Chapter 16 – Greatest fears

"Will we ever get rid of that annoying thing once and for all?" Trunks complained. They had been walking down the street for quite a while. Every now and then screaming people ran past them, yelling about mad dogs, six-eyed monsters and cheese cakes.

"They really seem to be aiming for the Main Park," Bulma said. "Drat, I don't like this place. You guys are able to defend yourselves, but what about me?"

"We'll keep an eye on you, don't worry." Vegeta looked up. "Would you look at that, we're not the only ones that are awake."

Goku and his two sons landed next to them. "Hey guys. It's nice to see someone who isn't screaming and running around," Gohan greeted them.

"How did you find us?" Neptune asked.

"Vegeta's aura," Goku replied. "I tell you, this is one flight I'm not looking forward to experience again. The whole world has turned black and melting. And the moon is huge!"

In a few minutes they heard that Goku and his two sons had woken up because Chichi had started screaming in sleep. They had been unable to wake her and as they saw what had happened to the whole world, they guessed that it had to be the same demon. And so they headed for Western Capital to search for the other fighters.

"I'd love to know how we're going to defeat that thing on its own field," Goten murmured.

Uranus smiled slightly. "It may be even easier than before. This here is the world of dreams, meaning that our powers won't be helpless here."

Saturn nodded with a frown. "True, but over here the demon has a huge advantage. It may turn our greatest fears against us." Suddenly she grinned. That didn't happen often. "On the other hand, that may be its end." She kept going down the street.

The others stared at her back. "What… did she mean by that?" Goku asked.

Uranus sighed. "Hotaru's biggest fear is that one day her enormous powers will break out of her control and destroy the whole Universe. I sure hope that the demon knows that…"

"She's capable of that?" Trunks asked as they followed Saturn. Uranus nodded. "Wow…"

The Main Park wasn't far away. Goku scratched his head as he looked up to the amusement park he had been to long time ago. Now it was hard to recognize. Everything was black and melting.

"The rollercoaster," Uranus's sharp voice cut through the silence. Everyone looked up to the rollercoaster to see the demon stand on top of its highest curve. Huge black wings were spread out and their outlines were silver as the moon shone right behind the demon's back.

"Welcome, my dear enemies," the demon's voice boomed over the grotesque amusement park. "You may have blocked my way to your world but I can still attack you when you're the weakest. In your dreams."

"Quite a bad pun," Goten whispered to Trunks who rolled his eyes. Saturn looked up and slammed her Silence Glaive's other end into the dark ground. It flashed for a second.

"You still haven't defeated us," she said. "And we still haven't defeated you. Wouldn't it be time to end this already?"

Vegeta grinned. "Now you're talking."

The demon cackled. "You didn't think it was that easy, did you?" It raised a hand. "Try defeating some of my minions before you face me."

"It calls those things minions?" Gohan glared around. The shadows that had attacked them the last time they had fought the demon were back. They were appearing from every corner of the park and sliding closer.

"We still don't know what happens when those things catch us," Goku remarked, blasting one of the shadows. It disappeared with a puff but ten more appeared from behind it.

"I'm not planning to stay here to find out," Vegeta snarled, floating up in the air. It didn't help him much though. The shadows instantly formed a huge dome above their heads, cutting all their ways out.

"At least this time they can be destroyed," Goten gasped. "Must be because we're in their world now. Take that!" Another shadow disappeared, another ten appeared.

"Man-oh-man, I could really use a flamethrower now," Bulma complained. On the next second she screamed. The others quickly turned around but there wasn't much to do any more. One sneaky shadow had found a hole in the fighters' defence and attacked Bulma's leg. Other shadows held back, as if they had been watching what happens next.

"Drat…" Vegeta formed an energy blast to attack the shadow that was now wrapping Bulma up. Uranus held him back.

"Are you out of your mind? That blast would kill her. We'll find another way to save her." She frowned, watching the shadow that was quickly spreading over Bulma's body. Vegeta gnashed.

The shadow disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Bulma behind. But she wasn't the same any more. She was crouching on the ground and her eyes were empty.

"Bulma?" Goku stepped forward. Bulma looked up and said quietly:

"Gone… dead… both of them… leave me alone!" Before anyone could say anything, she stood up and ran away. The shadows let her pass. Vegeta wanted to follow her but once again Uranus held him back.

"There is nothing you can do for her any more, you know," she said. "She's now like all the others. If you want to save her, you need to defeat the demon. Well, or the shadows." The demon wasn't on top of the rollercoaster any more. It was gone. Only the ghostly moon was shining above the fairground.

"Now we know what those shadows are," Neptune remarked. "Pure fear."

Vegeta gritted his teeth. "I don't care what they are; I want them off my face!" He attacked the shadows with blind rage. The others had to start fighting again as there simply were too many shadows.

