Disturbance, The Complete Story

by Dark Phoenix Reborn

It all begins with a tournament. An ancient evil arises, threatening existence itself, and only Earth's finest can stop it. Contains Gohan x Videl action. Sequel to The Phoenix Chronicles and When World's Collide, series 3 of 3. Contains all 3 books.

38. D13: Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D13 - Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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-I walk a lonely road-
-The only one that I have ever known-
-Don't know where it goes-
-But it's home to me and I walk alone-

Kaen opened his eyes with a sigh, the translocation between the Icebreaker and Hell complete; the familiar violet crystal spires and yellow-clouded sky attested to that. He cast his eyes about quickly, trying to find his brother. The first thing he noticed is that Vegeta stood off to one side, his body slick with Aisu blood, with an amused smirk on his face; Kaen could tell it was Aisu blood by the distinct purple tint to it.

The second thing he noticed that Kellre was already beginning to run Gohan through some basic beginners lessons, and the demi-Saiyan teen was struggling to keep up with the older man's blistering pace; that most likely explained the look on Vegeta's face. Finally, he saw his brother off to the other side, sitting casually on a rock ledge nearby, a similarly amused look on his face, though his contained a touch of deja vu. After all, Kellre had put him through the ringer too in his younger days.

Taking a deep breath, and swallowing his pride, Kaen strode up to Korin's prone form, asking, "Korin, can we talk? I need some advice..."

"Sure thing little bro," Korin replied immediately, forcing his face into a supportive mask, while forcing down the look on incredulous shock that threatened to burst forth. His little brother was asking for help? It must be very serious, for no matter how much he had grown up, Korin knew he would never have lost that independent streak.

Kaen cast a nervous eye about, making sure no one else was in earshot, before taking another deep breath to calm his nerves and beginning. He told his brother about how he was afraid his entire relationship with Pi was staged. About how he was afraid his entire life was just one massive experiment. He told him his fears of Pi being changed, both before they met, while they were younger, and just recently.

As his ramblings started becoming more and more disjointed and incoherent, it became clear that things weren't right in his head. Somehow through his mutterings, Korin had managed to glean the basics about the Nijuushin/Phoenix thing, and it was clear that having acquired all those other memories, along with the added problem of having a second psyche for a month, had taken it's toll on his mental stability. Korin realised he had to straighten some things out, and fast, or his little brother would talk himself into a meltdown.

-I walk this empty street-
-On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams-
-Where the city sleeps-
-And I'm the only one and I walk alone-

"Whoa, hold up little brother," Korin cut Kaen off suddenly, "You're rambling, and you're going in circles."

His momentum gone, Kaen more-or-less fell into a sitting position against the rocks, panting harshly as his body struggled to draw in much needed breathe. "I'm sorry..." He whispered out, "It's just... I feel like my head's going to explode..."

Kneeling down to his level, Korin placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "It's okay bro; I'm here." As his little brother's shudders ceased, he added, "Right, let's start getting that fog in your head cleared huh? You said you thought your relationship with Pi might've been staged, and/or that she was made to love you. I'm going to tell you, right now, that that's a load of crap."

"But-"

"No buts," Korin cut in firmly. "Even the strongest brainwashing techniques can't make a person love another person, we Saiyans especially. I mean, you and Pi are bonded. Do you really think that would have happened if she didn't truly love you? The absolute limit the most powerful brainwashing technique could achieve would be making a person have sex with another, but Saiyan instincts will not allow them to bond with someone who doesn't love them, not will they let someone bond with someone they don't love. That bond is proof she loves you, truly and completely."

Kaen nodded slowly; like his brother believed, he did know that, but with his mind in the turmoil is was in, he was questioning everything "Next," Korin continued, "We'll tackle your fear that your life's been just one big experiment. You've said you want your life to have meaning, but then turned around and said you want your life to be yours. Answer me this: What greater meaning could your life have than being a key component in the ascendancy of our race, even if it's not by your own will? And can you really say, even if your life was an experiment, that you didn't like the way things turned out?"

-I walk alone-
-I walk alone-

A smile found it's way onto Kaen's face as, with these two keystone problems removed, the rest fell away like dominos. "You're way too much like dad, you know that?"

