Chapter 13: Life returning back to normal, meanwhile...
In the stillness of my bedroom, I sat gingerly at the side of the bed, hands resting on my knees as I straightened my stiff back. The silk pajamas felt nice against my battered body…
"So the humans went on their way, Gohan went home, and Trunks is leaving tomorrow…" I murmured to myself. "Goku is dead… Broly is dead…" I sighed, my eyelids lowering as I began to rub my knees.
My mate was gone… and for some reason, Goku's death that early noon really put it into perspective. I would never have to put up with Broly's increasingly violence-prone sickness… But I would never get to see that rare, dopey smile again… Or how sometimes he would approach me… and just rest his forehead on mine when he was emotionally drained.
'And those sly looks he used to give me…' I found myself with a lopsided smirk as I thought back…
...
A sixteen-year old Midori was resting silently on her stomach, her arms serving as a pillow. It had been a long day. Though her eyes were closed, the young saiyan was fully awake, and so could perfectly feel Broly's energy as he entered the room.
He made his way sluggishly to her bedside and stopped.
After a few still moments, Midori cracked an eye open. "Yes?" She pushed herself up a bit. "You need something?"
The tall saiyan inhaled deeply, followed by a heavy sigh; nothing unusual for him…
Midori arched a brow in question.
Slowly, Broly's head lowered as he grumbled something unintelligible.
"What?"
"I said…" He brought his head back up, eyelids low, lips smirking. "There are no cushions."
Midori stared up at Broly, eyes slowly widening. "…Yeah?" She knew that look; he was up to something. Suddenly, the teen found herself grunting loudly in surprise as she was all but body slammed by the much larger male.
Broly made himself comfortable much like Midori had done previously, meanwhile she attempted to un-stick her face from the bed. His crossed arms in the crook of her neck made it a difficult task.
"Ugh, you would use me as a cushion!" Midori squirmed, but to no avail.
Broly turned his face so he was resting on his right cheek and sighed again, eyes sliding shut. "It's called improvising," he replied perfectly serious.
"Broly!"
No reply.
"Broly…"
More silence.
Midori huffed loudly. He had won that battle.
...
"Hey…"
My head snapped up and my grin vanished as I noticed Bulma standing in the doorway with her arms folded.
"When you're done smiling to yourself you can come downstairs and hang out with us." She then slinked away with a smirk of her own.
Yeah…
I fell back on one elbow and scratched my head. 'No use dwelling on the past... No amount of shy smiles and comforting sighs will overwrite some of things he did…or took from me…'
…Or make me wish he were still alive.
I nibbled at my bottom lip. 'Goku, on the other hand…' My heart throbbed for a second.
…
I quirked an eyebrow up at Trunks, who was sitting in a chair next to me, his grandmother snipping away at his long hair. "Yamcha already told you what happened. Vegeta… tried to avenge your death." I shrugged, bringing a knee up to my chest.
I was on the carpet, one hand fondling the fuzzy floor tapestry, the other holding baby Trunks' hand as he wobbled upright on his legs. Bulma was pacing across the far end of the large entertainment room, on a conference call.
"Yeah, but—tell me more!" my older nephew insisted.
I collapsed onto my side, the baby immediately squealing as he rushed towards my face with his arms flailing. "Well..." I caught both of the boy's hands that were aimed towards my mouth and hair. "He was so angry… I could feel it."
The teen's eyes widened slightly as he struggled to look down at me without moving. "Oh… from that sibling bond thing, right?" he inquired, and I nodded.
"Yes. He was so mad in fact that he could have blown us all up too." I chuckled slightly as the smaller of the Trunks' fell onto his knees, making loud, frustrated noises.
The older of the two actually leaned forward that time, eyes big. "Whoa, sounds intense!"
Mrs. Brief pouted. "Trunks, darling, you gotta sit straight for me."
"Oh—sorry, grandma." He leaned back again, gaze fixed on the ceiling. The teen was probably trying to imagine his father in action.
I sighed quietly as I also thought of my brother, and what he might've been doing at that moment…
…
…
The next morning was hectic. Bulma was running around like a chicken with her head cut off (I finally found out what chickens were), all four stove burners were on, and pancake batter was everywhere.
I had learned that pancake batter… really tasted nothing like regular cake batter. But I was up to my elbows in it anyway. After all, Panchy (Mrs. Brief) and I had made two boxes worth and came out with four platters stacked almost two feet high with the breakfast confections (which tasted much, much better after being cooked). Two platters piled with bacon were placed between the other plates when Trunks shuffled into the surprisingly average kitchen.
