Maybe the boys should've given more thought to the damage behind their combined attack. It turned Ful's body to ash, but it also caught them at pointblank range. The blast radius careened into them with a force greater than any bomb. They were blasted in opposite directions. Goten's hair turned back to black, Trunks's to purple. For many minutes, opaque smoke enveloped the scene.

When the sun could be seen again, Goten forced himself to his feet. He could see Trunks standing up in the distance. No one else was within eyesight. The other fighters' limp bodies must have been thrown clear in the blast.

Together, Goten and Trunks went searching for them. One by one they found their friends, scattered over the rocky plain. Yamcha and Tien were knocked out, but still alive. Gohan opened his eyes as his brother came near. He grinned and said quietly, "Way to go, squirt. You're stronger than all of us now." He reached up with his arm while still lying flat on his back. His palm connected with Goten's in a high five.

Piccolo grunted as he pushed himself into a sitting position. "You've both done well," he agreed, sparing them a rare, tight smile. They both laughed happily, warmed by their mentors' praise.

"Yeah," Krillen echoed. He had himself propped up on one elbow, and gave the boys the thumbs-up. "Good going, guys. You really came through."

Trunks finally spied his father and ran over to him as fast as his wobbly legs would allow. Vegeta was already sitting up. "Dad!"

The corner of the Saiyan prince's mouth turned upward. "Well done," he declared. Trunks dropped to his knees and threw his arms around his father.

"Dad!" he repeated. "We did it!"

Vegeta didn't return the gesture of affection, but instead rested his hand on his son's head. "I'm sorry," he breathed. His eyes were distant. "For showing you the memory. I never wanted you to see."

"It's okay, Dad." Trunks grinned up at his father. "We beat him! We beat the enemy!"

"Yes," agreed Vegeta, "you did." In a mutter he added, "Just forget what you saw, son. The burden is mine alone to bear."

Not really listening to him, Trunks said again, "It's okay. Everything's okay now." Perhaps Vegeta exercised some mysterious influence over his mind, perhaps not; but Trunks was destined to forget most of the traumatic events of that day.

Goku, however, wouldn't wake up. He was spread-eagled on the ground with his eyes closed, and wouldn't respond when Goten shook him, shouted in his ear, or even pulled at his hair. Everything he had endured that day finally broke Goten with this final straw. He began to cry. "Daddy!" He bent over his father so that their faces were inches apart. "Daddy…" he sobbed. "Y-you've got to wake up…you can't die like this, not n-now…" His tears dripped from his chin and rained down on Goku's face. The Saiyan's nose twitched. "I just got you back! You can't leave again! I-I—" He took a deep breath and wailed, "I need you! Daddy, wake up! Please!" He put his arm over his face and rubbed his eyes. "Please…"

"Hey…" murmured Goku. His voice shocked Goten, who had been the only one not to notice him stirring. "It's okay, Goten. Shhh." He slung his arm around his son and pulled the boy close to his chest. "I'm not going anywhere." He laughed weakly and said to the warriors around him, "Yeah…I don't think I'll be going anywhere for a long time. I can't get up…" His friends began to chuckle at the irony.

"Dad?" came Goten's voice from his father's embrace. "I can't move…" After all the incredible moves he had demonstrated that day, he found that the mere weight of Goku's arm kept him pinned down. Now the Z fighters were laughing outright.

"Well then, I guess you're stuck with me, you little rascal!" Goku joked. For his son's ears alone, he whispered, "I'm very proud of you, Goten."

"I know." Once more Goten tried to lift himself free, but he quickly gave up. It never seemed to matter how strong they got—once Son Goku got his arms around either of his boys, escape was futile. No matter how hard they tried.

` The End `