Disclaimer, in case it wasn't obvious. I don't own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or really any other property. Thank you.
The Long Road
Chapter 47: Circle
Pan:
Slowly, the green man in front of her started to move, his eyes shifting behind his lids, but still he didn't wake. It was all she could do was sit there and stare at him. She was in the middle of nowhere, seemingly on a cliff facing towards an endless sea of water in one direction, and an endless sea of green forest and mountain in the other. The only thing she could do was wait for the big... pointy eared, green man to wake up. The entire time she waited for him to get up, the sun was slowly setting in the distance, its dying light sparking across the horizon and mixing with the scattered and chaotic shapes the clouds were in. She was helpless with everything.
She'd been crying.
A little.
... A lot.
Even now her eyes were puffy and red. The look on Gohan... her father's face, when he told her to run, wouldn't stop haunting her eyes. When she felt what she thought was him just... disappear, after becoming so weak it was nothing but a small spark in the air around her, she knew what had happened. The last words he'd left with her, rang in her mind as she just stared at his bloodied face and broken body.
Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the bean he'd given her, and just trembled as she stared at it. He said this would fix her mom. But that seemed so impossible. The last visions of her mother had been one of a woman howling as her arms and legs were nailed to their home's walls. This bean would fix all of that? But if it could fix that, couldn't it have fixed him? Should she have given the bean back? Panicked and exhausted braincells tried to understand anything of what had just happened.
Without a chance to hold on further, her eyes tightened as she felt fresh tears assault her. Her breathing came out shakily as she tried not to sob again, tired of crying. She had no idea if her mom was really alive... or if this bean was something just to make her... she didn't know. Something just to comfort her? But then why did... With a grimaced face, she lifted her hand, which clutched the bean in her fist to her mouth, trying to do her best to hold back the sob that was escaping her. Finally, her eyes closed again, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. Suddenly, the heat was replaced b y the cool ocean breeze which blew past the cliff itself. It just made her sniffle harder, before shakily beginning to rise to her feet for the first time in what seemed to be forever.
Walking over, each step cautious, she approached the green man.
I can't cry. Mister Gohan- Dad would tell me to stop.
She needed to get somewhere safe. And as the sun faded, she understood how dangerous night could be. Living in the woods with her mother so long had taught her about wolves and other nocturnal predators, which was why she didn't go out alone at night. She couldn't just sit there and cry, because she needed to get somewhere safe first.
Poking his shoulder with one hand, she immediately jumped back, waiting for some kind of response from the strange man. The frame barely budged, and she blinked, moving closer to the edge of the cliff, as if waiting.
"M-Mister, y-you need to get up," her voice whispered, hoarse from all of the sobbing.
Shakily, she slowly slipped the bean back into her pocket before walking forward again, this time grabbing his arm more firmly.
"M-mister, mister get up," she urged. "Please. I'm all alone out here."
Still, there seemed to be almost no movement. Sighing to herself, she fell to her knees in front of him, grabbing his hand.
"Wake. UP!" she urged.
He was like a corpse, and it was making her heart race faster and faster. She didn't know if he was alive or dead, she didn't even know anything about him, except that her father had told him to get her to safety. So he had to get her out of here. And she had to find her mom... what if she only had so much time to get to her? Her entire body stiffened at the idea, just as the sun almost evaporated into the last edges of the horizon. Not only leaving her with her thoughts, but leaving her seemingly alone in the darkness with them. Almost instantly, the birds stopped chirping and the forest went dead with silence.
What if mom is gone now too? I'll be all alone. And what if I'm alone because mom died because I couldn't get there?
Her hands began to tremble, tears still filled the edges of her eyes as she grabbed the green man's shoulder again, urging him more and more violently to wake, but he didn't. Somehow, it all felt like her fault. Her father would have never had to have fought the big blue monster if it wasn't for her. Her mom wouldn't have been nailed to the wall if he hadn't come for her. Now her father was gone, only just after finding him, and her mom was gone too, because she was stuck here. The whistle of the wind rolling up the cliff before howling at the top sent her body into a shiver, before she grabbed the green man with all of her strength.
It was no use.
Which meant that if her mom died, or was hurt more because she didn't get the medicine bean, it was her fault.
Breathing erratically, she felt something boiling to the surface as her helplessness set in. The encroaching darkness seemed to be repealed by white light, from where she didn't know, but it seemed to be coming from all around her, pushing out against the shadows. Her fingers trembled as she looked at them, seeing the white light hovering edges above her fingers, and seemingly pushing from her body. It was the same aura as the other people had, only it was weaker. She breathed in shakily again as she felt her frustration growing with every passing second.
"Get up," she urged again, her voice strengthening, reaching up with her arm to try and brush away tears from reddened eyes. "You need to get up."
When no response came once again, she felt her body tremble, not just from emotion, but from something else. Her breathing became more and more erratic and she felt everything slowly starting to slip from view. Inside, her own mind raced in terror and confusion to think of what was happening. Dust and dirt swept into the air around her, blasting into the man laying prone at her side, his body lifting back and beginning to slip. Desperately, she wanted to reach out and make it all stop flying around her. She didn't want to be isolated and alone. She didn't want to be up here without any way out.
