Yeah, yeah, I know. I should've posted this sooner. Honestly, I'm pretty low on motivation lately, plus even though I'm not as busy as I was in the summer, I'm still busy. Well, you guys seem to like the story, so I dedicate this chapter to all of you. It will be longer than the last chapter, I promise! But also know that there are some comedy elements in this chapter. I mean, it is the Junior Tournament, right? Weird for a horror fic, but we're not really at the 'horror' part yet.

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ, and I don't own The Possession. Good thing, too, because Taker of Children would be the worst movie ever (next to Dragonball Evolution, that is).

The rest of the matches went rather uneventfully. Snot-nosed children ran off the mat crying, older kids placed their toddler opponents out of the ring, and bullies acted tough but got beaten up by scrawny kids they've been picking on for years. And through it all, our little demi Goten rested his arms on the windowsill, bored as could be.

"Why isn't anyone here any good, Trunks?" He turned to his best friend, waiting for an answer.

"That's because you suck, Goten."

"Oh." Goten turned his head back out to watch a three-year-old and a nine-year-old get into a slap fight outside the ring. Trunks suppressed his laughter, not sure if that was funnier or his best friend's cluelessness.

Pretty soon, though, the two kids were separated, and all the kids, toddlers, and tykes who made it through the first round entered the fighters' lounge to talk for a few minutes before the next matches started. Their families were allowed to come in to congratulate their children and to talk with their new friends as well.

Naturally Bulma and Vegeta came in to speak with Trunks and pinch his cheeks and do everything in their power to embarrass him. Likewise, Chichi, Goku, and Gohan all wanted to say hi to their precious Goten. Chichi just had to run at her son first thing and congratulate him on 'winning the match and making that bully look like a fool.' Goku and Gohan, however, approached Goten more somberly.

"Hey, Goten," Goku said. "Could you come over here for a sec? We need to talk to you for a bit."

Like the little boy he was, shy around strangers, he cringed. But he looked up into Gohan's reassuring gaze, and he knew he could trust him as well as his daddy. Besides, he's not in trouble for anything, right? "O-Okay."

The three Sons managed to pry Goten away from Chichi and find a more secluded area in a corner. What Goku and Gohan wanted to talk about wasn't exactly something they wanted people to overhear, but the other parents' chattering provided the perfect cover.

Goten put his hands behind his head and rocked on his toes. "So, watcha guys wanna talk to me about?"

Goku and Gohan glanced at each other and nodded. Then Gohan kneeled before his little brother and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, squirt. Have you been feeling all right? If you feel ill you can back out of the tournament if you want to."

However, Goten furiously shook his head. "Nuh-uh. I'm not sick. An' I told Trunks I'd try really hard to win."

"Well, if you aren't sick, how come you haven't been acting like yourself?"

The chibi shrugged. "I dunno. I feel fine. I'm not sick or nothin'. So I dunno why I've been weird. I sure hope I'm not sick, though."

Gohan glanced back at Goku for a moment, who gave him a thumbs-up. Looking back to Goten, who was starting to get nervous at the idea that he was getting sick before he got to fight Trunks, and said, "Okay, you're not sick. But something is definitely up. Does it have to do with that box you have?"

"Um... I-I-I don't know. Maybe? I really, really, really don't think so, though." Suddenly, the little demi perked up in alarm. "Where's the box? Where's the box? Mommy doesn't have the box! Where is it?!" He barreled right through Goku and Gohan, who were too surprised by the sudden outburst to stop him, and ran to the center of the room and shouted, "WHERE IS IT?!"

Hearing the sharp cry of her youngest child, Chichi was immediately on top of him and attempting to calm him down. And in her calmest, most soothing voice, she told him, "It's okay, sweetie. I left it on my seat. Krillin is watching it for me while I came to congratulate you. Really, your box is okay."

Slowly, ever so slowly, Goten's breathing returned to normal as he began to calm down. "Okay, mommy. But can you go get it? I don't feel good when it's not with me." He gave his trademark Son Puppy Eyes; he really wanted that box. He wasn't lying when he said he didn't feel good when his box wasn't nearby. It made him feel ill and anxious. Maybe he really was just sick. Was it because of his box? NO! It was his box, and he wanted to have it!

But his Puppy Eyes held, and it didn't take long for Chichi to give in. "Oh, all right," she sighed. "I'll go get it now, and I'll try to find a closer seat so that you know it's nearby. Is that okay with you?" Goten just gave a small belch in response.

Throughout the whole ordeal, with everyone's attention being attracted by Goten's shouting, Goku and Gohan looked from the little chibi to each other.

"Okay, if I thought something was up before, now I know something's up," Gohan said.

"Definitely," Goku replied. "And it's got something to do with that box Chi got him."

"Hey!" Trunks finally managed to break free of Bulma's wicked grasp while Goten had his little freak out, and he decided to take his opportunity at freedom to join in on the conversation. "I really think it does, too. When I called it gross and stupid, he looked like he wanted to rip my throat out or something." The lilac demi crossed his arms and huffed, "There's probably something cool in it he didn't wanna show me, like those toy things that were in it."

"Really?! Goten?!" Gohan couldn't believe it! Okay, yeah, he's been acting pretty weird for the past couple of hours. But seriously, Goten would never, and he meant ever, get so worked up over a worn-out box with some small toys in it! He would even share it, knowing the sweet little tyke! The teen demi just couldn't wrap his head around it!

"Yeah," replied Trunks. "It was super weird."

Goku slammed a fist into his hand. "we really gotta get to the bottom of this."

"Agreed," Gohan and Trunks said in unison.

"So, I was just thinking," Gohan said, "that we could maybe... Um, I don't know... take the box...? Just to study it, not to take it!"

Goku was shocked. "Gohan, I never would've thought you would come up with something so-"

"Got it." Trunks already had the box in his hands, and somewhere off in the distance, Krillin's screaming was heard, obviously at the hands of a frustrated Chichi.

"Here, let me see it," Goku said, reaching out for the box. Trunks didn't need much persuasion in handing it over; the thing was pretty creepy.

And then Gohan noticed something.

Only Gohan was able to notice it, because of his natural skill in the use of ki; neither Goku nor Trunks were quite as adept as he was. But what he found struck him as especially odd.

There was a small ki in the box.

And it was drawing him in, closer, closer...

Sucky cliffies, ha! ):D See y'all!