Gohan was waiting for Videl for their second day of training. Mika and Goten had gone out early for a day sparring. Yesterday Gohan had managed toresist the urges to take Videl in his arms in a loving way for almost the entire day, right up until the end, where he had given in to temptation. He felt like trying not to do it again, but he couldn't decide whether or not this was a good idea.
Waiting until after the tournament to be together had seemed like a good plan at the time, but he hadn't thought how hard it would be. Maybe if he let himself 'slip-up' just a few times, it might quench the feelings. Yes, that would do, surely a kiss and an embrace here and there wouldn't do any harm. As long as he kept it secret from the others, it would be fine. He didn't want any interferences in their relationship.
Soon, the yellow spot in the sky came closer and ever larger, small but powerful engines whirring inside it, could be heard by the teenagers sensitive ears already, even from this distance. Before long, he could make out the familiar black mass of hair and ivory white skin of a face he now found himself wanting to see every day, something he would have probably laughed at a year ago, or even a week ago.
She expertly landed ont he soft green grass, rustling the plants around the vehicle as the engines died, allowing the noises of the country air to re-emerge. Gohan noticed she still had her hair long, and had not yet taken her advice to shorten it. Instead of the pigtails, however it was tied loosely behind her head in one large bunch, several strands falling lazily around her face, framing it.
She appeared to realise what he was thinking, and duly began speaking. "I won't cut it until just before the tournament. It'll be a bit of a surprise for you to see me like that, and for everyone else. Bastard reporters will be after me about it, like usual." She sighed. They had always been a nuisance in her life, always there, over any change, no matter how big or small, or private for that matter. Her father lapped it up of course, never one to shy away from a bit more of the spotlight.
"Are you ready to continue training?" Gohan asked.
She nodded, another few days and she would be flying freely, or so she hoped.
The entire morning was spent bringing Videl's energy out into it's useful form. Luckily, her previous training had unknowingly developed her ki to a somewhat respectable standard, and she was know floating thirty feet off the ground, but this time without Gohan carrying her up there. Gently, she let herself drop towards the grass.
"Gohan, are you and Mika stronger than I am?"
He had been expecting something of this sort, but had actually prepared for a physical onslaught from the girl he felt would occur for Videl to figure it out. "Do you want the honest answer?" She nodded to him. "Yes we are."
She didn't seem too shocked or angry, which he thought was a good thing. "Is that because you've known how to use ki for so long?"
"Yes." He decided not to tell her that another reason was that he was half-alien, at least not yet.
"Are you stronger than my father? I don't think he kn ows how to use ki. He says it's a trick."
He decided it would be best not to tell her the entire truth this time, as much as she might not like the man, he was still her father, still a hero and saviour in her eyes. Who was he to proclaim the man's weakness to the world, as if they would believe him anyway. Videl was looking up at him as though she would believe every word that came out of his mouth.
"I don't know Videl, I haven't seen your father fight in seven years. He could have trained furiously for those years, or not at all, I don't know."
"I bet he has trained. It's his life. He does it in secret, I never see him doing it."
"So you don't spar with him?"
"No way! He'd beat me way too easily. I haven't fought him for years. I got a lucky punch in on him when I was eleven. He wouldn't train me after that. Said his methods were far too advanced for me."
"When someone wins something, becomes the champion, they become relaxed, and assured of their own greatness. They often think they don't have to work to keep up their title. When my father first entered the Budokai along with his friend Krillen, their Master entered, to prevent them from winning. You know why?"
"Why?"
"Because if you think that there is someone out there who is stronger than you, you will always train if you are dedicated enough. And rest assured Videl, there is always someone stronger than you. Even your father. No offence to your father Videl, but I doubt he has lifted a finger in preparation for this tournament. Saving the world may have been the downfall of his martial arts' career."
