Chapter 3

Island of Illusion

I don't know why I should have expected it but somehow I knew Gohan and Videl would meet, sure it's two years earlier than planned but I think that's a good thing. Videl arrived at our school shortly before the year was over, a week before matter of fact. This is the way Gohan said things went down.

Gohan and Ranma were sitting chatting before the bell, see Ranma was actually getting into class on time now that Kuno was distracted by trying to beat the crap out of me every morning only to end up in our homeroom if I was in a bad mood or the pool if I was in a good mood. About mid conversation Ukyou paid a visit to Ranma and actually was given the cold shoulder treatment. Now out of all the fiancées Ranma has I like Ukyou and Akane, for various reasons, sure Ukyou's tries to break up Ranma and Akane from time to time but never did I see her use potions and stuff on Ranma. She usually tries to bribe Ranma with her cooking. Plus she genuinely cares for him just I'm not sure she actually wants to marry hi, rather it was something her father forced her to do to restore her womanhood and family is why I can't understand why most fan fiction writers try to put Ukyou totally in a bad light.

Well the reason why Ranma even gave Ukyou a cold shoulder was one simple reason, he was trying to get Gohan to tell him how to go Super Saiyan. See during one of our weekends training him and Akane, I took the opportunity to get my ass kicked by Vegeta. Sure he called it sparring but considering I only landed maybe ten or twelve real blows on him, you get the idea. Anyway, about mid-point during our sparring match I got desperate and went Super Saiyan, I explained to everybody a while ago how that happened, sure I changed my age when I did it, but everyone seemed to accept it. Vegeta didn't think it was such a hot idea, at first but I explained to him the reasons, he seemed to agree with me though he never said it. Getting off topic again, Gohan explained to Ranma that it was kind of inheritance, which is true. That was when their homeroom teacher who is now Miss Hinako, got admit one thing seeing Miss Hinako in her adult form I could understand why the majority of the male student body was lusting for her, to accurately describe her, she was HOT! Hinako asked for her students attention and for everyone to take their seats.

"I like to present a new student who just transferred in today from Orange Star High School, um," Hinako looked down at her notes. In her child form Hinako, was very bubbly and scattered brain, and I think it took everything in her being to focus on a very difficult task like teaching. "Oh yes, Videl Satan," she stated.

Gohan paled as Hercule's flesh and blood walked into the room, Orange Star did have one thing going for it, it was a little more loose in terms of what you wear to school, long as you wear the Orange Star button you could dress casually. Furinkan you had to wear uniforms, well cept Ranma and me. Ranma didn't wear uniforms mostly for the same reason I didn't, he didn't like them but he also has an excuse his curse. I didn't wear one because I just didn't like it and when the teachers sic Hinako on me to try in conform to school policy she got a rude awakening. She couldn't drain my massive energy, couldn't even get a full percent before her ki was full and overloaded collapsing. After she did that though she was an adult for a good three weeks before reverting. Since then though she started making up excuses so she could drain me, at around the same time she started showing up at the Tendo Dojo looking for Soun. I could easily avoid her but I don't, it doesn't take hardly any of my power reserves and seeing her happy was nice.

At any rate Videl walked into class with a healthy blush on her cheeks because of her uniform and thought that every student would be rushing over for her autograph. Needless to say she was a bit surprised when all she got were glares from everyone in class, excluding, Ranma, Gohan, and Akane. You see by now Nabiki had finally gotten around to retelling my story to the entire student body, and well two things came out of it. They all went to Ranma asking him if the story can be believed or not. Ranma pretty much confirmed everything I said, after all he and Ryoga could fire off ki blasts, so if anyone could tell you about the fight between Cell and Gohan was true it be him. But the school was still divided on the issue, seeing to no surprise Kuno is a major fan of Hercule's, it's not a surprise for me, after all it's one idiot praising another.

Videl was asked to take a seat next to Akane; she looked around at her fellow classmates and only getting friendly stares from my brother, Ranma, and Akane. Class went on like normal meaning about mid-way through third period Shampoo decided to make an appearance asking Ranma for a date. I never could figure out how Shampoo could get her bike to make jumps like that, still it's impressive. Ranma turned her down flat, but the Amazon wasn't deterred instead she tried glomped him. While trying to pry Shampoo off without hurting her, Ranma inadvertently groped Shampoo, this of course set off Akane's pervert detector, and out came Mallet-sama. I saw Ranma fly out the window and crash into a tree, I also saw Gohan fly down to see if he was alright.

"Wonder what Ranma did this time?" Nabiki asked arm lazy draped on the window seal watching Gohan help Ranma up.

