Well, sorry to leave the last chapter on such a sad note! But it had to be done, guys, you knew it did, and you probably know that you loved it too ;) anyways, here's no more sadness! Here's the happy chapter where everything gets better, and the last chapter of the Buu saga! And guys, this story has hit the 100 review mark, I'm so happy! :D thank you for all my reviewers who contributed to that, they've all helped me improve and have brightened my day significantly! :) Well, enough of my pointless rambling, and onto the story!
Oh, also, some of the dialogue here is straight from the manga, because I currently have volumes 25 and 26 with me, and I really like the way that some of the things are said there. Not all of it is from the manga, mind you, but some of it, and only in small bits. You'll see what I mean. And I've rambled again, I really have to stop doing that. Bad habit. All right, I'll stop, onto the story (for real this time)!
Hope you enjoy! :)
Disclaimer: I think there's a reason why they call this fanfiction. It's made by fans. As such, I do not own Dragon Ball Z, it belongs to the great and completely amazing genius Akira Toriyama.
Usually, Gohan was the type of person who had quite a bit of patience, who was able to keep his cool while he was waiting for a long time, such as waiting for the old Supreme Kai to draw out his latent power and who kept on falling asleep. Often, he was the one who didn't lose his temper while everyone else around him had gone insane, one of the only rational ones of the group.
Of course, a person always had his limits.
"How much longer is this gonna take?" he asked in irritation, watching as he had snapped the Old Kai out from yet another doze that he had fallen into. What made matters even worse was the fact that he was wearing the most ridiculous clothes that he had ever believed could have existed, which was an exact match to Kibito and Shin's, and to the old man's.
After being saved from the brink of death, Gohan had been told that Kibito had transported them and Shin over to the sacred world of the Kais, and Kibito had supplied him with new clothes since his old Saiyaman outfit was just about trash, only the blue spandex body suit left that was torn in numerous places. Then, Shin had led him over to a big mountain, where there was a legendary sword that hadn't been pulled out by all of the Supreme Kais, who had all tried to pull it out but had all failed. Shin believed that Gohan could do so, however, and Gohan had tried his hand at pulling out the mystical Z Sword, feeling a lot like King Arthur at the moment, wondering if this was how he felt when he had pulled out the Sword in the Stone. The sword had been so damn heavy, though, that Gohan had to transform into a Super Saiyan, and he managed to pull out the really heavy sword.
Shin had seemed impressed, but Kibito had seemed to suddenly have a grudge against Gohan (though the teen had no idea why) and said that the sword must not be that heavy if he was able to lift it. Gohan had given the sword to him to see if Kibito could hold it. Needless to say, the moment that Gohan let go of the sword and its weight was fully transferred to the old man, it fell into the ground with a great crash, which left a sword-shaped indent on the ground and Kibito tried in vain to pick it up. Gohan couldn't help but smirk at this, unable to stop himself from reveling in the fact that he had so obviously one-upped Kibito.
After he had practiced with the sword for quite a while, getting used to its weight and then being able to actually control it with ease, his father had suddenly appeared in front of him after using Instant Transmission. After being told what had happened, Goku tried his own hand at holding the sword, and was actually able to keep it off of the ground, but commented that it was pretty darn heavy, handing it back to his son. He had then watched with pride and amazement as Gohan easily handled the sword, showing Goku some of the moves that he'd learned.
Goku decided that they should see how sharp the sword really was, and had easily pulled out a huge boulder out from the ground without even any visible effort, even though the hunk of rock was many times bigger than he was. With one strike from Gohan, the Z Sword sliced through the rock as easily as a knife through butter. Shin had then conjured a huge block of the hardest known metal in the universe, which Goku held up with one arm, encouraging his son to slice it just as easily as he had done so before with the rock. Of course, since it was a magical sword and everything, Gohan instantly agreed, actually believing that he might stand a chance against Buu with this sword.
So, they all got a nasty shock when the mystical and super-powerful sword broke with a deafening clang! the moment that it hit the metal block.
The first thought going through all four of their heads had vaguely been along the lines of: Oh, shit. And they got yet another surprise when suddenly, there was a very old man in front of them, saying that he was the Supreme Kai from many generations ago, and that he had been trapped inside of that sword. When it had broken, he had been released from his prison. And if that wasn't enough, he apparently was able to unlock the latent power of someone, and had agreed to do so to Gohan himself after Goku made a quick deal with him—Gohan hadn't heard the exchange. Then, the old man had begun to do an odd dance around him and saying an odd chant, stating that he had to do so for quite a while, and Gohan had simply waited through the utter weirdness. Then, he'd been told that they had to meditate so that his hidden power could be released. He hadn't been told how long it would take, though.
This led to what was happening now; Gohan had been sitting on the ground, in front of the Old Supreme Kai, waiting patiently for his latent power to be pulled out by the old lord. However, it had been quite a few hours already, and Gohan's rather deep well of patience had finally run dry.
"Wow, we still aren't finished yet?" the Old Kai asked, sounding amazed as he looked back at Gohan. This only made the teen the slightest bit more irked as he fiercely ground his teeth in a desperate effort to keep his temper and control in check. "You must've had a lot of latent power in ya, kid!"
And, for some reason, that comment just rubbed Gohan the wrong way.
Instantly, he leapt up from his previous cross-legged position, finally losing it as he yelled, "I'M SICK OF THIS!"
As he shouted angrily, his power exploded outwards from his being. It was as if an invisible shockwave suddenly went through the whole planet, and Goku barely had time to register the immense power that was suddenly coming off from his son before he was hit with the force of his energy, which nearly threw all of them back with its intensity. The grass around Gohan had completely flattened, and his white aura spiked around him, licking at him like tongues of fire as a cloud of debris appeared, surrounding him in a cloud of dust from the pure power. However, he didn't seem conscious of this at the moment, his anger blinding him as he yelled furiously at the old Lord of Lords.
"HOW WILL I EVER BE ABLE TO FIGHT MAJIN BUU," Gohan began to shout at the Old Kai, fists clenched in anger as his aura intensified the slightest bit more, more power seeming to come off of him in waves, "IF YOU—keep falling—asleep…" His voice had faded away as he abruptly began to realize the power that was flowing through him, all of the undulating power and pure might, so much that it felt as if he could possibly explode from so much raw power within him…never before had he felt such power at his fingertips, and he vaguely remembered that he'd felt the same way when he first turned Super Saiyan in the Time Chamber, when he had made the first ever Super Saiyan 2 transformation at the Cell Games…but this was even more than that, somehow…
So much power…, Gohan managed to think through his pure shock. Is this…is this really me?
"Sit down," the Old Kai said casually, almost as if Gohan hadn't just lost his temper. "We aren't finished yet."
Suddenly, Gohan found new respect for the old man. He had originally thought that the old Lord of Lords was nothing but a fraud, possibly a bit crazy from being trapped inside of a sword for so long—now he knew the Old Kai was serious. Obediently, Gohan quickly sat down, crossing his legs once more.
"Sorry," he offered, slightly sheepish. The Old Kai didn't seem to mind, neither acknowledging it nor snapping back at him in irritation. "Hey, um…thanks," Gohan added as an afterthought, meaning it. All he got was a shrug, but Gohan managed to catch a grin on the old man's face.
