Hi everyone! I've had such good feedback from you all, thank you so so much! I had a spare few hours so I thought I would put out another couple of chapters for you all to enjoy over christmas. Hope those of you who are having a break from school/work etc are having a good time! And those that aren't then I feel your pain! Cannot believe it's nearly christmas and almost a year since I first published this story! Thank you as always for the amazing response. Enjoy! ps. just a warning - THEM FEELS.
Chapter Thirty-One
The Sacred Realm of The Kai's
xxxx
CRACK
Goku knew at that moment, that that sound would stay with him when he went back to Otherworld. The sound seemed to replicate out loud what he imagined to be his heart breaking.
The sound of Gohan's neck snapping.
He was dead.
His son was dead before Majin Buu threw him to the ground like a sack of meat. Gohan's body crumpled, hitting the ground with a horrible, dull thud, his head lulling at an odd angle. What little life there was left in the teenager's eyes had disappeared. Those beautiful onyx eyes of his mother's, that used to look at Goku with wonder and awe so many years ago, dead.
How?
How had it gone so wrong? It was supposed to be a weekend full of love and making memories. He needed to know whether he should come back, if they still wanted him. Gohan had needed him of course, wanted him, yearned for him even. It was evident from the stories his friends had told him about the teenager over the past few days. It was obvious from the presence of the little boy with bright emerald green eyes.
Gohan had needed him from the moment he had sacrificed himself to save the world from Cell. And Goku had failed him. He had failed Chi-Chi by leaving her to raise Gohan and Goten alone. It was obvious that Piccolo and Vegeta had tried to fill the void that his sons were missing, and somehow he felt like he had disappointed them too. They were his friends after all, as much as he knew the stubborn pair wouldn't like to admit it.
Goku felt that by coming back for the tournament, he could put things right. But he was wrong, the universe had other plans, as they always did when evil was at hand. And he had failed his son again, he had failed them all.
Gohan was dead.
His beautiful, amazing boy was gone. He had left his wife without a son; Goten without a brother and Gokuto without a father.
Why? Why didn't he get there sooner? Why hadn't Gohan trained? Why was Piccolo giving into such dark desires?
Ah, Piccolo.
He distantly heard the Namekian's cries of anger and anguish, although he was stood right next to him. He could never blame his old nemesis for this mess, whatever Piccolo was struggling with, he should have been there for him over the past seven years. Goku knew that now, but it was all too late.
His mind was whirring, and still he could not take his eyes off the lifeless body of his son a few feet away. A faint buzzing reached his ears, along with a shout, until he heard the unmistakable cry of Vegeta-
"KAKAROT MOVE!"
Goku barely had time to duck, before a pink, crackling ball of energy whizzed past his head, exploding into a cliff-face in the distance. This, along with the cackle of the crazed Majin slowly brought him back to reality.
"IDIOT!" Vegeta roared, "If you die you'll cease to exist! Leave, now!"
"B-but Vegeta-"
"DO IT!" He yelled, his obsidian orbs not once leaving Buu, "And take the Namek with you!"
Goku glanced behind him, where Piccolo had sunk to his knees, staring at Gohan's body with an unreadable expression. He had never seen his friend like that before, so lost. He didn't even look like that when Babidi had poisoned his mind. No, he looked completely at ease then, the thought made him shudder.
"KAKAROT!"
The saiyan looked at Vegeta, he had a fierce look in his eyes that he couldn't put his finger on. There was something else mixed in with the determined feral presence, and it was then Goku realised that Vegeta was just as affected by Gohan's death as he and Piccolo were.
Majin Buu's laughter reached his ears as he stared at the three warriors in front of him. He was enjoying it. That sick bastard. He had enjoyed murdering his son. It made his blood boil with anger.
"You can't fight," said Vegeta, as if reading his thoughts, "You're weakened from your fight with Piccolo. All you'll be achieving is getting in my way."
Goku opened his mouth to retort, when the prince cut across him-
"I'm certainly in much better condition than you! Krillin has taken the boys to the Lookout. Take Piccolo and go there. I will handle this," he said forcefully.
His eyes widened, realisation setting in, "Vegeta, you can't! Y-you'll die!"
"Don't you think I know that?!" he spat, snapping his gaze towards him, "You concentrate on going after Ize."
"W-who?" the younger saiyan asked, confused.
"You'll find out soon enough," Vegeta glowered.
Goku was silent, as the wind blew between them.
"Go," Vegeta spoke again, in barely a whisper, "Do not let your son's death be for nothing."
