Title: A Flickering Flame
Chapter Title: The Carnage.
Disclaimer: Sorry, I don't own any of these characters or places. Splat, Skirt, Squish, Kana, Rachel, Shirt, and Crunch are all mine.
AN: I'm Back! So Yeah. Computer was broken, is now fixed. Won't keep you from the story. DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!
Those standing outside the graveyard were stunned at the unearthly, inhuman wail that rose from it. In fact a little old lady walking by with her dog decided that she'd go for her walk some where else today. The wail sent shivers of fear down the spines of all of those who could hear it.
However, all eyes inside the fence were on Goku. The wail was rising smoothly from his throat. He was pissed, and was powering up. Gold raced itself down Goku's hair and the ocean shown from his eyes. Fire raged in streaks down Videl's hair as well, and roared merrily in her black eyes. Goku's aura may be gold but true fire lapped happily around Videl's clenched fists.
Skirt sighed, moving her soup around in her bowl with her spoon. She felt... empty, kinda, more like lost, or maybe both. She didn't know what she was feeling. Shaking her head, she raised a spoonful of the noodle soup to her mouth. It was about to disappear when ChiChi clutched her chest, and Dende's eyes went wide.
"NO!" With both of them screaming at once, the volume knocked a couple of glasses over.
"What is it?" Piccolo asked, looking at the two. Dende hung his head, and ChiChi buried her face into her hands, tears leaking from her eyes. Dende looked between Piccolo and Skirt, before gulping and taking a deep breath.
"It's Goten. He's..." Dende cut off, looking down at his hands. With a clang, the spoon fell from Skirt's numb fingers. Now she knew why she felt so empty, so... lost. He was...
"He's dead isn't he?" she could hear the voice, but she couldn't feel her lips moving, she didn't think her tongue was moving. Yet she could still hear it. And as it was voiced, the tears that had been threatening to appear did. The skittering as her heart shattered was almost audible. She shook her head, not wanting to believe it.
"I'm sorry ChiChi, Skirt. But yes," Dende whispered, wishing it didn't have to be him to tell them. ChiChi sobbed, and slid off her chair, Piccolo going to her and laying his hand on her back. Skirt shuddered, not moving more than that. Dende went to her, wrapping his arms around her, gently lulling her to sleep, the warmth from his powers running through her.
A gasp rippled from Gohan's throat as his father channeled Vegeta in every fiber of his being. Goku strode cockily over to Sharpener's mother, his hand wrapping calmly around her neck.
"You killed my son. An eye for an eye, a death for a death, bitch," Goku snarled, his other hand tangling in her hair. With a sickening, slurping, ripping sound and a jerk of his arm Goku rended the woman's head from her body. Red splattered across his taught face and a thing smirk shocked everyone.
"You… you monster! Look what you did! You'll pay for that, bastard!" Sharpener yelled stalking toward the still smirking Goku. However, Videl, now rippling with the raw destructive power of fire appeared, as if from thin air in front of him, her arms straight out to either side.
"No! this fight is between you and me!" She yelled, halting his forward movement. Her hands dropped and her fists set firmly against her hips. "We going to do this or what?" She asked, her eyes snapping fiercely. The man's eyes flashed from Goku, who now knelt on the ground, Goten's head in his lap, to Videl's flaming fists, and roaring eyes. His eyes set and he lunged at Videl, his foot streaking toward her left arm, willing to break it. She, however, was faster. Her left arm wrapped around his right calf, her left foot slid forward, her right hand, palm flat, slammed into his sternum. He did not see it but he was given a blessing by wairing fire resistance material, or his clothes would have caught on contact from her hands. He did not see it thought, as he flew back and slammed into a tombstone. It cracked under the force and he groaned as his movement was stopped.
Another groan ripped through him as he forced himself to his feet. He ran to her against, a right jab flying. Videl pushed his arm aside with her left arm, her other fist moving lightning fast toward his face. He blocked it. Sharpener tried once again to kick her, this time toward the knee. Videl blocked, set her foot down and kicked toward his left hip. He used his momentum from the blow and spun. As he faced her against, he threw another right hook. Her left foot moved forward, she grabbed his right arm and continued the movement, easily throwing his. His face dug a trench in the soft earth before his head met another tombstone, the hard way.
Gohan fidgeted, wanting to help but knowing he couldn't. He however snarled as Sharpener got back to his feet. Videl ducked Sharpener's flying kick. With a sickening pop, her elbow slammed into Sharpener's groin. From the sound, she'd done some real damage. He landed on her other side, groaned and whimpered. Videl rose, turned to him and dropped into a fighting stance in one liquid smooth motion.
When Sharpener recovered, which was rather quickly, he dropped down, swinging his right leg toward her, attempting a leg sweep. Videl hopped over it, landing but not seeing the kick as Sharpener continued the motion and his shin slammed into the middle of her low back.
