Chapter Thirty-Four
Faith In A Boy
xxxx
Gohan was bored. He was so bored he was just about ready to go on ahead and sacrifice himself to Buu if it would put an end to this torture.
Twenty-seven hours.
Twenty-seven hours and they still weren't done yet. He wasn't even allowed a cigarette, which was pissing him off to no end.
"Ooh! Yes it is taking a while isn't it?" The Old Kai had exclaimed when Gohan had angrily notified him of the increasing passage of time, "Oooh you must be super strong!"
Even the Z-gang had gone to bed and woken up in that time. The young saiyan was actually quite glad that he was dead otherwise he would have been tired and starving, though the smell of breakfast was starting to make him salivate.
"OW!" He winced, as Old Kai struck him on the head.
"I told you not to move!" he ordered, "and here you are sniffing at the air like some sort of foul creature! You're supposed to be keeping your minds eye focus on all of your energies, you must never leave your meditative state! Discipline and concentration! Only then can you acquire your full potential! Good grief!"
"But it's been nearly thirty hours!" The teenager said hotly, "Surely it has to be over by now!"
"It's over when I say it's over sonny boy! And I'll have less of your lip! That is unless you don't want to save your son?"
Gohan clamped his mouth shut, fuming as he struggled to maintain his focus. Kami, this bloke was worse than Piccolo.
Thirty-Three hours….
It has got to be over by now.
"Heh heh, oh yes!"
The young saiyan creaked open an eyelid, breaking his meditation, and was annoyed to find that the Kai was too busy reading a dirty magazine he had no doubt gotten from Master Roshi.
"What the bloody hell are you doing?!" Gohan growled, causing Old Kai to stare at him.
"Training you of course."
"You call this training?!" the teenager yelled, catching the attention of the others who were sat watching the crystal ball by the river, "You're not even doing anything!"
The Old Kai blinked, "Ah yes, perhaps you're right. It must have been over a few minutes ago now."
"Bullshit!" he seethed, his eyes flashing green as a great wind picked up around him, "Don't you realise what you've done?! How much time we've wasted by just sitting here?!"
But the deity merely smirked, as a bright glow emitted from the halfling as his aura burst to life, purple and silver bolts of lightening licked against his frame as a surge power escaped him, causing the gang to gasp in awe.
Gohan had noticed it too, he stopped yelling as the light subsided, blinking in surprise as he suddenly felt a swell of power pulsating around him.
"I-It worked," he said numbly, not quite believing it, "Is that power really mine?"
"That's right." The Old Kai grinned, "Took a little time to chop away at all those restraints you had put in place around your power. But it wasn't that hard to do. Ah yes, I think you're finished."
"A-amazing," The Supreme Kai gaped, staring at the halfling who was gaping at his hands in awe, "With all that power Gohan, I think you'll be more than a match for Majin Buu!"
"D-do you think so?" asked the young saiyan disbelievingly, as the Z-gang began to babble excitedly.
He could feel Gotenks still fighting on, Piccolo and Vegeta's Ki's fluctuating rapidly as they joined in the fray. But just how much longer could they hold out for?
He knew that his hidden powers had been awakened, but he felt as though there was more bubbling under the surface. Just how did he bring it out? Did he need a trigger like last time? Thoughts of his bloodied and beaten friends and a broken Android Sixteen pooled around his mind.
Gohan, it is not a sin to fight for the right cause. There are those who words alone cannot reach…
"Gohan, what's wrong?" Krillin spoke, the gang picking up on his confused expression.
"I-I," he started helplessly, "I don't think I can do it."
The gang shared a perplexed look.
"What do you mean son?" his father frowned.
The young saiyan averted his eyes, feeling torn. If there was truth to what The Supreme Kai said, and his power really did rival Majin Buu's, who's to say he wouldn't mess everything up again. He had already disappointed them all once. But he would rather not get into that conversation with his father right now, who's obsidian stare was willing him to elaborate.
Catching onto his reservations, the Old Kai gave him a knowing smile, "You may not feel that different at the moment, but believe me, you have all the power you need."
The teenager bit his lip apprehensively.
"Just try to transform into one of those super saiyan's," he explained, "It'll happen, if you let it. You just need to believe in yourself my boy."
Gohan stared at himself, thinking.
Let it go Gohan.
You have the power, my scanners sensed it.
"Oh come on," He muttered to himself, shaking his thoughts away.
Let it go.
Suddenly, the teenager closed his eyes, finding the centre of his Ki immediately. Surprised, he no longer felt the restraints that he had unwillingly placed on his power seven long years ago. Slowly, he searched his fear that had once resided in him had long since diminished. The tentativeness he was feeling was only due to the fact that he was worried he would find that crippling fear within himself once more.
Realisation hit him like a ton of bricks.
He wasn't an eleven year old boy anymore, being called upon to defeat a dangerous foe by his father. No, he was a man now. A man that made his own choices, one who paved his own fate.
