Hey, everybody! Yet again, I inform you that I am not yet dead. I do, however, have mono. And I need no sympathy from you all, because it's a very minor case, and a great excuse to come home from school in the middle of the day and write stories. But don't go praising my disease, because it's still annoying. Anyway, on with the chapter, and I hope you all are having a great winter break.

Note: A bit of language in this one, mostly on Goten's part.

Chapter 41: The Nature of Revenge

"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind." –Mohandas Gandhi

Out of perhaps 1,000 women and children trying to escape the battle, only 68 survived. While the battle at the castle gates still raged on, the deaths of this side-clash were already being accounted for. Soon after Videl had passed away, Gohan and Goten found Chi-Chi's mangled and bloody body among a pile of rubble that had once been a fairly large boulder. Apparently she had put up a spectacular fight, and had taken out four of Vegeta's men before one finally caught her from behind, broke her neck, and threw her into the boulder. Most of the others had been taken care of easily. Puar's body was never even found. Paris's, however, was found, much to the utter shock of Goten. And underneath her was the broken form that had been his daughter. Paris had given her life to try and protect little Emi, but it had been in vain.

Just as the search for survivors was being called off, Marron called out to the others, saying she had found a body buried under a pile of rocks, and whoever it was seemed to still be breathing. Gohan, Pan, and Zamuri rushed over to help. Sure enough, a tanned hand was sticking out from beneath the rocks, and it had a faint pulse.

"Careful with that one, Zam! Let me move the rock on top of it first!" Gohan instructed. As the boulders were removed, Pan and Marron peered down to catch a glimpse of Uub's bloody face.

"Oh kami…" Pan muttered, suddenly motivated to work faster. Marron seemed incapable of speaking, and did whatever she could to help. When Uub was finally uncovered, Marron rushed over and held his limp head in her hands, placing it delicately in her lap.

He seemed unable to move. Gohan sent Zamuri to fetch Dende as fast as he could.

"Can you hear me, Uub?" Gohan called softly once Zamuri had hurried off. There was no reply. Marron burst into tears, scooping up his limp hand and holding it to her lips.

Uub suddenly grunted. A surge of relief swept through the three as he struggled to open his eyes.

"It's going to be all right, Uub. Zam's gone to get Dende." Pan reassured, but he seemed unable to hear her. He didn't seem to be in his right mind. His stare was blank and unfocused, and he would only look at Marron. The blonde smiled down at him, caressing his hair, tears of weathered joy streaming.

"Otou-san, we've got a problem!" Zamuri yelled from across the field. He had apparently found Dende unconscious over a half-healed and very confused-looking Keiko. Gohan flew over as fast as he could, and found himself an inch from panic.

Their healer was spent.

"What do we do now? Uub-kun still needs our help!" Zamuri cried, helping Keiko to her feet.

"We'll just have to do whatever we can until Dende recovers. I guess we should be thankful that he even survived this."

"I'll go tell Pan." Zamuri said, and flew off with Keiko in his arms.

Gohan felt hot with rage. He was slightly astounded by his own ability to keep it all in. He looked to where his brother was, standing beside the bodies of his wife and child. Gohan slowly approached him, keeping silent, waiting for him to speak first. He observed that Goten had fixed the bodies as best he could, laying them side by side in an attempt to try and make it seem as if they were simply sleeping.

"As if it wasn't enough…" He heard Goten mutter. "They were innocent… all of them…" Gohan could tell he was crying. He could easily hear the lump in his brother's throat choking him. Goten turned to him. His eyes were red and his cheeks were streaked. "No father should have to bury his own child, Gohan. No one deserves that."

"I know, Goten." Gohan comforted, placing a hand on his shoulder. But Goten would not respond.

"I'll kill him…" Goten muttered. "I'll kill that bastard of a prince if it's the last thing I do!"

"Revenge won't solve anything, Goten."

"How can you say that!" Goten turned on him. "He killed your wife too, and all you say is that revenge won't help?"

"No, I…"

"Then they died for nothing. Their lives were wasted." Goten stared him down coldly. "Is that what you want, Gohan? Is that the guilt you want to bury with your wife!"

"Stop it, Goten!" Gohan barked, on the verge of slapping him. "There will be a time to mourn, but it is not now. Focus that anger and use it in battle. Fight in the memory of your wife and daughter."

"Oh, I'll be fighting for them alright, but I'm not going back to that hell-zone." Goten grimaced. "I'm going straight to the demon that created it!"

"Gote-" Gohan started, but in a burst of rage Goten knocked his brother to the ground, and before he could be stopped, took off to the east.

"Papa, what happened?" Pan cried, having rushed to her father's side after seeing him get knocked down.

"He's gone to fight Vegeta." Gohan said with concern, picking himself up quickly. "We have to stop him, or he'll be killed for sure!"

"We'll all go, Papa!" Pan exclaimed, helping him to his feet. "Uncle Goten is right. If we want to stop this war once and for all, we need to stop it at its source."

