Chapter Eighteen
His New Mission
Mr. Satan was invited to a party celebrating his victory on the Southern island which held the Tenkaichi Budokai, and the champ could hardly refuse his fans the honor of his presence. He decided to try and stop worrying about Videl's prolonged absence, and focus on enjoying himself in his favorite activity: celebrating his own awesomeness.
Soon he was laughing and dancing and drinking, forgetting his worries and having fun with his fans, especially the beautiful women clinging to his arms.
Meanwhile, two figures teleported on the island, right in the middle of the street, and Videl winced as people around them jumped out of their skins at the apparition.
"Um, hey, it worked!" she said in an overly enthusiastic voice; she did not have great acting skills. She raised her arm and tipped up the sleeve, showing the watch strapped on her wrist. "That watch really can turn people invisible! It's, uh, Capsule Corp.'s newest invention!"
Kibito gave her a weird look, a drop of sweat trickling down his temple. Still, it seemed to do the trick, even as poor as her acting performance had been. The bystanders went along their way, dismissing the extraordinary display that occurred right before their eyes moments ago. Well, she wasn't worse than Gohan, who somehow got away with anything whenever he did something outside of the norm. People tended to accept any excuse if it could explain away any odd occurrence.
"Where is your father?" Kibito asked her as they walked away from the bustling crowd, finding a deserted alley.
"I don't know, but he wouldn't have left without me. Can you find him by his ki or something?" Gohan said he could sense where people were by their energy signature. Surely Kibito would know how to do that too, right?
"I didn't get a good read of him, but I can look for someone with an aura similar to yours. Give me a moment." He closed his eyes and Videl fell quiet so as not to disturb his focus.
His eyes snapped open. "Found him. Let's go."
He touched Videl's shoulder and teleported again.
Unfortunately, they appeared right in the middle of a crowd once more. This time it was a party, celebrating her father who had apparently won the world tournament again.
His loud laughter died in his throat and a dead silence fell upon the big courtyard as everybody stared at the newcomers.
"No time to explain." Videl reached out to grab her father's arm, tearing him away from his promiscuous fangirls. She touched Kibito's chest. "Let's go."
He nodded and the three teleported back outside of Babidi's spaceship. Mr. Satan blinked several times, looking around him in confusion.
"What just happened?"
"Papa, I need you to listen to me." Videl put her hands on his shoulders to make him focus on what she was saying. "The whole universe is in jeopardy, and you're the only one who can save us."
Krillin and Yamcha shared a look and rolled their eyes at the irony of the girl's words.
"I'm not so sure it's a good idea here." Krillin gave Mr. Satan an awkward smile. "I mean, no offence, but didn't you hide the whole time Goku and Gohan fought Cell? I totally get it, I mean it was freaky and scary as hell, especially for someone who isn't used to that kind of display of power, but honestly, what can you do to help?"
"I saw the future," Videl stated. "And Papa becomes Buu's best friend. That means we don't have to fight Buu. He's not evil; we just have to put him on the right path."
"Wouldn't be the first time it happened," Tien said thoughtfully, his arms crossed. "I was myself Goku's enemy before he and Master Roshi made me see the errors of my ways. And I mean… If Piccolo and Vegeta could do it…" He glanced at the tall Namekian as he said the last part.
Mr. Satan frowned as he took a good look at the people around him. The tall green man, the three-eyed bald man, the one with scars on his face, and the short one with no nose and black hair… They all looked awfully familiar.
"Don't I know you from somewhere?"
"We were at the Cell Games," Piccolo replied simply, making the world champion widen his eyes in realization. "But that's not important. Gohan is currently trying to stop Vegeta and Buu's fight, and we need your help to convince our enemy to become our ally."
Mr. Satan swallowed and took a step closer to his daughter. "Videl, why are you with these people?" he asked nervously out of the corner of his mouth.
"Papa, this is serious!" she snapped impatiently. "I know this is a lot to take, but we need your help! You can do it ━ everyone in the world loves you. Just make Buu love you too and you'll be saving the universe. For real, this time!"
The man looked up at the sky. The fight seemed to have stopped, but loud arguing could be heard from the two glowing golden auras. Squinting at the bright light as though he was looking directly at the sun, he was able to make out two male figures with golden hair and a big, fat, bubble gum pink creature.
Gohan had managed to push Vegeta off Buu. The Saiyan Prince had actually had the upper hand against his opponent, but Buu could regenerate his body and seemed to have limitless reserves of energy, which gave him a huge advantage.