And according to The Supreme Kai, he was the only one who could stand up to Buu.
And now he understood, he understood why his father had no choice to send him into Cell's evil clutches. He understood how much it would break his own heart to do the same to his own son.
But he, Gohan, he could finally make the choice and fight for himself. And he would no longer stand by and let anyone get hurt when he had the power to stop it.
Yet another fighter, you could have saved…
"I just have to believe," he whispered to himself, clenching his fists tightly by his sides.
Catching on what he was about to do, the Elder yelped, "W-wait! Try believing someplace else!"
But Gohan didn't hear him, he was too intent on bringing his power to the surface. The young saiyan let out an almighty roar, before delving into the very deep pits of his energy. It was as if a damn had broken, and all the power that there had ever been beyond it came flooding forwards. Raw energy pumped through his veins, causing his chest to ache, his heart feeling the sudden urge to beat.
A white aura exploded to life around him, bringing forth cackling bolts of electricity that snapped and cracked at his frame. The sky suddenly plunged into darkness, so that it now resembled a deep plum colour. He barely registered the other's yells of surprise when he felt another surge of energy build up inside him.
But instead of pushing it back, he let go. His eyes darkened even more so, his black hair standing on end momentarily before dropping back into its messy state. A bolt of electricity ran down the length of his wavering tail, causing the brown fur to stand on end.
Gohan now couldn't remember where the barriers were for his super saiyan and super saiyan two transformations. It was as if everything moulded into one.
The young saiyan let out another strangled shout, pushing as deep as he could into the very pits of his being. The planet shook, the grass upheaved from the ground around him, trees clung desperately onto their roots and the springs of water thrashed as if there was a tsunami. Torrents of wind whirled around him as his aura continued to buzz.
Slowly, the hurricane dwindled, and the young saiyan could do no more without destroying the breathed deeply, as the atmosphere once again became calm. He gaped, staring at his palms as his aura disappeared, yet small jolts of electricity continued to jump around his fingers.
Slowly, he looked towards his father, who had been thrown backwards along with everyone else. Goku's spikey mane of hair quivered as the breeze died down, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.
"Bloody hell," Gohan whispered. His power was beyond measure.
And best of all, it was enough to rival Majin Buu's.
"Wow Gohan," his father mustered, "y-you're incredible."
The teenager couldn't help but smile, feeling better than he had done in years.
"Its amazing," Tien stammered, "G-Gohan…How can he be so strong?"
"Ah you see," coughed Old Kai, picking himself out of a tree, "Gohan had that power within him all along. Ugh, I can't believe he couldn't have waited for me to move first!"
"But look at him, he looks so normal!" Krillin exclaimed, "and yet he's stronger than he ever was as a super saiyan two!"
"It's excellent," said Kibito, "Gohan has ascended past all of his previous limitations."
"Aw stop it big guy, your making me blush!" the teenager joked, causing the deity's eyebrow to twitch.
"Well Gohan, I think you're ready to face Majin Buu," smiled The Supreme Kai, "There's no more time to loose, we must act quickly."
"Right," Gohan nodded, a lump suddenly appearing in his throat as he glanced towards the gang.
"Oh do be careful sweetie," his mother whispered, embracing him tightly, "Bring our boys back."
"I will Mum," he said, allowing her to brush his cheek with her palm.
"Good luck kiddo, we'll be rooting for ya," Krillin beamed, as Yamcha gave him a wink.
He smiled back, before a voice caught him off guard.
"Gohan."
It was his father, his obsidian eyes shining with pride, and were those tears?
"Gohan, I've always been proud of you," he whispered, biting his lip, "And after all thats happened, what you've been through, I'm so sorry."
Gohan was caught off guard, unsure of what to say. All he knew was that he didn't want to hear an apology from his father, it was too late for that. Though the young saiyan couldn't shake the sudden ache in his chest, maybe it was the way Goku was looking at him.
"It's alright Dad," he croaked, forcing a small smile.
His father nodded, clapping him on the back before he slunk behind his mother, and Gohan was confused as to why at first. But then he caught a pair of tearful turquoise eyes from the small crowd. He grinned at her, sadly, knowing that this would be the last time he would see her like this.
"Hi," he said, approaching her.
"Hi," Lime replied in kind.
"You'll take care of him won't you?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.
"Of course I will," said Gohan, giving her a winning smile, "Someones got to keep that kid of ours out of trouble."
Lime chuckled, although a tear escaped her, so that it rolled quickly down her cheek.
The halfling caught it with his thumb, brushing it away before pulling her into a fierce hug. Struggling to hold back tears of his own, Gohan held his best friend to him like he had done so many times.
"I'll protect him, I promise."
"You'd better," came her muffled reply from his robe, "Or I'll kick your arse to kingdom come, superhero or not."
He let out a snort of laughter, before she pulled away from him, a smile playing on her lips. "And please try not to screw things up with Videl, she actually sounds great from what your Mum's been telling me."