She seemed to be in agreement, Gohan's words fitting well with his behaviour recently. He was always watching his tapes, claiming it was important to study them, but perhaps he was just reliving his glory days. Perhaps he would finally get what he deserved, a thorough beating. And if she had her choice, it would be Gohan who dealed it out to him.
After receiving a few odd stares from Chichi when they had stopped for lunch, the two of them resumed their day long training session, Videl becoming gradually more able in the art of flying. As the afternoon was drawing to a close, Videl began to make her preparations to leave for home, before her father would begin to suspect something was amiss.
Gohan's urges had been growing steadily stronger all day long, with her sitting right there, so easily within his grasp. Now was the time to achieve his 'quota' for the day. As she retrieved the capsule for her copter, he approached, grasping her firmly by the hips. She squealed, but looked directly up to him, knowing what was coming. She stood on her tiptoes as he tilted his head down towards him. Their lips met again, much like they had only a few nights ago.
They stood there for minutes, their kisses growing deeper and more passionate, until Videl broke away, breathing heavily. "I have to go." She whispered in between breaths.
He nodded in agreement, it wasn't worth arguing over, she would never be allowed back if her father found out about where she had been going. He released her from his tight hold he held on her, allowing her to step back and pick up the discarded capsule she had dropped when he had kissed her. Throwing it a few feet from their position, she clambered in, and smiled warmly at him, a quick wave of the hand in adieu.
The next eight days passed just the same, although the goodbye kisses became more heated and insistent as the days wore on, and hands once again became to stray around bodies, teasing and taunting. It was now the tenth and final day of Videl's training. They had agreed to leave each other to train for the remainder of the time they had before the tournament. There would be plenty of time for other activities after that.
Framed by a tree's sagging branches, they stood unmoving in the cool breeze. Their foreheads were pressed gently together, both of them with their eyes closed, prepareing for the barren two weeks that lay ahead without one another.
"I'll see you soon." Gohan murmured ino her ear, enfolding her into his strong arms, where she settled her head on his chest, underneath his chin.
"Mm-hm." She groaned, unwilling to move from his encirclement. Slowly, he brought his arms back from around her to rest by his side, and she moved backwards a little. With a soft peck on the lips, she floated up into the air. She had already said goodbye to the other three Sons, and the two of them had crept away for one last goodbye alone, so she was free to take off into the afternoon sunset without any eyes on her apart from Gohan's.
After she had left his sight, he turned to wander back home, alone with his thoughts. Two weeks without her seemed a daunting task, especially after the last ten days. They hadn't spoken a great deal about their feelings, and he certainly hadn't gone as far as to say he loved her. It was something that was lurking in the back of his mind, taunting him.
His greatest fear of the last seven years had been uncaged, but to admit it out loud would be like a death sentence for him, he still couldn't quite handle. Luckily for him, Videl hadn't told him anything of the sort either, perhaps also in fear of the repurcussions it could result in. It was best to keep their relationship simple, as it had been, it seemed to be going well enough as it was.
He also felt that they didn't need words, he was sure that, despite his lack to the admission, Videl knew he loved her, and he was sure that she loved him in return. Sying that you loved someone was a hard thing to do, and telling that same person that you are a half human, half alien hybrid, was even harder. Gohan wondered how he would tell her that. He felt he should, eventually, it was only right. Another thing that would probably come out during the tournament would be Gohan's identity as the person that had truly killed Cell, at least to Videl. Hopefully the entire world wouldn't discover his little secret by some twist of fate.
The majority passed by Gohan slowly and with great difficulty. Vegeta and he had decided to end their spars, at least for the duration of the tournament preparation, so training was done alone, Mika and Goten not posing much of a challenge, and both busy with each other, training. What little training he had managed had been unsteady and fairly useless, his mind had been on far prettier things.
It was the night before the Budokai, and Gohan was restless in his bed. Goten was snoring peacefully beside him, in his own bed, and his mother and sister had also gone to bed hours ago. It was the middle of the night, and if he wasn't asleep now, he probably wasn't going to drop off anytime soon. His thoughts wandered to Videl and if she was up, doing the exact same thing as him right now.
