A/N: Here's the final chapter of the Cell Saga!
Enjoy!
Saiyan Soulmates
Dazed and depleted, the Saiyan Princess smiled a true smile as she gazed at the blue afternoon sky which shone with peace, peace and tranquility that was brought forth thanks to the heroic actions of the Z-Fighters. As she fell into deep thought, her eyes glazing over, Bra began to recollect on those last moments before she obliterated Cell. After Gohan was thrust from the battle, she was on her own and hell, this terrified her. She had been already weakening with every second that passed and the absence of the younger half Saiyan had put more strain on her body, as the Bio-Android's energy blast was no longer distributed. Miraculously, she was able to hold her own and honestly she had no idea how. She had known that the Cell she defeated wasn't as strong as the one Gohan had fought. Therefore, she was not as powerful as Gohan at full strength, meaning that he could have wrecked the Android without much problem if he hadn't been drained. Then if that was the case, why didn't Gohan take the entire Senzu bean? That was something she needed to ask him. In any case, her ability to keep up with Cell was short-lived; even after Eighteen had injected him with the virus that his creator made, Cell was simply much too powerful for her. However just as she had given up all hope, resigning to her death, she felt it; a wild surge of power that sent thousands of small shock waves throughout her body, nearly causing her to faint. Her skin tingled, the wisp of hairs on the nape of her neck standing a little more than it already was, her turquoise orbs enlarging as unadulterated rage, sadness, and happiness bombarded her psyche, nearly causing her to hyperventilate; it was all caused by him.
Goku
At the thought of the deceased Saiyan, Bra was brought back to Earth, aqua orbs darting to and fro after shooting upright. She immediately regretted such an abrupt movement when a dizzy spell pounded against her head, a moan slipping from her lips as she tipped backwards and began to fall, her hooded eyes squeezing shut.
A pair of strong arms ceased her fall, her orbs fluttering open and locking with a pair of deep ebony ones, filling her heart with joy…that is until her 'savor' spoke.
"Are you alright?"
Feeling a surge of irritation swell to the surface, the half Saiyan started to thrash wildly, the former bandit nearly dropping her to the ground from her sudden violent struggle.
"Y-you're not him…"
With one last throw, successfully connecting her fist with poor Yamcha's nose, Bra pushed herself off of him, landing on her feet.
"You're not him…" she breathed, her feet shuffling about, trying to find balance. Goku
Yet another set of arms capture her, though this time they felt familiar. "Father?"
Hearing a snort of acknowledgment, a gentle flow of energy flooded into her, making her sore fatigued body gain some strength.
"Now act like a Saiyan warrior and stand on your own." Thrusting her forward, Bra did as she was told and stood tall with little to no problem now.
Giving her father a tiny thankful smile, in which to her surprise he returned, Bra faced Yamcha, giving him an apologetic look. "Uh sorry about that…"
Yamcha shrugged, waving his hand in dismissal. "It's alright."
Noticing the son of Goku alive and well, sitting on the ground, relief washed over her. She cocked her head to the side when she saw Gohan cradling his broken arm with the other, his facial expression contradicting his appearance. Staring at his toothy grin with stunned eyes, the Saiyan Princess couldn't stop the grin from forming on her lips even if she wanted to.
"I knew you were holding back!"
That praise threw her off. "Holding back?"
Gohan nodded. "Yeah, when I gave you half of my Senzu bean, you transformed into Super Saiyan 2…but it wasn't all the power you had was it?"
"Uhhh yeah it was! It's true that the bean hadn't restored all my power, but I still had gotten enough ki to tap into my ascended state."
"No, it wasn't, your hair didn't turn blue, so you were not in your strongest form!"
Trunks decided to jump in. "Maybe that's it Gohan! She wasn't at full power! Maybe she needs to be at full power in order to use the blue hair form!"
"That could be it. After all, we've never seen-"
"Okay just what the hell are you both talking about? What is this blue hair form? My hair is already kinda of blue!" She asked, pulling a strand of her neck length hair in front of her eyes to examine it.
Having enough of this pointless bickering, the Saiyan Prince decided to interject. "Has it ever occurred to you fools that maybe she wasn't consciously aware of what she did?"
Bra's mouth dropped. "W-what? Are you saying I double ascended?!"
"Not exactly, because if that were the case, then you would have been much more powerful than Kakarot's brat during his fight with the other Cell, who was many times stronger than the Cell you fought."
The Saiyan Princess blinked. "Then what was it that I did? I didn't feel any different…I think…" after a brief thoughtful pause, she gasped. "Wait… there was a point that I felt Goku's presences…like it was surrounding me…"
Trunks nodded, smiling. "That's it. Your energy signature felt kind of like his…and yours mixed into one."
"It was weird because it was almost as if he was actually there. Like I don't know about the rest of you, but I swear I at times saw Goku fighting instead of Bra." Yamcha said.
"It almost felt like he was embracing me…"Bra murmured, giving a sad smile.
Hearing how Bra had felt that clown embracing her while not being present confirmed the Prince's theory of Kakarot and her being soulmates, as his father had said something eerily similar. As a child, before Vegeta was taken by Frieza, he once asked his father why is it that he seemed to like to battle more than any of the other Saiyans. His father's response was, 'Because it is the only manner in which I could be with your mother.' Though that wasn't a clear answer to the mystery of Saiyan soulmates, it did match up with the tales that many of his fellow Saiyans spoke of, but that doesn't explain why none of them had formed such a bond with their choice of mate except for his father. Or maybe they did, but perhaps were not aware of it? Nevertheless, it did not matter; it's not like he'd ever get to experience it. At least now he knew that half-breeds could also form this bond too.
He was silently glad that the others didn't seem to recall the brief discussion they had after his daughter's transformation, where he expressed his theory on the subject at hand.
Hearing his father brought up constantly, Gohan's gaze dropped at the thought of never seeing his dad again. The more he thought back on the conflict between them, the more horrible he felt. When his father came back from…planet Yardrat was it? He was so ecstatic, thrilled because he wasn't going to be one of those kids that have to grow up without a father. But then the whole Bra thing happened and…darn it he'd wished he had handled the situation differently. It hadn't been his place to decide who his dad wanted to be with and him cheating on his mother shouldn't have…he shouldn't have let it bother him so much that it would place such a huge wedge between them. Sure he could be upset, but to be angry for so long…three years, well it's more than he would have liked. Yes, he knew that his father had been avoiding him and his mother out of shame, but Gohan knew better didn't he? He knew that his dad doesn't do well with emotional situations, so he should have been the one to seek him out and be with him until he was ready to put his feelings into words.
And what's worse Gohan saw how wrecked he looked and enjoyed it at the time as he had thought he deserved it. His face was constantly filled with guilt and that should have been enough of an indication that he truly regretted what he had done. And now…he was gone, possibly forever considering the wish that Cell had made. But if there was one thing that he has learned in his life so far is that anything is possible. He didn't know how or when, but he believed that one day his father would return and if for some reason that day never came…well he'll just have to see him in Otherworld when his time in the living is up right?
As for falling in love with Bra… from what he saw, Bra seemed to be good for him. I mean, I've never seen dad so happy he thought, recalling the few days of peace they had before the Cell Games started.
He frowned when he saw the distraught expression on Bra's face.
"You know he was there with me…Goku…in the end." Bra said, gaining everyone's attention.
"I'm sure you all saw that I was completely drained…I was so done. Without Gohan's help, it was impossible for me to win. But then…just as I was about to give up, I suddenly felt supercharged. And it wasn't even my power! It was Goku's!"
