/*
Disclaimer: DBZ isn't mine, Gohan is, well in my dreams he is at any rate.
Anything between /* and */ is just me budding in, so is anything after // up until the next hard return.
For those of you that realised or were wondering, I'm trying to learn to program in C++ as a hobby, that's the origin of the commentary codes.
Anything between * stars * is an action.
*/
/*
Response to reviews:
To all of you who agreed with my original assessment that I'm evil, I've changed it, I'm mean, but not evil. I have to vote with Lizzy on this one. Evil would have been if I'd used my other plan, which was to write the first chapter for another fic I have in mind before continuing this.
On the names issue, the reviews were divided as well, so I've decided to stick with my original use of the Son family name in front of the person's name, and other family names after the person's name. Let's just say they're from different areas with slight cultural differences where it comes to names.
To Lady Queen:
A good threat would be making sure I couldn't write anymore, but I guess you'd have yourself with that as well.
To Keios Thiori:
Thanks for looking it up for me, and thanks for the links, though I spend so much time writing now a days that I don't really have the time for other hobbies anymore.
To Optical Mouse:
As for the name convention see above. About Bulma's last name, the official website: www.dragonballz.com has it listed as Brief, no S so singular not plural.
Finally to all who guessed it was the Sayaman button:
Well DUH.
And to all of you in general:
Thanks a lot. I have more than one page now I don't think I've been this happy since my total passed 20. // Is it me or can those reviews be addictive?
*/
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Opening note for chapter 5:
Gohan and Videl may both be a little OOC compared to usual in this chapter, and maybe in following chapters as well, what can I say, love makes people act different. (Like Krillin stopped shaving his head.)
*/
Life Is Strange
Saga: Truth
Chapter 5: Truth Is A Weird Thing
Videl opened her eyes again, as her hands met Gohan's. To her surprise she wasn't looking at Gohan anymore but right into the dark visor on Sayaman's helmet.
"Sayaman." She mumbled breaking the kiss.
This must be a weird dream, she thought, it just has to be. But don't let it stop just yet.
Gohan who had like Videl closed his eyes during the early part of their kiss opened them again when Videl's lips left his and he heard her mutter something. He immediately noticed his darkened vision and when he remembered her hands sliding down his arms it didn't take him long to figure out what had happened.
Dende. He thought. This is definitely not good timing. I knew she was going to have to find out sometime but this isn't the ideal moment.
"Uhm. I can explain Videl." He said. At least I hope so, he added in thought.
He can explain??? Videl wondered as she backed away. Does that mean this isn't a dream?
She pinched herself hard to find out. Definitely not a dream, she thought as she felt a stab of pain in her arm. But that would mean that Gohan is Sayaman, but how is that possible, how could he be at my party twice? For that matter he has black hair and Sayaman told me he is the Gold-fighter.
Both of them had jumped up now and they were standing a few paces away from each other.
"Well I can't wait to hear the explanation." She said. "How did you just turn into Sayaman in the middle of a kiss?"
"Oh that's simple." Gohan said. "You must have bumped into the button on my watch." He pushed the button himself and to Videl's great surprise the Sayaman uniform instantly vanished and he was wearing his normal Gi again.
"How does it work?" She asked very surprised indeed by the ease of the sudden transformation.
"I'm not sure to be honest." Gohan answered. "Bulma made it for me. She's probably the only person in the world that does understand."
"Okay, I can follow that. But what I can't follow is how both you and Sayaman were at my party."
Ah well. Gohan thought. Let's just hope this doesn't completely freak her out then I might still have a chance with her.
"That's a rather special technique." He said. Raising his hands to his face. "Multiform."
Immediately there were two of him. He turned to each other, "Split-thoughts." Both of him said at the same time. Instantly each body had it's own consciousness though they were still more or less aware of the other's thoughts. Due to the telepathic link they shared. A quick thought passed through that link and the second Gohan, the one that had been split off nodded and pressed the button on his watch.
"That's how." Gohan simply stated while Gohan#2 now turned Sayaman nodded.
What's happening here? Videl thought.
"Are you both real, or is one just an illusion?" She asked.
"Oh, we're both real." Gohan replied. "Though actually I'm the original, and he's a copy."
"A copy?"
"Really not the perfect word perhaps, but the best I can think of. The second part of the technique you just saw was actually to make sure that we each have our own thoughts rather than just one consciousness. That doesn't really matter that much in a fight, in fact it's better to think with one mind in a fight, but for things like the party, or this, it's better to split them, or we'd say everything in stereo. If you want to be sure we're both real, just touch and see for yourself." Again the Sayaman half of him nodded in agreement and Videl found herself left speechless. Slowly she walked towards them and touched both of them on the arm, they both felt real and... well identical. Not to mention strong and muscular. Stop that Videl, she thought at herself angrily, you're trying to figure this out, not feel his muscles.
How can he do something like this, she wondered regaining her intended line of thought. And from what he said it seems that this is a fighting technique, why hasn't he used it against me?
While she stood there thinking Gohan and Sayaman walked a few paces away and looked each other in the eyes for a while, and then Sayaman nodded before turning back into Gohan#2.
"Reintegrate." Both Gohans said simultaneously and within seconds the two bodies blurred together and then resurfaced as one.
I think that's about all she can handle right now. Gohan thought noticing the stunned look on Videl's face. She's bound to have a lot of other questions, but she'll need time to deal with this first.
He was right about there being more questions and soon discovered some of them as Videl after a little thinking started asking questions again at a rapid pace, apparently expecting him to answer them later as she didn't pause between questions to let him reply.
"How do you fly, is that another of Bulma's inventions? And have you been holding back while fighting me? And why don't bullets have any effect on you? And how did you get so fas..."
She fell silent as he brought a finger to his lips.
"To answer your first question." He said. "No, flying is not another of Bulma's inventions. It would take too much time to explain how I do it now, but suffice it to say that it's something that can be learned. I could probably teach you. As for the other questions we'll get around to them in due time."
"Come on tell me now." Videl insisted.
"No. Maybe you didn't notice yourself, but you were quite surprised and I'd almost say shaken when I did the multi-form technique and that's just a small tip of the iceberg so we shouldn't rush things."
He's right. Videl thought biting her lip. I don't like it but he is right. She sighed.
"Okay." She agreed albeit reluctantly. "Just answer me one question now. Do you love me?"
"Uhm ... well ... uhm ..." Gohan stuttered blushing heavily, "I uhn, I guess I do yes."
"You know Gohan." She said walking up to him. "I think I love you too."
With those words she put her arms around his waist as she stood on her toes. Even like that she couldn't quite reach his lips, but he helped her by bowing his head toward her, allowing their lips to meet in another kiss. It was long soft and tender, and unlike the first not interrupted by sudden transformations.
The kiss didn't last forever of course. Though Gohan with his Saiyan physiology could go without breathing for quite some time, Videl as a normal human had a somewhat shorter time limit she needed to observe before coming up for air.