"I'll try my best," he smiled, a sudden pang of guilt striking him, "Will you be alright?"
The red head nodded, biting her lip as she tapped a finger to her head, "Just don't ever give up trying to get through yeah? I'm sure it will happen one day."
"Never," he stated boldly, giving her one last look before turning to the Kai's.
"Are you ready?" The Supreme Kai asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be," he said with a wide grin, although he felt the nerves churning away in his stomach.
Gohan gave the gang one last sweeping glance before the deity spoke again.
"Kibito will take you to Earth via instantaneous movement," Shin explained, "May the Gods be with you, young saiyan."
"It's about time," the red-skinned male huffed impatiently, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Oh come on Kibito, you can't say you haven't enjoyed having me around!" the young saiyan teased.
"It has been… interesting," Kibito replied sternly, his hand beginning to glow.
"See, I knew you'd warm up to me eventually!"
"We'll be watching kiddo," said Bulma with a smile, gesturing to the crystal ball by her feet, "Please be careful."
"No promises," he grinned back, as a tear slid down her cheek.
If it was the last time he would see them all, he wanted to remember their beaming faces and watery smiles for as long as he could. He knew the rules of death of course, his father had spoke of it way too many times for him to count on his fingers. If he died he would cease to exist, and the Z-Fighter's knew it too. Though dangerous, they had faith, they had faith that Gohan would be able to take down Majin Buu swiftly and without much difficulty. Still, he was glad that no one had informed his mother, as she would have fought Buu herself before she would have let him go.
With the memory carved into his brain, he winked at his friends, before he and Kibito were bathed in a shower of light and disappeared from the realm of the Kai's.
xxxx
Piccolo sighed, exasperated.
It was the fifth time he had to clip Goten and Trunks behind the ear in the last hour. Did they want to get killed? Vegeta was no help, he had already earned himself a shattered leg from trying to intercept the mighty Majin when he had turned on Videl, and was now sulking up against a boulder away from the fray.
"I'll murder that brat when I next see him!" Vegeta had spat as he writhed on the floor in pain, "That's the last time I protect his blasted harpy!"
Piccolo couldn't believe just how a series of events could take such an unusual turn so rapidly. It was utter pandemonium. It had all begun when he and Vegeta had ducked behind the temple of The Lookout with the boys, racing towards the Hyperbolic Time Chamber when they found a rather frazzled looking Videl and a terrified Gokuto who had failed to grab onto Goku's Instant Transmission.
They had only managed one day in the Time Chamber before Buu had managed to blast apart the entrance. Luckily, the Fusion Dance had payed off, and the newly formed Gotenks was able to push the irate Majin back enough for the rest of them to escape.
Buu's power was like nothing that any of them had faced before, and Piccolo wasn't sure just how much longer they could take when the fusion had run out after thirty minutes, and the group were forced to flee to the Southern wastelands.
So there they were, a Namekian, a Saiyan prince, two mischievous half-saiyan's, a toddler and Gohan's… girlfriend? - Whatever - All facing off against the ancient Majin.
Videl was utterly beside herself, gasping in awe as Gotenks took charge of the battle.
Piccolo didn't know how he managed to restrain himself from backhanding her across the planes, the girl's interrogation and stupid questions were being to become utterly exhausting. Though, he reasoned it was because all his anger was diverted to Buu, the monster was just toying with Gotenks! It was infuriating!
The Namek was about to jump in on the fight to offer some support, when suddenly, the Majin stopped. Gotenks froze too, a bright light encompassing him as he split apart into the troublesome duo once again.
Piccolo swore under his breath, awaiting Buu's next move when the brute whispered to himself ominously.
"Soon Buu, Soon."
A shiver rippled down the Namekian's spine, as suddenly, Majin Buu crossed his legs and sat himself down on the ground, closing his eyes and resting his chin on his chest.
Goten and Trunks blinked, sharing a puzzled glance as the monster appeared to fall into a deep sleep.
And that was over an hour ago.
"This is preposterous!" Vegeta growled, grasping onto his injured leg as he struggled to his feet. Trust Krillin to have accidentally taken all of the senzu beans with him in his panic to escape. "I say we attack now whilst he's off guard!"
"That wouldn't be wise Vegeta," Piccolo shot back, "We don't know what he's planning."
"Dad's right," Trunks yawned loudly, "I say we wake him up, looks like Gotenks tired him out!"
"Yeah!" chimed Goten, "We can catch him off guard, fuse just as he goes to hit us and then BAM! No more Mister Buu!"
"And that Goten, is why I keep you around," Trunks grinned, "Let's go!"
"Boys!" Videl shouted harshly after them as they raced towards the sleeping Majin.
"No! Stop it! Stop it right now!" Piccolo bellowed, starting to get a headache.
"I say we give his weird horn pull," said Goten, ignoring the irate Namekian.
"Its not a horn Goten, it's an antenna," Trunks drawled as they approached the pink monster.
"Goten! Twunks! Wait for me!" Gokuto laughed happily, more than willing to join his friends now that the beast was asleep.