I walked up next to her and shook my head. "What ever happened, I'm sure your sister misunderstood it," giving the scene a sour glance.

Nabiki pursed her lips, "Hey, he probably deserved it."

Glaring at her for a second, before turning back to the scene, apparently Ranma had come out of his pain induced nap rubbing his head looking dejected. I could understand why, "For someone who prides herself on collecting information your awfully blind to what goes on around here, Nabiki," I stated giving her a glare. I've grown close to both Kasumi and Nabiki because often times, we join Ranma and the Tendo girls at the Training Hall for afternoon snacks, training, or studying. We were often joined by Miss Hinako, like I said she been trying to woo Soun, this of course was causing a lot of tension in the household. Nabiki raised an eyebrow, "What was that crack suppose to mean?"

Leaning against the wall crossing my arms Vegeta like fixing her with a stare that would do my role model proud. Yes, Vegeta is my role model, when he returned from Namek with the others I knew he start falling in love with Bulma, of course it was a lot more gradual progression than I first thought after all, during the two years before the androids I saw he and Bulma get into more than a few arguments, yet for all his anger and bolstering he never once laid a finger on Bulma, clashing of tempers I call it. I think he fell in love with her, because regardless of the power difference she always got right in his face. It made deep impression on him. At any rate after that I was often found shadowing him, and after the Cell Games took me under his wing. "Try to be objective, he's glomped by Shampoo and Kodachi, he tries to pry them off gently so he doesn't hurt them, especially now after undergoing our form of training," I give pause as both Ranma and Gohan fly back to their classroom, yep, Ranma has learned to fly and he loves it. "Then there are all the other things, he walks along minding his own business when Ryoga or Mousse jumps him, Akane then pounds him for defending himself especially if it's Ryoga. Most of the problems in their relationship are caused by both your fathers, but it's mostly caused by the panda," I snorted. "He's also alienated from his mother because of that cowardly father. His life is full of misery yet like everyone else around him you immediately blame him," I state dripping a little venom into my voice, I was a little shocked to see Nabiki actually show signs of guilt, shock which in no small way I'm glad to see. That guilty expression meant she was actually thinking about all the times she added to his misery by blackmailing him. But seeing her look guilty did make me feel uncomfortable, "Look, think about it like this if he didn't care he wouldn't let ya take pics of him in his girl form to feed Kuno's lust."

Nabiki looked surprised, "What do you mean, let's me?"

I laughed, "Come on, Nabs, he's been trained in martials arts since he was able to walk, got to think about his senses if he can pick up someone coming up from behind him in a fight, don't think you, he hasn't sensed you standing in his room taking photos," I hold up a picture I got that fell out of Kuno's robes that morning after sending him for his morning swim. "Take a good look at this," Nabiki snatched the picture out of my hand looking a bit more annoyed than usual. I wondered if it was because I had picture of Ranma's girl form, at any rate she took a good look at it.

"I don't believe it, he's posing," Nabiki's eyes twitched slightly, she pulled out a folder with more Ranma-chan pics and looked at each one carefully. The twitch became really apparent then; "he's posing in all of them!" she let out a strangled growl. I could feel waves of shame emanating from her aura, each time she flipped a picture. With a heavy sigh she put the pictures away.

"He does know your family is struggling to maintain things, so in this way he's doing his part. Have you once seen him go shopping for clothes?" I asked her and the shame kept mounting inside her.

"No often times I see Kasumi mending one of his Red shirts," she stated sullenly. This was my theory that seemed to pan out, not once in all the animes or manga's have I seen Ranma with anything new to wear it's usually the same four Chinese outfits, the long sleeve red shirt, the short sleeved red shirt, the orange shirt with the bow, the green Chinese military uniform like Oolong wears, and the blue Chinese long sleeved. My theory was confirmed on afternoon when Ranma, Gohan, and I were studying in Ranma's room, he had five pairs of the black pants he wears, and the various shirts, that's it. At closer inspection you can see the number of re-stitching Kasumi and Ranma done to those clothes because of Ranma's fights. In the series you don't see them, but now it was painful to see. The boy had next to nothing clothing wise, and even less elsewhere, his room was damn near bare except for the things the Tendo's, Ukyou, and the Amazon's bought for him.

"Like I said, Nabs you need to be a bit more objective with Ranma sure he's got a rough exterior who wouldn't with a father like his. But underneath it all boy's got a heart of gold," Nabiki sighed heavily as the bell rung to allow lunch to begin.

