Chapter 12: People die! Like you didn't already know :P

I love you all who've reviewed/favorited by the way ^^ It means so much :3

Oh, and in case you forgot the setup: Flashback - Flashback in a flashback/Telepathy

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"Do you think… he would have grown up to be such a fine young man?"

My confident smile faltered as I considered the lingering words of my deceased mate. 'Gohan and Lattice…' Any happy emotion withered from my face as I unconsciously made my way to the front of the crowd. 'My son was born earlier, but they'd be the same age now.'

Would he be like Gohan? Would my baby boy have been so strong, yet gentle? Would he have been a Super Saiyan?

My eyes narrowed at the sight ahead of me; the sight of Cell still alive. 'Would he have toyed endlessly with something so dangerous?'

Goku made another frustrated exclamation. "Now, Gohan! End it right now!"

Cell was backed into a corner (so to speak), shaking like a small, helpless animal. Ironically he was four times his pursuer's size.

'But,' I pondered, 'When an animal is backed into a corner… it retaliates. The same could go for any man... or cyborg…'

So when Cell suddenly bloomed to the size of a small hill, resembling more of a bloated rubber frog than an insect, I knew it was only natural that he'd taken drastic measures to accomplish his goal… Cell had inflated himself like a balloon to the point of almost popping. If he popped…

I gasped.

'Oh no…' My mouth fell open as my brows turned upwards in despair. The android's harsh laughter rang in my ears as my dark locks were blown back.

"I'M GOING TO BLOW MYSELF UP NOW!" His deep, booming voice filled the air. "…SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR PRECIOUS PLANET!"

The sand-laced wind stung my eyes, but I couldn't close them. 'What is this supposed to be? I survive nearly twenty years with the most power-crazed fiend alive—only to be blown up by some damn test tube creation?' My pitiful expression then darkened as Cell announced—one minute. One minute until he exploded us all to hell!

Wait…

'This is ridiculous!' I realized the ease of the situation, and took a step forward as I raised my fingers to my forehead. 'I'll just move him to some other planet and come right back!' I advanced again, but only another step as a hand appeared an inch in front of my chest.

Goku moved the extended hand to rest on my shoulder. "Don't..." he murmured in an almost dream-like state. He stared past Gohan and Cell, seemingly sucked in by the line where the sky and desert met. "I can't let you do that." He finally moved his soft turquoise eyes to me, grinning faintly—like he knew something.

I turned my glare on the obviously delirious Super Saiyan. "Do what?" I hissed back. "Save your weird ass?" I didn't see what the problem was—besides the fact that we had maybe FIFTY SECONDS LEFT.

Goku replied silently with a forlorn smile, causing me to become more confused by the ever costly second. He shifted sideways to catch the others' attention behind us and his soft demeanor was suddenly hardened; he was steeling himself for something.

Krillin was the first to notice. "What is it, Goku? Do you have a plan or something?"

Hot air blew through his blond bangs and the Earth-born saiyan simply smiled.

My heart began to race. 'Goku, if you don't stop being so damn mysterious and spit-it-out—WE'RE ABOUT TO DIE!' my mind screamed, but I remained quiet to hear him out.

"Listen—there's not much time left, and I can only think of one way to save the Earth now…"

Trunks seemed to pick up the hint before the rest of us could. "No, don't!" There was a small trace of fear mingled in his words. "I think I know what you have planned, Goku… You don't have to do this!"

Do what?

The older saiyan brought his hand slowly up to his face, his lips curving upwards in one last bittersweet smirk. "Goodbye, friends…"

The sprinting muscle in my chest came to a screeching halt as Goku dematerialized from his spot—only to appear by his son's side a moment later, muttering words I couldn't hear as he placed a palm on Cell's engorged stomach.

…That… sneaky bastard!

It was simultaneous:

Krillin— "GOKUUU!"

Gohan— "NO—COME BAAACK!"

"STOOOP!" I managed to choke out in the midst of the others' outcries.

But he had disappeared.

There was a painful pause after the android and saiyan vanished; one that struck every fighter present down to the core. The wind died instantly, and not a soul spoke...

I bared my teeth then, letting out a nasty growl as I shoved my fingers under my bangs, having every intention of dragging Gohan's father back to him by the ear. "If that fool thinks he's going to sacrifice himself, then he's got another thing coming!"

'How could he purposely wait until the last second to do the same thing I was going to do?'

All eyes were on me.

