Disclaimer: I do not own the rights or credits to the Original Dragon Ball Z characters; all credit goes to Akira Toriyama.
Chapter III: Gohan's Shadow
I'm walking into a carnival, there's noise and music everywhere. I look around; see some seagulls flying up in the air. We must be by the ocean; it's been a while since I've seen the ocean. I hear children laughing all around me, so I try to look around to see where they're coming from. But it seems my mom has me by the hand and she's taking me somewhere. I'm not sure where exactly but I trust her. Looking around I see a couple arcades. I really want to go there, but we keep on walking.
We start approaching the boardwalk and there are so many people here. It's been so long since I've been to such a busy place. Without saying a word my mom keeps pulling me along. We start walking down and the boardwalk, and pretty soon a Ferris wheel is creeping up in the horizon. I'm automatically drawn to it, but my mother is taking me another direction. I'm a bit disappointed, but I go along with it. I'm still not sure why we're at this carnival, we don't seem to be doing anything in here, and in fact it looks as though we're going right through it. Suddenly my mom turns around and we start walking backwards, I look over at my mom holding my hand, but it's not my mother. It's her.. oh god. I let go and she just starts laughing. I don't waste any time, I start running the opposite direction. What is she waiting for, why is she just there laughing and staring into space with her dead eyes? I soon realize I'm on line to the Ferris wheel. I look behind me to see if she's still there, but she's gone. I give out a sigh of relief, as the ticket man rip's my Ferris wheel ticket. I put the ticket stub in my pocket and look at the ticket man; it's the other one. He has a little black suit on, and tears my ticket. He gives me a quick stare but says nothing. Why aren't I hesitating? Like a drone I walk onto the Ferris wheel.
Once inside I look around to see who else is there. No one familiar, I then think about looking for my mother but the idea doesn't really stick in my head for long. I stay standing around as few more people board the car. A few of them strike me and I start thinking. Where have I seen these people before? I'm trying to remember but for now I just take my seat. It's a pretty big Ferris wheel, a lot bigger than it looks from the outside. My car alone seems like it can hold a few dozen. A good amount of people start hopping on, they all look so familiar, but I can't put my stick any names to the faces. Hmm, a green man along with a three-eyed man and a few other strange looking folk just walked into the car next to ours. Not too often you see that combination, maybe they're part of a show or something. No, something in me just says they're not part of any show. So where have I seen these people before?
"Hello son." I'm struck immediately with those words from behind me. I turn slowly to see who's casting this broad shadow behind me.
"Do I, do I know you?" the man is dressed in some kind of armor, that's pretty weird clothing to bring to a carnival.
"Are you part of an act?" those are the first things I ask him. Why else would he be dressed like that? He chuckles a bit, and nods his head.
"No, not anymore, I haven't been part of one for a long, long time. But you, you still have a long way to go, my son." I still don't know why he's calling me that, so I begin to back away.
"You can't stay here Trunks." He shouts behind me. How does he know my name?
"What do you mean I can't stay here?"
"It's not your time yet, you have to go back."
"What do you mean, go back? Who are you, I feel like I've met you before but, I can't, remember."
"We did meet, a very long time ago but don't worry about that. Listen when the wheel makes the round, just step out. You can't be here."
"But, I.. I like it here."
"It doesn't matter you MUST go back. You won't do any good wandering about here."
"He's right Trunks, you can't stay. They need you back there." A tall green man approaches me from the side. All of a sudden all the men I saw board the car next to mine are in this one. Trunks!? How the hell do all of these people know me? Why do I have to go?
"But.. But I like it here." It's so peaceful, and relaxing, and for some reason, even if I don't know these people, I feel so comfortable with them. Why?
"I know you like it here, but, you have to get off." The green man has a strong stern voice, yet it's comforting.
"Do you trust us?" the man in armor asks me, I look up.
"Well do you?"
"Yes, yes I do." I don't know why I said that, I don't even know who they are but, I surrender to their terms and prepare to get off.
As the wheel is preparing to come to a stop I notice them there. Both of them waiting for me, outside, and I know perfectly well who they are.
"No, no, they're waiting for me, I can't get off, they're there!!" I start backing off but the man in the armor stops me.
"No, stop! You're not a coward! Not by a long shot!" His tone changes quickly, and he starts yelling. I begin to cry while looking behind me I see them smiling at me. Their eyes just pierce right through mine, and it terrifies me. The man in the car grabs my shoulder and starts shaking me.