Their agreement to meet up again at the tournament island posed its problems. It would be far too crowded for them to find some time alone, and there would be numerous people there who could sense exactly where he was. He also wondered whether Videl had cut her hair yet, and how it looked. He wouldn't get much of a chance to apprecite it in the bustling crowds of martial arts fans.
He made a snap decision, and was racing towards the city he had left behind nearly a month ago, one goal in mind. As he approached her mansion, he could both sense and smell her, as he had done the first night he had flown to her. As he had expected, she was still awake. She was sat out on her balcony, a light nightgown on, a far more feminine sleeping attire to what he had seen her in first. She hadn't yet seen him, but he could now clearly make out that her mass of ebony hair was no longer such a quantity.
As he drew closer, he could see her more clearly, and saw that she was looking up into the night sky, where the stars were blurred by the air and light pollution of the city. She turned her head towards his position, and seemed to recognise what it was instantly. She stood up quickly, awaiting his arrival. He deftly landed on the balcony, inches in front of her.
"You shouldn't be here!" She proclaimed. "And now you've seen my hair." Gohan chuckled at her worries. She seemed to be as protective of her hair as a woman was of her bridal gown.
"It's beautiful." He admitted, staring into her azure coloured eyes. She stared back to his black eyes, that now held such warmth, that had grown so much over the last few weeks, changing from the ice cold, distant, almost dead eyes that had resided there before.
He pushed her back into her room, and wordlessly began undressing himself. He moved to her, and began to slowly peel off her own clothes.
Videl ran her fingers over his chest, her fingers trailing over the scars that covered it. Delicately, she moved an index finger to the largest one of all, the one he had received from a man he later killed. She wondered exactly how he had been given that, what sort of weapon could do such a thing. She traced the line down his collarbone and shoulder, lingering over it, before he pushed her back to her bed once again.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Gohan awoke in suroundings that were quite familiar, and this time he wasn't confused as to where he was, and knew exactly who it was that lay on his chest. It was early in the morning, fortunately for him, because he had to be back home before anyone else woke up, and then get ready to fly to Capsule Corporation to take the plane to the Budokai with all of the others.
He stirred, and rolled over a little, allowing Videl to fall off his upper body. She was still half asleep, far too tired from staying up late into the night to awaken at this early hour. He dressed quietly, not wanting to disturb her sleeping form more than he already had. After completing this task, he crouched down to her.
"Goodbye Videl, I'll see you later." He whispered into her ear. She groaned in response. He brought his lips to her own, and she was awake enough to respond by pressing her own back to his. He gently stroked her now short hair, and took off from her balcony doors towards home.
Videl didn't awaken completely for another two hours, having pleasant dreams all morning as she lay somewhere between sleep and consciousness. As she blinked the sleep from her eyes, she gazed around the room. Gohan's white shirt was hung on the front of her wardrobe doors, waiting to be returned. She hadn't had chance to give it back last night or this morning.
Luckily, her father was not permitted to enter her bedroom, so he had not spotted the shirt that obviously belonged to a male. None of the maids had the gall to say anything to her, only signalling their acknowledgement of it with a wink and a cheeky smile. Talk that 'Miss Videl' had a special male friend was probably rife within then workforce of Mr Satan's mansion.
She had been far too out of it to tell Gohan what she was originally planning to tell him and Mika at the tournament... that she would not be competing.
She took the large aeroplane to the grounds of the Budokai with her father, having already told him that she wouldn't be competing. She told him about the old injury that had flared up. She didn't want it to get worse for the future, and said she was prepared to wait another few years. He didn't seem bothered too much, and din't even question when she went to the doctors. He claimed he kept a good watch over her, but in reality he did not have a clue as to what she had been getting up to in the last month.