"Holy crap!" Goku exclaimed from the sidelines; he turned to see that Kibito and Shin were both wearing equal faces of shock as they had witnessed the pure power coming from the teen. "Did…was that all Gohan's power?"
"Y-yes," Shin stammered out, still completely unable to wrap his mind around just how powerful these Saiyans were. "It was all the power that lay dormant inside of him…and there's still more, apparently, to be unlocked!"
"Whoa," Goku said, eyes widening as he looked at his son. "I can't believe that Gohan had all that power inside of him!" Yes, he had witnessed the potential that his son had at numerous times, ever since the kid was four years old; he had easily hurt Raditz in a fit of rage when he saw his father being hurt by his uncle; during the fight with Nappa, Gohan had unleashed a powerful blast at Nappa after Piccolo had died for him, his anger empowering him yet again; being able to make the Super Saiyan transformation at the mere age of nine; being the first to ascend to the level above Super Saiyan during the fight with Cell. However, Goku couldn't truly comprehend how much power Gohan had just exerted in his anger—hell, he'd say that Gohan was even more powerful than him!
He had plenty of time to ponder this fact, though, while they waited for all of Gohan's latent power to be released. Gohan had gently slipped into meditation after he realized that it wouldn't be worth it to get angry again, and simply waited until he was told that it was finished. There was an interruption as Goku saw what was happening on the Earth, furiously hissing out the words, "That murderer!" That snapped Gohan out of his meditation, and quickly turned to his father. When asked what happened, though, Goku quickly shook his head, telling Gohan that he had to refocus.
It was then that Gohan got an odd, sinking feeling within his chest, and he knew that something bad must've happened. However, he respected his father's wish and returned to meditation that wasn't at all as calming as it should be.
He was unable to keep track of time, but he suddenly felt that this releasing of his latent power was taking too long. He didn't dare speak out against the Old Kai, however, after what he had witnessed before, the immense power that he'd let out in his momentary burst of anger.
"NO!" Goku suddenly shouted, causing Gohan's eyes to snap open as he turned to the full-blooded Saiyan once more. Goku was wearing a panicked look on his face as he looked into the crystal ball that the elder Lord of Lords had given them to see what was going on back home, and he looked up at the old man. "You need to hurry, the kids' fusion just powered down! They don't stand a chance against Buu like that, they'll be killed!"
Gohan's eyes were wide, and he instantly turned to the old man to ask him how much longer it was going to take, but the old man beat him to it.
"You can go now," he said matter-of-factly. "I've been done for a little while, actually."
There was silence for a few moments, before Gohan damn near exploded. "What the hell!?" he hissed angrily. "Since when!?"
"Oh, for a few minutes," the Elder Kai replied nonchalantly, as if it wasn't a big deal that he had held up Gohan.
"Why didn't you freaking say so?" Gohan yelled, frustrated now that he hadn't been told sooner. If he'd been told, maybe the kids wouldn't be in as much danger as they were in now…
"Oh, this adds to the drama of the whole situation!" the Old Kai replied, as if it was all a huge show that he was watching.
"Oh my god—" Gohan spluttered for a few moments, shaking his head in pure shock at how lightly the old man was taking this. "I have to go! How do I become this ultimate fighter or whatever the hell it's called?" Usually, Gohan wouldn't say words like that, not wanting Goten to hear him say words that weren't exactly "good" to say (having Trunks in the equation, though, seemed to cancel out his efforts; it was impossible to be living with Vegeta and Bulma and not curse, after hearing the words that they threw at each other, and Trunks didn't exactly control his mouth around his best friend, either), but Gohan was extremely frustrated and worried for his little brother.
"Just power up like you're turning into a Super whatever-it's-called," the Old Kai told him, not hearing as Gohan grumbled the correction under his breath in a rude manner. "This is no different, you fire it up just like that!"
Gohan wasted no time in doing so, and executed his power the same way that he did when he transformed into a Super Saiyan. The effect was instantaneous—instantly, power began to emanate from him, the force of it causing the Elder Kai to fly away, along with Shin and Kibito. The only one able to stand against the force was Goku, and he was doing so with difficulty.
Gohan looked down at his hands in awe, feeling the immeasurable and seemingly limitless power flowing through him. He clenched his fists, as if he couldn't believe it, because this power was…was…
"Amazing," he whispered aloud, before turning to his father. "Holy crap, Dad, it's incredible!"
"It's…it's insane!" Goku managed to get out. "I mean, you haven't even changed…you're not even Super Saiyan, and yet…"
"That Super Saiyan thing is just flashiness," the Elder Kai said, getting up and dusting himself off, slightly ticked off at the fact that Gohan had exploded his amazing power right next to him.
Then, Gohan was once again reminded of the severity of the situation when Shin told him that he had to hurry. He nodded, and he and his father exchanged their goodbyes; the boy honestly had to struggle to hold the few sudden tears that had welled up behind his eyes when he realized that this would truly be the last time that he saw his father, until he, too, died. It was even worse when Goku said that he wished that he could see Gohan in action now, and that he was proud of him and gave him his luck. Gohan couldn't stop himself from hugging his father suddenly, fighting back those stupid tears bravely as he controlled himself, while Goku returned the hug and reassuringly patted his son on the back. Gohan didn't want to let go, but he knew that he had to, and did so with reluctance. Goku smiled at his firstborn, giving him a reassuring thumbs-up, which Gohan returned, before Kibito transported them back to Earth.
Before Kibito could leave, however, Gohan asked him to change his outfit, making the clothes the same orange gi that his father wore. When he fought with Buu, he wanted to be wearing the gi of his father. Kibito seemed to understand with a small smile, and had used his special power to change Gohan's clothes (apparently, the color orange was the same as a weird type of frog dung, but Gohan didn't comment) into the traditional gi that his father wore. After he quickly thanked Kibito, the older man smiled and wished him luck, and Gohan nodded. As Kibito transported himself back to his planet, Gohan blasted off, locking on the strong power level of Majin Buu.
It barely even took a minute to get there with the speed that he was traveling at, and he felt the familiar energies of Trunks, Piccolo, and Goten. Feeling relief wash over him as he knew that his little brother was safe, Gohan went even faster, and eventually caught sight of their figures. He skidded to a stop a few seconds later, landing right in front of them.
"Well, looks like I made it in time," he said aloud, looking at Majin Buu. He looked different now—no longer was he an obese pink blob that, to Gohan, resembled Dodoria the slightest bit. Of course, Majin Buu was still pink, but he was much, much more muscular this time, and one was actually able to see his eyes, not perpetually closed anymore. The eyes were chilling, even Gohan had to admit it. The whites of the monster's eyes weren't white—they were black, which gave him a slightly possessed look. His irises were red, and his pupils were black, so his eyes looked like they were completely black with only a red circle to show where his iris was. It was this trait that seemed to be the most chilling about Majin Buu now.