"Pan…" Gohan started, but seeing the determined look in her eyes made him rethink his response. "Okay, let's do it."

Pan smiled and gave her father a hug before turning to Zamuri at her side.

"You coming?" She asked.

"Of course."

They left instructions with Keiko to have Dende heal Uub as soon as he was able. Until then, she would help Marron make Uub as comfortable as possible.

The three Sons located Trunks as quickly as they could and sped off after Goten into the mountains, through the secret cave, and back into the realm of Vegeta.

Goku couldn't have asked for a better match with King Vegeta. They were matching each other blow for blow, and their strength even at a Super Saiyan level showed no difference.

"I see you've been training." Goku called at a pause in their melee.

"Only every day since you waltzed into my life!" Vegeta shot back angrily.

Goku took this time to survey the damage below. He was surprised to find it was all over. The battle hadn't been long, but it was clear which side had won. The casualties were massive.

"Why did you have to do this, Vegeta? Look at all the pain your selfishness has caused!"

"You think I care right now, Kakarot?" The king laughed, launching himself into another punch. But Goku blocked it easily with one hand without even looking. He was too focused on the massacre below.

"I can't sense Kuririn anymore… or Piccolo…" Goku though aloud. He grimaced, the hand that held Vegeta's clenching painfully hard, causing the king to struggle for his freedom. "You… you see what you've done!" Goku continued, now watching Vegeta squirm. "They're both dead… and…" His senses strayed to the site of the side battle. "… and Chi-Chi too! And so many others… all those innocent people…"

By now Vegeta could not help but scream from the pain. He could hear his bones being crushed.

"They're all dead… and it's all your fault!"

Reaching his breaking point, Vegeta quickly formed a ki blast in his free palm and rammed it into his opponent's face. Goku's grip loosened and Vegeta pulled free, floating back a few feet to nurse his throbbing hand. Looking at his foe's unchanged expression, Vegeta realized he hadn't done any damage.

"Are you done?" He growled in frustration.

Goku only stared…

… and then attacked.

Bra watched impassively from her seat atop the grand staircase as her brother triumphantly entered the room, a guard carrying a screaming little boy behind him.

"Lemme go!" The child wailed. "When my daddy hears about this, he's gonna…"

"Your daddy?" the prince laughed. "Tell me, do you know who your father is?"

The boy stopped struggling for a moment to look the prince straight in the eye.

"Yeah, my daddy is Son Gohan, one of the strongest Saiyans in the world! And if you don't let me go right now, you'll be sorry!"

Vegeta chuckled, putting a light hand to his forehead. This was going to be fun.

"You're more like your father than you realize… your real father, that is."

Bra looked away. She knew what was coming, and couldn't bear to watch. She tuned out her brother's words. The boy was so helpless, so innocent… why bring him to know of the pain he had been so blissfully unaware of?

A few moments passed, and the child let out a shrill cry of disbelief.

"Bra, come down here and tell him!"

She heard her brother's words, but didn't move. She hardened in her place, wishing her ears would fall off.

"You… you're Pan's friend!" Goku realized, and began calling her desperately. "You are, right? From last night… Tell him he's lying! My daddy's Son Gohan!"

Bra choked.

"Tell him…" Goku whimpered, his voice dying with his assertions. Bra didn't have to look; she heard the tears all too well. Her stomach turned somersaults. The lump in her throat had stopped her breath short. She stood, turned, and ran. In abandoning him, she was taking with her the child's last hope that this horrible man responsible for killing his mother wasn't really his big brother.

"Here we are." Gohan sighed, touching down before the great castle's main entrance. The sun was now directly overhead, obscured by the looming gray clouds, giving the castle a more miserable feel to it.

Gohan looked the building up and down once, and scanned around. There were no guards.

"Guess they're all off fighting…" Trunks muttered.

"Good." Goten smirked. "All the easier it will be to get to that bastard, Vegeta!" And with that, he blasted down the door and disappeared inside.

"Goten, no!" Gohan shouted, speeding off after his brother.

"He's not exactly going for the element of surprise, is he?" Trunks remarked, turning to Pan before quickly following.

Pan readied herself to race after the three, but Zamuri touched her arm lightly.

"We both know what he's capable of." He warned. "You be careful in there."

Pan nodded. "You too."

"I mean it." Zamuri said, once again stopping her from rushing through the dark, smoking doorway. "We all have our reasons for wanting revenge against Vegeta. We can't let our feelings blur our judgment."

"Well, don't you sound grown up all of a sudden?" Pan smiled, tightening her headband.

Zamuri did the same, a confident, youthful smirk appearing on his weathered features.

"Let's go."

Prince Vegeta watched, amused, as three fuming rebels appeared in the dim entryway. He sensed two more approaching. The prince cackled to himself from the top of the grand staircase.

"Well, what's this?" He mused, feigning surprise. "Rebel scum in the royal castle?"