After breaking their kiss Videl glanced at her watch noticing that it was almost one in the afternoon, time for her to head back to Satan-city as she had a hair-dressers appointment at three.
// I still had to get her the short hair since I split off this AU after episode 188 which is before her haircut.
She and Gohan said good-bye to each other, and after a quick good-bye kiss, she got out her jet-copter and took off for home.
I really should tell her everything. Gohan thought as Videl took off. But I don't know how to, especially the truth about the Cell-games. I can't just say 'Gee Videl, for the last seven years your father's been living a lie, and you to an extend have been living it with him.'
But she certainly needs to know what she's getting herself into falling in love with me.
We need to go somewhere we can be alone to talk. But where? We could go to Piccolo's old place I suppose, he doesn't live there any more, and it's a desert-island. Also gives me a nice way to illustrate some points if I need to.
"I'll take her there tomorrow." He decided, speaking the words out loud to himself.
The next morning Videl found herself standing in front of her mirror, trying to get used to her new look. The short hair her hairdresser had recommended to her did look good, she had to admit. Then she winced at the memory of dinner last night.
"What happened to your hair Videl?" Her father had asked in his usual blustering tone, shocking her by noticing.
"I had it cut." She'd replied. What did he think anyway that she'd been run-over by a lawnmower.
"Why, are you trying to impress some boy, because if you are, you should know that I won't let you have a boyfriend unless he's at least as strong as me. After all how is some puny little runt ever going to be able to defend my daughter? And..."
Videl had tuned out at that point. Like I need defending she'd thought with a great deal of sarcasm, I've taken on most major criminals and defeated, with the help of my boyfriend. Boyfriend, that word does suddenly seem to have a new and nice ring to it. She thought standing in front of her mirror and returning to the present once again.
She'd just finished getting dressed when she heard the doorbell ring downstairs.
I wonder who could be calling at 10 am on a Sunday she thought. Glancing at her clock. Filled with curiosity she made her way to the hall to see Gohan on the doorstep faced with a rather peeved looking Jeffrey.
"Hey Gohan." She yelled as she ran down the stairs. "You're just on time, come on."
With those words she raced past Jeffrey and out the door, grabbing Gohan's hand on the way, pulling him along.
"What did you mean by you're just on time?" He questioned as they reached the nearby park and stopped to let their breathing return to normal, though it seemed as if Gohan had no need to do so.
"I, * gulp * only said that to * gulp * get passed Jeffrey. * gulp * If I hadn't * gulp * gotten you away from him then, he'd * gulp * have started asking questions, and that would mean my dad would find out."
"You haven't told him about us yet have you?" Gohan asked.
"No I just couldn't find the courage to, he'd give me his whole, your boyfriend must be stronger than me speech, and I'd already had to listen to that during dinner because of my new hair-cut."
"It looks great on you Videl. Was he worried there would be to many boys after you now?"
"He was thinking that I might be trying to impress a boy." Videl stated.
"And are you?" Gohan asked, his lips moving toward hers.
"Maybe." She said. Giving him a small peck on the lips. "But not here, I don't want any reporters seeing us."
"Don't worry." Gohan replied. "There won't be any reporters where I'm taking you."
She really does look great. Gohan thought as Videl adopted a puzzled look.
"And where are you taking me?" She asked.
"You'll see." He replied, not wanting to reveal too much yet. "Let's just say we're going there so we can talk in private." He said.
"Why do you have your school-bag with you?" She asked, apparently noticing it for the first time.
"I have my reasons, you'll find out in due time, for now let it suffice for me to say that I wanted to bring some things."
Videl pouted for a bit, clearly she'd been hoping for more than that. But Gohan pretended not to notice and pushed the button on his watch, transforming into Sayaman.
"Why'd you transform?" Videl whispered.
"Because we're going to fly to our destination." Gohan replied. "And I'll be doing the flying."
He held out his arms, and Videl happily jumped into them.
"You don't have to carry me you know?" She said. "We could just take my jet-copter, or I could follow you in it."
"I know, but I want to get where we're going quickly." Gohan replied.
"Are you saying you think you're faster than my jet-copter?" Videl asked, sounding amazed.
"I think I am." Gohan replied. "But why don't you wait and judge for yourself."
Gohan held Videl safely in his arms, and she even put her arms around his neck, as he took off. He immediately expanded his Ki around both of them so they wouldn't feel more than a slight breeze, even when flying at his top speed. Then he really started to use his Ki at maximum to get to where he wanted to go.
He wasn't kidding about being faster than my jet-copter. Videl thought as she saw the countryside flash by beneath them. But how can he just fly like this, and how is it that all I can feel is a slight breeze while we're flying super-sonic?
She looked down again to see the beach pass under her and then the sea, soon there was nothing but ocean in sight beneath them as Gohan flew on, apparently certain of his destination. Videl couldn't help but grab on to him tighter out of some vague extra fear of falling here in the middle of the ocean.
Quite suddenly something appeared on the horizon they were speeding towards. At first there was noting much to see, but soon she realised that she was looking a large Island. It's terrain seemed to consist of many mountains, but when they drew even closer she saw that there were also may flat areas. A lot of them desserts, but others were lush and fertile, filled with plants. Gohan set down on a ridge over looking one of the green valleys. And as he transformed out of his Sayaman costume Videl stood on her own legs again. They'd journeyed several thousand miles at least. But she didn't think it had taken them more than thirty minutes. It was almost impossible to believe that someone could just fly like that without any technology behind it, yet she trusted Gohan when he said that this was just something that could be learned.
While Videl stood on the ridge, Gohan went into the valley for a few seconds, returning with two pieces of tree-trunk that could be used as stools.
"Not the most luxury accommodations imaginable I'm afraid." He said apologetically. "But I didn't think to bring a capsule house, and I wouldn't feel right here anyway."
Videl nodded as she sat down on one of the two. "This will do fine." She said. "Now tell me, why are we here?"
Gohan scratched the back of his head for a while, looking puzzled. "There are two answers to that question." He said. "Or rather that question can be two questions, and both can be relevant."
Videl looked at him stunned.
"The first way to interpret the question." Gohan continued. "Is to take it to mean, why are we in this place and not somewhere else? The answer to that is two-fold. Firstly we are here because I have a certain attachment to this place, and secondly we are here because this Island though large isn't inhabited, making it the perfect place to talk privately."
Videl nodded at this. This she could follow.
"The second way we can interpret the question." Gohan went on. "Is as a more general question, why are we somewhere, with here happening to be the somewhere we are at the time. The answer to that question is that we are here because after what happened yesterday we have to talk."
Is he having second thoughts? Videl wondered. Is that why we're here?
"Why do we need to talk?" She asked, keeping her question as neutral as possible.
"For a number of reasons." Gohan answered. "I'll start by telling you a few things, I either know or assume. If my assumptions aren't correct I don't think there will be much to talk about, but I think they will turn out to be correct."
"Okay, shoot."
