AN: And here's chapter three. It's very long, so if I messed something up GUM or otherwise, please tell me. Enjoy.
"I heard a thump coming from Trunks' room last night. I thought he was planning something, but he was fast asleep when I got to his room." Bulma said, "Did you hear anything weird last night?"
"I don't think so, but it's hard to hear anything over Goku's snoring."
Bulma laughed nervously as she looked at her notes. They'd been at it for quite a while, but hadn't come up with anything that could've caused the chibis problems. And since they couldn't figure out what had caused the deaf and muteness in the boys, there was little chance they would find out how to fix what had happened. All they knew for sure was that a large noise in Trunks' room might have caused the current circumstances. The only other suggestions they'd come up with had to do with sicknesses or mental problems, but those theories had no facts to support them. So far, they were at a dead end.
Trunks flew around focusing on finding Goten's chi, as he kept his eyes peeled for any signs of movement. Goten wasn't usually that good at hiding, but he seemed to have found a good spot for once. He wasn't in the house, or in any of the bushes, or anywhere else Trunks could think of. In fact, if Goten hadn't suddenly shot by and sped across the yard, Trunks might never have found him. Turning, Trunks watched Goten landed in his father's arms, nearly knocking him to the ground, and thought of his own dad. Sometimes he wished his dad was that, well. . . that father-like. Trunks walked a bit closer to watch as Goku eagerly greeted his son.
"Goten! Hey son how have you been?"
Goten of course said nothing, but did look up at his father questioningly.
"Come on Goten don't be mad at me. I didn't take you this morning because Gohan and I left early. I'll take you next time."
Goten shook his head and tried to explain, but of course nothing came out. After running through several different charades in his mind, none of which seemed to work, he looked around for Trunks. Trunks caught his eye and figured out what he wanted.
"Goku-san, what Goten is trying to say is that he can't talk."
"Is this some new type of game?" Goku asked. Before anyone could answer, Gohan flew over from where he'd been talking to his mother and Bulma.
"Dad!" he called, touching down, "there's something wrong with Goten and Trunks!"
"No there isn't. They're just playing a new game, aren't you Goten?" Goku said, looking down at his son, still held in his arms.
Goten shook his head.
Goku looked puzzled.
"Goten, say something." Gohan commanded, moving so he could see his little brother's face more clearly.
Goten mouthed something and Trunks said, "He can't talk."
"And you can't hear, right?" asked Gohan.
Trunks looked puzzled before pointing to his ears and saying, "I can't hear."
"Sorry," Gohan said as he nodded.
Goku, who had looked puzzled through the whole thing asked, "When did all this happen?"
"Bulma said both chibis woke up this way." Gohan answered.
"Well that's weird." Goku said.
"Yeah."
"Goten, Mom said to come in for lunch." Gohan told his brother, "Dad and I are going to go talk with Bulma, okay?"
Goten nodded.
"Okay."
Goku set Goten down and followed Gohan over to where Bulma was sitting while Goten went towards the house.
"Goten, wait!" Trunks yelled coming up behind him. "Where are we going?"
Goten pretended to eat some imaginary food.
"Lunch?"
Goten nodded.
"Good, I'm starved." Trunks said and he and Goten headed in for lunch.
The day went by rather quickly what with everyone as busy as they were. The adults all discussed what was wrong with the chibis and the chibis went about unnoticed, playing around Capsule Corp. The chibis were so quiet that if it weren't for the meeting about them, no one would've known they were there. The adults were just reasoning out using the dragonballs to reverse what had happened when a frantic Krillin and 18 flew down. In 18's arms was little Marron, and she was, for once, not looking where her mother was flying. She was instead clinging to her mother like a lifeline.
As they landed, Krillin went directly to Bulma and asked if she could give little Marron a check-up. Bulma, seeing the panic in Krillin's eyes, quickly led the family into a back room of Capsule Corp. She emerged several minutes later to find all of the Son and Briefs family watching closely, except Vegeta who leaned back against the wall without apparent interest.
"What's wrong?" asked Chi chi.
"Marron has a similar problem to Goten and Trunks."
"What do you mean?" asked Krillin, confused.
"This morning, "Bulma explained, "Goten woke up mute and Trunks woke up deaf, much like Marron woke up blind."
This revelation shocked much of the Z-Senshi, though not everyone showed it. The problem was not only with Goten and Trunks, but with the other little chibi as well.
"You mean the boys…"
"Yes, the boys are mute and deaf." Answered Chi chi before Krillin could finish.
"Do you know what caused it?" asked 18.
"No one is sure, but we're going to try to gather the dragonballs and reverse it." Bulma explained.
"When can we get started?" asked Krillin.
"Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta are leaving in a few minutes."
"Can I go too?" asked Krillin
"Sure Krillin!" Goku said. "We'll probably find them twice as fast if you help."
"Let's get started then." Said Krillin, and in minutes the guys were blasting off following the dragon radar.