"GOHAN!" Goten cried out, and instantly, the little boy launched himself at his older brother and wrapped his arms tightly around his neck in an embrace, not caring that Majin Buu was right in front of them, only registering at the moment that Gohan was alive. The older boy stumbled backwards the slightest bit, not expecting the force with which Goten had thrown himself at, and grinned as he hugged the little boy back eagerly, honestly relieved that Goten was safe.
"Heya, squirt," Gohan greeted, unable to keep the smirk off of his face.
"Gohan, we thought you were…were dead!" Goten whispered, his voice seeming to waver between wanting to laugh with pure relief or cry from the emotion. He kept his tears at bay, however, and simply hugged Gohan even more tightly.
"You can't get rid of me that easily, Goten," Gohan replied, grinning. "I was saved by Shin, and I was with him until now, training to beat Buu."
Goten held onto his big brother for a few more moments, before he let go with reluctance, and Gohan smiled and ruffled the little boy's haphazard spikes. It was almost as if they had all forgotten that Buu was right there—indeed, the pink monster just seemed to be watching this exchange with a slightly pondering look on his noseless face, as if he was thinking about something, trying to rationalize something that didn't truly seem to make sense to him.
"Hey, Piccolo, Trunks," Gohan said, and received a slightly startled nod from his former mentor and a shaky, relieved laugh from the little prince. "Where's everyone else?"
It seemed as if a dark cloud had suddenly taken over the mood of relief, and it was Trunks who spoke. "Buu killed them all, Gohan!" he said, his voice breaking slightly as the news that his mother was dead suddenly seemed much more real than it had been before.
Shock and denial were the only two emotions that Gohan felt at the moment. No, everyone couldn't be dead, they couldn't, it just wasn't possible…
"Mom's gone?" he asked in disbelief, and he suddenly thought about the Dragon Balls. They could bring anyone back. But…the kids had said that everyone was gone. Did everyone include… "Dende's gone, too?" Gohan needed to know.
Goten nodded shakily, his eyes shining with tears as he bit his lip as he remembered how their mother had died, how Buu had turned her into an egg an then crushed her, and then remembering how he and Trunks had found out as Gotenks that Majin Buu had killed the rest of them by turning them into chocolate and eating them.
"We're all that's left, everyone's gone!" Goten wailed, managing to stop his tears, however, before they fell again. Hastily, he wiped his eyes with his sleeve as he tried to hide the fact that he nearly cried once more.
But it couldn't be true…if it was, then that meant that everyone was gone. His mother, his grandfather, Bulma, Krillin, Yamcha…all his friends…
It meant that Videl was gone, too.
"No…" It was the only word that Gohan could say, eyes wide with shock. Vainly, not truly wanting to believe it, Gohan searched for the familiar energies of one of their friends. He tried to lock in on his mother's warm, familiar energy, or the slightly-more-powerful-than-average ones of either Krillin or Yamcha…and the one that he had unintentionally gotten used to, the familiar power of Videl…
But he got nothing. He couldn't feel anyone.
They were all gone. All of them.
He hadn't been able to keep his mother safe. He hadn't been able to protect his friends. He hadn't been able to protect Videl. They were all dead.
His anger overrode everything at the moment as his face turned into a fierce snarl, glaring at Majin Buu with his ebony eyes. "You…you monster!" he growled out, still searching his senses for any familiar energies at the moment.
And then, as Majin Buu said something in reply, Gohan felt it. The familiar, faint energy of one of his friends…it was…it was Dende.
The despair that had clutched fiercely at his heart a few moments before suddenly lifted as he felt the familiar power level of the young Namekian, and the only thought that went through his head was the fact that the Dragon Balls were still active, that they still would be able to be used, even though they had to wait another six months…but it didn't matter. The fact was that they were still in existence, and that there was still hope, was currently enough.
Letting out a small sigh of relief, and then managing a chuckle as he shook his head slightly, Gohan then began to walk up to Buu, who seemed surprised at the fact that Gohan was simply walking up to him. Then, the pink monstrosity laughed, too, as if he found something horribly amusing.
"Are you really gonna fight me? Alone?" Majin Buu taunted; his voice no longer sounded like that of a two-year-old, but more of a person who had a slightly high-pitched voice and didn't seem to be all that bright, almost like a nasally whine.
Gohan couldn't help the smirk that made its way onto his features. "No," he replied. "I'm going to kill you."
Buu suddenly began to laugh maniacally, as if he'd just heard an extremely funny joke. "Now I remember you! I beat you up bad before!" he snickered.
The smirk never left Gohan's face, and right when he was standing in front of Buu, he allowed his power to explode from his being once more, unleashing the true extent of his power that had been lying dormant within him for so long. Idly, he noticed how dramatic it seemed, with dust clouds appearing around him on the barren terrain, the wind seeming to seep outwardly from his form.
And the best thing of all was the small spark of fear that seemed to enter in Buu's eyes as he looked down at Gohan, probably feeling the power of the Saiyan hybrid.
Gohan wasted no time in proceeding to beat the monster to a bloody pulp—he punched and kicked, and blocked every single one of the punches that were sent his way and countered almost too quickly for any of the fighters to even track his movements. Buu had obviously not been expecting the fierce and sudden attack, and struggled to get away from the lightning-fast and extremely powerful punches and kicks of the teen. His odd, chilling eyes darted around, trying to lock onto Gohan's energy, when a smug voice behind him said, "I'm right over here, you moron."
Eyes wide, he whipped around to see that the kid was behind him, still wearing that damnable smirk on his face.
"You know it, too, don't you?" Gohan asked, almost conversationally. "You can't possibly win. Not against me."
The shock on Buu's almost featureless face then turned into one of the weirdest smirks that Gohan had ever seen. "I knew it…it was you," he finally said.
"What?" Gohan asked with a raised eyebrow at the djinn, more out of curiosity and amusement than true worry for anything.
"I felt very big power far, far away…I didn't think anything could have bigger power than me…I don't want anyone to be stronger…" His tone was contemplating, almost as if he was pondering it aloud.
"So, you decided to try me out, huh?" Gohan asked, bemused the slightest bit. "Well, hate to break it to you, Buu, but it seems that I'm stronger than you by a long shot. Seems that you're not the strongest anymore…and don't expect any mercy from me. I just want to prolong this so that I can pay back the deaths of everyone that you've killed." His tone became deadly at that, eyes hardening, but still wearing the smirk on his handsome features, which made Gohan suddenly look very intimidating and frightening, two things that you would never associate with him usually.
Buu's face contorted into a grimace. "You…you listen…" His voice suddenly escalated and he began to shout at Gohan, the loudness of his voice slightly hurting his sensitive Saiyan hearing. "YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH IT! I'LL SMASH YOU!"
Gohan couldn't resist a mocking snicker. "We both know that's impossible," he stated. "There's only one way that this ends, and it's with you dead."
It was almost as if Buu had never burst out in anger before, and simply wore another dangerous, almost feral smirk on his face as he chuckled. His body slowly began to be covered with a faint glow, a white light that surrounded his being, energy crackling off from his skin, veins popping out as the crackling sound seemed to grow more intense by the second, the light growing brighter.
Gohan realized what he was doing at the last possible moment, and his eyes widened in pure shock, before he acted quickly and impulsively—he grabbed Piccolo, Trunks, and Goten and flew them out of the way of the devastating blast as Buu self-destructed with a blinding white flash.