"Hey guys, what's going on in here? I could hear all the commotion from upstairs." The boy of the morning paused next to the dining table where the food was laid out. "Oh, nice! My favorite!"
I gave him a lopsided smile as he immediately jumped into a chair and began serving himself.
Bulma had vanished to who-knows-where, so her mother and I seated ourselves next. Trunks was at the head of the table, Mrs. Brief to his left, and me to his right.
"So, butter first… then syrup?" I took note of what the teen was doing as he nodded, and began helping myself.
Bulma swept in a second later, holding baby Trunks on her hip. "Would you believe that some of our offices were destroyed in those earthquakes yesterday?!" She placed the toddler in his special seat next to Mrs. Brief and then walked around us to the refrigerator. "Boy, I'd like to give that Cell a piece of my mind right about now!"
I stood briefly, making sure I was pouring the syrup properly over my miniature mountain of "flap-jacks".
Ms. Brief piped up, "Oh my, looks like you've got your work cut out for you!"
Just as the heiress was about to agree with her mother, I let out a loud exclamation through my closed mouth, pulling four pairs of eyes in my direction.
"THIS IS REALLY GOOD!" I exclaimed with a mouthful of the fluffy, buttery, maple syrup-bathed bread. "Better than eating them plain!"
Trunks snorted into his milk as Bulma and her mother laughed at my revelation.
…
A few hours later, I popped the collar of my black turtleneck and flattened down my jean overalls as each friend said their heartfelt goodbyes to Trunks. First in line was Yamcha, then Krillin, Gohan, Master Roshi, Mrs. Brief, and even the talking pig… Oolong, was it?
I leaned back against a tree a little ways off when my slowly moving tail suddenly brushed against something else. Turning slightly I noticed Vegeta, who, surprisingly enough, was dressed in casual human attire; a blue, long-sleeved shirt with slacks. I offered him the tiniest smile as we made eye contact. He glanced away with an indifferent gaze.
I wondered what he'd been up to since the previous afternoon…
Just then, Bulma grasped one of Trunks' hands in hers. "I'm really proud of you, son."
"Thanks, mom."
"Be careful!"
"Right." The teen then walked forward, a little past Vegeta and I, where he stopped and settled his sights on us. "Dad… Midori."
Vegeta's face remained impassive, though his wrist did flick up briefly as he flashed his son a "peace sign".
The half-saiyan returned the gesture with a smile.
I chuckled slightly, pushing myself away from the tree and strolling up to my nephew. I reached out, Trunks doing the same, and caught his hand in a loud clap of a handshake. I immediately pulled him forward, my other arm going around his shoulders as I bumped his back once with my fist. No words were exchanged as we laughed lightly, parting.
We all watched silently as he jumped into his egg-shaped time machine. It reminded me a little of Paragus' ship... It began hovering, and Trunks waved down at us. "So long!"
Bulma waved back with fervor. "Love you, Trunks! Goodbye~!"
Gohan stepped forward. "Bye Trunks, you're the greatest!"
Yamcha and Krillin shouted as well.
"Later, dude!"
"Bye, Trunks!"
The teen called back one last time, "See you guys!" and then his time-craft flitted out of sight…
'And off he goes…' There was a sudden draft and my tail shivered, sending a small shudder up my spine. 'Time to go inside… it's getting chilly…' I removed my eyes from the clouds and looked behind me. Everyone else was still staring at the spot where Trunks vanished except for Gohan… He was turned completely around, gazing up in the opposite direction… Hmm…
…
Later that evening, I sat in my room again, staring at a rectangular photograph; one of Trunks and I (that Bulma had made a few copies of) splayed across the couch and floor. 'The evening before Cell's tournament…' I smirked at the sight of Trunks' hair pooling over my waist as he slept against the couch's edge, and how I was hugging the pillow under me, my mouth hanging open. Empty Pizza and ice cream containers surrounded us.
My smirk widened. "It's time to take your life back, kid… I know you can do it…"
…
"YEAAAAH! TURN IT UP!"
So, Bulma had convinced everyone present that we should have a celebration instead of mourning... Alright. That was fine, but...
I couldn't help but laugh from the couch as Bulma raised her drink even higher from her spot atop the living room table. The beverage sloshed about, nearly splashing its holder. Blue hair disheveled and shirt half off her shoulder, Bulma was partying hard.
Krillin obliged his long-time friend and soon the entertainment room (and probably the entire wing) was filled with the sound of "Guns N Roses", a favorite band of Bulma's I had recently discovered.