She wanted her mom, and she wanted her dad. She wanted none of this to have ever happened. Even if that meant she never knew who her dad was, she didn't care. Mister Gohan had been good enough, she didn't need to know. Desperately, she reached her hand out towards the white glowing aura around her, as if trying to get it to stop. As soon as her arm reached out, trees blasted back in a wave of force, and her eyes shot open as her lips tightened. Trembling, she felt herself sob, almost throwing up from the new wave overcoming her.
STOP! PLEASE!
The light inside of her suddenly felt real, like it expanded past her own imagination, past her own body. The dust around her swept up further, and a few stones scattered now as well as the edge of the cliff started to rumble, bits of rock falling away.
Then, the light came out entirely, and all Pan could see was white, and all she could hear was her own voice screaming.
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Piccolo:
In his mind's eye, in his unconsciousness, all Piccolo could do was imagine his failings. Another failing was added to the list, and this one was the one which surely cost him his own life. Staring at him in the warped view of reality his mind had constructed, all Piccolo could do was stare into the eyes of the demonic little gremlin which had overcome all of them. He'd even overcome the monster they'd let into their midst. A monster who was learning to be human, and a monster who Piccolo thought of as a friend, despite his shortcomings.
If he'd been stronger, if he'd been more able, maybe he could have at least delayed the inevitable. Instead, with his own power drained, Piccolo merely felt the blow Garlic landed on his head, before he blacked out, but as soon as Piccolo saw him, he knew that the demon had won. There was just no power left in anyone.
But why wasn't he dead yet? Why was he stuck here, staring at the little devil all this time? Was he waiting for him to wake up before he killed him? He could believe that, especially given how sadistic the bastard was. Only something seemed off. In the distance, a power which was dulled could be sensed, and Piccolo immediately grabbed onto it with his mind, trying to determine what it was. He'd never sensed it before, it was new, even if it was weak. Then the light came.
Light overwhelmed his senses, and he felt air suck into his lungs. His eyes burst open, but it was all just light again. All around him, the ground smoked and burned at the power being released. Trees blasted back as the deadly wave washed over them, setting their branches alight. But staring into the centre of this light, Piccolo saw, heard, and sensed, the source. It was something unexpected, at least in this form, but it was Gohan's daughter. The uncontrolled cry of pain and power was almost as overwhelming as the light.
The child's potential was immense, especially considering she'd never been trained before, and was stronger than Nappa had been when they first confronted the Saiyans. A hidden fountain of energy, not seen until this moment, best described where it came from. This girl had most certainly inherited some of her father's power, just as Piccolo had always suspected she would have. Goten had been trained by Goku, in one subtle form or another, for almost his entire life. Even childhood games were a kind of training, the fact that he became a Super Saiyan as a child was little surprise. But Pan was almost as far along as Goten had been at the same age, at least in terms of raw energy, and he doubted she'd ever thrown a punch. In regards to technique, she was further behind than anyone with that amount of power had any right to be.
With some of his power restored, Piccolo threw his arms up, and suddenly the light fled from slight, scattering around them as the Namekian rose to his full height. The scream continued for several seconds as the girl's voice slowly started to die, before she collapsed to her knees coughing and gasping for air. It was the trauma which had drawn it all out, he could already see. The tears she was unable to hold back told him as much. Of course, that just made him believe all the more that Gohan had died, given he couldn't sense his energy.
But I can't sense Garlic either. Somehow they stopped him.
Staring into the distance where he knew the battle had been, Piccolo almost ignored the child for a brief second, his mind looking for anyone. Vegeta, Goku, Gohan, and Garlic were all gone. None of their energy showed through at all.
Whatever happened after I went out, must have been overwhelming.
Turning his head back to the girl, he shifted uncomfortably. There was little point in trying to console the girl, given he didn't really know how to console anyone. The main thing coming to his own mind now, even as her power disappeared in the blink of an eye, was how to push the potential progeny in front of him into becoming part of the next generation of warriors who would defend the Earth. The Earth he once wanted to rule, and at the same time, protect. Anyone who lived on this world, for all of its flaws, had an obligation to protect it, if they had the power to do so. It was something even Gohan had come to do, three times now.
And it's something his daughter is going to have to do.
"Girl," Piccolo's gruff voice cut in. "Enough crying. You'll be coming with me."
The last thing Gohan had told him to do, was protect the girl. It was something he intended to do. Even if they wished Gohan back with the Dragon Balls, the Namekian wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by. The Saiyan was terrible at training, even now, and lacked the resolve because he'd not been honed as a child. With any luck, he could forge the right characteristics into Pan's behaviour.
"I-I need to..." she choked. "I need to see. I need to see my mom."
Each word struggled as she desperately reached for air, and Piccolo rolled his eyes. It was an emotional connection, but it hardly helped as far as he was concerned. Without saying a word, Piccolo reached down for her, and despite the clear exhaustion she had, immediately she backed away, slipping through his grasp.
"Take me to my mom!" Pan shouted back immediately, her eyes flashing back at him through her tears.
