Author's Note - I had mentioned it before during the Orange Star High story the importance of reading Gnahra Nyne's Rewarded Patience, if you hadn't then you will be at a bit of a loss here. Just a heads up.
Videl saw concern and worry in his eyes. "Which reality are you talking about and why?" Gohan closed his eyes for a moment then exhaled.
"I need to go to the reality I got these extra set of memories from. There's a good chance that my alternate's reality is in great danger." Gohan stood and began to ascend when he stopped then looked down to her. "I could be wrong, but I want to be sure. Do you want to go to Red Ribbon's Base with me?" Videl took to the air and nodded.
"Let's go." They took off and within minutes they were at the front entrance of the base. Two soldiers came out of the building to greet them. Both of the soldiers saluted them as the one on the left offered a device to them.
"Gohan and Videl, it's an honor to meet you but precautions must be seen to be sure of the validity of your identity and safety of the base." The other soldier offered another. The couple took the device and inserted their index finger through it where it then drew blood. It was quick and painless as they handed the devices back to them and waited on the results. The doors opened a moment later where they were greeted by Erasa. In unison Gohan and Videl stood up straight and saluted her. Erasa sighed.
"I get enough of that on a regular basis. What brings you two here at this time?" Videl walked up to Erasa then held her best's friends hands.
"I've got some amazing news to tell you. Though, before I get into that Gohan needs to use the new machine." Videl released Erasa's hands as she then escorted them through the new base of operations.
"I have a vague idea of what the news may be but I'll wait and hear what it is. Other than that we still have the old machine up and running. We let our soldiers and new recruits use that one while this new one should be used more responsibly. Several of the soldiers and new recruits have somehow managed to use it as intended. Of course there are a few who manage to use it in ways I don't agree with." Erasa looked back at her and raised an eyebrow. Videl sighed.
"I'm sorry and I've realized that even if they aren't exactly you it is still considered bad to look into another person's life...accidentally. Though, you have to admit that the Gbecool132 reality was quite interesting." Gohan looked at Erasa questioningly.
"In what way would that reality be worth checking out? Do you know Erasa?" She jumped at the sound of her name. Erasa refused to turn around and face him as they walked down several corridors. She stopped for a moment then shook her head.
"Forget about it. I don't know what she's talking about at all. Besides, it's not important." Videl grinned. Oh really now? You of all people want to talk about irresponsible use?
"Then there was the lancecomwar reality that I found only because you visited it previously as marked in your own reports." Erasa stopped then took off at a great speed. Videl and Gohan caught up to her outside the room with her back still turned to them. Gohan placed a hand on Erasa's shoulder causing her to shiver a bit.
"Is everything okay? What's wrong?" Erasa stayed silent as she put in the numerical code to open the door. When she turned around to them they noticed that her facial features were gone leaving her face completely blank as she walked past them. Gohan was about to follow her until Videl placed a hand upon his shoulder.
"Don't worry about her. Let's get you into that reality." Gohan shook his head in confusion then entered the room. He walked over to the machine and turned the dial to the left where it read Alternate Reality. He went over the realities coded within it until Gnarha Nyne popped up. Putting in the necessary coordinates a silver bracelet popped out of the machine. Gohan put the bracelet on. The door opened as Gohan went weak in the knees and froze.
Videl rushed over to him as he began to shake in fear. She looked from him to what was on the other side of the door and saw her. Frost was there and she was weeping. Videl looked at her more intently feeling the old hatred of her rise. Looking at Frost again she noticed that her stomach had extended quite a bit. She's pregnant, but she's not our Frost. That's one good thing I guess. Looking back to Gohan she noticed that his eyes were glued on her as his shaking worsened. Vided reached up and pulled his head down to hers.
