Won the Battle, Losing the War
Disclaimers: I do not own Dragon Ball Z or any of the characters. If I did Great Sayaman wouldn't exist. Yes. ~bows to her applauses~
Author's Note: Well, okay! Then this is the chapter you have all been waiting for. lol. Personally we are long from the chapter I have been waiting for. ^^ I guess it's all a matter of opinion.
"What are you doing this for?!" Trunks screeched wrathfully at the shape of Gohan before him, "Why are you bothering us? Why can't you leave us alone?!"
"Why does anyone bother you?" Haji replied smugly, "You're too strong and smart for your own good. There is always going to someone after you and your children and your children's children. You all possess the gene…"
"We aren't proud of it." Trunks shouted, "We suppress it! We try to forget it. If you would leave us be-"
"I tried that. But you are all so persistent. All for that little boy."
"You kidnapped him! What do you think we would do?!"
Trunks was rambling at the monster but words weren't helping any. Gohan sucked up his sayian instincts and bit his tongue. Gohan found the rage wasn't going to taper off. He was breathing heavily, feeling the flames smolder about his frozen form. He could barely think clearly though all the smoke that was swallowing him. His fist were shaking; longing to tear at flesh, but he held them fast.
[That creature took your brother. He killed your parents. He killed Videl. Are you just gonna stand here and compromise with him?]
"No…" Gohan hissed darkly, stepping slightly forward.
He felt the ground crunch idly beneath him with his sudden movement. Gohan's eyes widened with a realization. Looking down, Gohan saw no ground. All he saw was the blinding white that scorched the whole of the room. Gohan squinted hard against his unreliable vision seeing suddenly something different than before. He saw weathered gray stone crusted beneath the blanket of pure white. Gohan knelt down and stroked the stone feeling it; acknowledging it. He gripped a certain twig upon it's floor and lifted it upwards out of the white. He smiled at it's reassuring presence in his clenched fist.
There was no prison. There was no white. It was all a hallucination. All of it was nothing more then a projection of Haji's wishes. Gohan smiled brighter. He never felt like smiling so much in his whole life… They were saved…
Gohan drew up closer to Trunks and took the man's hand in his own. He gave it as sharp squeeze and held the twig before himself slightly without trying to draw attention to it.
'It's a hallucination.' Gohan mouthed, 'The cage. It's fake.'
Whether or not Trunks understood, he drew back. His eyes were firmly set upon Haji but Gohan could see a certain light flickering in them. He was waiting for Haji to turn…
"Haji. Let Goten go." Gohan snapped drawing the evil beings attention upon him.
Trunks took a bold side step toward the penitentiary that Goten was sitting in. Goten's large ebony eyes were watching the purple haired man with a curious interest; Goten kept silent as he watched in quiet wonder as Trunks drew nearer.
Trunks took another step but stopped halfway when Haji's eyes darted in his direction.
"And what would you do if I didn't?" Haji smirked, his dark uncaring eyes falling back upon his counter part.
"I'll kill you." Gohan hissed.
Haji snorted in amusement,
"Ah. What a noble threat." He chuckled, "But pardon me, if I don't take fear in it."
"You killed my parents. My best friend. Everything that ever was dear to me." Gohan frowned finding tears burning in the corner of his eyes, "I… I just wanna know why… Why me?"
Trunks, who had been tapping the cage ever slightly, turned at Gohan's bold question. Goten also looked curiously at Haji. Course he already knew quite well, why. But Gohan and Trunks did not. And clearly, Haji wouldn't want them to know exactly why, because doing so might destroy his plans completely.
Haji rose his left eyebrow somewhat as he glared down upon his equivalent form,
"Why? I would have thought it obvious."
"Tell me." Gohan snapped, "Why did you destroy 'my' life! Why center all your attacks at me? Why not Vegeta? Or what about my father? They are stronger then I am! I'm even a hybrid! Why?!"
Haji smirked faintly and shrugged,
"Easy prey."
Gohan swallowed Haji's harsh words and blinked. 'Easy prey?' That was it? Because he was the easiest?