"You're father was just killed in battle by a demon who wanted to take over the world," Piccolo told her bluntly. "Every few years, another threat finds its way to the Earth. Your father died to protect this planet, and you. It's your responsibility to do what he'd want, and right now as far as I can tell, that's train. You can deal with your mother later."
The woman would have to deal with it, and the girl would have to as well, but right now Piccolo was already looking on the horizon. Trunks and Goten were going to be it in a few years, at least among the Saiyans, and even if they were impressive now for their ages? That didn't mean they would continue to be. Bulla wouldn't amount to anything, he could already tell, and Keiko was hardly going to be able to be measured. But this girl already showed immense promise, but was intensely far behind on what it'd take to be a warrior.
"My dad told me I need to save my mom! She's in the hospital and he gave me something to give to her. If she doesn't get it, she may not get better!"
The Namekian crossed his arms and stepped back, raising an eyeridge at the girl. That seemed really- Gohan had been talking with the girl before he handed her over to him.
"What did he give you?" he asked, narrowing his eyes, almost daring her, trying to coax any false answers from her.
With a shaking hand, Pan reached into her pocket, before pulling out a single, small, familiar bean. It was enough to make the Namekian quiet himself immediately, given he knew the origin of the bean itself. It was the one he'd asked to take from him. He was saving it for the girl, or for her mother, depending on circumstance. If he'd used it for himself, there would have been little doubt that his energy level wouldn't have vanished from the planet.
I'm not going to deny the kid fulfilling Gohan's wishes. But this is going to complicate things. It would be better if we just ignored the woman. A distraction to the child's training can be an obstacle.
It seemed heartless, and Piccolo knew it was to an extent, but he'd seen the horrors which his planet had to face time and again.
Garlic jr., The Saiyans, Frieza, the Androids, Bojack, Gohan himself, Turles, Babidi and Dabura, Broly, and now Garlic jr. once again.
What would come next? He didn't know what kind of horrors could appear from beyond, but the question was not if this would happen again, but when. Goku was now in his forties, and even a Saiyan would eventually slow down. How long did he have as a competent fighter? Another twenty years? Perhaps thirty? That was including factoring in his determination and will power, though he did hope he was wrong and that the Saiyans would have more staying power. But either way, it didn't matter, Vegeta was older than Goku and would deteriorate slightly faster. Trunks and Goten were off to a good start, especially Goten as of what he felt earlier this very day, but they had no contemporaries. Vegeta and Goku had the support of a half dozen weaker human warriors, and himself. He could at least come close to keeping up with them. He would continue to fight for some time, at least another century or two, but he had real limits which he would begin to reach soon. What if the next threat superseded the last series?
Broly represented unimaginable force, and Garlic represented immortal determination. What if their next adversary carried both of these traits? Even if they'd wished back Gohan by this time, would they have enough? To just sit on their status as powerful beings right now would be foolish, especially when the future warriors were, at least in numbers, less significant.
No, the training starts now. I need to be prepared, and so does this girl. But I am going to let her honour Gohan's last wishes.
Staring down at the girl still as she held her hand out, still shaking as it held the bean, he just growled to himself.
"Yea, alright. We'll find your mother and give her the bean."
After that, you're going to have to learn what it takes.
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Videl:
Slowly, her eyes opened, looking out into the forest beyond her. It was brimming with sunlight, and it was so warm. Everything was set, it was perfect and she felt at ease, almost happy for the first time in as far back as she could remember. It felt like something heavy had been lifted off her shoulders as she just stared into the beautiful day. She wanted to just walk out and move into it, and enjoy the day. There was no worries about strength, or being inadequate, or worrying about her daughter or Gohan. She didn't have to worry anymore, because she was dying.
When she tried to move her legs, they simply squirmed against the nail driven through them. Her arms suddenly became heavy as she felt her chest almost collapsing in on itself. Instead of the sun, she felt cold droplets of rain saturating her form. This was her reality, this was it. The last moments of vision she wished she'd had, had become the last moments of sight she'd ever see. The monsters who'd broken her body and beat her in front of her daughter were coming towards her, their claws as sharp as they appeared as the tiny gremlin behind them all just grinned.
Now she could see herself, as if it was her opposite, hanging in front of her, defeated, soaked, and waiting to die. She had no eyes anymore. She had no daughter. And Gohan had saved her. Most of all, the last one twisted something in her stomach. After all he'd put her through, after all the torment, he came to save her? It was hard to grasp, and told her that perhaps the alien didn't understand what he'd done to her, or his customs were truly sick among his kind.
"Never thought you'd get here, did you? Down this path, I mean," her opposite whispered, before turning her eyeless face up to look at her, blood streaking down her face. "It was going to be all tournaments for you, wasn't it? Fighting bad guys when not doing that, with guns?"
Yea. Yea that summed everything up perfectly. She was going to be a hero, and people were going to chant for her, just like they chanted for her dad, if not more. All she ever wanted was to be a protector, and to be that she needed to be stronger than anyone who wanted to hurt anyone. But it was just a dream, and little else. If anything, her dream became a nightmare the day she met Gohan. It twisted everything she wanted into something sick, and only now that she'd lost her eyes, could she see that.