Videl was cornered by the majority of the Gohan fan club at lunch. The group that started this club we're ironically Ranma and Akane's closest non-martial arts friends, Hiroshi, Daisuke, Yuka, and Sayuri. Since they were close friends with Ranma and Akane, they took what was said to heart more than anyone else in the school and formed the fan club devoted to the true hero of the Cell Games. Kuno though took exception to this and turned the Kendo club into his Hercule fan club, Hercule would be proud of the moron.

"What?" Videl asked looking both irritated and a little nervous.

Daisuke frowned, "Must think it's great to live in wealth, huh?"

Videl started looking angry, "What are you talking about?"

"Well with your father living like he does, I mean he took credit for something someone else did," Hiroshi stated.

Gohan, Ranma, Akane, and I were sitting not too far away, when we saw what was going on, "Say Gohan, looks like your fan club just cornered the new girl," Ranma stated with his mouth full.

Akane smacked him in the back of the head, "Swallow before talking, idiot."

Ranma gulped down his food giving his fiancée a glare, but he didn't say anything. One of the benefits training Ranma during those weekends was when sparring he focused enough to actually talk serious about things. So I explained things to him in terms he could understand about his relationship problems, and it was difficult. Trying to get Ranma to admit he actually cares about Akane. Fortunately it was only the two of us in the gravity trainer at the time; Ranma was getting use to 50 times Earth's gravity by this point, which was highly unusual. You see Krillin admitted to me after the Cell Games he tried to do the gravity training but after 20 times Earth's gravity his body couldn't take the strain. This brought up questions on whether or not Ranma was actually human, so one night last week while Ranma was sleeping I took a blood sample and gave it to Bulma to test, I haven't got the results yet but I got my suspicions. Which also makes me want to speak to Nodoka even more. But I have been training Ranma not only in Kamisennin but also was giving him pointers on things to keep his foot in the mouth disease under wraps. Which has been working to a point, though I don't believe the Tomboy comment is taken to be an insult because regardless of what I do Ranma still calls Akane a tomboy. So it must be a really weird pet name, he calls her, and it's the only name he has been calling her, the other insults he usually lays on her about her looks or the toxic waste she calls cooking aren't present usually it's only when he's genuinely upset with her.

Gohan looked the situation developing with his fan club and Videl. Hiroshi and Daisuke were giving her a real bad time, as much as I dislike Hercule, I like Videl. "Hey my father saved everyone," Videl stated defending her father.

"No he didn't he was given the credit so the real hero wouldn't get mobbed by people," Yuka stated rather heatedly.

Gohan blushed slightly; he didn't take praise well and was embarrassed that he had a fan club. I simply grabbed him in a headlock and gave him a noogie, "See bro ya got such devoted fans," I smiled as he pushed me away. He stood up after the badgering seemed to get really vocal, as well as when Videl looked like she was ready to start throwing punches.

Gohan quickly went over and provided damage control before, quickly asking his fan club to leave. After that I watched him talk to the girl at length. I don't know what Gohan was saying to her, reason being he didn't tell what they were talking about. Regardless it was heated at first before some time during the conversation Videl actually smiled and laughed.

The last three days of school was nothing but exam days so I can't remember much that went on, Nodoka stopped by for a visit, though. I couldn't really believe Nodoka would actually have her son kill himself, I mean when I talked to her once Ranma and Genma were out of ear shot, I asked her if she missed him. She got this empty look in her eyes, then all her open cheer-fullness left her.

"Mrs. Saotome, knowing your husband so well, do you really think he can hold himself to his side of things," I give a pause.

Nodoka looked at me outwardly puzzled, "Has my husband done bad things?" she asked.

With a light sigh, "This all the info I got from Akane, Nabiki, and Ranma himself, so please bare-with me," I took a deep breath explaining Ranma's life after he left her comforting embrace, told her about the numerous fiancée's, insane training techniques, with the worse of them all being the Nekoken. I left out the Jusenkyo stuff for later. As it was when I finished telling the story Nodoka was clutching her bundled sword. Something happened I didn't except to happen, Nodoka's battle aura was slowly flickering into sight, and I felt her actually start powering up. If I'm any judge of power levels Nodoka's didn't feel remotely human, as her anger and sadness grew. "Mrs. Saotome?"

Nodoka's energy vanished in a flash, "Oh dear, you must think I'm a terrible mother," she stated softly.

"Quite the contrary, how long have you been looking for your son?" I asked.

Nodoka let tears slowly run down her face. "I asked Genma to bring Ranma back after six months so I could see him," she wiped some of her tears away. "Went looking for them after a week," she smiled sadly.

With a nod, "You got any idea why Genma didn't come back?" I asked.