"An old injury!" Mika exclaimed, as Videl revealed to the twins that she wouldn't be competing. She had spotted them in a large group being led by a man with large hair dressed in an orange gi, whom she had only glimpsed briefly. She could of sworn he resembled the twins father Goku, whom she had only seen blurred pictures of.
"I'm really sorry you took the time out to teach me to fly Gohan, I hope I wasn't a nuisance." Gohan simply shook his head, a smile plastered to his face.
"Gohan, why don't you go find the others, I just want a word with Videl alone." Gohan nodded to Videl, the smile still on his his lips. Videl sighed. He appeared completely clueless to the situation. "An old injury?" She asked, with a smirk, a knowing smirk, Videl regretfully admitted to herself.
"Yes, I don't want to damage it further." She realised this wasn't working on Mika. "Please, just don't tell him, Ok? Or anyone for that matter."
"Of course not." She said, a genuine smile on her face, before giving Videl a sisterly hug, much like Videl had done to her weeks earlier when she had discovered her identity. "Come on, why don't you come and meet the family?"
Videl was led over to where Gohan was stood, with a group of around a dozen assorted characters, some of them were the strangest ones she had ever seen. There was a talking pig, one of which she had never met before, a flying cat, and a huge, green man who could only have been Gohan's first sensei, Piccolo, she surmised from Gohan's description of him. Others present included the Briefs, whom she knew to be friends of Gohan and Mika, a few former world martial artists, Goten and Chichi of course, a decrepit old man and a young woman she did not recognise holding a young girl in her arms, and a huge, hulking giant of a man. The man in the orange was also there, complete with halo above his head. At this range it was clear that he was, in fact Goku.
But wasn't he dead? After introducing her to the others, just as 'Videl, a friend of herself and Gohan', Mika whispered in her ear. "You aren't imagining things, that is my father. He's been allowed back from the dead for a day." Apparently that was all the explanation she needed.
After the participants signed up, and Goten and Trunks discovered they would be fighting in the children's section, the fighters departed from their entourage. Videl went with Chichi, not wanting to be in the place she should have been, and hoped to be so much. But the reason she was not fighting was so much more important than that. There was always next time.
The group took their seats in the stands, where Videl was hounded by Chichi and Bulma about what she thought of Gohan. Videl had always thought that Gohan's mother suspected that something was going on between the two of them, and now, apparently she had informed Bulma, and the two did a double team on her. Do you like Gohan? What do you think of marriage? Children? He's very handsome isn't he? Were all questions she was not prepared to hear at that moment.
She awestruck by how quickly and easily Goten and Trunks ripped through the competition in the children's division, and were pitted against each other in the final. It was the greatest fight she had ever seen, and it was between a seven and eight year old. She had grown fond of the youngest Son during her time with them, and secretly hoped he might win. She didn't admit to this, however, as Bulma looked almost as formidable as Chichi. She did not want to be in the middle of those two.
To her disappointment, Goten had been beaten, after both children had done some strange trick, that brought back memories of the Cell Games broadcasts, and resembled what Gohan had looked like when he fought crime in his 'disguise'. Hmm, interesting.
She was also very surprised when Trunks had nailed her father with one punch, sending him headfirst into a brick wall. Soon after that, the boys' mothers chased them down attempting to steal some food, and brought them back to sit with their group. Stealing food when they had 15 million zeni between them! Let alone Bulma's billions.
An announcement came across the public address system, that preliminaries had been completed, and the field had been narrowed down to the final 16. Not long after that, the pairings were revealed to the crowd. Vegeta had been drawn with a man dubiously named 'Killer', Eighteen with Supopo-Bitchi, Mika with Yam, Goku with Jewel, Mr Satan would be fighting Gohan, one that Chichi seemed especially pleased of, Kibit and Mighty Mask, Krillen with a huge, cocky man named Punta, and Ma Junior with Shin.