" Stop crying! Look at me, you HAVE to get off there's no discussion!"
"Hey Vegeta, go easy on him, you don't have to shake him like that, he's just a kid." One of the others says to him. But the man in the armor just gives him a quick hard glance and he backs away shaking his head.
"Man, and I thought he was hard to deal with in life, sheesh." The short bald one walks back to the group who're sharing a few chuckles or two before redirecting their attention to me.
I quickly wipe my eyes down, and let out a few sniffles.
"Look, son, sooner or later, you're going to have to face them, sooner or later you'll have to confront them, but what you can't do is stay here, here you can't do anything! Here you're useless! Useless to everyone out there! And no son of mine, will be useless!" I look outside, and see my mother in the distance. Soon enough I see Gohan near by as well. The familiar faces make me want to walk out, but then I look right in front of me and there they are. Still there, still waiting, still smiling. The man pushes me towards the door, I think of resisting, but what good will it do. Right before I step out I look back at the two of them.
"Will I ever see you guys again?" once I say that, I get comforting smiles from all of them.
"Of course you will, but that'll be other day a long time from now, today you get off, today you walk back out there and live Trunks." I step off of the car ignoring the two of them right in front of me. I turn my head to look at them all one last time, than the one in armor steps out slightly.
"NOW WAKE UP!" I then turn around, and look at two of them dead in the eye.
At that split second I'm slammed with a force that I never felt before. But, it's not the androids. Everything at carnival is starting to disappear; everything is breaking off like shattered glass. The music starts to fade away; the children's laughter is becoming fainter and fainter. It's not as warm any more, it's getting cold. Then all of a sudden everything breaks into blackness.
I start to hear faint screaming, it's getting closer, I'm not sure what the screams are saying but it's definitely someone. As time goes by the mumbled screams is get louder, and louder, I'm starting to feel some wind, I think.. I think I can open my eyes.
"TRUNKS, OH GOD HOLDS ON!" That voice, its, Gohan!
"Goh…a." I can't talk, why can't I talk?!
"Go.." I'm cut off even faster this time.
"TRUNKS! Thank god, don't talk, we're almost there!" Almost where?
I try to talk again but can't even produce a sound. I go to wipe my mouth off, feels like something's on it. Blood, oh god blood… what.. what happened? Before I can make any sense of anything, everything fades away again. For a moment I hope to hear carnival music and hope to feel the warm ocean breeze, but it never comes. The wind stays cold, and the music never comes. For the time being I'm just here, sitting in the middle of nothingness.
A while goes by until I start to hear voices again, I think.. I think that's my mother.
"Gohan! Gohan, he's waking up! Oh thank god, he's waking up." I slowly open up my eyes to see two big blurs right in front of me. The light is so bright it hurts my eyes, I start squinting as soon as I open my eyes, but it doesn't seem to be doing any good so I just close my eyes again.
"There, there honey, everything's fine, you're at home now." Mom starts stroking my head. The tension on my body begins to relax. My body doesn't feel as stiff, I fall asleep pretty quick.
I'm awakened a litter later by more talking, this time I'm able to open my eyes better, and keep them open for longer.
"Hey, Mom, Gohan." I'm barely able to even utter three words.
"Hey sweetie, how are you feeling?" I try to sit up, but my muscles won't budge an inch.
"I'm… doing good."
"Heh, tough just like his father." Gohan comes into focus and stands next to my mother giving me a smile.
"Yes I know, he has a lot of his father in him." My mother sits down and starts changing my bandages.
"Yeah, he has quite a bit you in him too Bulma."
"Yes I know, Trunks is as elegant and handsome as they come." We all share a quick laugh, as painful the task is for me right now.
"Oo, don't strain yourself hun, just relax." She finishes up with the bandages and stands back up next to Gohan. Not too long afterwards I doze off.
Next time I wake up my mom's not there, but Gohan is.
"Hey, Trunks, how you holding up?"
"Could be better I suppose." I say as I look down at all my casts and bandages.
"Haha, I'll say." Gohan pauses for a moment, as his smiles fade away and the look on his face changes.
"I thought I'd lost you Trunks. When they hit you with that attack, and I rushed over and saw you lying there, I thought you were dead for sure. I'm sorry, I can't let this happen again."
"Gohan, it's not your fault."