Shaking her head Nodoka folded her hands in her lap, "I should of never made that contract, it has brought me nothing but grief," she said softly. This is what I wanted to hear, but before I could start spinning my wheels on how to reunite them, Kuno showed up and started spouting his idiotic poetry, while explaining about his new boat. The Nihao My Concubine events are about to occur, with some major differences, one Gohan, myself, and Videl were invited along, well Videl was in invited we just tagged along with her and Ranma's company to piss Kuno off. I guess the difference in company also sparked a difference in the events themselves. See while on the trip we somehow managed though I don't know how, to come up to Master Roshi's island I suspected Ryoga somehow had a turn at the wheel at one point. At any rate we came ashore to greet Roshi and Krillin making sure the girls were significantly covered up one thing Gohan and I knew, that in terms of perverts Roshi was on equal footing with Happosai, which probably why many fan fiction writers making crossovers between Ranma and DBZ made them buddies. I also found myself being highly protective of Nabiki without realizing it. The girls which consisted of Ranma's fiancée brigade, Ranma in his curse form, Kasumi, Nabiki, Videl, and Cologne all came off the after Gohan and I, they were followed by Ranma's rivals, Mousse and Ryoga, then Kuno came up last spouting his idiot poetry. "Where has the ship of the Great Tatewaki Kuno brought us, but to a speck of an island," he then spotted Eighteen sunning herself in a lawn chair, "To my eyes behold veritable Mermaid upon the shore, truly I Tatewaki Kuno am blessed."

Now I don't know when Eighteen and Krillin fell in love after the Cell Sage it's never stated in the manga, anime, or the movies, just when Gohan arrives on the island to Krillin about the World tournament she was there with a their three year old daughter. Since Gohan and I hadn't seen Eighteen since the Cell Games I put on a shocked mask while Gohan looked really shocked and instinctively going into a defense posture stepping in front of everyone. I do the same standing in front of Nabiki and Kasumi, while Soun and Genma who tagged along I had forgotten to mention looked at us in curiosity. That was when Roshi and Krillin appeared from inside the house.

"Hey, Gohan, Shiro what are you guys doing here?" Roshi stated in surprised.

Not taking his eyes off of Eighteen who was brought out of her sun induced nap by Roshi's voice sat up. Now I've never seen Eighteen in anything except jeans, shirt, or dresses, seeing her in a very revealing swimsuit in full three 3D, I would count Krillin as one of the most luckiest short guys in the world. Eighteen made a pornstar look ugly in comparison. "Um, Krillin you do know that Android 18 is sunning herself on Master Roshi's island?" Gohan stated.

Krillin looked over casually at Eighteen and smiled with love at her. "Yeah, see a year and a half ago I was off doing some errands for Master Roshi, met her about mid-flight coming from some log cabin near Korin Tower. Turns out that's where she and her brother were living since Cell," he put his hands in his pockets his face highly red. He went on to explain some of the more uneasy moments at the start of their relationship. We all gather around a table that Krillin and I brought out from Roshi's shed, set the table and chairs. During this time Roshi tried to grope the girls at least twice, earning two slaps from Akane, Ukyou, and Videl. He got sent into LEO when tried to grope Ranma, Shampoo, Kasumi, and Nabiki, I was the who sent him into LEO for trying to grope Nabiki.

Eighteen simply shook her head, "Fool," she muttered watching as Roshi crashed to the ground for the third time. A few seconds later we all heard a baby crying, and watched as Eighteen quickly get up and fly into the upstairs window.

"Was that a baby I heard?" Ranma asked looking utterly confused.

Everyone nodded looking just as confused as he did, Krillin blushed heavily, "Um, yeah that would be Maron, she's going through her teething phase right now."

"You mean that's your and Eighteen's daughter?" Gohan asked looking genuinely surprised.

I rolled my eyes, "Come on Gohan, it's obvious even to me that Dr. Gero used bio organics in Seventeen, Eighteen, and Cell to make them stronger than the other Androids, that's why they don't have those little red lenses on the palms of their hands." I watched as what I said dawn on Gohan.

"Oh wow, never thought of that," Krillin stated and then blushed heavily. "Course I stopped caring about the fact she's an Android long time ago."

With a collected nod as Roshi, Turtle, and Eighteen who was wearing a denim vest along with her skimpy swimsuit, had brought out food for their guests. Course having two Saiyans in the group Roshi made sure there was at least two extra courses for us to go through, however he didn't take into account Ranma, who was shoveling food into her mouth just as fast Gohan and I. Since meeting Ranma and watching him, I again question whether or not Ranma is actually human. After that we were invited to stay for the day, and we did gladly. Even stayed the night, however in the morning we received a rather strange sight, Toma's island was right out the front door, and we were missing almost every girl, Ranma had slept as a male, on the roof of Roshi's house and Cologne hadn't touched, no doubt she lacked physical appeal. Even Eighteen had been kidnapped, the group gathered in front of the house. "What happened to the girls?" Ryoga asked.