------------------------------------------
Gohan was stood in the waiting area, accompanied by his fellow fighters. Most of those present he didn't know didn't lok much of a problem. There were the two pale, cadaverous men, who appeared as though they could explode any minute from their over-developed, bulging muscles who had far too much ki than should be possible, but still nothing of a threat, even to Krillen. And the two odd characters, dressed in even stranger clothes. Their ki was hard to place, and he couldn't get a good grasp of exactly how strong they could be. Overall though, he wasn't worried about the competition, and was actually excited about the chance to put Satan down.
The only one of Gohan's friends and family that might not get through the first round was Piccolo, who didn't seem to happy about his match-up with the mysterious Shin.
Vegeta seemed happy enough with his opponent, and the match was over before it had barely started. The blonde android Eighteen disposed of her foe easily enough as well, much to his disgruntlement. His partner in crime, Yam, must have said something Mika didn't approve of as they walked up towards the ring, and he was dealt with accordingly, being smacked about the ring a little, before she decided to end it by tossing him out to the side into the wall.
His father dealt with his own match as humanely as possible, before it was Gohan's turn to go 'toe-to-toe' with the champion himself. As they slowly walked up the paved walkway to the ring, Satan spoke to Gohan out of the corner of his mouth, while still waving to the crowds as jubilantly as possible. "I saw you talking to my daughter." He hissed. "Boys don't talk to my daughter kid." He then gave Gohan a stare that was clearly supposed to intimidate the teenager. Instead, it just infuriated him further. The crowds were already getting on his nerves, and he about ready to take it out on the afroed man that now stood before him.
As the announcer shouted, "Begin!" Satan rushed toward Gohan at his full speed, lunging with a clumsy fist. Gohan sidestepped him, still in his lazy form, not needing to try at all. As he did this, he gave him a swift knee to the stomach, sending him to his knees. The crowd gasped at their hero's misfortune. He slowly got to his feet and lunged once again.
Gohan ducked and rammed a fist into his stomach, just hard enough to leave a bruise, and then proceeded to swipe the champ's legs from underneath him, sending him flat onto his back. The crowd had almost fallen silent now. The favourite to win by far, was losing easily to a kid in the first round. He remained on his back for a few seconds, allowing the realisation that he was losing sank in. He decided he must be imagining it all, and rose to his feet once again, raising a hand to the air, two fingers raised in his usual vidtory stance, and bellowed as loud as he could.
In his reverie, he didn't see the fist flying at his face, and catching him square on the jaw that shut him up completely. He slumped slowly to the floor, completely unconscious, his hand still in its 'victory' pose. A few long seconds passed before the announcer proclaimed Gohan as the winner. A cheer went up from the crowd, it wasn't everyday a talent was witnessed like that.
Like almost all champions, Satan was soon to be forgotten. Call it bad karma, or whatever, but fate had just dealed out an ironic hand to Mr Satan. The boy whose fame he had stolen had stolen it back what was rightfully his in return. But not all of it, yet.
High in the crowd, Videl was sat, mouth gaping open. She had prayed to high heaven that her father would lose, he had to be taught humility. Perhaps those women wouldn't be quite so insistent when he wasn't world champion.
And, as luck would have it, the one person that had done it had been the only one she had truly hoped would do it. Maybe her father would allow them to be together, especially if Gohan went on to win the tournament. He had beaten her father with consumate ease, further adding to her suspicions. Something was definitely up. She suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that revolved around the Cell Games.
The rest of the first round went as would be expected for those in the know, for the most part, at least. Kibit got rid of Mighty Mask easily enough, and Punta was disposed of by Krillen. Piccolo, however, under the alter-ego of Ma Junior forfeited the match against Shin, much to the crowd's disappointment.
The second round soon began. The re-match between Eighteen and Vegeta was a tense one. The last time they had fought, Vegeta had taken a merciless beating at her hands, but the tables were now turned. The aged saiyan was more than a match for her, even in his normal form, but he restrained himself well considering their history, and after having a bit of fun knocked her from the ring.