"Okay, first something I know. I know I'm in love with you Videl." Gohan blushed heavily, but managed it without stuttering. "Second something I assume from what you said yesterday, as well as your actions, I assume you're in love with me too." His blush deepened at this point, but he still hadn't started his usual stuttering around such subjects yet.
"I am." Videl admitted, with a bit of a blush of her own.
"Well," Gohan said, "that brings us to the third point, I know that you don't know me."
"What do you mean I don't know you? I think I've gotten to know a lot about you especially since I discovered you are Sayaman."
"You do know more about me than most other people." Gohan admitted. "But it's just the tip of the iceberg."
Tip of the iceberg? Videl wondered. If the tip of an iceberg is often only ten percent of the whole, what could he possibly have to say about himself that's a secret nine times bigger than Sayaman?
Okay, I'm about to take the plunch. Gohan thought. There's no going back.
"I guess for everything to be told right I'd have to tell you a short version of the story of my life." He said. "Short in that it will contain little detail except where needed. But it all starts before that, with a legend that I don't think you've ever heard, the legend of the Dragon Balls."
Videl shook her head. "No I've never heard of it."
"That's not surprising." Gohan said. "There are perhaps a few dozen people in the world that know, certainly no more, and that's for a good reason, this legend is real. And it's powerful."
"You're kidding right."
"No, I'm not."
"But how can Dragons be real?"
"I'll tell you the legend as it was told to me when I was young. Long ago, hundreds if not thousands of years ago now, seven magical Dragon Balls were created and scattered over the earth. Once all seven balls are united the eternal Dragon can be summoned to grant two wishes, there is a limit to the Dragons power, as it is related to the power of his creator, and like wise, if the keeper of the Dragon Balls dies, they will vanish. But they can be passed to another keeper before the old one dies. When I say the Dragon is powerful I mean it, it can grant immortality, can bring back the dead as long as they didn't die of natural causes, though it can't revive the same person twice. Before resent times, in which they have been used more than ever, the dragon balls were not used for hundreds of years at a time, the last time before recent events for example someone became King. But every time a wish has been made the Dragon Balls scatter over the earth again. They are inactive for a year, looking like balls of white stone."
"What do they normally look like?" Videl asked.
"I'll show you." Gohan said. Reaching inside his bag and pulling out the four star ball.
"This is one." He continued. "The number of stars differs with each ball, perhaps it's a way of counting them or keeping track of them, I'm not sure. The four star ball belonged to my great-grandfather, well at least that's what I call him, but we'll get to that later. His name was Gohan too so you could say the ball goes with the name. That's why I went to find it after the last time a wish was made."
// This has probably been done before, I think I remember reading it somewhere, but it makes sense for Gohan to go find that ball.
Videl nodded, in awe of what she was hearing. This can't be true. She thought to herself. Yet somehow I know it is. He has to be telling the truth, I can almost sense the power in that ball.
"Well that's it for the Dragon Balls." Gohan said. "Now I have a question to ask you as an introduction to the next part of this talk, what's the first piece of news you remember?"
Uhm. Videl thought. What a weird question. What could it be, what news did I hear and remember when I was very young?
"I think," she said, "I remember something about two aliens landing on earth, though the finer point of that whole affair never actually became clear."
"That's what I was hoping for." Gohan said. "That story starts a year earlier. I was five and a half and was going with my dad to visit some of his friends. During our visit, a stranger showed up, claiming he was my dad's brother, and telling him for the first time about his true origins. My great-grandfather, my dad's grandfather, had always told him that he'd found him in a bed of moss on the mountainside. But that wasn't true. He'd found him in a space pod in an impact crater."
Videl gasped at a sudden realisation. "You're alien!?" She exclaimed.
"Half-alien to be precise." Gohan said. "Saiyan to name the race. But just let me keep going for now, and we'll talk about this later. Now my dad had been sent here to destroy the Earth's population, so the planet could be sold. However he'd hit his head as a child and forgotten his orders. My uncle tried to persuade him to rejoin his people by kidnapping me, but in the end he was defeated. Unfortunately that wasn't the end of it."
Gohan went on to tell her about everything that had happened after that. The arrival of Vegeta and Nappa, though he didn't mention who Vegeta was, and then about the happenings on Namek. After that he briefly touched on the Garlic Junior crisis and then Frieza's counter attack and Trunks warning. He did this all somewhat vague however, not being able to find a good way to explain about his true strength. He would have to before the Cell-games came up, he'd decided that she needed to know the truth about them as well, but he just couldn't think of a way to tell her about it.
Even with his somewhat vague and quick versions of events he had been talking for hours, with a lunch break, and now the sun was setting. After a moments thought Gohan excused himself and went into the valley to get some firewood.
Videl just sat on the ridge rather stunned after Gohan had jumped down into the valley, announcing that he was going to get them some fire wood, as the sun was about to set. She certainly understood some of his strength better now, being an alien definitely helped, from what he'd told her the Saiyans were a race of warriors. And fighting some of the strongest warriors in the galaxy from the age of six must be a certain way to grow in strength. If you survived.
She smiled as she remembered lunch where Gohan had eaten in true Saiyan fashion, he'd had a special kind of capsule with him that was rather bulky, and contained a huge self powering refrigerator filled with food. Another of these caspsules was now laying next to his trunk-stool, ready for dinner.
"Gohan." She said as he came back, his arms full of firewood. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure." He replied. "What is it?"
"Well, if you're half alien, how come you look so normal."
//She hadn't had a chance to ask this before as he's been doing all the talking.
"Just luck I suppose." He replied. "Saiyans look a lot like humans, certainly if their tails are removed."
"Tails?" Videl's eyes about fell out of their sockets.
"Yeah, rather like a monkey's tale, because of the limited amount of time and the extensive subject matter I didn't tell you about it, but Saiyans have tails when they're born. These tails make the Oozaru transformation possible."
"Oozaru transformation?" Videl was again lost for words.
"Under the influence of the full moon a Saiyan who has his tail can turn into a giant ape, about thirty or forty feet tall, that's the main reason mine was removed, without extensive training, you become wild when you transform. The Oozaru is more than ten times stronger than the normal Saiyan, so it's really dangerous, I went Oozaru when I was almost six and I accidentally destroyed a mountain."
A drop of sweat appeared on the back of Videl's head as she heard her boyfriend talking about destroying mountains as if it were the same as accidentally breaking a plate or a glass at dinner.
"Anyway." Gohan continued. "The only other real difference is my hair. You can't get it to lie flat without using massive quantities of gel."
Videl snickered at this.
"What's so funny?" Gohan asked.
"Well it's just that I've always been thinking how much gel you must have to use to keep it in those spikes."
At that moment Gohan's Saiyan hearing picked up the sound of a jet-copter coming towards them.
"Looks like we've got company." He told Videl.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"I hear a jet-copter coming, hold on." Gohan pushed the button on his watch to turn into Sayaman and took to the air, searching for the source of the sound. He didn't have to look long as the copter appeared to be heading for the ridge where he'd left Videl.