He nodded wordlessly. He needn't say anymore, the two saiyan's understood each other. Goku wasn't sure whether or not it was by some primal instinct that their ancestors shared upon the battle field, when there was no time for words and formalities. It was a fight to the death. And he and Vegeta knew it.
Goku silently made his way over to Piccolo, who was still frozen in place.
"Come on Piccolo, we need to leave," he said, as the Namekian allowed him to help him to his feet.
His skin looked paler, if that was at all possible, and his eyes glazed over. The Majin symbol had long since faded on his forehead, the wizard's curse broken.
Piccolo stumbled slightly, but Goku was able to support his weight. "I-I have to fight," Piccolo gasped, "For G-Gohan."
A pang rippled through the saiyan's chest, following his old rival's gaze to his son's body.
"W-we have to go Piccolo," he choked, attempting to stay strong, "You and I both know your too weak to fight right now."
"But Vegeta, he-"
"Vegeta's got this one," he said solemnly, "Come on, Dende will heal us up."
Making sure Piccolo could fly on his own, he watched his friend lift into the sky before looking back at Gohan's crumpled form. Quickly making his decision, he told his friend to wait, before making his way over to the body.
He almost immediately regretted it.
It was worse up close, Gohan's head was tilted backwards, pain seemed to be frozen onto his features. His eyes wide open and empty, blood ran down his chin and dropped onto his bruised and broken neck. Parts of his throat were sunken inwards, owing to the fact that his windpipe was obviously crushed. His skin was devoid of any colour, his lips beginning to turn blue and dark bags framing his eyes. He looked as though he had been through a lot, with several other cuts and bruises littering his body, along with a nasty gash upon his left leg that had already begun to rot.
With a deep breath, Goku closed his son's eyes before picking him up in his arms, he couldn't bare to look at those lifeless orbs anymore. It was torturous, his body was still warm, giving him the deceiving impression that the teenager was still alive.
He joined Piccolo in the sky, who abruptly turned away.
"YOU! YOU FIGHT BUU!" came a horrible screeching voice.
"Yes! Your fight is with me, Majin Buu!" Vegeta roared, averting Buu's attention away from them, "I'm going to crush you and throw you into the wind!"
Suddenly, Vegeta's energy began to spike, rapidly, dangerously-
"Goku we need to move!" Piccolo yelled, snapping out of his stupor, "NOW!"
Goku took one last look at his comrade, he had never felt so helpless in his entire life. He had allowed it, both of them; Gohan and Vegeta, to die.
Clutching his dead son closer to his chest, Goku took off just behind Piccolo, trying not to pay attention to Vegeta's cry nor the blinding flash of light that engulfed the island. The ocean rippled beneath them, as a heavy gale of wind pushed them forwards. The force of Vegeta's energy shaking the entire planet.
It was too much, Vegeta's power spiked to incredible limits as a dome of energy flooded the island. Goku gasped as he distantly heard the prince's almighty roar.
"Vegeta!" he cried, although he knew his friend could not hear him, he knew there was nothing he could do.
Piccolo covered his face with his arms, his white cloak whipping around him from the force of the blast. Then, it was over, Majin Buu's energy had vanished. Though, according to Vegeta, the fight was not over yet.
"He's gone," was all Piccolo mustered as shockwaves from the blast washed over them
Goku said nothing, instead, he floated back over the planes - or what was left of them.
"Goku?" The Namekian called, as the saiyan landed swiftly in the crater that had been left in Vegeta's wake.
He wanted to take the body back to Bulma, that is, if there was anything left.
Goku sighed, his eyes unable to detect any movement, when a spark of Ki tickled his senses. With a sharp gasp, the deceased warrior turned on his heel, spotting Vegeta's glove poking out of the ground.
It seemed that Piccolo had sensed it too, as he quickly landed in the crater, pulling Vegeta roughly out of the rubble. The prince was barely breathing, his spandex suit almost completely burned off and his body smoking and broken.
"We need to get him to Dende!" Piccolo shouted abruptly.
Goku jumped over to them hurriedly, motioning for the Namekian to place his hand on his shoulder. Making sure that Piccolo had a firm grip on the fallen prince, Goku locked onto Dende's energy and in an instant, they were gone.
Gohan's long messy hair tickled his face as they appeared on the edge of the Lookout, the gentle breeze blew between them, it was almost too peaceful.
"Goku! Goku what happened?!"
The saiyan span around, he had completely forgotten about the others, the shock of Gohan's death getting to him.