"Get back here all of you!" Piccolo spat angrily, causing the trio to stop in their tracks, Goten's fingers centimetres away from Buu's antenna, "Are you three insane?! We need to think about a strategy and you've wasted enough time as it is! Do you want to get killed?"
"No…" they chorused.
"Then sit down and be quiet!" he fumed, as the boys glumly made their way back to the group, "Ugh, I'm getting too old for this."
He sighed in distain. Just once today, he wished something would go his way.
Suddenly something tingled in the base of his skull. It seemed that Buu had felt it too, as at once, the monster's head perked up, his gaze cast towards the sky. Vegeta frowned deeply, exchanging a concerned glance with the Namekian; something felt odd.
Then, all at once, there was power. Power like they had never known before hit them full force like a ton of bricks. It towered high above anything else on the planet - even though there was not much left to give off life energy.
But Piccolo couldn't make it out, the power was so raw, as the person whom it belonged too wasn't bothering suppressing it or holding anything back, It stood out, gleaming like a burning beacon in the darkness.
The Namekian was suddenly worried, was it friend or foe? Goku had disappeared with the others, surely he couldn't have come back to help them?
"Boys, stay close," Piccolo instructed, his eyes glancing to the three hybrid's momentarily. Out the corner of his gaze, he saw Majin Buu shift slightly, standing to full attention as the power grew closer and closer.
"What is it?" asked Trunks, now standing.
"I think its a person!" said Goten.
"What's going on?" Videl huffed, squinting as she peered up into the sky, "What are you all staring at?!"
Gokuto, however, was the only one that remained silent, emerald eyes wide as a figure came into view in the distance. Piccolo gritted his teeth, stepping in front of the trio protectively.
When suddenly, he felt it - it couldn't be. It was so familiar, and the green-skinned warrior couldn't believe he had missed it.
"Daddy!" Gokuto cheered, bouncing up and down in excitement.
Gohan.
Piccolo smiled, relief and anticipation flooding his being. He really wasn't imagining things. The figure approaching them was unmistakable, it was his old friend, hurtling through the sky like a speeding bullet towards them.
"Gohan!" Goten and Trunks chorused with glee, as the spec in the sky grew bigger and Gohan's figure grew closer.
He flew overhead without a word, skidding on the hardened earth before coming to a halt. Dust picked up around them as he landed, and Piccolo couldn't believe what he was seeing. The look on the teenager's face was hardened with malice as he stared down at the Majin creature. He was dressed in the same ceremonial garb as the Kai's, though with a few Gohan-like alterations that Piccolo noticed as his tail waved freely from underneath the purple robes. His long black hair wavered in the breeze, his onyx eyes wide and fixed.
He looked like Gohan, but a much more grown up version of the teenager that Piccolo had seen die before his eyes mere hours ago.
Slowly, the young saiyan turned his head, flashing them a familiar wicked grin, "Heard you were having a spot of trouble with a magical ancient monster, mind if I cut in?"
xxxx
"Gohan!" his younger brother yelled, leaping onto his chest and clutching onto him for dear life.
It was good to see them, banged up a little but still very much alive. The halfling smiled, watching his son's emerald eyes grow wide at the sight of him, tears streaming freely down his cheeks.
In a flash, Gohan was nearly bowled over as Gokuto tackled him, wrapping his arms securely around his neck and knocking Goten flying.
"Daddy! You're here Daddy, you're here!" the little boy cried, nuzzling his cheek against his.
"Hi there kiddo, I've missed you, where have you been eh?" Gohan grinned, kissing the toddler on his messy head before placing him back on the ground.
"Gohan, we all thought that you were dead!" said Goten in awe, dusting himself off.
The teenager chuckled, "Still dead bro, check out the halo."
"Ohhh…" chorused Goten and Trunks, looking a little bashful.
Vegeta scoffed, his obsidian orbs staring at the young saiyan's attire, "So, the Kai sent us a dead brat to save us all? What a waste of time."
"Oi!" Gohan protested, "I don't see you doing anything useful!"
"If you haven't already noticed you dolt," the prince spat, "I've already been crippled by defending your idiotic mate, who cant seem to grasp the simple concept of Instant Transmission!"
Gohan blinked, wondering what on earth he was talking about when -
SLAP
"OH HI GOHAN! OR SHOULD I SAY GOLD FIGHTER?!"
Oh shit.
The teenager stumbled back, his cheek stinging as he was caught off guard by the fierce sapphire gaze of none other than Videl Satan.
What the bloody hell was she doing here?!
"What? Got nothing to say have you?" she seethed, "struggling to think of how to worm your way out of this one are you?!"
"Videl I-"
"So what? You think its alright to sleep with me and then I hear nothing from you for nearly a year?!" Videl growled, placing her hands on her hips in anger.
Gohan cringed, knowing that his friends and family were watching intently from above. Ooh his mother wasn't going to like this one.