He tried to look to see who was inside but the windows were tinted and not even his Saiyan eyes could see through them.
Damn you Bulma. He thought. Why did you have to invent super tinted windows? Couldn't you just stick to the ones that Saiyans can see through?
He raced the jet-copter back and landed next to Videl as it began looking for a place to set down on the ridge.
After a little while the copter said down, and Gohan just had time to whisper: "Remember call me Sayaman." To Videl before it's door opened and out stepped Hercule Satan himself.
"What are you doing here dad?" Videl asked when she recognised her father. She was hoping that her impatience and annoyance weren't audible in her voice.
"Videl. You're safe." Hercule ignored her in his usual pompous manner.
"Why wouldn't I be safe dad? I can take care of myself?"
"But Videl, why are you here with this runt. They call him a super hero, but I could snap him like a twig. He's too weak to be hanging out with my daughter. You can't..."
"Dad, give it a rest." Videl said. "I can hang out with whomever I want."
"But Videl..." he grabbed her arm.
Gohan's Ki had slowly been rising since the previous night, but it had been such a slow process that he hadn't really noticed until now. Because now his Ki was sky rocketing all of a sudden.
"Great." He mumbled, not realising that he was actually saying it. "I picked a hell of a time to start puberty."
"Puberty???" A joined cry from Videl and Hercule reached his ears and he suddenly realised he'd said it out loud.
"Saiyan puberty." He replied. Turning to Videl while trying to ignore her father. "It's an entirely different thing from normal puberty, but I'll live, I think."
"You think?" Videl asked sounding worried.
"It's pretty intense, and from what I know about it not altogether positive on all counts, but I don't think we have to worry about it too much. Not yet anyway."
"What's Saiyan?" Hercule asked, looking stunned at the discussion developing in front of him.
"That is none of your concern." Gohan said. Feeling his Saiyan pride, and attitude, increase a long with his Ki.
"Why you..." Hercule started. "You ungrateful little runt. How dare you take that tone with the man who saved the world!"
"I wouldn't take that tone if you had saved the world." Gohan replied. "And I must say I don't even mind you lying to me, or to the press. But what I can't stand is the fact that you've never even told your own daughter the truth about what happened."
"What happened is that I killed Cell!" Hercule shouted, but his face betrayed his confusion.
What's going on here? Videl wondered. Why would Gohan be questioning that unless he knows something I don't? But how could that possibly be true? How could it be possible that my dad didn't safe the world? Did something else happen there that no body knows about?
"Come on Videl we're leaving!" Her dad yelled, grabbing her arm and dragging her towards the jet-copter.
The ground beneath them started shaking and Videl looked around. She assumed her father did so too as he stopped moving.
The movement seemed to be originating from Gohan, who as it appeared was slowly being enveloped by a bright golden glow. As if spikes of light were dancing around his body. But what she was seeing had to be more than light, because it was tearing the cloak of his uniform, and a few seconds later his helmet shot up into the air. But from underneath it emerged not the normal Gohan, Videl knew, but the gold fighter. She could still recognise Gohan, but his hair was a shining gold and his eyes were green.
Suddenly she heard a scream behind her.
"Ahhhhh." It took a while before she registered the voice as her dad's. "This is just like the Cell-games."
That exclamation suddenly snapped her back to reality.
"What's this all about?" She asked, suddenly finding her voice again, while she hadn't been aware that she'd lost it. "What is all this stuff about the Cell-games?" She looked from Gohan, whose facial expression had returned to normal though his hair and eyes still were different than usual, to her dad, who had his mouth wide open in astonishment and sweat streaming down his face.
"Let's just say that seven years ago I was mistaken for a delivery boy." Gohan stated.
"Wait a second." Videl said after the moments it took for that remark to register. "You mean you were that little boy who fought Cell at the games?"
Gohan nodded.
"Then tell me, what happened?"
"Mr. Satan." Gohan said. "Will you tell her, or do I have to do it myself?"
Videl looked back to her father who seemed stunned.
"Very well." Gohan said with a sigh. "I'll tell you. Like I told you earlier, after he'd defeated Frieza, Mirai Trunks warned us about 2 evil androids. These two androids were the masterpieces of the work of doctor Gero, the former leader of the red ribbon army. The cut a long story short there turned out to be five androids in this timeline. Trunks' presence had changed some things. But there was also another problem starting to unfold. As it turns out we found a way to defeat the androids in another version of this timeline. However after Trunks went back to his time and destroyed the androids there as well a new problem came up. In a secret basement under Dr. Gero's lab a computer had been left working on the most evil of the doctors projects, Cell, a biological android constructed from the cells and DNA of the most powerful fighters around. A special little robot looking like a housefly gathered that DNA, which I'm almost ashamed to admit included my own. In the future Cell was completed. He needed to absorb energy to become stronger, in fact he had the power to absorb entire people and their life energy. But not just normal people, he'd been designed especially to also absorb two of the androids, but as Trunks had destroyed those he had to come here to get them. In his quest to reach completion he stole Trunks' time machine and travelled back to absorb the androids. Due to some sloppiness, some over bearing pride and a hopeless crush on our side, he succeeded in absorbing them, evolving into his perfect self. Then the most powerful warrior the universe had ever known."
// Before people start complaining, I'm not sure if anything with Buu is going to happen in this AU, but Gohan certainly can't know about him, so Cell was according to his knowledge then the most powerful warrior ever.
"And you fought him?" Videl asked.
"Yes, I trained with my dad, especially for that fight, during that training I turned into a Super-Saiyan for the first time. Now before you ask, a Super-Saiyan is a higher form of a Saiyan, but until recently only one Saiyan had ever managed to transform. Super-Saiyan is my current form, there's even a level beyond this, but I don't want to use that now, for several reasons it would be too dangerous. Now the Super-Saiyan form is much stronger than our normal form, and the level 2 Super-Saiyan is a lot stronger still.
Now I'll have to make one thing clear, Ki, or energy if you will, is something real, and not a trick like your dad insisted back then. Here, I'll prove it to you." He charged up a small ball of Ki in one of his hands and threw it at a nearby mountain, causing said mountain to be reduced to rubble.
Videl's eyes bugged out at the sight.
He can destroy mountains that easily? She thought. Well now at least I'm sure he's been holding back in our spars together.
"Anyway." Gohan said. "To continue with the story, keeping things brief, I defeated Cell in the end. Though I made a mistake at first that cost my dad his life. The first part of the fight however also had the result of causing Cell to regurgitate one of the androids, who has now come over to our side, in fact she's married to a friend of mine. Anyway, that's the truth about the Cell-games in a nutshell."
Truth is a weird thing. Videl thought, trying to process all the new information that was coming into her system. A weird thing indeed.
/*
Will Videl be able to handle the truth, and what will Hercule have to say for himself. Don't miss the next chapter of Life Is Strange.
Well there it is another chapter you owe mainly to my being ill at least the speed with which I've written it has a lot to do with that.
I love reviews so please everybody let me know what you think.
