Rifts and Changes

Chapter Seven: Videl vs. Mara

A/N: Okay kids, I know it's been a long time but we've all seen what happens when I rush chapters right? Yeah. We don't wanna go there again. Anyways, enjoy the chapter.

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"Bugger! Bugger! Bugger!" Natalie cursed.

"You know, not everyone knows what that means. Care to translate for all of us?" Vegeta asked.

"It basically means %*^@$&!" Natalie replied.

"Woah, not good then."

"Trunks, if you would." Natalie said. Trunks nodded and proceeded downstairs. There was a brief silence. "Sooo…did I miss anything important?"

"How could you leave and not tell us?" Nicholas asked.

"How could you fight and not tell me?" Natalie retorted.

"Oh so that's what it was. You just wanted to get back at us."

"Yes, that's exactly why I did it. It had nothing to do with the fact that it was a good plan and our best hope of getting information. I just wanted to piss you off."

"Could you be anymore sarcastic?"

"Only if I wanted to turn into you." Before Nicholas could give her a comeback, the electricity in the whole building went off.

"See, even the electricity is sick of you two arguing." Gohan said.

"Gohan tries and tries but it's too late. The joke falls completely flat." Nicholas said.

"Okay, that can't be good." Andrea said.

"No, it's good." Natalie said.

"You're being awfully cryptic." Bulma said. "Did everything go okay? Did you get to the right timeline?"

"Yes and yes." Natalie replied. "The reason for the blackout is, we've been bugged. Cameras and mikes in every freakin nook and cranny."

"NANI?!" Everyone else exclaimed.

"When Medilan said he'd been watching you Gohan he wasn't kidding. Mirai Nick told us that when the Tocopherans first landed on their planet they put them under surveillance to study them and such. Lucky for us, they were stupid enough to hook it up to the main electricity."

"So Trunks is fixing it?" Bulma asked.

"Hopefully."

"They've been watching us for ten years?!" Gohan exclaimed.

"As far as I can tell, they've been watching any Saiyan household. Because you'd be the biggest threat or whatever."

"How much else did you learn?" Vegeta asked.

"A lot, which we need to discuss straight away, especially since Videl and David are at the friggin mothership." Natalie said. The back-up generators came on and Trunks came back upstairs with a smug grin on his face.

"It wasn't easy but I did it." Trunks grinned.

"You'll get a cookie later." Gohan said. "Why especially now that Videl and David are gone?"

"Tocopherans are stronger at home base Gohan. Videl is in great danger." Natalie said.

"She's gonna be killed?"

"No, I'm afraid it's something much more worse than that." Natalie said.

"She's going to kill you." Zophen said, breaking his silence. Everyone looked at him in shock.

"She's the traitor Zophen was here to warn us against. He was sent here to help us defeat her." Natalie said.

"I think all that time travelling rattled your brain." Vegeta said.

"No Tousan, it's true." Trunks said. "We spent ages deciphering that message that was sent through Natalie-san and Videl is the only one it could be."

"It's not true." Gohan said. "Videl would never turn her back on us. She went up there to for peaceful negotiations."

"Peaceful negotiations? Videl?" Natalie asked, in disbelief. "Those guys tried to kill everyone dear to her and she went for peaceful negotiations? Come on Gohan, this is Videl we're talking about. She likes to kick ass more than you do."

"Don't you dare talk about my wife like that." Gohan said icily. "Unlike you she has grown up and isn't as reckless nor impulsive as she was when we were younger. You don't know her as well as I do."

"She's your wife sure, but she's been one of my closest friends since we were four. I think I know her pretty damn well." Natalie said. "She is the traitor but not by her own accord. At least not fully."

"Are you saying she's under mind control?" Goku asked.

"Yes." Natalie replied. **Reckless and impulsive, ne? I knew it! I knew I was right!**

"Videl can easily be taken under mind control because her mind has had no training. Her powers come from her physically not mentally so her mind is weaker than someone whose power comes solely from the mind." Trunks explained.

"Like telekinesis." Andrea said. "I knew I should've gone with her!"