'Come on… come on… come on!' I clung desperately to Goku's fading energy signal as it led my mind far, far away. A small gasp escaped my lips; it almost felt like a different universe altogether, but… "I got hi—" The words fell short as my mouth formed a straight line, jaws clenching tightly, and I suddenly felt sick. I let my fingers slide over my face; down my forehead, nose, and lips, before letting my hand drop altogether.

Bringing my strained gaze up, I finally locked onto the young Super Saiyan who was down on his knees, twisted around and staring back through glassy, saucer-sized eyes. His mouth hung open in surprise—borderline hope. But before the transition of emotions could be allowed I shook my head slowly, and that was all it took for Gohan to turn away.

There was a collective passing of gasps and dejected murmurs, but one alto voice caught my heart and wrung it out until it was a puddle of aching mush at my feet…

"DAAADYYYY!" His devastated cries echoed across the rocky wasteland, and were eventually lost to the distance as he sobbed—hunched over, shoulders trembling, his nose almost kissing the dirt.

Goku was gone…

The silence that ensued was so deafening that the new breeze was almost offensively loud. Even my own ragged breathing was noisy to my ears as I stood, shaking, teeth grinding.

'That idiot… That foolish, selfish bastard! He didn't have to do that!'

Most of the men had bowed their heads in honor of the newly deceased hero, but I stared unconsciously at the back of my brother's head (who gazed pointedly at the little, broken down saiyan), just for the sake of focusing on something as my mind muddled through angry thoughts.

'Why did he stop me from using instant transmission? I would have just dropped Cell off on some remote planet and returned! Goku waited purposely until he knew there was no going back!' I ground my teeth together, feeling aggravated and deeply hurt at the same time. 'Why would he leave everything that matters to him behind like that? It doesn't make any sense…'

I could feel a lump rising in my throat, and my eyebrows bunched a bit in self-annoyance.

…Sigh…

I could only watch as Krillin went to Gohan's side to comfort him; he was one of the closest males in the child's life, and so was able to treat him with paternal care without overstepping… considering the turn of events...

"It's all my fault!" The youngest saiyan choked out through blood, sweat, and tears. "Dad didn't have to sacrifice himself—I wish it would have been me!" he cried pitifully.

My face grew hot at his words, and I fought to reign in my emotions. It would not have been appropriate to start crying… Still, Gohan had voiced my very thoughts, and I couldn't stop the burn in my eyes or the swell in my throat.

"Now he's gone," his voice wavered, "…and I'm still here!" It took a minute or two of comforting murmurs from Krillin to finally calm him down, then more silence followed, only disturbed by the occasional sniffle and updraft.

Slowly, the two made their way back to our ranks. It was then that Krillin addressed what the Earthlings called "the elephant in the room"; Android Eighteen. The pale, blonde woman was still unconscious with most of the mucus coating her having previously oozed off. My lip twitched slightly at the gross sight, but for the most part I paid no heed to Krillin and my brother's short argument over how to handle the new edition to the group.

And so, our troop of fighters stood somberly once more. I blinked slowly, feeling the air-light brush of my lashes, and sighed. Beneath my eyelids I could see Goku's determined smirk, but when I opened them… the truth behind the coarse environment and ghostly calmness stabbed at me all over again.

'Oh man…' I reached up and rubbed my eyelids gingerly, feeling the initial sting of dehydration before my eyes replenished themselves with moisture. 'What now?'

It was getting windy… really windy… What the hell?

I frowned, expecting to see a small tornado passing by as I glanced up—"Whoa!"

I stumbled back as a new source of energy pushed against me, kicking up thick dust and obscuring my vision. 'Who the hell is doing that?' I tried focusing as currents of electricity sent prickling sensations up the arm I was using to shield my face. If only I could feel out…

...No… way… No..!

I lowered my arm, dumbfounded as I realized who was hiding behind the smokescreen of sand just beyond our group.

I distinctly heard my brother's voice: "It can't be!" It was true.

There was a spark of energy and I jumped, my shriek of terror lost in the confusion and general uproar as a bright energy beam shot past me and—

"Uugh!"

I turned at the throaty noise just in time to see… my nephew falling to the ground.

My breath suddenly stalled in my throat, and there was nothing louder than the thump of his thick armor crashing to the dirt.

The cruelest, most evil laughter drifted over us as I clamped a hand over my mouth, feeling even sicker than the few minutes prior to the current nightmare. Then, an all too familiar voice corroborated our fears with the confident, happy declaration of "My aim is as good as ever. It's so good to be back!"