Yamcha's eyes brightened. "So that's why I only felt him there seconds before you finished Cell off! Unlike those other times, that time your ki was gone and only his was present. If you hadn't been in front of us, we would have thought you were dead!"
Bra smiled. "It was amazing…it's like we were one person…he said he could see through my eyes."
"Whoa! That sounds crazy! Do you guys think he transformed too?" Trunks asked.
Yamcha and Gohan shrugged while Vegeta grumpily mumbled that he wouldn't be surprised.
Eying the troubled Gohan, the Saiyan Princess asked him a question that has been bothering her for some time now.
"Gohan, I got to ask...how did you beat the other Cell?"
The small half Saiyan sighed. "Let me tell you all something. Those times…that I went berserk, especially during the fight with Cell, I felt this dark…negative energy eating away at me, whispering to me to hurt people that had hurt me or had harmed those I care, to make them bleed and suffer."
Gohan continued. "My dad has always said that ever since I was little kid, that I had this great power inside me. He told me that the first time I showed this hidden potential was while my mom and him were walking down the park, with me in a baby stroller. At one point, the stroller escaped mom's hands and I went flying headfirst towards a tree. Somehow, I unleashed the power deep inside me and blasted through the tree, landing on the other side safe and sound."
"The next time was with Raditz, while he was beating my dad senseless. At that time, Raditz had me caged in his space pod and upon watching him hurt my dad, feeling helpless, I again lost my cool and shattered through the space pod before head-butting him, destroying his amour, causing serious damage to his chest."
The half Saiyan then narrowed his eyes at Vegeta, who smirked, knowing what he was going to say next. Having heard the story from the Gohan from her time, Bra elbowed her father, the Prince releasing a grunt.
"Then Vegeta happened." He left it at that, much to the Prince's dismay, as he wanted to hear how he had squished Kakarot like a rubber ducky in his Great Ape form. "The Ginyu Force came next and finally Frieza. All of them felt a taste of this 'amazing' power that I only seemed to be able to tap into when I was in either a life threating situation, you know, cornered or someone I care about was in danger."
"The divorce between dad and mom is when things changed…everything changed."
Locking eyes with the Saiyan Princess, Gohan's orbs glistened brightly with remorse mixed with forgiveness, which caused Bra's heart to sink, her empty stomach roiling, making her feel nauseous. But why? I've wanted him to forgive me for so long and now that I've gotten it, I still feel awful…maybe it has nothing to do with him forgiving me…maybe it has more to do with forgiving myself.
"That whole thing…it screwed with my head. From that day forward, I chose to suppress my feelings of anger. As a result, over time, my rage turned into something nasty, a hate so strong that it began to tear at me you know? And it was all aimed at mostly my father because he was the one that had neglected me during and after the divorce. Sure I could have just gone to him to try to resolve our problem, however back then I was too consumed by anger and that hate that was slowly clouding my judgment."
"I don't know how…but I think what happened is that all those negative emotions that I had bottled up inside me had somehow fused with my hidden power, which created that dark ki that you all had witnessed since the arrival of the Androids. Today, however, was the day all that power came out."
Seeing the Saiyan Prince's vexed expression, he realized that he needed to wrap things up.
"The dark ki is what gave me enough strength to match Cell blow for blow. But as you all saw, it was making me sick the longer I remained transformed. But at one point it hit me. If my dark ki was harming me, would it harm Cell?" Gohan smiled. "And it did, so much that his body began to decompose."
"And that's how I defeated him. I poured all of my dark ki into him. Unfortunately, when I did that, I lost the insane power boost I had gotten from the dark ki."
Bra's eyes rounded. "Oh…so that's why you didn't eat the entire Senzu bean. You knew that even at your max power, you wouldn't stand a chance against…uhh let's just call the Cell I defeated 'Cell 1' and the other one 'Cell 2. Anyways, you figured that two against one would provide a better advantage since at that point, without that dark ki, I was stronger than you right?"
Gohan nodded, but before he could respond, Yamcha happened.
"But guys, wouldn't Cell 1 be Cell 2 because Cell 2 came to this timeline before Cell 1? Or maybe call Cell 1, who was now once Cell 2, Ivory Cell and call Cell 2, who was previous Cell 1, Green Cell? Oh! What about just plan Ivor- "
"Even better, call them nothing because they are both dead!" Vegeta snapped, making Yamcha recoil in fear.
Leaping into the air, Vegeta said, "I'm done listening to this pointless jabbering!"
"Where are you going?" Trunks asked
"Going home! I'm tired of all this Cell shit…and that's saying something because I never admit to being tired." A shit-eating-grin broke across his lips. "And I think the woman is calling me."
Shooting off in a trail of white light, Bra shivered at her father's possible implications.
"Do you all think they're both really dead, the two Cells?" a small voice captured the Z-Fighters attention.
Gohan's face drooped at seeing the normally tough pigtail haired girl act so docile and fragile, with her head slightly lowered and her bangs grazing her pretty blue orbs. Pre-pretty!? Gohan blushed at his thoughts.
Dismissing the foreign thoughts, Gohan decided to answer. "Yeah, I'm sure. Cell said that if his nucleus were to be destroyed, there would be no way for him to regenerate. My dark ki killed the ivory Cell and Bra's blast had more than enough power to wipe out the green Cell permanently."
"A-are you really sure?"
"Yeah, I'm positive." He reassured confidently, with a warm smile.
Videl hung her head further down, her black bangs shielding her pale cheeks, which were tinted pink.
Standing upright, Gohan winced as he had accidentally moved his broken arm. "G-guys, let's go to the Lookout so Dende could fix my arm, it's killing me!"
"I'll take the three of you back home." Trunks said, eying the two blondes and Videl.
Seeing the cameraman, Tony, and the announcer, Trever, on the ground unconscious some feet away, Yamcha sighed.
"And I guess I'll take those two back to where ever they live." He laughed. "Or I'll probably ditch them somewhere, like in a bar and have em' believe that they both got wasted and had dreamt everything that took place."
The former bandit eyes narrowed to slits when he noticed the camera just inches from Tony. Aiming a palm at it, Yamcha fire a weak ki ball, turning the camera into ashes. Can't have people see more than they already have. We'll just have to keep things as quiet as possible until we can use the Dragon Balls to erase everyone's mind of everything that had transpired today.
Heading to the two blondes, Trunks wrapped one of his arms around each of them and lifted them up, jerking his head to his back when he looked at Videl. "Hop on my back."
To her friends' confusion, Videl shook her head. "I-I want to go with him…" She pointed at Gohan, her icy eyes still facing the ground meekly.
Gohan raised a brow. "But why?"
"All of you were talking about something called Dragon Balls…and how they can grant wishes." Gazing at the half Saiyan with glistening eyes, she added. "I want my dad back…"
"Videl…" the aquarium haired woman voice surprised Videl, as did the look in her ocean orbs. It was almost as if she knew her. "The Dragon Balls won't be active until six months."
Videl's face fell, the thought of not having her father for six months daunting to her.
"What about Krillin?" Eighteen asked, breaking her silence. "Can we wish him back as well after the six months?"
Opening her mouth, Bra closed it, knowing that the answer that she was going to give the brunette would surely piss her off. So instead she decided to say, "Let's all go to the Lookout. Dende might be able to do something since he is the new guardian and all."
"Well guys, I'll see ya'll later." Videl said, her lips curving slightly at her friends, the blondes returning the look.
Lifting into the air, Trunks took off at a slow pace, scowling when he heard Erasa gush about his defined muscles while Sharpner wined on how tight his hold was; his destination was Orange Star City, the female blonde having informed him that that was where their homes are.