"And then only to lie to my face when I meet you at the tournament!" she continued, her eyes flashing in anger, "I thought you were different Gohan!"
"H-how did you find out?" he winced, slightly afraid of the answer.
"Apart from the fact that I saw you transform in front of everyone?" she scoffed, "The sodding SENZU BEAN you idiot! I knew it was you!"
He cringed, "Videl I'm sorry I-"
"And then, then you have the absolute nerve to go and die on me!" Gohan was surprised to see tears appear in her eyes, as she started to smack him hard in the chest, "You idiot!" SMACK "Stupid!" WACK "Arse!" HIT "Tosser!"
"Videl calm down -!" The teenager cried frantically, grasping her hands before a whirring sound reached his ears.
"Look out!" Piccolo roared, but Gohan had already phased out, sensing the attack quickly and reappearing midair with his arm protectively around Videl's middle.
The girl gasped, as a sizzling fuchsia beam careened off into the distance, scorching the ground they were just standing on. Gohan glared towards the sadistic Majin, who had obviously gotten tired of waiting.
Setting a rather shocked Videl down gently as they landed, the teenager growled, "Everyone, get as far away from here as fast as you can."
"Pfft, and what makes you think we should start taking orders from you?" Vegeta barked, before a ear shattering scream escaped Buu's chest, and the manic monster shot towards the awaiting halfling.
"GOHAN!" Piccolo yelled, a sonic boom echoing around the mountainous planes as Buu's fist was quickly blocked by Gohan's palm.
The Majin's eyes widened in shock, "B-buu?"
"Aw don't cry," the teenager smirked, his hand wrapping tightly around the monster's fist, "It'll be over soon."
BOOM
The sound of Gohan's elbow connecting with Buu's skull ricocheted over the valleys, leaving a hefty dent in the monster's gelatinous flesh.
THWACK
The teenager made no hesitation in following up in his attack, grasping tightly onto Buu's antennae and spinning him around effortlessly in a circle. The pink monster screamed, as Gohan let go, flinging him off into the distance with impressive speed before firing a bright yellow energy beam that connected with the ancient beast and exploded in a shower of brilliant light.
Piccolo stared, his mouth gaping open, along with the other's on the ground.
"Well, what are you waiting for?!" Vegeta roared at them, "You heard him, lets get the hell out of here!"
"BUUUUUUUU!" The monster screamed as the smoke began to dissipate.
Gohan snorted, he should have known that that kind of blast would've done nothing to damage Buu, the teenager was merely testing out his strength. And damn did it feel good to get some revenge on the beast.
Hot steam erupted from the many holes in Buu's skin as the monster was filled with rage. His fuchsia eyes narrowed, licking his lips at the halfling before he careened towards him once more, bursts of manic laughter echoing in his ears.
But Gohan was ready, sharp eyes watching intently as the Majin curled himself up into a ball, gathering speed as he made a beeline towards him. Gritting his teeth, the teenager stopped him in his tracks with one hand, creating a sonic boom, and with an almighty cry did his boot connect with the Buu ball and send the monster flying into a nearby mountainside, causing a large crack to appear down the middle, rocks and debris exploding into the air.
"GOOOOOOOAAAAALLLL!" Goten and Trunks cheered, though their glee was short lived, as in a flash, did the monster appear in front of the young saiyan once more, purple blood dripping down his chin, making him look all the more terrifying.
"How the hell did he get so powerful?" Vegeta blinked, his obsidian orbs fixated on the teenager.
Piccolo shrugged, positively awestruck, the kid wasn't even a super saiyan and he was picking Buu apart!
With a Ki blast to the face, Gohan was thrown backwards, attempting to shake himself out of it as Majin Buu aimed a hard punch to his gut. The teenager tensed, undeterred, as he followed up in his own attack, parrying Buu's next punch and phasing behind him before delivering a spinning kick to his side.
Buu cried out, more steam erupting from his body as Gohan pushed the gaseous matter out of him with his fists. The ancient monster hit back as they phased in and out across the planes, mountains crumbling into nothing but dust from the sheer force of their attacks. The small group on the ground had to duck and run for cover, as gold and fuchsia beams of energy crossed paths, narrowly missing each other as the two titans fought on.
"MASENKO-!" Gohan roared, clasping his hands above his head and gathering an enormous amount of bright yellow Ki in his palms.
But he didn't have chance to release it, as Majin Buu phased in front of him, opening his mouth wide to reveal a crackling ball of black energy brewing within his throat.
The teenager yelped, abandoning his attack and using all his strength to clamp the monster's jaw tightly shut. Gohan could feel the scorching heat radiating from the monsters lips as Buu's eyes widened, the blast exploding within him, sending steam screaming through his steam holes, though unfortunately it did no permanent damage.
Gohan gritted his teeth as a slightly singed Buu floated in front of him. He swore under his breath, this bastard was going to be as difficult to beat as he thought.
"BUU KILL YOU! BUU KILL YOU! BUU MAKE YOU DEAD!" The monster screamed with murderous intent.
