~Takula Saga~

Chapter 48 – What You Feel Inside

"Help you...stop evil? Yes...I'll help you..."

-DBZ-

Gray glanced over as Gohan stood up. The memories had stopped coming for a few seconds, and then Darkon's voice had echoed through the darkness.

"Gohan...you're going to help him?"

"...you saw the same as me...my friends, my father...they didn't give their lives so people could continue on like...we need to stop this..."

Gohan looked up, and slowly faded away as he regained control of his body. Gray hugged his knees tighter to himself, burying his head down.

"What should I do?"

-DBZ-

The words echoed in Videl's mind, but she couldn't wrap herself around the idea. Did Gohan really just say that? The others backed away from Gohan, the air surrounding him not right. The light in his eyes were gone, shrouded away. Darkon just chuckled, looking on as things played out. Gohan slightly bent his arms at the elbow, flexing his arms. He never made a sound, but an off white ball of energy surrounded him. Those gathered around him were flung back, leaving them climbing out of the piles of useless machinery.

Gohan floated up and over to Darkon, slowly turning to face the others. Videl's face was still one of shock, even more so when Gohan met her gaze. His eyes cold and light-less.

Vegeta dug himself out of the mountain of junk, cussing the entire way. How dare that brat, had he lost his senses? Goku and Bardock crawled out, breathing heavily. They were still hurting from their fight vs Buu and Darkon, and that last blast from Gohan hadn't exactly felt very good. The old body of Takula somehow held itself together, though the joints had felt better. Krillin sat up, rubbing the bump on his head as he tried to figure out what had exactly happened. Gotenks looked startled, once again Gohan changing sides. To both kids, Gohan was their hero. Him saying stuff like that did not have a good effect on them.

Videl glanced retook her fighting stance, looking between the two Gohan's. "Gohan, I don't know what he did to you but you have to fight it!"

Those on the floor worked their way back together, Goku and Bardock both dragging the other. Vegeta turned to face the fighters, but Takula spoke first. "I wouldn't join in. This station was built to take punishment, but if to many fighters of your caliber join the fray, she may not hold together."

Vegeta huffed, crossing his arms infront of him while turning to the side. Goku looked slightly upset with his son, while Bardock continued to hold his neutral expression.

Gohan, with words cold as ice, addressed the onlookers. "I don't want to hurt you guys. Please stay out of our way. This needs to be done."

Goku grit his teeth together, yelling up at his son. "So what about your mother Gohan? What about her when you blow up the planet?"

"She will be a necessary loss for the good of the universe..."

"Gohan! I don't know what's come over you, but snap out of it! A necessary loss?"

Darkon fazed into the middle of the onlookers on the ground, his fists ready to fight. Goku and Vegeta were the only ones able to even realize he was there before Darkon flipped over onto his hands and began to spin. Everyone was hit and sent flying towards a wall save for Vegeta, who was to far to get hit. Darkon flipped back to his feet, charging towards the still standing Saiyan Prince. Vegeta grit his teeth, his hair changing to gold along with blue sparks of lightning snapping around him. It was just in time, cause Darkon was upon him in seconds with fists flying everywhere. All Vegeta could do was cross his arms infront of his face and take it all.

Meanwhile, Gohan shot towards Gotenks. The fuzed boy looked startled, unable to attack with his blade against both boys hero. After a punch to the face, Gotenks flew back as he returned the sword to its sheath on his back. He held up his fists, a determined yet scared look on his face. Gohan just looked blankly back before charging once again. The two fighters entered a blur of attacks, Gotenks quickly learning that Gohan in this mystic unlocked potential state was no someone to fool around with.

Videl came to the rescue of Vegeta, landing a solid kick to Darkon's face. The white haired man just span around from the force of the kick, grabbing onto Videl as he came around. Vegeta fell back, shaking his head as he tried to bring his vision back into focus. He looked up just in time to see Videl being thrown right at him. The two bodies twisted and turned as they flew through the air, finally crashing into yet more useless metal parts.