Gohan's cheeks burned with bright humility at such a retort. Of course. He was the easy one. He was… weak. And because of this everyone… everyone was dead because of his 'frailty'. As it was always so. He was a dumb little kid who just trailed after his father's friends, getting in the way. This time he was more then in the way. He was the fault. The cause.
Gohan's head began to spin. He felt light headed and disorientated. Gripping his hair with his broad fingers, Gohan began to tether back and forth. Voices, not just his own, filled his mind. Evil, scary, and intimidating voices. Gohan's own voice faltered like a tiny child before these stronger voices. Small and insignificant. These voices ruled over the rest.
Gohan felt nauseated. He fumbled backwards and tried to shake away the voices,
"It's not true!" Gohan hissed trying to overrule the voices, "I'm *not* weak!"
He lunged out at Haji. Haji merely moved to one side. As Gohan fell, Haji thrust a single fist into his gut. Gohan's body curved upwards with the blow and then fell silent to the floor. He tried to rise again but mercy was not given from this beast. Haji drove a sharp kick into Gohan's side, propelling Gohan across the floor. A large ki blast followed his tumble and exploded when contacted with his soft flesh. Gohan screamed in pain and fell silent beneath the voices.
'See. I told you.'
"Oh no! Gohan!" Goten cried.
His voice was muffled from within his containment but still fairly clear. Trunks glared at the boy and snapped,
"You're not paying attention, Goten. If you want out you have to concentrate."
Trunks placed his hand upon the cage and Goten followed his example. A warm sort of energy swept up his arm causing him to smile softly,
"What now?"
"Pretend you're free."
Haji soaked up Gohan's negative emotions dotingly. Yes, Gohan's negative feelings came out in a tidal wave if one just pulls the switch. Haji walked up to the fallen warrior. They had hardly started and already the brat was on his back. A small amount of blood dribbled from his clenched teeth, possibly from a lip wound, while the rest of the blood streamed from gash above his left eyebrow and below his right cheek. He was burned, cut, and bruised all over his body from one punch, a kick, and a ki blast. Haji smiled pleasantly. He'd better be careful or he'd kill the gaki.
Gohan's eyes fluttered open and he coughed. Haji decided, since he was still conscious, to continue his assault.
"Yeah. You know your father was just too powerful to get unless off-guard. I wonder what distracted him…?"
I did. I distracted him.
"Oh. And that mother of yours…What a pistol. I just wonder why she was so sad…It really threw off her concentration."
I did. I threw off her concentration. She was worried about me.
"Yeah. I would have chosen Goten. But then… He's rather sensitive about his ki sense. Not to mention, how strong he was. Course all you had to do was force some bad thoughts down his throat… and he'll crumble."
Because of me. Haji threatened to kill me. Again. Goten believed he could. Even my own brother…was scared I would be…be too weak…
"And don't even start me on Vegeta…"
All my fault. My fault…
Gohan closed his eyes tightly. Haji's shadow fell over him, his words were intoxicating… But his mouth was shut. Who was speaking now?
'Course there is still time. You can still redeem yourself. Save your brother… You can eradicate Haji.'
"K-kill…" Gohan whispered dully, "K-kill him?"
'Hai. Think of it. Once he's dead, everything will be okay. Take Haji's life…and you can go home.'
"Home."
"You remember home, don't you?'
"Hai." Gohan smiled softly, "I can… take Goten home…"
"Gohan!"
Gohan turned slightly, his head throbbing with the voices. He saw the gaunt face of the lilac haired companion glared evenly at Haji. A smaller more kinder face looked over at him with a sad expression dressed upon his countenance. He cocked his head to one side and spoke again,
"Gohan. Don't listen to him…"
Gohan blinked in response. But… Haji hadn't been speaking for awhile now. His thoughts told him to kill Haji. Why would Haji want to be dead? It made no sense…
"Leave Gohan alone, Haji!" Trunks snapped.
Haji glared irately at the young man and then down upon the bemused Gohan. He smiled inanely as he looked back up at Mirai Trunks,
"So… You got Goten out?"