"What the hell, boy?" Vegeta snarled. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of something? I'm on your side here, so get out of my way and let me finish the job."
"But we don't have to," Gohan tried to explain. "Look, it's complicated, but Videl, my friend, she saw the future. And in it Buu is an ally. It means that we don't have to kill him."
"Tch. Who says her visions are accurate?"
"Master Kaioshin verified them himself. They check out," Gohan affirmed.
"What's going on?" Buu asked, tilting his round head to the side. "I was having fun with the glowing man! I want to keep fighting!"
"Um…" Gohan hesitated, trying to come up with a way to resolve the situation without fighting. "Well, we don't have to be enemies to keep having fun! If you want, you can fight me too. My name is Gohan, and I'm really strong, too!" His voice was cheerful and enthusiastic, hoping he could befriend Buu.
"Oh, you're strong?" He looked him up and down. "Yeah, you look strong."
Gohan smiled. This was going well. "And if you killed us, well, you wouldn't be able to have fun anymore, right? Whereas if we become friends, we could have fun fighting all the time!"
"Oh! That sounds awesome!" But he frowned, his arms crossed. "But Master Babidi said to kill you all, or he'll lock me up in that egg again. It's no fun there!"
"We'll take care of Babidi for you," Gohan said, feeling more and more hopeful. Videl was right; Buu was like a child ━ and Gohan happened to be great with kids. He could do this. "And then we can fight for fun all you want!"
"Buu! Don't listen to him!" Babidi shouted from a distance, floating in his ball-shaped shield. "I'll imprison you again if you don't kill them!"
Gohan gave Vegeta a look. "Care to take care of him?"
"Tch. Fine. I guess I'll get a decent sparring partner out of this if you're right about Buu."
The Prince flew toward Babidi, who squeaked in fright. The ugly creature then gesticulated his arms wildly and shouted, "Paparappa!", before phasing out of sight.
"Peuh. He ran away," Vegeta growled.
Gohan turned to Buu with a grin. "See? We scared off Babidi. So, what do you say, Buu?" He held out his hand. "Friends?"
"Okay!" Buu chirped and shook Gohan's hand excitedly. "Can we fight for fun now?"
"Sure. But I have someone I'd like you to meet first. He's going to be your new best friend."
"Oohhh, is he even stronger than you guys?" Buu cooed in amazement.
"Err, no, he's not very strong, but he's really nice. He has a huge house and he really wants to be your best friend!"
"Oh, does he have candy?" Buu asked, perking up at the thought of eating sweets.
"Yes, tons and tons of candy! All the candy you'll ever want," Gohan said. With Mr. Satan's wealth, getting their hand on the best kind of candy shouldn't be a problem.
With that, Gohan and Buu flew down to join the rest of the group, and Vegeta followed reluctantly. Videl pushed her father forward. The afro-wearing man looked like he wished he was anywhere but here, but apparently the fate of the universe was in his hands. He took a step forward, willing his body to stop trembling.
His gaze shifted from the big pink creature to the teenage boy with golden hair. He swallowed thickly, recognizing him instantly. It was the kid from the Cell Games. The true world savior.
And then the golden aura around him faded and his hair and eyes turned black. Mr. Satan gaped. It was the boy with the weird magical bean! Videl's classmate!
Wait… Videl had told him that she met the Delivery Boy. It all made sense now. The boy from the Cell Games was in her class, she said so herself. It had been him all along.
"This is Mr. Satan," Gohan said to Buu. "He's a really nice man."
"And I'm his daughter, Videl," the girl added. "You'll be living with us from now on."
Say what? Mr. Satan thought in protest, his eyes twitching, but he knew better than to voice his disagreement in the middle of all the fighters from the Cell Games.
He cleared his throat. Apparently, he was supposed to become friends with that pink creature. Well, like Videl said, everybody in the world loved him. Surely, he could easily charm that Buu guy. That must be why he was the only man fit for the job.
"Do you have candy?" Buu asked excitedly. Mr. Satan felt a drop of sweat trickle down his temple.
"Um, sure. At my house. I'll be happy to give you as much candy as you want," he said.
"Oh! You're very nice! Gohan was right!" Buu said happily.
Well, that was easy.
"I guess we'll take it from here, then," Videl said, stepping closer to Buu. She gave their new ally a warm smile. "I'm really happy to be your friend, Buu."
"You're very nice, too," Buu observed with a grin. "Are you strong?"
"No!" Gohan almost shouted, getting a glare from the crime fighter in response. He chuckled nervously. "I mean, she's strong, but not enough for you to fight with her for fun. You have me and Vegeta for that, alright? And Piccolo too. We're the only ones who are strong enough to fight you."