The wind suddenly picked up around them as they floated in midair.
Gohan raised an eyebrow, "Well you're going to have to try a lot harder than that, I'm already dead."
The Majin growled, narrowing his eyes at the young saiyan, "You won't exist."
The teenager blinked in surprise. That was the first real sentence he had heard Buu speak, and it did nothing but send shivers down his spine.
Gohan didn't have time to react, as Buu phased in front of him quicker than his eye could see. Spitting out a wad full of blood and saliva, the young saiyan drew his palms up as quickly as he could and with a hard blow delivered a hammer fist to Buu's neck, causing the monster to let out another wail of frustration as he was sent tumbling to the floor.
The brute caught himself before he hit the ground, baring his teeth in anger as the young saiyan landed in front of him. Gohan panted, clutching onto his side, annoyed at himself for being caught off guard. Though he had no time to catch his breath, as Majin Buu clambered to his feet, ready to pounce on the halfling.
But Gohan wasn't going to let him land a hit so easily.
With an almighty roar, did the teenager raise his Ki, clouds of dust erupting around his form, causing the monster to take a step back at the halfling's power. Distracted, it allowed Gohan to sweep his leg from underneath him and follow up with a spinning back kick to the monster's face.
Buu made a horrific gurgling sound as his jaw caved inwards, and Gohan used his fist to back hand the brute back across the planes, causing Buu to land in a pitiful heap on the ground.
"What's the matter Buu Buu?" the teenager taunted phasing out so that once again he was stood above him, "I thought you said something about wiping my existence?"
The Majin growled, saliva spurting from his mouth as he clambered back upright, "Buu kill you! What Buu say, Buu do!"
His eyes narrowed, his thick palms stretching wide as two circular orbs spun wildly in his fists. The teenager braced himself for the impact, crossing his arms over his head ready to deflect the blast.
But it did not come.
Gohan didn't know just how he didn't sense her hurtling towards them, or how someone like Piccolo or Vegeta didn't stop her. He reasoned that they were probably too focussed on the fight at hand when suddenly Videl Satan appeared out of nowhere.
The teenager couldn't decide if what she did next was either very brave, or very stupid.
"Oh no you don't!" She roared, her boot connecting fiercely with the side of Buu's skull.
"Videl no!" Gohan cried, as her eyes widened in horror, her attack having no effect on the monster.
Buu sniffed, the orbs in his palms dissipating as he cocked his head towards her.
"Die."
"VIDEL!" The young saiyan yelled, as Majin Buu raised a hand towards her.
Videl yelped, as the young saiyan suddenly phased in front of her, blocking Buu's attack, causing the sphere of pink energy to careen off into the distance where it exploded in a shower of light. Videl was blown back by the sheer force, though Piccolo quickly caught her before she hit the ground.
Gohan seethed, as Buu began to cackle manically, "Don't you dare touch her!"
The girl was dazed, gasping for breath as she was clearly winded, scarlet blood dripping from her mouth as his mentor laid her down on the ground where a worried Goten and Trunks bounded over to her. The sight made the young saiyan boil with rage, his tail flickered angrily behind him as his figure was suddenly engulfed in his white aura.
"KAMEHAMEHA!" Gohan roared, gathering the white hot ball of blue energy in his palms and sending it hurtling towards Buu.
The teenager swore, as he caught sight of the monster phasing out before the blast hit. Letting the blast go, it exploded in a shower of light above him… though now he couldn't sense Buu -
SLAM
Gohan yelped, as a pink blur connected with his torso, sending his head reeling from the force of his brain hitting the inside of his skull. He skidded hopelessly on the ground as the ancient monster dragged him through the soil, hitting the back of his head on sharp rocks as he went.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Buu bellowed, flinging the teen away from him by the scruff of his neck so that he went flying into a nearby boulder.
The boulder turned to rubble as his spine hit the rock, sending tremors throughout his bones.
"Fucking reckless," the young saiyan growled at himself under his breath, shaking the hair out of his eyes as he struggled to his feet.
"I know I know," he said gruffly up towards the sky, thinking of his mother and father watching, "Language, sorry."
The teenager gritted his teeth, as the monster floated back to towards him, grinning like a madman as the dents in his body previously inflicted by the young saiyan popped back into shape. Majin Buu was as good as new.
Gohan growled, and powering up, flew back up into the air where he was sure that no one else would be stupid or brave enough to interfere.
"Fun. Fun, fun, fun," Buu chimed childishly, following him, "Buu waited for you. But you not boy. You not saiyan. BUU SAY BYE BYE!"
Gohan didn't have time to contemplate just what the hell the brute was talking about, when the ancient beast fired a blast without warning, the swirls of black and fuchsia energy flying towards the teen with impressive speed. The teenager made to dodge it, when a small blur appeared in front of him, causing Gohan's eyes to widen in disbelief.