Korin smiled in turn, though his was more out of relief; he knew, with that barb, that Kaen was himself again. "Hey, let's not say things we can't take back."

Kaen laughed. "Right. My bad." Stifling his mirth, he had to ask, "How do you know so much about my life anyway?"

Korin shrugged. "I was watching over you."

"How? You died when I was five."

Korin looked at him funny. "But you're only four now; how could I have died when you were five?" Realisation dawned quickly. "Oh right, you're speaking in Galactic Standard years. Then I would've died when you were nineteen."

-I walk alone-
-I walk a...-

Kaen gaped at his older brother. "How...?"

Korin shrugged again. "The mission I was on was a set-up, so I went into hiding. Eventually, I was found by an Aisu named Frost, who was surprised to find a Saiyan off world, and hiding no less. Since I figured I'd be in trouble if he knew who I was, I faked compete retrograde amnesia; clean slate stuff. He offered me a chance to get back at Frieza, and I accepted. Because my 'complete amnesia' also 'robbed me of my fighting skills' I wound up becoming Frieza's personal 'paperwork monkey'."

Kaen's analytical mind, now itself again, quickly put two and two together. "You mean-"

"Yup," Korin nodded. "I was Frost's contact inside Frieza's operation. I was the one who censored all reports about 'Phoenix', and I'm the one who kept you off Frieza's radar for so long. That's how I know that he did to you what he'd done to me. However, when you guys disappeared, some officer named Dodoria announced that he'd killed you, and got promoted to Frieza's left hand man for it. Me, I went nuts and tried to kill him, which, as you can guess, was unsuccessful."

"So you mean, all that time, you were alive, and you didn't try to contact me once?"

Korin smiled sadly. "I couldn't. If Frieza even suspected I had the slightest idea of who I was, he would have killed me." Shaking his head, he continued his story, "When I got down here and found neither you nor Pi, nor anyone else, I figured that you either must've done enough good to get into the other place, or had gotten reincarnated. I had no idea you were even still alive until that 'Phoenix' showed up down here."

Allowing himself a moment of weakness, Kaen stood up and embraced his brother, whispering, "I missed you Korin."

The older Saiyan hugged his brother back; a manly, familial hug. "I missed you too bro."

-My shadow's the only one that walks beside me-
-My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating-
-Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me-
-'Til then I walk alone-

The sibling's reunion was suddenly broken by an angry shout from Kellre of, "That's pathetic! You call yourself a Saiyan? Your reflexes are terrible!"

Stabbing the point of his sword into the bedrock, Gohan used it as a leaning post as he tried to catch his breath. "Hey, that's not my fault!" Gohan defended himself hotly, glaring at the older man with the black sword. "This thing is bloody heavy; it's throwing me off."

Stabbing his own sword into the ground, Kellre strode up to him, shooing him away as he grasped the sword. "Let's take a look at it then." He yanked the weapon out of the ground; or at least, attempted to. A pensive look on his face, he held onto the handle for a moment, examining the weapon before turning to Kaen and shouting out, "Hey runt, come here and tell me what you think of this sword."

With a shrug, Kaen walked forward and laid his hand on the weapon, testing its weight, before flaring into Super Saiyan and hefting the massive weapon. Spinning the weapon around in his hand, before making a few practice swipes, he commented dryly, "The sword's fucked. Get a new one."

"What?" Gohan shouted in shock, "But the Supreme Kai said that this was the ultimate sword. How could it be broken?" Kellre merely nodded in silent agreement to Kaen's assessment.

Kaen shrugged, swinging the sword around a bit more. "This sword may very well be the most powerful blade in existence, if it's working right. The Chi flow's buggered though, which is why the damn thing's so heavy. Near as I can tell, there's something interfering with the flow, so unless you can find a way to purge that, the sword's rooted and will only slow you down." Stabbing the weapon back into the ground, Kaen held out a hand, his sword flashing into his grasp, before he tossed the weapon absently at Gohan. "Use this for your training. It's not bound to you, so it'll be heavier to you than it is me, but it's sure as shit a better weapon that yours even like that."

Kellre smirked as Gohan adjusted his grip on the unfamiliar weapon, moving to reclaim his own sword. "Well then," the older fighter commented, slicing a line in the ground in front of him, "Shall we continue from where we left off?"

-Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ah-
-Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah-

"That's much better," Kellre commented, as a tired Gohan lazily threw the weapon in his hand back at its owner; Kaen caught the sword effortlessly. "You have finally managed to master the art of sword fighting. You are not yet at the level of Blademaster, just like Kaen was not when he finished my course, but you have the potential within you. All that remains is for you to bind your personal sword, and master it."

As he watched Gohan reclaim the Z-Sword and sheath the weapon, Kibito, having spent the past hour or so watching the teen train, asked in his booming voice, "Are you ready to leave Gohan?"

Gohan nodded, walking over to Kibito, before his stomach let out a massive, echoing rumble. Smiling sheepishly, he added, "I just hope you guys've got some food up there."

Smirking down at him, Kibito replied, "I think we can find something." With a flash of light, they were gone.

Nodding in Kaen's direction, Kellre commented, "I'll leave you to say your good-byes," before fading out.

Turning to his older brother, Kaen smiled sadly. "I guess this is it then. Once I leave and take my sword with me, there'll be no way for me to come back, not until..."

Korin smiled. "Sure there is. Here." With a flourish, Korin produced a pendant, in the shape of a Phoenix. "Hook this onto your sword. Since it kinda violates the rules of this place, when you call it to yourself again, the charm'll still be attached, but the charm is bound to here, so you'll always have a path you can trace back. Plus, it'll be something to remember me by."

"Thanks bro," Kaen replied, doing as his brother instructed. As he started to fade, he called out, "I swear I'll visit. And I'll bring Pi with me next time. Promise!"

Heaving a sigh, Korin whispered, "I'll miss you little brother. Take care of yourself."

-I'm walking down the line-
-That divides me somewhere in my mind-
-On the border line-
-Of the edge and where I walk alone-

The sound of training echoed across the Lookout, Oran and Lime having taken to training Goten and Trunks with a will. Goku, Piccolo and Krillin stood nearby, observing the training session with a mixed sense of wonder and amusement. The twins, it seemed, had picked up on Kaen and Pi's 'carrot and stick' approach, though Oran had taken to it a bit literally.

Whereas Lime just used kind words and promises of such rewards as food for doing well, Oran used a bamboo rod he'd found somewhere to discipline them when they stepped out of line; the boys already had a couple of bruises on them from a few early mistakes, but they were slowly getting better. "Fu Sion Ha!" There was the sound of bamboo hitting skin, and a startled yelp rang up from Trunks. "What the hell was that for?" The boy shouted, rubbing the back of his hand.

"Index fingers only Trunks," Oran replied sternly. "I've told you before, and I'm gonna hit you until you get it right. Now, again!"

"Shouldn't you put a stop to that Goku?" Krillin asked, referring to Oran's disciplinary tactics.

"Whatever gets the job done," Piccolo replied a touch coldly. "The boys have improved greatly under this training style. They're learning this faster than I had dared hope."

"Piccolo's right Krillin," Goku replied with a shrug, "In the end, this'll help them learn faster than anything I could have done."

The adults' conversation was broken by a shout of, "Again! I'm not gonna be happy until you guys can do this in under five seconds!"

"What?" Trunks shouted incredulously, "You gotta be kidding me? Not even you guys could do this in under five seconds!"

Two seconds later, a cry of "Fusion Ha!" rang out, and Liran was present once more. Picking up Oran's discarded bamboo rod, she proved she was every bit as hard a taskmaster as Oran.

-Read between the lines-
-What's fucked up and everything's alright-
-Check my vital signs-
-To know I'm still alive and I walk alone-

Elsewhere, atop the observation deck, sat Videl and Dende, mourning the loss of their friend together. Chichi, Bulma, and the rest of the Z-Fighters were inside somewhere, but Videl just didn't feel... at peace, she guessed, with them. With the exception of maybe Bulma, none of them understood how she felt, but the bluenette was busy with both her own grief, and with consoling Chichi.

With Dende, however, she felt an odd sense of kinship, like he knew exactly how she felt. 'Then again,' she mused to herself, 'He's God, so he probably does.' Dangling her feet over the edge, she turned away from her silent observation of the training kids to the demi-god seated cross-legged beside her, asking, "Do you really think the boys have what it takes to defeat Majin Buu?"