"This is very bad." Goku said. He tilted his head sideways and mused for a bit. "Trunks, is there any way that she won't fall under this mind control?"

"Yes." Trunks said. "Let me try and explain. Say there's a fan of baseball but you want to mind control them to hate the game. You can't do it if they love the game entirely. However, if they like another sport like basketball for instance, you can persuade them that they like basketball and slowly convince them to like it more than baseball. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"You can only manipulate thoughts that are already there." Goku said. "I have to say, it's a very ingenious power. It's a shame that the bad guys have that ability."

"I only hope that Videl is strong enough to fight off the mind control." Trunks said.

"She is." Gohan said, in a manner that no one could argue against. Not that anyone was going to try anyway.

"So Mr Zophen, now that the so-called traitor is gone. You need to tell us everything." Vegeta said.

"Vegeta, I'll only tell you once. Do not refer to my wife like that." Gohan said, as he left the room. Natalie sighed.

"He's taking this a whole lot worse than I thought he would."

"I know how he feels though. I mean, if someone told me that you were pulling an Anakin Skywalker…" Nicholas said.

"I think you'd deal just fine."

"Huh?"

"I mean, crossing to the dark side and being mentally and emotionally unstable. They aren't that different. And you seem to be dealing just fine now." Natalie said, sitting down on the sofa. Andrea and Nicholas exchanged guilty glances.

"Where's Goten?" Trunks asked.

"He went to go see one of your girl friends. I forget which one." Goku said. Trunks turned blue. "What? Is she evil now too?!"

"No Goku-san. Trunks just had a funny experience in the future." Natalie laughed.

"IT WAS NOT FUNNY!" Trunks yelled. "IT WAS AWFUL!"

"It was so funny! You were almost crying." Natalie said, stifling a giggle. "See, Trunks was married to his friend with the glasses in the alternate timeline."

"Juliana?" Bulma asked, grinning mischievously. "That's very interesting."

"It is NOT! It's horrifying." Trunks said, grabbing his head. "She was bossing other me around SO much! It was awful! He looked so depressed! Course, that might've been because of the state of the Earth over there but I sincerely doubt it."

"Don't worry Trunks, he went to go see the little hat girl." Nicholas said. Trunks breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile…

CJ got up and wiped the blood from her mouth. Whoever this guy was, he was not a natural fighter. He could defend himself sure, but she could beat him. If only he wasn't wearing Goten's face she might not have been so…distracted. He launched himself at her and she leapfrogged over him and he went slamming into the wall.

"I play the music too loud, neighbours complain. I'm fighting for my life and they couldn't give a rat's-oof!" CJ's spiel was cut short as the impostor belted her in the stomach and sent her flying. Luckily for her, he sent her near the drawer where she kept her gun. She pulled it out and stood up pointing it straight at him. He blinked and then started laughing.

"There's no way you're going to shoot me. Earthlings are prone to have guilty consciences about these things." He said. CJ cocked the gun and shot him in the shoulder. He looked at the wound and saw that there was no blood. He was about to say something but then fell unconscious.

"I'm not your run of the mill Earthling." CJ said, putting the gun away. "How in the heck am I going to get this guy to Trunks'?" She sighed and slung him over her shoulder. She walked outside and down the street with onlookers giving her strange glances. CJ rolled her eyes. "Idiots. The fate of the world is hanging in the balance and all they can do is stare and point at me. Ignorance is stupidity not bliss." She walked by a café shop when a familiar figure caught her eye. "Oh no…" She made her way into the café.

"So, about the other night…what I said…" Goten tried to say but 'CJ' shushed him.

"We'll talk about that later. Right now I just want to melt in your glance."

"Melt in my…? Ceej, are you feeling alright?" Goten asked.

"I'm feeling just fine. This lady you're with on the other hand…" Goten looked behind him and saw CJ, a bit battered and bleeding, with what looked like his double on the floor. He then looked back to who he thought was CJ, and she was looking a little bit nervous. Goten looked between the two again and again before he sighed. His lip started to tremble and he cried out

"MY CONFUSION KNOWS NO BOUNDS!" Before thumping his head on the table. Everyone in the café sweat-dropped. CJ sighed and poked him in the back.