He didn't expect them all to be here. Then he remembered that he had instructed Goten and Trunks to get everyone to safety. He didn't want Chi-Chi to be here, he didn't want her to see their son like this. And what about Goten and Gokuto? Vegeta had said that Krillin had taken the boys to The Lookout. His stomach dropped as his friends looked towards him in relief.
"Goku, you're back!" Krillin exclaimed, causing everyone to look at the battle torn foursome.
Goku's throat ran dry, and for the first time in his life, he had no idea what to say to make it all better.
The gang had always looked towards him as their unofficial leader, he had given almost every one of them a second chance at leading a good life. He was their saviour, the person they looked to when everything went wrong. But all the saiyan could do was stand wordlessly next to Piccolo, the weight of his son's lifeless form laying heavily in his arms.
Yet there was a pair of sapphire eyes that met his. Videl.
He frowned, he wondered what she was doing here? He remembered seeing her aghast expression at the sidelines of the ring before he rushed to stop Gohan from chasing down Spopovich and Yamu alone. She was staring at him from Bulma's side. Her eyes travelled to Gohan's body, a lone tear trickled down her cheek.
She knew, Videl knew.
"Gohan!" Dende cried frantically, running over to his friend so fast that he nearly tripped on his robes, "Oh dear, here Goku let me heal him, let me-"
The young Namekian stopped short, as soon as he got close to the teenager. His dark eyes widened, realising that Gohan was emitting no life energy, "N-no, Goku, don't tell me he's-"
Both Goku and Piccolo dipped their heads, causing the teenager to step back in horror. Dende attempted to swallow the large lump in his throat, failing to fight the tears that were brimming in his eyes. They escaped freely down his cheeks, as he hurriedly tried to regain his composure and turned towards healing Vegeta.
Goku carefully placed the lifeless boy on the ground, as the glow from Dende's healing hands illuminated the marble tiles.
"NO!" Chi-Chi's screams echoed over the Lookout as she ran towards them, along with the collective gasp from the horror stricken Z-Fighters, realisation hitting them like a ton of bricks.
His wife crumpled to her knees, gathering up their son's head in her arms, brushing the hair out of his face and clutching him to her heart.
"My baby! No, please! Not Gohan, not Gohan," she muttered, over and over as she sobbed.
Ox-King placed an enormous hand on her shoulder, tears rolling down his cheeks as he stared at his grandson.
"Where were you?!" Chi-Chi snapped at her husband, "Why weren't you protecting him?!"
Goku closed his eyes tightly, struggling to keep his own tears at bay.
He slowly opened them, taking a shuddering breath as he looked towards his distraught wife. The ox-princess shook her head at him, turning her focus to cradling the teenager. What ever he had to say, she didn't want to hear it.
He instead averted his gaze to his friends, the Z-Fighters were beyond words, they just stared at Gohan's body, hardly believing their eyes. They were all experienced enough to know how he died, he was thankful that Chi-Chi wasn't as acute to battle injuries.
"Goku," said Krillin, blinking back tears as his wife clasped hold of his hand, Eighteen clutching a hand to her chest, "W-what happened? Did Majin Buu -?"
"Yes," Piccolo stated gruffly, his eyes still fixed on Gohan, "I'm sorry."
"D-did he do that to Vegeta too?" came Bulma's desperate sobs, her gaze flickering from the deceased teenager to her husband.
Goku lowered his head, as the heiress sobbed into a blonde-haired Launch's shoulder.
"W-what are we gonna do?" asked Yamcha to no one in particular, "Gohan and Vegeta, what kind of monster can defeat those two?!"
"I don't know, but between Buu, that Frieza look-alike and her cronies, how can we stop them?" Tien seethed, a haunted look in his eyes.
"Frieza? And wait did you just say Buu?" Goku suddenly interjected, confused.
His friends stared at him, but it was a solemn Master Roshi that spoke. The old master grasped his wooden staff, his sunglasses glinting in the sunlight.
"Goku," he said seriously, "Majin Buu is still alive. Can't you sense it?"
It was as if someone had turned on a light. As his old master's words sunk in he could immediately feel the monsters presence. Goku's heart pounded uncomfortably in his ribcage, he had been so focused on Gohan that he hadn't even noticed the overbearingly dark energy of the Majin that seemed to tower over the Earth.
Piccolo took a sharp intake of breath behind him. Goku lowered his head, ashamed, it was partly his fault that the monster had been released in the first place.
"This is bad! Really bad!" panicked Yamcha,
Distraught chatter erupted between the Z-fighters, how on Earth were they going to stop this thing?