Grabbing ahold of Trevor and Tony, Yamcha waved at his friends and flew to an unknown destination, giggling madly on where he should drop them off.
"Soooo Videl, who will be your ride today?" The Saiyan Princess gave Videl a mischievous stare, which made her more nervous than she already was.
"Will it be Eighteen?" She turned to said Android. "Or Gohan?"
Carefully observing Gohan and Videl and how they were both fidgeting, Eighteen smirked, catching on to what Bra was doing. "Well, you can count me out. I don't feel like holding that brat."
Bra nodded. "Then it's settled. Videl will ride with Gohan!"
Gohan gawked at the Saiyan Princess. "Wh-what? But why can't you do it?! I have a broken arm! How am I supposed to carry her?!"
"Ehh that last battle took a lot out of me." She exaggerated with a roll of her neck and shoulders, floating into the sky.
"You're a big and strong and smart guy Gohan! Figure it out." With a final wave and wink of her eye, she flew towards the Lookout at breakneck speed.
The Android gave them a curvy eyed smile and followed Bra.
Staring at each other awkwardly, Videl twiddled her fingers together while Gohan rocked back and forth. The black haired girl took a deep breath and marched towards the half Saiyan.
"Uhhmm, let's go then."
Shaking off his anxiety, Gohan cocked his head. "Uhh I can't. I would hold you with my right arm, but I need it to keep my broken arm steady."
Videl rolled her eyes. "Turn around."
"Huh?"
"Turn around!" She repeated and this time the boy obeyed.
Curling her arms around his neck, making sure it was firmly secure but not tight enough to choke him, Videl smiled, tapping his right leg with her right foot. "Up up and away!"
The half Saiyan smiled as he jumped into the sky, the afternoon sun making everything that much brighter.
Gohan couldn't stop the manner in which his heart fluttered with every joyful giggle that burst from Videl's lips.
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Landing on the Lookout, Bra's lips cracked into a half-hearted smile when she saw Dende rush towards her, sadness plastered across the Namek's face.
"Bra! I apologize greatly! Cell caught me off guard! If I had been more attentive I could have realized Cell coming from behind! I could have prevented him from taking the Dragon Balls-"
"It's not your fault Dende." Bra said, bending her knees until she was comfortably seated on the tile floor with her leg crossed. "There was nothing you could have done…wait, where is Mr. Popo?" she asked, her head swerving like a radar
The Namekian's sagging shoulders spoke it all.
"Cell killed him..." Dende wept, rubbing his sleeve under his nose. "I did not witness it because he had already rendered me unconscious at that point, but when I saw him missing upon regaining consciousness, I searched the entire Lookout and when I could not locate him, I contacted King Yama a-and…I asked if Mr. Popo's spirit had arrived there…and yes, he confirmed that it had."
The Saiyan Princess didn't have it in her to shed any more tears and instead chose to veer off the subject.
"Can you heal me?" she requested, in which Dende nodded, placing his small hand on her shoulder.
Bra shut her eyes, her entire body relaxing as a tingly warm sensation washed over her and just like that, she was fully restored to normal health.
In came Eighteen, her feet touching the floor softly; she crossed her arms and raised a brow when she saw that the half Saiyan seemed more lively, her pale appearance completely gone along with all the scuff and bruises she had received during the battle. Unfortunately, her clothes hadn't gotten the same treatment what with her white shirt tore and loose, the side of her shoulder exposed, making the material barely able to hold itself together. Simply put, it looked like a dirty used rag that one had used to clean tables.
Upon seeing Dende beside Bra she recalled that this Namek has the power to heal people, having witnessed it after Goku received a beating from Vegeta when the Prince found out about his secret relationship with his daughter.
Eyeing the Android timidly, Dende asked, "D-do you want me to heal you too Eighteen?"
The Android tilted her head, but nevertheless gave a nod for Dende to perform his magic.
Just as the Namek finished healing the Android, they all heard-
"Hey! Quit squirming!"
"I'm sorry, it's just that I'm scared I'm gonna fall!"
"You won't if you don't loosen your grip! I don't get it! You were laughing throughout the entire way here and now you're wailing about the height."
"Because I could see the ground, you idiot! Now I can't see nothing but freaking clouds!"
The boy sighed as he appeared several feet from the others, Bra smiling in amusement while Eighteen tried to suppress a giggle.
Videl leaped from Gohan's back as soon as he landed, the pigtail haired girl forcing the urge to drop to her knees and kiss the floor far back in her mind. Regaining her composure, Videl's blue eyes widened, her jaw dropping as she took in the sight of the Lookout.
"Whoa…this place is…beautiful…" she expressed.
"Gohan!"
Videl whirled around to catch sight of the little green kid that looked like the green man who Cell had killed. Was he this kid's father or something?
The girl was astonished again when she saw the green boy rest his hand on Gohan's broken left arm, showering him with a radiant yellow-orange light, which enveloped him completely. She watched as all his scrapes, cuts and all kinds of wounds pull itself together. She gasped when Gohan moved and stretched his now healed arm as if it had never been broken in the first place.
Honestly, I don't even know why I'm surprised. With all the crazy things I saw today, yeah…this is nothing. Besides, that weird bean that Gohan took had the same effect too.
After Dende broke the news of Mr. Popo's death to Gohan, who took it about as well as Bra did, the Saiyan Princess decided that it was time to talk Dragon Balls.
"So Dende, Dragon Balls, what are our options?" Bra knew what he was going to say, but so did the others right? I mean they were all here when he explained what the dragon can and can't do… well minus Videl of course.
Dende looked at all of them anxiously before responding. "Well I'm assuming you all already know that we now have to wait at least six months before we can make a wish, yes?"
They all nodded.
"After Cell made two wishes, Bra interfered and told Shenron that they didn't want any more wishes. As I explained before, Shenron can grant three wishes every time he is summoned, that is if all wishes are used and one year's time has passed. Since Bra told Shenron that she didn't want any more wishes, that last wish is saved until he is summoned again. Sending it away with remaining wishes only makes the Dragon Balls inactive for six months instead of the normal full year."
Dende's face fell. "So if we were to summon the dragon in six months, we would only have that single wish that was never used. Unfortunately, that one wish wouldn't be able to revive more than one person as you need two wishes to bring back more than one person back from the dead, which includes people that had already died before-"
"Does that mean that I can wish my dad back in six months?" Videl asked, hopefully. "I mean you guys can wish back everyone else in just six more months."
This didn't settle well with Eighteen.
"Why do you get your wish? What if I want that wish?" The brunette snapped, causing the girl to shrink back in fear briefly before standing tall, meeting the Android's heated gaze.
"But I want my dad!"
"And I want Krillin!"
After watching the two insults each other longer than he had wanted to, Gohan screamed for them to stop, which they did, but not before Eighteen threw in another nasty remark, in which Videl stuck her tongue out.
Bra rolled her eyes at their childish behaviors as Dende answered the question that Videl had asked before the argument. Looking at Videl, he said. "To answer your inquiry, yes you can wish back your father in six months, though if you do, then everyone else would have to wait one year until the dragon becomes active again, with three wishes of course."
"Well then, I think it's better if we wait a year so that we can all get the wishes we want. That sound good?" Gohan suggested.
Letting go of her selfishness, Videl relented. "Okay."
Too bad the Android didn't agree.
"I don't care, I want Krillin back! You'll have to kill me if you want to stop me!" She shouted, angrily. Just as she was about to blast off, Dende's voice halted her movement.
"Your wish wouldn't be granted."
Eighteen frowned. "Why the hell not?!"
