Satan City, District 666, Satan House; Bathroom
Videl opened the door to the largest restroom in her father's 50 room or so mansion — she was sure there might be more but she didn't care — and shut the door behind her, dropping the bathrobe and towel to the ground. Her stern blue eyes stared at her reflection in the mirror, and a girl with an equally unpleasant expression and an "M" emblazoned on her forehead stared back out of it.
She rubbed her hand along the mark, but wasn't as hopeful as to believe that would get rid of it. She could still hear that damnable mage's voice, deep in the back of her head, even though she knew he was gone. It was more than faint, but there were still vestigial orders to fulfill, and she wondered when they would ever go away. Even worse — and this was something she wouldn't bring up to Erasa so soon after mending the wound left by her own betrayal — but her body hadn't felt the same since. Beyond her heightened senses and new abilities, she just felt...off in a way she couldn't describe.
"I suppose it wasmagic, it would be weird if I didn't feel strange," Videl thought, walking towards the shower. The bathroom was a vast expanse, built to be so purely because her father wanted it to be large. Looking aside to the porcelain white bathtub, it was a large as an Olympic Swimming Pool, and if Videl ever actually felt up to it, she could do a few laps, swim to the bottom, and more or less use it as their own personal pool. There was a shower, however, which is what she was going for. Quartered off towards one of the walls, even the shower was by no means small.
The girl pulled past the curtain, turning the knob and letting the hot water rain down from the nozzle. There were newer models that were voice commanded, but Videl had never appreciated analog more than right now — she didn't want to speak, nor did she want to be spoken to. As the hot water poured down, swhile steam rose from the tiled shower floor, it did little to even attempt to cloud the room due to its sheer size.
Adjusting temperature only slightly, Videl stepped under the water. It slid down her body in rivulets, and after the entire debacle with that Majin Bū character, the touch of the water was the caress she needed. Her hair fell look around her face and shoulders, and the water melted away her thoughts, and took her mind off her stress, even for a moment. She took deep breaths of the steam, enjoying the sensation.
"I can't stay weak this way..." She thought. The water dripped from the ends of her black tresses, and she slammed a fist into the tiled shower wall. "I need to find a way to become stronger! I won't stay behind Erasa forever!"
439th Eastern District, Earth; The Following Day
It had been a rough sleep for Gohan, punctuated with violent flashes of his mother vanishing before his eyes. He hadn't been there to see it, but this perhaps made it worse. His mind, in sleep, was making up horrific details he wouldn't normally have thought possible. Regardless, he found himself unable to awaken until sometime in the middle of the afternoon; in truth, he was exhausted. The battle with Majin Bū, and the ordeal with the Chōshinsui had not done any favours to his body, and it demanded rest.
Gohan sat upright, looking around the strange room in the temporary home he lived in. It took him a moment to regain his bearings, and he realized he was alone. Erasa was at home with her father, Goten was with Bulma, and both of his parents were currently dead. He sighed. It had been the first time the planet had suffered any tragedy that there was no absolute certainty the Dragon Balls could mend the situation. It was still a "what-if".
"In the end, I can just hope," thought Gohan. No Dragon Balls wasn't a reality he'd had to face — he knew that the Trunks of the future had faced this situation every day for years. But for him, and his friends, the Dragon Balls were just...always there.
He clambered out of bed, got into his gi. Taking the earrings from the bedside table, Gohan put them on as well. With a stretch, he decided that he would run some afternoon drills to take his mind off of the situation for now. Stepping outside into the soft afternoon sun, he walked a bit of a distance from the house until he stopped nearby the bank of a glimmering lake.
In the bright sunlight, the lake sparkles and shined like a sapphire, and Gohan found it was a soothing sight. Taking a breath, he spread his legs, white boots digging into the grass. He executed a sharp jab with his left arm, bringing that same limb up to the front of his body, palm flattened and facing outward. Pulling this arm back, he clenched two fingers against his palm, index, middle, and thumb flexing instead, and brought his right arm to the fore, palm outstretched with the fingers flexed. Following these movements was a sharp kick, turning to his right, left arm jabbing forward again, before he turned and stood upright.
This was a basic forms practice, something he'd seen his father perform several years back. While the movements may have looked complex, he'd been able to perform them in only seconds. He repeated these movements, allowing his body to feel the power that coursed through it; he'd only had three true fights during the entire incident with Majin Bū — against Dābura, against Piccolo, and against Majin Bū himself. Before this, his most recent battle had been with Cell.
He knew he was desperately out of practise; it was a miracle he'd been able to fight as well as he had, and he'd only won due to the sheer power difference between himself and Majin Bū.
"I can't simply be satisfied with being superior," Gohan thought to himself. Piccolo would deride him for neglecting the basics, and this forms practise was an easy way to keep his body in shape whilst not going overboard. It wouldn't be a substitute for true training, but today wasn't the day for him to cut loose like that.