*/
Disclaimer: DBZ isn't mine, Gohan is, well in my dreams he is at any rate.
Anything between /* and */ is just me budding in, so is anything after // up until the next hard return.
For those of you that realised or were wondering, I'm trying to learn to program in C++ as a hobby, that's the origin of the commentary codes.
Anything between * stars * is an action.
*/
/*
Response to reviews:
To all of you who agreed with my original assessment that I'm evil, I've changed it, I'm mean, but not evil. I have to vote with Lizzy on this one. Evil would have been if I'd used my other plan, which was to write the first chapter for another fic I have in mind before continuing this.
On the names issue, the reviews were divided as well, so I've decided to stick with my original use of the Son family name in front of the person's name, and other family names after the person's name. Let's just say they're from different areas with slight cultural differences where it comes to names.
To Lady Queen:
A good threat would be making sure I couldn't write anymore, but I guess you'd have yourself with that as well.
To Keios Thiori:
Thanks for looking it up for me, and thanks for the links, though I spend so much time writing now a days that I don't really have the time for other hobbies anymore.
To Optical Mouse:
As for the name convention see above. About Bulma's last name, the official website: www.dragonballz.com has it listed as Brief, no S so singular not plural.
Finally to all who guessed it was the Sayaman button:
Well DUH.
And to all of you in general:
Thanks a lot. I have more than one page now I don't think I've been this happy since my total passed 20. // Is it me or can those reviews be addictive?
*/
/*
Opening note for chapter 5:
Gohan and Videl may both be a little OOC compared to usual in this chapter, and maybe in following chapters as well, what can I say, love makes people act different. (Like Krillin stopped shaving his head.)
*/
Life Is Strange
Saga: Truth
Chapter 5: Truth Is A Weird Thing
Videl opened her eyes again, as her hands met Gohan's. To her surprise she wasn't looking at Gohan anymore but right into the dark visor on Sayaman's helmet.
"Sayaman." She mumbled breaking the kiss.
This must be a weird dream, she thought, it just has to be. But don't let it stop just yet.
Gohan who had like Videl closed his eyes during the early part of their kiss opened them again when Videl's lips left his and he heard her mutter something. He immediately noticed his darkened vision and when he remembered her hands sliding down his arms it didn't take him long to figure out what had happened.
Dende. He thought. This is definitely not good timing. I knew she was going to have to find out sometime but this isn't the ideal moment.
"Uhm. I can explain Videl." He said. At least I hope so, he added in thought.
He can explain??? Videl wondered as she backed away. Does that mean this isn't a dream?
She pinched herself hard to find out. Definitely not a dream, she thought as she felt a stab of pain in her arm. But that would mean that Gohan is Sayaman, but how is that possible, how could he be at my party twice? For that matter he has black hair and Sayaman told me he is the Gold-fighter.
Both of them had jumped up now and they were standing a few paces away from each other.
"Well I can't wait to hear the explanation." She said. "How did you just turn into Sayaman in the middle of a kiss?"
"Oh that's simple." Gohan said. "You must have bumped into the button on my watch." He pushed the button himself and to Videl's great surprise the Sayaman uniform instantly vanished and he was wearing his normal Gi again.
"How does it work?" She asked very surprised indeed by the ease of the sudden transformation.
"I'm not sure to be honest." Gohan answered. "Bulma made it for me. She's probably the only person in the world that does understand."
"Okay, I can follow that. But what I can't follow is how both you and Sayaman were at my party."
Ah well. Gohan thought. Let's just hope this doesn't completely freak her out then I might still have a chance with her.
"That's a rather special technique." He said. Raising his hands to his face. "Multiform."
Immediately there were two of him. He turned to each other, "Split-thoughts." Both of him said at the same time. Instantly each body had it's own consciousness though they were still more or less aware of the other's thoughts. Due to the telepathic link they shared. A quick thought passed through that link and the second Gohan, the one that had been split off nodded and pressed the button on his watch.
"That's how." Gohan simply stated while Gohan#2 now turned Sayaman nodded.
What's happening here? Videl thought.
"Are you both real, or is one just an illusion?" She asked.
"Oh, we're both real." Gohan replied. "Though actually I'm the original, and he's a copy."
"A copy?"
"Really not the perfect word perhaps, but the best I can think of. The second part of the technique you just saw was actually to make sure that we each have our own thoughts rather than just one consciousness. That doesn't really matter that much in a fight, in fact it's better to think with one mind in a fight, but for things like the party, or this, it's better to split them, or we'd say everything in stereo. If you want to be sure we're both real, just touch and see for yourself." Again the Sayaman half of him nodded in agreement and Videl found herself left speechless. Slowly she walked towards them and touched both of them on the arm, they both felt real and... well identical. Not to mention strong and muscular. Stop that Videl, she thought at herself angrily, you're trying to figure this out, not feel his muscles.
How can he do something like this, she wondered regaining her intended line of thought. And from what he said it seems that this is a fighting technique, why hasn't he used it against me?
While she stood there thinking Gohan and Sayaman walked a few paces away and looked each other in the eyes for a while, and then Sayaman nodded before turning back into Gohan#2.
"Reintegrate." Both Gohans said simultaneously and within seconds the two bodies blurred together and then resurfaced as one.
I think that's about all she can handle right now. Gohan thought noticing the stunned look on Videl's face. She's bound to have a lot of other questions, but she'll need time to deal with this first.
He was right about there being more questions and soon discovered some of them as Videl after a little thinking started asking questions again at a rapid pace, apparently expecting him to answer them later as she didn't pause between questions to let him reply.
"How do you fly, is that another of Bulma's inventions? And have you been holding back while fighting me? And why don't bullets have any effect on you? And how did you get so fas..."
She fell silent as he brought a finger to his lips.
"To answer your first question." He said. "No, flying is not another of Bulma's inventions. It would take too much time to explain how I do it now, but suffice it to say that it's something that can be learned. I could probably teach you. As for the other questions we'll get around to them in due time."
"Come on tell me now." Videl insisted.
"No. Maybe you didn't notice yourself, but you were quite surprised and I'd almost say shaken when I did the multi-form technique and that's just a small tip of the iceberg so we shouldn't rush things."
He's right. Videl thought biting her lip. I don't like it but he is right. She sighed.
"Okay." She agreed albeit reluctantly. "Just answer me one question now. Do you love me?"
"Uhm ... well ... uhm ..." Gohan stuttered blushing heavily, "I uhn, I guess I do yes."
"You know Gohan." She said walking up to him. "I think I love you too."
With those words she put her arms around his waist as she stood on her toes. Even like that she couldn't quite reach his lips, but he helped her by bowing his head toward her, allowing their lips to meet in another kiss. It was long soft and tender, and unlike the first not interrupted by sudden transformations.
The kiss didn't last forever of course. Though Gohan with his Saiyan physiology could go without breathing for quite some time, Videl as a normal human had a somewhat shorter time limit she needed to observe before coming up for air.