Only after losing her daughter, could she see it.
"I was going to be the best," Videl whispered back, staring into the empty holes in her own face, and watching the void stare back at her.
"Yea," the reflection whispered as rainwater dripped down her hair, and streaked down her bloodied features. "... I wish you never met Gohan."
Me too.
It was strange to think the last time she 'saw' him, she was grateful. It was such a foreign sentiment to have, knowing that someone had come to rescue her at all. He'd been so different, trying to be warm and comforting, something she'd never imagined. But this was the same monster who beat her up the first time they met, and then forced her to have sex with him on a rooftop. This was the same devil who pushed himself into her life and ignored everything she ever asked of him, only to bully her at his own whims. He insulted her and belittled her as much as he could. His very existence mocked her weakness.
"You'll get through this," Gohan's voice whispered in the back of her mind before she could say another word.
What she'd learned was that even a beast could have some kind of conscience, some kind of ability to care. The way Gohan was with Pan almost shamed her. There were two Gohan's. But every time she thought of him, she thought of a monster, and of a... kind person?
"He's going to bring Pan back," her reflection said, a broken smile slowly slipping across her features even as they froze there, crucified to the remnants to the humble home she'd owned. "When he does, don't forget what he is. I can't forget it."
I know.
"He's... ... not the same person I first me," Videl said after a brief few moments. "I don't know what he is. But I know I wish I could just be free from him finally. Free from my past. I wish I could just have another life, any other life, than the one I've had."
"I know," she responded, before smiling. "I do too."
There was rumbling in the distance as the world seemed to quake around her. Wincing, it felt like her entire body was crushed beneath a car. Like someone was shaking her. There was a dull cry in the distance and Videl groaned again.
While the cold rain rolled down her skin, soaking into her clothes and hair, Videl could still recognize the cry. It was... Pan?
As soon as her heart stopped, her world returned to one of darkness... but of a world of noise and sensations.
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Videl:
Everything hurt.
Shock had bled away before they'd started to administer drugs to her, but even now her entire body was in an unbearable, dull ache. Bones were fractures and broken, her legs and hands had holes in her flesh itself, and the empty pits in her face were covered by bandaging, but she could still feel warped and torn muscles.
"Mommy," a voice cut in again, there was shouting going on in the background as well, and Videl couldn't determine why.
A deep voice cut in.
"Back," it warned. "This is the last time I'm going to warn you."
"He broke Zero's arm, careful," a voice warned. "Call security."
"Mommy," Pan's voice repeated, and Videl felt her small hands grab her's.
It took Videl a second to turn her head, despite the brace trying to hold her in place. For a moment she tried to speak, but her voice wouldn't come out. She tried to move, but couldn't. All she could do was let out a small, pained noise.
Then she felt something push against her lips.
"Eat this," the girl's voice pleaded. "Please, Mister G-, Dad said this would fix everything. I have to give this to you!"
Dad?
Immediately her heart stopped, just as it had in her dream. Pan knew who her father was? It was... something she never wanted to discuss. If anything she wanted to hide from her daughter more then ever. Part of her wished she could just fall away through her bed, and plunge into the darkness she was just in.
"Mom!" the child commanded, her voice sounding desperate. "Open! Open up!"
It pulled her back, and without fully realizing the world around her, her mind and body still in shock, painfully, Videl opened her mouth, and whatever it was, pushed past her lips into her tongue. Immediately she pressed her tongue against it, and it felt hard, yet soft. Slipping it over to one side, she slowly started to chew it, before swallowing.
All of her pain vanished. It felt like bones simply knit back together, and fractures sealed back together. Cuts disappeared, and the holes in her once broken legs, vanished. But most terrifying of all, she could see. It was the inside of a bandage, and it didn't matter. Pulling herself up, and ripping out her IV, Pan immediately started to rip and pull at the bandages and gauze that were wound around her once grievous injury. As soon as the last scraps of material were gone, Videl's eyes were hit by the bright, unnatural lighting from the hospital. She put her arm up to shield herself from it, as if forgetting she'd been blind only seconds earlier.
This is impossible.
Slowly adjusting to the light, Videl moved her hands down, grasping her own abdomen and chest with her hands, as if checking if her ribs and collar bone were still fractured or broken. Blinking, she just turned her head, finally seeing her daughter for the first time in days. Without even thinking, she pulled herself out of the bed and immediately wrapped her arms around her daughter, holding her tightly in her embrace. Closing her eyes almost painfully, she tightened her grip on the hug.
"You're safe. Thank whatever god is out there that you're safe."
She smelled like burnt ash, blood, and sweat, but it didn't matter. Her daughter was safe in her hands. The little girl started to tremble almost immediately, her arms grasping at her hospital gown as she started to sob. It was very easy to imagine how terrible it must have been to have been pulled into the care of a monster. It was a miracle that she was even alive, alive and here in her arms again. With her daughter still pulled into her embrace, Videl finally looked up, seeing the tall green skinned man from the Martial Arts Tourney, years earlier, standing there keeping the stunned doctor's away.
Why is he here, and not Gohan?