The Capsule Corporation heiress began swinging her head from side to side, her straightened hair mimicking the movements of a shaken tassel. She opened her mouth, having to practically scream over the music. "I SEE YOUR SISTER IN HER SUNDAY DREEESS~ SHE'S OUT TO PLEASE, SHE POUTS HER BEST~"
She's out to take, no need to tryyyy—she's ready to make.
"IT'S SO EAS-AY, EAS-AY, WHEN EVERYBODY'S TRYNA PLEASE ME, BABAY!"
It's so easy, easy, when everybody's tryin' to please me~
The… "electric guitar" instrument they were using was rough sounding, yet still had me tapping my foot, strangely. 'But damn…' I dipped my pinky finger into my ear and dug around for a second before removing the digit. 'You'd think we were all deaf or something.'
Gohan, who was dancing with Baby Trunks, spun around in circles as he bounced the child in his arms. Just when I could tell the eleven-year old was getting dizzy, he twirled in my direction and plopped down next to me (right as Yamcha and Krillin joined Bulma on the table). After shaking off the spinning vision, Gohan leaned over a bit and yelled, "GOSH, I WONDER IF THAT TABLE IS GONNA HOLD UP?"
Trunks was flailing happily in his arms.
"WE SHALL SEE!" I called back before taking a long sip of my margarita. 'Damn, this stuff is good.'
Two hours later saw just that and all three of them passed out, snoring. It was amusing to say the least…
I turned the volume knob probably two hundred and seventy degrees before it was at an acceptable level, then punched the power button, silencing the radio altogether.
Trunks had already been put down for the night and the three stooges were dragged to their respective rooms. That just left Gohan and me.
The boy-wonder was sitting on the couch again, attempting to fold his suit jacket neatly without getting baby spit on his fingers that the overcoat was so laden with. He then sighed wearily. "Krillin was supposed to take me back home. I guess I'll just have to fly alone."
It was well past sundown at almost 9 P.M. when I made myself comfortable beside Gohan. "I hear you live quite a ways off." But it wasn't like I could teleport him home. I was not familiar with his mother's energy signal.
…His mother… hmm.
For some odd reason I had failed to connect the dots between Goku and the natural, obvious reason Gohan was alive: His wife, his lover—the child's mother…
I sighed dejectedly, hoping the boy would mistake it for tiredness. Secretly I wondered what living with Goku and raising a child would be like…
Sensing a pair of eyes on me, I glanced over at Gohan… who was smiling from ear to ear much like his father used to…
And that was how I found myself flying away from Capsule Corporation by moonlight, the large island capital waning as ocean took the scenery.
I folded my arms loosely as we flew over the black water, the previously full moon above us reflecting in the choppy waves like large diamonds on a dark canvas.
"Thanks for flying me home, Miss Midori!" Gohan chirped from beside me. "I've never had to fly all the way back from West City at night!"
I smiled, replying, "You can drop the 'miss'. You'll come to find that I'm quite casual." I inhaled the brisk air deeply before continuing. "Besides, I consider you my equal now, Gohan… if not more. Escorting the planet's hero would be my pleasure."
As long as I didn't have to stay and make pleasantries afterwards…
A multitude of nameless archipelagos, a few cities, and nearly an hour later, I found myself descending beside Gohan in a small clearing. Encircling us was thick forest vegetation in which the wilderness was loud and active. A large rodent passed by. It was actually… cute... Its facial fur made it look like it was wearing a mask. I smirked as the grey and black creature scurried back into the blanketing darkness of the forest edge.
In the midst of all this was a charming house (dome-shaped like Capsule Corp) with a quaint chimney spouting puffs of smoke. The windows around the side were lit up. His mother (or whoever) was still awake…
I ambled on towards the house, almost there when I noticed Gohan had fallen behind. I turned around, continuing backwards as I neared the front door. The boy was taking his time, edging towards me as he began fidgeting with his now thoroughly wrinkled jacket.
I stuffed my hands into my deep overall pockets, fingering some lint as I tilted my head back slightly. "Is something wrong?"
Just as Gohan's feet scuffed the dirt beside me, the front entrance swung open and light spilled onto us, causing my eyes to squint.
"GOHAN!"
The female's voice was octaves louder than I was expecting, causing not only Gohan to flinch, but me to practically jump out of my sneakers.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? SUPPER WAS HOURS AGO! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HOME BEFORE SIX!"
Gohan merely scratched the back of his head as my jaw dropped and eyes widened.
That was his mother?