"Yes. We saw right through your hallucination!" Trunks declared boldly.
Haji's eyes widened in ambiguity at that declaration. He looked from Goten to Trunks with a small amount of amusement covering his awkwardness,
"Hallu- Hallucination?" He repeated densely, then broke into a fit of giggles, "You think this is all a hallucination?!"
His high pitched laughter rang about the vacant space eerily causing Goten to draw subconsciously nearer to Trunk's leg. Gohan covered his ears, still too befuddled to understand anything at the moment.
"You don't have to lie anymore." Trunks retorted, "We know the tru-"
"You know nothing, little boy!" Haji cackled.
Trunks turned a crimson color at the insulting nickname but he bit his tongue. Haji continued to cackle causing Goten to whimper.
Gohan rose imperceptibly; a few feet from Haji. His movement was so sluggish that no one noticed he had rose. Stumbling halfheartedly to Trunks' side, Gohan tried to sort out the voices. Had Haji been in his head? But why would he want to die? Why? What could he gain by death?
Trunks caught sight of Gohan approaching and held out his hand to his companion. Gohan took it gratefully still to weak to balance himself alone. At his stumbling, Haji just laughed harder. Gohan squinted against it's shrieking trying not to pull Trunks down to the ground with him.
"This is not a hallucination, fools. This is everything you make it to be!" Haji laughed as the environment suddenly changed to insides of ancient castle.
All three of them looked bewildered at the change of texture beneath their feet. Gohan fell back and skinned his naked elbow against the stone walls. He gripped it in pain and bewilderment. It was as real as day. Then why?
The area changed again to the center stage of a empty martial art tournament stage. The harsh winds of coming winter snapped out at the fighters causing them to move in closer for warmth. Haji just laughed some more,
"You see? I can change the surroundings, just as you can. It's real. Oh so real."
"How is this possible?" Trunks snapped.
Haji didn't answer watching the little bit of blood discolor Gohan's flesh with their sticky and staining presence. He smiled and then environment changed into that of a moonlit desert. The winds changed into hot biting winds that cut their flesh with invisible rocks and pebbles.
"The symbol." Haji answered, pointing to their feet at a strange design below them, "The symbol transports us to imaginary and reality. Haji's most beloved and most hated creation. With this symbol he created me. And I infected him. I thought it would be fitting to relive those moments."
Goten scowled at that, but before he could speak harsh winds engulfed them. They huddled closer making Haji fall into hysterics yet again. Then, quite surprisingly, Goten screamed,
"It's not that funny!"
Haji hushed, staring directly at the little seven year old before him. He wiped away some of his drawn tears and smiled,
"I guess I was getting a little too carried away, niisan."
"I'm NOT your niisan." Goten spat in disgust at the idea.
He smiled softly at the little boy and innocently cocked his head to one side. Goten swallowed hard and clung tighter to Trunks' pant leg. His heart jolted as foreign words chimed clearly in his head,
'Soon… I will be.'
"Gohan!" Goten gasped, "I have to warn you! Haji-"
Gohan looked curiously over at the boy only for him to fall silent. It was as if someone was speaking to him. Goten's face was growing redder by each passing moment.
"Goten?"
Goten didn't respond, his eyes fixed directly at Haji. Gohan gazed uncertainly at Trunks who shrugged in response.
"Goten?" Gohan tried again.
"Not if I do it first." Goten responded.
Gohan drew back in bewilderment as Goten charged at the shadow. Haji dodged the first blow with ease and twisted left to avoid the second. Every attack glanced right past the creature. Haji slammed his leg into Goten's small waist producing a scream from Goten's mouth and a snap from the twisted bone. Goten fell back griping his side, unable to gain much ground before the onslaught turned to him.
Laughter began. Unmerciful laugher. Slower and softer as he proved Goten to be no match.
"Goten!" Gohan cried in worry stumbling forward.