Standing upright, Gohan drew both palms to the front of him, and generated a blue orb of ki between them. It was like the Kamehameha, though vastly weakened. Pulling the ki sphere apart, he split it into two orbs, and manipulated the separate spheres in arcs around his body. Each sphere — the two individual orbs in his hands — were then split further, a single orb hovering above each finger, totaling to ten. It was another simple exercise, and this time, for ki control.
Lobbing all ten spheres into the air, they collided and formed a massive explosion that caused the lake's surface to break. Gohan was pleased to at least see his control was fine.
But these exercises were merely the basics. He would need to pursue far higher training in the future, to avoid his skills dulling.
Palace of God, Earth
"Pip top ph'garar toppo n'emrak!" Dende had his hands placed over the Dragon Balls — a set of twelve — and they were glowing with a vivid white. He had been standing in this position for the entire night, neither moving nor sleeping, focusing on repairing Earth's Dragon Balls. "Pip top ph'garar toppo n'emrak!" Words in Namekian issued forth from Dende's mouth, and these words became power.
The second set of Dragon Balls, which gleamed in a malicious light, underlying the brilliant white that covered the set of twelve, were the central focal point of the entire operation. Dende kept his focus primarily on them. He needed their power — more accurately, to siphon it — and any concentration lost could potentially ruin the entire ritual.
"I'll do my part for Earth this time..." Dende thought, sweat dripping from his scalp. "With the Dragon Balls fixed, we can restore the damage to this planet; as the God of the Earth, this is my duty!"
Piccolo watched the Namekian boy with his arms crossed, but a proud smile on his face. This was a pride that came from himself, but also from Nail, the Namekian he had merged with years ago — Dende was becoming a fine God.
Satan City, 3 PM
The city felt so strange being as half-empty as it was. Erasa was walking through the streets, looking at her home. Besides herself, Mr. Satan, Videl, and a few other oddities, no one had actually returned to the city. Because of this, Erasa was left entirely to her own devices as she wandered the streets of her hometown. Plodding through the streets, dressed in casual clothes, the girl cast a look around herself.
Shops were boarded up.
Glass littered the floor.
Cars had been crashed.
Silence flooded the city.
Continuing to walk through the city, Erasa tried to ignore the vacancy of the city, and found herself deep within Satan City's shopping district. She remembered it well — not simply because she lived in the city. When she first met Gohan seven years ago, she showed him around Satan City — back when it was still Orange Star City — and she'd led him through the shopping district.
"—right here," she said aloud, stopping in front of an ornate fountain. It was made out of marble, filled with shining water, and the figure of a large, serpentine dragon rose out of the structure. Unlike the majority of the city around it, the fountain itself seemed to be untouched — even during a riot, the citizens of Satan City had respect for Shénlóng. Smiling, she approached the statue.
"What's this?" Gohan asked, pointing at a large, ornate fountain.
"This?" Erasa was surprised Gohan would be interested in such a relic. "This statue is a piece of history. The dragon here is Shénlóng, and, an old legend has it that, when Orange Star City was just a small town, hundreds of years ago, this very dragon saved our town from a cataclysm," She walked over, placing her hand on the horns of the dragon, slowly moving it down the winding, twisting frame.
It seemed she held a kind of reverence for this creature. "There was a shrine built, dedicated to the dragon, and placed inside it was a sphere with a single orange star. Eventually, when we became a large city, the shrine was demolished, but those who wanted to remember Shénlóng, and what he did for our small village, created this fountain. Even now, people still pray to Shénlóng, for fortune, for protection..."
That was seven years ago, but this statue was even older than that. And the people of this city still held Shénlóng in their hearts. Even though she knew where Shénlóng and the legendary orange-starred orb that their city was originally named for came from, it didn't change how she felt, having been raised in Orange Star City from a young age.
And now, high above the sky, Earth's God was working hard to repair their cities' god. She kept Dende in her hopes, and wished the best for Shénlóng. With a breath,s he focused her ki, and felt her body lift from the ground. She would probably never tire of the freeing aspect of flight, and as she took off from Satan City. It had been awhile since she had some downtime, and what better way to enjoy it than flying?
Western Capital, Capsule Corporation, Capsule Corporation Backlot; 4 PM
Battle cries filled the air, as Goten and Trunks were locked in a fierce sparring match. The miniature look-alike to Goku deftly ducked a sharp blow that Trunks sent forward, and retaliated with a powerful palm blow to Trunks' torso. The Saiyan princeling was stunned, staggering back and unable to react in time as Goten took to his back, lifting him by his torso, and suplexing his best friend into the ground.
There was a boom like thunder as Trunks collided, and he slumped to the ground in an exhausted mess as Goten released him. He was briefly motionless before he sat upright, rubbing the crown of his head in obvious discomfort. Wincing, he looked up at Goten, and groaned. "I'm not used to this..." The half-Saiyan complained. "I never thought you'd actually become stronger than me. Dad'd be so mad at me right now..."