"Be-because if I'm correct, Krillin has died once… right?" he replied, eying Gohan knowingly.
Gohan bobbed his head dejectedly. "Actually, he has died twice…and this time makes it three." The half Saiyan remembered Krillin himself had told him that the first time he died was by the hands of one of King Piccolo's minions.
"Which means that two wishes would be needed to wish him back, as one wish can only bring those who had died only once." Dende added.
"So I can't wish him back…then I'll wish back my brother." She decided, shocking herself that she'd rather wish back Krillin than her brother. It's not like he wouldn't have been wished back one year after I wished back Krillin.
That thought hadn't made her feel better.
"Eighteen, quit thinkin' about yourself and be patient like the rest of us. We all want the same thing-"
"The hell with you princess! Why do you care anyways?! You wouldn't be getting your wish no matter how long you wait!"
"Watch it…" Bra growled, her fists tightening while her eyes burned with fury.
Realizing what she had said, her anger escaped her, being replaced with guilt and shame. She hadn't meant to say that. It's just that she had lost both her brother and Krillin and now she felt alone. She felt even worse when she saw Gohan's crestfallen look.
"Wh-whatever!"
Without a word more, the Android spiral down the Lookout, heading to who knows where.
Not moments later, Trunks and Yamcha made their appearance and witnessing everyone's miserable expression, one of them asked-
"What happened? We crossed path with Eighteen and she didn't look too happy." Trunks asked.
"She…she was being an inconsiderate bitch…" Bra muttered.
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His eyebrows wrinkling with stress, the Ox-King sighed, dragging his large hand across his face as he could do nothing but watch his daughter, who was crumpled on the living room floor with a pillow pressed against her chest, staring at the Television absentmindedly. It tore his heart to see her eyes tinted pinkish-red from the lack of sleep and the overflowing shed of tears that seemed to have no end. The remote which she had previously held now rested to her side, as she had long given up trying to find a channel that was broadcasting…well anything.
Not long after the… gruesome manner in which Cell had murdered the World Champion Mr. Satan, the live broadcasting of the tournament, if you can call it that, had been taken off the air. Following Mr. Satan's death, he and his daughter bear witness to the Bio-Android's children mercilessly attack Goku and the others and while it seemed like the gang had the advantage, having destroyed countless Jrs, that was the major problem; there were countless of the mini Androids. Like a magician, Cell would just wave his hand and dozens of his children materialized from thin air, grinning with malice as they rushed to do what they were created to do.
And then throughout all the chaos they suddenly heard a pain filled scream that had unmistakably came from his grandson and in turn, his daughter wailed in distress, hysteria settling in; then she collapsed to the floor in a weeping mess.
She hasn't moved since her son's tormented cry, not even when the broadcast unexpectedly cut off, along with seemingly all of cable TV.
They both obviously had no method of telling what had occurred next as neither of them knew how to sense ki signatures. However, while they couldn't sense what happened next, they still have their other senses; the two heard and felt the ground shaking, thunder roaring and the ruthless wind crashing against their palace, causing it to tremble; this clearly indicated that the battle had intensified. At one point, while pacing back and forth restlessly, the Ox-king had heard and saw a brilliant bolt of lightning shoot into the dark sky followed by a familiar growl which sent chills down his spine. He immediately realized that the Eternal Dragon, Shenron, had been summoned. For what reason, he didn't know.
Then all went silent and for some reason, he felt like this was it, that what took place next would determine the faith of Earth.
And he was right because just as abruptly as it stopped, it began. All hell broke loose as he had felt the greatest earthquake he had ever felt before and he was sure that everyone on the planet could most likely feel this one.
That lasted for probably some hours before it went quiet again, though this time it was for good as over an hour had passed. Sighing again, he arose from his chair, seeing if he could coax his daughter into her bed.
Just as he stepped towards her and opened his lips, his voice caught in his throat when he heard the soothing chime of the doorbell.
The Ox-King jumped slightly when his daughter leaped to her feet and scurried off, dashing out the living room and out of his sight.
"Chi-Chi! Wait!" He hollered, his large feet pounding against the floor with every step he took towards his daughter.
Chi-Chi practically swung the door open and who she saw in front of her was the last person she'd thought she'd see.
Sorrowful aqua orbs bore into hers briefly then turned away. Dread sunk into her and she found herself grasping the half Saiyan's arms, shaking her roughly, surprising Bra.
"Gohan?! Goku! Where are they?! Are they alright?!"
"Gohan's fine. He's dropping of his…there were a few kids that had snuck into the equipment vans that came to the tournament. Somehow, they had survived the battle and Gohan decided to bring them home." She purposely left out that it was Videl who Gohan had given a ride to, as she didn't know how she would react to her son seeing a girl at his age. Bra, after all, knew how protective of him she was.
"And Goku?" Chi-Chi pressed, her grip lessening though they remained firmly attached to her arms.
Swallowing thickly, she dropped the first bomb. "We beat Cell but not without losses." She paused in order to suppress her tears and prevent her voice from cracking. "We lost Krillin and Piccolo…and Goku…"
As expected, Chi-Chi burst into tears, shocking Bra again when she threw the rest of herself at her, knocking the stunned half Saiyan to the ground. Having never been this close to her, not even as a child, Bra felt super awkward with her sobbing against her chest.
Realizing what she had done, Chi-Chi removed herself from the half-Saiyan, who sighed in relief. "So-sorry…" She mumbled, smearing the tears from her reddened eyes. "It's okay…we can bring him back with-"
Bra smiled weakly, knowing the last bomb would break her completely. "There is more…"
Chi-Chi's body visibility tensed.
"I don't know if you knew, but there at one point were two Cells-"
"I know, Goku told me some time ago."
"Okay…so Gohan managed to defeat the Cell hosting the tournament, but before he did Goku and I saw that Shenron was summoned and-and we went to investigate. Turns out that the other Cell had survived-"
"Just get the point!" Chi-Chi snapped impatiently.
"He can't be brought back!"
The woman blinked, tilting her head in confusion. "W-why not?"
Tears began to spill, streaking down her cheeks and pass her chin. "Cell wished that Goku couldn't be brought back to life with Dragon Balls."
Chi-Chi's lips quivered. "E-even Namek-"
"None…not Earth's, not Namek's, not even if new ones were to be created…"
Chi-Chi bit her lower lips, trying to replace the heart-wrenching pain with physical pain; no such luck.
Bra was ready this time and easily caught the distraught ex-wife of Goku and unlike previously, the half Saiyan welcomed the embrace, wanting comfort too.
"For-forever?"
Bra gave her a comforting squeeze, gently pushed her off to arms lengths and stood up. Gazing down at her, she said, "The future is never certain Chi-Chi…maybe there is another way…we just don't know it yet."
Wiping her tears off, she gave her a forced smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Gohan should be back in a bit."
With that, Chi-Chi watched the Saiyan Princess take off into the morning sky.
"Do you hate her still?" A gruff voice said from behind.
"I don't think I ever hated her dad." She replied, standing up. "I think I envied her. I had thought that when Goku kissed her, it was a one-time thing. That eventually, we'd resolve our issues, get remarried and everything would be back to normal. But then I find out that Goku and Bra had actually continued…whatever they had. That, of course, made me furious, made my blood boil."
She gave a terse sad laugh. "I had thought that she had taken his heart from me. However I was wrong. She hadn't taken his heart from me because-" Chi-Chi swung around and faced her bewildered father, her black orbs sparkling with tears.
"How can I take something that I never had?"
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Propelling himself forward, Gohan flew over the horizon, making sure to keep a steady pace as the bundle curled within his arms most likely couldn't handle the powerful currents of wind that crashed into them.