It was Gokuto, floating in mid air with his palms outstretched as he defended his father, his emerald eyes more fierce than Gohan had ever seen them. The toddler yelled, a translucent shield erupting from his palms and creating a solid barrier between them and Buu.
The monster's beam hit with a tremendous force, though Gokuto didn't budge. Instead, the little saiyan growled with rage, causing the energy to bounce off the invisible force and hit Buu with his own attack. The monster roared in anger, before the top half of his body disintegrated in an instant.
Gohan blinked in shock, "G-Gokuto?!"
His son ignored him, blowing a raspberry at the ancient titan, "Serves you right! Leave my Daddy alone!"
"Gokuto get back here!" the teenager yelled, panic-stricken as he scrambled forwards and gathered the little boy up in his arms.
The bottom of Majin Buu's body wiggled furiously in mid air, before a loud POP! reached their ears, and Buu's head remoulded, his arms springing back out of his newly formed torso.
The young saiyan cringed, no matter how many times he saw it, he would never get used to regeneration.
"You…" Buu growled, a sausage-like finger pointing at the small boy in Gohan's arms, "Buu want! BUU WANT! BUU KILL!"
"'Kuto, fly back down!" Gohan roared, as he felt the monster's Ki dramatically increase. Buu began to scream, the raging winds his power up was creating causing his cloak to flap heavily in the breeze.
"But Daddy I can't fly!" Gokuto gasped, his eyes watering as he looked up at him.
"What?!" Gohan spluttered, dumfounded, "But you just flew up here!"
"No I didn't!"
"Well how the hell did you-?" The teenager started, "Forget it, 'Kuto just go to Uncle Piccolo!"
"No! I wanna stay with you!"
"Great Kami Gokuto, you are so going on the naughty step when we get home."
Ignoring the child's protests, the young saiyan focussed on Buu's power. Just what was he trying to pull? The skies darkened dramatically, black clouds emitting electrifying streaks of lightening across the entire planes. The remaining mountains around them shuddered, before crumpling into nothingness. Tornado's began to spring up in all directions, creating desolation in their path as Buu emitted another blood curdling cry, a gigantic blast gathering rapidly in his palm. The beast cackled, drawing on his dark powers as the blast continued to multiply in size.
"GOHAN!" Piccolo cried, appearing to the side of him with a worried expression, "That blast is enough to destroy the Earth ten times over! Something's really pissed him off, we have to move!"
"Destroy the Earth?!" Videl cried, being carried by Goten.
Trunks steadied his father too, both of them wearing hardened expressions.
Gohan gulped, his eyes darting from his little boy to the manic monster, before he came to his senses and took off behind the others.
He knew flying away was futile, but it was all he could think to do as Majin Buu finally released the blast upon the Earth, destroying everything in its wake. He could hear Videl scream as the bright fuchsia glow began to engulf them.
He was going to die for the second time, wiped from existence forever. The other's could be wished back to life when it was over. If it was ever going to be over.
He clutched onto Gokuto tightly, filling his mind with happy memories. The smiling faces on the Kai's planet, kissing Videl, the smell of his sons hair…
A bright white light blinded him as an incredible power filled his senses, and suddenly Gohan felt as though he was hurtling through a tunnel. His muscles squeezed and tensed, wind whistled past his ears as he felt as though he was being forced through something very small.
At first he thought it was the beginning of the end, yet he could still feel Gokuto wrapped securely in his arms, the shouts and yells of Vegeta, Piccolo, Videl, Goten and Trunks ringing in his ears.
Then suddenly, it stopped, and Gohan was fully aware of hitting the solid ground with an audible THUD.
"OW! Mother f-!" the teen yelped, his backside incredibly sore.
His eyes widening, he quickly looked down at his son, who was still buried into his chest. But there was something off, the boy was quivering, ever so gently. The enormous power he had sensed quickly diminished, as soon as he looked up.
Gohan frowned, thinking that his eyes must be playing tricks on him as a strange blueish hue faded from the toddlers cheeks, "'Kuto, did you-?"
"Gohan!" his father's voice reached his ears.
Gohan blinked, he was back on the Kai's planet, the beautiful violet sky hanging above him. He heard the other's groan from the ground beside him. He whirled around, only to greet the faces that he thought he would never see again.
And thats when it dawned on him. He was still here, but Earth was gone.
"Gohan! How did you do that?" Goku gasped, running over to him.
The young saiyan frowned, "Do what? What the hell happened?"
"Extraordinary," said the Supreme Kai a mixture of awe and concern in his eyes, "Somehow, you managed to create a rift between this dimension and yours, safely landing you here and avoiding Earth's destruction. I only know of beings that possess magical qualities are able to do it. How did you do it Gohan?"
"Me?" Gohan gaped, his eyes darting to Gokuto "But I didn't-"
He was interrupted, suddenly, as a small sob was heard from behind him. The teenager spun around quickly only to see his best friend staring at them with tears in her eyes. But not because of him, no. But because of the little boy he was cradling in his arms. Their little boy.
