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The Art of Meditation

The next morning, Gohan sat quietly, eyes closed, focused only on the sound of his breathing. He knew that keeping up with his meditation would be the only way to get through training Videl with his sanity. A knock broke his concentration.

Videl. She was the only one who ever came to his apartment. Any hesitance to train her had collapsed beneath the all-consuming terror and helplessness of that moment in the gravity room. If training could help her survive, then that is what he would do…as far as his mental state would allow.

"Come in," he called softly.

He slowly opened his eyes as Videl entered the room. One glance, and he could tell that she was exhausted. Dark circles lined her eyes, and her arms hung heavily at her side. He quickly guessed what had happened. She must have been training half the night, trying to get used to fighting with the weights on. Always pushing the limits, this one. In some ways, she reminded Gohan of himself during those first years after the Cell Games. The irony brought a bittersweet smile to his lips. He couldn't count the number of times he had pushed himself to the breaking point when training seemed the only way to escape the pain.

He watched as Videl shuffled wearily over to where he sat and plopped down on the floor in front of him. She looked up at him, making an effort to keep her tired eyes focused. Finally, she gave up and let her head droop down exhaustedly.

"So you tried out the new weights." It was not a question. Even so, Videl bobbed her head slightly in response.

"I don't think you're in any shape to be training right now."

Videl's head snapped up and she shot a defiant look at her teacher. "What? No way! I'm fine, see?"

She stood up and did a few practice jabs to prove her point. Gohan was not impressed, of course. Anyone could tell that her punches were far slower than normal. And from the look on her face, she was on the brink of collapse even after that small task. But all that didn't worry him so much. The dark shadows beneath her drooping eyes did.

"Your ability to throw a punch is not the issue," he informed her. "It's your lack of sleep. Today, we will be meditating and by the looks of you, you'll be asleep before you close your eyes."

Videl swung to face him.

"Meditating?" she asked, her voice brimming with disappointment.

"Yes, meditating. You will be getting plenty of physical training with those weights. Here we will train your mind."

"But—"

She bit her lip and didn't finish her sentence, for which Gohan was glad. Dealing with a student who constantly complained about his methods would get old fast.

"Alright, then. Are you telling me you can stay awake while you meditate?"

Reseating herself across from Gohan, Videl crossed her arms and emphatically affirmed, "Of course!"

Gohan didn't take any assurance in Videl's declaration. It was to be expected. And while she seemed to be a bit more awake than she was when she arrived, he doubted that it could last. More than likely, she would be asleep on his floor within minutes if she tried to meditate. Still, he figured he'd humor her. He'd never hear the end of it otherwise.

"Alright," he conceded. "It's been a while since the last time we did this, so we'll start with the basics. First, fold your legs beneath you like this and close your eyes."

Videl did as she was instructed.

"Now take deep, even breaths. Focus on only that. Hear the sound of each breath. Feel the air flowing in and out of your lungs. Let it fill your mind."

Gohan watched as Videl tried her best to achieve a meditative state. But just as he suspected, within a few minutes, her head was falling a bit lower with every breath. Eventually it couldn't go any lower and she tipped over and fell gently to the floor.

Gohan sighed. He'd known it would happen, but now he had to decide what to do. He guessed that she would be asleep for several hours at least. He didn't think it was right to just leave her on the ground that whole time. That raised the questions of where to put her instead. He considered using his bed, but quickly dismissed the idea. His room was his last sanctuary now that Videl had become a regular feature at his apartment. That left the couch.

As he moved to make the transfer, he ran into another problem. Videl was on her side curled up into a partial fetal position. How could he move her without waking her up? Carefully, he put one arm under her legs and position on other near her shoulders. Then he gently tried to roll her onto his arm. She stirred slightly, but did not wake up. With the tricky part out of the way, he carefully lifted her up…and realized his mistake.