After breaking their kiss Videl glanced at her watch noticing that it was almost one in the afternoon, time for her to head back to Satan-city as she had a hair-dressers appointment at three.
// I still had to get her the short hair since I split off this AU after episode 188 which is before her haircut.
She and Gohan said good-bye to each other, and after a quick good-bye kiss, she got out her jet-copter and took off for home.
I really should tell her everything. Gohan thought as Videl took off. But I don't know how to, especially the truth about the Cell-games. I can't just say 'Gee Videl, for the last seven years your father's been living a lie, and you to an extend have been living it with him.'
But she certainly needs to know what she's getting herself into falling in love with me.
We need to go somewhere we can be alone to talk. But where? We could go to Piccolo's old place I suppose, he doesn't live there any more, and it's a desert-island. Also gives me a nice way to illustrate some points if I need to.
"I'll take her there tomorrow." He decided, speaking the words out loud to himself.
The next morning Videl found herself standing in front of her mirror, trying to get used to her new look. The short hair her hairdresser had recommended to her did look good, she had to admit. Then she winced at the memory of dinner last night.
"What happened to your hair Videl?" Her father had asked in his usual blustering tone, shocking her by noticing.
"I had it cut." She'd replied. What did he think anyway that she'd been run-over by a lawnmower.
"Why, are you trying to impress some boy, because if you are, you should know that I won't let you have a boyfriend unless he's at least as strong as me. After all how is some puny little runt ever going to be able to defend my daughter? And..."
Videl had tuned out at that point. Like I need defending she'd thought with a great deal of sarcasm, I've taken on most major criminals and defeated, with the help of my boyfriend. Boyfriend, that word does suddenly seem to have a new and nice ring to it. She thought standing in front of her mirror and returning to the present once again.
She'd just finished getting dressed when she heard the doorbell ring downstairs.
I wonder who could be calling at 10 am on a Sunday she thought. Glancing at her clock. Filled with curiosity she made her way to the hall to see Gohan on the doorstep faced with a rather peeved looking Jeffrey.
"Hey Gohan." She yelled as she ran down the stairs. "You're just on time, come on."
With those words she raced past Jeffrey and out the door, grabbing Gohan's hand on the way, pulling him along.
"What did you mean by you're just on time?" He questioned as they reached the nearby park and stopped to let their breathing return to normal, though it seemed as if Gohan had no need to do so.
"I, * gulp * only said that to * gulp * get passed Jeffrey. * gulp * If I hadn't * gulp * gotten you away from him then, he'd * gulp * have started asking questions, and that would mean my dad would find out."
"You haven't told him about us yet have you?" Gohan asked.
"No I just couldn't find the courage to, he'd give me his whole, your boyfriend must be stronger than me speech, and I'd already had to listen to that during dinner because of my new hair-cut."
"It looks great on you Videl. Was he worried there would be to many boys after you now?"
"He was thinking that I might be trying to impress a boy." Videl stated.
"And are you?" Gohan asked, his lips moving toward hers.
"Maybe." She said. Giving him a small peck on the lips. "But not here, I don't want any reporters seeing us."
"Don't worry." Gohan replied. "There won't be any reporters where I'm taking you."
She really does look great. Gohan thought as Videl adopted a puzzled look.
"And where are you taking me?" She asked.
"You'll see." He replied, not wanting to reveal too much yet. "Let's just say we're going there so we can talk in private." He said.
"Why do you have your school-bag with you?" She asked, apparently noticing it for the first time.
"I have my reasons, you'll find out in due time, for now let it suffice for me to say that I wanted to bring some things."
Videl pouted for a bit, clearly she'd been hoping for more than that. But Gohan pretended not to notice and pushed the button on his watch, transforming into Sayaman.
"Why'd you transform?" Videl whispered.
"Because we're going to fly to our destination." Gohan replied. "And I'll be doing the flying."
He held out his arms, and Videl happily jumped into them.
"You don't have to carry me you know?" She said. "We could just take my jet-copter, or I could follow you in it."
"I know, but I want to get where we're going quickly." Gohan replied.
"Are you saying you think you're faster than my jet-copter?" Videl asked, sounding amazed.
"I think I am." Gohan replied. "But why don't you wait and judge for yourself."
Gohan held Videl safely in his arms, and she even put her arms around his neck, as he took off. He immediately expanded his Ki around both of them so they wouldn't feel more than a slight breeze, even when flying at his top speed. Then he really started to use his Ki at maximum to get to where he wanted to go.
He wasn't kidding about being faster than my jet-copter. Videl thought as she saw the countryside flash by beneath them. But how can he just fly like this, and how is it that all I can feel is a slight breeze while we're flying super-sonic?
She looked down again to see the beach pass under her and then the sea, soon there was nothing but ocean in sight beneath them as Gohan flew on, apparently certain of his destination. Videl couldn't help but grab on to him tighter out of some vague extra fear of falling here in the middle of the ocean.
Quite suddenly something appeared on the horizon they were speeding towards. At first there was noting much to see, but soon she realised that she was looking a large Island. It's terrain seemed to consist of many mountains, but when they drew even closer she saw that there were also may flat areas. A lot of them desserts, but others were lush and fertile, filled with plants. Gohan set down on a ridge over looking one of the green valleys. And as he transformed out of his Sayaman costume Videl stood on her own legs again. They'd journeyed several thousand miles at least. But she didn't think it had taken them more than thirty minutes. It was almost impossible to believe that someone could just fly like that without any technology behind it, yet she trusted Gohan when he said that this was just something that could be learned.
While Videl stood on the ridge, Gohan went into the valley for a few seconds, returning with two pieces of tree-trunk that could be used as stools.
"Not the most luxury accommodations imaginable I'm afraid." He said apologetically. "But I didn't think to bring a capsule house, and I wouldn't feel right here anyway."
Videl nodded as she sat down on one of the two. "This will do fine." She said. "Now tell me, why are we here?"
Gohan scratched the back of his head for a while, looking puzzled. "There are two answers to that question." He said. "Or rather that question can be two questions, and both can be relevant."
Videl looked at him stunned.
"The first way to interpret the question." Gohan continued. "Is to take it to mean, why are we in this place and not somewhere else? The answer to that is two-fold. Firstly we are here because I have a certain attachment to this place, and secondly we are here because this Island though large isn't inhabited, making it the perfect place to talk privately."
Videl nodded at this. This she could follow.
"The second way we can interpret the question." Gohan went on. "Is as a more general question, why are we somewhere, with here happening to be the somewhere we are at the time. The answer to that question is that we are here because after what happened yesterday we have to talk."
Is he having second thoughts? Videl wondered. Is that why we're here?
"Why do we need to talk?" She asked, keeping her question as neutral as possible.
"For a number of reasons." Gohan answered. "I'll start by telling you a few things, I either know or assume. If my assumptions aren't correct I don't think there will be much to talk about, but I think they will turn out to be correct."
"Okay, shoot."