Gohan balled his fists together above his head, bringing them down upon an off balance Gotenks. The small fused boy flew at high speed towards the ground after taking the hit to the head. Just before crash landing, the boy began to spin head over heals until landing on his feet. Like a spring, Gotenks shot back up towards Gohan, throwing a punch once he got there only for it to be caught again by Gohan.

Gotenks let loose, throwing punch after punch only for them to be caught by Gohan. Even with him as a fused super saiyan, the difference was just to much. Gohan caught the final two punches, this time holding onto Gotenk's fists. Gotenks' tried to pull his hands free, but was only rewarded by Gohan forcing his own fists to hit himself. Quickly Gohan let go of Gotenks, this time choosing to implant his right fist into the fused saiyan's stomach.

Gotenks coughed up saliva as his body bent around Gohan's fist from the force of the blow. Gohan flipped around, now smashing the back of his foot into Gotenk's back. The small super saiyan once again flew towards the ground, splitting back into Goten and Trunks once they hit the ground. Both boys were out cold, barely even able to whimper as they lay there.

Videl slowly stood, Vegeta at her side unable to get up at the moment. A white energy surrounded the girl as she shot towards Darkon once again. Vegeta, Goku, Bardock, Takula, and Krillin lay on the ground as they nurse their wounds. To think Darkon was so strong, he only needed to hit time so few times in order to put them out of commission for a while.

Even with Videl's potential unlocked, the power Darkon had gotten from Hell seemed to be more than enough for him to handle her. Despite what she threw at him, the white haired Gohan just smiled wildly as he countered. Videl was having a hard time keeping up with the pace Darkon was setting, while he seemed to just toying with her...she might have to try that...

Gohan watched from the sidelines, his eyes still light-less. His body however seemed to be tense, as if it were fighting on what it should do. Darkon's fist suddenly was covered in a black flame of energy as he thrust his latest counter towards Videl. Videl blocked, but the flame was so painful to touch that she backed away and lost balance. It wasn't like it burned, more like it was eating away at her skin. Darkon smirked even wider as he followed up with a straight from his free hand, sending Videl flying. Her eyes caught Gohan watching her just before she hit the ground, twisting and turning head over heals. When she finally skidded to a stop, she glanced up towards Darkon while whipping blood dripping from the corner of her mouth with her fist.

Darkon held his hand forward, a black ball of energy forming. A wild smile crossed his face as he thrust his palm forward, the black ball of energy flying straight for Videl. The girl's eyes first widened, then closed as she crossed her arms infront of her. Gohan watched as the ball few towards Videl, his emotionless eyes never blinking. A voice inside him however finally made itself known.

-Gohan, wake up already!-

-DBZ-

Inside Gohan's mind, Gray was standing up, breathing heavily from forcing himself to speak up and yell. An image of Gohan wavered before forming completely infront of Gray, the two looking the other down. The darkness was quiet, save for the heavy breathing of Gray. After what seemed to take forever, Gohan spoke.

"What do you want...?"

Gray grit his teeth together, balling his hands into fists. "What is wrong with you...you...do you know what I had to deal with? Back when the darkness Darkon was sending us wasn't giving me memories, I delt with the silence because I knew you and Videl were getting along better and better. And that time when we switched, I'm sure you noticed the thicker darkness...but when we switched back you did nothing to figure out what was wrong. I let that slide, because once again things between you and Videl were getting better..."

"What are you saying Gray..."

Gray pointed his right index finger towards Gohan, his left hand balling tighter into a fist. "I love her...I love her just as much as you do...I may be depressed all the time...but I have other feelings too...and I know what you're feeling just as much as you do. After the memories started coming, the one thing I could hold onto through all the dark memories were the memories you and I had with Videl...but don't dare tell me, don't you dare give up on her love just because you've suffered through the same as I. I...even I...I won't allow you to make that mistake!"

"You saw the same. I told you that you should have said some-"

"I couldn't! I couldn't...damn it I couldn't...! But I was okay with that...cause I would get happy memories with Videl, and all your other friends along with those from hell! Don't give me this your going to end all with Darkon...then what? The nothing will continue on...forever...nothing...like the world we are in now...there may be no evil here...but there isn't any good either. Our silver state, it happens when we both work together. Darkness and light together."