The sobbing into her chest left Videl feeling increasingly like something had happened. In fact, the black eye that turned to her from the creature as he turned his head to look at her, told her everything before she could ask. But the words came out anyway.
"Where is Gohan?"
Her daughter clung to her more tightly as the words came out, telling her further what happened.
"Gohan fought, and died," the Ma Junior answered.
The details didn't matter, she could already fill them in. He died protecting Pan.
She'd wished he'd been dead so many times she couldn't count them. Part of her wanted him to suffer the same way he'd made her suffer. But now hearing he'd died, and died protecting the most important thing in the world to her, made her heart sink further than she cared to admit. A swirling mass of guilt began to swell in her gut as she realized just how much of a price the Saiyan had paid. She'd wished his fate on him, and now that it was here, even if those wishes contributed nothing to his demise, she felt regret like she'd never felt before.
Whatever pain she felt, she could feel the pain radiating out of the once happy child in her arms.
"I'm sorry, Pan," Videl whispered, kissing the top of her daughter's hair. "I know how much you cared about him-"
"I want dad back," Pan breathed in her arms, desperately trying to catch her breath.
The girl she'd given birth to was stronger than she imagined. She kept herself together in here until after her job was done, or at least as much as any child could. It was alright to cry. That was something Videl learned to struggle with herself. It showed weakness, but they were all human beings. Something ironic, given Pan's tail hung limply behind her. Every moment she ever saw Pan around Gohan, she was always happy. She was even happier with him, than she seemingly ever was with her. But that didn't matter anymore. What mattered was the future.
She was going to change. Priorities were going to change, everything was going to change.
"I know," Videl said quietly. "Everything's going to be fine. I promise. I'm never going to leave you, Pan. I'm going to try-"
There was then the sound of a voice clearing itself, and Videl froze in place as a long shadow extended over her. Slowly, her blue eyes lifted to look at the impassive face of the green man who'd brought her daughter here.
"The girl and I are going to be leaving," his voice boomed, and suddenly the world seemed to freeze in place.
The way the words were laid out, their meaning couldn't be confused. She couldn't move, and almost wouldn't. Every second she spent holding her daughter increased her strength to rebuke the demands of this creature.
Slowly, her face twisted into one of revulsion as she glared back at him.
"No," she spat. "My daughter isn't going anywhere with you."
"I'm not making a request," Ma Junior responded. "This is just how this is going to be."
After all this, her daughter was going to be stolen from her. Again?
Her heart was racing now as she tried to think of what to do. She knew exactly how powerful this thing was. It was one of Gohan's friends, and even if it was weaker than Gohan, it would still be immensely stronger than her.
"I don't want to go," Pan choked in her arms, further adding to the stress and panic now rushing through Videl's mind.
"Why are you doing this?" Videl asked, feeling her resolve beginning to strengthen. "You're one of the ones who fought the giant Saiyan monster, and one of the ones who fought the first Saiyan invasion, and the Cell Games."
Crossing his arms, the green warrior just looked annoyed at being questioned.
"Because to be blunt, this planet is constantly in danger. You're daughter has power and potential that hasn't been tapped, and we're going to need her for whatever monster drops down from the sky. Her entire heritage is built around fighting. The only training-"
They were going to take her daughter from her to train? The irony wasn't lost on her. She'd neglected Pan for so long to train herself, and now that she wanted to change, her daughter was being stolen from her over training. A foul taste in her mouth appeared almost immediately.
"I'll train her," Videl cut in. "I can-"
"You're not fit to train her," Ma Junior answered bluntly. "You'll coddle her. The enemies who are going to come, won't."
Slowly rising, Videl felt her muscles tense, even as Pan continued now to clutch to her leg. There was no way she was going to let this son of a bitch take her daughter from her. It was a gesture of resistance, she knew. To tell Pan what she wanted to tell her, would only seem to endorse this bastard's position. When Pan left here, she wanted her to remember that her mother stood her ground, even in the face of someone who was stronger. Just because someone was strong, didn't make them right.
"And you're not fit to train her either. The only one I'd let her leave with, is dead," Pan answered. "For all of his faults, I know Gohan would keep her safe. You're not him, and you're not taking my daughter."
"You don't get a say," he responded, pointing his hand up a second later.
As soon as he did, Videl could already feel the wave of force rolling over her entire frame. The hospital bed behind her smashed into the wall behind her, as well as hundreds of smaller pieces of medical equipment. The window shattered a moment later, but she held her ground. Even as she struggled to hold herself up, she pushed forward with all of her power. The wall to the outside began to crack a second later, but still she held on. More even, she began to draw her power into her hands.
"No, that's where you're wrong, this is my daughter!" Videl shouted. "And you can't have her!"
Throwing her hands forward, knowing it was futile, Videl discharged her energy in the Dodon blast. The golden blast surged forward, and without any effort at all, the green warrior slapped it back. The bolt swung back towards her, the short tail of energy behind it almost blinding her. Instead of attempting to block the attack, Videl slipped beneath it, before pulling her one arm back, grasping in the air. As if she'd launched out invisible tendrils, she grasped her energy again, holding it in the air, and slinging her arm forward.