"…Thank you, Gohan…" Piccolo managed to get out, still slightly shocked as he looked at the spot where Buu had suddenly exploded.
"No problem," Gohan replied, his tone slightly serious.
"We…we almost…we almost died…!" Goten managed to get out, completely shocked. If it hadn't been for his big brother's super-fast reflexes…they would all be nothing but disintegrated ashes right about now.
"Holy...holy crap…he…oh my god, he freaking blew himself UP!" Trunks shouted in complete and utter disbelief, still trying to get over the fact himself that he might've died if Gohan hadn't been there. "HOLY CRAP!"
Gohan eventually landed them on a cliff away from where Buu had self-destructed. Piccolo looked at his former pupil, once again noticing how different he seemed, how much more grown up he suddenly appeared…however, he could always see traces of the sniveling four-year-old brat who he had been the first one to train. The thought of that brought a small smirk of pride to his lips, before he spoke.
"Is Buu finally gone?" he asked seriously.
Gohan's dark eyes were pensive. "No," he replied. He'd seen how powerful Buu was—the blast wouldn't have been able to kill him, because he could regenerate even from ashes.
"What!?" Trunks asked in disbelief, turning to look at Gohan with startled blue eyes. "But…did you not just see how he just blew himself up!? He tried to freaking take us with him, Gohan!"
"No, that blast wasn't nearly powerful enough to destroy him," Gohan replied gravely. For some odd reason, he felt the strangest feeling of numbness, of emotional detachment to the whole situation at the moment, the news that the people that he cared for were dead truly sinking in. Even though he had the Dragon Balls because Dende was still alive…it still didn't make up for the fact that they had died, and that he'd failed to protect them…he hadn't protected his mother, or Bulma, or anyone else…he hadn't been able to protect Videl…he'd failed her yet again…
"I can't sense him," Piccolo muttered under his breath, looking out in the distance.
Lovely. Buu could hide his energy now, too. Well, that just made everything about one hundred times harder. And yet, Gohan couldn't seem to be able to focus on that fact, only able to think of all the times that he failed…and he was even more powerful now than ever before, and yet…
"Is he…is he planning to ambush us?" Goten managed to get out, his head swiveling around rapidly, as if he was going to see Buu pop out from anywhere. Hearing the worry in his little brother's tone brought Gohan slightly back to the real world.
"I'm not sure, Goten…but he has to be planning something," Gohan told him, and, upon seeing the worry on Goten's face, he managed the tiniest of possible smirks and ruffled his little brother's black, unruly hair. "Don't worry, squirt, I'm sure it's going to be fine," he said—it wasn't a lie, but it wasn't exactly a full truth. He couldn't tell what would be fine anymore, but he had to maintain a positive outlook for his brother's sake.
"Yeah, it will!" Trunks added, suddenly smirking. "Who cares about what Buu's planning, anyway? He was completely helpless against Gohan!" He then turned to Goten, and spoke excitedly to him. "He's as strong as our Super Gotenks!"
"No, he's strong-er!" Goten corrected, unable to keep the pride and adoration for his big brother out of his voice.
"Well…maybe a little," the little prince admitted with slight reluctance.
Hearing the boys bicker, Gohan couldn't help the smirk that had formed on his face. However, it soon disappeared, and once again, the fact that they were all somehow dead filtered into his system once more. And, once again, he realized with a sickening jerk that he'd done it yet again, done the same thing that had happened to Cell with Buu as well. He hadn't killed him as soon as he could. He had prolonged his misery.
And because of that, Buu might come up with a plan that could possibly endanger them all.
Gohan wanted to curse at himself for his stupidity—at the time, his cockiness seemed to be perfectly reasonable, and he couldn't figure out any reason why he shouldn't prolong the torture of Buu after he'd received the news from Goten that all their friends and family were dead. Now, it seemed the only logical thing to do was blast him to bits, then vaporize the ashes until there was absolutely nothing left of the pink freak. But his damned pride and arrogance had gotten in the way once again.
Piccolo noticed Gohan once again slipping into the self-guilt that the boy often did, and slightly shook his head. Gohan always seemed to blame himself for just about everything, including things that seemed to be completely out of control. In an attempt to drag him out of it, Piccolo put on a smirk, as if he didn't know what Gohan was going through, and said, "So…tell me, kid, how did…this…happen?" he asked, gesturing towards Gohan's self.
Gohan smirked back at his former mentor, but it was only slightly, before he went into the tale. Everything afterwards seemed to be a slight blur, the apprehension of waiting until Buu came back putting stress on him, and the anger at himself for not ending the fight sooner…
They had begun to search for Dende, running into Hercule and a little puppy along the way, who they brought to safety. Piccolo dropped Hercule after realizing with pure shock and hope that Dende was probably fine, that Buu didn't have time to hunt for him. Trunks had caught him by the ankle, not saying anything when Hercule gave him his thanks, simply glaring down slightly at the human with the intimidating gaze that he'd inherited from his father.
They found Dende, and a fresh surge of relief suddenly seemed to go through Gohan, but it was slightly less prominent as it normally was. He noticed Trunks carelessly throw Hercule on the ground—Goten was more conservative with the puppy, still holding the little dog and playing with it slightly as Dende rejoiced at seeing his friends once more, having believed them to be gone previously. Gohan greeted his Namekian friend with a smile, but it seemed almost as if he wasn't really there, as if it was nothing but a dream…
When they told Hercule about Videl, the man burst into loud tears, unable to believe that his little girl was dead. Gohan turned away, knowing that Videl would be able to be brought back to life along with the rest of the humans, but…he still hadn't been able to protect her…it gnawed at him guiltily, refusing to leave his system…
Goten tried to console Hercule, telling him that they'd be able to wish back Videl. He seemed almost hysterical at the fact that his daughter could possibly come back to life, and gripped Goten's little shoulders and nearly shook the kid, his tears still brimming in his eyes as he begged for him to be telling the truth…
It was then, suddenly, that Gohan felt it. Piccolo did, too, and Gohan quickly hushed the loud cries of Hercule, looking into the distance, where they felt the power that was Buu. Piccolo noted that it had only been about an hour…
So what could have possibly changed?
Gohan didn't care—he was going to end this as quickly as possible, so that he could repay Buu for the deaths that he'd caused. He blasted off after telling everyone to stay back, so that they wouldn't get hurt, and then he critically examined Buu with suspicion. Nothing seemed to have changed about him…so what had the prolonged absence been about?
It all happened so fast, so suddenly, so unexpectedly—Buu said he wanted to fight Gotenks…Gohan said that he wouldn't let him, that he'd have to try and make it past him before he reached the kids…to annoy them, Buu began to insult the two boys, goading them into a fight…Trunks and Goten wouldn't take it, and they performed the Fusion Dance, and then ascended to the Super Saiyan 3 level…the combined fighter was able to take on Buu easily, Gohan could tell, and decided to let the kids have a shot at it…the pink blobs suddenly came out of nowhere, covering both Gotenks and Piccolo…the blobs retreating to Buu's body, while Gohan, Dende, and Hercule could only watch in pure shock…Buu transforming, suddenly speaking with surprising intellect, and his power level skyrocketing…
And Gohan knew with a sickening feeling within his gut that things had taken a turn for the worst.