There was a shuffle behind him, and Goku was surprised to see Videl standing next to him. Chi-Chi stopped sobbing, as, slowly, the girl kneeled next to their son. Silent tears dripped from her eyes as she brushed her hand through his ebony hair.
"You idiot," she whispered so that Goku could barely hear her, "You can't be gone, I-I…"
Goku blinked, as Mister Satan's daughter cut herself short, and pressed her lips to his son's temple.
He hadn't realised that she felt that way about him. Goku thought that they were just two teenager's fooling around, and that didn't surprise him due to all the stories of Gohan's teenage rebellion he had heard over the last couple of days.
His son had certainly developed an attitude, and an … individual sense of style since the last time he saw him. Gohan certainly wasn't the little boy he had left behind. He had even dealt with the boy's backlash over the period of the tournament, and wasn't all too pleased with that hardened look in his eyes. It was the same look he had when he transformed in a fit of blinding rage during the Cell Games.
Yet he still saw some of his son's old, carefree self when he was with Gokuto and Goten, and even Goku had noticed the sudden grown-up change in him when he was around Videl. He wondered if the teenager reciprocated Videl's feelings.
If only he would open his eyes and let them know.
A sob escaped his wife, as she pulled the tearful girl into a hug, "Oh Videl!"
"Your devotion to him is really great Videl," he found himself saying.
"T-thank you sir," she blushed.
"We should move him, him and Vegeta while he rests," said Krillin sadly, and it was only then did Goku realise the gang were watching them, "We should do it before Goten and Trunks see, their asleep in Kami's throne room right now. Vegeta was right, they really were difficult to knock out! You should have seen them, two little super saiyan's racing to fight Buu!"
Goku sighed, "I don't know what I'm going to say to them. Poor kids, poor Gokuto."
"That reminds me, where is Gokuto?" his best friend asked, looking between him and Piccolo.
The saiyan frowned, "Isn't he with you?"
But before Krillin could reply, a white, blinding light glowed around Gohan's body, a light hum filling the air.
"W-what, what's happening?!" Videl yelled in surprise, although the Z-gang looked on knowingly.
"We should have known," Yamcha chuckled sadly, before turning to the young girl, "When someone dies, they pass over to the Otherworld, and some, very lucky people, who have done a great deed in their lives get to keep their bodies – like Goku here."
Goku offered her a small smile.
"Gohan wasn't just The Gold Fighter," she said slowly, her sapphire gaze looking over them, "he defeated Cell didn't he? He was the one that saved the world."
"I doubt the universe would still be standing if it weren't for Gohan," Krillin informed her proudly, "Sorry your Dad lied to you. But how did you figure out Gohan's secret? Did you see him transform?"
Videl smiled sadly, "I did, though I figured it out before then, lets just say Gohan wasn't as careful as he thought he was being about his secret identity. As for my dad, I always thought there was something odd about how he could be capable of that kind of power, especially after seeing what you lot can do. When you all raced off after Gokuto earlier, I went to find Chi-Chi to get the whole story. Thank you for letting me come by the way."
"That's quite alright dear," said Chi-Chi, "but I can't even begin to explain to you the mess my son has managed to drag you in on."
"That's our Gohan," chuckled Yamcha, "He was always one to keep things interesting."
"Yeah," laughed Krillin, before turning to him, "Funny though Goku, I seem to remember your body just fading away when you died the first time."
Videl blinked, "Wait, the first time?"
"Work of the Kai's no doubt," Piccolo smirked, "I don't sense The Supreme Kai or Kibito. My guess is that they're behind this."
At his words, the light brightened, engulfing Gohan's body completely, before he disappeared.
Videl gasped, placing her palm on the bloodied tile where the teenager used to be.
Goku couldn't help but smile, he had a feeling that whatever the Kai's were planning would be revealed soon, and he would get to see his son's cheeky grin again.
For now though, a battle was underway, and he had a few tricks up his sleeve that was sure to even the odds once Goten and Trunks woke up.
With the thought of the two young boys in his mind, he frowned, just where the bloody hell was Gokuto?
xxxx
When Gohan opened his eyes, he was met with the strangest scene he had ever come across in his life, and that was saying something. He was standing on a long, winding pathway, surrounded by fluffy yellow clouds that nearly filled a purple sky.
In front of him, was what resembled a temple, complete with a thatched roof and large wooden doors. Gohan blinked, he felt like he should know this place, but how could he? He had never been here before-
"OI!" came a squeak from behind him, "You're holding up the line!"