"Goten? Come on! We need to get this guy to Trunks' before he wakes up! Goten? Come on honey, wake up!" CJ said. Goten's head rose as he looked at CJ with a sly grin on his face.

"Did you just call me honey?" Goten asked. CJ blushed furiously and shook her head.

"N-no! You're just so overwhelmed by what's happening! You heard what you wanted to hear!"

"Mmm hmm. Well I still think that you did."

"Well, while you amuse yourself, my impostor is getting away."

"Huh?!" Goten ran outside and looked around the street but couldn't find her. "Damn it! COME BACK YOU ALIEN WEARING THAT PRETTY FACE!" This time, CJ came up behind him smirking.

"You think I'm pretty?" She teased. Goten turned around and smiled.

"I think you're beautiful." Goten replied sincerely. CJ, caught by surprised, covered her face with her hands and blushed.

"Shut up! I am not!"

"Uh, Ceej? You kind of dropped my impostor. On his head…or my head, I'm not sure which."

"Oh. Well it's a good thing. The tranquilliser was starting to wear off."

In space…

"Oh my God…"

"David?"

"Oh my God…"

"David!"

"Oh my God…"

"DAVID!"

"What?! Geez Videl! I'm staring into the abyss and all you can do is yell at me." David took his face off the ship window, which was facing Earth. "When they said space was vast, they weren't kidding."

"You give all blondes a bad name Dave." Videl said. "I can't believe they're making us wait out here! I'm royalty for goodness sakes." David looked at her.

"Woah, be careful Vid. You almost sound like you believe that."

"Well I am technically."

"But not officially. And I thought you hated technicalities."

"Shut up David." Videl sighed. David raised an eyebrow and put his hands behind his head.

"PMS must suck man." Before Videl could answer him, Dimethic came out from a room.

"Medilan will see you now." Dimethic said, as he cleared the way for Videl and David. They did not see him smirking evilly as the door closed behind them. They walked into the office type room and saw Medilan sitting behind what looked like a desk.

"Alright Mister Villain of the Week, what the hell are you going do you want to do to stop this little war of yours?" David demanded.

"David, zip it." Videl said, looking to Medilan. "You heard what the man said! Speak!"

"Do not bark orders at me." Medilan said. "Dimethic, if you would…"

"Certainly." Dimethic said, as he closed his eyes. Videl suddenly collapsed to the floor, grabbing her head in pain.

"Videl?" David asked, as he crouched down next to her. She just continued to scream in agony. Before anyone else could anticipate what was going on, David had Dimethic in a stranglehold. "Let her go, or else I break your head off."

"How'd you…?!"

"Super speed baby."

"You fool." Medilan chuckled. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into." David looked at him but refused to let go of his stranglehold. David suddenly found himself moving without his permission. He let go of Dimethic and was floating in the air.

"What the…"

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you. I may just be tempted to send you there." Medilan said. David was thrown into a wall in the office and was knocked out. "That was easier than I thought it would be. I've grown bored of all this, please finish this as quickly as possible." Medilan left the office.

"I love my job." Dimethic said.

Back on Earth, CC…

"I am the son of the Shair of Tocopherat. He's sort of like a President or Prime Minister in Earth terms. He's worried about Medilan's activities outside his jurisdiction, especially those concerning Earth." Zophen took a short breath. "I do not know why your ancestors were sent here but I know that Medilan seems to think that you are a great threat to any plans he has of someday ruling the planet."

"But we're solar systems away from Tocopherat. We don't even know where the heck it is." Andrea said.

"That's exactly why my father is so worried. He thinks that your ancestors may have been sent here for protection from some outside corrupt force but that theory has yet to be proven. He would have to tell you himself but that would've raised suspicion so I stowed away on Medilan's ship. He found me and put me in the ship's jail cell but I escaped and came to see you." Zophen said. "I was warned by a trusted psychic on our planet that Medilan had come specifically for one of you. I wasn't sure which one and I didn't want to point fingers before I had all the facts. I'm very sorry it's too late."