"Kami, how can you stand this?!" Videl spat, her face screwing up when something flew into her mouth, presumably a bug. "It feels like tiny pebbles are slamming into my face!"
Gohan laughed. "Ah, it takes time getting used to…well for some because the wind never bothers me when I fly!"
"Even when you first started...flying?" Videl crinkled her brow, trying to process that she was seriously talking about flying, which is something that she thought wasn't possible just ten hours ago. But here she was, being carried by a boy who had the ability to fly. In addition to the power of flight, he had super strength and could shoot energy beams from his hands and apparently his feet, given how he had killed the Jrs that had one of her friends cornered; he could even turn blonde. What can't he do?
"Yeah, even then." Gohan replied, not truly understanding why he enjoyed having Videl holding onto him tightly. As devious as it was, he every now and then speed up fleetingly in order to get her to press herself onto his chest.
It didn't help that each time one of her pigtails flapped upward and caressed his nose, he was exposed to a pleasant vanilla scent.
Without thinking he asked, "Videl, do you use vanilla shampoo?"
Though Gohan couldn't see her because he was too focus looking ahead, he felt her shake her head.
"Uhh yes…how did you know?"
Gohan shrugged. "Because your hair smells like it…"
"Weird, I haven't washed my hair for a few days now, so the scent should be long gone."
Gohan became quiet, which in turn made Videl nervous.
He suddenly felt twitchy while she felt squirmy.
Silence…
"D-do you like it?" she whispered, her heart thumping rapidly in anticipation. "The smell?"
"Y-yeah…I think I do."
Videl sighed in relief, her cheeks flushing a deep pink. "Okay…"
A few minutes later, she decided to question more about his abilities, however that slipped her mind the second they reach Orange Star City as reality settled in.
Her father was dead, which meant that she was alone. No one lived in that mansion besides her and her dad. Sure their servants dropped by every now and then, but she could hardly call them friends, much less family. Besides, now that her dad was gone, all his inheritance would go to her…when she was eighteen that is.
So within a few days, she'd be homeless. She had no other relatives as far as she knew and…and-
Videl choked back a sob.
"Videl?"
"Gohan…" She whimpered. "I have nowhere else to go!"
The half Saiyan came to a halt and lowered himself down to the ground. As soon as his feet touched the sidewalk, Videl distanced herself from him.
"What about your mom."
"Also dead."
"Other relatives?"
"None that I know of."
Scratching the back of his head thoughtfully, Gohan nodded. "Videl…your dad will be brought back to life. I can promise you that."
Despite everything that she has seen, she was still skeptical about the possibility of bringing back people from the dead. "Okay, but from what that little green guy said, we have to wait a year before we can make our wishes. What am I supposed to do until then?"
Gohan curled his index finger and tapped his temple. "Use your head. Those friends of yours can surely let you stay over for a year right?"
Videl furrowed her brow. "Maybe…Erasa's parents are pretty nice…and there's no freaking way I'll stay with Sharpner." She said, sticking her tongue out in disgust. "But what if they don't want me there?" She added, worriedly.
Gohan gave her a million dollar smile and like magic, her fears lessened, dampened by the warm tingling sensation that flipped inside her stomach. "Then you can stay with me and mom, or even better with my friend Bulma, she has so-"
Videl eyes nearly popped out of her their sockets. "Hold it! You know Bulma?! Like as in Bulma Briefs, one of the richest people in the whole world?!"
"Yup! She and my dad had been friends for years!"
"And you're sure she'd be okay with me staying over?"
Gohan rolled his eyes. "Of course, but let's try your friend's first."
As they took off again, Videl couldn't seem to shake the thought of asking him if she could stay with him.
Gosh, when did I become so clingy! Oh Kami, I'm turning into Erasa!
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Receiving a knock on the door, a tall blonde woman's bright blue eyes rounded, hastily standing up and rushing towards the front door. She had been sitting on the living room couch with her daughter watching TV. Broadcasting had returned, however, it was only flooded with yesterday's events, focusing heavily on the death of Mr. Satan.
Opening the door, she was surprised to see not only Videl, but a boy that looked strangely familiar. If she didn't know any better, she'd say that the boy was one of those super-powered fighters in the Cell Games. But that couldn't be because that boy had blond hair…right? Wait! He can change his hair right?! So it has to be him! His outfit is even torn like he had just come out of a brawl!
She was going to ask the boy about his abilities, which her daughter had deviously eluded telling her, but when she saw the miserable look on the girl's face, the blonde woman tossed her curiosity aside, giving her a sympathetic smile. She already knew what her daughter's friend was about to ask.
"Of course you can stay sweetie." She said, crouching down and reeling the girl into a motherly hug, startling her; she melted into the embraced after the initial shock wore off.
"Th-thank you…" Videl murmured into her shoulder.
In came Erasa, presenting the same understanding look as her mother. Noticing Gohan behind Videl, she gave him a friendly wave, the half Saiyan returning it.
"Why don't the two of you come on in!" Erasa's mother suggested, releasing Videl from their embrace and backing from the door, gesturing them inside.
Nodding meekly, Videl stepped inside; Gohan didn't follow.
"Uhh, sorry miss I have to go back home. I having seen my mom yet after…everything that happened." He said, giving Videl and Erasa a knowing look.
Videl didn't like the way her heart dropped. "Oh…"
Sensing some kind of moment, Erasa's mother dragged her protesting nosy daughter back to the living room, winking at Gohan playfully as they disappeared inside the house.
The half Saiyan's black brow furrowed in confusion, but then returned his sight to the pigtail haired girl, who was looking down.
Seeing her nervous actions, with sudden braveness, Gohan closed the distanced between them and wrapped his arms around her. Unlike with Erasa's mother, Videl instantly responded, her heart soaring as her arms encircling his form, molding against him. Gohan…
Separating, the half Saiyan took to the sky.
"Wait Gohan!"
He whipped around.
She hesitated at first before she managed to get herself to ask the question. "Flying, is it possible for me to learn?"
"Uhh yeah."
"Can you teach me?"
Cocking his head to the side, he pondered his answer.
"Hmmm I've never taught anything to anyone before, but I think I can."
Videl's blue eyes brighten, her lips touching them and the half Saiyan couldn't stop his heart from skipping a beat.
"But I'm letting you know right now that it's not going to be easy. You don't know how to access your ki yet and you need to learn that before I can begin to actually teach you to fly."
Videl smirked. "Don't worry Gohan, I'm a quick learner." She assured, confidently. "So, when can we start?"
"How about tomorrow?"
"Sure!"
"Awesome! I'll uhhh pick you up at noon?"
"Sounds good!"
Silence followed, but this time it was different. They both felt strange as they gazed at each other, their eyes shimmering with unknown emotions that they wanted to discover.
Their cheeks exploding in nice shade of red, Gohan gave her a grin and flew off.
Watching him until he winked out of sight, Videl turned and then paused.
Did I unintentionally ask him out?
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"So let me get this straight, during the tournament, the Supreme Kai, who is the highest of all Kais, came down to warn you and the others about an evil wizard that is currently on the planet. This evil wizard's goal was to revive a pink demon named Majin Uub-"
"Buu." Bra corrected, taking a sip of her strawberry milkshake. Thanks to Goku, she had gotten over her phobia of strawberry ice-cream which had been induced by the 'ice-cream-cone-slapping-nameless-bully'. She had been tempted to ban it from her tongue again, seeing as how it reminded her of the deceased Saiyan, but decided against it because she knew that he wouldn't want that.
