Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty
Written by: Feraligreater328
Edited by: StevenBodner
Chapter 85: Training – Team Goku
4 weeks into training, within the Hyperbolic Time Chamber...
Bardock's eyes cracked open and he grunted as he sat up. The older Saiyan scratched the back of his head, stretched, and got up. The Hyperbolic Time Chamber made it hard to maintain a proper sleep cycle, given that day and night had no bearing within the infinite, white void. Bardock marched his way into the kitchen area, right next to the exit to the chamber, and poured himself a glass of water from the sink.
As he drank it, the older Saiyan turned and finally noticed that he wasn't alone in the little alcove. Sitting there, in a hardback chair, with her shotgun gripped tightly in her hands, was Future Ranch. Bardock stared piteously down at the girl, watching as she uncomfortably slept. She was shaking like a leaf. The older Saiyan frowned and thought back to a previous conversation that he had with his wife.
Before entering the Time Chamber, on the Lookout...
Bardock cocked his head. "Well, that's a surprise to hear. But...what I am supposed to do about that? I'm not going into the Time Chamber with him..."
Gine shook her head. "He's not who I'm concerned with. He'll speak up when he's good and ready."
She glanced away. "I'm worried about Ranch, Bardock. She's not...okay..."
Bardock sighed. "How so?"
Gine looked uncomfortable. She hugged herself. "It reminds me of...how you were after Planet Sashimi...after the Mantids...after..."
The motherly Saiyan shook her head. "She's scared Bardock. Scared and hurt and confused. If you look in her eyes, when her mind just starts to wander, you can see that she's barely keeping it together. She would have probably snapped by now if not for her two comrades..."
Bardock was reserved. He glanced down to the ground, looking as if his mind was falling into a darker place. Bardock closed his eyes and gripped his hand around his bicep, squeezing it tightly. He sighed. "Saiyan warriors aren't supposed to be swallowed up by such meaningless traumas..."
Gine stepped forward, gripping her hands on Bardock's hips and giving them a gentle, but firm squeeze. "Just because they aren't supposed doesn't mean they don't. You know that...I know that..."
Bardock cringed as he felt Gine's hand pressed against his left hip. She spoke gently. "We're her grandparents, Bardock. And, as of this moment, we're the only ones that really know something is wrong with her. We have to help her however we can."
The older Saiyan sighed. "Fine. I'll try my best, Gine. I'll try my best..."
Back in the present...
With a sigh, Bardock opened his eyes. He looked down at his trembling granddaughter and shook his head. "Well, there's no easy way to do this...I guess..."
And then, as gently as he could, Bardock reached out and touched Future Ranch's shoulder. And, not even a second later, Future Ranch's eyes cracked wide open and she thrust her shotgun up and jammed it right into Bardock's face. Future Ranch's eyes were wide, her breathing erratic. Her body was shaking as her heart beat like crazy. Bardock moved slowly and deliberately, reaching up to the barrel of the gun and moving it slowly out of his face. "Calm down, sugarbeet. It's just me..."
Future Ranch swallowed a lump in her throat. "Oh...hey Grandpa..."
Bardock nodded, pushing the shotgun barrel down. "So... why aren't you sleeping in your bed? You and Gohan have a room that you can sleep in together. Wouldn't that be a more comfortable spot than this rickety, old chair?"
Future Ranch took a deep breath, and then slowly let it out. She very clearly forced a jovial smile and spoke in a joking tone. "I couldn't sleep in there, Grandpa! Gohan...I didn't want to embarrass him...but Gohan farted. And it stank."
Bardock stared down at Future Ranch for a moment, her eyes remained squeezed shut. Her mouth started to twitch in pain from having to hold the smile. Bardock looked down at her hands again, seeing them trembling whilst wrapped around the shotgun. He closed his eyes and nodded. "Right. Kakarot's farts are pretty awful too. I'll make sure to yell at them both later about sticking to a healthier diet."
Future Ranch nodded. "R-Right..."
Bardock turned, walking away from her. "I'm gonna go wake up Kakarot and Gohan for breakfast. Think you could get something good started and I come help you once I drag 'em out of bed?"
Future Ranch immediately stood, her posture stiff. "I-It's okay. I-I can handle it. You just take your time getting those two out of bed and I'll have something decent ready by the time you all arrive..."
Bardock glanced back at her. "You sure?"
Future Ranch didn't look at him, nodding rapidly. "Yeah. You're on dinner duty anyway, right? It wouldn't be fair to m-make you cook twice!"
Bardock paused for a moment, taking note of Future Ranch's posture. Even standing and gathering cookware, she was still shaking like a soaked cat. Bardock sighed. "I suppose not..."
And then, the older Saiyan walked away from the room. And, once he was gone, and Future Ranch was all by herself, fearful tears began to stream down her face and she bit her lower lip as she began to cook.
20 minutes later...
Bardock made sure to take his time as he beckoned Goku and Gohan out of bed. The two younger Saiyans were both go-getters when it came to training and work ethic, but the fact that they both rested in place like rocks in a riverbed always made it difficult to get them up.
Once they arrived into the kitchen though, the three were met by a delicious sight: four bowls of breakfast rice, topped with fried eggs and sausage links, and served alongside mugs of hot tea. Goku and Gohan both rushed in, plopping down at the table as Future Ranch stepped forward and placed a large bottle of soy sauce for everyone to use in the center.
Bardock stood by, taking a moment to read his granddaughter. The shaking had stopped, thankfully, but there was still and uneasy feeling coming off of her. She was no longer a shaking wreck, rather almost like a machine. Her eyes were focused on each piece of table setting, placing chopsticks at exact angles and slapping Goku's hand away when he tried to disturb them without permission.
Gohan chuckled at his father's predicament, but then turned to his grandfather. "Grandpa Bardock? Is something wrong?"
Bardock zoned back in. "Nah. Just thinking about something trivial."
He sat at his seat, next to Gohan and diagonal from Goku, and waited for Future Ranch to sit. Once she did, Bardock noticed her posture. Her shoulders locked into a tight, defensive huddle. Her eyes affixed onto her bowl. Now in a state of rest, Bardock watched Future Ranch grab her chopsticks. Her hands were shaking again. He sighed. "Well, let's all thank Ranch for this excellent meal!"
Goku smiled and started eating. "Fank oo Rumch!"
Gohan smiled and gave his gratitude. "Thank you for the meal, Ranch."
She smiled and nodded. "O-Of course!"
Bardock poured a bit of the soy sauce onto his rice and mashed the egg in. He started to eat, but subversively kept his eye on his granddaughter. Future Ranch was fine on the surface. But even a minor bit of attention scratch away that surface to reveal several truly worrying things: Future Ranch's hands were still shaking, her eyes wide with fear as if something was putting her on edge, her throat gesticulated up and down as she swallowed, barely able to down even a small mouthful of rice.
Bardock sighed. "Ranch..."
She flinched and looked up at him, her pupils quivering. Bardock stared at her for a minute, and then realized that this wasn't the place to bring this up. Instead, he simply tossed her a napkin. "You have egg yolk on the corner of your mouth..."
She politely nodded. "S-Sorry Grandpa. I didn't mean to make a mess..."
Bardock glanced over, looking at his youngest son with his face covered in rice. "You're fine. You're not a pig like some people at this table!"
Goku chewed. "Hey! You eat just as messily as I do most of the time! I'm not acting weird, you are!"
Bardock rolled his eyes. "Let's talk about our training today. Less tables manners, more fighting!"
Goku wiped his mouth with a smile. "Now you're talking!"
Gohan smiled as well. Future Ranch sighed and wiped her mouth with her napkin. "Yes. Down to business!"
Bardock mentally noted Future Ranch's sudden change in demeanor. He leaned back in his chair. "Kakarot and I had a long talk during our private spar yesterday. And, we feel that we're super close to our first and foremost goal in this training..."