Videl was once again in his arms. Her petite body pressed against his, reawakening feelings he had been working hard to suppress. The warmth of her body burned through their clothes as if they were nothing and seared his skin. Every point of contact sent electric shocks down his spine. The soft fluttering of her almost inaudible snore went right to the fluttering butterflies in his stomach. Panicking, Gohan rushed to set Videl down on the couch. He needed air. Scribbling down a note of where he was in case Videl woke up while he was gone, he went to take a walk outside.

In the streets of Satan City, Gohan breathed in the crisp spring air, willing his heart to slow down. It was only the second time he had experienced anything like this. The racing heart, the fluttering stomach, the strange urge to do…something, he didn't know what. He was completely unprepared to deal with it all.

Gohan was not naïve. He had some idea what was happening. He had feelings for Videl—since when he could not say—and they were growing far faster than he thought possible. That made the road ahead of him a treacherous one. It would definitely not be a good idea to allow himself to succumb to these feelings. There was too much potential for more pain. Plus, he was no longer just a classmate. He was her teacher, and teachers were not supposed to have romantic feelings for their students.

On top of all that, he didn't even think he could call the whole thing off if he wanted to. That made the whole situation of training her that much more dangerous. If he was honest with himself, he was scared. Scared like he had not been for years. Ever since that day, he had been stuck, unable to move on. Now, it felt like he was finally moving again, hurtling down a path not knowing where it led and unable to jump off. And following close behind him was the past, waiting for him to crash.

As Gohan returned to his apartment, he still had no solution, something which was becoming an all too common occurrence. Like always, he would just have to be careful and see what happened.

Purposefully avoiding looking at Videl as he entered, he made his way to his bedroom. There he could spend a few hours catching up on some homework and doing some meditation of his own as he waited for Videl to wake up.

Videl opened her eyes after her nap. For a moment she was alarmed to find herself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. As her brain continued to wake up, however, she remembered where she was and what had happened. Gohan had been right. She'd fallen asleep almost immediately.

She sat up to look around. Her sore muscles screamed with every movement. After falling asleep in the plane on the way back the night before, by the time she arrived home she wasn't tired in the slightest. She had also been eager to try out her new weights. So since she had the energy, she decided to give them a little test run in the gym. She found them much more of a hindrance than she thought. No matter how much she tried, the added weight prevented her from moving the way she wanted to, and that frustrated her. That had led to the single most grueling workouts she had ever done, and now she was paying for it.

Her overworked body moaned in agony as she stood up. Gohan was not in the room. She guessed that he had retreated to his bedroom while she slept. As she walked over to knock on his door, she checked the time on her watch.

12:39PM . She had slept for over four hours. Shaking her head in disbelief, she lifted her hand to knock on Gohan's door. Gohan opened the door before she got the chance.

"You're up. Good. Now we can get started."

He swept past her to take his customary spot on the living room floor. Normally, Videl would have been a bit off put by his brusqueness, but she was getting used to his bizarre conduct. Undaunted, she took up her place opposite him. She was now fully rested and ready to give it another go.

As she got herself situated, Gohan said, "Okay, same thing this time. Close your eyes and steady your breathing. Take slow, deep breaths through your nose and exhale through your mouth. As you breathe, feel the movement of the air circulating through your body and let it calm your mind."

Gohan fell silent and she attempted to do as he directed. It was easier to focus now that she had gotten some sleep. She did her best to calm her mind as he had said, but as before during gym class, that was no easy task. The quite atmosphere of the apartment was definitely more conducive to concentration than the noisy school gymnasium, but her mind still tended to wander no matter how much she tried to rein it in. Unwilling to admit defeat, especially with Gohan watching, she struggled silently with her thoughts.

"You're trying too hard," Gohan's voice interrupted her mental conflict.

She opened her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You're trying too hard to get it perfect right away," he explained. "When you don't, you get frustrated and that is what's sabotaging you. Meditation is about quieting your mind. Stressing about getting it right is counterproductive."

Videl crossed her arms as she absorbed his advice. She had never considered the possibility that she was trying too hard. All her life, she had accomplished things through sheer force of will.