Five men and one boy stared horror stricken at the newly revived Cell, whilst the hibernating mother inside me had stirred again, drawing me away from the resurrected android and over to my fallen nephew on shaky legs.

"Trunks…" I slapped a quivering hand over my chest, as if that action alone would calm my palpitating heart. Closing in, I saw just how extensive the damage was: a hole in his armor the size of a large apple revealed a gaping wound that soaked the tight spandex underneath with dark blood. Suddenly the intangible weight of my emotions became real, causing my knees to buckle under the pressure. I sank to the ground beside the motionless half-saiyan and fell onto my elbows, one fist ground in the dirt, the other resting shakily on top of his armored abdomen.

How could this be happening? Why was this happening?

The last thing I had had on my mind was seeing Trunks—the young man who'd I'd grown so close to in the last few days—my nephew—my brother's son—get a hole blown through his chest!

'I can't even feel his life force anymore!' I realized with a painful swallow as I lowered my head unto his left breast plate. 'This is wrong—so wrong!'

My eyes burned anew with tears ready to spill, my throat felt ready to burst, and my heart had long since dropped into the pits of my stomach.

I could hear Gohan's outrage—"LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO TRUNKS!" and Vegeta's growing fury—"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM US, CELL?!"

As I listened to the Red Ribbon android gladly explain how he had survived off of a single cell, one warm tear trickled down my face and onto Trunks' armor. Two, then three and four tears followed as I cried silently, the smell of his half-human blood wafting around my sensitive nose.

Cell had regenerated from almost nothing—managed to restore himself to full power—and had acquired the knowledge to perform the Instant Transmission from Goku's cells! After all that, the monster had come back for the rest of us. That he made clear…

"Goku failed—and so will all of you! But I'm willing to give you another chance if you want…"

Sparks began to fly as Gohan immediately stepped up to the challenge—"You don't scare me, Cell!"—but I just couldn't draw on any enthusiasm to cheer for the super-powered child. Everything that had happened was so…

Wait.

I lifted my head up slowly, eyebrows scrunched in confusion as I focused harder on the teen beneath me. 'Did I just feel…?' I nearly leaped off of him when I witnessed his fingers twitch. Lacking the coherency for words, I gasped, a loud squeak following as I watched my nephew's face contort in agony. "T-Trunks!"

He was still alive?!

My commotion drew in eyes instantly, and several others gasped as the teen's chest heaved and blood spewed out of his mouth.

Shit.

I went straight for my belt, tearing at it until it was loose enough to whip off and fling aside. Next came the over-shirt, which was immediately applied to Trunks' wound.

Frantic voices approached and soon Yamcha was kneeling by my side, inspecting Trunks as well. "He's in really bad shape! He might not make it!" He called back to the rest.

I sucked in a sharp breath through my teeth. "I don't know if I can stop the bleeding." My top had already absorbed a large amount of blood, which was now coloring my hands red.

'Damn it…' I squeezed my eyes shut. 'Damn it!'

I only had a brief second to prepare for what occurred next. There was a short indication—throughout my entire being—this dull pain, as if my heart had been soaked in pure hatred, sorrow, and a countless number of other violent emotions, then coated over with some obscuring substance… like they weren't mine to feel in the first place… That's when my brother's furious scream pierced the air like an arrow.

"CEEEEEEEEELL!"

I twisted around just as Vegeta transformed—already mid-flight—going straight for the android.

I felt my stomach turn at the sight. What could he possibly hope to achieve now that he couldn't do before?

The prince launched a heavily concentrated attack on Cell, who took it head on, fading into the light and smoke that followed a loud explosion.

I faced Trunks again with a disconcerted look—'I hope he knows what he's doing!'—for Vegeta had just let out a hailstorm of energy upon Cell in his fit of rage.

With each blast that hit the cyborg, or whatever happened to be in the vicinity of Vegeta's frenzy-fueled aim, more and more smoke rose and surrounded us like an oncoming dust storm. He just wouldn't let up!

I leaned over Trunks a bit more to protect his body; I was soon joined by both Yamcha and Tien.

Still, Vegeta kept at it. He went on for minutes—firing blast after blast at Cell, who no one could make out in the dusty debris. It reached the point where even Krillin was shouting at my enraged brother to stop.

"Talk about overdoing it!" Krillin exclaimed once Vegeta had ceased. "What's he thinking?"