I stared down at the petite woman, who was slightly shorter than Bulma, dressed in oriental clothing that covered everything from her neck down.
Her black hair was pulled into a large top knot, while some strands were left loose to hang in front of her ears. She was pretty… just… intense as hell.
She then turned her large eyes unto me. The dark orbs were sharply focused like a bird of prey's. "And just who…" she trailed off. I noted that her eyes were level with my clavicle. She then brought her gaze up, eyes widening in shock as she took in my full height. "… are you?"
"Uh…" I picked my jaw up off of the floor (figuratively) and blinked. "I'm… Vegeta's sister."
Shit, wait—
"What?!" She leaned back, the surprise evident all over her face before she took on a more defensive demeanor. "If you think I'm going to let you corrupt my Gohan, you've got another thing—"
"Mom, no! she's not like that!" Gohan held his hands up. "She helped me beat Cell! Without her we might not be here right now!" He was giving me more credit than was due, but with the human and the way she was acting…
She immediately straightened up, blinking at me.
We all blinked at each other for the next ten seconds.
My eyelids finally drooped in boredom. "Well, I'll be on my way now…" With that I turned on my heel.
"Wait!"
Damn it…
I squeezed my eyes shut tight before glancing down at Gohan, who was holding my wrist with both of hands.
"Please stay!" Gohan grinned back, and we somehow found ourselves transitioning from awkwardness to tea in the living area of their home.
Sigh, that kid…
I sat slumped over a circular table, my fingers casually interlocked, when I noticed Chi-Chi across the room struggling to grab some container just out of her reach. Pushing myself up quietly, I approached the small woman and reached over her, easily grasping a jar of sugar.
She let out a small gasp as she whipped around, and I quickly took a step back. I really didn't want her screaming in my face…
"Goodness gracious!" Chi-Chi exclaimed breathlessly as she took the container of sugar from my outstretched hand. "You're almost as tall as… my…" she trailed off, her face taking on a more dismal expression.
Her husband. That's what she was going to say.
Shifting my gaze away, I took a side step to give her the space to walk past. As she did so, I followed silently, taking my place at the table again. Gohan shuffled up at the same time and we exchanged smiles as he pulled out his chair to sit in.
There was a much calmer aura then… and I was surprisingly relaxed in the unfamiliar setting. But maybe that was because… I was in Goku's home.
As Chi-Chi poured three cups of tea, I leaned forward on my forearms and bowed my head low whilst scanning the room.
'He would have walked in and out of that door everyday… sat at this very table… relaxed on that couch… and reached over his wife to help her with high-up shelves…'
I glanced briefly at the petite housewife when she placed the drinks down and took her seat, then sat up to my full height. "Thank you…" Bringing the tea cup up to my mouth, I watched for a moment as the steam quivered under my breath and my murky reflection rippled… but then lowered the china, sensing a pair of eyes on me.
Sure enough as I stared evenly across the table, Chi-Chi was gazing back as if lost intensely in thought, her eyes slightly widened in wonder.
I frowned, not really appreciating all of the attention. "Yes?"
She blinked, her posture also becoming more erect as her hands curled around the steaming cup before her. Chi-Chi's eyes then closed briefly, one brow arching. "Pardon me for staring," she responded, opting to take a sip of her tea. "I guess I just imagined a woman of the saiyan race would look different."
This observation brought an impish grin to my face as I leaned forward again, Gohan also scooting his chair closer. "And just what did you expect?"
I wanted to hear this stereotype.
"Well you're a lot less menacing than I imagined…" Chi-Chi brought a fist up to her chin in a thoughtful manner. "But… well, there are always exceptions…" she trailed off, with a tiny smile, closing her eyes again. When they opened, the dark orbs trailed over to a small lamp table where a picture frame stood.
I squinted as my eyes as I took in the figures of Goku standing tall in the center, a much smaller Gohan held on his shoulder, and his petite wife leaning against him. My grin slowly vanished despite the serene happiness that the photograph imbued, and I nodded, humming softly in agreement.
Feeling a tug at my heart, I stood swiftly, drawing in two pairs of eyes that quickly widened as I snatched up my tea cup and downed the previously scalding liquid in two dribbling gulps. I then wiped my chin with the black sleeve of my turtleneck and let out a dry laugh. "Thank you for the hospitality, but I really must be leaving."
Chi-Chi rose cautiously as Gohan leapt up, accompanying me to the front door as I stuffed my hands into my overall pockets.
"Will you be coming back?" He questioned politely as I grasped the door knob.