"They went home and forgot to tell you, here's your sign," I stated sarcastically holding out an imaginary sign. "They were kidnapped you moron!" I growled crossing my arms Vegeta like.

A few minutes later those that could fly carried those that couldn't while Cologne and Roshi stayed on his island. This was another major divergence from what originally took place from what I remembered. You see when Ranma found out about the abilities of the well here on the island he didn't jump at the chance to go after the cure. Instead he was more concerned with saving Akane. When we entered the main hall of the palace on the island where I expected the girls to be held it was empty save for a few guards. That meant that Toma had made his choice of brides and divided the other girls amongst his people, which was another major difference in the story, "Let's split up and search," Gohan quickly took off down a left side corridor, he already knew where Videl was and went to go find her. Soun and Genma went off in one direction, Krillin took off to look for his wife. I had already found Nabiki, and flew off as I flew I realized something, I was angry, no that wasn't it I was royally pissed off. Someone had taken Nabiki, and until then I didn't think much of how close I was to her, but now as I was rocketing down a corridor toward Nabiki aura, I felt rage and anger towards those that took her, and abject concern for her even though I knew she would be alright. Apparently I wasn't the only one feeling that way, later Gohan told me about his encounter with a snake man.

Gohan crashed through the doors, he saw Videl in a very revealing dress the only things not shown even just barely were her private areas, Later when I saw the outfit, I wondered how it stayed on. Gohan apparently had that same thought because he blushed the moment he saw it. She was holding a chair trying to keep a man that looked almost reptilian. You see the waters on the island transformed the animal inhabitants into human men, so the fact a snake like man wasn't too farfetched. "Hey leave her alone!" Gohan shouted.

"I don't tthhiinnkk sssooo," the man hissed stepping away from his quarry. He turned on Gohan charging at him. Not a smart thing to do when considering if the people of the island had television and knew what Gohan was able to do. He launched his fist at Gohan only to have it caught. Gohan lifted the man into the air and sent him flying out the window, I knew that part because I saw it out the corner of my eye just before I found Nabiki.

"Um, you okay, Videl," Gohan asked trying to keep from blushing, Videl had put the chair she was using to protect herself. Apparently the dress was to flimsy for her to fight in, otherwise she probably would decked the snake guy herself.

"Yeah, thanks Gohan, um, what?" she asked in confusion.

Gohan shook his head and took off his button down shirt handing it to her. "No much to that thing is there?" he asked and was nailed in the head for the comment.

My own run in with Nabiki's rather large captor was just as swift as Gohan's. Nabiki put on this mock performance of a lady in distress. With a shake of my head I walked in, "Please, I'm not Kuno," I stated dripping with sarcasm.

She laughed softly, "I had to try," she picked up a bone and hurled it out the window, the dog man went for it, and fell what looked to be fifty stories to the ground squashing the snake guy Gohan had punted.

I crossed my arms and took a good look at the dress she was wearing. "Going to keep that?"

She did a nice twirl to show it off, needless to say in 3D the dress was more conservative than the one Videl wore, yet was just as sexy. "Yeah you like it?" she asked which put me off guard a moment, I've been in her company for nearly a month now often friendly bantering her with things, and on a side note she never once asked for money from me or Gohan, it made me wonder.

"Um, I like it, very flattering," I stated then she did something that floored me, she ran up hugged me and kissed my cheek. "Um, ready to go?" I asked dumbly.

She giggled at me something I've never heard her really do, sure I heard her laugh usually a fake business laugh or a joking laugh at Ranma's expense but I've never heard her giggle before. "Now that my knight in shiny gold armor came to my rescue, yeah." that reply made me take stock of my appearance, somehow during my flight I went Super Saiyan, but something was different about my appearance, I've seen my Super Saiyan look before, usually it spiked out in the front and spiked to the side in back. My new appearance had my entire Super Saiyan hair was standing up. "What's wrong?" Nabiki asked noticing my shocked face.

Apparently during my flight to find her my anger, concern, determination built up that not only did I go Super Saiyan, but I went beyond that. My intense feelings must of surged during the flight to a point that I broke down the barrier and became a Super Saiyan 2. I powered down, turning to Nabiki and gave her a small smile. "Nothing, come on let's go," she yelped in surprise as I picked her up and cradled her in my arms, she maintained a surprised look for a brief few minutes before she smiled warmly snuggled into my arms.