I kept my head low to Trunks' abdomen and my hand sealed over his wound as I peeked up to where my brother hovered. 'I feel your pain… brother, but this isn't the answer!' I knew how powerful Vegeta was. I knew what he was capable of. Even now… I knew he wasn't capable of getting rid of Cell by himself. I was afraid for him in that moment…

But it seemed the prince believed he could end it all by himself.

"I'll make sure…" he started breathlessly, "…he can't put himself together again!"

A few moments passed.

"CELL! COME OUT! IF YOU DON'T, I'LL BLAST YOU OUT OF THERE!"

And for almost a whole minute, Vegeta poured more energy into the smoke below, where a new canyon had probably formed.

When he finally stopped, my lower lip suddenly trembled; the last remaining bit of life force left in Trunks had vanished… I sat up slowly, breathing deeply as my bloody hand slid away from my nephew's clotted, fatal wound.

I heard the prince wheeze out "At last… It's over…".

But it wasn't over…

I shifted towards the action, studying the dust cloud closely.

—!

"WRONG—" Cell had appeared from the depths before Vegeta almost as fast as I'd blinked. "It's over when I say it's over!"

My heart skipped a beat—"Vegeta!"—as my brother was back-handed brutally onto the rocky ground and rendered nearly motionless.

"And it's over now!" All at once Cell let loose the Special Beam Cannon, Gohan zipped across the field, and I jumped into the air.

I was close—Gohan was closer. The blast was like a sonic boom when it hit—"Aaah!"—and I was blown back as Gohan also screamed in pain, having made it to Vegeta just in time to shield him. "No!" I was too late!

I grunted, quickly catching my balance and proceeding onward again. Small, rocky projectiles hit my arms as I shielded my face and pushed through the smoke and aftershock of the blast waves. "Gohan!" I landed at their side a moment later to assess the damage. "Brother…" I gulped at the sight of the two of them piled together, unconscious, and reached out to shake both of them.

A relieved sigh escaped my lips as Gohan almost immediately began to stir, but… "Vegeta… you need to wake up now!" I grasped both of his shoulders and began to shake the unresponsive prince, the smaller saiyan rising on wobbly legs.

Gohan's arm was dripping blood…

My eyes moved to the sky when Cell called down, "Gohan… I told you not to get in my way!" The android's eyes danced with perverse satisfaction at the sight of the child's left arm leaking blood, then shifted to me. "And you! What exactly did you hope to accomplish?"

I bared my teeth at the machine, my fingers unconsciously digging into Vegeta's spandex-covered skin.

Cell turned his attention back to Gohan. "I do hope you are not planning on continuing this fight," he said, chuckling. "I wouldn't want you to suffer…"

I looked back to my brother, who was ever so still... though most definitely alive; his hair was still blond. "Come on, Vegeta! Open your eyes!" My eyebrows furrowed as I began to slide my hands under his neck and knees. But, when I heard the clicking sound of Cell's feet touching the pebbly floor not too far from us, I couldn't hold back a small gasp.

Gohan, the only thing separating the two of us from Cell, bent his able arm in defense.

"I see you are still as stubborn as ever, Gohan." The android smiled creepily onto us, his aura still sparking with rejuvenated energy. "Well, have it your way then… Let's get this over with." Before I knew it, Cell had bent his knees… was leaning forward… and cupping his hands together.

"Gohan… this is it! It ends here!"

My jaw dropped.

"First I'll destroy you, and your friends, and then this worthless planet!" He called harshly to the stunned child. "But before I do, I want you to remember something…"

My whole body was quivering now.

"I WILL LIVE FOREVER!"

I flinched slightly at the android's bellowing voice. That one exclamation left such a chilling impression on all of us that it even roused Vegeta.

I blinked in surprise as he sat up slowly on one elbow, and I quickly removed my hands. But… my mind was elsewhere. I was imagining Goku… how he failed and sacrificed himself… Trunks, and how his life was cut short… and Gohan… even he now seemed incapable of saving us.

'Cell… really will live forever.' I squeezed my eyes shut, one fist clenching.

Vegeta suddenly fell backwards with a grunt, snagging my attention. "I've… become completely useless on this battle field…" He turned his face to the side, as if trying to hide. "I'm… making a total mockery of my saiyan race."

My eyebrows turned inward in sadness. "Vegeta…you know that's not true…" I tried to reach out to him as he struggled to sit back up again. "You were defending your son's honor—"

"Don't!" he responded, although not loathingly… almost… in despair. As I drew back, Vegeta noticed Gohan with a widened gaze. "I'm… sorry, Gohan, I am."