"Okay, first something I know. I know I'm in love with you Videl." Gohan blushed heavily, but managed it without stuttering. "Second something I assume from what you said yesterday, as well as your actions, I assume you're in love with me too." His blush deepened at this point, but he still hadn't started his usual stuttering around such subjects yet.
"I am." Videl admitted, with a bit of a blush of her own.
"Well," Gohan said, "that brings us to the third point, I know that you don't know me."
"What do you mean I don't know you? I think I've gotten to know a lot about you especially since I discovered you are Sayaman."
"You do know more about me than most other people." Gohan admitted. "But it's just the tip of the iceberg."
Tip of the iceberg? Videl wondered. If the tip of an iceberg is often only ten percent of the whole, what could he possibly have to say about himself that's a secret nine times bigger than Sayaman?
Okay, I'm about to take the plunch. Gohan thought. There's no going back.
"I guess for everything to be told right I'd have to tell you a short version of the story of my life." He said. "Short in that it will contain little detail except where needed. But it all starts before that, with a legend that I don't think you've ever heard, the legend of the Dragon Balls."
Videl shook her head. "No I've never heard of it."
"That's not surprising." Gohan said. "There are perhaps a few dozen people in the world that know, certainly no more, and that's for a good reason, this legend is real. And it's powerful."
"You're kidding right."
"No, I'm not."
"But how can Dragons be real?"
"I'll tell you the legend as it was told to me when I was young. Long ago, hundreds if not thousands of years ago now, seven magical Dragon Balls were created and scattered over the earth. Once all seven balls are united the eternal Dragon can be summoned to grant two wishes, there is a limit to the Dragons power, as it is related to the power of his creator, and like wise, if the keeper of the Dragon Balls dies, they will vanish. But they can be passed to another keeper before the old one dies. When I say the Dragon is powerful I mean it, it can grant immortality, can bring back the dead as long as they didn't die of natural causes, though it can't revive the same person twice. Before resent times, in which they have been used more than ever, the dragon balls were not used for hundreds of years at a time, the last time before recent events for example someone became King. But every time a wish has been made the Dragon Balls scatter over the earth again. They are inactive for a year, looking like balls of white stone."
"What do they normally look like?" Videl asked.
"I'll show you." Gohan said. Reaching inside his bag and pulling out the four star ball.
"This is one." He continued. "The number of stars differs with each ball, perhaps it's a way of counting them or keeping track of them, I'm not sure. The four star ball belonged to my great-grandfather, well at least that's what I call him, but we'll get to that later. His name was Gohan too so you could say the ball goes with the name. That's why I went to find it after the last time a wish was made."
// This has probably been done before, I think I remember reading it somewhere, but it makes sense for Gohan to go find that ball.
Videl nodded, in awe of what she was hearing. This can't be true. She thought to herself. Yet somehow I know it is. He has to be telling the truth, I can almost sense the power in that ball.
"Well that's it for the Dragon Balls." Gohan said. "Now I have a question to ask you as an introduction to the next part of this talk, what's the first piece of news you remember?"
Uhm. Videl thought. What a weird question. What could it be, what news did I hear and remember when I was very young?
"I think," she said, "I remember something about two aliens landing on earth, though the finer point of that whole affair never actually became clear."
"That's what I was hoping for." Gohan said. "That story starts a year earlier. I was five and a half and was going with my dad to visit some of his friends. During our visit, a stranger showed up, claiming he was my dad's brother, and telling him for the first time about his true origins. My great-grandfather, my dad's grandfather, had always told him that he'd found him in a bed of moss on the mountainside. But that wasn't true. He'd found him in a space pod in an impact crater."
Videl gasped at a sudden realisation. "You're alien!?" She exclaimed.
"Half-alien to be precise." Gohan said. "Saiyan to name the race. But just let me keep going for now, and we'll talk about this later. Now my dad had been sent here to destroy the Earth's population, so the planet could be sold. However he'd hit his head as a child and forgotten his orders. My uncle tried to persuade him to rejoin his people by kidnapping me, but in the end he was defeated. Unfortunately that wasn't the end of it."
Gohan went on to tell her about everything that had happened after that. The arrival of Vegeta and Nappa, though he didn't mention who Vegeta was, and then about the happenings on Namek. After that he briefly touched on the Garlic Junior crisis and then Frieza's counter attack and Trunks warning. He did this all somewhat vague however, not being able to find a good way to explain about his true strength. He would have to before the Cell-games came up, he'd decided that she needed to know the truth about them as well, but he just couldn't think of a way to tell her about it.
Even with his somewhat vague and quick versions of events he had been talking for hours, with a lunch break, and now the sun was setting. After a moments thought Gohan excused himself and went into the valley to get some firewood.
Videl just sat on the ridge rather stunned after Gohan had jumped down into the valley, announcing that he was going to get them some fire wood, as the sun was about to set. She certainly understood some of his strength better now, being an alien definitely helped, from what he'd told her the Saiyans were a race of warriors. And fighting some of the strongest warriors in the galaxy from the age of six must be a certain way to grow in strength. If you survived.
She smiled as she remembered lunch where Gohan had eaten in true Saiyan fashion, he'd had a special kind of capsule with him that was rather bulky, and contained a huge self powering refrigerator filled with food. Another of these caspsules was now laying next to his trunk-stool, ready for dinner.
"Gohan." She said as he came back, his arms full of firewood. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure." He replied. "What is it?"
"Well, if you're half alien, how come you look so normal."
//She hadn't had a chance to ask this before as he's been doing all the talking.
"Just luck I suppose." He replied. "Saiyans look a lot like humans, certainly if their tails are removed."
"Tails?" Videl's eyes about fell out of their sockets.
"Yeah, rather like a monkey's tale, because of the limited amount of time and the extensive subject matter I didn't tell you about it, but Saiyans have tails when they're born. These tails make the Oozaru transformation possible."
"Oozaru transformation?" Videl was again lost for words.
"Under the influence of the full moon a Saiyan who has his tail can turn into a giant ape, about thirty or forty feet tall, that's the main reason mine was removed, without extensive training, you become wild when you transform. The Oozaru is more than ten times stronger than the normal Saiyan, so it's really dangerous, I went Oozaru when I was almost six and I accidentally destroyed a mountain."
A drop of sweat appeared on the back of Videl's head as she heard her boyfriend talking about destroying mountains as if it were the same as accidentally breaking a plate or a glass at dinner.
"Anyway." Gohan continued. "The only other real difference is my hair. You can't get it to lie flat without using massive quantities of gel."
Videl snickered at this.
"What's so funny?" Gohan asked.
"Well it's just that I've always been thinking how much gel you must have to use to keep it in those spikes."
At that moment Gohan's Saiyan hearing picked up the sound of a jet-copter coming towards them.
"Looks like we've got company." He told Videl.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"I hear a jet-copter coming, hold on." Gohan pushed the button on his watch to turn into Sayaman and took to the air, searching for the source of the sound. He didn't have to look long as the copter appeared to be heading for the ridge where he'd left Videl.