Being brought back to life was…weird.
Now, death hadn't been as weird as Videl would've expected it to be—before she could have even reacted, Buu had turned them all into chocolate, and just like that, she was dead. It had been quick, painless, and so sudden that she didn't even know that she was dead until she appeared in the Otherworld, and saw an absolutely huge guy with red skin and black hair and a beard and white horns on his head, decked out in a lavender suit, sitting at a desk as he flipped through a book with a look of slight boredom on his face. Then, when they had reached his desk, most of them had gone to heaven, but Krillin and Yamcha had wanted to join in on a tournament that was apparently going on here, and had been sent over there, wherever the hell that was. Lots of weird things happened to Videl in heaven, the main one being that she met the King of the Demon Realm, Dabura…and gay was honestly the only word that she could possibly think of to describe him. Some king of demons he had been. Heaven had probably screwed up his brain—the prettiness and happiness had probably been to much, and he had succumbed to the insanity that was eternal happy-go-luckiness that was just, quite frankly, the slightest bit frightening. She'd searched for Gohan, knowing that if he had died (which he didn't, she had to vehemently remind herself), that he would obviously get into heaven. Dabura had then commented that he was in the presence of true love, which caused her to blush the slightest bit and also wonder for his sanity as well—he was probably completely nuts by now to say something like that.
And then, suddenly, was when it happened.
It was almost as if Goku was doing that Instant Transmission thing again, except this time it felt slightly weirder. Suddenly, she seemed to become more…solid, if possible. She looked around as her surrounding changed drastically, from a field with endless multicolored flowers to a vaguely familiar white place. It was almost as if she was able to feel more, if possible, her senses seeming to be more acute—it felt as if she had been a mirage, or an apparition, before, and now was solidifying into a physical human being, which was probably the case here. It was almost impossible to truly explain how weird it was, but she knew that she was alive once more.
She looked around her to see that she was back on the Lookout, and everyone was with her as well. They all had been brought back to life, and she had barely even been able to truly register the fact that they were alive again before a voice, slightly deep obviously masculine, suddenly sounded inside of her mind, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. This certain voice was oh-so-achingly familiar to a certain blue-haired woman, whose eyes widened in pure shock, before she broke out into a bright smile of pure joy and brought a hand up to her heart, unable to describe the joy that flooded through her at the moment as she realized that she was able to hear his voice again, eyes filling up with tears of pure and undaunted elation.
"That's Vegeta! Oh my god, it's Vegeta's voice!" Bulma exclaimed in pure happiness, wanting to scream it to the world, to tell anyone who was around her, anyone in arms' reach. Hastily, Krillin shushed her as he tried to listen to what was being said, though he was secretly glad too that they were able to hear the surly Saiyan prince's voice once more, unable to keep the grin off his face.
Vegeta was telling them to raise their hands to the sky, so that they could help with the defeat of Majin Buu. Videl's eyes widened in shock when everyone on the Lookout did so without resistance, some of them throwing both of their hands up in the air. She looked at them with a critical eye, and she managed to catch the eye of Krillin, who grinned at her.
"Come on, Videl, put your hand up!" he encouraged her. "They've managed to think of a way to finish Majin Buu once and for all!"
Hesitantly, feeling like an idiot, Videl did so, as well.
Suddenly, she felt very tired, as if she had just run a marathon. She gasped in shock, wondering why she suddenly felt exhausted, even though all she had done was raise her hand in the air. Krillin saw this, and now wore an apologetic look on his face.
"When they use the Spirit Bomb—what they're going to do now to try and beat Majin Buu—it requires energy from living things," he explained, slightly sheepish at the fact that he hadn't told her so before. "It's why you feel so tired, even though you did nothing. Don't worry, though, your energy will come back soon, just rest a bit."
Shocked, Videl could only muster a nod in reply, before she leaned against one of the poles of the palace to rest.
Time began to pass. A few of them seemed to know what was going on—Krillin, Yamcha, Eighteen, anyone who could sense energy was avidly following the battle between Majin Buu and the pure-blooded Saiyans, and gave commentary to the other who couldn't feel it as well. Apparently, things weren't turning out that well—the people weren't listening. Goku tried to reason with them as well, but it seemed that he only gained a little energy for the Spirit Bomb that he was making, only a few more people raising their hands after hearing that it was Goku. However, most of the humans remained stubborn, and didn't put their hands up in defiance, not trusting the two voices that they'd never heard before, even when Vegeta shouted at them to raise their hands, or else they were all going to die, or even when he began to almost beg them to give their energy, to not let Buu destroy their children, their families. They apparently didn't believe him, despite the desperation clear in his voice, believing that it was some demon magic.
However, Videl soon heard a very familiar voice begin to speak, and nearly gasped when her father began to talk to the people of the Earth, asking them to help him beat Majin Buu. And this was what seemed to convince them, apparently, because everyone gave their energy when Hercule asked them to. And then, the Spirit Bomb was done, possibly large enough to end Buu once and for all.
Not to long after they were informed of this fact, Krillin suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure standing in solitude over at the edge of the Lookout, and broke out into a broad grin. "Hey, Piccolo!" he greeted, causing everyone to turn to the Namekian, who smirked the slightest bit at them in return, white cape flowing behind him in the wind.
Chi-Chi suddenly let out a gasp, her eyes filling up with tears. "Oh, Gohan!"
The moment that the name was spoken, Videl felt a strong, warm hand on her shoulder. Startled, not truly putting two and two together, she turned around to see…
Oh, god, it was him. With his black, spiky, gravity-defying hair, handsome features that seemed slightly less boyish than the last time she'd seen him, a slight smile on his face, and those amazingly intoxicating obsidian eyes…it was Gohan. He was here.
She turned around to completely face him, her mind almost not comprehending the whole thing, looking up at his face, mouth slightly agape in pure shock and disbelief as she just looked at him.
"Hey, Videl," he told her, smiling at her.
So many emotions flooded through her at the moment that he spoke, so many conflicting emotions going through her being. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream at him, she wanted to beat him up, she wanted to hug him…she suddenly reacted on the first impulse that came to her, and the most logical thing to do in that moment.
She suddenly began to beat her fists upon his muscular chest, shouting at him. "You stupid son of a bitch!" she shrieked at him as she continued to hit his chest fiercely with her fists, her words coming out quickly and almost incoherently, her voice slightly cracking as she held back tears. "What the hell is wrong with you, you stupid ass!? I was freaking worried!"
Then, the tears that she had been holding back broke through, and she collapsed into light sobs on Gohan's chest, suddenly stopping her assault and collapsing against him as she cried, her hands resting in fists on his chest as she cried, letting out all of the fear and grief and worry that she'd felt, thinking that he was dead and then knowing that he wasn't and everything that happened—
"Hey, hey, Videl, it's OK," Gohan tried to soothe her, truly unsure of why she was reacting this way. "I really don't want you to cry," he added, in a vain attempt to somehow calm her down, this statement only seeming to make her cry even more. Reacting on impulse, he wrapped his arms around her gently, hugging her to him while she sobbed into his chest, shaking her head. Why was she crying, though? Some things about girls would just never make sense to Gohan.