Goku turned to his son and gripped his fist tight. "You're so close to Super Saiyan, I can smell it! You're nearly there, son!"
Bardock nodded. "So, for the sake of increasing all of our individual strengths, as well as getting Gohan to breach that hurdle, we're going to double down on our efforts and really push ourselves today!"
Future Ranch put on a wry smirk. "Grandpa...we've 'doubled down' on our efforts every day since we've come in here! We're kind of pushing the limits of exponential increase..."
Bardock sneered. "That sentence had too many syllables! Apologize!"
He leaned forward as Future Ranch rolled her eyes. He poked his finger into the table. "Bottom line, if we're going to make any meaningful gains in this little training vacation...then Gohan's hair needs to be sparkling gold! And quickly!"
Goku chuckled. "It shouldn't take much longer! Like I said...we're close~"
The Saiyan from Earth slammed his fist into his open palm. "And then, once Gohan has become a Super Saiyan, we can focus on trying to replicate what Vegeta did! We can find some way to ascend past Super Saiyan and find the next level of power~"
Future Ranch picked up her mug of tea. "I'll drink to that. I don't plan to leave this place until I can wear Vegeta like a shoe."
Goku snorted, laughing at Future Ranch's comment. Bardock smirked. "Well, someone's peppy all of a sudden..."
As the three of them started to discuss strength, however, Gohan sighed. "G-Guys..."
Everyone fell silent and looked towards him. Gohan blushed and scratched the back of his head. "Not to be a downer...but are we even sure that I can go Super Saiyan? I would think that, if it was possible, I would have gone Super Saiyan during the two years of training..."
He chuckled. "I'm starting to think that I might just be like Uncle Raditz, incapable of transforming at all..."
And then, like clockwork, the other three answered back in unison. "Wrong."
Gohan flinched. "Wh-What?!"
He adjusted himself. "You all sound so sure. How can you be so sure?"
Future Ranch stood and began to gather the dishes. "Well, if you remember the story we told you on the plane ride, I've seen you as a Super Saiyan, Gohan."
Goku smiled, closing his eyes. "Besides, you've already gone Super Saiyan~"
That statement nearly sent Gohan flying out of his chair. His eyes went wide and he stammered. "Wh-What?! Wh-What do you mean I've already gone Super Saiyan! Wh-When?!"
Goku shrugged. "Beats the heck out of me."
Gohan looked to Bardock. Bardock cocked his head. "Don't look at me, I've never seen your hair turn gold. But I know you've done it."
Future Ranch gestured as she started washing the bowls. "Same."
Gohan swallowed a lump in his throat. "But, h-how can you tell? If none of you have ever seen me as a Super Saiyan, then how...?"
Goku chuckled. "Kinda hard to explain it. But...it's the way your ki looks..."
Bardock nodded. "Surely a kid as smart as you has noticed. The difference in normal Saiyan ki and Super Saiyan ki. Just picture Raditz's ki signature in your head and then compare it to your Dad's..."
Gohan thought hard and quickly realized that, just like Bardock had said, he had noticed a difference before. A slight, ethereal glow to the ki signature of people like his Dad, his Grandpa, Vegeta, and the Future Trio. Gohan looked down at his hand, with his ki sense active, and saw a similar glow radiating from himself. It was even more faint that everyone else's...but it was still there.
Future Ranch toweled the bowls dry and put them back into the cupboard. "And not to compare your timeline to mine, given all the changes that have happened, but you are the same age as my Gohan was when he turned..."
This thought brought a sullen frown to Future Ranch's face for just a moment, but then she shook it off and gave her cousin a reassuring smile. "Gohan, I know you can do this if we just keep trying. If we all work together, you'll ascend just fine."
Gohan nervously scratched the back of his head, not making eye contact with anyone. "Well...if you guys all think I can do it..."
Out in the chamber...
After a couple of hours of warming-up and practice sparring, Goku called out. "Okay then everyone! Let's get serious!"
Everyone turned to Goku and watched as the Saiyan pressed his fists together. "We're going to tackle today's training with a swing-hook strategy! We'll partner up with one another, one-on-one, and train until we've gotten fully used to each other's moves. And then, once our opponents become too familiar, we'll suddenly switch things up to give ourselves a different experience!"
Goku pointed to the kids. "Ranch! Gohan! You two'll start with each other. And me and my Dad will take our time together!"
Gohan and Future Ranch both nodded. "Yes, sir!"
And then, the two of them took off to find their own spot to train. As they did, Goku faced down Bardock and took a fighting stance. "Now...while they do their things...I hope you're ready, Dad~"
Bardock took a wide stance. "Boy, you talk like I'm scared of you or somethin'. You really need to remember, no matter how strong you think you are, I'm still your Pop and I'll pop you in the mouth if you get too cocky~"
Over with Gohan and Future Ranch...
Gohan stared down Future Ranch with serious determination as he took a fighting stance. Future Ranch smirked, cracking her knuckles. "Your 'tough-guy' look is adorable~! Not to sound bitter, but you never let up when you were training me, so I'll do you the same pleasure~"
Future Ranch went Super Saiyan. Gohan sagged. "Oh, come on! That's not fair..."
Future Ranch struck a fighting stance and chuckled. "Fairs are for tourists, kid. Now come at me with all you have!"
Gohan flinched. "But-"
Future Ranch sighed. "Fine."
And then, clearing the distance between the two of them in an instant, Future Ranch delivered a scathing roundhouse kick to Gohan's chest that sent him bouncing across the void. Gohan backflipped and landed on his feet, only to find a small flurry of ki blasts were already on top of him. Gohan flinched, but then looked as the ki blasts sat suspended in the air. "Wh-What...?"
Before he could try and learn more about these floating ki orbs, Future Ranch charged at Gohan again. She dropped an axe kick onto the boy, but he blocked it with his forearms. Gohan sent Future Ranch flying back into the air and he jumped back to counterattack. He charged a ki blast, but Future Ranch quickly met him and smashed her own blast into his. The two of them both withdrew their smoking hands and Future Ranch chirped. "Keep your eye on the target~! That's what you always said, Gohan~!"
The two of them began to exchange blows back and forth, stuck in the middle of a field of floating ki spheres. The sounds of their blows echoed across the void. Future Ranch was excited to see that Gohan was able to keep up with her, having quite a bit of pride in her younger cousin. Gohan threw an obvious side kick, but Future Ranch easily caught the attack and pulled Gohan off the ground, kicking him away with a sharp strike of her own.
Gohan skidded once more, righting himself upright, only for three of the ki spheres to suddenly volley into him. Gohan nodded. "I see. You're controlling your ki attacks the same way Yamcha does..."
Future Ranch smugly smirked, spinning a ki sphere on her index finger like a basketball. "I guess Yamcha does something like this. But...I'm better~"
Gohan stood and Future Ranch wickedly chuckled. "You should never lose track of your opponent, Gohan. A wise warrior makes sure to keep track of all aspects of their foes~"
And then, Future Ranch waved her hand around in the air. Ki swirled around her palm and then she arched it through the air, unleashing hundreds of small ki blasts that quickly swelled into a larger size. "Keeping in line with the naming scheme I borrowed from my Dad, I call this move my Firefly Festivus~"
Gohan was in awe. "It's like Mr. Piccolo's Scatter Shot, but you made so many so fast..."
Future Ranch smirked and then disappeared. Moving quickly, she appeared behind Gohan and chopped him between the shoulder blades, knocking him to the ground. Gohan pushed himself up with some effort and stared up at Future Ranch. She smiled down at him. "You died before I could really ever show what I was able to do because of you..."
She sighed. "You always told me that my talents were my exceptionally large ki pool...and my skill at trajectories from my Mom teaching me how to shoot. So, I took that advice and ran with it. I made all sorts of techniques to take advantage of my exceptional aim...I even had Miss Bulma make me all sorts of gadgetry to help better focus my ki. I... wish that you could have seen it in my time, Gohan..."