These words surprised me, as well as the young Super Saiyan, but with Cell's impending final attack facing the three of us…

Cell's evil grin widened as his energy continued to stock up. "What's wrong, Gohan? Aren't you going to try and stop me now?"

Hanging onto his disabled arm with one hand, Gohan replied in a defeated voice, "What's the point? I know I've lost my one chance to beat you…" He lowered his head in shame. "Now all of us will die together and be with my dad…"

I wasn't sure whether to frown in disapproval or nod in agreement… So instead I simply stared down at my knees. "Vegeta…" I mumbled, bringing my gaze up briefly to make eye contact with the prince of all saiyans. "It's…been an honor."

He stared back through wide eyes, lips parted as if he wanted to say something important.

"No, dad! I can't even use one of my arms anymore! And my energy's been cut in half!"

Both Vegeta and I frowned, looking back up to Gohan who was staring up at the sky in a daze. 'The pressure must have gotten to him… How could he be talking to Goku?'

"Okay!" He called up to the sky again. "It's all starting to become clear now, dad!"

From behind, I saw Gohan stand a bit straighter, his good arm abandoning the other as he struck up a more battle-ready pose. "I've got one arm left, but that's all I need!"

I sat up a bit more as Gohan brought his right arm back, and the boy's energy began to climb.

He was going to do it; he was going to fight back!

"KAAAAAAAAAAA… MEEEEEEEE… HAAAAA… MEEEEE..."

I let out an amazed laugh, never happier to have heard that incantation until now. "Yes!"

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

My smile immediately dropped; the two contenders launched their attacks at the same time… and they were the size of mountains! We were instantly bathed in blue light just feet behind Gohan. Not wasting another second, I jumped up. Vegeta was already standing, cradling his left shoulder. Without another word we both powered up, taking to the skies in hopes of watching the final bout from a less lethal point of view.

I spared a glimpse back, and what did I see? Well, two titan-sized balls of energy meeting to create a dome-shaped standstill. Capsule Corporation came to my mind… 'But Capsule Corp. isn't half that size!' the two beams suddenly engorged, and spread outward, becoming even more monstrous.

'Shit!'

Typhoon-force winds pushed against our backs until Vegeta and I were forced to settle on a small plateau, just big enough for the two of us to stand on without being crowded.

"Gods…" My eyebrows lowered as we watched from afar. "I've never seen anything quite like this…" I muttered in disbelief. Even from a half-mile away I felt dangerously close.

I heard Vegeta's deep voice hum shortly in response. When I glanced his way, he wore a deeply somber expression and had powered down to his normal state. I thought back to the last words he'd muttered…

"I've … become completely useless on this battle field…I'm… making a total mockery of my saiyan race…"

My eyelids fell to half-shade as I turned away from my brother. 'No, Vegeta… I don't believe that at all.' Looking back up, I saw that Cell had suddenly overtaken Gohan, leaving the saiyan's side minuscule. I gasped, my hands going to my mouth. "Oh no!"

Vegeta grunted as we watched with bated breath. The two remained like that for a while… when suddenly Gohan's side burst forth, pushing back until his was almost engulfing the android's.

I raised my fists to chest level as my eyes opened to full hilt. "Just a little bit more!" Of course, as soon as I said that, Cell would retaliate by nearly overtaking the child again. "Damn it…"

Any second I was going to develop a heart condition… Sigh… 'Huh?'

"Brother—that isn't Piccolo, is it?" I noticed a small white aura fly past us, around Gohan, and behind Cell. "He's… attacking!" I blinked stupidly, my hands lowering back to my sides.

'Why hadn't that crossed my mind?' I felt a small, nervous bubble rise as I imagined myself joining in… 'Oh, come on… I've… I've faced worse!'

…Right?

Two more flew past us (Tien and Yamcha), followed by Krillin, catching Vegeta's eye. "Foolish, really… I mean it's not like they'll make a difference!"

What?

"Vegeta!" I turned to him incredulously. "This could be just what Gohan needs!" Why was he saying these things? Was Vegeta letting his fear get the better of him… again?

His gaze was fixed on the dreary heavens above him, eyes glazed over with an incredulous fear.

Something about the look on his face sent a chill through Midori. Like she was getting a reminder of what she was really fighting. "…Brother?"

"He'll kill us all," was his hushed reply.

The prince turned to face me with a hot glare. "You will only get yourself killed!"