"What exactly did Mom mean with what she said… before she ran away?" Trunks quietly asked Saturn, fighting by her side. The girl frowned. The Silence Glaive whizzed through the air once more before she replied:

"I think she meant you and Vegeta. Her biggest fear must be losing you. Watch out!" Trunks could barely dodge another shadow.

They fought on but they were obviously outnumbered. Suddenly Goten screamed. Another little shadow of fear had caught him. Again the other shadows held back until Goten got overcome with his greatest fear. He didn't even speak a word, he simply ran away as soon as the shadow let him go.

"Damnit Saturn, you must be extremely careful or then find yourself another fear, and fast," Uranus gasped right by the girl's side. The Space Sword shone like the sun but it wasn't very effective. Before Saturn even had time to reply, yet another shadow attacked Uranus. This time it was different though. As soon as the shadow started wrapping Uranus up, a second shadow covered Neptune and they were both pulled away in opposite directions.

"What was that about?" Goku demanded, blasting hundreds of little shadows into nothingness with a single powerful blast. Saturn sighed.

"Uranus and Neptune, they were always each other's greatest strength and weakness. One simply can't fight without the other… would you guys please watch out when I tell you?" There were already so many shadows that in the matter of minutes Saturn was the only one on the field. She glared at the shadows. When they catch her now…

And they did.

But for some odd reason she wasn't afraid.

Vegeta opened his eyes and tried to remember what had happened. Everything was dark and the air smelled of rats. The Saiyan prince snorted and tried to figure out where he was. He felt shackles around his wrists and broke them. Then he formed an energy orb to get some light.

He blinked. He was in some old-fashioned prison cell. The floor was covered with dirty straws and the others who had been fighting by his side were chained to the walls. It looked like they were asleep. Vegeta crouched down and poked Trunks who was right next to him.

"Hey kid, this isn't the time to take a nap! Wake up, darnit!"

The boy didn't react.

Vegeta frowned. "Trunks… breakfast is ready."

Trunks's eyes opened instantly. "Where?" He hopped up, breaking his shackles. So did Goku, Gohan and Goten in the other parts of the cell.

"As soon as we get out of this ridiculous nightmare," the prince replied and went to the three girls. "Haruka, Michiru, wake up!"

The girls showed no reaction. Goten came closer.

"I don't think you can wake them up by calling for breakfast," he remarked and poked Uranus's cheek. "That'll take something a lot more than…"

He didn't get any further. Uranus's eyes flashed open, gleaming with fury. "Listen kiddo; poke me once more with that rat dung smelly finger and I swear to God…"

Goten hopped back, thanking heavens that Haruka was still chained to the wall. "Hey, calm down! At least I didn't poke your…"

"You wouldn't see any daylight any more if you had done that," Neptune remarked in an amused voice. "Would someone please release me?"

After freeing the girls, Vegeta looked around to see his wife. But Bulma wasn't there.

"We're all here except for her… what exactly happened?" Goku wondered.

"The shadows got all of us." Hotaru's purple eyes were gleaming in the dimness. "Including me. You already know my greatest fear. The demon obviously didn't know that. As soon as it realized that my fear might destroy it, it called everything back and most likely locked us here."

"Quite a foolish thing to do," Gohan said. "Those shackles couldn't keep anyone."

"No, but the bars could. Look." Goten pointed at the bars which were black and consisted of sizzling energy. "How are we gonna break through this?"

"Why don't you poke them and see what happens?" Uranus suggested cynically. Goten rolled his eyes. Saturn stepped closer.

"Energy; and rather powerful dark energy but not that powerful." One single hit with the Silence Glaive and the bars fell down, disappearing like smoke. They hurried down the dark corridor. Vegeta was in front of the others, lighting the way with his energy orb. Suddenly he stopped.

"Now what?" Neptune stopped next to him. "Whoa…"

They were standing in front of a stone maze.

"Check it out… a real maze!" Trunks shouted excitedly. Vegeta snorted and hit his energy orb against the first wall of the maze. The orb flew right through the wall... and the next one… and the next one. Eventually it disappeared in the darkness.

"Not any more. Let's move out!" The prince rushed forward.

"Neat," Goten remarked, following him.

As they reached the other end of the maze, they could see three huge wooden doors. Vegeta took a deep breath.

"What is this, a Harry Potter movie? This is getting really lame… say Hotaru, can you sense the demon?"

The girl hesitated. "Practically everywhere. I believe only one of these doors is the way out though."

The prince grinned. "Yeah. This one." He raised his hand and… blasted the ceiling. When the dust and stones had fallen down, they all looked up to see a very small dark green spot high above.

"Wow, we're under the ground. What a surprise," Uranus remarked. "Okay, you Saiyans, it's time to leave this den."