Seeing an opening, Gohan shot up and slammed his head into the blushing Future Ranch's gut. She stumbled back and Gohan landed on his feet, striking a fighting stance. "It sounds like I became pretty cool in the future. Like a superhero. I... I've always wanted to try being a superhero~"
Future Ranch coughed, wiping the corner of her mouth. "Cheap shot. That wasn't very fair..."
Gohan smirked. "Fairs are for tourists~"
Future Ranch sighed. "Touché."
She charged and she and Gohan clashed. Gohan's guard held strong at the two of them pushed against one another. Future Ranch smiled kindly. "Gohan...I promise you this. In a world where people are plagued with fear of the Androids, you're a true hero to everyone who remembers you!"
Gohan chuckled. "That makes me happy."
And then, he let his guard go, side-stepping and allowing Future Ranch's momentum to send her crashing forward. As she stumbled, Gohan spun on his heel and delivered a backfist to Future Ranch's jaw. And then, as she flew, Gohan grabbed his older cousin by the tail and slammed her hard onto the ground. Future Ranch cringed, but she summoned several of her floating ki spheres down to smash into Gohan.
Being smart, Gohan turned and fired a volley of his own attacks into the oncoming assault. As his blasts flew towards hers, however, Gohan was stunned to see two beams of energy shoot towards Future Ranch's spheres. "BANG! BANG!"
But rather than make the spheres explode, the beams quickly ricocheted right back into Gohan's chest. The boy went flying back and was immediately assaulted by twelve more blasts. Undeterred, Gohan got back to his feet and turned to Future Ranch, who was holding up two smoking finger guns. "One of the moves that you taught me once we learned what I was good at! The Bang!"
And then, Future Ranch brought her hands to her sides and charged two balls of energy. "You taught me that, and all of my Dad's old tricks~ You really are a prodigy when it comes to learning attacks, Gohan~!"
Future Ranch thrust her hands towards him. "Double Sunday!"
Gohan leapt above the blasts and tossed down several flurries of his own ki blasts. Future Ranch stared up at them for a brief moment and then, without her feet even leaving the ground, she simply side-stepped between all of the blasts. Gohan was unnerved. "Whoa!"
She smiled and bowed. "Having such a good eye for aiming and trajectory has made me really good at dodging, the more I practice~"
And then, Future Ranch pointed both of her finger guns into the air and took a deep breath. "BANG! BANG!"
Two beams of ki shot from her fingertips and Gohan just barely dodged them both. Future Ranch winked at Gohan and stuck her tongue out. "Let's see how quickly you can dodge all of these, Gohan!"
Future Ranch laughed and then let all hell break loose. "BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!"
Over with Goku and Bardock...
Bardock blocked one of Goku's kicks with his forearm, glancing over at Gohan and Future Ranch's fight. "Her entire demeanor changes when she's in a fight...maybe I could use that to try and suss out what's going on..."
Goku's fist collided with Bardock's face and made his teeth rattled. "What are ya sayin', Dad?"
Bardock snarled. "Smart-ass little brat!"
Goku and Bardock both kicked at the same time and their legs crossed with force. Goku smirked. "Man, it's nice to see exactly where I got my fighting instincts from. Even when you're distracted, you're still a really good spar, Dad~"
Bardock chuckled, smiling with pride at his son. "I'll admit, it's nice to see the type of guy you grew into being. Much better than that crying brat that every baby in the nursery hated."
The two of them forced their legs against each other. But then, Goku took advantage by leaping from the ground and kneeing Bardock in the chin. Bardock took it in stride, going along with the motion. Once Goku's knee was clear, he shot his head forward and headbutted Goku in the face, planting two blasts into his son's chest and sending him packing. Goku skidded back, but didn't lose his footing. He clapped his hands on the blasts and crushed them, and then he shot forward and the two of them clashed fists.
Goku deflected a blow from Bardock and responded with a double punch to the gut. Bardock returned with an elbow strike to the head that sent Goku crashing to the ground. Goku smirked and dived between Bardock's legs, knocking him to the ground and grabbing him into a tight ankle lock. Bardock raised an eyebrow. "Do we think we're clever?"
Goku chuckled. "Yee~"
Bardock smirked. "Hmm..."
And then he forced himself backwards, knocking Goku down and landing feet first on his chest. Bardock stomped his foot into Goku's gut, just to be a dick, and cocked his head. "Do we still think we're clever, Kakarot?"
Goku smirked and pressed his fingers to his forehead. Using Instant Transmission, Goku teleported high into the air. And then he twisted his hands to his side and charged and attack. "Kamehameha!"
The beam came shooting at Bardock and he rolled his eyes. He responded with a Kamehameha of his own, creating a beam struggle that quickly ended in a stalemate. Bardock cracked his neck. "You know, Roshi says you're doing that wrong..."
Goku chuckled. "I know. I copied him when I was little and just chose to ignore that muscle mass and the deliberate hand motions. It's quicker that way, and easier to use~"
Bardock nodded. "I suppose I can see the logic in that. Super Saiyan time?"
Goku braced himself. "Super Saiyan time~"
And then, both of the Saiyans erupted in golden flames. Bardock immediately rushed into the air and he and his son clashed, grasping each other's hands and locked up. A test of strength quickly came about and neither man was willing to back down. Bardock tried to jam his knees into Goku's gut, but Goku tanked it. Goku slammed his forehead into Bardock's forehead, but the older Saiyan gave the same non-reactions. They gripped their hands tighter and shouted, blowing each other back with their power.
Goku took a fighting stance. "You've got a lot of tricks, eh Dad?"
Bardock snorted. "Years of experience."
Goku nodded. "You've been teaching Gohan some of those years of experience when you babysit him, right?"
Bardock nodded. "Yeah. Gotta cultivate such natural talent. You know what's up with that boy of yours, right?"
Goku sighed. "Goku is certainly unique. So much power, so much potential, even when he was young and we were living out in the dangers of Mt. Paozu, there was always something unique about him. This one time, a bear came into the yard and-"
Bardock raised his hand. "I can imagine what happened..."
Goku smirked. "And then, when Raditz first came to Earth and Gohan did that flying headbutt into his chest..."
Bardock and Goku both took a moment to stretch. Bardock sighed. "I have a couple of theories about what's going on with him. A lot of old Saiyan folklore and whatnot. Super Saiyan turned out to be real even though I thought it little more than a children's story, myself. So... I guess anything is possible..."
Goku cocked his head. "Like what?"
Bardock sighed. "Other people, like your mother, are better at telling stories like this than me. But...I'm starting to think there's a chance that Gohan might be an Alpha-Type, what with the huge-ass energy pool and the rage issues...just, not unrepentantly evil..."
Taking advantage of Bardock's distraction, Goku charged forward and tried to elbow his Dad in the chest. Bardock caught the elbow without looking and then glared down at his son. "That was cheap..."
Goku chuckled. "Are you mad?"
Bardock smirked. "Nah. I'm actually kind glad to see that you're a bit more like me than I thought~"
The older Saiyan shoved his son back. "But we're getting to the point where we're able to predict each other. So, you know what that means!"
Goku nodded. And then, the two of them shouted at the same time. "SWITCH UP!"
Over with Gohan and Future Ranch...
Bardock launched across the void and kicked Gohan in the gut, sending him crashing into the distance. As Future Ranch stood there with a baffled look on her face, Goku Instant Transmissioned in front of her with a smile. "Hey Ranch~"
And then, creating a buffer of ki around his foot, Goku shoved the girl back and took a fighting stance. Future Ranch glared and flared her Super Saiyan power. "I see you and Grandpa Bardock have gone Super Saiyan. Did you get bored that quickly?"
Goku chuckled. "What about you?"
Future Ranch took a fighting stance. "Just trying to do my part to get Gohan to transform."
And then, she launched forward and tried to kick Goku in the face. Goku ducked and then spiked his niece into the air like a volleyball. "I appreciate that! I'll do my best to help you get stronger too!"