Gohan turned, and nearly fell over when he realised a little white cloud was talking to him. And there were thousands of them, all lining up for miles and miles on the snake-like pathway.
The young saiyan blinked in realisation, he was on Snake-Way. He was dead.
Shit.
"Are you gonna move or what kid?!"
Gohan growled back at the soul, before marching into the temple. He couldn't believe this! Now his family were and friends were stuck fighting that monster. Majin Buu's power was great enough to wipe out entire planets in an instant according to the Supreme Kai. Not to mention there was Checha and Ize to contend with. What about all the people he cared about on Earth? The rest of the Z-gang, Bulma, Lime, Mister Lao, Videl -
His stomach dropped.
Gokuto.
He had left his little boy all alone, he prayed to Kami that he had gotten away safe. He had to find a way back, he couldn't be dead, he was only seventeen! His son needed him! His father and Piccolo were probably hurt, Vegeta and Supreme Kai too.
Damn it all, he wished he hadn't have been so powerless to stop the monster from hatching!
In his frustration, Gohan barely noticed he was standing in front of a gigantic wooden desk, surrounded by blue-skinned ogres that were looking at him in shock. He didn't even realise his name was being called, until an impatient voice boomed around him-
"SON GOHAN?!"
"Yeah whose askin'?" Gohan snapped, before realising he was being glared at by an enormous red-skinned man, dressed in a violet suit and horned hat.
The young saiyan's eyes widened, he had heard about this man from his father's stories of Otherworld before, it was King Yemma.
Yep, he was officially dead.
"Humph," King Yemma scoffed, "I didn't know Goku's boy was such a punk."
Gohan folded his arms across his chest in annoyance, "So I've been told."
Yemma sighed, flipping through large pages on his desk, that the young saiyan guessed were his records.
"Son Gohan of Earth," he read out loud, "Half Saiyan, half Earthling; son to Kakarot of Vegeta and Chi-Chi of Earth and father to Gokuto." The man eyed him sceptically, "Destroyer of Cell. Ah, so that's how you were able to keep your body."
Destroyer of Cell? Huh, well at least it was better than Delivery Boy, Gohan mused.
"He destroyed Cell?!" a speckled ogre squeaked next to him.
"Doesn't look that strong to me," another quipped.
Gohan rolled his eyes, "Can you just hurry up and judge me already? I haven't got time for this."
"Oh?" King Yemma said in amusement, "Somewhere pressing to be now that you're dead?"
Several of the ogre's giggled.
"Yeah actually, I've got to get back to Earth," he replied.
Yemma let out a roar of laughter, along with several of his attendants, "And just how do you expect to do that?"
The teenager scowled.
"I thought so," said the King, "Now back to business… ah yes, destroyed cell…blah blah blah, hmm not many sins to name apart from a ghastly streak of rebellion…"
"Ugh, you sound like my mother," Gohan drawled.
"…died at age seventeen years and eleven months, broken neck and suffocation by the hands of Majin Buu," he read, licking his thumb and flicking over the page when he stopped, his beetle black eyes widening.
"BUU?!" he shrieked.
And suddenly, the whole temple was in uproar.
Yemma knocked over his enormous pile of papers, sending them toppling to the floor in a heap. The room shook from his mighty bellow, and Gohan barely had time to dodge out of the way as the contents of his desk nearly landed on him. Ogre's screamed and ran, some even held on to each other and started to sob uncontrollably.
"Buu is back?!" Yemma cried, aghast.
"Well, yeah…" Gohan said sarcastically, "Pretty sure it wasn't a cackling piece of pink bubblegum that snapped my neck."
"This is no laughing matter boy!" he bellowed, placing his head in his hands as he started to mutter, "Oh no no, this cannot be, I'll never get a holiday if Buu has been let loose again. Oh the paperwork! No, this has to be some sort of joke, Buu can't be back…"
"I'm afraid it's true my dear King Yemma."
"ARGH!" Both Gohan and Yemma yelled at once.
The young saiyan gripped his chest in shock, although his heart was no longer beating, just how long had they been standing there for?!
"Supreme Kai!" Yemma cried, bowing his enormous head in respect, "Forgive me, I did not see you come in."
"There is no need for formalities Yemma," the Kai said with a smile.
Gohan noticed Shin was fully healed now, his robes as immaculate as ever as Kibito stood next to him in the same condition. A thought crossed the young saiyan's mind, and before he knew it, he had stormed towards the Kai and grabbed him by the front of his robes, much to the shock of everyone present.