"We might all die anyway!" I shifted to him completely as well, and powered up with an equally heated glare.

I welcomed the warmth of my energy and the white flame-like aura surrounding me. I then dove backwards off of the plateau and spun around in mid-air as I took off towards the main scene. Vegeta remained on the rock.

I narrowed my eyes as I neared the fight. 'Gohan… I won't let you down, kid! For your planet, for Goku, and Trunks!' With Cell in view I swooped in low, spinning again as I brought both hands up, mentally invoking the name of my teacher, 'Chiakho—'

"HAAAA!" My signature blue ray hit Cell dead between the shoulders, causing the android to flinch… and that was it.

One of my brows rose in disbelief as my feet met the quaking ground, meanwhile Piccolo and Krillin stood from previously knocked-down positions.

'Okay!' With both index and pointer fingers, I gesticulated an 'X' sign, concentrating weighty amounts of ki; they were glowing. Two energy beams from Krillin and Piccolo beside me shot forth. Without wasting another second I thrust my arms up, apart, and down, the energy around my digits releasing as they slid away. My comrades' blasts hit Cell, followed by two large energy slashes that formed an 'X' just as they hit the android's posterior.

But Cell continued to bear down upon his young adversary as if unscathed, despite slightly bowing beneath the efforts of our three attacks.

I knew we didn't have much time left before he finished Gohan off...

So I attacked again with a loud exclamation, choosing that time a continuous flow of energy like the others. There were five rays tearing into Cell's back in hopes of Giving Gohan the upper edge. But we were like pebbles to a nest of hornets—only making the android angrier. The green machine's wing-like structures suddenly opened up, and we were blasted with raw energy.

"Huh—guh!" It was taking everything in me to stay standing against Cell's power; pain wracked my body and wind burned my skin—my formerly straightened fingers curled agonizingly under the pressure.

How could he be using all that energy against Gohan and parrying us at the same time?

The spandex sleeves around my wrists were beginning to shred away—I bowed my head in an attempt to lean forward. "Ugh!"—muscle tension. Feet sliding. Heart palpitating. Eyes watering.

One by one, we were all thrown into the air. Golden currents carried us far enough to where we wouldn't pose a threat, severe winds drowning out our cries on the way. I hit the ground hard enough to bounce off of my stomach, and tumble several times until I came to a stop on my back. Yamcha's boots were near my face, twitching madly from the force of the shaking ground.

Managing to push myself up onto my knees without falling over, I craned my neck and saw ahead of us: the two Kamehamehas shredding into the desert floor. Boulders were being cast out of the expanding crater holding the two enlarged beams, and the Earth itself was beginning to crack open. Ravines were forming from the force of Cell's might!

We weren't… going to make it.

"This is it," I stated breathlessly.

Piccolo pushed himself up on his elbows with some effort. "Gohan!"

"We tried," Tien Muttered in defeat.

Krillin grunted out "We're all sorry Goku… We all did our very best to be heroes like you, but it's just…"

Yamcha finished wearily "Just not enough…".

Cell's energy abruptly changed from equally standing to tidal wave; he was about to engulf Gohan!

'This really is it…' My lower eyelids rose in resignation...

"Big—hah—Bang—ATTACK!"

Five pairs of eyes shot up to investigate the ragged voice above us: VEGETA. My gaze followed the ball-shaped blast all the way from the prince's palm… straight into the android's back; Cell actually stumbled from the attack! He had lost focus and even turned to make eye contact with Vegeta!

'IF GOHAN DOESN'T TAKE THIS CHANCE RIGHT NOW—' My hands were trembling.

Suddenly the energy from beyond Cell's side seemed to explode!

There were throat-bleeding screams from both fighters—

"We gotta move!" Krillin shouted.

The battle field was crumbling beneath us. I took off towards my right, squinting against the rock-spewing winds.

Bright lights—disorienting—power overloading my senses—

A gargantuan wall of energy raced past us, and with it was Cell, screaming his last words: "I'M PERRRFEEEEEEECT!"

…

…

My eyes were squeezed shut, hands glued tightly over my abused ears.

But… everything was… silent.

Easing up a bit, I turned from side to side and looked up and down. Below was a hole big enough to fit an island; above us…

I shuddered at the sight: the clouds themselves had been disturbed with a giant hole in which a large, twinkling light could be seen leaving the planet's atmosphere. The android… was gone.