Loosing her balance, she fell, her chest hitting the ground painfully. Videl rolled out of the way of his heel drop, her fist shooting up and slamming into his knee. A scream ripped from his throat as said knee bent the other way. CRACK! Sharpener went down.
"Admit it Sharpener. You've lost," Videl snarled as she rose back to her feet. She stood before him, her arms crossed.
"Wrong, I have one more trick up my sleeve," Sharpener said laughing manically. Videl looked at him like he was insane, right up until very strong arms snaked around her.
"Gohan! What are you doing? You said you'd stay out of this!" Videl cried, trying to break away from him, she didn't know why, but he smelt differently. Wrong, somehow.
"He isn't Gohan anymore. He's my puppet now," Sharpener cackled. Videl shook her head, her eyes wide.
"No Gohan, don't do this!" She pleaded with her mate, suddenly finding it hard to breath. The half-Saiyan was crushing her chest, pushing the air out of it. Her arms, pinned to her side, weren't helping matters much either. "Gohan please," she gasped out. She was starting to get a little dizzy, and her head began to spin. As the edges of her vision went black, she watched Sharpener twitch.
"I can't break it Videl… you have… to fight back," Gohan snarled, a brilliant shining point of hope. Videl shook for a moment, trying to breath, before she solidified. Her arms jerked up, her elbows met his ribs. He grunted, suddenly forced to let her go.
She spun, grabbed the front of his shirt and used her momentum to slam him into the ground. Keeping a hold of his shirt, she sat on his chest, her knees digging into his biceps. Videl's hands wrapped around Gohan's throat, his skin instantly blistering.
"Let him go Sharpener! NOW!" Videl screamed, glaring over at the sweating and broken little man. Suddenly, Gohan and Sharpener began to thrash. Against her will she was thrown off, landing on her side. The force of the fall snapped the bone in her upper left arm, a scream bubbling out of her throat.
When she could force herself to her feet, Gohan was up as well, growling at the frightened looking Sharpener. "Gohan?" Videl asked warily, moving toward him slowly. He looked at her for a second, then for the second time in the past few minutes, a Son channeled Vegeta, a thin smirk contorted Gohan's face.
"Get him," were his only words. Videl nodded stalking over to Sharpener. Sharpener tried to back away, whimpering as he jarred his knee.
"Please, show mercy," he wined.
"Like the you showed to my baby?" She growled, the memories clouding her vision for a moment.
"I didn't know… I swear."
"Or the mercy your brother showed my father? The only mercy shown has been from Dende, for not killing me in that blast. I'm not that big of a person. You deserve to die. When I think of all that you have done…" And she did, all of it filtering through her head.
"My mother was a Pyronian? That's a little strange. Well her eyes and hair should have let on. Both bright red. But she was so nice, she was sweet, and honest," Videl mumbled against his chest. "Call him, get him to the cemetery where my parents are buried. I'll kill him there," Videl said, pulling away from him.
"Promise me something Gohan," Videl whispered, looking into his eyes. He nodded, smiling gently.
"Anything, turtle dove," he replied. She tried a smile but failed.
"If we both make it through this... promise me that we'll get married, and have a family. With two kids, and a big house, with a white picket fence and a puppy, and a swing set," Videl mumbled and she buried her face into his chest. He smiled. She just wanted a normal life. His gentle smile went full blown.
"Of course, a picket fence, a puppy, kids, a swing set, big house, wedding, any size you want," Gohan replied. Videl sniffled, and nodded.
"So I can put my ring on?" She asked, and received a nod from him. She smiled giddily, and pulled away from him, pulling her necklace off and slide the ring onto her finger. She beamed down at it, but that didn't last long as memories flooded her mind, remembering what he'd done to her, to her family.
"Oh, Gohan, what happened to your eye?" Videl suddenly asked, sitting up on his chest, gently touching the faint bruise on his cheek. Gohan winced slightly but grinned up at his mate.
"Sharpener, he didn't want to talk. He decided to punch me. He must have workout a lot in jail or something because it knocked me on my ass," Gohan said, pulling her down and kissing her before she could say anything. After a second of struggling, Videl gave up and let him kiss her.
Gohan snarled, took one step toward her and raised his hand to backhand her. Just before the blow fell, Goku grabbed Gohan's hand and pushed his away from a very frightened Videl. Gohan looked up from the ground to find his Dad in Super Saiyan standing over him, anger on his face. Behind him ChiChi held Videl tight, looking at her son with concern.
Shaking her head, she grabbed the front of his shirt and jerked him up to his feet. As she did so she lifted up into the air.
"Please, you can't do it, you wouldn't kill another person would you?" Sharpener whimpered, looking at the woman he'd 'loved' since the first time he'd seen her. But she was different. Her eyes were older, her soul was older, and what with the whole flamage thing going on.