"It's...really weird," agreed Goten. He looked down at his small hands, and clenched a fist. Ever since he'd obtained 'Super Saiyan 2', he'd felt vastly stronger — even when he wasn't transformed, he'd experienced a surge in power. After training in the Room of Spirit and Time, this had only increased, to the point where even now, he still overpowered Trunks. This was in spite of how Trunks usually had the edge over them, especially when they would have sparring matches before.
"I thought we'd be even now," continued Trunks, standing up. "I mean, we've fused and everything; I'm even more familiar with all of your moves! I thought I'd recognize the patterns by now!"
Goten flashed forward, and with a jab to the elbow, sent Trunks spiraling across the lawn. "I dunno," replied the boy easily. "I'm still just that much faster than you, so I guess knowing what I can do won't help if you can't see it." He meant it innocently, but he wasn't wrong, and it came off as far from polite when Trunks' ears picked it up.
"Fine! Then let's keep sparring!" Trunks shouted.
Goten took a stance. He didn't want to tell Trunks that he wasn't even focusing on the battle. His mind was drifting elsewhere. Focusing on the Dragon Balls that Dende was repairing — and longing to see his mother again.
439th Eastern District, Earth; Evening
Gohan was breathing hard. Sweat pooled from his body and fed the grass, landing softly onto the swaying green blades. He didn't know how long he had been out here, but the sun had long since crossed in the sky, painting the sky into hues of orange and red. He had been practising forms for several hours, that much he knew, and his body was feeling tired.
Looking around him, the entirety of the area in which he trained was still intact — having kept ki output to a minimum — and it was his body which had taken the brunt of the effort. Kneeling down, the half-Saiyan began to stabilize his breath. To add to his training, he had attempted image training — a special kind of practise where one performed a battle within their own mind. It wasn't easy, as the mind had to maintain focus while the body moved and fought with opponents who technically didn't exist.
To make matters worse, the opponent he'd settled on was his father. Gohan chuckled. Even as an image within his head, his father was still so strong. Leaning back to take a break, he sighed.
"This isn't a pace I'll be able to keep up with soon," he realized. "Even if I manage to persuade Mother to let me continue training, I'm going to have to go back to school." He realized that he would have to find a balance soon; his personal life, and his training. And that was even if his mother would listen to him. He loved Chi-Chi, but she wasn't exactly known for being the easiest to talk to. Her arguments with his father was clearly an indication of that.
As he finally started to relax, and began to make his move to return home, a voice echoed in the back of his head.
"Hello!? Everyone, it's me, Dende! I did it! I fixed the Dragon Balls! And it worked better than I could have hoped! I'm sending this message to everyone, and please hurry! We can fix everything now!"
All thoughts of rest and relaxation vanished on the spot. Gohan spurred into action as if jolted awake by a live wire. The Dragon Balls had been restored. Dende had really managed to do it. His entire body was immersed in white ki, and he blasted off from the ground, creating a large crater beneath his feet as he did so. Flying into the darkening sky, he flew pell-mell towards the Palace of God.
"Alright!" He crowed into the sky. In his excitement, Gohan closed the distance between his home and the Palace of God in record time, landing onto the tiled floor of the Palace neatly, white boots clacking against marble.
Piccolo, who was standing close to the edge, was surprised to see Gohan had arrived so quickly. "I'm not sure if I can get used to just how large that ki of your's is," his former mentor said, smirking. "It still feels like a different person was closing in."
Gohan chuckled weakly. "I sort of lost control on my way here," replied the half-Saiyan. "Am I the first one here?"
"By a long shot," replied the Namekian. "Dende only sent out the message moments ago."
"I guess we'll have to wait then."
The waiting passed by, with seconds crawling to minutes. The rest of the Dragon Team would trickle in over the course of the next half-hour; Goten and Trunks arrived by flight, landing on the tiled floor of the Palace. Yamcha would be the next to follow, along with Pu'ar and Chaozu. Lunch, holding Marron in her good form, arrived with Bulma by Capsule plane; Gyūmaō taking a longer moment to step out due to his size.
Muten Rōshi had taken to flying on the spinning, turtle-like creature, Baby Gamera. After a noticeable dizzy spell, the venerable Kame Sennin regained his composure, and joined his comrades.
Videl arrived next; she was wearing a simple tanktop and sweatpants, as well as track shoes. She was surprised to have received the notice from Dende, but nevertheless would not pass up a chance to see these new "Dragon Balls" for herself. She'd hadn't been paying attention to them during her brief trip to Capsule Corporation with Goku and the others.
Erasa was the last to arrive, clad in the gi she'd been given by Shin. Her smooth shoes clattering onto the tile, she waved to everyone, smiling brightly. Clearly, the news of the return of the Dragon Balls was great news to her.
"Is everyone here?" Dende asked, as everyone gathered in a clutter. He was holding a satchel in his hands, gripping it firmly. "Good. I'm happy to reiterate the point I made earlier. I was successfully able to fix the Dragon Balls!" He held up the satchel, which was full of orb-shaped objects. "I didn't think it was going to work, but...here they are!" Placing the satchel on the floor, he let it open.