"Yes, Buu, who had been buried somewhere deep underground Earth for millions of years. Majin Buu is very…uhh bubblegum-like. He can instantly heal his body if injured, even as far as resealing a life threating wound such as a blast through the chest. In addition, he can easily learn any technique by watching the user perform it, can rip pieces of his flesh to use it to attack or to absorbed someone, thus gaining all of the victims' abilities, some of their characteristics as well as intelligence. He can also turn people into candy or other objects."
She had to give it to him. Her brother was really trying to mask the look of skepticism on his face and though he wasn't laughing, he was still staring at her like she needed to be tossed in the loony-bin.
Bra's hurt expression made Trunks feel like shit.
"Bra, it's not that I don't believe you-"
The Saiyan Princess growled, hurled her half-finished milkshake into a nearby garbage can and continued walking down the park ahead of her brother.
Moving aside to evade a trail of overly excited children, he jogged in front of her, blocking her path. Trunks winced upon witnessing orbs that were similar to his own filled with tears
"Please listen-"
"I don't get it Trunks. You came here and told us about killer Androids and we all believed you….well I know I did the moment I learned of it from Piccolo. Want to know why?"
"Why?"
Bra laughed, throwing her hands up in disbelief. "The look in your eyes Trunks. Since the moment I met you, you've had this haunted look in them. Others don't see it, but I do because I reply my own nightmare every day of my life. No matter how hard I try to put it in the past, it doesn't leave me. All I can do is try not to dwell on it and move forward. Though our nightmares are different, they still haunt us endlessly right?"
Gazing into her tear brim orbs, Trunks's heart stung, feeling horrible for the way he reacted. "I'm sorry, but can you blame me? Repeat what you told me and tell me that doesn't sound…out there. Don't get me wrong, I do believe you came here because of some terrible tragedy that you had to escape from and warn the others about…however, a bubble gum demon is a far cry from Androids."
Removing the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, she forced a smile. "Oh I know that compared to your story, mine makes me sound like a crazy bitch-"
"Oh don't say that-"
"But at least heed my warning brother because if it does happen, you can say, 'I'll be damned, it appeared that the crazy bitch was telling the truth.'"
Seeing the sudden playful yet serious and hopeful shine in her eyes, Trunks didn't hesitate to nod. "Right!"
"Have you told anyone else?" Trunks asked, opening the exist gates of the park and walking through it.
Bra shrugged, matching his pace while she crossed her arms. "I told Goku and had asked him not to tell anyone. Your reaction makes me not want to."
Trunks sighed. "Despite my reaction earlier, I'm going to keep an open mind. Now that I really think about it, I think I'm the crazy one for not believing you."
"Oh?"
The lavender haired boy laughed. "Saiyans, Namekians, walking lizard people who like to rule planets, Androids, and balls with stars that can summon a dragon that can grant wishes."
"The dragon even has a name." Bra quipped with a half-smile.
"We're also half alien."
"Who have more than enough power to burst planets into space dust."
"Kami, I guess I'm insane too!"
"You and me both."
With her mood now lifted, Bra grinned as she tousled her brother's hair and took flight.
"Hey!"
"Tag, you're it!"
Trunks jaw dropped. "You can't be serious!"
"Totally serious! Come on now, you're not going to let your sister beat you are you?"
Feeling playful himself as the memories of his mentor Gohan tagging him on the shoulder resurfaced, Trunks grinned mischievously as he shot into the air, trailing after his madly giggling sister.
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Congregating In the backyard of Capsule Corp were the remaining Z-Gang. Today was the day that the lavender-haired time traveler had to return to his own time and well, a certain greenish-blue haired heiress wasn't taking it so well.
"I'm going to miss you so much!"
Trunks turned as red as a tomato at the amount of affection his past mother was expressing, tears streaming down her cheeks like a waterfall. Nevertheless, he returned the bruising hug.
"Me too."
"Can't you stay with us for a little while longer?" Bulma asked, letting go of her future son.
Trunks smiled genuinely. "Sorry, I really need to go home to let my mom know I'm still alive. I've been gone longer than I should have. However, I don't regret it because now I have more than enough power to destroy the Androids of my reality." He said, his lips turning as he eyed his father, who was leaning against a tree bark with his legs and arms crossed.
His orbs broaden when his father broke into a proud smirk and right there he knew that that was his way of saying he truly cared about him.
"Besides, I'm not really going anywhere." He pointed towards his smiling curvy eyed past grandmother, who held his infant counterpart snug to her chest.
Bulma rolled her eyes, swatting his arm. "Ohh you know that's not the same! He'll be a completely different person!"
"That's good…I'd never want him to suffer the way I had. With the Androids gone in this timeline, he doesn't have to live looking over his shoulder, constantly worrying where and when they would strike next. He doesn't…" have to be a coward…
Bulma frowned, knowing what he was thinking. "Trunks, don't ever be disappointed with the person you turned out to be. As horrible as it is, all those experiences helped shape you up to be the courageous and caring young man you are today." She said, grabbing both of his hands with hers and rubbing them lovingly.
"Yeah man, don't sell yourself short! I mean you jumped into a time machine that your mother made, not knowing if it would actually work-"
"Hey! I'd like to think that future me had run millions of test before putting our baby boy into the machine!" Bulma shouted, her eyes narrowing at Yamcha menacingly.
The former bandit raised his hands in surrender. "Calm down, I didn't say that she didn't run tests to make sure it was safe! I just meant that she never used the Time Machine herself...right Trunks?"
The half Saiyan nodded. "Right, but believe it or not, she had volunteered to travel first as a test, but I refused to let her go. Imagine if she had ended up somewhere dangerous! I wouldn't be able to save her!"
Walking towards him, Yamcha continued. "Anyways you came back in time and warned us about the Androids. We'd be all dead if you hadn't. If that doesn't scream hero, I don't know what does!" He finished, patting him on his shoulder.
Trunks watched as his mentor's younger counterpart made his way to him, smiling brightly.
"It was nice meeting you Trunks! I hope everything works out for you! Kami knows you deserve a happy ending!"
Trunks grasped the hand Gohan gave him, giving it a firm squeeze. "Thank you, Gohan. You have no idea how great it is to see you, even if it isn't the you of my time."
The small half Saiyan bobbed his head; his face then became serious.
"Don't forget about Cell Trunks."
"Don't worry, I won't."
Trunks had wanted to mention Gohan's deceased father, but he didn't want to ruin the mood. I still can't believe he's gone forever, just like in my time...I can't help but feel like I failed him.
Catching the brunette by the corner of his eyes, he made his way towards her, surprised that she of all people was here to see him leave back to his timeline.
She seemed to be lost in her thoughts as his sudden presence had startled her. Seeing his hand extended, Eighteen raised a brow.
"You really surprised me you know. Ever since I was a child, I've always been told that Androids were evil and heartless, that they never cared about anything other than causing destruction and who or what their next 'game' would be. And how could I believe otherwise? The Androids had taken everything from my mother and I, so it had to be true right?"
Trunks' grin threw the brunette off.
"I was wrong. I don't know if it's because this is a different timeline, but you proved to me that Androids can be good and…have a heart…" Trunks's grin widened when he saw Eighteen's cheeks tint ruby.
Trunks' expression sobered. "It's unfortunate that that can't be said for the Androids in my reality. Your counterpart is so different and seeing you here with us, actually showing emotions tells just how human you are. And yeah, I do know that you're technically a cyborg, a human with mechanical implants, but man, if you could see the Androids in my time…they are monsters."
The brunette's slender hand slipped into his and gave him a firm shake.
