Chapter 29 – Farewells
Silence blanketed Dende's lookout for a few moments.
"Destroyed?" Bulma finally asked. "How can they be destroyed? What happened out there?"
"Yeah, and where's Goku?" asked Hercule from behind them, looking around.
"And my dad?" asked Bra, stepping forward.
Gohan looked around at all of them, at a loss for words. "Everyone...Dad and Vegeta...and the Dragonballs...they..."
He never finished his sentence. The already dark sky grew even darker, and everyone turned their heads upward. A deep, peaceful rumbling filled the air, and the clous parted. The enormous head of the Eternal Dragon, the true Shenron, descended from the sky, looking around at all of them.
"THANK YOU," said Shenron. "YOU DESTROYED A TERRIBLE EVIL THAT PLAGUED THE UNIVERSE. I AM GRATEFUL TO YOU."
They all stared at him, completely dumbfounded.
"HOWEVER," he went on, "BECAUSE THE DRAGONBALLS ARE NO MORE, I WILL SOON CEASE TO BE AS WELL. AS A TOKEN OF MY GRATITUDE, I WILL GRANT YOUR FINAL WISH WITH THE LAST OF MY POWER. SPEAK IT NOW."
Silence again. After a beat, Goten spoke.
"Shenron!" he cried. "Can you please restore everything destroyed by the shadow dragons?"
"And the damage done by Super 17!" yelled Android 18, her voice rising a little.
"Right!" said Goten. "And all the people killed? I...I know many of them have already been brought back...can you...is this...?"
The slightest trace of a smile seemed to flicker across Shenron's face. "I DO KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN," he rumbled. "AND BECAUSE MY TIME IS SHORT, IT IS NO LONGER IMPORTANT WHETHER I PERFORM BEYOND THE SCOPE OF MY POWER. IT IS DONE."
Everything below them seemed to shine with a bright light. Piccolo smiled as he saw life and activity resume itself on Earth.
Trunks' face lit up. "Then...does that mean--?"
"ON TWO CONDITIONS," continued Shenron. "YOU, GUARDIAN OF EARTH," he said, looking at Dende. "YOU MUST NOT CREATE NEW DRAGONBALLS FOR ONE HUNDRED YEARS. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THEIR POWER IS NOT ABUSED. YOU WILL LEARN TO LIVE WITHOUT."
"And the second condition?" asked Gohan.
"I HAVE NO POWER LEFT. I HAVE UNDONE EVERYTHING DONE BY MY COUNTERPARTS. BUT I COULD NOT REVIVE THOSE WHOSE POWER SO GREATLY SURPASSED MY OWN. SON GOKU AND VEGETA MUST REMAIN DEAD."
Chi-chi gasped and sank onto the floor, her head in her hands. Bulma bent down to comfort her.
Goten got slowly to his feet. "Th...thank you," he said. "Thank you, Shenron. For everything."
"YOU ARE WELCOME. YOU WILL NOT SEE ME AGAIN." His voice grew softer as his form became more transparent. "GOODBYE." With a final word, he receded back into the clouds. The sky returned to its natural state, the moon shining brightly.
The only sound was Chi-chi and Bulma sobbing and hugging each other. Videl put her arms around Gohan, and he flinched.
"Sorry," said Dende, coming forward and healing Gohan, Goten, and Trunks.
Hercule stood up. "Wow," he whispered to himself. "Goku...dead?" Buu nodded.
Pan got up and ran to her parents. Goten, Trunks, and Bra went to their mothers to comfort them. Yamcha and Tenshinhan went to join Krillin's family, to talk with them. Piccolo looked up at the stars, his arms folded, thinking. "Good job, Goku. Vegeta."
Uub said nothing. He looked around at the display of emotion before him, his eyes narrowed, wanting to scream. Instead, he turned around, ran to the edge of the lookout and, with an outburst of ki, blasted off into the night sky. Earth mourned Goku and Vegeta. People from all over the planet came to attend their funeral. People Goku had helped long ago, those who had witnessed Vegeta distract Cell in the islands before he destroyed them, and anyone who had seen glimpses of their spectacular battles over the years. Those who did not know about them soon heard the stories and wanted to pay their respects.
Everyone gathered far in the north, at the site of Goku's grandfather's house. Chi-chi, Bulma, Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Videl, Bra, Pan, Hercule, Buu, Uub, Piccolo, Krillin, Android 18, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, Chaotzu, Master Roshi, Oolong and Puar were at the front of the crowd. Behind them stood Dende, Mr. Popo, Kibitoshin and the Elder Kaioshin. Countless others stood around them, big, small, old and young, coming to say their final goodbyes to Earth's greatest heroes.
Gohan stood with his arms around Videl and Pan, who pressed her face against his chest. Chi-chi was sobbing openly, and Bulma, after a few moments, broke down as well. Yamcha stepped forward and put his arm around her; seeing this, Trunks walked past them and casually tripped Yamcha.
"Sorry," said Trunks, not looking at him. His eyes were fixed on Vegeta's empty grave.
Master Roshi stepped up and said a few words about Goku and Vegeta's extraordinary enthusiasm for improving themselves; Uub spoke of all Goku had taught him and done for his village; Trunks praised his father for the transformation he had made in his years on Earth; Krillin talked about their dedication to protecting the Earth and all its inhabitants; Piccolo mentioned their great rivalry and friendship, and said goodbye to them both; and Gohan sent them off with a few ki blasts to the sky.
When all was said and done, everyone went home except for Gohan, Goten, Trunks, and Uub, who wished to remain behind for a little longer. Everyone hugged them and reluctantly left. Piccolo put his hand on Gohan's shoulder, said goodbye, and flew off. The four of them stood there.
"So that's it," said Gohan quietly. "They're gone."
"No," said Uub forcefully. "Not gone. We won't forget them. Earth won't forget them. We'll make sure of it."
"Yeah," said Goten. "But for now, we have to move on."
"What are you going to do, Goten?" asked Trunks.
He shrugged. "I don't know. I should help Mom for a little while, but I think it's time I got my own place. I'll have to look for a job."
Gohan nodded. "We can help you as long as you need, Goten."
"Thanks," said Goten. "But I don't need money. Mom's got enough for herself, and I'll be fine."
"All right," said Gohan, satisfied. "I need to get back to my family. I'll see you guys again soon."
"Yeah, I should get back too," said Trunks, with a last look at the uninhabited graves of Goku and Vegeta. They turned to go.
"We can't stop training, you know," said Uub suddenly. "At least enough to keep up our strength. You never know when something else is going to happen."
Trunks nodded and smiled. "And without the Dragonballs, we can't afford any losses." With a final wave, he and Gohan flew off toward West City.
"Bye, Goten," said Uub. "I'm heading back to my village for now. I don't know if I'll be seeing you all as often."
"I kind of figured," said Goten. "He meant a lot to you, didn't he?"
Uub nodded, keeping his eyes fixed firmly upward, and his lip steady. He wanted to say something, but didn't know what. "Just...keep fighting, OK?" And he blasted off into the distance.
Goten watched him go. He started to walk away, but turned back to his fathers' grave. "Check it out, Dad," he said, throwing a few lightning-quick punches and kicks in various directions. A kind of lightness seemed to come into his chest. He smiled, sighing to himself. Turning back toward the west, he jumped into the air and sped away, laughing the whole time.