Mika and Goku had a little 'father-daughter bonding' time between them, with Goku running out the winner, ready for the clash that would follow with Vegeta in the next round.
Gohan on the other hand, had a rather more unpredictable route to take. If he beat Kibit, the larger of the two odd fellows, he would face Shin, the one who appeared to be the leader, whom Piccolo had forfeited against rather than fight. As he stepped out into the arena, he felt the eyes of thousands upon him, that went along with the cheers. The eyes of the remaining fighters were also fixed upon him, as if expecting something to happen. Something terrible.
"Transform into super saiyan. I want to see if you're strong enough to help us." Kibit asked, or rather demanded, startling Gohan.
"How do you know about that! And what do you mean about helping out?"
"You'll see soon enough. First change into super saiyan."
"Are you kidding! Transform out here in front of everyone."
"Gohan." A voice said from the fighter's area. It was Piccolo. He nodded to Gohan, gesturing to him that it was Ok to do so.
"Fine I'll change, although I would like to know youe intentions. I'll take it a step further than super saiyan."
"What! A stronger form?"
Gohan let out a yell that shook the arena to its foundations, and allowed his body to re-knit itself into it's strongest possible form. Electricity buzzed around him, and his black gi now looked as though it was on fire. "I'm now past super saiyan. What do you want to do know? Fight me?" Gohan said, with the smirk that always adorned his face when he went to this level.
Behind him, Gohan sensed two powers rushing him from behind. He turned to see the two idiots that looked as though they were the living dead flying to him, one of them holding a suspicious looking jug with a dangerously sharp point. He went to attack, but found his arms and legs bound by some invisible force. The point of the jug was now embedded deep into his abdomen, and he felt his energy leaving him.
He felt so drowsy, as though he could just drop off to sleep. Soon, it was over, and he had fallen limply to the floor. A number of people came rushing to his side, as he saw his father and a few others discussing something animatedly within the waiting area. Mika and Videl had flown over to his side, Videl beginning to cry at the state he was in, holding his head in her lap. She must have thought that he was about to die, but he knew he would be fine, a senzu or a quick heal from Dende could do the job.
While he was within his own thoughts, the majority of the z-fighters had followed the enigmatic Shin into the horizon, after a quick argument between Goku and Vegeta. Mika had also departed, leaving him alone with Videl. He could sense her distressed ki, and something felt very odd about it. An old injury! How had he believed that.
Kibit was now doing something reminiscent to what Dende used to do, healing him. His energy was slowly returning, and he felt it grow back to it's normal level, and then even stronger.
"Come on Gohan, follow me, we must hurry to catch up." Kibit told Gohan, who nodded in response.
"Can I come Gohan, I want to know what's going on." She seemed to have forgotten her little 'problem'.
Gohan turned to face her fully, and snaked a hand underneath her shirt to rest on her belly. "No. We wouldn't want to do anything to endanger your injury would we? I'll see you later." He tilted her face up to his with his other hand, and kissed her gently, before pulling away and taking off into the air. With a wave, he was gone over the horizon.
Videl moved a hand to her stomach where he had just touched her, ignoring the cheers from the crowd at seeing that little show of romance. He had that same knowing smirk on his face that Mika had had. Did he know? She was almost certain of it.
Another thing she was certain of, was that she had just seen Gohan transform. And he didn't do it with the aid of a watch with a disguise in it. All the evidence now pointed to one thing, something that had been staring her in the face for a month. Mika, Gohan and their friends were the mysterious group of people that had showed up to fight Cell. Gohan had been the youth that had stood up to Cell. Gohan was the one that saved the entire planet in the process.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Gohan was panting heavily, down on one knee. The wind had ceased, and there was not a sound, even from chirping insects. They had all either fled or died. His body was covered in blood, most of it his own. It certainly wasn't his current opponent's. The three fighters that had been sent by that bastard wizard had been dealt with fairly easily by the Saiyans, only Dabura putting up much of a fight. Gohan had dealt with him easily enough though. As soon as he had done that though, both good and bad things occurred. The good points were that all those turned to stone by the Demon King were returned to normal. The bad point had been that Vegeta had been enslaved to a certain extent.