"Oh, okay! Who's Piccolo?" Buu asked.
"That'd be me," said the Namekian, taking a step forward. "But you'd have to go easy on me," he grumbled, his ego taking a blow as he admitted his inferiority. "I'm not… as strong as those two."
"Still, you can teach him a lot," Gohan said with a genuine smile at his mentor. "I'm sure Buu will have a lot of fun fighting you."
Piccolo grunted in response.
"Buu," Shin called, stepping forward, his youthful face serious. "You promise to be good from now on, won't you? You can't destroy anything or kill anyone anymore. You understand that, don't you?"
"Oh, I can't? But it's fun! Why can't I?"
Gohan grimaced. He forgot to precise that part when he befriended the formerly evil monster.
"Because it's… bad?" Mr. Satan offered. "And you want to be good, don't you? Only good people get the best candy."
"Oh, in that case, okay! I want the best candy!" Buu chirped happily.
Shin stared at them. Was it really that easy to convince Buu to be good? Videl had been right. He was exactly like a child. And Mr. Satan seemed to know how to handle that kind of personality very well. Perhaps this was for the best. As much as he resented the creature for killing his peers, the other Kaioshins as well as the Grand Kaioshin, Shin had to admit that not having to fight Buu was a big plus. And he could even prove useful in the future in case of a new threat to the universe.
Still, there was a risk he could turn against them one day. Having Buu around was like holding a ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment. Leaving the fate of the universe to someone like Vegeta, who had so much darkness in him despite him being an ally ━ it didn't sit well with Shin.
He glanced at Gohan. The boy had immense potential, and while he was currently slightly weaker than the Saiyan Prince, that could be easily corrected.
Videl got out a jet copter from a capsule, inviting her father and Buu to get in with her. Buu perked up like a child and sat on the front seat next to Videl, while Mr. Satan got in the backseat, still looking queasy and nervous as he shot glances at the pink creature.
Gohan took a step in their direction, and Shin read from his mind that he intended to go with them. But he reached out and put his hand on Gohan's arm, holding him back.
"I need you to come with me, Gohan," he told the confused boy. Then he turned to his servant. "Kibito, take us to the Kaioshinkai."
Kibito gasped, his eyes bulging out. "A… A mere mortal? In the holy land of the Kaioshins? You can't be serious…"
"Are you questioning my order?" Shin asked sternly.
"N-No, of course not! But… It's against the rules. Mortals aren't allowed in our realm."
"I'm the highest power of the universe. I make the rules. Now, let's go."
"Wa-Wait, where are we going?" Gohan asked nervously. "What do you need me for?"
"I'll explain when we get there," Shin said. "Now, come on."
He beckoned Kibito over, still holding Gohan's arm. The tall, pink-skinned man frowned deeply but did as he was told. Shin turned to the rest of the group with a grateful smile.
"Thank you for your help, everyone."
"Wait! What are we supposed to tell Gohan's mother?" Krillin asked in panic, suddenly realizing that announcing the news to Chichi would be his job as usual.
"That the highest god of the universe has requested her son's help," Shin replied. "Goodbye."
"Wait!" Krillin said again, but the three disappeared the next moment. He whipped his head to his friends and raised his hands. "Not it!"
"Oh, come on, Krillin, you have the closest relationship with Goku's family," Yamcha argued; he was fiddling with his hands, clearly nervous about being the unfortunate messenger to Chichi.
Videl got off the jet copter and joined them. "What just happened? Where did Gohan go?"
"Master Kaioshin took him to his planet," Piccolo said. "I'm not sure as to why, but I can guess. I think he'll want to train Gohan so that he could surpass Buu. You know, just in case."
Videl frowned and crossed her arms. "But in my visions, Buu and my dad are still best friends years from now. He's worrying over nothing."
"Maybe so, but I agree with him. Better be safe than sorry," Piccolo said.
"Besides, it'd be better if next time something happens, the fate of the world doesn't befall on Vegeta," Tien added.
"Very true," Yamcha acquiesced. Krillin nodded in agreement.
"Excuse me," Vegeta spat in annoyance. "Should I have let Dabura kill you all? Or did you enjoy getting turned into stone statues? And this is the thanks I get?"
"Well, you did get your energy stolen," Yamcha pointed out.
"And you were unable to be of any help when that happened," Vegeta bit back.
"But it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't let Dabura coerce you into powering up to your maximum," Piccolo remarked bitterly. "If Gohan had been fighting Dabura in your place, that wouldn't have happened."