"I should be the one crying," Chi-Chi sniffed, lightly biting her knuckles as she watched her eldest son, wanting nothing more than to run over to him and smother him in a hug.
Bulma grinned at her friend. "He's growing up, Chi, it's time to accept that," she told her.
"I know, but…" Chi-Chi's reply broke off into another gasp as she saw someone else coming towards her, the little boy who looked so much like her husband, her precious little baby…Bulma turned to see where Chi-Chi was looking, and caught sight of her little boy as well.
Trunks and Goten both stopped in front of their mothers obediently, Trunks crossing his ankles and his arms behind him, Goten grinning brightly at them.
Both the mothers' eyes filled with tears, and each of them grabbed their respective sons and began to cry with relief. Goten laughed as his mother hugged him so tightly he was sure that a normal human would've suffocated if they'd been in her grip, not objecting to the kisses that she was placing all over his face and how much she was gushing about how happy she was that he was safe—he returned the hug eagerly, glad to see Mommy again, especially after he'd seen Buu kill her mercilessly. Trunks made no objection as his mother smothered him with her embrace, laughing the slightest bit as well as he allowed himself to return the warm gesture, while she fussed over him, kissing his cheeks and his forehead and his nose and brushing his hair out of his eyes and making sure that he was perfectly all right, that there wasn't a single scratch on him. He was honestly just relieved to see her live again, to see her aqua hair and bright blue eyes once more, having erased the fact that she might have ever been dead from his mind with determination.
Gohan watched what was going on over Videl's head, and smiled as he watched his mother fiercely hug Goten and fret over him, just like Bulma was doing to Trunks. He then looked back down, where Videl was still sobbing slightly, now gripping his orange gi tightly in her fists.
"Hey, it's OK, I'm here, Videl," he told her gently, soothingly, in an attempt to calm her down. He really didn't like it when he saw tears coming from Videl; it caused something deep within his gut to twist, and it just wasn't her. He would rather have her smiling or laughing, and what made it worse was that he was possibly the cause of her sobs.
"God damn it, Gohan…" she whispered, her voice slightly raspy from the crying that she'd done before, still shaking with the foreboding threat of more tears as she buried her face in his chest. "You scared me half to death back there, I thought you were dead!"
"I'm here now," he offered, slightly unsure of what to say.
"You promised that you'd come back…and when I thought that you broke that promise…you'd promised me that you'd come back!" she croakily shouted at him. "I thought that you might've been gone!"
"But I'm not; I'm here, Videl, I promised that I'd come back for you," Gohan told her quietly.
Videl sniffled, lowering her voice even more now as she fought back more tears—damn it, where were all these tears coming from? She couldn't ever think of a time in her life when she'd cried as much as she had done today. Then again, she could never think of a day as emotionally tiring and draining as today, either.
"Gohan…you have to promise never to do that again," she told him, her voice barely audible. "Damn it, Gohan, you can't scare me like that again. Promise never to do something like that again, please…"
Gently reaching down, Gohan took her jaw in his hand, much like he had done before he'd gone to fight Buu as he promised her. The situation was almost exactly the same, his eyes as intense as they were before, and yet gentle at the same time as his warm, slightly calloused fingers held her chin gently, tilting it up so that they made eye-contact, her blue eyes still slightly shiny with unshed tears and lightly puffy and red from her previous crying.
"I promise," he told her, and in response, she suddenly threw her arms around him completely and hugged him like there was no tomorrow, holding back her sobs as she now buried her head in the crook of his neck. His arms once again encircled around her, hugging her in return, and she felt the warmth emanating from his chest, his heartbeat against her cheek, the steady thumping seeming to create a soothing rhythm, showing that he was very, very alive.
"I missed you," she confessed in a quiet whisper. "I couldn't bear the thought of not ever being able to see your stupid face again."
Gohan couldn't help but smirk once more, slightly shaking his head. "I missed you, too, Videl," he told her truthfully, going down to gently breathe in the perfect scent that was her, his acute Saiyan senses drinking it in with relish and relief, glad that she was alive.
Eventually, she let go of him, self-consciously wiping her eyes, getting rid of the stupid tears as she brushed her eyes against her sleeve. When she looked up at Gohan's smiling face, she couldn't help but smile back at him, albeit a slightly trembling one, but still a smile.
Not too long after that, the heroes returned, victorious in their battle with Buu.
Everyone, who had been absentmindedly talking with each other, suddenly turned when the familiar figures began to walk towards them. Their clothes were all tattered and ripped, but it was them nonetheless, with Goku wearing the big Son grin, and Vegeta simply having his arms across his chest, his face stoic as ever. Dende was following behind them.
Instantly, Chi-Chi, Goten, and Gohan all ran up to Goku, and Gohan was the first to notice that there was no more halo above his father's head. Pure joy overrode everything—his father was somehow alive once more. Goten was the first to launch himself into their father's arms, and Goku let out a slightly surprised grunt at the impact, having not expected the strength with which Goten had launched himself towards him, but he didn't mind as he returned the boy's hug, holding him high up in the air and slightly tossing him up and down.
Trunks was the first one to reach Vegeta, and he grabbed his father's hand eagerly, tugging on it with eagerness. "Dad, you're back for good now, right?" the little lavender-haired prince asked, noting with extreme pleasure that the halo that his father would have had if he was still dead was absent from him.
After a few moments of silence, Vegeta nodded down at his son. "Yes, boy, I'm back," he told Trunks, causing the little boy to smile brightly before he went over to Goten to eagerly talk, both of them overjoyed at the fact that their fathers were alive.
Bulma went up to her husband, smiling at him with pure relief as she took him in once more with her eyes, his handsome features and muscular body and shock of obsidian hair and dark, intense, amazing onyx eyes. Her lip was trembling slightly, however, but she bit it to stop the tears from falling.
"You're really back, right?" she whispered, almost unable to believe it, needing to hear it confirmed in his own voice as he spoke to her, even though he'd just promised it to their son—the volume which she spoke with also the loudest that she could speak without worrying about bursting into tears.
He nodded in reply to her, and cracked a slight smirk at her. "You can't get rid of me that easily, woman," he told her, haughtiness in his tone.
Bulma gave a shaky laugh, before that laugh suddenly broke into a sob, and, not caring if anyone saw her, she ran to her prince, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him and never wanting to let go again. She felt him tense slightly in surprise from her sudden action, but in a moment, his body relaxed once more, and she felt his warm, muscular arms slowly and slightly hesitantly wrap around her as well, holding her around the waist. She was unable to hold it in anymore, and held him tightly, before she pulled back and suddenly kissed him. She was even more pleased when she felt him respond, knowing that no one was watching them—he would've probably pushed her away otherwise. The only other option was that they were being watched but that he didn't care, but she would put her money more on the first reason than the second as to why he was returning her shows of affection…she didn't care, however, and when she pulled away from their kiss, slightly breathless, she was unable to hold the tears in anymore and continued to cry even more into his shoulder. In all honesty, the Saiyan prince was lost with the oddly fluctuating emotions of his wife—first her laughing, then crying, then hugging him, then kissing him, then crying again…females were creatures that were absolutely impossible to understand.