I turned slowly to my right. 'Gohan…' One hand made it to my chest as I watched the boy also floating high up, his good arm still outstretched. Before long though, the child's fatigue was made clear as his hair suddenly fell from its upright position, changing from blond to black. A moment later and he was sailing towards the ground.

Piccolo, just to my left stated in a stunned voice, "He… did it! Cell's energy has completely vanished!"

"But…" Krillin stammered, a little ways off. "You mean we're really safe again?"

Tien and Yamcha agreed exhaustedly, and we all made our way down with an unspoken relief, small smiles gracing most of our faces.

And despite all Gohan had just gone through, it seemed all he could do was laugh through his wheezing.

My eyes slid shut and I released a deep breath I hadn't realized I was holding...

…

... ...

...

We were back at the lookout. Dende had worked his magic on Gohan, who was now standing without an ache or pain. The young half-saiyan then responded to the sympathy over his father with a puzzling remark. "Don't be sad, he's not."

Tien had previously placed Trunks in my arms, and from where I was sitting I looked up at Gohan with an arched brow.

Gohan elaborated, "He told me himself… when I talked to him. I felt his energy all around me and I swear for a moment I could have touched him!" He went on, telling us how Goku had supposedly talked him through the whole final stand-off with Cell.

'Well… it doesn't sound that unbelievable…' My gazed slid down to my nephew, whose head was resting in my lap. I reached over and gently cupped his face. There was still some warmth left… But… sigh… 'Vegeta, if it weren't for you, none of us would be here right now… where are you now?'

My brother had taken off just after proclaiming that he was no warrior, and would never fight again… I'd never seen such a depressed looking man in my life… But I didn't press.

Mayhem suddenly broke out on the far side of the lookout. Yamcha shouted, "DENDE, GET AWAY FROM HER QUICK—SHE'LL PUNCH A HOLE THROUGH YOU!"

Apparently the female android had awoken.

I shook my head as 'hilarity' ensued; Yamcha shouting threats at the cyborg from a safe distance, while it was made known that Krillin had a crush on Eighteen. Even after she flew away in a huff, Yamcha continued his rant.

But Piccolo spoke up—"We've wasted enough time here."—his voice hinting a bit of annoyance. "Let's hurry up and summon the dragon so we can start undoing all the damage that Cell has done."

'Yes, please…' I was holding Trunks against my chest now, having waited patiently all the while. About half-way up to the lookout I had remembered the significance of the Dragon Balls… The dead would walk again.

Soon enough, Mr. Popo laid the seven crystals at Dende's feet. They were flashing as they'd done before when Goku and I had them, but it seemed more intense now. The small guardian held his hands over the balls, and suddenly the sky began darkening.

I watched with parted lips as the sky transitioned from bright blue, to darker, to… black! "This is normal, right?" I questioned, unconsciously hugging Trunks tighter as the natural light was vacuumed from the sky.

Gohan smiled in my direction. "Don't worry."

Dende's light voice echoed, "Eternal Dragon… by your name I summon you forth—Shenron!"

Golden rays shot from the crystals, high up above us. I momentarily shut my eyes against the brightness, but spared a glimpse up. 'Incredible!' An odd, warm energy was streaming across the sky, reminiscent of a giant snake. 'Or a dragon!' I realized with a gasp, as the golden silhouette began to fade into green and soon revealed unto us "Shenron", The Eternal Dragon.

AND A HUGE BLOODY DRAGON IT WAS.

My neck was craned so far back it began to twitch uncomfortably. 'Damn, that thing is huge!' Its scales were probably larger than my head, and its body… If it were uncoiled, I bet it would've stretched from sea-level to the clouds, if not more!

"CHOOSE YOUR WORDS CAREFULLY AS YOU SPEAK." Its deep voice boomed from above us, causing me to tremble slightly. "I WILL MAKE TWO OF YOUR WISHES TRUE."

"Shenron!" Yamcha called up to the great beast. "Please revive all those who were killed on Earth by Cell!"

"YOUR WISH WILL BE GRANTED." Its ruby eyes momentarily glowed.

Gohan appeared next to me and leaned over casually with his hands on his knees.

I took a deep breath. 'Any time now, I guess…'

And there is was: I felt Trunks' energy all around me, as if it were circling us. Finally, it seemed to seep into his body and settle. I happened to glance at his chest—his wound was gone!

"Trunks?"

My nephew's eyes abruptly popped open, causing me to jump in surprise and Gohan to throw his fists up in triumph. The older half-saiyan immediately sat up and observed the two of us with confusion.