"You're not a person. You killed my child, you killed my father and one of my best friends. You sent your brother after me, and that killed seven years between me and my mate. I can kill you, and I will," Videl said, letting him go and watching him fall toward her father's grave stone. Which had a medieval knight on it, with a really big spear, pike thingy. She didn't feel anything when the tip of that spear shoved through Sharpener's chest, blood spurting from it, and his mouth. She lowered back to the ground and turned to face those still standing after the battle. Slowly the flames around her hands, the those in her eyes dimmed. Those around her hands went out completely.
Gohan stepped forward toward Videl, reaching a hand to her arm. She turned to him, flames still snapping in her eyes. They would stay there for years to come. She was still the same person she had been a day ago, but she now had more layers, more power. Power known only to a forgotten race, but she was still his mate. And he would still marry her, if she'd have him that is.
"Videl? Are you okay?" His voice was steady, even if It was a little crackly due to the trauma done to it. The red hand print marks on his throat still stung, mostly from the blisters.
"I'm fine babe. Just a little worn out," She said, slipping her hand into his her eyes scanning the carnage around them. Goku sat on the ground, Goten's head on his lap. Goten's eyes stared blankly at the clouded sky. Sharpener's mother's body lay crumpled on the ground, her head resting a few feet away. And Sharpener's body hung skewed on Hercule's tombstone, blood still dripping from his many hairline wounds and the hole in his chest. 'It's all my fault. I'm the cause of all of this,' Videl sighed through her head. Tears slid down her cheeks, stinging in the scratches she'd gotten when Sharpener had punched her. "What have I done Gohan? How could I have done this? It isn't who I am," She whispered, hugging herself with her good arm, her hand sliding out of his. Gohan laid his arm around her shoulder, pulling her against his side.
"You did what you needed to. He was killing people. Look what she did to my baby brother," Gohan grated out. Videl sobbed quietly, burying herself further under his arm, humbly taking the strength he offered freely.
"I'm sorry. It's all my fault," Videl said, choking on the words.
"No. You saved us all. If you hadn't fought back then Sharpener would still be in control, still be trying to kill everyone. This is his fault, not yours," Gohan said, gripping both of her shoulders, making her look at him.
"NO! NO!" they both jerked around to find Goku yelling as Goten's body faded away. "No…" Goku looked thoroughly depressed, and for the first time in his entire life, Gohan watched his father cry.
Dende sighed, closing the door softly behind him. On the other side of the door ChiChi and Skirt slept fitfully. ChiChi and Skirt had been crying for the past two hours.
"They're asleep, finally," Dende sighed, looking over his shoulder at the group of people behind him. Trunks stood in the midst of his friends, Rachel's hand in his. Bulma was hugging herself, tears rolling down her cheeks. Vegeta was standing by himself, a put off look on his face. Suddenly Bra broke away from him and ran to Bulma, hugging her legs. Bulma swayed slightly and was about to slump when a strong arm wrapped around her waist. Shock in her eyes, she glanced at it's owner to find Vegeta looking back at her. Piccolo walked up to Dende and they both disappeared around a corner.
The days slid by, anyone who could fly were out finding the Dragon balls, while those who couldn't were falling deeper into a depression. The days slid by and everybody waited. Finally the Dragon balls were gathered and everyone returned to the look out. From there Shenron was called.
"What is you wish?" the dragon's voice boomed through the very dark sky.
"This is your show Videl," Bulma said, her hand laying on her putruding stomach. She was glowing, and something had happened to her and Vegeta because he stood next to her, holding her hand. His face was softer somehow.
"You can do this. Just like we said. 'I wish all those killed by the late Sharpener and his brother were alive. Just not them.' You can do it," Gohan whispered, laying his hand on Videl's shoulder.
Videl took a deep breath and boomed out the wish. Then emotions changed when the dragon started to laugh.
"You wish has been granted. Till the next summoning," The dragon chortled and faded, the dragon balls shooting off in all directions.
"Why did the dragon laugh?" Skirt asked as she looked around for Goten. Just as the said hybrid pulled himself over the edge of the lookout, cursing a blue streak, a scream ripped from Videl's throat as she double over.
"Videl!" Gohan cried, wrapping his arms around her. "What's wrong?" She waited till she caught her breath before answering, which left Skirt and Goten time for a loving embrace and a steamy kiss. It also gave her time to think.
"Gohan. Sharpener killed out baby. The dragon just gave it back," She said when her mind caught up.
"What the? Where the hell am I?" Everyone whipped around to find Hercule and Sanith standing near them.
"Daddy! Sanith!" Videl cried running to them and hugging them both close.
AN: So what do you think? Sorry it soooooo long but my computer was broke, then it took for ever for me to get it fixed. And then I had to type this whole thing up, because I had it written down. So yeah. Anyway. Here it is. Hope you like it. TTFN