Dende had run over into Mr. Popo's waiting arms, and the chubby black genie hugged the young god with relief while Piccolo watched the two with a smirk on his face, nodding to Dende as well.
Hercule came into view. Videl saw him, and she broke out into a bright smile, while he nearly burst into tears as he saw her.
"VIDEL!" he shouted in joy, running up to his little girl and hugging her as if he'd never let her go ever again. Videl laughed, hugging her father back, glad to see him after everything that had happened.
"Hi, Daddy," she said, grinning.
"Oh, Videl, sweet pea, I was so worried about you!" he blubbered, while she simply returned his hug warmly. He finally pulled away, tears still slightly in his eyes as she smiled back at him.
It was then that she caught sight of the last person who was coming towards them, and let out an ear-piercing shriek. At this, many of the others turned to see what she was screaming about, and they, too, got startled, some of them even crouching into defensive positions. Majin Buu, the first, chubby one, was there, standing as if he fit right into their little group.
"No, no, guys, it's OK!" Goku said hastily in an attempt to make them refrain from attacking him. They looked at him oddly, before they cast one last suspicious glance at Buu before continuing with their reunions with each other. One person, however, didn't seem to trust Majin Buu at all—Trunks was angrily grinding his teeth together, his power beginning to rise as he became angry at Majin Buu, crouching into something that seemed like an attack position. Goku, seeing the crouch that Trunks had unconsciously settled in, getting ready to strike the pink man, and quickly tried to calm him down.
"It's all right, son," Vegeta suddenly told the boy, Bulma still hugging him as he internally rolled his eyes at her clinginess but not pushing her off, knowing that she would only become even more pissed off if he did so. However, the tone with which Vegeta spoke seemed to imply that it was not all right, but Trunks listened to his father's words. "He's a…guest." The last word was laced with the disgust with which he felt about the idea of Majin Buu staying on Earth, but the idiotic third-class clown Kakarot had said that it would be fine, and had once again rubbed the whole "You got a second chance so why shouldn't he?" thing in his face. He hated when Kakarot resorted to that, but had allowed Majin Buu to live, even though he just knew that this would backfire on them eventually.
After seeing that Trunks was calmed down enough not to go crazy and try and kill Majin Buu, Goku smiled as he went back over to his family, where Gohan was grinning brightly at him, and Chi-Chi's shock was still on her face, seeing that he had no more halo on his head. Goku gave his oldest son a tight hug, before he let go and turned to his wife, who was looking at him with tears now in her eyes.
"Goku…are you really back? Does this mean that…we can all live together?" she asked, almost breathless with shock, her tone almost daring to hope but waiting for the blow to reality that was sure to come, because it was just too much to believe, she was sure she was just getting her hopes up only to have them knocked down once more.
However, Goku grinned at her widely. "Yep, I'm back for good," he told her. "And yeah, we can, if you guys can manage to actually put up with me," he joked.
Chi-Chi's lip trembled slightly as she tried to smile, but then she let out a choked sob and then began to cry in her husband's chest, sobbing with pure happiness after he had spoken. She soon felt his arms wrap around her almost instinctually, and this only caused her to break down even more—she had thought that she would never feel her husband hold her like this after the Cell Games and his death, but here he was, holding her so close to his familiar body, he was here, he was back with his family…she might have thought that she had forgotten how it had felt to be held in his arms, to be dwarfed slightly by his large frame, but now such a thought seemed impossible, for how could she ever forget this?
"Hey, hey, Chi, don't cry, it's all right," Goku reassured her gently, hugging her even closer to him. She sniffled, slightly, unable to control the tears. "Shhh, shhh, Chi-Chi, I'm back." She brought her eyes up to look at him, still filled with the many tears that remained unshed, and he wore a gentle grin on his face as he gently tucked a stray strand of her black hair behind her ear. "I love you, Chi," he told her honestly.
Even though he'd told her this before, the sudden confession of his love made her laugh for a moment with a smile before she broke down into sobs once more, clinging to him as he hugged her back, whispering, "I love you, too, Goku, I love you so much…"
Seeing that their parents needed a few private moments, Goten and Gohan knew that they should make themselves scarce for a little while. After giving his big brother a quick hug, which Gohan returned, Goten went over to Trunks to talk with the other little half-Saiyan boy. Gohan looked around the great palace, seeing that most people were preoccupied with greeting each other or celebrating—he saw Bulma and Vegeta still in a corner, with the Saiyan prince wearing a look that he'd rather kill himself than risk being seen by all these people but not pushing her away; his mother was currently hugging his father and crying while Goku soothed her, hugging her close; Trunks and Goten were playing, talking eagerly about the battle and about other things, romping around the circular Lookout; Yamcha was avidly talking to Master Roshi, Puar, Oolong, and the Ox King, telling them about the Otherworld Tournament; Dende was eagerly telling Mr. Popo about everything that had happened, while Piccolo listened, every now and then adding to the conversation, contributing things Dende hadn't been sure of, while the younger Namekian thanked him every time and agreed with him before avidly continuing the tale; Krillin was with his family once more, and was talking with Hercule, while Majin Buu stood behind his friend, looking at Krillin's family curiously, while Marron returned the look with the same avid curiosity from behind her mother—Eighteen had placed herself between her daughter and Majin Buu as a gesture of protectiveness, her other hand on Krillin's shoulder, Marron peering out from behind her leg as she looked at the chubby pink thing with interest, and then laughing as the little puppy, Bee, ran up from behind Majin Buu and began to lick her face with eagerness.
However, there was one person that wasn't doing anything, simply watching everyone greet each other, smiling as she watched her father peak to Krillin and as Bee began to play with Marron. Gohan watched her for a few moments, and it seemed as if she sensed his eyes on her, because she turned her head and sent a small smile his way, blue eyes sparkling with good humor and happiness.
It was then that Gohan was suddenly reminded of the very important thing that he had to tell her, suddenly remembering as she looked at him with her beautiful eyes once more, her face alit in the smile, the same smile and face that had helped him stay alive when he'd believed that he was dying, what had helped him hold onto his grip on life.
Making sure that she still had eye-contact with him, Gohan slightly jerked his head to the side, in a motion that was just about universally accepted as that one wanted to speak with someone else, before he began to walk over to a slightly secluded part of the Lookout. Curiously, after a moment of hesitation, Videl followed him, confused, wondering where he was leading her.
Gohan soon stopped in a location not too far from where everyone else was—they were still able to hear everyone talking to each other, but unable to make out exactly what they were saying, and they were currently out of their sight, hidden by one of the walls of the palace. He waited patiently for Videl to reach him, and she soon did, looking around her with curiosity. Seeing that there was nothing exactly special here, she looked at Gohan, now right in front of him.