"Gohan, I want you to look at me. Focus on me, and if you can't just listen to my voice. Everything is going to fine. I'm here and she can't, won't hurt you." His eyes went blank as Videl guided him to the floor. His shaking had stopped. She had placed his head in her lap and continued to speak to him in a calm, gentle tone. Life slowly began to show in his eyes as he looked up at her. He looked down at the bracelet that on his wrist then started to sit up.
"Thank you. I…I have to do this. I knew that I'd more than likely have to confront her again. I just have to have to remember that she's not the one I…we know." Gohan stood and started walking towards the door until Videl placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I thought you couldn't enter a reality you already existed in." He turned and looked grim.
"This reality's version of me is dead. I think that explains the state Frost is in." He forced a smile onto his face and continued. "I'll be back soon. I promise." He embraced her as she returned it. They shared a kiss then parted as Gohan went through the door and disappeared. He'll come back. I know he will. I don't know this version of Frost but he does, Gohan will be fine. I hope.
Videl left the room then walked aimlessly for a bit until deciding to find Erasa. She took the elevator to the lowest floor, walked through a couple a corridors and was in front of the Lieutenant Commander's door. After knocking twice Erasa appeared. Glaring at her at first Erasa's features softened when she noticed Videl's dire countenance.
"So, what's wrong?" Erasa led her into the room. She sat in her chair while Videl chose to lie on the couch.
"Nothing much, just the typical worry I share with Chi-Chi, 18 and Bulma whenever our significant other is doing something that could be dangerous. Other than that. I'm pregnant, and yes. Gohan knows." Erasa smiled.
"I figured as much. It was getting to be about that time. I've been expecting it for a while. Congratulations. In many ways I'm kind of jealous of you. Throughout the many realities I've visited I don't really ever get to be a mother. I just live my life and seemingly nothing happens. There is one reality that comes to mind and that would be the Egohan one. Though, it's nothing like how I'd want it to be. A one night stand, jeez." Erasa sighed, and then continued. "I wish you the best of luck." Videl stretched a bit on the couch.
"What kind of mother do you think you would be?" Erasa shrugged.
"I have no idea. If I had a boy then I'd feel over protective of him. I wouldn't spoil him I think. As for a girl…how hard could it be to raise one? Your father did a good job, didn't he?" Videl extended her hands out then moved them up and down as if they were weighing scales.
"I honestly don't know how to answer that. So until I can allow me to paint a picture for you. I just had my first period and I told him. I noticed that it scared him. In fact, it scared him so much that in order to deal with it he ended up putting his name on a company's brand of Tampons and Pads. I remember coming home from school and seeing dozens upon dozens of crates." Videl shuddered an instant before continuing.
"So along with all that he had fifteen instructional tapes that we watched together. After that he took me to my first gynecology exam. It was every bit as awkward as you'd think it would be. I became the center of attention for reason other than the fact that I was his daughter. To make matters worse when it was over it was deemed news worthy. The company was so moved by it that they wanted my face on their boxes.
My father noticed how uncomfortable all of it made me feel and didn't ask or force me to be a part of it. Instead he decided to do something that would be cringe worthy for any other man but himself. He convinced the company to put his face on their products." Videl laid back and dug the memory up from the deepest recesses of her memory and saw it again. She remembered the white box with just his face seemingly screaming at the consumers. Videl broke out laughing. Erasa looked thoughtful for a moment then began laughing herself.
"Oh! I had completely forgotten about that. I remember walking down that aisle and wondering if he was angry that I was on my period or happy about it." Their laughter filled the room as it took them a few moments to recover. Videl stared up at the wall for a while as she gathered her thoughts. At the end of the day I can't call him a bad father by any stretch. Can I?
"My father has a lot of faults but at the end of the day I'm happy to have him. I don't think many parents would allow their child to go out and actively fight crime. Speaking of crime fighting…" Videl dug through her pockets and pulled out her morpher and handed it to Erasa before continuing. "I don't care how powerful I am, I won't be taking any chances now that I know what's at stake. I want you to lock it up and keep it away from me until I've had my child."