"H-he's so big," she mustered, taking a step forwards. Chi-Chi carefully took her shoulder and steadied her, a sad smile playing on her lips.
The young saiyan looked down at the boy, who was still curled up tightly to his chest, to him he was still a baby, so small and fragile, something he never wanted to let go of ever again. But to Lime, who had last seen him when he was but a week old, he must have looked so grown up.
"'Kuto," Gohan cooed gently, as Lime tentatively approached, looking so unsure of herself. "'Kuto its alright, Mummy's here look. Why don't you say hi to her?"
Gokuto lifted his head ever so slightly, his face was back to normal, to Gohan's relief, yet he still looked at him with those frightful emerald eyes. The teenager sighed, stroking his hair in comfort, scooting over so that Lime could kneel next to him.
"Mummy wants to see you Gokuto," he said again, the boy's gaze growing curious.
Slowly, he titled his head, so that his eyes clapped onto his mother's.
"Mummy?" he asked, unsure.
Lime nodded, letting her tears fall,"H-hello sweetie."
"Why are you sad?" Gokuto blinked, wrapping his tail around her wrist in comfort.
"I'm not sad baby," she sniffed, "I'm happy, because I'm talking to you."
Gohan smiled at her, urging her forward.
"C-can Mummy have a hug?" Lime croaked, picking up the small boy almost immediately as he nodded in response.
Gohan could have cried with her, as the girl cradled their son, her tears dropping onto his messy hair as she pulled him to close to her heart.
"Oh Gokuto," Lime whispered, as the boy clung onto her, "I've missed you so much."
The teenager felt like joining in on the family hug, when he felt all eyes upon him.
"Supreme Kai," Gohan spoke, feeling guilty, "I-I'm sorry, Earth. I-"
"We have dragonballs for that," the godly being replied with a small smile, "Not to worry Gohan, there's nothing more to be done. Buu has finally been destroyed, he knew there was no way to compare to your power, so of course, like the madman that he is, he destroyed himself."
The young saiyan bit his lip, looking down at his hands.
"Do not fret my friend," Dende said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I'm positive Elder Moori will allow us to use the Namekian dragonballs to restore the Earth, please, do not blame yourself."
Gohan looked up at his old friend.
"Thanks Dende," he replied, but he couldn't help but feel as though he had failed them all again.
"Hey don't beat yourself up kiddo, you did great out there!" said Krillin, clapping him on the back.
"Yeah you picked Buu apart! No wonder he threw such a fit!" Yamcha laughed.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Old Kai chirped from behind them, making his way over to Lime and peering down at Gokuto, "Hm, so this is Gohan's boy? Interesting."
"What's interesting?" asked Gohan.
"Why his power of course!" He huffed, his beady black eyes darting all over the child's form, "Yes, it certainly is unusual."
Gokuto pouted as the deity continued to stare, clutching onto Lime's shirt more tightly.
"That's what we've always thought," Bulma quipped, all heads turning towards her, "But it's the mixture of saiyan and human blood. Trunks and Goten can both turn super saiyan already."
"Saiyan and human blood indeed," Old Kai mumbled to himself, "One quarter saiyan and three quarters human is he?"
"That's right," frowned Gohan, "But what's that got to do with anything?"
"Just an observation," The Elder Kai smiled knowingly, before turning to the teenager, "Have you noticed anything unusual about his Ki?"
Behind him The Supreme Kai gasped, "Venerable Elder, surely you can't be suggesting - "
"His Ki?" Gohan blinked, sharing a worried glance with Lime, who held the boy closer to her, "He just feels like Lime and I."
"Ah I see," Old Kai continued thoughtfully, "Then perhaps it's down to his power why Majin Buu showed such an interest in him."
The teenager frowned, he too had noticed Majin Buu's sudden obsession with the child. Once Gokuto had entered the fight, the ancient beast seemed a lot more interested in Gokuto than himself. Babidi and Checha too. But that still didn't mean he understood why the Old Kai was staring at Gokuto like that.
"Old Kai," the young saiyan started, "I don't understand-"
"Have you ever wondered why Babidi and his cronies are so interested in the saiyan race?" The celestial being interrupted.
"Er, no, not really," Gohan admitted, looking at his father who merely shrugged.
"It's because Majin Buu and the Saiyan's go back a very very long way, and have a very important history that I think you will all find interesting," he continued, "Supreme Kai? I think you're most adapt at telling the tale, seen as you were the one who created the saiyan's for the sole purpose of destroying Majin Buu."
"WHAT?!" Gohan and the rest of the gang gaped, the teenager was so shocked he almost fell over.
"Okay, what the bloody hell is a saiyan?" Videl suddenly shouted, "And who are you? And where are we?!"
The teenager gave her a sympathetic smile, as Shin spoke solemnly, "Forgive me for not saying anything before Gohan, I did not want to overload you with information before your fight. But now that Majin Buu has gone I think you all have a right to know. Please, take a seat, it is a rather long story."