"Please," Vegeta scoffed. "Gohan is nowhere near strong enough to kill Dabura. And if he had to face him, then he would've been forced to power up to his maximum, which would've led to the same result."
"Okay, you have a point," Tien conceded. "But we trust Gohan more than you to protect the world. And can you blame us?"
Vegeta smirked snidely. "I guess not. Well, if Gohan gets stronger, maybe I'll get two worthy sparring partners out of this, which is a win in my book." He turned away. "Anyway, I'm off. Don't choke from over-eating dirt, you maggots."
He took off and flew away. Videl frowned at his uncalled-for insult, but she figured that it was his way of showing that he wasn't their friend, even if he was an ally and had fought by their side for a common goal.
"Tch, that guy, I swear," grumbled Yamcha.
Videl shrugged. "He's gonna mellow with time, don't worry. He and Bulma get married eventually and they have another kid, a girl."
The others stared at her. She smiled sheepishly.
"I've told you, didn't I? I saw the future. That's how I knew Buu would become good and all. Anyway, I better go. I think Buu is getting impatient ━ he really wants to have candy."
They watched her get back in her jet copter. She waved at them and the aircraft took off to the sky.
What remained of the group stared after the flying vehicle, processing what they just learned.
"So I guess Mr. Satan saved the world after all?" Krillin said in a joking tone, making Yamcha and Tien chuckle.
"Well, I'm off too," Piccolo announced. He turned, making his cape and turban appear on his person at that moment, the long white cloth swirling gracefully with his movement. "Good luck dealing with Chichi."
He took off in turn. The three friends stared after him for a while, and then Yamcha and Krillin exclaimed at the same time:
"Not it!"
Tien groaned. "Seriously? I've never even had a proper conversation with Goku's wife before! And I haven't been around for years!"
"Well, all the more reasons," Krillin said. "I mean, you're the biggest of us, and maybe she'll be more reserved if you're the one who gives her the news."
"She's not intimidated by Piccolo, and you think it's going to be any different with me?" Tien pointed out.
"It won't be that bad," Yamcha said. "Gohan'll come back. It's not like he's in danger or anything, either. You'll be fine."
"Can't your wife tell her?" Tien asked Krillin with pleading eyes. "I mean, surely your family is close with Goku's, right? And a woman would probably be better to talk to Chichi."
"Um…" Krillin grinned awkwardly. He and Yamcha shared a look. "I mean, they're not exactly close, but I guess 18 wouldn't be scared of Chichi, so that's actually not a bad idea."
"See? I knew there had to be someone better fit for the job." Tien sighed in relief. And then he froze. He whipped his head to Krillin, his three eyes wide open. "Wait… 18?"
Krillin and Yamcha laughed at the look on Tien's face. Priceless.
The scar-faced man gave his tall friend a strong pat on the back. "That's what you get for not keeping in touch for seven years!"
The sky was purple, several moons were visible despite the daylight, and everything else was green and peaceful. Gohan had never breathed air so pure, not even in the mountains of his home. There was something mystical about this place. He wasn't sure he was even in the living realm.
"Welcome to the Kaioshinkai," Shin said to him with a warm smile. "This is my home."
"Is it in the other world?" Gohan queried in curiosity, wondering if his deductions were correct.
"Indeed. I brought you here because I want you to get stronger, Gohan," Shin explained. "I need you to get stronger ━ to become the strongest being in the universe once more."
The demi-Saiyan frowned thoughtfully. "Do you still think Buu is a threat?"
"One cannot be too careful," Shin said wisely. "I'm not saying it will happen, but in case something goes wrong, you need to be ready, Gohan."
"I understand," the boy said. He gave an awkward smile and rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess it couldn't really wait, huh?"
He had kinda meant to ask Videl out and all.
"I'm sorry for getting in the way of your plans," Shin said. "But you won't be gone for too long, don't worry. Your power is astronomical ━ and your potential is even greater. And I know just the way to help you get stronger. Follow me."
Shin took off, and Gohan flew after the deity. Kibito grumbled but kept his mouth shut, not commenting on the fact that mortals weren't allowed in this world. His master didn't seem to realize what a profanity this was. A mere mortal should never step foot on the planet of the Kaioshins.
Shin didn't scold his servant even though he could hear his disapproving thoughts. As long as Kibito didn't get in his way, he had no authority over his thought process, even if he was doubting the highest of god's common sense.