He tried to look to see who was inside but the windows were tinted and not even his Saiyan eyes could see through them.
Damn you Bulma. He thought. Why did you have to invent super tinted windows? Couldn't you just stick to the ones that Saiyans can see through?
He raced the jet-copter back and landed next to Videl as it began looking for a place to set down on the ridge.
After a little while the copter said down, and Gohan just had time to whisper: "Remember call me Sayaman." To Videl before it's door opened and out stepped Hercule Satan himself.
"What are you doing here dad?" Videl asked when she recognised her father. She was hoping that her impatience and annoyance weren't audible in her voice.
"Videl. You're safe." Hercule ignored her in his usual pompous manner.
"Why wouldn't I be safe dad? I can take care of myself?"
"But Videl, why are you here with this runt. They call him a super hero, but I could snap him like a twig. He's too weak to be hanging out with my daughter. You can't..."
"Dad, give it a rest." Videl said. "I can hang out with whomever I want."
"But Videl..." he grabbed her arm.
Gohan's Ki had slowly been rising since the previous night, but it had been such a slow process that he hadn't really noticed until now. Because now his Ki was sky rocketing all of a sudden.
"Great." He mumbled, not realising that he was actually saying it. "I picked a hell of a time to start puberty."
"Puberty???" A joined cry from Videl and Hercule reached his ears and he suddenly realised he'd said it out loud.
"Saiyan puberty." He replied. Turning to Videl while trying to ignore her father. "It's an entirely different thing from normal puberty, but I'll live, I think."
"You think?" Videl asked sounding worried.
"It's pretty intense, and from what I know about it not altogether positive on all counts, but I don't think we have to worry about it too much. Not yet anyway."
"What's Saiyan?" Hercule asked, looking stunned at the discussion developing in front of him.
"That is none of your concern." Gohan said. Feeling his Saiyan pride, and attitude, increase a long with his Ki.
"Why you..." Hercule started. "You ungrateful little runt. How dare you take that tone with the man who saved the world!"
"I wouldn't take that tone if you had saved the world." Gohan replied. "And I must say I don't even mind you lying to me, or to the press. But what I can't stand is the fact that you've never even told your own daughter the truth about what happened."
"What happened is that I killed Cell!" Hercule shouted, but his face betrayed his confusion.
What's going on here? Videl wondered. Why would Gohan be questioning that unless he knows something I don't? But how could that possibly be true? How could it be possible that my dad didn't safe the world? Did something else happen there that no body knows about?
"Come on Videl we're leaving!" Her dad yelled, grabbing her arm and dragging her towards the jet-copter.
The ground beneath them started shaking and Videl looked around. She assumed her father did so too as he stopped moving.
The movement seemed to be originating from Gohan, who as it appeared was slowly being enveloped by a bright golden glow. As if spikes of light were dancing around his body. But what she was seeing had to be more than light, because it was tearing the cloak of his uniform, and a few seconds later his helmet shot up into the air. But from underneath it emerged not the normal Gohan, Videl knew, but the gold fighter. She could still recognise Gohan, but his hair was a shining gold and his eyes were green.
Suddenly she heard a scream behind her.
"Ahhhhh." It took a while before she registered the voice as her dad's. "This is just like the Cell-games."
That exclamation suddenly snapped her back to reality.
"What's this all about?" She asked, suddenly finding her voice again, while she hadn't been aware that she'd lost it. "What is all this stuff about the Cell-games?" She looked from Gohan, whose facial expression had returned to normal though his hair and eyes still were different than usual, to her dad, who had his mouth wide open in astonishment and sweat streaming down his face.
"Let's just say that seven years ago I was mistaken for a delivery boy." Gohan stated.
"Wait a second." Videl said after the moments it took for that remark to register. "You mean you were that little boy who fought Cell at the games?"
Gohan nodded.
"Then tell me, what happened?"
"Mr. Satan." Gohan said. "Will you tell her, or do I have to do it myself?"
Videl looked back to her father who seemed stunned.
"Very well." Gohan said with a sigh. "I'll tell you. Like I told you earlier, after he'd defeated Frieza, Mirai Trunks warned us about 2 evil androids. These two androids were the masterpieces of the work of doctor Gero, the former leader of the red ribbon army. The cut a long story short there turned out to be five androids in this timeline. Trunks' presence had changed some things. But there was also another problem starting to unfold. As it turns out we found a way to defeat the androids in another version of this timeline. However after Trunks went back to his time and destroyed the androids there as well a new problem came up. In a secret basement under Dr. Gero's lab a computer had been left working on the most evil of the doctors projects, Cell, a biological android constructed from the cells and DNA of the most powerful fighters around. A special little robot looking like a housefly gathered that DNA, which I'm almost ashamed to admit included my own. In the future Cell was completed. He needed to absorb energy to become stronger, in fact he had the power to absorb entire people and their life energy. But not just normal people, he'd been designed especially to also absorb two of the androids, but as Trunks had destroyed those he had to come here to get them. In his quest to reach completion he stole Trunks' time machine and travelled back to absorb the androids. Due to some sloppiness, some over bearing pride and a hopeless crush on our side, he succeeded in absorbing them, evolving into his perfect self. Then the most powerful warrior the universe had ever known."
// Before people start complaining, I'm not sure if anything with Buu is going to happen in this AU, but Gohan certainly can't know about him, so Cell was according to his knowledge then the most powerful warrior ever.
"And you fought him?" Videl asked.
"Yes, I trained with my dad, especially for that fight, during that training I turned into a Super-Saiyan for the first time. Now before you ask, a Super-Saiyan is a higher form of a Saiyan, but until recently only one Saiyan had ever managed to transform. Super-Saiyan is my current form, there's even a level beyond this, but I don't want to use that now, for several reasons it would be too dangerous. Now the Super-Saiyan form is much stronger than our normal form, and the level 2 Super-Saiyan is a lot stronger still.
Now I'll have to make one thing clear, Ki, or energy if you will, is something real, and not a trick like your dad insisted back then. Here, I'll prove it to you." He charged up a small ball of Ki in one of his hands and threw it at a nearby mountain, causing said mountain to be reduced to rubble.
Videl's eyes bugged out at the sight.
He can destroy mountains that easily? She thought. Well now at least I'm sure he's been holding back in our spars together.
"Anyway." Gohan said. "To continue with the story, keeping things brief, I defeated Cell in the end. Though I made a mistake at first that cost my dad his life. The first part of the fight however also had the result of causing Cell to regurgitate one of the androids, who has now come over to our side, in fact she's married to a friend of mine. Anyway, that's the truth about the Cell-games in a nutshell."
Truth is a weird thing. Videl thought, trying to process all the new information that was coming into her system. A weird thing indeed.
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Will Videl be able to handle the truth, and what will Hercule have to say for himself. Don't miss the next chapter of Life Is Strange.
Well there it is another chapter you owe mainly to my being ill at least the speed with which I've written it has a lot to do with that.
I love reviews so please everybody let me know what you think.
*/