"Anyways, you played a huge part in defeating Cell and for that, I will be forever grateful."
Giving him a shy warm smile, she said. "Trunks…go finish them off, make your future safe again."
"I intend to." He replied.
His sights then landed on his quiet sister, who wore a faraway look, her shoulder length hair being swap by the tranquil breeze while she sat on one of the benches. Feeling eyes on her, she turned and gave her brother a friendly smile.
Standing upright, she strode towards him.
"I guess this is it huh."
"Yeah, it is…" Reaching into his jacket's pocket, he plucked the capsule that contained his Time Machine and tossed it behind him; it poofed and materialized into view.
Trunks was stunned when his sister threw herself at him, his larger arms catching her smaller frame and holding her tightly.
"Spending time with you yesterday made me see how it would be if I had had a brother. It sucks that the whole time you were here it was spent training and fighting for our lives." Bra whispered, her chin resting on his shoulder.
"I know what you mean…"
Breaking their embrace, Bra asked, "Trunks, do you still have your broken sword?"
"Uhhh yeah, why you ask?"
Digging into her pants pocket, she withdrew a capsule. "I'll trade ya."
"What?! No! I can't take that! It's yours!" Trunks cried out, shaking his head frantically.
Bra laughed. "No duh it's mine! I just want you to take it." She grabbed his hand and pushed the capsule into his palm.
"But-but-"
"Now give me yours." She said, holding up her palm.
Sighing in defeat, he reached in and pulled out the capsule containing his broken sword.
"Okay, I can get you giving me your sword, but why do you want my broken one? You do know that even if you were to take it to a bladesmith, he wouldn't be able to make the sword as it was. He could meld it together, but it will be forever fragile since it's made out of a special metal that my mother created; it just doesn't exist in this reality yet. So you can keep yours, I'll just have my mother-"
"Trunks, give it now."
Not wanting to argue he did as she demanded, placing his capsulized useless sword within her hand.
Pocketing it, she then heard Trunks ask. "What do I do if I break this one? Do you know the metal it's made out of?
"Oh don't worry, you won't. You can't break it." The Saiyan Princess said.
"How are you so sure?"
"Let's just say it's out of this world." She said, giving him a secretive smile. "And as for your broken sword, I dunno, I might get it forge into a different weapon or maybe keep it as a souvenir."
Tilting his head at the 'souvenir' part, he shrugged and turned, heading to his Time Machine. Leaping into the machine, he powered it on and took one last look at all the friends and family he'd never see again. It was a shame that he couldn't see Krillin, Tien, and Piccolo one last time, as they weren't going to be wished back until a year has passed. Can't forget Goku…
The Time Machine rumbled once it was warmed up, the blades on its side spinning rapidly as it then hovered several feet from the ground. Trunks smiled when he saw the gang wave at him farewell, but his grin brightened upon seeing his father flash him the peace sign, which he himself eagerly returned.
Be safe my son… Vegeta thought, watching Trunks's Time Machine rocket into the sky and vanish.
The Prince walked off.
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Breaking contact with where Trunks was, Bra just about fell back when she saw Yamcha blocking her path, his black orbs quivering with determination.
"Something wrong?"
"I want you to train me."
She took a step back, her eyes widening. "What?! Why me?"
"Cause, you have badass swordsman skills and I wanna learn and be able to do what you do!"
Bra's eyes squinted with suspicion, trying to see if he had any ulterior motive. "Seriously?"
"Absolutely! I have an old katana home, but I want to learn how to use a sword like the one you and Trunks have!"
"Considering that now Trunks owns my sword, you're going to need to get one, cause a katana isn't going to work. I also have to get one."
Yamcha expression lit up. "So you'll train me!?"
Tapping her chin thoughtfully, she answered. "If you're really serious…"
"Yes!" Yamcha pumped his fist with excitement.
"Ehhh I'm sorry, but I'm truly not convinced here yet. Are you sure you're not trying to get close to me just to ya can cop a feel? Cause I swear Yamcha, if you touch my ass, I will beat your ass and our training is done!?"
"I won't! I promise I will never disrespect you like that again Bra! This isn't a game to me…not anymore…it should have never been."
"A game? What's this all about Yamcha?"
Running a hand through his short hair, he turned and much to her annoyance, began to pace.
"When we were fighting Cell's kids, I noticed that out of all of us, I had been struggling the most against those little bastards. I get that us humans will never be as strong as alien races such as Namekians and obviously Saiyans, but that still doesn't mean we are all useless-"
Bra gasped. "We never said-"
"Vegeta did, on multiple occasions actually."
"Yeah, cause that's dad."
Yamcha sucked in a breath. "Doesn't matter, it still bothers me. And I know it's my fault because I didn't take fighting seriously. I only did it for fun and when I got bored of it, I got lazy. I'm sure you saw how sloppy I was out there right?"
Pursing her lips, she nodded in agreement.
"That's what I thought. I don't want to be weak anymore. Train me so I can at least be as strong as Krillin and Tien."
"With that thinking, you won't get far. You're limiting your goal with this 'at least' shit. So I'll tell you what, I'm not going to train you to be as strong as them."
Yamcha shoulders sunk.
"I'm going to train you to be much more powerful than they are."
Yamcha grinned with enthusiasm as Bra headed to the entrance.
Just as she placed a hand on the glass door to slide it open, Eighteen's voice halted her movement.
"I'm sorry Bra…for what I said before." The brunette apologized and when she saw the half Saiyan remain unresponsive and facing the entryway she continued. "It's just that I've never…I can't remember ever liking someone as much as I like Krillin and it feels super strange. I guess having to wait an entire year to see him again, it totally bothers me. But even so, I should have never said what I said! It was very bitchy of me and totally not cool and-"
"Wanna go to a bar with me and get shit-faced?"
Eighteen's head jerked back, jaded orbs widening in bewilderment.
"Well?" Bra pressed on, now facing the Android with a slightly crooked smile.
"Uhh, I guess." Eighteen answered, returning the gestured.
All was forgiven.
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Walking out of the bathroom and into the dark room with a towel wrapped around her frame, Bra groaning tiredly, her body aching from the intense training she had done for hours. As the days passed, she soon found herself falling deeper into an endless pit of despair, the loss of Goku killing her, becoming too much to bear. She'd be lying if the thought of joining him didn't cross her mind and it was that reoccurring thought that had pushed her to spend hours, sometimes a whole day, training until she could no longer move. It helped distract her from thoughts of her soulmate as she'd be too tired to think once she exhausted herself from the rigorous training. Of course, a certain Saiyan Prince wasn't too happy about her practically living in his precious Gravity Room, but he hardly complained as he understood that his rival's death was taking its toll on her.
Besides, it's fun pissing him off… She thought, a tiny smirk appearing on her lips.
Slipping on her undergarment, the Saiyan Princess grabbed the navy blue gi on her bed, the very same gi that she had on her bed every day and refused to wash. If she did, his scent would vanish completely and she wouldn't have anything that would comfort her at night. It was difficult to sleep without him and his scent at least helped a little.
Slipping on the navy blue gi, she dragged herself into her bed and sunk into it, the memory foam within the mattress and pillow feeling like heaven against her form. Her sparkling sea-green orbs grew hazy as consciousness began to leave her, filling her mind with nothing but darkness...
Bra?
The Saiyan Princess just about snapped her neck as she shot up, her eyes wide and wild as she looked for the source of the voice…a voice that sounds like-
"Goku?" She whispered.
Her heart warmed when she heard a familiar jubilant laugh.
Yup!
Excitement seeped into her, her eyes scanning her dark room in hopes of seeing her soulmate again.