Goku followed up the spike with a massive Kiai that rippled out and dispersed all of Future Ranch's ki spheres. She sneered and landed in a crouching position on the ground, raising her finger guns and firing at her Uncle. "BANG! BANG!"
Goku easily slapped the beams away and advanced. He tried to drop an axe kick onto Future Ranch, but she dodged out of the way and fired another Bang at Goku's chest. Goku caught the beam and quashed it. "You're going to have trouble getting one over on me with moves I've seen before. But still, I'm impressed that the three of you have mastered so many of all of our skills..."
Future Ranch smirked. "Gohan was a great teacher. He taught me moves that take advantage of my aiming skills. He taught Trunks moves that revolve around cutting. And he taught Daikon moves that revolve around blunt force!"
She started charging a blast. "He focused on our strengths to make us specialize on one specific type of offense each. And then we took those teachings and rolled with them in our own training~"
Goku smiled. "That's good. Nobody should expect someone to be good at everything. Carrying too much weight on your shoulders is unhealthy..."
Future Ranch tossed the blast, but Goku powered through it and clashed with her. Getting up close and personal, Goku's face took a worried look. "So, with that in mind, are you okay...?"
Future Ranch flinched back. "Wh-What do you mean...?"
Goku maintained the pressure, tossing her into the air. "It's just...I don't want to say anything in front of my Dad or Gohan, because I don't wanna distract them or embarrass you, but you seem so tense. Is there something I can help you out with?"
Goku turned in the air and slammed his leg against Future Ranch's forearm. She blocked the strike, but her entire arm tingled. She winced and used her Firefly Festivus to create a cloud of energy spheres beneath her. "It's...I'm fine, Uncle. Thank you for asking though..."
Goku smiled. "Anytime! I try to be there for all my friends and family when I can be~"
Future Ranch beamed. "You're just as good of a person as I've always heard, Uncle Goku..."
But then, she grabbed Goku's leg and tossed him into the mine field she had created below. "But you need to remember that, family or not, this is a fight~!"
Goku looked around, surrounded on all sides by a field of ki blasts. Future Ranch charged an attack above her head and fired it at Goku's chest. "Masenko!"
The attack pushed Goku even deeper into Future Ranch's trap, and then she fired two more blasts. "Bang! Bang!"
The finger beams shot into the field of ki spheres and then, rather than making the blasts explode, they started to ricochet between them. One of the beams shot at Goku faster than he could dodge and nicked his cheek. Goku looked up at her with some pride. "This is a pretty creative set-up~"
Future Ranch bowed, and then she fired even more Bang attacks into the field. Soon, Goku was trapped in a cage of rapidly ricocheting beams that he barely had any time to dodge. Future Ranch smugly crossed her arms over her chest just as she had done with Gohan. "Give up, Uncle Goku?"
Goku smirked. "Let's not get carried away..."
And then, he let the full breadth of his Super Saiyan power loose. The sheer force of the energy raged out and swallowed up Future Ranch's trap, clearing the field. Goku chuckled and wiped the blood from his cheek with his thumb. "Let's not get too hasty and start thinking that we're invincible, okay? Being too cocky will end with you flat on you back~"
Future Ranch stared down at the glowing, golden form of her Uncle. She sweetly smiled. "Yeah, I gotta say...Miss Bulma and Gohan weren't kidding around when they talked about you..."
Goku cocked his head. "Huh?"
Future Ranch smiled. "Strong, kind, a genius fighter...it really does make a person feel safe to be around you, Uncle~"
Goku bashfully scratched the back of his head. "Aww~ You're gonna make me blush~!"
Future Ranch raised her finger guns with a smile. "You're the exact opposite of that bastard Vegeta. And I'd love to have a Round 2, if you wouldn't mind~"
Goku chuckled and struck a fighting stance. "I wouldn't mind at all. But I feel like I should tell you something about that finger gun attack you keep using. You said Gohan taught it to you, right?"
Future Ranch frowned. "Y-Yeah..."
Goku smirked. "Do you know where he learned it from...?"
She slowly shook her head. "N-No..."
A bead of sweat ran down Goku's face. "Well...as far as I know about that move...he probably learned it...from...Veg-"
Future Ranch's face turned bright red with anger. She was practically breathing fire before Goku could even finish his sentence. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"
Over with Bardock and Gohan...
Bardock went at Gohan with full-force, not even bothering to drop Super Saiyan to make the fight a bit more even with his young, grandson. He slammed his fist, full-force into Gohan's guard and made the boy's guard break. Gohan went flying back was immediately set upon with a punch to the gut and an elbow to the back of the neck. Gohan slammed against the floor and he groaned. "G-Grandpa...can you ease up a bit? Mr. Piccolo wasn't even this harsh..."
Bardock rolled his eyes. "Bullshit, kid. I've met Piccolo. And besides, if I wasn't harsh on you, you wouldn't learn! Remember the way of Oozaru~?"
Gohan smirked and stood, wiping his face. "Oozaru strong. Oozaru challenge Moon to fistfight~"
Bardock nodded. "There's my grandson~! Glad you could finally join me! I don't know who that other whiny brat was a second ago, but he sure looked a lot like you~"
Bardock thrust his hand forward. "KI REVOLT!"
A flurry of ki blasts shot out of Bardock's palm and flew towards Gohan in a pincer motion. Gohan leapt back to dodge, but the attacks followed along. So, Gohan was forced to block them once more. Being hammered back again and again and again, Gohan was reeling. Bardock shouted back. "Keep this in your mind, boy! It's not only the Saiyans that grow from adversity and struggle! All beings gain new levels of strength from enduring the worst the world can throw at them! The steeper the mountain, the more one should want to climb it! That's the only way to know what lies at the peak...and the only way to view the next mountain to climb!"
Bardock zipped over to Gohan and the two clashed fists. Bardock smiled. "We're all waiting for you, kid! Our hands are outstretched! We want you to make it to the top of this mountain with us so that we can climb the next one together as a group in solidarity! We're the only Saiyans left, so we've gotta make sure we keep each other strong~!"
Gohan was forced back, but Bardock didn't let up. "So, you've gotta stop doubting yourself! I heard you at the table this morning, saying you're like Raditz! Unable to achieve the next level! But, even if that were true, that doesn't mean you stop trying! My oldest son is an envelope pusher, being around all of you has turned him into one! And it allowed him to get stronger in here! I would expect no less from my grandson, who has already been on the other side of this golden fence once!"
Bardock and Gohan exchanged blows back and forth. Bardock was shivering with delight as Gohan quickly began to match him blow for blow. With the boy's fist smashed into his cheek, Bardock laughed out loud. "You're going to ascend Gohan! I know you will! So, get to it already!"
Gohan hammered his elbow into Bardock's chest, and then kicked him under the chin. The older Saiyan fell back and crashed onto his back. He sat up and was prepared for more, but then saw that Gohan had collapsed to his knees from exhaustion. Bardock sighed. "Okay, fine. Let's take a small break..."
The boy looked up, sweat pouring down his face. "A-Are you sure? I can keep going..."
Bardock shook his head. "Nah. Gine would kill me if she thought I was being mean to you. Your Mom too. And she's pregnant, so I really don't wanna piss her off."
Gohan smiled. "Yeah...I'm really excited..."
Bardock cocked his head. "Oh?"
Gohan nodded. "Uh-huh. I went with my Mom to one of her most recent ultrasound appointments. I got to see a little of what my new, baby sibling would look like. I'm so excited to meet them and be a good big brother~!"
Bardock's smile dropped just a bit, his eyes glancing away. "Good big brother, huh...?"
A small silence. Gohan started to feel a bit worried. "G-Grandpa? Is something wrong?"
Bardock sighed. "No. Nothing's wrong. Just...keep in mind that being the big brother is a lot of responsibility. That little one is going to rely on you. They're going to seek you out for advice, and look up to you, and counting on you for things that might just seem meaningless. But..."