"Why the sodding hell aren't you still on Earth?!" Gohan roared, causing the Kai to flinch, "What are you doing bumming around up here when my friends and family are fighting that lunatic?!"
"Unhand him at once!" Yemma yelled, the ogres looking on terrified, "You will show some respect!"
"My son is down there!" Gohan growled at the Kai, his eyes flashing green, "I swear, if one hair on his tail is out of place I'm gonna-"
"You will do nothing!" Kibito roared, attempting to pull the enraged halfling off his master, "Get your filthy paws off him you ruffian!"
Gohan ignored him, clenching his teeth to stop himself from transforming. His white aura exploded around him, sending ogres flying away from him and the roof to shake from the force, "This is all your fault! Gokuto should have never been involved in the first place! You should have let me go after him, you should have stopped them!"
Supreme Kai said nothing, instead, he raised an arm, snapping his fingers so that Gohan was suddenly blown backwards by an almighty force, skidding across the temple and hitting the opposite wall.
"Forgive me Gohan," he said, as the young saiyan sat shocked upon the floor, "Your son's kidnapping is on the list of the many mistakes I have made today. But I need you to work with me Gohan, to ensure his safety, along with the safety of the entire universe."
The teenager frowned, clambering to his feet as he stared at the Kai, "You'd better start explaining what the hell's going on…"
"Enough of your tongue!" Kibito snapped.
"It's alright Kibito," Supreme Kai soothed, "Our young friend has every right to be angry. Gohan, if you come with me to our sacred realm, I am willing to explain everything there."
"What realm?" he replied sceptically, "I've never heard of any sacred realm, Dad's never mentioned it."
"Ah but he never mentioned me either did he?" The Kai smiled, "Only a select few are permitted access to the realm of the Kai's, as I am sure you will find out why in due time."
Gohan frowned, biting his lip in thought, "Alright fine, I'll go. But you'd better start explaining the second we get there."
"Of course," he smiled, gesturing the young saiyan towards him.
"Supreme Kai sir, you can't be serious!" spluttered Yemma, who had been watching the scene unfold, "I know he's Goku's boy, but – "
"I believe you have some paperwork to organise King Yemma," Supreme Kai answered coolly, to Gohan's astonishment, "I expect there will soon be a rush from the Northern galaxy."
If Yemma didn't have red skin, Gohan was certain that he would be blushing, "Oh, o-of course, sir. Pardon me."
The Kai smiled and grasped the halfling by the shoulder, and with a nod to Kibito, Gohan felt an odd twisting sensation in his navel, before they reappeared on a lush green planet.
"Welcome to our home Gohan," said Supreme Kai, "This is our most sacred world."
Gohan could see why it was just that. It sort of looked like Earth, except with a deep violet sky and many other planets dotted around it. There was no breeze and fields of emerald grass seemed to stretch for miles. A colourful array of flowers grew by a sparkling clear spring, and what looked like an ancient temple stood proudly overlooking the planet amongst a midst of rolling hills.
"Woah," was all he could muster, casting his gaze up to the bright sky, "What is this place?"
"The sacred world of the Kai's," Kibito stated bluntly, "It wouldn't hurt for you to pay attention."
"Kibito…" the Kai warned.
"Master, I cannot fathom why you have brought him here," the attendant continued, "No mere mortal has ever set foot on these sacred grounds, not even the Grand Kai himself and – are you smoking?!"
"What?" shrugged Gohan, taking another puff of his cigarette, "It's been a long day and I found them in my pocket."
At once, Kibito ripped it out of his hands and disintegrated it with a flick of his wrist, "You WILL show more respect boy!"
"Whatever," Gohan said as he picked out another cigarette and lit it. Kibito seethed.
"Gohan," Supreme Kai said gently, "I'm sure you are wondering why I have brought you here."
"Oh yeah, go ahead," he said, sitting himself on the ground and crossing his legs.
The Kai cleared his throat, "Well Gohan, as you know the situation on Earth is very grave."
"No pun intended right?" he snorted, pointing up at his halo.
Supreme Kai chuckled, "Quite. First of all, I sense your son is alive and well, I have no doubt your friends have seen to retrieve him."
The teenager breathed a sigh of relief.
"Though we must act without hesitation," he continued, "I'm afraid that this whole mess with Majin Buu's revival is a lot worse than I could have predicted. As soon as I realised that Babidi had teamed up with Ize, I knew that we were in dire straits."
"Who is she anyway?" Gohan frowned, "She looked like Frieza, and Vegeta seemed to know her, said something about her being Frieza's cousin."
