragon balls, Goten?" Dende stared at him.
"Well," Goten played with his fingers, "They can bring back people from the dead, right? So, maybe…"
"Goten, that's a great idea!" Dende exclaimed. "How could have we forgotten?! We can bring Trunks back… and Goku!"
"There's no need to do that…" a weak voice replied. Goten and Dende smiled with joy when they saw Vegeta in the air, holding Goku by his shoulders. "I'm already alive," Goku said.
"Dad!" Goten ran to hug his father the moment Vegeta set him down on the ground. "You're okay! I can't believe it! Buu said you were dead!"
"Buu?" Goku asked.
"Yeah. He came and Gohan went down to earth to fight him!" Goten explained. "But all that matters is that you're okay!"
"Goku," Dende walked up to Goku. "I think that maybe I should heal you before you go out there to help Gohan."
"Thanks, Dende," Goku accepted his offer. Dende put up his arms in the air and closed his eyes, and Goku felt his body heal a little.
"Is that better?" Dende asked.
"I feel much better now," Goku replied. "Damn, for some reason, that Buu is stronger than ever."
"Now," Vegeta stepped in. "About the dragon balls?"
"Oh," Dende smiled down at Goten, "Goten here had a great idea. We forgot that we could use the dragon balls to bring back Trunks and everyone from Satan City."
"Good," Goku muttered. "But we still have Buu to deal with. He could interfere while we search for the dragon balls."
"I'll look for them," Goten volunteered. "I can do it."
"The boy's right," Mr. Popo appeared. "Goten would search for the dragon balls and you and Vegeta could go fight Buu with Gohan. That would keep Buu from interfering Goten."
"You…you up to this, Goten?" Goku turned to Goten.
"I guess so," the boy replied.
He better be, Vegeta thought. For the sake of my son. "Here," Mr. Popo handed Goten a bag to put around his shoulders (It's the one he wears on movie 13). "Put the dragon balls in this bag."
"Okay," Goten said.
"We're all counting on you, Goten," Dende smiled down at Goten. Goten gave him a thumbs-up.
"Don't worry, guys!" Goten replied. He prepared to take off.
Goku shouted out to him, "You sure you can do this, Goten?"
"Hai," replied Goten.
"You have everything you need?"
"Hai."
"Visit your mom if you any time. She's gotta be worried sick about us!"
"Hai."
"Be careful!"
Goten chuckled and took his tongue out at his father, and Goku immediately did the same thing to Goten. "Hai," Goten giggled.
Everyone, except Vegeta, waved good-bye to young Goten who had just taken off. Goku looked at his son, until Goten disappeared from sight. "He can do it," he said. "But I hope he doesn't cross with Buu."
"Will you shut up already?!" Vegeta glared daggers at Goku. "Because if you don't, we'll never get to Buu. And if we never get to Buu, then you can be sure your son will cross with him. Now, let's go!"
Goku looked at him sheepishly until he finally nodded and flew off with Vegeta, both headed straight for Buu and Gohan. Dende sighed. "Such hilarious warriors we have to defend our earth, huh, Mr. Popo?"
"Yes, indeed," Mr. Popo replied.
Goten flew through the clouds, cheering as he flew. "Woohoo!!" he cried. "Trunks is gonna be back! Yeah!!" He did loops in the air and headed for Capsule Corp. "First, I'll need to borrow the dragon radar from Bulma. Then, all I have to do is collect all the dragon balls and soon, Trunks will be back!" It wasn't long until Goten could see the Capsule Corp. building hidden deep within the city. He flew directly to the back of the building, where he found Trunks's grandmother watering her garden.
"Oh, hello there," she said. "You're Goten, aren't you?"
"Yes, ma'am," Goten bowed in respect. It was something he had learned from his mother. "Do you know where Bulma is, ma'am?"
"Why, of course, dear. She's in her lab. Don't worry, I'll get her for you," Mrs. Briefs said. She went inside the building and left Goten fidgeting with his fingers, waiting for Mrs. Briefs and Bulma to come out.
Oh, man! I almost forgot! he thought. How am I supposed to tell Trunks's mom that he's dead? Well, it's not biggie. After all, he is going to be brought back with the dragon balls. That's right, Goten. There's nothing to worry about.
But the first thing Goten heard when Bulma came out was, "Where's my son, Trunks? And Vegeta?"
"Uh…" Goten's mouth was open, though no words came out. Why did it seem so easy to say, but really it wasn't?
"Where's Trunks, Goten. I had figured that he would be with you," Bulma said.
"Well, he's…"Goten began to scratch the back of his head. He was nervous. Bulma's eyelids twitched when Goten did this. It was one of those famous "Goku Moves" that Goku would do a lot. Especially when there was something wrong.
"Goten?" urged Bulma.
"Well, he's…" Goten took a deep breath. "Ma'am," he began. "Trunks is dead."
Bulma's eyes rolled backwards and she fainted. Goten chuckled. "Sorry," he apologized to Mrs. Briefs. But Mrs. Briefs was in a state of shock, too. "Um, do you guys know where I can find the dragon radar?" he asked. When he realized that he wasn't going to get an answer from either woman, he took off into the building, trying hard to remember where Bulma's laboratory was. Soon, he found a door with a label saying, "LAB", so he ran inside.
"Oh, man," he groaned. The lab was too big. A little bit TOO big. There were so many cabinets to check, so many drawers, boxes, and…stuff. It'd be much easier for him to just ask Bulma where the dragon radar was. After all, he didn't have much time. But due to the state she was in, there was no way of getting the dragon radar. At least not without looking.
He began to open drawers randomly, and ripped some cardboard boxes open. He looked around and saw a large table by a corner, filled with many junk that Bulma would probably use to create a new space capsule. He pushed all the junk aside, trying to see if the dragon radar was hidden somewhere between or something. Soon, he found it right underneath some of the junk. "Great!" he cried. "Now, I can find the dragon balls!"
He went back out to the garden, and saw that Bulma was still unconscious and that Mrs. Briefs was still in her state of shock. "Well, uh," he waved at them, even though he knew they wouldn't be paying any attention to him. "Um, I'll be going now." Then, he took off in the air, ready to find the dragon balls.
***Meanwhile, with Goku and Vegeta***
"I sure hope he's okay," Goku sighed nervously. "Buu could have caught him, you know."
"Will you shut the hell up already, Kakkarot?!" Vegeta spat at him. "Your son is going to be just fine! And stop being such a damn idiot! Don't forget that Buu is still fighting with Gohan so there is no way that Goten could have been caught already! Now, shut up and follow me so we can find Buu!"
"Yes," Goku mumbled. "Master…"
To Be Continued…