A neutral look on his face, Dende shrugged. "I really can't say. I mean, with this fusion thing there's a good chance they can get to a level of strength to match, or even exceed, Majin Buu, but the stronger fighter isn't always the victor in a fight."

Videl sighed; this is what she was afraid of as well. Simply put, Goten and Trunks just didn't have enough experience to match Majin Buu. They were wild, reckless, careless, and just one of those would give Majin Buu the upper hand. "Looks like I'll be seeing Gohan again soon enough then won't it?" She commented defeatedly.

"You can't talk like that Videl!" Dende exclaimed. "You can't give up hope."

She smiled slightly. "You're right Dende. Besides, I know Gohan's alive out there somewhere, and he's going to show up and settle this Majin Buu thing once and for all." Turning back to the training below, she added, "Assuming the kids leave anything for him."

-I walk alone-
-I walk alone-

"Fusion Ha!" A blinding flash of light washed over the Lookout, as strong winds swirled around the light's origin. Those inside the many buildings of the Lookout, save Videl and Dende, ran out to see what the commotion was about, and arrived in time to see the light fade, revealing that Goten and Trunks were gone.

In their place stood a boy who's height was at around the mid-way point between the two boys. His hair stood up on his head in a manner similar to Vegeta's, with one major difference; on either side, his hair was the lavender Trunks was known for, while the rest was jet black. His face was filled with hard lines and angles as well, and for all intents and purposes, he looked like a younger Vegeta; ironic, really, that for Trunks to look like his father, he needed to fuse with the son of his father's rival.

He wore an open black vest, with gold collars around his neck and arms, and matching wristbands; unlike Liran, however, he wore no undershirt. Similar to the girl, he wore loose white pants, secured at the bottom by the black boots he wore, topped with blue ankle-wraps, and secured at the top by a matching deep blue sash belt. Pumping his fist into the air, the new boy shouted, "Oh yeah! I'm the best!"

-I walk alone-
-I walk a...-

"So what do we call you then?" Krillin asked curiously.

"My name's Gotenks!" The fused warrior replied, his dual-voice echoing across the Lookout, so he could be sure everyone knew who he was.

"So how does it feel?" Goku asked next; he'd never been able to do the fusion with anyone, so he really wanted to know what it was like.

"It. Feels. AWESOME!" Gotenks cried, jumping into the air and pumping his fist again. "I'm stronger now than we ever were as Super Saiyans! I'm totally ready to teach that Majin Buu a thing or two!"

"Not so fast hotshot," Liran interjected, cracking him over the back of the head with her bamboo rod. "You've still got a long way to go before you can take on the heavyweight champ. Now, let's get to work."

"Aww, come on!" Gotenks pleaded, "We just got this working, can't we take a break?"

The girl shook her head. "Nope. The fact you got this working means we've now got half an hour to train you as strong as possible. You can rest when your fusion wears off. Now," she dropped into stance, bamboo rod held like a sword, "Let's do this thing."

-My shadow's the only one that walks beside me-
-My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating-
-Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me-
-'Til then I walk alone-

"Time to go Goku," Uranai Baba announced, floating atop her crystal ball. Over half an hour had passed, and Goku's remaining time on Earth had finally expired.

Goku smiled sadly at his assembled family and friends. "Well, I guess this is it..."

"No!" Chichi cried, running forward and hugging him fiercely, "I don't want you to go away again... I just got you back, and with Gohan..."

"I'm sorry Chi," he whispered, "But I have to. Even if I could stay here, I'd just keep getting weaker and weaker until I could barely move. The only way for me to get better is to return to Otherworld." Kissing her, he stepped out of her embrace, adding softly, "I'll give Gohan your love."

She nodded, tears sliding slowly down her cheeks, as she stepped back, but before Goku could even consider turning, Goten raced forward and grabbed his legs, asking brokenly, "Daddy, why do you have to go?"

Placing a hand on his head, Goku replied softly, "It's not my place here anymore son. I'm just a visitor, and it's time for me to go home." Turning his attention to the other three kids, he added, "It's all up to your guys. Get stronger, and defeat Majin Buu."