Trunks held him back with worry filled eyes and a strong grip. He shook his head hastily and pull the demi Sayian back beside him. Gohan didn't obey quite so well. Watching Goten fighting a impossible target was destroying him inside; watching his little brother fight a battle that had fatal results fired his heart with apprehension.
"Lemme go!" Gohan squawked, "Goten stands no chance."
"Something's wrong. We can't fight Haji. I… I have a bad feeling." Trunks muttered, "I think… He can read and control thoughts."
Gohan looked back upon Trunks' face to see if he was joking. He wasn't. Not with the look that shown so sternly in his eyes. For a minute, Gohan thought he saw Vegeta-sama again.
"What do you mean?" Gohan sputtered.
"He seems to know everything about us. Exactly what we will do. How we will respond to anything. I think there is a bit more to this shape-shifter. I think… I think he can read and control the thoughts of his former victims. That's why he hasn't spoken to or expected anything from me."
Gohan made a small sound in the back of his throat and fell silent. They stood there watching helplessly before Gohan tried to speak again,
"What do we do?"
"I don't know."
"Can I-"
"And risk killing Goten? No." Trunks hissed, "I don't know what we can do. I… I don't think we were meant to win this."
Gohan turned his eyes back upon Goten's and Haji's fighting forms,
"But this was my battle… Not Goten's." Gohan muttered, "I started it. I'll end it…Even if I do lose."
And with that, Gohan let out a wail and lunged out for Haji. Haji saw him coming, and smiled. Goten saw his brother, and frowned,
"STAY AWAY, NIISAN!" Goten shrieked firing a ki blast into Gohan's chest.
Gohan fell back and the battle commenced with Gohan not apart of it. Gohan sat on the mound of sand with a look of hurt and confusion upon his face,
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"But Gohan- No. I can't just-"
"Go!" Gohan snapped. When Goten still refused Gohan sent out a low power blast strait at him. It hit Goten in the stomach and sent him hurling up a good distance from Gohan.
"NOOOOOOOO! GOOOOOOHAAAAAAAN!" Goten screamed in protest as he flew backwards.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Goten-san?"
A single tear fell down Gohan's cheek… And Goten found quite abruptly, he was going to die…
"No. Goten-san…?"
Screams of a child filled the thick hot air. The elder brother's head bowed powerlessly, his help repudiated. Gohan watched the shadows twist and wither on the sand as the moon began to sink away. Still the screams protruded from the child's unclosed mouth. A distant voice was calling, trying to help. A familiar cry of rebuff and Trunks was hurled back to where he was before. Blood stained the miniature pebbles of white. Gohan refused to look up. His eyes were welling with tears. He caused it. It was his fault. Gohan refused Goten. Now Goten refused Gohan. His fault.
But all is in vain…You will not succeed in destroying your enemy. Although your intentions were pure…your life will be swept away. And darkness will regain control…
My life. My little brother… But why? Is all of this because I was weak? All of them have to suffer cause I was too weak?
The screams lessened. The blinding glare of something distantly like a ki attack faded. Gohan looked up, his face red and puffy with tears. He saw the look of surprise in Goten's bright innocent eyes. Pain like he had never imagined was ripping though his tiny body; completely through it. Blood oozed from the nickel sized hole just above his heart. The child's eyes fell upon his niisan's horrified face. They were sad and distant eyes looking upon his brother's own. Blood streamed down his chin as he sputtered his last breath,
"Don't be mad, Gohan-san."
The broken body hit the sand. Gohan watched it bounce lifelessly. Vacant of the child there before. The harsh winds blew. Gohan ignored it.
Trunks shivered and eyed the body with deep sorrow. Mission failed. And more harm was done then help. He looked over to where Gohan was and nearly cried out at the stare he got back. Violet flames were building in Gohan's hard glare. The eyes reflected the late brother burning in those flames.
"Mirai." Gohan snapped harshly, "It's time."
Trunks blinked in response.
To Be Continued…
Please R + R!
Ah. Another bad cliffy. Don't hurt me! ^^;;
P.S. If you are upset with anyone being dead, email or Aim me. I'll tell you something that will cheer you up. If you want it. ^^
