Secret Heart

Chapter 28

She couldn't believe it. Gohan was… No, she refused to believe it. It was impossible. Gohan couldn't be… She refused to even think it. It was simply inconceivable. Gohan was going to come back; he had to. What was she going to do without him otherwise? Without his smile, his voice to soothe her, his arms to huddle up in, his quirky humor to make her laugh… No, she simply couldn't imagine her life without Gohan.

'You'll have to accept it, though.'

NO! She yelled in her mind against this disturbing voice, tears welling up in her blue eyes. But she refused to let them flow; she would not cry, because Gohan will come back to her.

She could even picture their reunion: he would smile at her, with that smile she loved so much. Then he would hold her in his protecting, reassuring arms, and would tell her those words she longed to hear again. She would then tell him how she loved him too. How she wanted to be with him.

'You should have taken your chance when there was still time, then. It's too late now.'

She shook her head sharply, wanting more than anything to get rid of that voice which despaired her. It couldn't be true. Gohan couldn't be dead!

Please, Gohan… Come back to me.

oOoOoOo

Vegeta knew what he had to do. He also knew very well what was waiting for him—Piccolo had been perfectly clear about it—but it didn't matter to him. It was their only chance to be rid of this monster, once and for all.

So, getting his final blow ready, the Prince had one last thought for those he cherished the most—Bulma, Trunks, and even Kakarotto—then, with a tearing cry, he let out his power. The force of the blow was phenomenal, but far too intense for his body to handle it. The pain was unbearable, but the warrior did not stop for all that, determined to destroy Majin Buu.

Until his last breath.

oOoOoOo

Dende watched the Earth with a grave expression on his face. He hadn't been able to follow Gohan when he had disappeared, but there was little chance the young warrior had survived. He felt so helpless and useless; he hadn't been able to do anything to save his childhood friend. Nor had he been able to do anything for Vegeta, who sacrificed himself for the planet that he, himself, hadn't been able to protect.

And the worst in this all, it was that despite the Prince's sacrifice, Majin Buu was still running around, with his hideous master, Babidi. They were destroying all the cities in their path, seemingly in search of Piccolo, Trunks and Goten.

All of their friends had arrived in the Lookout, being fortunate enough not to encounter the monsters, who were terrorizing the planet, on their way. Piccolo also came back, carrying Goten and Trunks under his arms, both unconscious. He had told him that Kibito was off searching for the Supreme Kai, who had apparently disappeared before he and the man with pink skin were turned back from being statues. There was little chance to find him, but the devoted body-guard Kibito refused to give up.

Goku had arrived a short time later, telling them what had happened to him during all this time: Vegeta had knocked him out, taking advantage of a moment of distraction from his part. He had then asked them what had happened while he had been unconscious.

"Gohan and Vegeta are dead… It can't be…" He'd said when he was told the terrible news. "Here I thought that the Earth would be safer if I stayed dead, it seems that I was completely wrong; the Earth needs no one to put itself in danger…"

Unfortunately, there was little time left before Goku would have to go back to Other World; their only hope now laid in Trunks and Goten, if Goku could get them to learn the Fusion technique before he left…

Dende had also met, for the first time, this girl who seemed to be so important to Gohan. She was in tears when she'd arrived in the Lookout with Yamcha and Bulma. The latter was in the same state, for that matter. The deaths of Vegeta and Gohan moved them deeply.

The young god pursed his lips as he watched Majin Buu destroy yet another town after having turned its inhabitants into candies. His feeling of helplessness only increased.

What am I God for, if I can't do anything for them?

oOoOoOo

Bulma had stopped moping. Her heart was aching—terribly so—but crying wasn't going to help. When she said this to Videl, who's heart was as aching as hers, the girl looked astonished at her. She knew the Briefs heiress to be a strong woman, but how could she stay so wise at such times? How could she keep her head like this when she had just learnt that the man who shared her life was dead?

"You have to move forward, Videl," replied the female scientist. "Besides, all is not lost yet. Don't forget the Dragonballs."

Yes, there was still hope. The Dragonballs could still fix everything. That they would be able to use them or not, remained unknown.

"I believe in Goku," Bulma declared before the doubts of the teenage girl. "Even though he's here only temporarily, I know that he won't let us down. He will do everything in his might to save us." She smiled slightly. "Goku always saves us."

Before the unwavering faith of the Capsule Corp President, Videl surprised herself into believing, too. All was not lost yet. They could still fix everything.

They had to hold out hope.

oOoOoOo

It was the end.

Majin Buu had managed to get out of the Room of Spirit and Time, where he had fought the fusion of Trunks and Goten. He was hungry now, it seemed, and he had found no better way than to turn those who remained in the Lookout into chocolate in order to eat them. One after one, they were changed into chocolate bars, then they were eaten by the monster with no remorse.

"No! Krillin!" Eighteen cried upon seeing her husband changed into chocolate. She rushed, without thinking, at Buu, who was about to eat his new chocolate bar; but before she could even reach him, the female android was transformed into sweets.

"Mommy!" wept their five-years-old daughter, Marron, before being turned into chocolate in turn, while the horrible pinkish creature laughed evilly.