For the first few days of their absence, Marron clung to her mother relentlessly, refusing to go to anyone else. By the fourth day, however, she was playing carefully with Goten and Trunks who she knew by voice, and touch in Goten's case. The chibis did quite well, all things considered. Goten and Trunks got quite good at charades and between them both they could talk to Marron fairly well. Goten would translate what Marron and Himself said to Trunks and Trunks would translate what he and Goten said to Marron. Marron had been expanding her vocabulary quite quickly through the little experience. She knew words most toddlers didn't know, and soon even surpassed the boys in her vocabulary. By the end of the week, she had gotten so she would play hide and go seek with the boys, since they taught her to sense ki. The three became very close, much to their mothers' excitement, and were almost inseparable. The boys were just teaching Marron how to pull some of their pranks when Goku and gang returned with the dragonballs.
Chi chi, 18, and Bulma had the kids on the lawn as soon as the guys touched down. They wasted no time in summoning the dragon either.
Soon the sky was dark and the main source of light was the large dragon overhead.
"What is it that you wish Son Goku?" asked Shenron, once he was comfortable floating in the sky.
"I wish for the voice of Goten, the hearing of Trunks, and the Sight of Marron to be restored." Goku said loudly to the dragon.
Everyone waited with baited breath for the dragon's reply. He was eyeing the chibis carefully, as though searching for something.
"I cannot grant this wish." said the dragon finally.
"Why not?"
"I do not have the power to turn away the evil controlling their senses. Even if I did, that is three wishes, I can only grant one."
"Do you know of any being that can heal them?"
"I am an eternal dragon, not an oracle. You will have to go somewhere else for your answers."
"Can you grant us one wish?" asked Trunks.
"What wish would that be little one?" asked the dragon, turning with everyone else to stare at the young boy.
Trunks turned to Goten, shivering a bit under all the eyes staring at him. Goten nodded.
"Can you make it so Goten, Marron and I can talk to everyone?"
"I can use six wishes to allow you and the two other little ones to communicate, but nothing more."
Trunks looked confused, as did Goten. Goten certainly couldn't think of a good way to communicate that one.
Goten looked intently at the dragon and thought words out to it as hard as he could, hoping the dragon was telepathic. He was.
"I can hear you little one." The Dragon said, looking to Goten.
What do you mean six wishes?
"You must summon me six times, one for each link, in order for you to learn other ways to communicate."
Will we be able to talk like we are doing?
"Yes."
Then I wish it.
"The wish must be made aloud."
Goten turned to Trunks and motioned for him to ask again.
"Can you make it so Marron, Goten and I can talk?"
The dragon, being helpful for once, simply nodded and Trunks made the wish official.
"I wish that Goten, Marron and I could communicate."
A light glowed around Goten for a minute.
"What I can do is done, I will return in a year." Shenron said before the dragonballs went their separate ways.
No one knew quite what to do. The comforting words that they had told the chibis no longer applied. Marron could no longer be calmed by the words that she would be able to see soon because, frankly, she wasn't. Everyone was extremely confused. What had the dragon done to Goten? What did he mean he'd be back? Trunks looked questioningly at Goten and Goten smiled sheepishly.
"What did you say?" asked Trunks.
I asked if the dragon could let us talk to each other like I can talk to him"Did I just hear you in my head?" whispered Trunks.
Goten nodded.
"Can you hear me think?" asked Trunks.
No. Shenron said it would take six years for us all to be able to talk
So you can only talk to me?"
Goten nodded.
Luckily, everyone else had been too busy trying to revive Chi chi, and calm the raging Bulma (she was sure the Dragon could help them, he just didn't want to) to notice the chibis' little conversation. 18 came over and set Marron down with them so she could help the others and asked quietly that the boys watched her, before dashing back into the fray.
"Goten will be able to talk to you in a year, okay Marron?" Trunks said comfortingly.
"Okay," said Marron, who was happy that Goten would be able to talk to her. "When will I get to see?" she asked.
"What?" asked Trunks, glad for Goten's translations.
"If Goten can talk, and you can hear, why can't I see?"
Marron… thought Goten sympathetically.
"Marron, it doesn't work like that." Trunks said, trying to explain.
"Why not?" asked the little one. She knew big words, that was true, but much of her logic was still as simple as a child her age. If Goten could talk to Trunks, and Trunks could hear him, then when would she be able to see him?
"Goten says that the dragon can't fix us, but he can give us "links" so we can talk to each other. I am the only one who can hear Goten. Next year you and I will be the only ones who can hear Goten and the year after that you and I will be able to talk with so no one can hear us. Do you understand?"
"Yes." Marron said, starting to cry. "But why do you get to hear and Goten get to talk when I can't see?"
Goten was so shocked by Marron's reaction, he forgot to relay it to Trunks.
"Goten, what did she say?" asked Trunks.
This caught Marron's attention.
"He can't hear me?" asked Marron.
"No." Trunks relayed.
"You can't talk?" she asked Goten.
"No." relayed Trunks.
Before they could get farther, 18 scooped Marron up to comfort her, now that the mob was calming down a bit. From what she could see it looked like little Marron had just realized that she would never see again. .
"I'm so sorry sweetheart!" she said, hugging her and swaying slightly as she did so.
Marron cried heavily into her mother's shoulder as the events of the day overwhelmed her. Her only comfort was that she wouldn't be alone, Goten and Trunks would be there with her.
AN: To the two reviewers I had:
nikki: Thanks! The answers were appreciated, and the praise was too.
TrunksGal: Once again, thanks for the review! I think you're the only one who reviewed both chapters. The info was great too. Thanks!
Anyway, I'll try to get the next chapter out soon. 'Till then!
T.K.