My gaze slid from the hard wood to his youthful face. "…Yeah. I will be back." My eyes then shifted to his mother. She was standing by the dining table with a hand over her chest, staring back as if not quite sure what to make of the situation. I smirked for show—"Expect a visit soon."—then made my exit, closing the door behind me and cutting off the warm environment and boisterous farewells of Gohan.
I took a few steps into the black night, tugging at my turtleneck and letting out a shuddering breath. "Thought I was about to suffocate…"
'It's amazing… in such a short time just the image of that man sends my emotions into a jumble… Glad I got out of there before I made a scene…'
Sigh…
'Time to head back to Capsule Corp, I guess…' As I brought two fingers to my forehead, I hummed thoughtfully, wondering how the future counterparts of my new home and family were holding up…
...
Reptile eyes bulged in anger. "Enough of this! You're gone and here's your going-away present!" Green, speckled hands then cupped together as their owner began harvesting energy. "Ka… me… ha… me…"
Trunks stared at Cell's permanently imperfect form high above him, already bruised and battered. Words ran through the saiyan's head—words he'd reflected on many times but had never been able to say with as much fervor as he had building in that moment. The teen lifted his hands above his head, as if holding up some imaginary object. Molten, gold energy engulfed him.
"HAA—uh?!" Cell recoiled his attack as the half-saiyan below him erupted with ki, sending a full-body attack straight for the android.
Trunks opened his mouth, and bellowed those words he'd wanted to scream for the longest time: "THE NIGHTMARE IS OVER, CELL—DIE!" He couldn't have felt any lighter as he heard the monster's final screams, and watched as the android disintegrated. Slowly, Trunks brought his arms down alongside his aura, and his hair fell back into its purple, natural place. 'Now I can finally say that it's really over…Thanks to you father… and Gohan and Midori… and especially you, Goku. You're the greatest.'
Trunks smirked up at the wave-resembling clouds for some time… when two familiar energies suddenly perked his senses.
"Huh?" The teen turned left and right, his eyes searching over the grasslands in confusion. He finally spotted two figures in the distance… one standing, one squatting... "It can't be…" The more he stared, the further his inhuman eyes focused and the harder his heart pounded.
He was standing at the top of a hill, arms folded confidently over his chest. His predominantly orange outfit was what Trunks noticed first, followed by short, spiky hair. She was squatting next to him, elbows resting on her thighs, hands hanging leisurely as something behind her swayed from side-to-side.
Trunks nearly choked. "G-Gohan! Midori!" He leaned forward slightly, about to fly to them at full speed, when something stopped him. Though he could just make out the white of their eyes, his aunt's lips moved, and he could hear her comforting, husky voice just over his shoulder.
"I knew you could do it…"
Trunks floated, frozen in mid air as he watched the Gohan he knew and loved pull the equally beloved Midori up by the hand. Both adults then turned their backs on the teen. The eerily realistic image of the older male placed a strong arm around her shoulders as they walked away. Gohan suddenly turned to meet Trunks' gaze one last time as he smirked, and nodded meaningfully to the awestruck half-saiyan.
Their heads were just about to disappear over the top of the hill when Trunks' fist clenched and he reacted. "W-wait!" He blasted off and soon landed just where they had been standing seconds before… "Uh—they're gone!" Trunks twisted around and looked up and down; he could no longer see them or sense them…
The lavender-haired teen's eyes fell to the lush, green floor beneath him, his brow furrowing. 'They're gone…'
He stood that way for some time as his heart rate eventually regulated. 'But…' Trunks brought his eyes back up to the sky once more, tilting his head back. His cropped bangs fell aside as his sapphire eyes reflected the clouds, and Trunks smiled. 'At least I got to see them again.'
Far, far away in The Other World, two men were shuffling away from a large, white mansion: The Grand Kai's home.
"Man…" Goku threw his arms into the air and leaned back, stretching until he heard his spine pop. Standing abruptly straight again, he huffed. "I was looking forward to those private lessons, King Kai."
The newly deceased king of the northern quadrant had been in a sour mood ever since the Grand Kai had announced that both Goku and Pikkon were disqualified; disqualified for touching the "ceiling" of the arena in which they were fighting…
"And now I'm homeless again," the short, blue god sighed, thinking out loud.
So much for winning his bet and gaining West Kai's planet to replace his nonexistent home…
"Aw, cheer up King Kai! We'll find you a place in no time!" Goku, who had been walking a few paces behind his mentor, caught up with the shorter being. "You could even go live with one of the other Kais in the meantime, riiiight?" He bent forward slightly as he addressed the king, holding his hands out and smiling optimistically.