"Vegeta would be correct. There has been whispers throughout the galaxy of her and Babidi using their combined warriors to seek out Majin Buu, and gather enough energy to release him," he explained, "I was not surprised when Ize killed Babidi, as she is far more powerful and manipulative than he. Yet I think that like her cousin she overestimates her power. The wizard's controlling spell his not enough, Majin Buu is rogue and will soon turn on her, no one has ever been able to control that monster."
"So you're saying that people other than Babidi and his dad have tried to unleash Buu before?" he asked in disbelief, "are they crazy?!"
The Kai sighed heavily, "Gohan, what you must understand is that there are two forces in this universe that strive to maintain a balance between destruction and creation."
The teenager stared at him blankly, forcing the Kai to continue.
"Trillions of years ago, the universe was created," he explained, "Eight superior beings were tasked with the duty of the maintaining that balance. Four Gods of creation surfaced, along with four Gods of destruction - Buu was one of them."
Gohan's eyes widened, "You're telling me Buu is a God?!"
"The most powerful of destroyer Gods," he reminisced, "You must see Gohan, a God of destruction is much more powerful than a God of creation, hence why they tend to live their existence through cycles of hibernation and destruction whilst a Kai like me is able to carry out my duties with much more flexibility. Billions of years ago, before even I was created, Buu grew in power, each time he came out of hibernation, he became more corrupt, developing a blindness towards his duties that soon turned into insanity. Because of this, the balance of the universe couldn't be maintained, Buu destroying half of the universe before any Kai could create more life. It was decided by The Grand Supreme Kai, who was tasked with overseeing that balance, that Buu be put into hibernation for good."
The young saiyan let out a low whistle, "That is bloody mental."
"Indeed," Supreme Kai replied gravely, "it took the combined strength of the Gods to take Buu down and seal him, but what those ancient Gods didn't count on was Bibidi, the evil wizard was hell bent on controlling the universe, and what better way to defeat the Gods than to unleash the greatest destroyer that the universe has ever known? You can see why Majin magic is so powerful."
"Bibidi succeeded in unleashing the beast," he continued, "My fellow Kai's and I tried to fight him off, but alas, I, as the Supreme Kai of the Eastern province at the time, barely managed to escape with my life after that dreadful battle. North, South, West and even Grand Supreme were all brutally murdered."
"What about the destruction Gods?" Gohan blurted, "Couldn't they have helped you?"
The Kai's features suddenly hardened, "It is not easy to awaken a God of Destruction when they are in hibernation, and I was young and foolish enough to try to solve the mess by myself for many years. Decades later, the newly dubbed Majin Buu had destroyed millions of homes and planets, and it was only in the midst of an epic battle when I finally came to my senses and sort help."
The teen gulped, he didn't like where this was going.
"Buu was finally managed to be sealed away again after a difficult battle. Now, only one destroyer God remains, along with his attendant," he explained, heaving a heavy sigh, "Majin Buu is a very powerful being, so you see now why Babidi and Ize were so eager to unleash him."
Gohan stared, his mind whirring, "So Babidi and Ize were friends? I don't get why they would work together."
"Gohan, you are familiar with the Planet Trade Organisation?" he asked.
The halfling nodded, "Of course, that was Frieza's family's empire."
"Not all of it," said Supreme Kai, "There was another organisation, known as the Warrior Trade Organisation, which was headed by Ize's father Lord Frore, who was King Cold's younger brother."
The young saiyan's eyes widened, "But I've never heard of it."
"Humph, not surprising," Kibito muttered, causing Gohan to scowl.
"The Warrior Trade was a lot smaller Gohan," continued the Kai, "but it worked similarly to King Cold's empire. They would wipe out countless lives and strike up wars all over the universe, but instead of conquering planets, they conquered warriors. They either forced them to join up or they did so willingly, terrified of the Frost Demon's rule. Checha was once one of those warriors, the rest of his race wiped out before he joined up. Eventually, Frore's army grew too powerful for Cold's liking, so he killed Frore and the warrior trade disbanded."
"But what does that have to do with Babidi?" asked the teen, the whole story was giving him a headache.
"Babidi knew that he could gather enough man power and the right amount of energy to seek out Buu," he said, "He sought out King Cold and asked to used his brothers old organisation. Of course, Cold, being too proud, refused to admit that his brother's army was worthier than his and declined to help Babidi."
"Figures," huffed Gohan.