Kibito eyed Gohan's attire with a frown. The boy was wearing a green, long-sleeved shirt, brown dress pants and black dress shoes. It was not fit for the holy planet.
"Is something wrong, Kibito?" Gohan asked, noticing the disapproving look on the pink-skinned man's wrinkled face.
"Your clothes," Kibito replied. "You should at least wear something appropriate when you are on the Kaioshin planet."
"Uhh… Is there a dress code?" Gohan scratched his hair. "I'm sorry, but this is the only thing I got… I didn't really have the time to go home and pack."
"Not a problem." Kibito extended his arm, aiming at the flying young man slightly ahead of him. A beam shot from his hand, changing Gohan's clothes to an outfit similar to what Kibito was wearing, only his coat was dark purple, his undershirt was teal, he had an orange turban around his waist, white puffy pants, and red boots.
He blushed, not very fond of the attire. I look like Kibito…
"It suits you, Gohan," Shin said to him with a smile of approval.
Soon enough, the trio arrived at their destination. Shin pointed at a rocky plateau ahead, saying that this is where they were headed. Kibito gasped.
"You're not serious! The Z-sword? He's only a mortal! He shouldn't even be here, and now you're going to let him touch the Kaioshinkai's most sacred treasure?"
Shin frowned at his servant. "Kibito, you've seen how strong he and Vegeta are. The Z-sword will give him the power he needs to surpass Buu. That's what matters most. I don't care about the rules I'm breaking ━ the safety of the universe is more important."
Kibito looked like he wanted to protest more, but he grumbled and shut his mouth, glaring openly at Gohan who looked down with a blush, embarrassed to be the cause of their arguing.
They landed on the plateau. The handle of a sword was sticking out of the rocky surface.
"This is the Z-sword," Shin said. "Take it out."
"Even the Kaioshins haven't been able to take it out of the rock," Kibito said, voicing his disapproval once more. "And you think a mere mortal will?"
"Kibito, be quiet and watch. Go on, Gohan. I know you can do it," Shin encouraged the boy.
Gohan crouched down to have a closer look. The tip and the cross were gold, and the handle was dark red and beautifully carved. The demi-Saiyan felt like he was a character in a fairy tale. A magic sword that could give him immense power? Didn't that sound familiar?
"Okay. Here goes nothing."
"You won't be able to do it," Kibito said, still sour that his master wouldn't listen to him.
"Well, only one way to find out, isn't there?"
Gohan placed his hands on the handle and started pulling. Nothing happened. He gritted his teeth and kept tugging, but the sword wouldn't budge.
Kibito smirked in satisfaction. "See? I told you. A mortal could never hold the sacred Z-sword."
Gohan straightened up and frowned at the handle. "I'm not finished yet," he declared, before going Super Saiyan.
"This won't help," Kibito scoffed. "This isn't a matter of strength."
"Hush now, Kibito," Shin ordered. "Just watch. Gohan, you can do it. I know it. Keep trying."
Gohan gave the deity a firm nod before turning to his goal. He took hold of the handle once again and started pulling. His eyes shut tightly, he grunted through gritted teeth and tugged as hard as he could.
The sword started moving. Kibito's eyes bulged out. Shin smiled knowingly. Gohan kept pulling, letting out a cry as he finally freed the blade from the rock.
"You did it, Gohan!" Shin congratulated him. "Do you feel its immense power rushing into you?"
Turning back to his normal form, Gohan swung the sword around with some difficulty. "Not… really. It's just really heavy."
Shin blinked. "Are you sure…?"
"But the legends…" Kibito mumbled in shock. "It has to give you mystical power, it was written."
"If you don't believe me, try for yourself," Gohan said, handing the sword to Kibito.
He tried taking but it dropped onto the grass with a loud clank. Kibito crouched down to pick it back up, grunting through gritted teeth at the effort, but the bladed weapon wouldn't budge. The man straightened up and cleared his throat into his fist.
"I guess it's a little heavy," he admitted with a blush.
Gohan chuckled and flew down to pick up the sword, albeit with some difficulty nonetheless. Shin joined them on the meadow.
The demi-Saiyan started swinging the sword back and forth once again. "Well, if I train with it, it'll help me get stronger for sure."
"Yes, that's right!" Shin said, perking up again. "The sword's power must be its capability to make you stronger because it's so heavy! Keep training with it, Gohan, and soon enough you will become the strongest being in the universe, surpassing both Vegeta and Buu."
The demi-Saiyan gave a nod. "Understood."