The bolt whipped back towards Ma Junior. Even she could see the small spark of surprise from him, and immediately grabbed her daughter, before jumping back and falling out of the window purposely. Behind her, the hospital room which had been used to keep her alive, blasted outward. Fire and black smoke swept into the open air behind her. Turning her head, Videl shifted her focus towards a disturbance in the air as Pan screamed.
All Videl saw, before the world disappeared again, was Ma Junior striking out with the side of his hand.
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Pan:
As soon as her mother went limp, all Pan could do was look up in horror as she hit the grass covered ground below. She didn't fall with her, instead held in the air by the man she'd wanted to save her only hours earlier. He was taking her away from her mom, only after just having gotten here. Only after just seeing the only person she had left in the world, he was stripping it all away now. Immediately she began flailing, only it seemed to have no impact on him. Even as the sun began setting on this part of the Earth, again just as it had before, Pan felt something swell in her chest.
"Let me go!" she screamed, desperately trying to break his grip on her. "LET ME GO!"
"Quiet," he ordered.
"No! Mom! MOM!"
Looking at the green hand which held her arm, keeping her in the air, Pan reached out with her hand, trying to break his lock to no avail. A second later, she pulled her head over, biting at the flesh, only to find it seemingly as hard as rock. An annoyed sound came out of her one-time saviour.
"Enough of that," he growled.
She felt the world started to accelerate, it was dizzying as the ground pulled away, just like when her father took her flying. She remembered how much joy she always got when he'd pull up into the air with her, she felt safe in his arms. Now, now she felt angry, and afraid. He was taking her away from her mom, and away from everything she ever knew. All of the pent up energy she'd felt before, was gone. It was as if it'd released itself, and needed time to restore. Even then, she clawed at him, grabbing at him with her fingers, trying to do anything to get him to stop, or put her down, but everything was futile.
The world below was more and more becoming a blur as their speed picked up. Her mom was forever away, and they'd only been separate for minutes. Managing to turn her head to look up, she could see the stars slowly moving across the sky. For a brief second, she stopped her struggle, just staring up at them, wishing quietly on them that her father would come to take her away from this fate. But her father was dead.
She was all alone now.
The sky slowly seemed to cease moving, as she felt herself falling from the sky slowly. Turning her eyes below again, all Pan could see was a mixture of barren rocks, and patches of forest. Without a chance to do anything else, she felt the hand holding her letting her go, and she fell. The ground was suddenly very close, as she fell what seemed like over ten feet. Her frame hit the soil and almost bounced, before she just lay there, groaning as pain filled her shoulders, chest, and back. Immediately just groaned, before sitting up, her breathing heavy as she tried to understand everything that was happening.
I just want to go home.
Sad eyes traced down to the ground as she slowly looked over the area illuminated by the half moon above. A sword hit the ground in her view as she looked up at the man above. She didn't have a single word for him, all she had was her pained and angry expression.
"Training starts now," he told her bluntly. "I'll be back in three months. If you're still alive, the next steps will begin."
As he slowly took off, the little girl just swallowed, trying to hold back her fears and grief. Shakily, she got up, walking towards the blade that had been left on the ground. As her hand wrapped around the hilt, she shakily brought it up and walked towards a rock. Dropped it next to the rock, she slowly rolled onto her side, before wrapping her arms around her legs and just pulling them against her chest. Quietly, and alone, she stared into the darkness all around her. In every patch of darkness, she saw Garlic and his monsters, or she saw her mom desperately looking for her, or she saw her father laying there, bleeding, begging her with his eyes for her to run.
Nightmares weren't supposed to be real.
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Gohan:
He was still covered in blood.
It was dripping from all over him, as the scattered bits of Garlic's body littered around the landscape. Even as he started to walk away, moving over the scattered wastelands of this foul place, pieces of Garlic started to pull themselves back together. It didn't matter to him right now however. He'd been killing Garlic for days now, and he sensed a strange shift in the world itself. The temperature would rise until it was unbearable, fire would overtake them and they'd burn at what Gohan could only think was the intensity of a sun. Then it would freeze over at other times, locking them in a temperature that could only be close to absolute zero.
But there was no death, for either him or Garlic junior in all this. Even when his own power waned from beating the giant to death, and Garlic turned about and killed him, it didn't matter. Minutes later he would be back, restored himself. He would have an eternity to kill Garlic, and right now he wanted to see what the shift he felt was. Fury breathed out of his lungs however even as he reached the edge of a spiked mountain, trying to do his best to quell his rage. A rage that hadn't left him for a single moment since he'd arrived here.
Even in his deaths in this terrible place, they did nothing to cease his anger. Fed by his failings, fed by the fact he was here, and fed by the fact he may not ever get to see his family again, Gohan wanted to lash out at everything. He even felt like seeing if he could somehow destroy this place, just out of spite. Given how much power he'd already released however, he knew that was futile. Angrily, he shoved the edge of a large, round, spiked ball, sending it rolling away, tearing up the ground behind it.
Slowly, he Super Saiyan aura slipped away, reverting to his normal form.
