Twisted mind II

Acceptance

Gohan looked around himself at the twisted wreckage of what was once a city. Huge craters pock-marked the ground, and a gargantuan trench ran through the middle of the city. Lazy curls of smoke still rose from the blasted ruins of countless buildings filling the air with a black smog.

Gohan gasped at the sight and choked on the thick smell of charred flesh. He could almost taste it. He forced himself to breathe normally and looked around. He had no idea as to how he had arrived here. The only thing of which he was certain was that a fierce battle had been waged here.

His senses were overwhelmed by residual ki energy in the air, and the faint memory of fierce emotions. Rage shock and despair being foremost among them. He recognized most of the signatures. His father and Vegeta's were there, along with Goten Piccolo and Trunks's. A hadnful of smaller signatures which he identified as the human Z-fighters were scattered in, but they were so diluted that he could not discern which was which. But they were all overshadowed by a much stronger presence, one filled with contempt and cruelty. It felt strangely familiar to Gohan, but he could't identify it by feel alone. He needed to see this being.

He began walking slowly, cautiously. He knew that this being he felt was still here. His or her signature was far to powerful to simply be a residual signature like the others were. He felt a subtle shift, and knew that whoever it was had detected him.

Gohan soon came across the spot where the battle seemed to have resolved itself. Goku was folded nearly in half over the remnants of a brick wall. Vegeta lay twisted and broken in the bottom of a of them had been mangled so thoroughly that Gohan barely recognized them. A cold weight settled in his chest, accompanied by rage. He could not see the rest of the Z-fighters, but if Goku and Vegeta had fallen it was a sure bet that the others had as well.

A cold rage came to life inside his chest. A powerful aura surrounded his as he propelled himself into the air and hurtled towards the source of the malovelant energy. He came to a stop over a part of the city that seemed relatively undamaged. A single figure stood in the middle of a four-way intersecion peering up at Gohan. His features were obscured by his aura, which seemed both intense and lazy at the same time. Gohan frowned and lowered himself to the ground, facing this enemy head on.

"Who are you?"

The figure tilted his head and let out an amused chuckle. "You haven't figured it out yet?Gohan's eyes widened at the sound of that voice. His voice. The aura around the figure faded, and it was like staring into a mirror. The doppleganger was identical to Gohan in every way except for the cruel glint n his eyes and the malovelant smile that adorned his face.

"You!" Gohan breathed.

The doppleganger nodded. "Yes, me." Before Gohan could react at all the doppleganger lunged with unsurpassed speed.

Gohan sprang up from his spot on the ground with a startled cry. His eyes looked around wildly searching for any threats. He was surrounded by trees to his sides and behind him. Before him was the lake he currently called home.

"Just a nightmare." He let out a long sighand sat back against a tree and looked at his surroundings. The sun was just peaking over the horizon, casting an orange glow over the water. A slight breeze blew through the branches of the pine trees around him. It was a beuatiful landscape, and it took his mind away from the nightmare.

It wasn't the first he had had. When he had first gone to Kibito's planet he had experienced such nightmares every few days. Over time they had grown less frequent, until months could pass without a single bad dream.

Gohan allowed his mind to drift and soon became aware of Videl's ki signature rapidly approaching. A smile came to his face. Had Videl finally reached a decision. It had only been a few days since they had spoken, but it felt so much longer. He stood up and walked out onto the bank where he waited for Videl.

He didn't have to wait along before Videl descended from the sky and touched down nearby.

"Videl," Gohan turned and walked towards her until only ten feet seperated them. "Its good to see you."

"You too." Videl agreed.

"Have you made up your mind?"

Videl nodded, a small smile on her face. "Yes, I want youto come home with me."

Gohan felt his knees go weak with relief, and it was as if a great weight had lifted from him.

"Thats wonderful." He exclaimed, and reached for her hand. An image flashed ins vision for just a second. Videl collapsing amidst a spray of blood, smoke rising from her torn body. He froze in place. Even though the image had faded hesaw nothing before him. He prior joy was now replaced with a cold dread, like a fist clenched deep inside him.