The energy stolen from Gohan had nearly been enough to awaken this 'Majin Buu' character. After Vegeta had been taken by Babi-Dee, he had instantly begun fighting with Goku. This sent the power meter over the threshold. Gohan could have easily finished the two of them off at the same time, but was stopped by his father and Vegeta ranting about settling the score. Besides, Gohan had been fairly certain that he would be able to take care of Buu on his own. What a ridiculous idea that had been!
Piccolo, after being revived had quickly taken care of the wizard, sending Buu even more insane than he had been before. Gohan had screamed for the others, namely Mika, Krillen and Piccolo to get out of the way, and they had complied. Shin and Kibit remained, but stood by watching, completely helpless. They would only be in the way.
Gohan was about to die. And he knew it. He laughed. The thought of death in a battle had appealed to him a few months ago. If he hadn't to that school, he would never have met Videl, and he might be stood here, uncaring of his fate, happy to be out of the drudge of life. Or perhaps fate would have been so much crueler than that. Maybe if there was no one to leave behind, he wouldn't have to leave. He would win this fight by some chance.
As it was, he was in trouble. His greatest fear had come to fruitition. He was going to leave Videl behind. And an unborn child. It was clear to him now. Turns out humans and saiyans are the same, he cogitated. Her distressed ki had alerted him to the child's presence. He was leaving another Goten in the world. A fatherless part-saiyan.
During his brief break from the battle, he came up with a plan, a half plan. Goku and Vegeta wouldn't stand a chance, even if they fought him together, and he would have to do it himself. Whatever happened though, he was about to f--king die! He screamed in his mind. The plan was taking shape, and he screamed for the two that remained to get as far away as possible.
Summoning as much energy as he could with a howl to the skies, he flung himself at the unsuspecting enemy who had been rolling around doing cartwheels. He poured attack after attack into the monster, fists, kicks and whatever else was available at first. Then he flew back and fired as much ki at his target as was possible, resulting in a swirling mass of pink gloop on the ground before him. It still wasn't enough, he would have to go through with the final part of the plan while Buu was at his weakest.
Before he could make a move, however, the gloop had begun flying directly at him. He was caught off guard, and the liquid flowed into his body through his mouth and nose. It was now inside him, trying to force itself outward, to destroy him from the inside.
This was the ideal situation for him! With all his might, he repelled the force attempting to explode outwards from his body. With one, final, terrible scream, he concentrated all of his ki into one point in his body, deep within, where even Buu could not reach, and allowed it to burst outwards in a blast that shook the earth with its intensity.
The proximity of Buu to the explosion obliterated the pink mass utterly, but at a grave price. Fifty feet into the sky, a grey figure began descending at an ever more rapid pace, until it crashed to the ground with a force that shattered it into oblivion, millions of grains of ash mixing with those of the sand and dirt underneath.
A load of piffle from me;
I absolutely had to go through the tournament, but this isn't an action fic, and I can't write that stuff, so I glossed over the fights. You want fight scenes, read other fics. Better yet, watch the show again. Vegeta sacrificing his life is one of the greatest moments in DBZ, I love it, and I sort of made a few 'tiny' changes to it. Also, I didn't write the F-word because, even though I say it A LOT, it looks weird on paper to me, and I changed the rating back to T, because I felt like it
This fic is drawing to a close, just a few more chapters, maybe two, or, gasp, just one! I'm not quite sure. I realise it took a while to get the romance in, it turned very angsty. Personally, I find that easy to write, and as stated last chapter, this fic evolved into a bit of a beast in length (for me, anyway).
The important question is, will Gohan be back to the world of the living?