"So, Gohan, what is it?" Videl asked him, unsure of what he wanted to talk about that couldn't be said in front of everyone. Her mind was trying to remind her of something, trying to tell her that she wanted him to know something, but the emotional overload of everything was making her memory really crappy, she knew she wanted to tell him something, she had wanted to…
Gohan looked as if he was seriously contemplating something, and, when he remained silent, Videl got slightly annoyed. "Hey, are you still there?" she asked him with an internal roll of her eyes. When he didn't respond, simply looking at her with those intense onyx eyes, she let out a slightly frustrated huff as she looked at him in irritation, wondering what was going through his head.
"Gohan, do y—"
And then, she was suddenly stopped, as Gohan, in a bold, daring move, suddenly planted his lips against her own.
Videl's eyes flew open in pure shock the moment that his lips touched hers, frozen, having not expected that from him, having expected anything else but this coming from Gohan.
And then, her eyes suddenly began to close as she allowed herself to return the kiss, her arms suddenly wrapping around his thick, corded neck, gripping his thick black hair. Gohan's arms wrapped around her waist, holding her closer to him, before he brought one hand up to the back of her head, tilting it upwards so he could gain more access, and Videl didn't resist. She'd never felt like this before, so many warm, fuzzy emotions flowing through her, emotions that she honestly had no intention of getting rid of, honestly surprised that Gohan, her Gohan, could possibly be so forward, so suddenly sure as he kissed her.
This was different from that simple touching of lips back at the small lake. This one was more emotional, seeming to convey all of the grief and fear that they had both felt, and also showing the pure joy and relief that they were back together again. Their lips moved perfectly against one another's, emotions flooding the two teens that neither of them had felt before. Slowly, ever-so-slowly, both of them seemed to gain more confidence, the kiss becoming the slightest bit more passionate between them, tongues meeting in slight timidity, before each of them gained more confidence as their tongues entwined in that ancient, timeless dance that has been around since the dawn of time. Suddenly, it seemed as if neither of them could get enough of the other's taste, holding each other closer.
It seemed as if they were locked in a timeless bubble that contained just the two of them and no one else. It could've been merely seconds, or minutes, or even hours, but both of them doubted that they would've been able to tell the difference. These emotions flooding through them were overwhelming in a good way, new and warm, neither of them wanting to get rid of them anytime soon.
If it wasn't for the fact that they were living beings and needed to breathe, they weren't sure how long it would've continued. However, both of them eventually had to pull away to take a breath, and the slowly, reluctantly detached from each other, eyes still closed for a few moments before they opened slowly at about the exact same time. Videl's deep blue eyes were meeting Gohan's lovely obsidian ones, so many emotions flowing through their depths. Their breathing was slightly heavy and sped up, able to feel each other's breath on their faces.
Gohan knew that this was the moment, and so he spoke, without shame, without embarrassment, with complete truthfulness:
"I love you, Videl."
Once again, time seemed to stop for her, and those four simple words seemed to echo in her ears. Something within her fluttered, and that warm, perfect, beautiful feeling came back after she heard those words. She looked into his eyes, seeing that he was speaking the truth, seeing the love for her deep within his eyes, and she suddenly felt as if she could do anything, as if she could run a thousand miles tirelessly, or as if she could fly herself to the moon in a single moment.
Unable to speak because of the emotions that were suddenly flowing through her once more, these intense, amazing feelings, she responded in the only way that she could possibly think of now, and this time, she was the one who reached up and kissed him.
Eventually, they broke apart, and Gohan was wearing a slight smirk on his face. Videl was able to smile slightly as she looked at him, arms still wrapped around his neck, never wanting to let him go again. He loved her.
"I love you, too, Gohan," she told him gently, smiling. She felt no shame, none at all, because it was the complete truth. She knew that she'd had to tell him, and she was sure that she would've remembered eventually, but Gohan had beaten her to the punch. As they confessed their love to each other, Videl was suddenly reminded of some of those extremely cheesy movies that have the two lovers gushing all over each other, proclaiming their love over and over in a phony manner. But this was real, she could tell. This was real, true love.
Gohan was smiling at her, eyes alight with relief and happiness as he looked at the girl that he loved, the girl who he now knew loved him back. He then remembered something else that she'd said, and he smirked. "Hey, Videl…do you want to go out on a date with me?"
Videl broke out into a wide smile. "Do you really have to ask that question?" she asked him, almost giddy with delight. Honestly, she had no idea why she was suddenly so happy all of a sudden, so extremely happy and smiling so much, but she had an idea that it had to do with realizing that she'd just heard that the man who she loved also loved her in return, and also that he was asking her out on a date. "Of course I do! When?"
"Well…uhm, how about tomorrow?" he suggested, honestly not sure where they would go. He'd had plenty of time to contemplate such a thing, but it had kind of slipped his mind through everything that had happened today. "We can…uh…"
Videl laughed, knowing that he honestly had no idea when or where they would go for their first date. "Well, I'm sure that you'll figure something out," she told him. "The hard part is gonna be telling my dad about this. But…he said that I could only date guys who were stronger than him, so he can't say no to you," she said with a slight smirk.
Gohan chuckled, shaking his head and how quickly she'd come up with a solution to her own problem. "Well, my parents won't be a problem," he informed her. "I don't think Dad minds me dating anyone, and Mom has been waiting the longest time for us to get together, she'll be ecstatic that it's official now."
She laughed once more as she remembered how Chi-Chi had tried to push both her and Gohan together on a few occasions. "Yeah, I remember the first day that I went over to your house, when she asked when we'd get married and you spat your food in Goten's face," she reminisced fondly, laughing at the slight blush of embarrassment that now appeared on his features.
"Mom's…well, very forward in the things that she wants," he offered as an explanation, tone slightly sheepish. That was probably the understatement of the century—when Chi-Chi had her mind set on something, that woman would do whatever it took to get it done.
"I kinda figured that out myself," she joked, causing Gohan to chuckle slightly once more, looking down at her. Their eyes once again met with intensity and love, the new emotion that they now had a name for, shining in each pair of them, dark, ocean blue meeting polished obsidian. Looking at him, Videl couldn't resist reaching up and planting another kiss against his lips, feeling Gohan respond to her naturally as he returned it, his arms seeming to hold her in a cage that she was none too eager to escape from as they kissed, feeling nothing but utter bliss.
The evil Buu was finally dead, all the dead friends and family were brought back to life, even those who were believed to never be able to return to the world of the living, and the two teenagers finally confessed their love for each other, locked in utter, complete happiness as they kissed each other gently, away from prying eyes.
At that moment, everything was perfect.
You guys have no idea how long I've wanted to write this chapter :D I hope that everyone liked it! Once again, I would like to thank you all for reviewing, because we've hit 100 reviews, I'm so happy! XD I treasure each and every one of them, and in fact, most of them prompted me to write this chapter as fast as I could and get it out ASAP.
So, how did ya like it? I hope you guys did, I know I enjoyed writing this :) Also, a question for you guys: Where do you want Gohan and Videl's first date to be? I have a few ideas, but I would like to hear some of your opinions on where they should go for their first date, I'd really like to hear what you guys have to say about that :D a few times in the past, some awesome writers have given me ideas for things to put in chapters, and I'd really enjoy hearing where you guys want their first date to be! :D
So, that's all I really had to say. Thank you all so much for reading this, and please review! :)