"Gohan? Are you alright?" Videl's voice cut through his thoughts, and in an instant he couldn't even remember what he had seen.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He took her hand, and together they lifted into the skies.

Goku walked cautiously through the front door of his house, his hearing straining to its limits as he listened for his wife. He loved Chi-chi dearly, and he knew she was strong. Or rather, she had been strong once. But she had placed in Gohan the highest of expectations. She had sought to craft him itno a man of greatness. A world leader or great scientest, someone of intellectual depth.

Gohan had at the age of seven been going through high-school courses. By the time he actually went to high-school his knowledge had far surpassed any of his teachers. Chi-chi's desire to make Gohan great had been so consuming that she had forced it upon him, forbidding him to do anything she viewed as contradictory to what she thought he should be. Chi-chi had been proud of Gohan during his last months of sanity. He had been ready to apply for the most prestigous college in the world when he finally snapped.

Goku didn't fully understand why Gohan had snapped. He knew that Gohan had never particularly wanted the path she had chosen for him, but he had always put up with it because it was his mother, and he wanted her to be proud of him. But then he snapped and turned on his friends and family,becoming a monster whose power far exceeded that of any of the Z-fighters. Chi-chi had never fully recovered from it. Shame and grief consumed her, and even to this day she seemed so quiet.

Goku found her in the kitchen as he had these thoughts, and tried to figure out the best way to tell her of Gohan's return. Goku could be naive at times, but he wasn't stupid. He knew Chi-chi would not simply smile and regain her old energy at the news. In truth he wasn't sure what her reaction might be, and it was making him nervous.

"Hey honey, how are you?" Goku asked as he moved to ssit at the table.

"I'm fine." Chi-chi anwsered quietly. "Goten was by earlier."

"Oh? What did he say?" Goku had to work to keep his voice even.

"Nothing. He was so quiet, but it seemed like something was really bugging him. Goku, whats going on?" Chi-chi looked at him, her eyes filled withconcern. "Is Goten in some kind of trouble?"

"No, he's fine Chi-chi." Goku was quick to assure her.

"Then what is wrong? I know something is happening Goku, and you know something about it!" A hint of Chi-chi's old self came through in the words.

"Well uh," Goku scratched the back of his head as he planned his words. Seeing no subtle way to deliver the news, he decided to take a page from Vegeta's book and be blunt. "Gohan's back."

He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised by his wifes reaction, but nevertheless he wasn't quite quic enough to catch her when she fainted.

Gohan took in the inteior of Videl's house in a glance. The furniture was a pleasant mix of tans and browns and the soft carpet looed as if it would feel great under bare feet. Paintings of farms and forests adorned the walls and the air smelt clean. It was comfortable, and safe feeling.

"So this is where you live huh?" Gohan asked as he examined it.

"Yeah, it took mea while to save up for everything, but I did it." Videl said, then added "I was determined to get itwithout borrowing money from dad."

Gohan nodded. "What have you been doing for a living?"

"I actually opened a martial arts school independent of my fathers. I have a lot of students there, and sometimes I can get Goten to help out." Videl explained.

"Uh, how much have you taught people?" Gohan asked with a small frown.

"Well the martial arts itself is fairly advanced, but we keep the use of ki to a minimum. I show them enough to help them focus and flow better. Nothing that would let any 'bad apples' to cause damage." Videl said.

Gohan nodded his approval as they made their way to the couch and sat down. A thought occured to him then. "Hey, wheres Pan?"

"She's at Bulma's." Videl replied. "We sent here there to play with Bulla. The two of them are so sweet together."

"I can't wait to see both of them." Gohan told her.

"I'm sure you can't." Videl said with a smile. "But we have a bit of catching up to do first."

Gohan leaned towards as he said "I think you might be right."

And then there lips met, and Gohan was locked in euphoria.