Bardock looked over and saw that Gohan was hanging onto his every word. The older Saiyan held out his hand. "This is what they rely on the most. As an older brother, it's your job to always be there to offer a hand when they're scared or unsure. It's your job to...to never leave them behind..."
The older Saiyan gripped his fist, seemingly having made himself angry about something. Gohan stood. "G-Grandpa Bardock...?"
Bardock interrupted. "Gohan. Please...promise me that you'll always be there for this new baby. That you'll always do your best to be there for them, as a big brother..."
Gohan nodded. "O-Of course! I promise!"
Bardock smiled. "Good. I expect you to keep that promise. Not as a grandson to a grandfather..."
The older Saiyan stood. "But as one big brother to another."
Gohan nodded again. "Yes, sir!"
Bardock looked down on Gohan with pride. "You're such a good kid. I look forward to seeing that hair shining gold. Now..."
Gohan flinched back. Bardock shouted at the top of his lungs. "SWITCH UP!"
Over with Goku and Future Ranch...
Goku and Future Ranch both clashed and then separated. Goku smiled. "I think we're starting to get used to each other's movements. You know what that means, right?"
Future Ranch didn't even look, simply catching the oncoming ki blast with her hand and crushing it. "Nice sparring with you, Uncle Goku~"
Goku nodded. "You too. We definitely need to spar some more later~"
Future Ranch chuckled and nodded back. "On your left!"
Goku pressed his fingers to his forehead. "I know."
And then, he Instant Transmissioned out of the way of one of Gohan's kicks. Appearing behind his surprised son, Goku smashed the boy down to the ground below. As they did their thing, Bardock came up behind Future Ranch with his Rebellion Edge: a ki blade formed around his hand. Future Ranch caught Bardock's forearm and shifted around to face him. "Grandpa Bardock."
Bardock looked serious. "Ranch."
And then, he kicked her back and fired a series of ki blasts that drove the girl into the ground. Bardock stared down at her as she stood back up. He had enjoyed his chat with Kakarot and he had partaken in a heart-to-heart with Gohan. Now, he had to try to figure out what was going on with Future Ranch that made her such a nervous wreck. He had to find the root of her trauma, and then help her through it.
As Future Ranch stood up, Bardock appeared behind her and kicked her in the small of her back. She went flying forward and the older Saiyan adjusted his head bandana. 'At least battling seems to take some of the edge off of her. I might be able to figure this out if I push her hard enough while we fight...'
Over with Gohan and Goku...
As those two sparred nearby, Goku and Gohan faced each other down. Goku let loose a calm sigh and his Super Saiyan power dispersed. Gohan was confused. "D-Dad?"
Goku smiled. "You seem tired. And I'm not here to use you as a punching back, Son. I still have a pretty good advantage over you in my normal state, but this should allow you to get a few over on me too. So, come on~!"
Seeing his father beckoning him, Gohan charged. He laid into his father with a series of different strikes, punches and kicks and the occasional headbutt or tail whip. Goku blocked most of these attacks with ease, but was happy to see that his son wasn't letting up. Ever since everything had started way back when with Raditz showing up, Goku had watched his son grow from a meek toddler into a fine, young warrior. Even if Gohan's dream was to become a scholar above all else, Goku could live contently knowing that his son was up for a good scrap on occasion.
And, furthermore, he could breathe easy knowing in his heart that Gohan would surpass him one day and that Earth would be safe and sound if Goku ever had to leave it in his son's protection.
Gohan threw a blast and Goku quickly smacked it aside, but was then surprised by a sudden uppercut to the jaw. Goku stumbled back and immediately was set aflame by the determined spark in Gohan's eyes. He chuckled. "Well now..."
The father and son both smiled at one another, and then they charged to continue their sparring.
Back with Bardock and Future Ranch...
Bardock continued his assault against Future Ranch, charging the girl and sending her into the air with a sharp kick to the jaw. Future Ranch arched up into the air and then crashed onto the ground hard. The last two sparring matches she had gone in with Gohan and Goku had burned through quite a bit of Future Ranch's power. But she sat up and wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth. Bardock stood over her. "Come on, girl! I know you have more in you than that! It's time to start addressing some issues I've noticed with you!"
Future Ranch stood, staring into her grandfather's cold, harsh gaze. To most, it would look like little more than heavy breathing, but Future Ranch could feel it encroaching on her again. Her shoulders were starting to lock up, and her hands began to lightly tremble.
As Bardock started to march forward, focused on the fight at hand, Future Ranch cold feel the twin devils of insecurity and fear weighing down on her. She shook her head. 'It's just Grandpa Bardock, stay calm...'
Bardock came shooting forward and tried to punch Future Ranch, but she seamlessly grabbed his arm and shoulder threw him across the void. Future Ranch charged at Bardock and charged and attack. "Shining Friday!"
The older Saiyan leapt to his feet and spun, launching a Kiai at Future Ranch that hit her like a truck. Her attack dispelled and she fell to her knees. Bardock started marching towards Future Ranch once again, his temperament standard for the older Saiyan while focused on a fight. Bardock's eye were furious and cold, his posture solid and squared up.
Future Ranch looked at this person approaching her and, despite her best efforts to prevent it, the thoughts of her situation back home crept into her mind. Future Ranch's chest felt tight, like someone was squeezing her heart with both hands. Her lungs felt like they were full of mud. She stood to face this challenge, but Future Ranch's vision began to blur. And the figure that was once Bardock quickly became two figures marching towards her. The sounds of screaming, fear, and death ran in Future Ranch's ears and she felt the cold press of familiar lips against her own. Future Ranch's face twisted into a mask of rage and fury and she charged two ki blasts.
From the other side of the battlefield, Bardock saw the look on his granddaughter's face. He remembered how he felt all those decades ago when his friends had helped him get past the pain and frustration that he held in his heart. Bardock gripped his fists tight and charged. 'Don't worry Ranch, I'll help you! I promise!'
Back with Goku and Gohan...
As Goku and Gohan continued to spar, it was clear to Goku that his son was totally worn out. Goku smirked and charged at his son, his fist reared back for a massive punch. Gohan was too sluggish to dodge, so he responded as well as he could. He faced Goku's attack head-on, shouting at the top of his lungs and making his energy flare. Goku was prepared to follow through with the blow, but then he saw little glimmers on gold in Gohan's aura and came to a dead stop. Gou looked down at Gohan. His hair wasn't gold, but his eyes were different: a very dark shade of green.
Goku gasped, but then Gohan's energy gave way and he fell to his knees. "I-I'm sorry, Dad. I want to keep going, but..."
Gohan was surprised when Goku fell to his knees and immediately wrapped the boy into a tight, fatherly hug. Gohan chuckled. "Th-Thanks Dad..."
Goku spoke warmly, embracing his son tight. "Do you have any idea how proud of you I am?"
Gohan flinched. Goku continued. "Whatever you decide to do in life, whether you become a fighter or a scholar or whatever, seeing you take all of these lessons to heart and grow from them does me proud~!"
Gohan smiled. "You mean that, Dad?"
Goku chuckled. "Course I do! One day, Gohan, you're going to be the strongest fighter in the whole universe! Better than me or Vegeta or Raditz or Piccolo or anybody!"
Gohan chuckled back, grabbing his father and returning the hug. The two of them had both had a great day of training.
Back with Bardock and Future Ranch...
Future Ranch was sent flying back again, crashing against the ground. Bardock marched back at her. "Come on, Ranch! You can do this! Just let it out!"
But as Bardock came at her again, Future Ranch didn't hear a single word he had said. Her ears were ringing, her vision was unable to focus, her heart was pounding like a hammer against and anvil, and her strength was rapidly vanishing. Despite her best attempts to fight against it, Future Ranch couldn't resist against it any longer.