Seven orbs rolled out of their container and onto the tiled floor of the Palace, and their appearance was followed by gasps from everyone who had seen the Dragon Balls before. And it quickly became clear why.
"They're...blood-red!" Yamcha gasped.
"With black stars?" Gohan supplied, amazed. "What happened to these Dragon Balls, Dende?"
The aforementioned orbs gleamed under the light of the almost completely set sun. Their red-hue was accentuated in the sun's fading glow, and the black stars within their bodies shone paradoxically with a bewitching light. It wasn't like anything that Gohan had seen before in the Dragon Balls, and it was obvious the others were captivated. The orbs almost looked...evil.
"I'm not big on the look myself," said Piccolo, as Dende began to explain.
"There was another pair of Dragon Balls within the Palace," he explained, gesturing towards the inner sanctum. "They aren't recommended for use, and the former God sealed them away some time ago. In fact, when he split apart to form God and Piccolo, the orbs as they were ceased to even exist. They only came into existence again when God reunited with his other half. We call them the 'Dark Dragon Balls', due to the star in the center. I used their energies and merged them with our Dragon Balls to fix the broken orb; however, to keep the power between all the Dragon Balls even, I had to use the remaining six orbs and merge them with these. The result...was what you see here."
"Do they...work any different?" inquired Bulma, looking at the orbs with a strange appreciation.
"They should be stronger, I believe," replied Dende, though he sounded unsure. "I'm not sure the exact scope of it; this is the first time in history that two sets of Dragon Balls have ever combined."
"Let's get on with the summoning," urged Piccolo. "The longer we take, the more time the Earthlings have to themselves to make an even bigger mess of things down there." It was clear that Piccolo, having once been God, was aware of the riots and destruction that the Earthlings had caused during, and in the wake of, Majin Bū.
"R-right!" Dende nodded, and stood in front of the Dragon Balls. In a loud, clear voice, he spoke the words. "Come forth, Shénlóng! And grant my wish!"
There was a flash of light and a clap of sound like thunder. The crimson orbs flashed in a blinding yellow light, which shot upwards into the sky like a reverse lightning bolt. It began to coil in the air, wounding itself in the sky as it took form, solidifying into the imposing shape of the Dragon God, Shénlóng. The force of his arrival caused a giant gust of wind to form, rippling the clothes and hair of all those present. If the Dragon Balls were a stunning redesign, however, the appearance of Shénlóng gleaned actual gasps of surprise from the gathering. To match the orbs he was summoned from, Shénlóng was now a stunning red, with the underside of his serpentine body being a vivid purple. His horns had transformed — no longer were they the stag antlers of before, but instead, he possessed four horns of light blue atop his head. His eyes and tongue were both a bright green, and the Dragon's size had also increased, being far larger than Gohan could remember.
"This...is Shénlóng?" gasped Erasa, taking in the sight of the Dragon God with amazement. "It's incredible...!"
"It's unreal..." Videl was staring at the creature with an open mouth. She'd heard tales of a "wish-granting dragon" before; it was a folktale in Satan City, but she'd thought it just that. A folktale and nothing more. To see it in the flesh, here and now, was a spectacle to behold.
"Shénlóng looks...very different!" said Yamcha.
"Is this the result of the Dragon Balls changing?" asked Bulma.
"You all, who have gathered the seven Dragon Balls," boomed Shénlóng. "Reflect upon your desires! I will grant you any three wishes!"
"Three wishes..." Erasa gaped in awe. She'd been expecting only a single wish; for Shénlóng to be able to grant three was amazing.
"How are going to phrase this, guys?" inquired Bulma. "We want Shénlóng to be able to undo as much of the damage as possible...so we're going to have to word this wish carefully."
"Hmm..." Gohan placed a finger to his chin, thinking. "We can't restore lives and the damage to the planet in a single wish. And when Shénlóng revives a large amount of people, we only get two wishes," he held up his index and middle finger. "So we'll have to make these two wishes count." The half-Saiyan turned to the Dragon, speaking clearly. "Shénlóng! We have our first wish! Please reverse all the damage done to Earth since the morning of the twenty-fifth Tenkaichi Budōkai! Can you do this?!"
There was a moment of silence, as the revived Shénlóng deliberated. "That is an easy request," he replied, his eyes flashing a brilliant red. "There. It has been done. The damage to the Earth since the morning of the twenty-fifth Tenkaichi Budōkai has been restored. What is your second wish?"
"Good job, Gohan!" grinned Bulma. "Now, for the next wish!" She turned to Shénlóng. "Please revive everyone who has died since the morning of the twenty-fifth Tenkaichi Budōkai — except the bad guys!"
"Good call!" grinned Yamcha.
"Yeah, that way none of Babidi's cohorts come back to life," supplied Gohan.
"All right," replied Shénlóng. "But there are a lot of them. This will take awhile."
"Can it...really do this?" Erasa asked, watching the Dragon with amazement.