"It's not. Videl will be fine…" Gohan said, although it was evident from his tone and facial expression that he did not fully believe that. There was a small twinge in his stomach. He could feel that something was wrong with Videl. He could sense that she was in trouble but of course there was nothing he could do. He could not get to her. Natalie was not a strong enough teleporter to take him into space. She barely made it England with the kids. With his father also not able to take him there, all he could do was hope that Videl's will was strong enough to defend herself. A bang through the door interrupted his thoughts. Everyone turned to see Goten, CJ and an unconscious man that looked like Goten's double.

"Okay, did anyone order a shapeshifter?" Nicholas asked out loud.

"Oh my God, CJ are you okay? You look battered." Trunks asked, concerned.

"Because I was. Then I shot him." CJ replied. Everyone looked at her worried. "With a tranquilliser gun. Sheesh."

"There was another shapeshifter that looked like CJ, but she escaped." Goten said. "We caught my double though."

"Hold on, I know why they would target you but why CJ?" Gohan asked.

"They probably wanted information. Because me and CJ are kind of…you know." Goten said, waiting for his brother to catch on. Gohan just looked at Goten blankly. Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"They're mating Baka jr." Vegeta said, rolling his eyes.

"Ohh." Gohan said, grinning mischievously.

"We are NOT!" Goten and CJ said, both blushing with embarrassment.

"I'm glad to see that someone is around here." Nicholas commented directly at his wife.

"WE ARE NOT!" The couple blushed even more.

Elsewhere…

Videl opened her eyes and got up. A sharp pain shot through her head. She winced in pain and took in her surroundings. She was in what seemed to her as a mystic void of a dark purplish hue. It looked a lot like the ones in the horror films she used to watch as a teenager.

"Where am I?" She said, her voice echoing.

"You're in our subconscious darling." A voice said. A voice which Videl found very familiar. She looked around and saw herself. Videl couldn't believe it. "It's not a reflection. I'm much better looking than you."

"You're me?"

"In a sense. I'm the part of you that you've been trying to suppress for so long. I'm the side of you that you get your powers from. Unfortunately, since you're more human than anything else you've been able to keep me quiet."

"What's changed now?" Videl asked. The other Videl smirked and pointed behind her. Videl turned around and saw Dimethic. She gasped as she saw Dimethic walk over to her other self and plant a very passionate kiss on her. "Hey! Hey!" They ignored her cries and carried on. "Hey, stop that! We're married to Gohan!!" They pulled apart and looked at her with amused expressions.

"Maybe you are but I sure as hell wouldn't marry that guy." She said.

"Videl…"

"Ah, ah! I do not like being called by that disgraceful name. That's who you are. I am Mara." 'Mara' said. Videl looked at her confused.

"This isn't real. It's just a dream." Videl said to herself, inhaling and exhaling to calm herself down. Mara walked towards Videl and stood in front of her.

"This is not a dream. I am real. I am you, the real you. Every time you've lost your temper for no reason, that was I. Anytime you found someone besides your husband attractive, that was I. Anytime you did something horrible or bad, that was me trying to break free of the prison you put me in. We could have been a great team, if you had let us join together as one. But since you're unwilling to cooperate I am going to take over." Mara said. Suddenly the ground beneath Videl began shifting and rose upwards creating a cage around her. Mara smiled and began to cackle evilly.

"Stop this please!" Videl cried. "I never meant to do this to you!"

"Of course you did! There's a reason why it's called the subconscious darling and it's because you aren't aware of what's going on." Mara said. "You weren't aware that you were pushing me aside. I embody everything dark about you Videl. I am the desires, the lust, and the power that you are afraid to embrace. Your fears have held you back but they will not hold me back."

"I will not allow you to do this!" Videl said. "Even if you succeed my husband will stop you."

"You really think he'll be able to kill the love of his life." Mara said mockingly. Videl's eyes widened. She realised that Mara was right. There was nothing she could do. Gohan could not come and fight in her subconscious and he would never kill her either. Mara smiled. "Don't worry, it won't be that bad. I'm planning to have loads of fun!" Mara linked her arm with Dimethic and waved to Videl before they disappeared.