Bardock knocked her to the ground with another punch, and that was it. Future Ranch's strength was gone. Her Super Saiyan form dispersed. Future Ranch began to hyperventilate. Her heart was beating in her throat. She felt like she was going to vomit. Her face was hot. Sweat poured down her brow. She was trembling, but her hands were numb. She was so dizzy she couldn't stand. Future Ranch looked up at the form of Bardock, but all she saw were the silhouettes of Android 17 and Android 18 looming over her. Tears began to form in Future Ranch's eyes and her jaw locked so hard that her teeth felt like they were about to shatter.
And then, the silhouette of Android 17 reached towards her, his voice speaking with concern. "Ranch...?"
Future Ranch flinched back, shying away from the hand. "No..."
The silhouette tried again, grabbing her by the shoulder and speaking. "Ranch, calm down! It's just-"
And then Future Ranch broke down into a full-on panic attack. She screamed at the top of her lungs and booted "Android 17" in the face as hard as she could. "NO! STOP! GET AWAY FROM ME!"
As "17" fell back, "Android 18 suddenly came forth and grabbed Future Ranch by the shoulders. "Ranch! What's going on?!"
She twisted in "18's" grip, pulling herself away and punching at "18", only for "18" to grab her by the wrists. "Calm down, Ranch!"
Ranch shouted, tears now pouring down her face in droves. "NO! GET OFF OF ME! GET YOUR GODDAMNED HANDS OFF OF ME!"
Future Ranch scooted away, shaking like a leaf as she stared at the confused and horrified expressions of "17" and "18". She squeezed her eyes shut and curled up into a ball, sobbing. "P-Please...please don't hurt me. Please..."
"Ranch..."
Hearing a familiar voice, Future Ranch's eyes popped open and she saw the worried face of Gohan hanging over her. Immediately, she grabbed him and pulled him close. Hugging him as if he were the most solid object on the planet. Future Ranch glared over Gohan's shoulder, her breathing still heavy and hoarse and her tears still flowing. And, to her horror, "17" and "18" quickly disappeared, replaced by the horrified form of Goku, his lip busted, and the terrified form of Bardock, blood pouring from his busted nose.
Future Ranch saw those two, realizing that she had just allowed her controlled image to slip in front of them...and the she simply buried her face into Gohan's shoulder and started to sob uncontrollably.
Later that day...
Bardock stood next to the oven, the meal he was making sizzling with the hot, iron box. A cloud of shame hung over the older Saiyans head as he stood there. He touched his hand to the bandage on the bridge of his nose and tightly squeezed his eyes shut. "Idiot..."
He recalled how he had worked out his stress and his traumas when he was younger, simply killing enemies or sparring with his teammates until he could no longer move, expelling negative feelings by burning himself out and making himself numb. Bardock slapped his forehead. "You goddamned idiot. Of course, that sort of approach wouldn't help her, she's just a kid..."
Bardock roughly rubbed his hand over his face and then the timer on top of the oven began to ring. He shook his head. "HEY! DINNER IS READY!"
The older Saiyan pulled the pan out from the oven and set it on the table as Goku, Gohan, and a very subdued Future Ranch all filed in. They sat at the table and the mood was instantly tense. Gohan put on a small smile. "Wh-What did you make, Grandpa?"
Bardock sat, jamming a knife into the roast, and spoke bluntly. "Meat. And potatoes."
Gohan nodded. "Ah..."
He reached up and sliced a large chunk of meat. He piled a few roasted potatoes onto the plate and then slid it into Future Ranch's view. And then he started to make his own. Goku and Bardock did as well. The three men started to eat, but Future Ranch just sat there with a darkened scowl on her face. Everyone glanced at her, worried for her as she just sat there, not eating.
Finally, Goku spoke up. "So, Ranch..."
Future Ranch didn't even wait for him to finish. She simply, wordlessly, stood up and marched out of the kitchen. Gohan frowned. Bardock sighed in frustration and slammed his head against the table. Goku looked upset. "She's really upset, huh?"
Gohan sighed. "She had an emotional breakdown earlier; she probably feels miserable..."
Goku cocked his head. "She had a really bad loss against 17 and 18 when they work up. And Cell beat her pretty badly too. Maybe...the stress is just getting to her..."
Bardock finally spoke up. "Just drop it."
Goku and Gohan both turned to Bardock. They watched as he ripped a large bite of meat off of his hunk. "None of us know what's really going on up in that head of hers, only that it pisses her off when people try to prod her about it. We shouldn't pry. Just...eat your food and get ready to bathe. We have to rest so that we can get more training in..."
Gohan frowned and looked up to his Dad. Goku looked concerned, but with Future Ranch's mood and Bardock's reaction to it. But he shrugged. Bardock was right about one thing, Goku had no clue what was going on and asking about it only seemed to hurt his niece all the more. So, until she was ready to talk about it, the Saiyan from Earth was happy to give her the space she needed. He gave Gohan a pat on the shoulder. "You worked hard today, son. You should eat up and get some good rest in..."
Gohan nodded. "O-Okay..."
After dinner...
The bath attached to the Time Chamber's temple was fully drawn and steaming hot. With all sense of modesty thrown to the wind, the three Saiyan men tossed their clothes to the side and rested into the water. The tense mood from dinner still hung over them, but it didn't take long for that to start melting away.
Bardock tried to sit back and rest and relax, but Goku and Gohan didn't seem to be in that sort of mood. After a few moments of peace and quiet, Goku splashed water at Gohan. And then Gohan splashed back. And then things devolved into a straightforward water war. Bardock's eyebrow twitched as several waves of water splashed over him and out of the tub. "You idiots..."
The splashing continued, and then Bardock sat up like a bolt. "You wanna splash, do ya?!"
Bardock jumped in as well, throwing massive armfuls of water towards Goku and Gohan. The rampant ruckus and horseplay continued on for nearly 30 minutes, with Goku, Gohan, and Bardock sending crashing waves at one another with reckless abandon. Bardock tossed Gohan into the air with his tail and then tackled into Goku, making them both capsize down. Bardock resurfaced first. "That'll teach ya, you-"
Gohan landed on the back of Bardock's head, shoving him down beneath the water again with a chuckle.
As the splash fight came to an end, Gohan, Goku, and Bardock finally started to relax. There was only half as much water in the tub as when they had started to bathe. The water level was low enough that Bardock's lower sides were visible sticking out of the waves. Gohan looked over at his grandfather, seemingly staring at something. Bardock glanced over at him. "What are you gawking at, kid?"
Gohan cocked his head. "I-I'm sorry. I'm just looking at that scar on your left hip..."
Bardock flinched, quickly pressing his hand over the bit of the scar sticking out of the water. "It's rude to stare at things like that, ya know?"
Gohan flinched. "S-Sorry. I just, you've shown me other scars that you have and told me about the battles you got them in before. But you've never told me about that one on your hip, or the one on your cheek. So... I was just curious, is all..."
Bardock bluntly answered back. "Well, let me deflate that curiosity right now: neither of those scars you just mentioned came from any sort of legendary war or epic fight. So... just don't worry about them, okay?"
Goku chimed in. "Well, it's pretty obvious that the one on your hip didn't come from a fight. It's way too clean for that. Looks like some sort of medical thing..."
Bardock glared at Goku. "Didn't I just get onto you two about prying into people's private business?"
Goku and Gohan both continued to stare at Bardock. The older Saiyan scowled. "Ugh...you really ain't gonna leave me alone, are ya?"
Goku shrugged. "It's just interesting, is all. Did you have to get a surgery, or something?"
Bardock sighed and stood from the tub, grabbing a towel from the nearby rack and wrapping it around his waist. As Bardock secured the towel with his tail and stepped out of the tub, he shook his head. "Yes and no. If you want to know where the scar on my hip came from...I guess you could say it came from my younger brother..."
As Bardock walked away and disappeared from sight, Gohan looked to Goku. "I think I've heard Grandpa Bardock mention something about his brother before. D-Do you know anything about him, Dad...?"
