Chapter Twenty Four- Hajime
The group stood huddled outside the space ship listening to Gohan's tale. No one spoke for a while after he finished.
"I could be a trap," Videl said sensibly. "We don't even know if Goten is even ali-"
Chibi Trunks rammed his heel hard into Videl foot. She let out a small yelp but got the point. Gohan didn't seem to notice, but Chibi Trunks saw him flinch.
"This whole thing was a trap," Vegeta snapped. "It doesn't take a genius to see that."
"Okay," Mirai Trunks stated. He seemed a bit pale but Trunks was determined to keep a cool head. They had absolutely no clue what they were getting into. It was hard for Trunks to imagine that Goten was even alive… but for Gohan's sake, he hoped.
"Since the suits are no longer needed," He said eyeing everyone. "We'll wear these."
Mirai Trunks handed everyone some head set microphones. Everyone placed them on obediently except for Goku who was tapping his cautiously…
"Put it on, Goku," Chichi sighed lightly. "Like this, sweetheart."
She tucked the speakers over his ears and positioned the mike by his mouth so he could speak easily into it. Goku blinked a couple of times.
"What does it do?"
"It helps us hear each other, from faraway," Mirai Trunks smiled.
"Oh," Goku smiled. "Like a walkie talkie thing attached to your head."
"Exactly," Gohan nodded. "Now we can split up and cover the moon much faster."
Mirai Trunks glanced over the group and then cleared his throat.
"Here's what we will do. Chichi, you stay near the ship. Since you can't fly, if something happens we want everyone to be able to get off planet quick."
Chichi gave a slight nod. Her face was white but her eyes glinted with strength.
"Videl, you and Gohan will be going west. Try not to go too far away from each other. Keep in mind that we need to cover ground but also get out of here alive."
Videl and Gohan nodded in agreement.
"Vegeta, you and Trunks go North."
Vegeta gave a slight huff. Chibi Trunks grinned happily but quickly hid his expression quickly from his father.
"Goku, you go south. And I will go east." Trunks finished. "We will all give reports on progress every ten minutes… Let's go."
All six blurs of white shot off across the moon. Chichi was left standing alone with her hair swaying lightly with the gravity pull…
"Be careful…"
"Checking. Vegeta? Trunks? Report?" Mirai Trunks called.
Gohan ignored the voices blaring from his ear phones. He could only charge forward. He was giving Videl quite a hard time. She wasn't as fast as he was.
"Gohan!" Videl's voice spoke through the ear phones. "Calm down! We'll find Goten!"
"What's wrong?" Goku spoke through.
Normally Gohan would answer and say he was okay… but right now he was too focused on finding this stone.
"He won't speak to me. I think his microphone may be busted. He is going to fast. I can't catch up."
"Save your energy. Let Gohan be alone for awhile. He needs space." Goku stated.
Perhaps it was the first time Gohan had ever heard his father say something so empathetic. Gohan felt a sort of gratitude towards his father. So four years of separation and Goku still knew him better then Gohan knew himself.
Videl slowed down so she could continue her search. Gohan felt a surge of guilt. She was only trying to help him. But it was so hard. Goten was still Gohan's main concern right now. He knew Videl didn't need his protection. But he also knew she was going the wrong way...
"Goku? Do you think Gohan found anything?" Mirai Trunks asked.
Gohan tried to ignore the voices. It was painful. They were worried.
"No. I didn't find anything," Gohan spoke softly.
"Okay," Goku's voice responded. "Thank you for answering, Gohan."
Gohan nodded although he knew his father couldn't see him. His heart felt heavy. He didn't want to wait for anyone. He didn't want to lie either. He just wanted to get the stone and clobber Cell. Tears stung his eyes as he remembered just a couple of nights ago he was thinking it was all over. Why Goten? He couldn't let anyone else get hurt…
Gohan paused by a small crater. He had calmed down. Gohan knew the only way to find Goten was to take it one step at a time. He was rushing and that was making him sloppy.