After a moment of silence, Shénlóng's green eyes flashed red again. "It has been done. Your second wish had been granted. Now, state your third wish."
All over the globe, people who had been killed by Majin Bū were being restored to their bodies, utterly confused and amazed at their restoration. To make matters even more confusing, the cities that some of them remembered being destroyed had been restored to their pristine state. Some were even questioning whether the situation with Majin Bū had actually happened, or if it had been one giant dream.
Tenshinhan and Android 18 had been restored as well, looking at their reformed bodies in surprise.
On the Palace of God, Chi-Chi had her body restored, and were restored to life as well. She looked at her body in amazement, before remembering the Dragon Balls. There was a massive breath of relief when the party saw Chi-Chi restored; Goten rushed over to his mother, hugging her tightly and taking her by surprise.
"I don't sense Vegeta or Kuririn..." muttered Piccolo. Kuririn was an easy guess; he had been wished back by Shénlóng before, and Shénlóng had a rule that prevented him from granting the same wish twice. Vegeta, however—
"—didn't fulfill the requirements of the wish," Gohan surmised.
"That can't be it!" Trunks said snappishly. "There has to be another reason, right!? Why Dad can't come back to life!"
Piccolo frowned. "There comes a time when you have to face reality; it seems that time for you Trunks, is now. When your father was alive, he destroyed a portion of the Budōkai ring, slaughtering many innocents. I was there. I participated in it. He didn't fit the requirements of the wish as we phrased it."
"Then...can't we use the third wish to revive him?" suggested Trunks.
"That is right, Shénlóng said we still had a third wish!" Gohan slapped his fist into his palm. "The Dragon Balls' power really must have increased; Shénlóng can revive a great magnitude of people and we still have all three wishes!"
"And what about Kuririn?" suggested Muten Rōshi. "Perhaps if he only revives two people, he could try and revive Kuririn as well?"
"It's worth a try," agreed Gohan, turning towards Shénlóng. "Shénlóng! Our final wish is to revive the ones called Vegeta and Kuririn! Can you do this?!"
Another moment of silence followed, before Shénlóng spoke his answer. "No. That wish is an impossible request. The one called Kuririn has already been revived once before; it is beyond my powers to revive him again."
"And what about Vegeta?"
"...The one called Vegeta is satisfied with his death," replied Shénlóng, to the gasps of shock from Bulma and Trunks. "He has found closure, and has decided not to return to life. However...he extends his regards to his family." Shénlóng's gigantic head turned towards Trunks this time, and the dragon leaned his head forward. "He wishes for me to express his pride in his son, Trunks, and his hope is that you become strong."
"Dad..." Trunks muttered quietly.
"Then what about the third wish?" asked Pu'ar.
"I was...actually wondering if we could use the third wish to revive my mother," Erasa suggested nervously. Gohan and Videl looked at her in surprise, knowing full well why she would voice this concern now of all times.
"Your mother?" repeated Bulma.
Erasa sighed, and explained to everyone present — sans Gohan and Videl, who knew the story — that she had died five years ago, two years after the Cell Games had occurred, from a viral lung infection she'd contracted the year prior. When she finished speaking, everyone was silent, and offerings of condolences and understandings arose in murmurs from the group.
Dende, however, was the one who looked the most conflicted. He leaned on his staff, and looked at Erasa with something resembling pity in his eyes. "Erasa, I'm sorry...but the Dragon Balls cannot revive someone if they died of natural causes — it's a belief of my people, that a natural death is sacred, and should not be interfered with through means such as the Dragon Balls. So its how we create the orbs; only those who were killed, or died of other unnatural causes, can be revived by Shénlóng."
"Oh, I see," Erasa replied. "I didn't think it would work, but I was hopeful I could have tried...thanks, Dende." She tried not to feel too dejected; it didn't change anything, after all. Her mother had been dead for five years already, and she'd moved past it. But still, it had been a slight hope — the smile on her father's face, the idea of a complete family again — her mother being there at her wedding. She sighed, and put on a smile, just as Gohan walked over to her and put an arm around her shoulder.
"I'm sorry," said the half-Saiyan truthfully.
"Don't be," replied Erasa, leaning into his arm.
"I grow impatient," snapped Shénlóng from above. "You speak amongst yourself, and yet there is no wishing. What is your third and final wish?"
"Our third wish..." muttered Bulma. "What do we want for a third wish?"
While the group began to deliberate, an idea struck Gohan. "Hey, guys. Majin Bū is living with Mr. Satan now, right? But won't that cause problems once everyone sees Majin Bū and remembers everything he did? If we're going to let Majin Bū live with Mr. Satan, wouldn't it be a smarter idea to erase the Earthling's memories of Majin Bū? Simplify everything, you know?"
"Oh!" Bulma's eyes widened, and she nodded in agreement. "That's a great idea! Shénlóng! Please erase the memories of Majin Bū from everyone on Earth — everyone except us and our friends."