"Gohan…" Videl said, as she fell to the bottom of her cage and began weeping.

Back with Gohan-tachi…

"So, Ceej." Goten said, sitting beside her on the bed in the infirmary. "How did you know that it wasn't me?" CJ looked down embarrassed.

"He talked weird, said 'wigged' and he called me by my first name, which you don't know." CJ said. "He also implied that we'd slept together and tried to again."

"NANI?!" Goten exclaimed. "I'm gonna kick his ass!"

"It's okay, I already did that." CJ smiled. Goten calmed down and took her hand.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you."

"Goten, I'm just glad you're here now."

"There was something that I wanted to tell you. The other night, when I told you how I felt, I meant it."

"I know."

"I never got an answer from you."

"…I know."

"Well, am I going to get one?" Goten asked. CJ chuckled. Goten looked at her confused.

"If you don't already know the answer Son Goten, then I'm afraid you're just going to have to find out the hard way." She smirked and patted his face.

"Sonna…! Not the hard way! I hate the hard way! It's very hard!" Goten pouted. She smiled and inched closer to his face. He started to blush. "CJ?"

"This ought to tide you over for a while." CJ said, before giving him a quick peck on the lips. CJ leaned back in her bed and left Goten with a dazed expression.

"As if I weren't confused enough…"

"Guys, come in here quick!" Bulma yelled. Everyone that could gathered in the monitor room and saw Dimethic on the screen.

"How the hell? I took out all your technology!" Trunks exclaimed.

"Satellite transmission." Nicholas replied.

"Oh. Good, wasn't my fault then."

"What do you want?" Vegeta demanded.

"To tell you that our negotiations failed. No truce."

"Then send Videl and David back." Andrea said. Dimethic laughed.

"Your husband is a little indisposed at the moment. As for Mara, she does not want to come back."

"Who the hell is Mara?" Gohan demanded.

"That would be me." Videl said, coming into view.

"Videl?" Gohan said, in disbelief.

"Hello lover. Shocked to see me?"

"Y-you're not Videl. You can't be!"

"Well you're kinda right. I prefer to go by Mara now."

"Dang girl, what are you wearing? It looks like an evil slut threw up on you!" Nicholas exclaimed.

"Nick, this is not the time." Natalie whispered.

"Stop this madness Videl and come back." Gohan said.

"I can't. I'm evil now." Videl said, in an almost humorous tone.

"You are not evil, you are good person!" Gohan said.

"Gohan please, don't goad her on." Natalie whispered.

"I have to talk some sense into her!"

"She will do something we'll all regret."

"Shut up! For the last time you do not know Videl. Just because you're crazy doesn't mean she is." Gohan said. Natalie pursed her lips together.

"Fine." Natalie said, leaving the room.

"Tsk, tsk Gohan baby. You should have listened to her." Videl said. "Women's intuition is never wrong."

"What are you talking about Videl?" Gohan said. He saw an unspeakable evil cross Videl's face as she grinned at him.

"I'm about to do something that you will all regret." Videl said. The picture on the monitor changed from inside the ship to the outside of a house.

"Good lord, that's our house." Nicholas said. "Everyone is there!"

"Please, don't tell me she's going to…" Before Bulma could finish her sentence the house blew up. The explosion was so powerful that it left the whole house burning with cinders falling everywhere. Everyone was put into a stunned silence. Gohan's breathing was the only thing that could be heard, as he was breathing in short quick breaths.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Gohan screamed in agony. The others looked as crestfallen as he did.

Back on the spaceship…

"My lady, why are there tears falling from your eyes?" Dimethic asked.

"I don't know…" Videl said. "I guess I am still not in full control." Dimethic came and put his arms around her.

"Soon you will have everything you want." He said.

"Yes. Soon."

To Be Continued…

Sorry guys, I know it's a cliffhanger. For once I actually wanted to not do a cliffhanger but I don't have the rest of the story written yet and this seemed like the only way to end it and still make sense. I will try and update as soon as possible okay? Bye!