As Erasa took the morpher Gohan appeared in the middle of the room, but he wasn't alone. Next to him were three children and a teenage boy that was unconscious on his shoulders. He gently put the boy on the floor. A little girl with blonde hair and black eyes resembling Gohan's turned and noticed Erasa. Tears formed as she pointed at her. "I thought we…k-killed you. Mom, you're alive?" Erasa froze as she looked from Gohan to the child.
"You're my daughter?" The little girl nodded. Erasa stood then walked over to the child. The little girl extended her arms out to her and Erasa picked her up. The child hugged her then cried some more. Erasa was shocked into stillness as she looked to Gohan once more. "I'm a mother now? What happened?" The two children next to him started to tug on pant legs. He looked down at them.
"Don't worry, your mothers are here. I'm just going to have a really difficult time explaining this to them. I only ask that you'll be patient with me, okay?" The two children smiled as Gohan turned to Erasa. "I know this is sudden but yes. She's our daughter from an alternate reality. Her name is Eri." Gohan knelt and placed his hand atop the head of a blonde haired boy. "His name is Saiga. He's the child Lazuli…I mean 18 and I had."
He shared a smile with the boy then focused on the boy with brown hair who happened to be staring at Videl. He placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "You really have forgotten her, haven't you?" He looked to Videl. "His name is Kashu. His mother is Lime." Gohan focused his attention back on him. "It'll be difficult but I'll try to get you to your mother as soon as I can. She's a special case, so it'll take a while. Okay?" The child bowed his head then walked over to Videl.
"Hi. You're a mom, right?" Videl's eyebrows rose. What? Kashu turned then looked over to Erasa who was still holding her child. "We've missed you. We're sorry for what we did." The child bowed deeply then walked back over to Gohan's side as the other children apologized to her as well. Videl felt her face display the confusion, anger and bewilderment that warred within in her.
"Gohan, what happened when you entered that reality?" He leaned up against a wall and crossed his arms.
"It's in the process of being destroyed. I didn't have much time to figure it all out. According to Frost, an Emissary had come a day before to tell them that their reality had come to an end. My alternate self and our daughter from that reality tried to fight their guest. They were killed within seconds, though oddly enough when they died their bodies vanished.
Frost had said that the moment they died she automatically started to forget him and his daughter. She started crying and didn't know why until I showed up. I didn't understand much of it but I knew I couldn't leave my…his children behind. I don't know why but I even offered Frost to come with me. She refused and decided to stay there. A part of me wanted to drag her here by force but I didn't. My alternate's memories of her are still strong." Erasa put Eri down and sat. The little girl went right to her and she sighed.
"I know you felt that it was the right thing to do. Especially given the circumstances but I can tell that you had no thought for what to do with these children. I'm actually at a loss for many words when it comes to this. I'll take her in. She's adorable and has my hair." Eri looked up at her and smiled.
"I can change my hair. Watch this." A surge of energy burst out of the child as her hair went white and eyes turned red as blue static seemed to erratically move around her small frame. Gohan applauded her.
"You're a Super Saiyan two. That's amazing. My little brother and Trunks would have to fuse to beat you." Erasa beamed at her little girl.
"You're amazing!" Eri returned to her base state then shared a smile with her mother. Videl looked at the unconscious teen and noticed the long black hair.
"Gohan, who is he? What is his relation to you? There's no way he could be your son, could he?" He shook his head, then walked over and rolled him onto his back. Videl watched Gohan as his face shown a myriad of emotions play out within a span of seconds. Gohan stared at the unconscious teen for a long while before he turned away from him.
"Before I left I remembered that there was one more important person. I didn't have enough time so I had to render him unconscious because he was uncooperative. As much as it hurts me to say I almost considered leaving him there. Though, how he came to exist wasn't his fault so I've decided to save him again. Videl and my children, this is my brother. His name is Bito."