"Gray..."

"You have to wake up Gohan! Even someone depressing like me...doesn't mind watching a sunset now and then. Just cause I act down, doesn't mean I don't notice all the good things in the world. Don't take away what is good just to get rid of what is bad...cause if you do that...then all we will have are bad memories..."

"...Gray, how should we fix the world then? Huh? Ho-"

Gray shot towards Gohan, a fist cocked and ready. Gohan's eyes widened slightly as the punch connected with his cheek, sending him flying. As he came rolling to a stop, Gray fazed over to him and picked him up by the collar.

"I barely have anything...don't take away the one thing I have...don't let Videl go..."

Tears started to flow down Gray's face, his body slightly shaking even as he held Gohan in a strong grip. Gohan's eyes started to open, his mouth slightly gaping.

Gray slightly shook Gohan as he tried to get his point across. "I know you love her more than you hate those memories...cause its the same with me...tell me, what do you feel inside for her?"

Gohan was silent for a while, his eyes never leaving Gray. Finally however, Gohan had the answer. "...I really like her. I really really like her."

A soft silver light started to glow from where Gray was holding Gohan. Gohan closed his eyes, turning his head slightly to the side as if in shame. Gray smiled, the tears slowing down. "Thank you..."

-DBZ-

The black energy ball was just about to hit Videl. Gohan moved, vanishing from sight as dust was kicked up from his speed. In an instant he was standing infront of Videl, arms crossed as the ball hit him.

The black energy wave stopped, and exploded when Gohan moved his arms out from their crossed position infront of his chest. With his arms now spread out, palms pointing back, he glared down Darkon as the smoke and dust from the explosion cleared. The light in his eyes were back, shining as he straitened back up. Videl peeked out one eye after realizing that the attack didn't hit her. She found Gohan standing infront of her, his spiky silver hair looking longer than his normal hair did. He turned around, a very sorrowful looking face looking back at Videl.

"Sorry it took so long to wake up..."

Videl sighed, slowly standing back up. "I'll decide your punishment later...thanks for coming back."

"Ya..." A soft smile covered Gohan's face as he turned back to face Darkon.

Videl stood next to him, a smirk covering her face. "Well then, since I'm no longer fighting you I guess I can get serious now...Spirit Burst."

A reddish aura surrounded Videl, her body bulging slightly however still holding to its womanly appearance. Gohan made a huffing sound, as if he had figured she was holding back something like that. Darkon cocked an eye.

"Well then, love conquers all huh? Don't give me that bull. Still...if you two are going to finally get serious...I suppose I should too!"

Author's Annotation:

Eh, that chapter was a pain to write let me tell ya. Nothing was coming easy, and I had to struggle through it every step of the way. Hopefully you like it still, even though it was a little short.

We're closing in on the final chapter, three to go. It'll end with 51 chapters and around 200k words. Thank you all for the very kind reviews I've been getting. I probably can tell you all now that I am planning a squeal, but I won't tell ya the name till the very last chapter. I also am going to take a break first before starting on the next one, and instead start a few other projects.

Memoirs of a Survivor will get some additional attention, but that's still going to stay on the back burner for now. I'd like you all to go and start reading Rosario + Vampire manga. My next big story will be a dbz crossover with R+V, featuring Gohan called Dragonball V+Z.

The basics of the story are a human boy accidentally gets sent to a school for monsters. He meets a vampire, and the two become friends and that entices the boy to stay. He makes a lot other monster friends, mostly women, and gets caught up in a lot of fighting. Gohan's basically replacing the main character of that story, and instead of normal earth it will be the dbz world. Its not twilight, so many people can breath easily. Vampires aren't going to sparkle, but they are a unique take on the lore around vampires themselves. They can go outside in the sun, but any kind of water hurts them, among a few other different things to make the story more plausible. If you do like vampires, other monsters, and are intrigued about the idea of a hybrid of human, saiyan, and vampire I hope you at least check it out.

And that ends the shameless plug. I got a few chapters up all ready, so please go and read and review it!