Goku shrugged, leaning back with a look of confusion on his face. "Not really. All I've ever learned about that guy is stuff Raditz told me. I know his name, but that's about it. And Raditz told me never to speak that name, cuz it makes Dad upset..."
Gohan nodded. "Yeah, I think that's what Mom said. Grandma Gine told her a little bit about Grandpa's Brother as well. But...she said the one time she ever brought it up to Grandpa, he nearly lost his temper. Apparently, talking about him is something that still hurt Grandpa Bardock and Grandma Gine a lot..."
Goku sighed. "It's a mystery, that's for sure. But I've learned in my life that everyone opens up eventually if you become close enough with them. If we wait just a little while longer, maybe my Dad and Ranch will be more willing to talk about what troubles them..."
Gohan nodded. "Right..."
And so, father and son both continued to enjoy their bath. Both of them unaware that their conversation was being eavesdropped on by the sullen Future Ranch.
Hours later...
Goku laid snoring in his bed in his and Bardock's bed chamber, resting up for another hard day of training to follow. Gohan, meanwhile, laid in his bed in his and Future Ranch's bed chamber. He was listening to music on a portable CD player and doing some supplementary lessons to keep his mind sharp for when he exited the chamber. This was going to be a big year in his education and he had to make sure he stayed familiar with the topics that would be on his exams.
As the two of them rested in their beds, Future Ranch entered the washroom. She quickly drew herself a bath and climbed in, allowing herself to relax just a bit in the calming water. Reaching down to the side of the tub, Future Ranch opened a compartment and pulled out a bottle of lavender bath oil. She poured half of the bottle into her water and swirled it around with one of her legs, letting the soothing scent engulf her. "What a strange place this is...the fridge always has what you want in it and so does the tub..."
"Yeah, it's a pretty bizarre place..."
Future Ranch flinched at the familiar voice. She turned and saw Bardock walking up to the tub. He had his head bandanna tightly tied over his eyes. Future Ranch settled back into her bath. "Why are you wearing that like that? You could trip..."
Bardock sighed and leaned on the side of the tub, standing right next to Future Ranch. "I have no desire to see my granddaughter naked..."
Future Ranch took a deep breath. "So why are you out here, then? Shouldn't you be resting for tomorrow morning?"
Bardock retorted. "I tried. But I felt guilty, so I couldn't. I... I needed to apologize to you for what I did. I'm an idiot and shitty grandparent. And I'm sorry."
Future Ranch frowned. "You're not a shitty grandparent, Grandpa Bardock. You couldn't have known-"
Bardock shook his head. "Don't make excuses for me. I could have, indeed, known. I do know. Looking at you, how tense and on edge you are...I know what you're going through. I've been through it myself. Post-Traumatic Stress sucks. And every bit of baggage that brings with it sucks even more..."
Future Ranch sighed and closed her eyes, hugging her knees close and burying her face in them. "Mhm..."
Bardock leaned up. "But that's all I wanted to say. I just wanted to apologize. I'll leave now, and-"
Future Ranch was the one to interrupt this time. "Please don't."
Bardock flinched, but then he leaned back onto the side of the tub. "Okay then..."
Future Ranch took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. "I heard you mention your brother, earlier..."
Bardock nodded. "I did. I don't really like to talk about him all that much, but it's not like he's a big secret..."
Future Ranch sighed. "You lost him, so I've heard. And that hurts you, right...?"
Bardock's jaw tightened. But he spoke candidly. "I've lost a lot in my life, Ranch. I lost my best friends, people that I had known for years. I lost my home. I lost any sense of direction in my life for the longest time. I lost Gine for a brief while. And yeah, I lost my brother. Losing things hurts, kid. But I'm sure you know that..."
Future Ranch nodded. "Not to that extent, but I do know what it means to lose things. I never really knew anybody from before the Androids attacked. I love all of you...most of you...but you're all just stories to me more than anything. But then, we lost Gohan. All of us did. And, after that, she didn't die...but I lost..."
She seemed to trail off in her own thoughts. Bardock sat there, just letting Future Ranch process things in her head. She spoke again, and her voice sounded hollow. "I try to carry myself well and be strong, Grandpa. People say they're relying on me. I know that Trunks and Daikon do..."
She gripped her hands tightly around her biceps, squeezing them hard. "And I'm happy to sacrifice things to make them happy. To make them feel better. I'm happy to cast my emotions and desires aside, because it gives the two of them a reprieve from their own misery..."
Bardock shook his head. "You can't do that, Ranch. Doing that is only going to hurt you in the long-run. You need to be honest with yourself. There's nothing wrong with saying that you want to be selfish and worry about yourself from time-to-time. It's natural. You need to get those feelings that are piled onto your chest off, otherwise they'll crush you. And, sometimes, you have to disregard the feelings of others for the sake of that..."
Future Ranch raised her head from her knees. "Get things off my chest?"
Bardock nodded. "Yeah. You have to talk about your problems, Ranch. Find people that care about you, that love you. You gotta find people that are willing to make it their problem too and are willing to fight alongside you to overcome it..."
Future Ranch's hand began to quiver. She spoke in a slightly wavering voice. "Y-You love me, right? G-Grandpa Bardock...?"
He nodded. "Of course, I do."
She fell silent again for a moment, but then she spoke a sentence that really caught Bardock off-guard. "Mine and Trunks' first kiss...his lips were cold..."
The older Saiyan cringed at hearing that, but he still listened intently. Future Ranch continued. "His lips were cold...his eyes were shut...his face was this ghastly shade of blue..."
She began to shake. "I can still feel the places on my face where the tears from streaming down, Grandpa. They burn. Like fire. And, the sounds of it all still ring in my ears. The heavy downpour of rain...my own heartbeat pulsing through my entire body...my own voice screaming and begging from him to wake up. I thought I was going to lose something again. And, when I'm not in his arms when I try to sleep, all of those awful memories bubble back up...and they haunt my nightmares..."
She concluded. "It felt like when Gohan died. Or when my Mom just stopped talking to me. It felt...like-"
Future Ranch's words caught in her throat and, gently, Bardock placed his hand on her shoulder. "I understand. You don't have to force the words, Ranch. You can take all the time you need. Whenever you're ready to talk more. I'll always be here. If I'm not good enough, Kakarot and Gohan are here too. We're your family. We love you. You can rely on us to be there for you..."
She took a deep, shaky breath. "What I'm feeling here. I've never been able to describe it before. I didn't even want to make anyone feel worse. But...this pain and agony...is this how it felt when you lost your brother...?"
Bardock spoke honestly. "Not felt. Feels. Every day, Ranch...every day and every night, I feel that constant sensation of when I lost him. That endless, awful pit in my stomach. I was never able to find him during my time in the afterlife...so I figure he either got reincarnated or sent to a better place than me..."
The older Saiyan leaned his head back, as if he were staring at the sky through his blindfold. "And part of me is grateful. Because, to this day, I'm still not sure that I could face him after what I let happen..."
A long silence. And then, Bardock turned to leave. As his footsteps echoed out, Future Ranch called to him. "Grandpa...I love you..."
Bardock nodded. "Love you too, sugarbeet."
In Gohan and Ranch's chambers...
Gohan reached up and drew the makeshift shades he had made out of Future Ranch's bedsheets. With the room darkened, hopefully he'd be able to get some rest. But, as Gohan laid his head down onto the pillow, he was shocked to see his cousin walk in from her bath. "O-Oh! Ranch! Did you want to sleep in your bed tonight? I'm sorry, let me just-"
As Gohan got up to pulled down the sheets, Future Ranch spoke up. "N-No, it's fine..."
Gohan turned to her and she looked nervous. He spoke gently. "Wh-What's wrong...?"
Future Ranch blushed. "I... I hate to ask but..."
She twiddled her fingers. "Can I sleep in your bed with you? I'm scared of...sleeping alone..."