I let out a short, amazed laugh, my heart fluttering. "Welcome back!" He was as good as new! Amazing!

"Uh… Yeah." The teen blinked again, adjusting to the blaring brightness of the Dragon Balls in the darkness.

Smiling softly, I stood along with Trunks and steered the two boys back towards the other men. I'd express my joy later when there weren't so many people around…

When we approached, Piccolo wore a graver than usual expression. "As I feared…" he started. "Since Dende created a new Earth dragon, I was hoping Goku could be revived…"

I frowned. "He isn't coming back?" My eyes flickered to the floor briefly, then back up to the Namekian as a new wave of sadness hit me.

Piccolo elaborated, explaining that the new dragon was modeled after the old one, so that their powers must have been linked… All I knew was that even though I had Trunks back… there was a part of me that intensely wanted to see Goku again…

'But… he's staying dead…'

"WHAT IS YOUR SECOND WISH?"

I jumped again at the magnified voice coming from above us, cursing under my breath in the process. My hands had found their way to both boys' shoulders.

"I AM WAITING FOR IT."

So Shenron was an impatient dragon…

Yamcha called up to the giant serpent again: "Listen—can't you use our whole second wish to revive Goku? All of us really want him to come back!"

My eyes shifted around a bit. 'Is this man psychic..?'

"HOW BADLY YOU WANT IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE TO ME," Shenron stated in his thunderous, unchanging voice. "GOKU HAS BEEN REVIVED BEFORE AND SO IT IS IMPOSSIBLE."

If that wasn't the word of God right there, then I didn't know what was. We weren't going to ever seen him again, it seemed.

But Yamcha, Tien and Krillin still brainstormed different ways to bring the saiyan back to us. Finally, Krillin suggested time travel of all things, and the other two jumped on it, meanwhile the rest of us stood silently. Piccolo, being the voice of reason, quickly reminded them that that would mean Cell would be alive as well…

A child's voice interrupted them. "I have an idea!" Dende beamed at us. "All we have to do is ask Porunga back on Namek!"

…Porunga?

Well, it turned out this "Porunga" dragon could revive a person as many times as it saw fit…

The group had made up their minds: Use the second wish to go to Planet Namek, then use their dragon to wish Goku back to life.

I felt a grin tugging at my lips. 'I've never been to that planet before… I wonder what Piccolo's people are really like?'

"Hey… don't I get a say in this?"

My eyes shot open before my brows furrowed. I had clearly gone crazy.

"Hi, everybody! It's me!"

"See!" Gohan exclaimed as we all shifted to find the location of the familiar voice. "I told you guys!"

Okay… so maybe I wasn't crazy… Still, what in the—

"King Kai's letting me talk to you from here in the Other World."

Kinga Kai?

"So listen up… Lately I've been thinking about why the Earth is always in danger and I realized that most of the guys who attacked it were after me! Think about it: Frieza, Cell, all the androids!"

The others hesitantly agreed to his point, but wondered why he was trying to make it…

I lifted my right hand slowly from Trunks' shoulder to push some stray hairs behind my ear. 'Like it isn't a clear as day? Goku… Sometimes I wish you weren't so noble…' I didn't bother hiding a dejected look.

"Well, I think it would be better for the Earth if I didn't come back this time… King Kai agrees with me."

And there it was.

"As a saiyan baby I was sent to Earth to destroy it," he stated, and I perked up at the chance to hear some of his past. "And though all my life I've tried to do the opposite, it's kind of like I've been fulfilling that mission all along."

A short pause.

"So yeah, I'm gonna stay here now. I really don't mind!" He went on about how he would receive special treatment for saving the planet, and would get to explore the "other" world. "I guess what I'm trying to say is… I really appreciate your feelings towards me, but you'll have to find something else to wish for."

I listened respectfully, albeit with a heavy heart. Glancing down at the youngest saiyan, I saw how disappointed and hurt he was, especially as Goku stated, "Gohan is so strong now. I have nothing left to teach him!"

The boy's head whipped up. "But that doesn't mean I don't need you!" he called up to the sky, where Shenron floated noiselessly.

"...You all better take notes of everything that happens in your life… Cuz when they're through… I'll wanna hear all about them!"

My eyes traveled idly across the black sky as I arched an eyebrow.

"Until then… Goodbye…" His voice finally faded away on a light note.

I smiled softly in return. 'So that's it then… leaving me with that gentle voice… and that silly smile in my mind.'

Lowering my head, I let out a short, breathless laugh. "Goodbye, Goku."