"We won't let you down Goku," Lime replied.

Turning to the newest member of their group, he asked, "Videl, is there anything you'd like me to tell Gohan?"

She shook her head; "I still don't believe he's dead, and even if he is... There's nothing that need be spoken."

Goku nodded, before gently prying Goten off and taking to the sky, following the floating form of Baba. Waving at the group, "Bye guys! Take care of yourselves!" And then he was gone, and the world felt a little less bright.

-Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ah-
-Ah-ah, Ah-ah-

"Are you ready to resume Gohan?" Shin asked the demi-Saiyan.

With a nod, Gohan stood up from the table; turns out Shin actually did have a house on this planet, though mansion was probably a better term. Picking he Z Sword up, Gohan flew back out to his training grounds, running through the warm-up exercises Kellre had drilled him on, as he pondered a solution to his problem.

-I walk alone-
-I walk a...-

Kellre and Kaen both had said that his sword was corrupted, imperfect; Gohan chose not to share this fact with Kibito or Shin, who would probably blow a gasket, and had instead told them he was using Kaen's sword purely because the lighter weapon was easier to learn sword forms with. As he stepped up his training, Gohan could feel something within the sword resonating with his own energy, but it was like a faint echo.

That he felt anything at all told him, without a doubt, that this was his pre-destined weapon. 'All I have left to do is bind this weapon to myself, and master it,' Gohan mused to himself, echoing Kellre's final words of advise. Closing his eyes as he worked, Gohan began to focus on the weapon. He would do this; the universe depended on him mastering this weapon.

-I walk this empty street-
-On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams-

Goku cast his eyes sadly along the massive line of puffy yellow clouds leading into King Yemma's palace/office. "So many people have died today..." he commented sadly. "Was it really worth all this, just to settle the score with Vegeta? We didn't even reach a victor..." He sighed, landing on the path and striding in to the palace.

"Hey!" One of the ogres called out; strangely, he had his arm in a sling. "You can't go in there yet! You're supposed to join the line."

Goku blinked, before replying, "Oh, don't worry about that. I've already been judged; just came back from a day trip to Earth." Before the ogre could comment on it further, the deceased fighter strode into the office in search of King Yemma.

-Where the city sleeps-
-And I'm the only one and I walk a...-

He found the giant red demon right where he knew he'd be; behind his desk. "So many deaths," he boomed, "What could possibly be going on up there?" Goku drew the paperwork demon's attention by leaping up onto his desk. "Ah, Goku. What can I help you with?"

"Has anyone named Gohan come through here?" Goku asked nervously. "About my height, short hair. He's my son."

Yemma shook his head, "No. I'm sure I would know if your son had come through, and I haven't seen him, so if he's not in the line outside, he's not here."

Goku grinned broadly, taking flight and calling out, "Thanks King Yemma." Floating slowly out of the palace, he mused to himself, "Looks like Videl was right. The question is, where is he then?" Setting himself on the top of the palace, he sat down, cross-legged, and closed his eyes to ponder the issue.

-My shadow's the only one that walks beside me-
-My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating-

With the hiss of venting steam, the door of the rejuvenation chamber that held the recovering form of one First Class warrior Kapskaen slid open, releasing it's occupant once more. Climbing to his feet slowly, his eyes slid open, taking in the worried form of his mate, Pi, still standing watch over him. The pair stood in silence for a moment, before Pi asked, "Kaen? Are we-"

Before she could even finish her question, he took the required steps forward until they were nose to nose, and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Silencing his inner doubts, he let his feelings run through his mind, letting his instincts answer for him. A sense of warmth was the most forefront in his mind. There were others of course: red hot rage at his perceived betrayal at her hands; the soft smoky haze of lust, an arousal from being so close to her; the warmth overwhelmed them all. It was contentment.

He knew that she would stand by him forever more. That she would watch his back, and push him onwards in strength and skill. The peace of mind that sheer certainty gave him brought him that warm sense of contentment, and for now, that would be enough. "Yeah Pi," he replied softly, "I think we're going to be just fine

-Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me-
-'Til then I walk alone...-

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Author's notes:

I'm not sure this is my best work, but considering I wrote this in a single day, it's good enough for now.