"I found a piece of red and white cloth tied to a pole. It looks like Chichi was here," Goku stated over the mike.
"Leave it alone, Karkarott. That's the American Flag," Vegeta snapped.
"Oh."
Gohan began to walk. It was better then flying at fifty miles an hour probably missing the stone. Gohan kept hearing Cell's taunting voice enter his thoughts as he walked. His heart began to pound…
"I think I found-"
The ground beneath Gohan let go. He fell…
"Gohan?" Videl asked, "Gohan, I think we picked up some static. Please repeat…"
There was a long empty silence.
"He's not answering…" Chibi Trunks said in a nervous voice.
"Gohan?" Goku called.
"Gohan, do you hear us?" Mirai Trunks cried.
"Gohan! This isn't funny! Answer!" Chichi cried.
"Something's not right," Vegeta hissed. "Someone check on Gohan…"
"I will. I'm the closest," Videl offered.
"I'm heading in your direction," Goku stated.
"Me too," Mirai Trunks agreed. "The rest of you, keep searching."
"Roger," Chichi said.
"Who's Roger?" Chibi Trunks asked.
Videl landed outside a steep hole. Not bothering to comment to the rest of the group she tore off her head phones and shouted down into the hole.
"Gohan?! Are you there?!"
There was no answer. Slowly, Videl lowered herself down into the hole. The dark pressed in on her from all sides. Her eyes stung for light. Peering down below she saw the outline of her feet hit ground. She placed a hand on the cold ground hoping not to come across a body… instead her fingers wrapped around a headphone. It was snapped in two. Did Gohan do it on purpose? The mike had be dislodged and tossed somewhere else.
"Why wouldn't Gohan want us to follow?" She said to herself.
The darkness seemed to hiss in her ears. Her head spun with her questions…
"Because… He didn't want… He thinks it's a trap… He knows it's a trap! That's why he tried to get rid of us!"
Videl's eyes filled with tears, "Blast you, Gohan. Why did you have to be so noble?"
She slammed her fists against nearby wall causing caving a dent. She gritted her teeth and squinted into the darkness.
"I'll find you, Son Gohan. Believe me, I will."
Gohan walked along in the darkness his only light coming from the aurora about him. Super Sayian can be helpful in many ways. He searched the darkness for a glint of something. He prayed that no one would chase him. He wanted to find the stone first. He didn't want his friends to follow…
"There." Gohan smiled racing over to where the crystal lay in its bed in the sand. It was sending off a eerie blue light. Gohan powered down, his smile fading. He didn't know what would happen when he picked it up.
"GOHAN! STOP!" Videl's voice rang out behind him.
"Darn," Gohan hissed spinning around.
Videl skidded to a halt before him. Her eyes were radiating in fury. She wasn't to happy with what he wanted to do…
"Don't you dare. Come on. Let's go back to everyone else, tell them what is going on. Just don't touch it, Gohan."
"You don't understand," Gohan snapped going hot in the cheeks. "I'm doing this so that you won't get hurt."
"We will do this together, Gohan."
"It wasn't meant to be this way," Gohan said sadly shaking his head. "I didn't want you guys to come. This is between me and Cell."
"By the love of Kami, Gohan!!!" Videl hissed smacking Gohan hard across the cheek. "Snap out of it!"
Gohan blinked and clutched his cheek.
"You hit me," He muttered.
It hadn't even hurt… psychically. But mentally, Gohan felt torn. She had actually smacked him…
"I had to do something," Videl said harshly. "You need to stop thinking that you have to protect us. We can defend ourselves. Gohan…"
Her voice went soft. Tears began to form…
"I wouldn't have come if I had known you wouldn't need my help."
Gohan stood shaken. He bit his lip and backed up slightly.
"You are right. I shouldn't always try and protect you… but this is just between me and Cell."