From her hiding spot—which, she knew, wouldn't last long—Videl adverted her eyes with rage, her fists clenched. This fiend had no pity. He killed for fun, to entertain himself. A being so evil, so sick, shouldn't exist. It was so unfair; he, who was such an awful being, could live while all those people, practically all the inhabitants of the Earth, were dead.

And, although she had been convinced of the contrary, she was beginning to believe that even Gohan hadn't survived against the monster. How could he have, after all, when even Gotenks, a fusion of the children who were supposed to generate the most powerful being of the universe, hadn't been able to measure up to the evil creature?

However, the girl told herself that at least once Buu would find and reduce her to the same fate as the others, the fiend wouldn't be able to follow them in Other World and torment them more. At least, once there, she could rest in peace; and, if he was there as well, she could see Gohan again.

It was then that Videl became aware of the silence in the Lookout. She ventured to take a look around, and was both surprised and perplexed to find the place entirely deserted. Could it be that Buu didn't notice that she was hiding? Could he have left without checking for more people to kill? No, it wasn't possible. It would be too good.

But then, where was he?

"You are Satan's daughter."

Videl froze when she heard the voice of Majin Buu behind her. However, what he'd said intrigued her. Piccolo had told her that her father had kind of become friend with the creature, and that it was actually because of this strange friendship that Buu, upon seeing her, had agreed to wait for his opponent to get ready. Could it be that he intended to spare her, when he'd killed everybody else?

As if—this monster has no pity, she reminded herself. He's going to kill me, just like everybody else he's killed. Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized that she was the only one left. This diabolical being slaughtered all of the inhabitants of the Earth: she was all alone in the world.

All because of this freaking gelatinous, pinkish bastard thingy.

Anger suddenly welled up inside her, and the female crime fighter turned around sharply to face the monster. He was staring at her, frowning, as if he were thinking. But the girl noticed none of it; all she could see was the demon who took all of those she loved from her.

Oh screw it! If I must die, might as well fight with everything I got! She then told herself.

Without thinking, she attacked. Her blows obviously didn't have any effect, but God, she felt so much better! Strangely enough, Buu wasn't reacting at all; he just stood there, motionless, with the same concentrated look on his face.

"Your Ki feels like Satan's."

"Why does it matter?" she yelled without stopping, tears of rage flowing on her cheeks. "You killed him, too, didn't you? Why should it matter to you that I'm his daughter?"

The beast gave a strange smile. "You're wrong."

Videl stopped abruptly at that, surprised. She was wrong? Could it mean that… her father was alive?

Still with the same smile, Majin Buu kept on: "Satan is the only one I spared, when I blasted off what was left of the Earthlings."

"Why are you telling me this?" She asked, not tearing her eyes off of his.

His strange smile widened, becoming purely sick. "You're his daughter, aren't you? I thought you'd like to know that Satan is alive before dying."

He then moved his antenna, pointing it at her. Videl's eyes widened as she realized that she was living her last moments.

"I've had enough of chocolate. What could I turn you into?" wondered the filthy creature, his smirk still present. "Oh, I know. Into biscuits, of course."

oOoOoOo

"It's… It's terrible…"

At the Sacred World of the Kais, Goku had just witnessed, by means of the crystal ball, the death of the people he cared most about. Sitting on the grass, he clenched his fists on his lap in rage. How he wanted to be able to return to the Earth and kill this hideous monster. Of course, he knew he couldn't, but it didn't stop him from wishing it with all his might.

"Dad? What's going on? Why is your power going up, suddenly?"

Goku turned to the two sitting a short distance away. He opened his mouth to answer but thought better of it. How could he tell his son that Buu killed all of their friends, their family, and even the girl he loved? He didn't have the opportunity to say a word, however, as the person sitting in front of his son, the Old Kai, said to Gohan:

"Keep quiet, you're distracting me."

"But…" tried the young man.

"You want me to awaken your hidden sleeping power, don't you? Then keep quiet and stay focused."

Though upset, Gohan fell silent. How much longer was he supposed to wait? This situation was unbearable. Being able to do nothing without even knowing what was going on in his planet, what happened to his family, to his friends…

Videl…

He had a really bad feeling about it. And the way his father reacted as he watched what was happening on the Earth only increased his bad feeling. His felt his heart clench at the thought of losing those he loved.

Or of having lost them.

Gohan closed his eyes tightly, refusing to conceive the thought. He couldn't, and didn't want to imagine his life without his close ones; the idea of it was unbearable.

He had to save them, at all cost.

oOoOoOo

"Are you sure?"

King Yemma, a giant with horns sitting behind a desk fit to his size, didn't need to check his files to confirm his answer.

"Of course I am sure. The inhabitants of the Earth may have all come before me, but I would've noticed it if I'd seen Goku's son. No, I'm sure of it: Son Gohan isn't dead."

I knew it! He's alive! Thought Videl as she was led towards the plane which was to bring her in Heaven, along with the young warrior's friends. They had renewed hope upon hearing the news; if Gohan was alive, then the Earth may not be lost yet.