"Ize, at the time was living under Cold's rule and must have heard the conversation between her uncle and Babidi. So she struck up a deal with the wizard, my guess is for the same reason of ruling the universe, and also to escape her uncle's clutches. With her father long dead, she took over the Warrior Trade and gathered enough intel to help Babidi find Buu-"
"Only for her to take control of Buu herself," Gohan finished, letting out a loud whistle, "Wow that's some pretty mental stuff. But what do they want with Gokuto? He's just a baby!"
"I can't be one hundred percent certain," The Kai nodded solemnly, "Ize and her minions are very clever and manipulative. It seems as though they have taken interest in Gokuto just as Babidi did, it is possible that she may want to enlist him into her Warrior Trade because of his potential. Alas, the story goes much deeper than that Gohan, although I won't get into that right now. Once Majin Buu had appeared, I knew I had to retreat, in order to prepare for your arrival."
"What?! You knew I was going to die!?" Gohan yelled, aghast, "Well, thanks for the heads up!"
"Do not question the ways of the Supreme Kai!" growled Kibito.
"I'll question him however much I want to, he's a bloody nutcase!" roared the halfling.
"Why you, disrespectful- you little-!" Kibito spluttered, before they were silenced by the Kai.
"Gohan, I did not intend for you to die," he said somewhat sadly, "I made some arrangements so that you would be able to come here as a mortal, and would have returned to retrieve you. Although I dare say that in your current state of power, your death would have been unpreventable."
"What are you on about? And what do you mean by my current state?" the teenager frowned, none of this made any sense.
"Majin Buu is at a level that you could not even begin to comprehend. Not even the combined efforts of your father, Vegeta, Piccolo and the rest of your friends would be enough to kill that monster," the Kai explained, "Therefore Gohan, I have brought you here because I believe that you are the only one who has the potential to defeat Buu."
"Me?!" the teenager cried, astonished, "You want me to defeat a magical ancient destroyer God that has been around since the dawn of time?!"
The Supreme Kai smiled knowingly, "I was not over exaggerating when I said that your fight with Cell seven years ago was felt across the cosmos. Your power is indeed extraordinary Gohan, something that I believe will be mighty enough to challenge even a being like Buu. Yes, from what I've seen so far, you saiyan hybrid's are certainly a commodity."
Gohan's eyes widened, "But you just said that in my current state I'm useless, what makes you think that I can defeat Buu now that I'm dead?"
Supreme Kai grinned, "That's simple Gohan, the Z-Sword."
"Huh?"
"Master! You cannot be serious!" Kibito gasped, the teenager was sure the man was about to keel over, "The Z-Sword?! Not even the Kai's, including yourself, have managed to retrieve the sword from its rocky prison! What makes you think that this stupid boy is able to free it?!"
The young saiyan glared at the bodyguard, "Okay, what the bloody hell is a Z-Sword?"
"The legend of the Z-Sword is too great for your puny mortal mind to comprehend!" Kibito roared at the halfling before turning his attention to his superior, "Master, please reconsider-"
He was silenced by Supreme Kai holding up his hand, "The Z-Sword Gohan, is a very powerful object, crafted by the ancient Gods themselves and the only way I believe Buu can possibly be defeated once and for all. Granted, many have tried to use this method before, but no one has managed to retrieve it from the stone it is imprisoned in."
"So you want me to use a sword?" asked Gohan, his eyes wide, "and defeat Buu?!"
"Yes, that is exactly what I'm asking of you," he replied calmly.
The young saiyan could hardly believe his ears.
"But what makes you think I can?"
"Yes Master, I am also intrigued," said Kibito, shooting the teenager a glare.
"Gohan has enormous strengths deep within him, strengths that I have had the honour of witnessing glimpses of today," the Kai explained.
"What?!" Kibito argued, "All I have seen of this - this child is his complete disregard for authority, he is whiney; hot-headed, reckless-"
"And completely perfect for this task," the Supreme Kai finished, his eyes twinkling at the halfling, "have faith Kibito, Gohan has overcome near impossible feats before in his life and has proven himself a true warrior. He is indeed, our best hope."
Silence engulfed them, as doubt filled the young saiyan, "S-supreme Kai, I don't think I'm the right person, you heard what Vegeta and the other's were saying earlier. I'm too weak. I think you've made a mistake."
The Kai shook his head, smiling at the teenager, "Let's see shall we? Come Gohan, follow me."
I know, I killed Gohan! :O! Thought it would make a much more dramatic twist to the story rather than him just being whisked off the the Kai's realm. Plus, it makes for a good character building on Goku's part. Oh! The feels!