In response, one of the Kai's antennas twitched. The northern god stared ahead, preferring to leave that question unanswered.
"Hey Northey!" a deep, yet friendly voice called out.
The two paused to look over their shoulders with raised brows.
The king of the southern galaxy approached the deceased twosome with a calm smile. Unlike Goku's King Kai, this man was almost the saiyan's height and had pink skin.
"Before you all head on out, I have something to discuss with you." Despite the man wearing completely black sunglasses, Goku could tell that the Kai was directing his speech at his northern counterpart. "You may recall the recent events that left my galaxy…"
Goku's attention was lost as he recalled the great food he'd eaten just before his fight with Pikkon. 'I could definitely go for some more!'
"You mentioned that Goku was a super 'saiyan', and I remembered something…"
The martial artist in mention smiled obliviously. He was too busy wondering if the Grand Kai's home-world had any good dining spots.
"You want me to take him under my wing?!"
"Well I thought you and your new rookie might be more qualified in this department…"
Goku's gaze shifted from the pinkish-purple sky to the South Kai's waist. He then blinked. A boy, maybe four or five years old, had appeared next to South Kai. He looked mighty familiar, too. "Hey… whose kid?"
King Kai's antennae twitched again. "If you had bothered to listen—" The northern god stopped short when his pupil bent forward with an outstretched hand.
"Hi, my name's Goku!" The deceased hero waited patiently as the child withdrew from his gesture with wide eyes, clinging fearfully to the pink-skinned god. Goku blinked, but smiled nonetheless. Getting down on one knee, the saiyan tried again. "Hey little guy, what's your name?" he asked softly.
Goku felt a bit sympathetic for the child being dead at such a young age, but was intensely curious as to how the boy had wound up with the South Kai. And the kid just looked so awfully familiar! His mane was long and black…
'Just like Gohan's when he was that age… but hair isn't everything.'
No, Gohan had big, round eyes like Goku… this child's eyes were more narrow, and slightly upturned… and his bangs were parted.
South Kai cleared his throat. "Come on now, boy. What happened to that overly affectionate personality? He's one of your kind!" The god took the initiative to hook his leg behind the child and push him forward, just a foot in front of Goku's still offered hand.
Earth's hero cocked his head to the side and blinked again. "Oh! He's a saiyan?" Goku grinned broadly as he dropped his tiring hand. "Well, I probably wouldn't have noticed with your tail missing!" he exclaimed, pointing towards the child's waist.
The boy gulped and Goku could practically see his hair standing on end.
'Man, this kid's got it bad!'
"Go on, introduce ya'self!" South Kai urged.
The child's arm suddenly jolted up and he exclaimed in his tiny voice, "I'm Lattice!"
Goku laughed in good nature, grasping the boy's small hand in his own. "Nice to meet you, Lattice!"
So he was a saiyan named— 'Wait a minute…' Goku suddenly leaped back, his own black spikes standing on end. "LATTICE?!"
"Look, my love… doesn't the boy remind you of Lattice?"
Goku knew exactly who the child resembled…
"King Kai!" The older saiyan turned to face his mentor with wide eyes. "Don't tell me that's Midori's son—you know—with Broly?!"
"We already discussed this, Goku! Where were you?"
"Uh…" Just as he was about to respond, Goku felt a tugging at his pant leg. Looking down, he saw that Lattice had abandoned any bit of shyness he'd had before. The tiny saiyan had one hand on his hip, the other fisted around the fabric of Goku's pants.
Lattice stared up at Goku expectantly. "You know my mommy and daddy?"
The orange-clad male gazed back for a moment, at a loss for words. How was he going to come out and say he'd killed the boy's father? Was the child even aware of Broly's evil deeds? 'They never mentioned this part in the hero description…' Goku joked with himself.
But upon further notice of the boy's facial expression, the older saiyan was struck with a familiar, comforting feeling. He could just imagine Midori standing there with her hand on her hip, staring at him with a brow arched in expectancy. Lattice may have been a miniature of Broly, but right then Goku was only seeing the boy's mother.
'Yeah… he's not just Broly's son… he's Dori's son too.'
So the Earth-born saiyan simply smiled and nodded in response.
...
An immeasurable amount of time passed in The Other World after that—weeks, months, a year—maybe two. But, from that moment on Goku had risen to the challenge more than willingly. Even if, at times, Lattice had proven to be a handful for the older saiyan, (to the point where Goku had to carefully schedule time for his own training in a realm where time mattered not) Earth's hero found himself ecstatic with having his own pupil in the afterlife.