His stomach gnawed at him, but only subtle. It had since he'd gotten here. It wasn't a ferocious hunger, but just enough to give him the desire to eat. But there was nothing to eat, and even eating dirt down here did nothing to fulfil the hunger. Casting his eyes around him, he only saw the dust whip up from the floor of this place, and just looked away. What was the point of leaving him here for an eternity to suffer? Well, he already knew the answer to that. The crimes he'd committed in his old life were so grievous, so unforgivable, that it'd been determined he belonged here. He knew he belonged here the second he died, he'd been terrified of it for so long.
He'd just never wanted to be here. Somehow he thought he'd find a way out, or all would be forgiven, or even that his life would never end.
But all he had to do was look into his mind's eyes, and see world's burning from the darkened bridge of Lord Cooler's ship, and it answered exactly why he was here. It was just a job to him, but what did that matter? He nearly destroyed his own home world as well, and without a second thought.
Walking to the edge of a ridge, Gohan saw the distance he'd sensed.
There were thousands of them. It was surreal to see them, each of them clad in armour and looking as grizzled as any veteran he'd ever met.
Marching at the head of all of them, was a figure he'd never thought he'd see, but he was recognizable immediately.
King Vegeta?
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Author's Notes:
Well, figured I'd tease a bit for what's in store next chapter. Chapter 48 is going to focus more on Gohan in Hell, at least for the first half of it. A big part of me wants to deal with Goku and Chi-Chi as well, but the aftermath of Chapter 46 is probably going to be wrapped up next chapter. We'll get to see Abaddon again, Dende, and several other familiar faces. Don't expect much for fights or anything for some time. Before even a smaller fight breaks out, that's a real fight, won't be for another 5-7 chapters. There is tons of character development to happen in the meantime.
Though I would say to expect chapters more this size, than the goliaths I produced for the finale of the Garlic saga. I wanna narrow the focus of chapters to tell the part of the story they're meant to tell. Though I can say I am thinking of writing a chapter that also goes into the next series of villains. The next three saga's villains have been decided, and their order has been determined. I'm personally quite excited, though these Sagas may be among the shorter ones, once they start. The first one may be a longer one, just because I'll have a lot of backstory to delve into.
We'll see.
I'm pretty excited for writing Piccolo and Pan's part of the story. Piccolo will always do what he thinks is in the best interest of the Earth. Expect him to be a pretty big player over the next while. I'm super excited to write Pan's character going forward. She's going to be a ton of fun, especially as time goes on. Piccolo's not the same character from the canon, if only because he never developed that bond with Gohan. He is reformed, but as I said, he's going to do what he thinks is in the best interest for the Earth.
Also, I'm going to give everyone the opportunity for a quicker update to come out. If the story hits 1300 reviews before one week today as of this post going up, I will post the next chapter, which I'm currently working on.
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Reviewers:
Pyromania101: Answered by PM
MasenkoX: I thought it was. The big blue bastard got exactly what was coming to him. It's not as bad as being trapped in the Deadzone forever, but it's hardly 'good'.
FireFnBrimstone: Thanks a bunch. I probably should have referenced it at least once, but I really wanted to focus more on Goku than anything. He's had a bit of neglect, and needs some of the spotlight. Goku going forward will continue to be a thing.
DBZReader: Think of it this way. Gohan empathized with Videl when he saw her broken and dying, so his mood changed to reflect that, maybe a bit of what he felt deep down really came out. When distanced from it, he could change his stance, if only briefly, to make himself feel more tough, or distanced.
Ronden Kiagre: Gohan absolutely deserve his sentence. Moving forward, the question is, how 'good' of a person will Gohan be, when his fate is determined? That's the true test of a man. How to behave when you already know your fate? We'll have to see.
F: It's not really relevant to the story. You may see them in a flashback at some point, but I doubt it.
And as to the comments regarding the new movie? The short answer is, I don't think negatively of the new stuff. It's different, but its the decision they want to make with the story. Why get worked up over it? I'll see if I enjoy it or not. I don't care if Frieza gets stronger after 4 months or whatever, because I can at least like the character. I doubt Akira will ever write a powerful female protagonist, just because I don't know if he has it in him, given the generation of artists and writers he comes from. I don't know if he'd be able to make it believable given how he does his stories. No, I don't think Goku being the hero is bullshit, and I don't know about Vegeta. Vegeta's gotten plenty of spotlight in my opinion, so I don't think its necessary.
Lmc9389: The Earth is habitable, but there will be climate shift. As to Goku finding out what kind of monster his son was? What makes you think he doesn't know? When they first met, Goku nearly killed Gohan until he realized it was Gohan. I think that Goku believes his son deserves a second chance.
Lourdes-Sunrise-Princess: Fear not, because it'll be a while before any intense action happens. I've got tons of character development to write for the next while, and everyone can look forward to that. Expect chapters more like this one, than beat um um ups.
VuvuzelaHero: I really wanted the Humans to have a factor behind defeating Garlic. Tien and Krillin seemed like excellent choices, and it also let me have Goku have a bit of a moment during it all. It can't be all Saiyans. However, I would also like to add, that writing Garlic's lava death was intensely fun. That, and the last death he had in Chapter 45, as well as Goku's Dragon Fist were my favourite three.