Shénlóng's eyes flashed red. "It has been done. The memories of all those on Earth have been erased where Majin Bū is concerned — excluding those affiliated with you. Your wishes have been granted! Fare thee well!" Shénlóng vanished, and the orbs were wrapped in a glowing yellow light as they began to ascend into the air. Erasa watched the orbs move, and as they ascended, spotted an orb with a single star.
"That's the Dragon Ball our city was named after," she thought, watching as the orbs rested in the sky. And then a spur of the moment idea grabbed her. If she could just reach it...
The girl crouched, and leapt into the air. As she did so, the Dragon Balls spread off in every direction. Reacting on instinct, almost as if she was being attacked, the girl extended an arm, and the Dragon Ball slapped into her hand. With the One-Star Dragon Ball clutched firmly in her hand — though now it was turned to stone — Erasa fell back towards the Palace of God. Landing neatly, she kept the grip on the stone sphere, having no pockets to actually store it in with her gi.
Videl looked at her in amazement. "Okay, that was cool and all...but why did you do that?"
Erasa held up the petrified Dragon Ball with a smile. "Remember, our city used to be called Orange-Star City before the name was changed to honour your Dad. You remember the fountain, don't you? The one dedicated to Shénlóng? There used to be a shrine there when it was still a small rural village, and this Dragon Ball was kept in that shrine. I was thinking of returning the sphere to Shénlóng's statue, which replaced the shrine, after all..." She trailed off for a moment, looking around. "I'm sorry, does it sound odd?"
Dende was the one who spoke up. "No, I don't think so. My planet does similar things for our Dragon Balls — each Ball is held by the Elder of a village, and protected by them. It'd be something similar, to place the sphere in a place of reverence in your city. I think you should do it, Erasa."
"T-Thank you, Dende!" smiled the girl.
"I've never honestly appreciated the Dragon Balls more than I think I do right now," said Gohan. It was amazing how, after believing they might not ever have them again, Dende had pulled through in record time, and the Dragon Balls — no, Shénlóng — was able repair the damage caused by Majin Bū. Memories had been erased, the damage to the cities restored, and lives lost had been regained. He looked over at his mother, who was talking with Bulma and smiled.
Walking over to the duo, he asked Bulma if he could take his mother aside for a moment, and the lavender-haired woman agreed.
Chi-Chi looked at her son curiously. "What's the matter, Gohan? You don't usually look this serious."
A frown was set into Gohan's face, so he could understand where his mother was coming from. "I'm going to have to tell you something, and I won't beat around the bush. There's no point unless I simply come out and tell you — I've decided I'm going to continue training. The threat of Majin Bū might have passed, but I don't think Earth is ever going to actually be out of the woods."
"No," replied Chi-Chi, predictability and almost autonomously. "No, Gohan, I absolutely forbid it! I let you enter the Tenkaichi Budōkai because there was prize money involved, and you flew off to deal with that whole 'Majin Bū' thing before I could stop you, but I will not allow this!"
"Mother, you need to listen!" argued Gohan. "Dad's not coming back. Vegeta isn't coming back. Right now, I'm the strongest person on the planet. My power will be critical sometime in the future, and I can't sit around and wait for an actual threat to arise before I realize I have to train again! I have to keep training even now — I can balance training and my schooling, believe me!"
"No!" shrieked Chi-Chi. "The threat is gone! Majin Bū is dead, you don't have to fight anymore! We can wind down and have a normal life now!"
"You're naïve if you think this planet is ever truly safe," butted in Piccolo, staring daggers at Chi-Chi. "You don't think there's a recurring pattern that always places this planet under threat by something? Gohan is making the right decision."
"But—!"
"You can't keep putting my studies above the fate of the planet, Mother," continued Gohan. "There won't be a point to my studies if some outside threat waltzes in and blows up the planet. I will continue to train." His black eyes burned with a fierce determination that his mother couldn't argue back with mere words anymore.
"Gohan, I want you to keep studying!" Chi-Chi stressed, seemingly at her breaking point now. "You're still only a teenager, you don't need to worry about something like saving the world! Leave that kind of thing to Piccolo, or someone else! You can't keep getting distracted by this martial art nonsense!"
Piccolo twitched visibly at this comment, and his glare turned deadly. "That nonsense just saved the world. Without it, you and all of your books, would've been ashes, much like the people Majin Bū so recently killed. Your son is doing not just me proud, but doing the world a great justice. And after everything he went through to get to this point, I'd expect you of all people to actually give him the support he needs."
Chi-Chi was stunned, rendered speechless as she stared at Gohan, and then Piccolo, and then back at her son. She shot a look at Erasa that clearly read 'help me', believing that she could talk some sense into him, but the blonde shook her head quickly — not only did she agree with Gohan's stance, she wasn't too keen on butting into this argument.
Goten took this moment to step up, walking towards his mother and older brother. He was fidgety, but forced himself to find his voice when he approached his mother. "Mom...I want to keep training too..." He didn't meet her eyes — couldn't meet them — but the words came out loud and clear. Gohan smiled at his younger brother, so much the spitting image of their father.