But a question remained: if Gohan wasn't on Earth or in Other World, where was he then?

oOoOoOo

His second encounter with the pink creature was completely different from the first one. Not only was he immensely more powerful than he had been then, but he never wanted to kill someone so much as he did now.

Buu had decimated the entire population. He had killed absolutely everyone. All those innocent people, who had asked for nothing, had seen their lives brutally end.

The freaking asshole had killed Videl. His Videl. She was dead—the love of his life was dead. They were all dead, each and every one of them. He would never forgive him. Ever. He was going to make him pay. He was going to avenge the inhabitants of the Earth. For his mother, for his friends, for Videl—he was going to kill Majin Buu.

He smirked as he thought of the beating he would give to this bastard, of the way his superior look would be erased from his hideous face, only to be replaced by fear. Confident, he approached his enemy until he was facing him, still wearing his smirk.

"Don't tell me… You intend to fight me?" mocked Majin Buu.

"No. I only intend to kill you," (1) Gohan stated, certain of his superiority. The monster facing him seemed to find the thought ridiculous, bursting out in laughter as he reminded the young warrior how he'd already beaten him.

And, while the evil creature laughed loudly; while Piccolo panicked, being certain that his former student had no chance of winning against Majin Buu; while Goten and Trunks, thinking the same as the Namek, were getting ready to fuse again to help their elder, Gohan powered up suddenly and attacked his opponent with a flurry of blows which the monster was unable to dodge.

The three watchers were left dumbstruck.

oOoOoOo

Gohan could have defeated Majin Buu, and could have done so easily, moreover, if the evil creature hadn't tricked them and absorbed Gotenks and Piccolo. Same for Vegetto; if he hadn't let himself be absorbed, he wouldn't have lost the union by the Potalas of Vegeta and Goku. And if those warriors hadn't released the fat Buu from their enemy's body, the Earth, perhaps, wouldn't have been destroyed by the entirely evil being that ensued from all those transformations.

In the end, they didn't manage to save their sons and the Namek; they had let themselves be absorbed for nothing, since Gohan, Goten, Trunks and Piccolo had died along with the planet. Instead, they had saved Dende, Mister Satan and a little puppy.

It was all that was left of the Earth.

oOoOoOo

The lack of understanding was complete when all of the inhabitants of the Earth found themselves alive and in an undamaged planet; it was as if Majin Buu had never existed. The memory of being killed by the heinous creature was, however, still very vivid in their minds. They even remembered to have been in front of a giant with horns who had decided their fate in Other World. Was it all a dream?

A voice that strangely they could all hear, but couldn't see whom it was coming from, told them that they had indeed been killed by the monster but that they had been brought back to life. The man who was talking pressed the fact that it wasn't a dream and that the threat of Majin Buu was still very present: they were still fighting him, to that very moment (whoever "they" were). Unfortunately, they weren't winning. They needed their help, the Earthlings, to defeat Majin Buu. They only had to raise their arms, he said.

But no one believed this stranger. They simply ignored that voice which they could strangely all hear, convinced that they had all been suffering from a collective hallucination and that Buu never existed.

Vegeta gritted his teeth before the ungratefulness of those Earthlings. Except for their friends, no one, absolutely no one cooperated. He had thought his plan was foolproof, but he had forgotten just how stupid those humans could be.

oOoOoOo

Who would have thought that it would be thanks to Mister Satan that the world would be saved? Of course, without Vegeta who had thought to use the Genkidama and Goku to launch the attack, it couldn't have been possible either; but without Satan they never would've managed to convince the Earthlings to help them defeat Majin Buu, thus saving the universe.

The whole Earth was chanting the name of its hero: wherever you went, you could hear:

"Satan! Satan!"

Gohan gave a smile as he watched the people below, while flying towards the Lookout. This nightmare was finally over and the world was back to normal again—well, as normal as it could be.

Attempting to speed up, the young warrior let out a small sigh; he had given almost all of his energy to his father's attack, causing him not to have enough in order to fly as fast as he normally could. He was so impatient to be there, constantly picturing the reunion with a certain someone. It stands to reason that his current lack of speed frustrated him immensely.

As he approached his destination, however, he young man felt more and more anxious at the thought of seeing Videl again after everything that happened. He'd have to tell her about his origins, for that matter… What if she didn't want to be with him anymore when she finds out? What if she didn't want a life with a warrior? Well, that is, if she shared his feelings—of which he was still not completely sure.

He kept on flying, without changing his goal, giving himself some courage. More than anything he wanted to see her again. It didn't matter in the end if they should continue to be just friends. As long as she stayed in his life, nothing else mattered.

"That's the Korin Tower! We're nearly there!" Goten exclaimed happily, flying along with him, Trunks and Piccolo. The little boy was so impatient to see everyone again.

They flew up the tower, arriving quickly to its top, and continued along the magic pole that was linking the tower and the Lookout together. Gohan's heart was racing: it was the moment of truth.

To be Continued…

(1) The dialog is probably different in the English dubs or manga volumes, but I translated the French version of the dialog from the 41th volume. Hope you liked the chapter =)