Shin and Kibito stood there while Gohan trained with the sword, huffing and puffing as he slashed through the air with the heavy weapon. He wondered just how much it weighed. He could carry planes without so much as a strain, and a plane could weigh up to seventy tons. Just how heavy could an item be to give him so much trouble?
A few hours later, a frown took up his features as he took a break to catch his breath, sweat pouring from his skin. Exactly how long was he going to have to stay here and train? Sure, the sword helped, but at this rate it could take weeks for him to get strong enough to surpass Buu. And Gohan didn't want to wait weeks before going back home.
"Are you hungry?" Shin asked him. A growl from his stomach answered for him, and Gohan gave an awkward smile as he scratched the back of his head.
"I guess I am."
Shin smiled and told him to follow him before taking to the sky. Gohan obeyed, a deep frown creasing his brow as he wondered what time it was. When Kibito had replaced his clothes, his watch had disappeared along with the rest. His Saiyaman watch, too. He would have to ask Bulma for a new one.
A new thought occurred to him, and Gohan suddenly remembered something that had slipped from his mind for all this time because of everything that had been going on.
He had turned Super Saiyan in public, in the middle of the audience at the tournament. An event that was heavily mediatized. And no doubt that the cameras had turned to him when he transformed. Worse: he had turned back to his normal form when he had rushed to Videl. That meant his identity was revealed. His secret was out. The whole world now knew who the "Golden Fighter" was, and they might even make the connection between him and the Great Saiyaman.
Maybe he wouldn't be needing a new watch after all.
But, even if it basically ended his social life, which he had been quite enjoying for the past month or so, even if it meant he could never go back to school ━ Gohan would do it all over again if he had to. He should have done it sooner, quite frankly. He should have shoved Spopovitch off Videl and shred that lowlife to pieces.
Well, that was still a possibility, Gohan comforted himself. Once he got back home, he planned to search for the sadistic bastard and continue where he'd left off. Someone ought to teach that monster a lesson, and Gohan planned to be that someone.
They had dinner in Shin's castle. It was as luxurious and incredible as one would imagine the house of the highest of gods to be. Everything sparkled, everything looked beautiful and holy, and Gohan felt out of place in such a sacred house.
Still, he said nothing as he ate the food served to him. He had imagined that it would be the most delicious dish he ever had, but Gohan was surprised to find out that it really wasn't that good. Even he could cook better.
I miss Mom's cooking.
Perhaps good food was something specific to the planet Earth. Humans were full of imagination and creativity: cooking was as much of an art as any other kind of artistic form. Some people excelled at it, inventing new recipes and new ways to mix ingredients together. Gohan remembered his father mentioning how the food in the other word was kinda so-so, and the boy used to think it was maybe Master Kaio who just wasn't a very good cook, since that was where Goku had been staying when he died the first time. But it seemed as though it was the whole realm that didn't have good food.
Gohan felt a pang for his dad, who loved food almost as much as fighting and was stuck in a world where eating well was but a memory.
Speaking of his father, the boy wondered if the Kaioshin planet was close enough to wherever Goku was staying in the other world and if his dad could sense his ki from out here.
After dinner, they went back outside and Gohan resumed his training with the sword. He really hoped he could get strong enough soon ━ the sooner the better.
He couldn't believe his bad luck. He had been pining for Videl for over a month, and just when they could finally be together, when what was in their way cleared up at long last, when Shin cleansed her visions and made her see that what she had been fearing wouldn't come true ━ just when he had a chance to be with the girl he loved, the boy found himself stuck in another realm for god knew how long. Actually, even the god in his presence didn't know how long he would be staying on his home planet.
He thought of his father once more, and an idea crossed his mind. The demi-Saiyan decided to go for it. It wasn't like he had anything to lose.
His hold on the handle tightening, Gohan stood still and pushed his legs apart, throwing his head back as he yelled and powered up to his maximum, ascending beyond Super Saiyan.
It had to work. If they were in the other world, his dad would sense him when he was transformed. His heart raced in excitement at the thought as he waited, his head turning back and forth, hoping to catch the moment his father used Instant Transmission to appear right next to him.
And then he heard it, the characteristic sound of the teleportation, and Gohan whipped his head to the left, a grin digging in his cheeks as he was met with the surprised face of Son Goku, his index and middle finger lowering from his forehead as the man blinked at his grown-up son.
"Dad!" Gohan exclaimed, throwing his sword aside and turning back to normal as he threw his arms around his father, hugging him tightly.
"Whoa, Gohan? Is that you? When did you get so huge?"
Gohan laughed and cried at the same time as his father hugged him back.