"Goten, not you too...!" Chi-Chi groaned.
"Chi-Chi, you need to consider that one of the reasons these children want to keep pursing the path of budō is so they can protect what is important to them — namely, you," Muten Rōshi approached the growing gathering of people, his voice stern. "When you were killed, your sons were enraged — particularly Goten here—" the young half-Saiyan nodded vigorously— "and now they want to use their power to protect what they hold dear, and prevent the injustice of villains with their own two hands. It is the creed of those with power, and your sons are an admirable example." Looking directly at the woman over the rim of his sunshades, he added, "And furthermore, a formal martial artist like yourself should have far more respect for those who attempt to take up this path."
Chi-Chi let out a sigh, and slumped to the ground in defeat. In her mind, all of her dreams were being crushed by her sons and her husband's friends.
"I'm sorry, Mother, but this is what I've chosen," said Gohan, placing a hand on Chi-Chi's shoulder.
"What can I even say?" she asked, her eyes moving from one son to the other. "In the end, both of you boys are just being exactly like your father. I'll just have to relent..."
"When should we mention the engagement to her?" asked Erasa, elbowing Gohan.
"That's why I told her this first," replied the half-Saiyan. "Give her the bad news first, and she'll take the good news in stride later."
"The issue of Kuririn still remains," interjected Piccolo against Gohan and Erasa's mutterings. "Shénlóng may have become stronger, but it seems his power is still limited in some regard."
"So we just have to let Kuririn stay dead?" growled Yamcha. He couldn't stand the idea; it shouldn't have been Kuririn in the first place, so why did he have to stay dead? The entire group was left silent; Marron would be left without a father; 18 a widow. All because Majin Bū.
"Hey, guys! Why the long faces?"
"That voice...!" Gohan looked into the sky. "D-Dad, is that you!?"
"Yeah! I was watching the entire fight with Majin Bū through Kaiō!" Goku's voice was cheerful through the telepathic link, and it was obvious he was grinning."I saw the way you fought! You really made me proud, son."
"I...I only did the best I could, Dad," replied Gohan sheepishly. "To be honest, part of me thinks I could have ended it quicker. Besides, Goten, Trunks, and Erasa did a fantastic job keeping him at bay — and helping me when Bū tried to destroy the Earth. Even Videl and Piccolo pulled in to help in the last moment. It was pretty much a group effort."
Piccolo smiled, but Videl, who didn't know whether she appreciated the praise or not, settled for simply avoiding looking in Gohan's direction.
"It wasn't easy though," Erasa replied. "I thought we were done for at several moments."
"But why are you talking to us now, Dad?" Gohan asked, confused. He was experiencing déjà vu; his father had approached them all like this before, after the Cell Games had been concluded. Right when he explained to them that he was content in staying dead.
"Kuririn's with me. It seems, when he sacrificed himself to protect you guys, Enma let him keep his body. An' the moment I found out, I went to get him myself."
"Hey, everyone."
A jolt ran through the group. Following Goku's more melancholy voice, Kuririn greeted them all through Kaiō's telepathic link. It was jarring to hear the man who usually spoke side by side with them speaking to them in this way, now — just like Goku.
"Goku and I were watching with North Kaiō," Kuririn said."Shénlóng couldn't revive me after all? I figured as much. Goku and I were talking about what I'd do if Shénlóng couldn't revive me — I'm gonna stay here and train with Goku. They let me keep my body, just like he did, so it's better than idling around for eternity."
"Kuririn, man, I'm sorry," said Yamcha, sounding anguished. "You were the last one it should have been; I was right there. If I hadn't just watched you fight; if I'd only helped..."
"Don't blame yourself, Yamcha," said Gohan. "If anything, it was my fault for not being fast enough. Majin Bū made it out of the portal to the Palace, and got to you guys before I could follow, and—"
"It isn't your guys' fault," Kuririn told them hurriedly. "If I hadn't done anything, Bū would have just killed all of us; the only think I'm going to regret is leaving Marron and 18 alone. It's just my luck, don't you think? I get killed for real when I've become really happy. I had a wife I loved, and an adorable daughter I adored. When she gets older, can you guys explain things to her? Good-bye, everybody!"
"You guys know Kuririn is safe with me," replied Goku. "It'll be just like old times, right buddy?"
"You're still the only person who could take death so casually, Goku!" replied Kuririn. Their voices faded with their farewells, and the entire group was left in silence. Another battle over — and another one of their friends permanently taken away from them. It was hard to even be happy now — Shénlóng had solved all of their problems but the biggest.
It was a somber departure as everyone left the Palace of God. Those who could not fly boarded planes. Those who could took off with words of farewell, and promises to meet again soon. Bulma and Lunch in particular were going to find 18. They were still watching over Marron, and knew that they had to give her the news in person. Erasa departed with each other for Satan City, and Gohan, Goten, and Chi-Chi — the latter carried by her eldest son — off the Palace. Out of everyone who had left, only Videl remained, having given Erasa a vague excuse that she would see her later.