"Vegeta! You bastard!" Goten shouted, launching himself at the prince upon sight.

"Goten, don't!" Gohan called vainly. Not knowing what else to do, he followed his little brother into battle.

Drawing closer by the second, Goten threw out his right fist and aimed right for the prince's smirk. "You're going to pay for what you did to all those people!"

Prince Vegeta uncrossed his arms, preparing himself for this little warm-up.

By the time Pan and Zamuri had entered the grand hall, the fight was almost over. Gohan and Goten were both attacking the prince with everything they had, and he was still fending them both off with ease.

"Come on, let's help them out!" Zamuri cried, racing forward. But Trunks swiftly grabbed him by the arm and held him back.

"There's little you can do for them right now." He said. "They're both barely keeping up with Vegeta as it is. You'd just get in their way."

Zamuri relaxed, sighing as he turned back to the battle.

"They won't win." Pan said, not daring to take her eyes off the action.

"I think they both know that." Trunks replied. "But you have to remember, they each lost a wife and a mother today. They're both hurting a lot."

The Son brothers broke off their melee and stepped back to catch their breath. Goten was fuming. He stared at the smirking prince with fury burning in his eyes.

"Take as long as you want," Vegeta cackled. "I'm in no hurry to kill you."

Goten sprang at the prince with an enraged cry. The prince easily crouched down and launched a fist into his stomach. Goten fell to the ground, holding his gut in pain. Vegeta laughed at the feeble attempt, placed his hands on his hips, and kicked Goten in the side. It wasn't his hardest kick, but it was more than enough to send the young man crashing horizontally into the stone wall, blood spurting from his mouth upon impact, and crumpling to the ground in a messy heap.

"Goten!" Gohan cried, and began to rush to his aid. But Vegeta swiftly stuck out a leg, tripping the elder Son, and grabbed a flailing ankle before he could hit the ground. The amused prince swung Gohan around in circles before flinging him like a whip into Goten, who had been trying to stand.

"Get off!" Goten grunted, shoving his brother out of his lap. "You're getting in the way."

"You can't do this on your own!" Gohan hissed, rubbing his head. "Right now he's just toying with us. He's not even close to serious."

"You think I can't see that!" Goten shot back.

"Calm down. Fighting is getting us nowhere."

"I should say so!" Prince Vegeta said, striding over to the two. "It's plain to see trying to defeat me isn't working out so well. You're better off giving up. Or else I might grow bored and have to kill you."

Goten stood and spat a bit of excess blood at the ground. "I don't think so. I'm going to make you pay for what you did to Paris and Emi."

"Hmm, Paris? That sounds familiar." Vegeta placed a finger to his chin in thought. "Wasn't that the name of a nursery maid? Well, if she was with you rebels, she deserved to die. That's the punishment for treachery, anyway."

"Shut up!" Goten growled. "I'll make you eat those words!"

The prince shrugged. "Then by all means, try."

Just then, the prince's attention shifted to a small ki blast coming from behind, aimed for his head. He easily turned and caught the little ball of energy, crushing it in his palm. He looked over the railing of the grand staircase to see the Son boy gazing up furiously at him.

"Zam, don't!" Pan advised.

"It's okay, Pan." Zamuri said, eyes fixed upon the now interested prince. "I've been meaning to get him back for trying to kill me in that dungeon."

"Three on one? Those odds seem a bit unfair." Vegeta thought aloud. "Are you sure you don't want the girl to fight too? Then maybe you'd stand-"

"Now!" came a shout from behind the startled prince. The Son brothers leapt forward and each seized one of Vegeta's arms. Zamuri rushed forward, his right fist charged with blue energy. The prince looked from his captors to the younger boy charging toward him, once again completely calm. He waited patiently until Zamuri came close.

"NO, STOP!" Trunks suddenly yelled, realizing his brother's plan.

But his cries were far from heard, as Prince Vegeta let out a ground-shaking scream. His demonic red aura formed around him and quickly expanded, engulfing the three Sons. Gohan and Goten fell to the ground, writhing in agony. Zamuri's attack failed, and he dropped at the prince's feet, crying out for help.

Acting quickly, Trunks sped to the border of the aura's reach and formed a large ki blast over his head. He launched it hurriedly into the flame-like sphere, where it quickly began to dissipate. The ball of ki got substantially smaller on its short journey to the empowered prince, but was just enough to knock him off balance, disrupting his hold on the fiery aura. It disappeared, leaving Trunks free to quickly collect the three burnt Sons.

"Pan, take care of them for me?" Trunks asked, laying the three victims carefully down in a corner near the entrance. Pan nodded.

Trunks stood and turned toward the unshaken prince standing at the head of the grandly curved staircase, arms crossed. Their gazes locked, and the tension in the air mounted. Words were unnecessary at this point. The two just stared, their expressions speaking volumes.

This was it; the battle to decide the stronger of King Vegeta's sons.

The victor would get his long-awaited revenge.

And the loser would surely meet his end.