Without a second thought, and with a beaming smile, Gohan scooted over in his bed. He motioned to the opposite bed. "Don't forget to grab your pillow."
Future Ranch did just that, grabbing her pillow and sliding under the covers next to Gohan. He turned over and she held him close, her eyes half-lidding and her shaking and shivering mostly coming to a stop. As they both started to fall asleep, Gohan spoke with a yawn. "You know...if I ever do become a hero, I hope I become cool heroes like you and Trunks and Daikon..."
Future Ranch's lower lip quivered, her eyes tearing up. But she managed a small smile. "That means a lot. The three of us...always wanted to become heroes just like you..."
Gohan placed his hand on top of Future Ranch's shaking hand, holding it tight. "Do you really think that I could become a Super Saiyan, Ranch...?"
Future Ranch nodded. "Of course, I do. D-Do you think your older cousin would lie to you...?"
Gohan shook his head. "No... it's just nice to hear people say that they believe in me that much. I guess, with everyone having that much faith in me, I've gotta go Super Saiyan now..."
Future Ranch's eyes peacefully closed, her hand finally ceasing in its constant shaking. "We'll get you there, Gohan. I know we will..."
Three days later...
Gohan was backed into a corner as three Super Saiyans rushed towards him. Goku got up close to his son and drew his fist back. "Are you sure about this, Gohan?"
The boy blocked his father's punch and then sent him flying back with a kick. "Absolutely!"
Bardock laughed out loud, slamming his own kick into Gohan and sending the boy tumbling to the floor. "Now you're sounding like a Saiyan!"
Gohan stood and caught a follow-up kick from Bardock. The boy looked laser-focused. "I have to ascend! I have to do it now! There's nothing more I can learn until I'm able to fight at your level! So, don't hold back!"
Future Ranch appeared behind Gohan, her finger-gun ready. "Just remember, not holding back goes both ways Gohan! You need to fight against us just as hard as we are against you! That's the only way this is going to work!"
Gohan turned around and kicked Future Ranch's arm, forcing her to fire her Bang at Bardock rather than himself. In their confusion, Gohan leapt away and let his full power flare out. "Come and get me!"
Goku got to his feet. Bardock followed suit and Future Ranch stood next to them. All three of them went full-power with their Super Saiyan strength. And then, Goku shouted. "Don't let up! Let's do this!"
The three of them came at Gohan from all sides, laying into him from every direction. But, to his credit, Gohan was able to block their attacks with some effort, guarding and deflecting as necessary to keep himself safe. Bardock shouted. "You've got to do more than that, Gohan! Don't just be reactive!"
Gohan shouted, releasing a Kiai and shooting into the air. He twirled and charged his attack. "Kamehameha!"
The beam fired down towards the three, Super Saiyan warriors, but they all quickly dodged. And then, using his Instant Transmission, Goku appeared above Gohan and hammerfisted him down to the ground below. Before Gohan could land, however, he was tackled and locked into a tight headlock by Future Ranch. "Push yourself, Gohan!"
Gohan shouted and elbowed Future Ranch in the gut. He followed that up with a fierce headbutt to the jaw and a kick that sent her flying backwards. But, as she exited the fight, Bardock re-entered with a missile dropkick. Gohan tumbled across the ground, but fired three ki blasts at his grandfather. Bardock feinted away from each of the blasts, letting him exploded behind him. And then, the leapt out of the way to reveal Goku charging a Kamehameha. Gohan tried to leap out of the way, but two Bang attacks shot into his back. He gasped as he fell back, seeing Future Ranch knelt there with smoking fingers. The Kamehameha slammed into Gohan and left him lying in a heap.
Goku looked uncomfortable. "Gohan...this isn't right. We shouldn't be ganging up on you like this..."
Gohan stood, struggling to catch his breath. "No! Keep going, I can do this! You said it yourself, Dad, I've already turned Super Saiyan! My body just needs to realize that I need to draw it out..."
Goku shook his head. "No, Gohan, the Super Saiyan from comes from a need, not a desire! You want to become a Super Saiyan, but you don't need it here!"
Gohan flinched. Goku continued. "Mine and Vegeta's fight against Frieza. Your grandfather's fight against King Cold. Your grandmother's fight against Garlic Junior! They didn't want to become Super Saiyan, they needed to become Super Saiyan! They needed to attain their goals! Vegeta and I wanted to defeat Frieza and put a stop to his evil! Your grandfather wanted to prevent King Cold for destroying everything! Your grandmother wanted to save the Earth so that she and her loved ones could live in peace!"
Future Ranch chimed in. "Trunks went Super Saiyan because he felt the need to avenge you when you died! Daikon went Super Saiyan because he felt the need to prevent the deaths of anyone else! I went Super Saiyan because I felt the need to be able to protect those that I love! The you of the future went Super Saiyan out of a need to beat a foe that seemed unstoppable!"
Bardock shouted. "You need to find your resolve, Gohan! The will to push aside all fear and doubt and focus on one goal! One goal that defines the way you chose to live! You need to ask yourself why do you need the strength?! You need to ask yourself what do you want to use it for?!"
As the three of them charged at him, time seemed to slow for Gohan. He looked down at his hands and saw this trembling. This was the moment in his life where he needed to decide what he wanted. He needed to decided what were his convictions. Did he simply want to be strong to impress those around him? Did he even want to be strong at all? He knew that he still wanted to be a scholar, but that didn't require being a Super Saiyan. Why did he need this strength?! What did he want it for?!
This question built into Gohan's chest as he thought about every fight he had been in over his short life. Why did he participate in all those battles? Nappa and Vegeta, the Ginyu Force, Frieza, Garlic Junior, the Androids...what did they all have in common? Why did he want to stop them? Not just because they were evil, but because...because...
Gohan pictured his friends all dying. He pictured the Namekians that the Frieza Force had so thoughtlessly slaughtered. He pictured the people on Earth, suffering from Garlic Junior's selfishness, and he pictured his sick, helpless father being targeted by Doctor Gero's machinations. And then, it finally clicked in Gohan's head. "I need this power to become stronger..."
His eyes flashed green and Goku, Bardock, and Future Ranch all stopped in their tracks. And then, Gohan's hair erupted in an explosion of shining gold. "I NEED THIS POWER TO BECOME STRONGER, SO THAT I CAN BE A HERO THAT PROTECTS EVERYONE!"
With Gohan's mighty roar, his immense strength rippled across the void of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Goku, Bardock, and Future Ranch all stood in awe at the sight of him, watching as his power exploded forth. Gohan's rage boiled away and everyone gave him his space, waiting for him to come back to his senses. And once he did, the boy smiled wide. "I... I did it..."
Goku smiled. "You sure did, Gohan~"
Bardock smirked. "Nice work, kid~"
Future Ranch clapped her hands in delight. "I'm so proud of you~"
And then Gohan leapt forward and wrapped his arms around all three, pulling them into a tight hug and making all three of their backs crack. Bardock groaned. "Aw shit...my poor, old back..."
Future Ranch groaned. "I'm only seventeen, I shouldn't even have a bad back yet..."
Goku chuckled. "My boy is so strong! This is awesome!"
Gohan let them go. "I can't believe it! This is amazing! I feel incredible!"
The boy tried to do a cartwheel in celebration, but his long hair caught on his hand and sent him crashing to the ground. Future Ranch snorted and chuckled at the sight of that. "Poor little guy's hair is half of his body length..."
Bardock shook his head. "Long hair is no good in battle. It's something that people can grab and use against you..."
Future Ranch flinched. "I-I don't have to cut my hair, do I? I'm been trying to let it grow out while we're here..."
Bardock shrugged. "Up to you, sugarbeet."
Goku smirked. "It's settled then! In celebration of Gohan's triumph, we're going to call it an early day! We'll have a feast to celebrate, and then we'll cut his hair into something more manageable!"
Gohan pumped his fist in celebration. "Yes! This is great! I'm finally a Super Saiyan~!"