Slowly my memory starts to fill in the events prior to my black out. I'd been following Gohan on his recent deliveries to local bunkers. It started one day when I actually ran into him while my mother and I were getting supplies ourselves. Gohan had a load of bags over his shoulder and I rushed over like a little kid.
"Hey Gohan you need any help!" I said rushing over.
"Trunks! Hey! Bulma! Nice to see you two, gosh it's been a while." My mother walks over with a smile on her face, but she knew that tone of mine all too well, she knew what I wanted.
"Gohan, its delightful to see you how've you been!"
"Ah, I've been great, just really busy delivering all these supplies to the city bunkers."
"I can imagine, that must be a really challenging, hard, difficult job huh?" my mother delivers ever line of that question while looking right at me. I don't blame her, what kind of mother would want her son doing what Gohan did. Gohan was risking life and limb, he knew it, my mother knew it, and I knew it.
"So do you need a hand at all Gohan?" as soon as I asked that my mothers widened to the point that there was no more room on her head for them to expand. Gohan saw that, he knew my mother all too well, and knew not to undermine her, at least not in front of her.
"Actually I think I'll be just fine Trunks, I'll head back to your place afterwards how's that sound."
"Sounds great Gohan, come on Trunks you heard the man, lets go home." My mom started back to the car. As I started to turn Gohan leaned in and whispered in my ear.
"Meet me at West City Park next week, you can help me then." A smile was boosted onto my face as I walked on back. For the next couple weeks I helped Gohan deliver supplies. Even when we were done, we'd just sit around talking, it was like we were brothers. He'd stay over for dinner a lot ate a lot of our food, good times. But one week Gohan didn't show up, then he didn't the following week. The week after I decided to go look for him, and found him on one of his routes.
"Trunks, what are you doing here?" I started storming towards him.
"Where've you been?! Where Gohan?" Gohan puts down the bags and starts shaking his head.
"No Trunks, no, you can't come along, this is too dangerous, it was a mistake, you could get hurt doing this and I can't let that happen."
"I can make my own choices Gohan!"
"NO, you can't Trunks, you're…"
"What?! Just a kid?! I'm sick of that excuse, I'm just tired of it! It doesn't matter here! In this place!" Gohan stayed silent for a minute. He started to say something, but I wouldn't be able to hear it. I'm guessing at that moment the androids hit and left me in the condition I'm in now. I look up at Gohan, and he still has that look of guilt on his face.
"Trunks, you can't come with me anymore, you have to understand that, this is EXACTLY what I was afraid of."
"Gohan I.."
"No this time I'm going to finish. You can never follow me Trunks, you can't come looking for me, ever again. You almost died Trunks, you almost died cause you were around me. You don't understand these things know who I am; they attack me all the time. I was foolish to let you tag along. I did it cause I knew that face you had, it was the same face I always had when I wanted to do things with my father, but, I'm not like him, I couldn't protect you like he did me. I'm sorry Trunks, but, I think it's best if I not come by here anymore either."
"What?! But.."
"No, if I come by here, you'll ask, you'll be curious, and then you'll follow me again, I can't instigate the curiosity, you'll do better without it, trust me." Gohan gets up and starts walking about before I'm able to protest. And before I'm able to belt out a word he's out the door.
A few minutes later my mother comes through the door. No doubt she heard all of that, she's probably relieved, I don't blame her. I try not to think about what just happened and begin concentrating on other matters.
I try looking around in the room, trying to see what kind of things my mind can wander off with, but nothing really sticks. My mom turns on the television, even though there are only 2 channels available, both from Pepper City. There's nothing really on, so mom just turns it off.
"At least we know the androids haven't affected good television." We share a laugh as she rests in a chair next to me.
Still I'm trying to think of something other than Gohan. The only thing that's able to stick out in my mind that's not him is what happened during my blackout.
I'm still curious to its nature, it's meaning. Who were they, was he really my father?
"Mom?" my mother sits up quickly.
"Yeah Trunks?"
"Can you describe dad again?"
"Your father?" My mother seems curious as to why I'm bringing him up.
"Yeah, can you describe him?" she has a puzzled face but then smiles and leans back on her chair.
"It's been a while Trunks." I haven't asked her to do this since I was really young.
"Well, he had long dark hair that stood up, strong voice.." she always liked describing him to me. When she would she always would close her eyes, and would have a smile the whole way through.
By the time she was done describing him, there was no doubt in my mind the man in the armor was my father. And that put a smile on my face.
Next Chapter:
Chapter IV: Mission For The Military