"Well, it's been seven years." He wasn't ready to let go yet. It had been seven years. "You have another son, too. Goten. He's your spitting image. Mom was pregnant when you died."
"Whoa, seriously?" Goku pulled away to get a better look at his son. "Man, I really missed a lot, huh?"
"You were wrong, you know, about how you attract all the villains," Gohan said. "I mean, sure, most of them did put the Earth in danger because they were after you, but we had a new villain today, and it had nothing to do with you."
"A new villain? Really? Was he strong?" Goku perked up. Gohan chuckled, shaking his head. Good old Dad. Always getting excited about strong opponents.
"He is, yes. We actually convinced him to be our friend instead of fighting him," Gohan said. "He was manipulated by an evil wizard who got away, but I don't think we have to worry about him. If he were able to harm us, he would have, and once we got Buu on our side, his evil master had no more cards to play and fled."
"That's good. I'm glad things worked out." Goku checked over his son's head, and was relieved to see that no halo there. "At least you're not dead." He grinned. "I couldn't believe it when I felt your ki, and I worried for a moment that you died, but you didn't feel dead. I know it probably doesn't make sense to you but there's a difference in a person's ki when they're alive or dead."
"Interesting… But, yeah, I'm not dead." Gohan chuckled. "I'm happy I get to see you again though. I missed you so much, Dad."
"Yeah, I miss you guys too," Goku said back, his eyes softening. "So, why are you here?"
"I'm here to train. Master Kaioshin brought me to his planet because he wants me to surpass Buu. You know, just in case."
Goku nodded. "Smart. Wait, did you say Kaioshin? Master Kaio has told me about him. I thought he was a legend?"
Shin cleared his throat, drawing the father and son's attention. Gohan gave an awkward smile.
"Sorry. Let me introduce you. Dad, this is Master Kaioshin and Kibito. This is their home."
"Nice place!" Goku commented, holding out his hand to shake with the deity. Kibito scoffed.
"Another mortal," the servant muttered in disapproval, throwing his master a pointed look that the Kaioshin chose to ignore.
"It's good that you're here, actually," Shin said with a smile as he drew his hand back. "You could help Gohan with his training."
"Oh, that sounds great! It's been a while since I had a worthy opponent," Goku said. "I mean, yeah, there's Pikkon, but we've fought so often it's kinda gotten predictable. It's still fun, but, you know, it gets a little repetitive." He turned to Gohan, all grins and sparkles in his eyes. "Have you been training?"
"Err… Not as much as I should have, I admit…" Gohan scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, lowering his head. "But that's why I'm here."
He turned and picked up his sword from the ground, grunting as he struggled to get it off the grass.
He let out a sigh and looked at his father with the sword in his hold. "I've been training with this. It's super heavy so it helps me get stronger."
"Interesting," Goku commented, moving closer to inspect the weapon. He grinned, stepped back and crouched into a fighting position. "Well, let's see what you've got, then."
Gohan lit up. He jumped back and got into his own stance, his face taut in a serious expression as he focused. He wanted to impress his father. Even if he had been slacking off and used to be stronger, Gohan wanted to make his dad proud.
And so they rushed each other.
Videl smiled at Buu as he stuffed his face with chocolate cake.
"Do you like it?" she asked him. He hummed positively in response, brown frosting all around his mouth and on his gloved hands.
Her father chuckled. He was getting used to their new housemate. Buu, despite being so monstrously powerful, was pretty harmless in the end. He really was like a child, and kids always loved the champ.
"I can get you more chocolate treats. Or would you like another flavor?" Mr. Satan asked.
"Chocolate is the best," Buu said with a sigh of content, leaning back in his chair and patting his round stomach. "Do you have more?"
"As much as you want," Mr. Satan replied with a smile.
"I want to fight, too!" Buu declared excitedly. "Gohan said I can only fight two other guys and him, because everyone else isn't strong enough. Can you bring me to them?"
"Well, Gohan is gone right now, but Vegeta lives in Capsule Corp. I don't know where Piccolo is, but Bulma would know how to contact him, I think," Videl said.
"Vegeta! Yeah, bring me to Vegeta!" Buu clapped happily. "He's really strong, I was having a lot of fun fighting him earlier!"
"How about tomorrow?" Mr. Satan suggested. "It's getting late and we'll be going to bed soon."
"But I wanna go now!" Buu pouted, crossing his arms.
"This Vegeta guy probably needs to rest after having to fight you. You must've tired him out earlier because you're so strong," Mr. Satan reasoned, using his flattery skills to get Buu to concede. "He'll be in a much better form tomorrow after he's had a good night of sleep. You wouldn't want to fight him when he's not at his best, would you?"