Where are you?
His sad sigh broken her heart all over again. I'm still in Otherworld Bra…
Oh…
Yeah…
Why did you contact me then? She mentally said, irritation suddenly flaring.
The feeling of hurt that came from him nearly tore her.
I'm sorry I bothered you, I'll go-
No! Don't! I'm sorry! It's just that it's been hard…she apologized and admitted.
Yeah, it has…
So…how's it up there?
Uhhh it's alright I guess. Piccolo, Krillin and Tien were wondering when they would be revived…
We are waiting a year because one wish won't be enough to wish them back…wait why haven't you all contact us before? We could have informed you when we went to the Lookout after the fight...
About that…listen Bra, this is probably gonna be the last time we talk like this…
Bra became alarmed.
What?! Why? Can't King Kai let you talk-
I'm not talking through King Kai…
Ehhh!?
King Kai told me recently that…because of what I did in order to reach you during the fight with Cell, the higher Kais have banned me indefinitely from making any kind of communication with the world of the living. As for the others, King Kai had decided that it was best to lay low because of what I did. He would let them reach out to all of you after he sorted things with the higher Kais.
What did you do?!
She heard Goku swallow thickly.
Through King Kai, we saw the fight...we saw that beam struggle you and Gohan were in with Cell and-and I couldn't bear to just watch you both die! I didn't care how, but I knew I had to find a way to reach you both and somehow help. When I saw Gohan get blown out of the fight, I began to panic, knowing that you couldn't possibly stand a chance against Cell yourself-
Gee thanks…
Somehow, Bra could tell he had rolled his eyes.
I know, I gave you too little credit. I don't know what I was thinking…I should have had more faith in you. When I saw you hold your own, I was proud of you. You have come such a long way since you first arrived at our timeline and honestly, I shouldn't have been surprised.
Goku knew that Bra was blushing.
Anyways, despite your increase in power, it just wasn't enough. Tien had told me about this blue-haired transformation that you had managed to achieve. So that got me wondering, why is it that you weren't using that new form during your final battle with Cell?
I couldn't Goku…I didn't have enough power to-
In the beginning, you did Bra…
No, I didn't…I swear I tried to!
And I believe you did try….I believed in you, but you didn't believe in yourself. That's how the transformation works.
Yeah, I did!
Heh, well apparently you didn't believe enough!
How do you even know?
Because I have achieved the blue-haired form also.
You did?! When?!
At the time I almost saw you die. I knew that if I didn't reach you, you along with the planet were doomed. Then I did something I shouldn't have…I forcefully attempted to break the barrier between the living and dead. And I gotta tell ya, I must have tried using Instant Transmission dozens of times! But I didn't give up, I had faith that if I kept on trying, I'd be at your side and help you finish off Cell for good; it didn't work, no matter who I locked on.
However, after a while, I realized something. Every time I locked onto you, my heart would skip and it confused me. That's when it hit me. My heart skipped because of my love for you…that and our souls are connected.
Bra jumped in That's when you said all those…beautiful things about me isn't it?
The Saiyan Princess felt her soulmate become flustered.
Yeah…
You should have said all that when you confessed your love for me in the Time Chamber…
I'm sorry…Bra, that's how I transformed. You have to have a soulmate that you truly love and while I do love you, it was there that everything kind of clicked and well, the words came and BAM I transformed.
Goku continued. I know this because I had tested this out after the fight. You have to have that love in mind while bringing forth that power. In addition, I found out that the blue-haired form works like a Super Saiyan version of the Kaio-ken.
Really?
Goku chuckled. Yeah, because of that, you have to be careful! If you don't control your ki correctly, you can explode! I literally felt my body straining as I charged my Kamehameha! You also have to keep in mind of time. You only have a few minutes in that form, so make sure to use it when you think you have your enemy cornered. And Oh! I can share my ki with you, just like I did in the battle! However, I won't be able to do that again, since I'm dead and all. Anyways, I'm sure there is much more to learn about this transformation and I can't wait to train in it to find out what!
Heh…got a name for it?
Super Saiyan Soul!
Sweet, I love it! You named it that because it has to do with the bond we have?
That's right, the power comes from two people that are mated, thus sharing the same soul; my soul recognizes you as the person I love. I think because we're two mated Saiyans, we might be the only ones to have the ability to attain this form. It doesn't matter if you are only half, you still have Saiyan blood.
How do you even know all this?
I dunno, it just came to me when I first transformed.
Yet it didn't when I transformed…
Goku's shrugged.
Hearing him sigh, she already knew what he was going to ask next.
How's Gohan?
He's most definitely taking it hard, but you know your son is strong-willed. He hasn't said a word about you and has instead immersed himself with his studies. He's also hanging out with Videl and teaching her how to fly.
Videl?
Yeah, the pigtail haired girl from the tournament; the one who was around the two blonde kids.
Wow really!? That's awesome! Gohan… he's growing up so fast and now I'm not going to get to see it…
Oh Goku…
And Chi-Chi? How'd she take the news?
She fell apart.
That's normal…except this time, I can't be-
Don't say that! Bra cut in sharply There might be another way to bring you back Goku!
…
…
Kami I miss you Goku…I can't sleep without your arms wrapped around me…
I miss you too…
Bra whimpered.
Bra, as I told you, I'm not using King Kai to reach you; I'm using our soul link, like before. I guess he was able to get me permission to contact you one last time.
Bra's heart crumbled.
Goku became very quiet.
Goku?
Sorry Princess, King Kai said times up; I have to go…
Kami no, please no!
Bra-
Please don't go!
I'm sorry-
G-Goku no…
Bra…listen…
…
Just close your eyes…
Bra did and then she saw stars, her heart and soul thumping against her chest, her body boiling with want when she felt a pair of soft lips mold with hers, fusing together into a burning kiss. Strong arms enveloped her form, pulling her closer, the familiar woodsy scent of his drifting into her nose as he deepened the passionate kiss that was beginning to drive her insane. Her arms latched around him, returning the kiss with all she had and if it were possible, she'd pull him even closer. Gliding her hand up past his neck and into his wild palm tree-shaped hair, she moaned as his rough hands trailed her back and neck, his fingers crawling beneath her left ear and caressing it just like she liked it, causing her head to tilt to the right. I love you so much…
I love you too…
Forever?
Forever…
She felt him grin against her lips.
"Until we meet again Bra, Goodbye…"
She opened her aqua orbs, desperately wanting to get a glimpse of him, however to her dismay, all she got was the white ceiling and the glowing sun shining through the window. Sitting upright, her nostrils flared, the woodsy smell that coated her room making her feel warm inside.
Placing a hand where her heart rested, her lips curved into the brightest of smiles.
Then her smile fell when a sudden nauseous sensation turned within her stomach, making her feel weak. When her stomach acids skyrocketed to her throat, Bra secured her hand against her lips, scampered from bed and darted into the bathroom before slamming the door shut.
Walking into her daughter's room to wake her up for breakfast as usual, Bulma blinked when she heard Bra loudly heave.
"Honey? You alright in there?" she asked, knocking on the bathroom door worriedly.
The Saiyan Princess responded with a second heave.
A/N: And there you have it. I'm finally done with the Cell Saga! Whoop Whoop! XD
Where to next? Well...
1. Two-year time skip/present time Bojack special Saga/includes fusion.
2. Then Seven-year time skip/Gohan + a very small slice of Highschool (wayy less than canon) + Buu (much more Bra centric)
As always, thank you so much for reading this story.
See ya guys next year! Have Happy Holidays!
(Edited: 11/19/17)
~Gater~