'This kid has sooo much potential, I can feel it!' Goku cracked a grin, unable to concentrate any further towards the end of his meditating. With one eye, he peeked at the napping child a ways off from him.
Lattice lay perfectly still in the overgrown grass, much like a casket body would with his hands folded neatly over his rising and falling chest.
'Sure is relaxed!' Goku observed with a small laugh. 'Makes me wanna kick my boots off and do the same.' He entertained the idea for a few seconds before deciding he'd much rather train.
Goku smirked as he rose from his lotus position and stretched. "While the little rascal is still down for the count."
…
A lone Monarch fluttered by, catching Lattice's attention and totally mesmerizing the small boy.
Goku paused beside his smaller companion. "Hmm?" Lattice had been leading the way after all.
The older saiyan watched with a knowing smile as Lattice's head tipped back to watch as the butterfly scored a goal through the glowing halo above his head before floating off. The younger of the two continued to gaze with large eyes as the winged insect flew away.
In the time the two spent together, even Goku had gathered that Lattice was an airhead. The two could be sitting together and if Lattice got off track, he would have to wave a hand in the boy's face to bring him back. Even worse, when the child was distracted during training... Well, it was a good thing Lattice was already dead for all of the close calls he'd had.
Goku saw this as a great handicap in battle, but continued to teach the boy in a dedicated manner nonetheless. 'I wonder how Midori kept him focused?' A brief flash of her cool, concentrated, lethal fighting style caused a small smirk to take his lips before realizing that Lattice had gone chasing after the butterfly in the opposite direction they had been heading.
"Hey kiddo, weren't you going to show me something 'cool'?" Goku called with a smile, looking over his shoulder to speak to the boy.
"Huh?" Lattice blinked as if being released from a hypnotized state. "…Yeah! Over here!" He toddled off through shoulder-high grass that just barely licked his teacher's knees.
Goku continued just behind Midori's son, chuckling softly.
The two continued on for a few minutes, passing a few stray fighters from each galaxy until finally…
'Wait a minute…' Goku froze as Lattice knelt at the edge of a small lake. 'Something's not right…' He slid his gaze over from Lattice to the water's bank with a furrowed brow.
There was something around them… something distorting both of their power levels…
The small boy bounced to his kung fu slipper-clad feet with a large grin. "Down here! Let's gooo~!"
As Lattice prepared to jump headlong into the lake, Goku shot a hand out in alarm, but was too late. There was no splash when he submerged… only the following ripples of disturbed water. And then the boy's spiritual energy signal disappeared altogether.
'What?' Two fingers instinctively shot to Goku's forehead as he searched for his younger companion's energy… with no luck.
Goku's jaw dropped in shock as his hand went limp. He immediately straightened up, knowing something was definitely not right. "So much for going straight back to train," Earth's hero mumbled.
He didn't bother wasting time undressing and quickly followed Lattice's lead, diving straight in with a near professional finesse. His eyes briefly shut as he felt a cool sensation envelope his entire body and no sooner began kicking his legs as he exhaled hard through his nose to gain more depth.
It was then that Goku's eyes snapped open in surprise.
It was not water and bubbles he felt released from his nose, but AIR…
"I can breathe down here?" Goku questioned in disbelief as a few bubbles floated from his mouth seemingly for show. Even his voice sounded normal 'underwater'. The way he was suspended sure felt like he was in water, but as he took a moment to adjust to his surroundings—"I'm not even wet—wow!"
'Oh!' his brows rose as he remembered why he was even in the current position, and he glanced down; the only direction available… Pitch blackness returned his incredulous gaze. 'That sure looks inviting…'
Goku's face settled into concentration as he reached towards his toes then brought his legs up and behind him and began kicking. The further he propelled himself into darkness, the further confused he became. Barely able to make out his very own hands cutting through the water before him, Goku wasn't sure whether he was swimming up or down, or if he was even moving forward at all!
'Come on..! There has to be a way outta here!' he huffed, his eyebrows furrowing as he searched for any sign if Lattice around him.
The boy had jumped in with no hesitation… surely he'd known what to expect… and was okay… hopefully.