Buu frowned in thought. "No, you're right. Okay! I'll wait for tomorrow."
Videl gave her dad an approving nod, smiling proudly at him. He gave her a wink and a thumb-up.
Her visions had been spot on about these two. Her father was the best man to get Buu to turn into someone good, making him reject his evil ways. Without Babidi's influence, Buu had no more obstacles to become good.
A frown took up her traits as she wondered yet again who could be responsible for tainting her dreams and making her believe that getting together with Gohan would mean the loss of her individuality. So much pain and suffering could have been avoided if she never had those cursed visions.
Well, without them, she wouldn't have known that Buu could become good, and the others would probably still be trying to kill him when befriending him was a much better and peaceful option.
But if at least she had seen her real future, not the distorted destiny that her dreams made her believe would be her doom, then she would have known that she had nothing to fear. That being with Gohan would only make her happy, that there was no price to pay for that happiness.
But that had been the point, hadn't it? To make her miserable. To torture her emotionally. This whole mess stunk of revenge. Someone was out to get her, and they might try something else now that their plan had failed.
She sighed deeply, while her father opened a new box of fancy chocolate candy for Buu. To think Gohan would be gone for who knew how long… Just when she finally realized she had nothing to fear, he wasn't even there to officially become her boyfriend.
She smiled as she thought of her cleansed visions, of the life she would share with Gohan. She conjured the image of their children, of Pan, Mark and Mika. They would be born after all, and that thought brought her so much joy. She already loved them even though they didn't exist yet, and it had broken her heart that she was preventing them from being born out of selfishness. But now, she knew what her true destiny was, and that definitely involved having kids with Gohan. She would get to meet Pan, Mark and Mika, and Videl really couldn't wait.
She blushed at the implications of having kids. She saw flashes of one particular dream, the one that wasn't a vision but the manifestation of her deepest desires. Her hand rose to her lips, her fingers grazing them as she recalled how it felt to kiss Gohan. Her face burned up as fantasy merged with memories.
She cleared her throat and said that she was turning in. Getting up from the dining table, she hurried to her room, lest her father noticed how embarrassed she was getting for no apparent reason. He still had no idea that the true world savior would become his son-in-law in a not-so-distant future, or that there was anything going on between her and Gohan. Or that there would be something ━ as soon as Gohan returned from wherever Shin and Kibito took him, that is.
She got to her bedroom and collapsed on her bed, letting out a deep sigh, her arms spread out on the mattress. She stared at the ceiling, conjuring the image of the boy she loved, picturing him smiling at her in that adorable way.
Gosh, she hoped he was going to come back soon. She was going to miss him too much if this went on ━ she already missed him. She wanted to be with him, to tell him she loved him; to tell him she was sorry for what she had put him through. And she wanted to kiss him ━ to cup his face between her hands and pull him to her. Videl remembered the way it felt, the sparks, the fireworks. His lips, his tongue, his hands on her body, his arms around her, his muscular frame pressed up against her. Her heart pounding, her whole body trembling, her skin burning for his touch.
Her face flared up. She brought her hand to cover her mouth, beyond embarrassed by her train of thought.
She got up and walked into her personal bathroom. A cold shower should cool her off. Thinking about Gohan like that was only making her all hot and bothered, and with him away for who knew how long, there was no way for her to relieve her frustration.
She blushed even more at the thought. Relieve her frustration… Videl shook her head sharply and stripped off her clothes before hopping in the shower cubicle, turning on the cold water. She squealed and shuddered as the freezing spray hit her body, but she endured it and breathed deeply, slowly getting used to the low temperature. Soon it was a welcome relief, for her body was cooling down, finally. Videl sighed in content as she stood in the cold shower, forgetting about everything else as she focused on the refreshing sensation of the water on her skin.
She stayed in the bathroom for over twenty minutes, and when she finally came out, she felt renewed, as though she had just shed her old skin. She got into her pajamas and slipped in the covers, a smile of content on her lips as she easily emptied her mind and soon fell asleep.
She dreamed of Gohan again that night. But this dream wasn't like the others. It wasn't a vision, nor was it a sexual fantasy. No, this time it was just a wish. A date with her boyfriend. Going to see a movie together, talking about it afterward over dinner, laughing together, sharing long looks and loving smiles, eyes sparkling, holding hands.
Videl was smiling as she slept, dreaming of the boy she loved in the most innocent way.
Gohan really couldn't return soon enough.
March 19, 2021