Turning towards Piccolo, Videl stared at him intently. "You're Piccolo, right? I want you to train me."
The Nameccian's eyes widened. Out of all the things this Earthling girl could have said, this wasn't the first thing he had been expecting. His expression hardened, and he looked at Videl with severity. "Tell me why, then? Why do you want me to train you so badly, kid?"
"I want to become stronger," replied Videl honestly. "It isn't for anything as noble as wanting to save the Earth; my goals are smaller than that. Erasa is so much stronger than I am now, but I've been practising martial arts my whole life — even continuing well after she dropped it when we were younger — and I can't stay her second forever! I want to become strong; strong enough to beat Erasa! Strong enough to even beat Gohan! You're their teacher, right? I don't expect to surpass them with the same training regimen, but I know I can learn a lot from you!"
Piccolo was silent for a moment, appraising Videl, before his smile returned. "Good," he snickered. "That's exactly the kind of motivation I wanted to hear. With that kind of determination, you'll become a fierce rival for them both. And I think that's just what they need. But don't expect me to be soft on you, kid! Until you've had enough of it, I'm going to put you through the ringer!"
"Thank you!" She replied, and a gust of wind blew across them both, revealing the 'M' emblazoned on her forehead that her bangs were trying so hard to conceal. Perhaps it was the Majin emblem that fueled her fire now; but she knew this determination was still very much part of her. She would train and become strong; stronger than even those two.
The Sacred Land of Karin, Karin's Tower; 3 AM
It was well into the early morning, and Tenshinhan was racing across the skies. He'd just been informed; Kuririn was truly dead. Bulma and Lunch had found him and 18, and delivered the news to them both. The loss hit 18 hard; Tenshinhan and the others had never seen her shed tears the way they saw her weep then. But they had to move on. Taking her child, 18 understandably wanted to be alone for awhile. Tenshinhan told Lunch to go back to their farm and he'd be back shortly — she complied, and Bulma took her home.
He had a reason for being out as late as he was, and he didn't want Lunch to see what he was about to do.
Karin's Tower came into sight of all three of his eyes, and Tenshinhan rushed towards it at full speed. Pulling into the underside, he slid into the opening and landed neatly onto the floor of the tower. Karin, who didn't even looked the slightest bit surprised, smiled and leaned on his staff. Yajirobe, due to the late hour, was sleep
"Tenshinhan, welcome to my tower," said the cat cordially.
Tenshinhan took a knee, prostrating himself before the martial arts master. "Master Karin. I've come to the tower seeking the Chōshinsui. I humbly request that you allow me to take its trial!"
"Oh?" Karin replied, though there wasn't a hint of surprise in his voice. "For someone like you, Tenshinhan, to request the Chōshinsui...have the events with Majin Bū shaken you that badly?"
"It...it is as you say, yes," replied Tenshinhan, still kneeling respectfully. "I was told of the Chōshinsui by Muten Rōshi in the past, and I could see the events occurring on Earth from the Afterlife. How the Chōshinsui worked for Gohan and even the young girl Erasa. Please, Master Karin. I was unable to help anyone this time, and Majin Bū killed me so easily!" He grit his teeth, and restrained himself from punching the floor of the tower. "When Cell was threatening the planet, all I could do was watch. Even now, it was no different. I was powerless! I want the power to protect this planet — and I've reached the limit of where mere training can take me."
"So you've hit your wall," replied Karin. "Alright then. I admire your conviction, Tenshinhan. But I feel the need to warn you; the Chōshinsui may raise your power immensely, yes. However, it is also a potent toxin. If you are deemed unworthy of its power, you will die. And this time, it will be permanent."
"I am prepared, Master Karin."
"Very well. Then, Tenshinhan...it is time for your trial to begin."
A/N: So, sorry everyone for taking so long on this chapter; I've been occupied with my friends, and I wanted to postpone this chapter until relatively late. It's been a long run between the start of my series and now, but within the next day from the writing of this chapter, it will have been three whole years. May 31, 2014 was the day I published the first chapter of this story, and tomorrow, as of the day of this writing, it will be three whole years. It really has been one heck of a trip, everyone; all the support — and lack of it — the readers, my friends who have helped come this far. I really appreciate it, everyone, so you have my sincerest thanks.
For a third-year anniversary, however, this chapter was melancholy. This was the chapter where I definitely wanted to shake up the status quo, and I think I succeeded. I'm going to miss Kuririn, I'm going to miss Vegeta, I'm going to miss Goku. But all that's left now is to move forward; my cast will continue to progress as characters and people well into the fourth year of my story. And I hope you all travel with me.
With this, the "Majin Bū" arc is concluded. The "Peaceful World" arc begins next chapter!
As always, thanks to Demod20 for his help in proofreading! I'll see you all in the next exciting chapter of the Erased Chronicles!