"Hmm?" Goku's eyebrows perked as he noticed the black veil surrounding him had been somewhat lifted, and in front of him—whether up or down he still didn't know—a dim light was getting closer. 'Okay, now we're getting somewhere…'
Up until that point, Goku had wanted to travel at a slow pace, in case he passed by Lattice on accident, but just as the older saiyan attempted to tap into his ki and rush forward—
"I can't even use my energy?!" Goku exclaimed, having tensed his muscles for flight, but still floated in place. He had grown more annoyed at the circumstances. "Fine, I'll keep swimming!" he proclaimed in a defiant, slightly childish tone as he returned to frog kicking.
Charcoal bled into cloudy grey, then into a light smoky color, finally white, blinding light...
Goku felt the sensation of breaking the surface as he instinctively shook his hair out. "Oh... right..." He bared his teeth in slight embarrassment, his hair just as dry as ever, as well as the rest of his body. "But… where am I..?" Goku scanned the small room he was in. Tiled floors and walls, porcelain… He was in a bathroom... and happened to be floating in a bathtub full of water!
He realized this with an arch of a brow and sloshed about, attempting to turn around.
Suddenly, a pair of thighs were framing his face. A woman was submerged just enough to cover her nipples in bubbles.
Goku leaped from the tub, fear gripping him; the kind that arose from startled women hurling objects at his face. One hand covered his eyes as the other hand groped wildly for a door. "I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING, I SWEAR," he exclaimed in an attempt to keep his bath-mate from throwing a fit and possibly harming him.
But there were no screams, not even a drop of water disturbed.
The dead hero frowned again when he realized he couldn't feel a presence coming from the bathing woman either, and finally allowed himself to turn around slowly with slightly parted fingers.
The mystery woman's hair was completely wrapped in a towel, some kind of green paste hiding most of her facial features, and sliced cucumbers resting over her eyelids. She was perfectly still.
Goku's hand slid away as he cocked his head to the side. 'Is she even alive…?' his question was thankfully answered right away as she sighed contently, one of her shoulders moving whilst adjusting her position slightly. 'Okay...' Eyes widening slightly, he proceeded to exit through an already opened door into a large bedroom, and then out through another open door into a hallway.
There had been something familiar about that sigh though…
Meanwhile Goku had yet to figure out his location. In the next minute he'd come to fully realize that he could not use any of his powers. No flight, no extra sensory abilities, no energy blasting, no nothing!
The hallway he was in was taking him around a continuous curb; from that he could easily recognize the dome-shaped structure of the building.
'But how do I find out—'
"Goookuuu!"
The deceased in mention swiveled his attention to his knees, where Lattice had just grabbed a hold. "Whoa, hey buddy! I didn't even hear you!" Goku brushed the back of his right hand lightly over the child's bangs as he hummed in thought. "Didn't really sense you either…"
After a few moments of thoughtful silence and Lattice resting his head on the side of Goku's lower thigh, the elder inquired, "You wouldn't happen to know why no-one can see or hear us?"
The boy tilted his head up, his arms wrapping around Goku's knee completely. "We're ghosties here!"
"GHOSTS!?" The cogs in the saiyan's brain began turning a bit faster, and he realized that indeed, the woman before had lacked a halo!
An impromptu yawn caused man and boy to turn clockwise, and a petite girl—maybe a young teen—passed by sluggishly.
'I guess we really are ghosts here…' Goku thought, wide-eyed at the young woman paying them no mind.
A few strands of carrot-colored hair poked out from slicked-back locks, which lead to a high pony tail of dangling curls that bobbed to the rhythm of her steps. As the girl stopped in front of a door just a few feet from the duo, she placed her hands on her hips and bowed her head low, inhaling and exhaling deeply as if winded.
Goku watched the girl closely, the feeling in his gut returning that something just wasn't right. It didn't even faze the saiyan when Lattice released his leg and skipped over to the girl with an inquisitive smile. Goku stared hard as she lifted a hand—shaking—the rest of her arm and upper half covered by a red sweater, and knocked on the pale wood before her.
The halo-bearing hero's hands found their way to his hips as he made his way cautiously over. He was standing just inches to her left, Lattice already flanking her right side, all the while she was oblivious. The three of them were facing the door, the middle silent, breathing somewhat awkwardly, the other two expectant and curious.
'Maybe she and whoever she's looking for can tell me where I am…' Goku had a feeling they had somehow made their way back to Earth, but with his special senses stunned and useless, they could have been on a whole different planet for all he knew; he needed concrete answers for himself...
Wow, that took a long while to get out. Life has been pretty crappy, but DBZ is like an old friend; it always make me feel better. So here I am :) Next chapter the action will pick up, but it'll be a bit different~
Who's the girl, who's she waiting on, and where did Lattice lead Goku to?