"NO!" Videl screamed as Gohan snatched the stone off the ground. The cave was enveloped in a white light…
"Gohan." Goten's voice echoed tauntingly in Gohan's ears.
His head was throbbing with intense pain. Carefully he lifted himself up and blinked open his eyes. There before him sat a mini hologram of Goten hovering above the crystal. Gohan swallowed his tears and croaked, "Goten?"
Videl was sitting silently at Gohan's side. Her lips were pursed together. Her blue eyes were fixed upon the crystal with a sort of pity raining in them.
"Gohan, you have to listen me." Goten said quickly. "I only get to say this once. Forget about me."
"What?" said Gohan.
"You don't want to come here, trust me." Goten continued. "As much as I wish to see you again… You can't play this game. It's dangerous and risky. I know… it's not worth the price you will have to pay… I wish I could see you."
"Can't you see me, Goten?" Gohan cried.
Videl squeezed Gohan's arm lightly.
"It's a recording… He can't respond."
"I miss Mom…and I miss Dad." Goten whimpered softly.
Tears began to sparkle down his ghostly transparent cheeks,
"I miss Trunks. I miss you." He continued, "If I do… die… I am so sorry. It's not like I tried to."
Gohan remained silent this time. Goten paused for a bit to wipe his tears off on his sleeve. Gohan was watching with a intent gaze. Emotion was driven from his face. His soul felt as though it were on fire…
"I wanna be brave, Gohan," Goten said softly. "But I don't wanna die…"
The hologram flickered and died. The environment around Gohan changed. The cave melted into the whitest of white. Even Videl disappeared. There before Gohan stood the most beautiful woman Gohan had ever seen.
Her short black hair resembled Videl's except it was dotted with sliver specks resembling stars. Her eyes were a deep purple lighting up her face. She wore a all white gown the reached her ankles. She looked much older then Videl though.
"Who… who are you?"
"My name is Hajime. I am sister to Haji."
Gohan leapt to his feet and into a fighter's stance. Hajime smiled.
"I see you have met my brother."
"Yes," Gohan hissed.
"Ah," Hajime nodded. "I thought he had escaped… that's why I came to you."
"What do you mean?" Gohan snapped.
"You are the only person who can help me…" Hajime smiled, "I need your help with capturing my brother."
"Okay…" Gohan said not dropping his guard. "How may I help?"
Hajime suddenly looked ages older. Her eyes went stone gray as floods of pain seemed to hit her. She looked at Gohan with a terrible look of sympathy.
"I must ask of you something I know you will probably never agree to…"
"I am not afraid to give up my life," Gohan muttered angrily.
"But are you strong enough to sacrifice another's?"
"What are you talking about?" Gohan snapped.
Hajime looked grave again.
"I must ask you to not play in this game… You must forget Goten…"
"No! Never!"
"If you do not, you and everyone in your party will perish. It has been predicted…"
"I make my own future," Gohan snarled.
"Gohan… I am the spirit of this universe. If you continued to foolishly head towards Haji's planet… I will be forced to kill you."
"Spirit?" Gohan questioned uncertainly.
"Yes." Hajime said softly, "I am the light… Haji was the dark… until he got infected."
"Infected?" Gohan inquired.
"He was… infected by hate. Hate transformed him… I managed to lock his pieces of his soul away- one such piece in the North Kai's Planet but… for some reason it disappeared…"
Gohan gave a awkward side smile to this…
"If he gets you… there will be nobody to stop him."
"I will save my brother," Gohan hissed angrily. "I will not abandon him."
"You don't want me as a enemy, Gohan."
"I guess I have no choice, do I?" Gohan snapped. "I will save Goten."
"Is that your answer?"
"That is my only answer."
"Then so be it," Hajime nodded. "You will be a formidable foe…"
"That's putting it mildly."
"Gohan," Hajime sighed as she began to fade from his sights, "Goten is lucky to have a brother like you…"
To Be Continued…
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