Tomorrow4eva: The Problem with The Catalyst is that its a hard story to write, and there is minimal interest in it. But as to Abaddon? If that was the real ending of the story, as I planned, everything would have been explained. Because it's not, expect to see our good friend show up several times before the end, and all will be explained over the coming Sagas.
DarkKnightShiva: Apologizing for what he'd done, would make it look all the more incriminating. And I suspect Gohan knew excuses didn't matter. When he executed people for Cooler, their excuses didn't matter, why should his? It was very ironic how Gohan was sentenced.
Anonymous: Gohan was most certainly not Super Saiyan III. Both he and Goku have the power to go SSJ III, but not the technique. Super Saiyan III isn't unlocked like the prior two, it needs training, and an understanding of that. I doubt you'll see Gohan go Super Saiyan III.
Luke: I wanted to take a lower tier villain and elevate him. I think it worked, a lot of my readers didn't. Such is life.
Guest1: Its all about putting the work into it. Villains rise and fall in the eyes of the viewer based off how they're portrayed. I spent 14 chapters building up Garlic, to knock him down two chapters later, at the apex of his glory. Because fuck that blue-dwarf. Lol. But thank you for your kind words, I'm glad you've been enjoying the story.
DBZfanthefirst: I'm trying. Lol
Perfect Carnage: I actually accidentally made the chapter go 20 pages longer than I thought I would. Expect tons from Gohan over the remains of the story. Even if Pan and Goten are going to steal some of the spotlight, its still Gohan's story. He's got a lot coming to him in Hell. The next chapter will have a lot of moments I hope work out.
MaxPain32: I'm trying XD
Aqua Roxas: All the fighting has drained me as well, so I wouldn't expect an orgy of violence anytime soon XD
PippElulu: Answered by PM.
Courtney: With the Dragon Balls, I suspect Goku could help Gohan get out of Hell.
Asweetlilpixie: Sorry.
I made it so Yemma at least has some power to judge someone. He's had Cell, Turles, Bojack, and Broly go through. I see no reason why he couldn't get Gohan through as well.
Uchiha999: A reunion with anyone right now seems distant for poor Pan. More than a few chapters, I'm afraid.
Kakarot: I actually write based off what I see in my brain. All of the action scenes play behind my eyes like a movie really. It's odd to explain, but I see everything almost like a film. My write style is this way, because I'm mainly describing what I see.
Brelic: You don't get Zenkais or power increases in Hell, sadly. At least, the core level of ki you have can't be increased. No training will help that. So, Turles isn't any stronger in his base stage as he was before. Fun note, between Chapter 45 and 46, it's effectively 100 pages. Lol
lil dynamic: Yea, I definitely needed a bit of time to regenerate the brain juice, lol.
Delas Starlight: The story is going to progress for a lot of characters, and you get to see a real arc that spans over a lot of Gohan's natural lifespan.
Morisako83: Sadly, we've discovered what's happened with Pan and Videl. Gohan in a way, has cursed Pan by giving her some of his power. Sadly, everyone just runs over Videl.
RenoAnaru: I think I answered this one by PM.
Random Reader: Gohan's energy is not limitless, but it doesn't really matter. Thank you a whole bunch for the review, I appreciate it. :)
Nostalgic Beauty: Gohan is more vile than Vegeta, that is certainly true, but I think he stops short of Frieza. Even when he was working for the PTO, Gohan definitely took it more as a job than as Frieza did. Frieza and his ilk take some real pleasure from what they do, Gohan took pleasure in doing his job well, not necessarily from the job itself. Sort of a kind of accomplishment prize for being somewhat effective. Still, he's a bigger monster than Vegeta all the same, because he never had a wall of honour to even motivate him. His only motivation was selfish survival at any cost. He is getting what he deserves by being in Hell.
NinjaFang1331: Thanks.
DaOneInDaCorner: If Gohan knew Instant Transmission, and knew somewhere outside of Hell or the Waystation to teleport to, he could escape. Sadly, he doesn't. He can't transport himself to the living world either, even if he did. And sadly no, Gohan did not become a SSJ3, the barrier hasn't been broken, it's only bee touched. All the extra power just bled off.
ShadowFFD: Wow, I'm glad I kept you entertained. I'm shocked you reread the whole story. O.O
PuppetMaster: He loved his daughter, mother, father, and a few others. But don't worry, his antics will continue!... IN HELL!
KaosMoshpit: Originally, I planned for him to go nobly, but I just don't see Gohan as being there yet. But the story is far from done yet.
Guest3: He is Super Saiyan II, and he's not got the Mystic Power Up.
Darknessrising: A lot of Vegeta fans have been mad at my portrayal of him, but truthfully I don't go out to smear the guy. Writing his scene in Chapter 46, I felt, was a really nice way to bring Vegeta in and show his more heroic side. He fought for his family and friends, even when he knew his time was limited. Because he is the Prince of All Saiyans, and isn't backing down to anyone.
YourGodWorshipsMe: Thanks a bunch! I'm glad you're enjoying it.
ElvenScribbler: Answered by PM.
Guest4: Similiar to his hairstyle in The Trunks Special