"Then what do you suggest I do instead?" she asked, uncrossing her legs

"If your mind wanders, recognize it but don't overreact. Instead, refocus on your breath and visualize the distraction flowing out of your body as you exhale. Just remember, meditation is an art. Few if any fully master it. So don't worry if you don't get it perfect. Just do your best."

Videl contemplated what he said. It sounded simple enough. Actually doing it, however, would be difficult. It went against her personality to accept anything less than perfection. Still, it was worth a try.

Resuming her former position, she closed her eyes for yet another attempt at meditation. This time, whenever an intruding thought came in, she didn't fight and push against it. She did as Gohan said and tried to imagine herself breathing it out. At first, it didn't work. The thoughts came back like a boomerang, strong as ever. She didn't let that fluster her this time, though. Instead, she refocused on her breathing and tried again. And again. And again. She didn't know how long she sat there, trying to get a handle on the storm within her mind.

But eventually, there was a shift. Bit by bit, so slowly she hardly noticed, the invading thoughts started to come less frequently. And then, for the first time since that day she partnered up with Gohan in gym class, it happened.

Suddenly, the distracting thoughts ceased and her mind became completely calm. Her attention was wholly focused on her deep, rhythmic breaths. It didn't last long, but for those few moments, her senses seemed to change and she felt everything more intensely. She could hear the air rush like a tornado past her nostrils. She could feel her rib cage expand as her lungs stretched to capacity. And weirdest of all, she thought she could somehow feel the oxygen-rich air giving her life.

And then it was gone. Her concentration wavered, and the normal stream of disrupting thoughts returned. Videl's eyes flew open in surprise and she gaped at Gohan, her eyes pleading for an explanation for the extraordinary sensations she had just experienced. But he either didn't hear her unspoken question or chose to ignore it.

"Much better," he praised as he rose to his feet. He stooped to offer Videl a hand up as well.

She ignored both the compliment and his hand. "What was that?" she demanded.

"What was what?"

"Just now!" she exclaimed, leaping to her feet unaided "When I was meditating. One minute, everything was normal, then the next everything felt all…weird. Everything was so much more…intense, and it was like I could…"

She hesitated, not knowing how to put into words what had happened, at least not without sounding crazy.

"It was like I could feel the air keeping me alive or something. I've never felt anything like it before."

Gohan nodded in comprehension.

"You have experienced one of the benefits meditation offers," he explained. "There is much more to the world than what your normal senses can detect. Most people have not trained their mind to notice them. When you clear and focus your mind, all your senses are heightened and you gain the ability to sense things that your normal five senses cannot. A sort of sixth sense, if you will."

Videl stared at him in disbelief. "Then that wasn't just my imagination?"

"It was very real."

"And I could really sense myself somehow getting life from the air?"

Gohan nodded.

"What other things are there that you can sense with this 'sixth sense'?" she asked. She was having a hard time wrapping her brain around all of this.

Gohan didn't respond right away. He glanced toward the floor for a few seconds as he considered his reply.

"I think it would be better for you to find out on your own," he finally said. Turning towards the kitchen, he asked, "Would you like some tea?"

"No, thank you," Videl answered. She had never particularly liked tea. To be polite, she had accepted when he offered it in the past, but now she just wasn't in the mood to do so. She was confused about this new 'sixth sense' thing and frustrated that Gohan refused to explain any more. And what was particularly exasperating was that she knew she wouldn't be able to get any answers out of him until he decided to tell her. Gohan was the only person she knew that could compete with her own legendary stubbornness.

"Suit yourself," he said and set about making his own tea. "In any case, I think that's enough for today."

"But—!"

She wanted to say "we just got started," but as she checked her watch she realized that they had been on the floor for much longer than she thought. It was already nearly three o'clock. That meant she had been meditating for over two hours. It also meant she had been in Gohan's apartment for almost seven hours, far longer than it had seemed.

And so, reluctantly, she agreed. Saying her farewells, she headed for the door.

"One more thing before you go," Gohan called from the kitchen.

Videl stopped and turned. "Yes?"

Gohan regarded her somberly for some time. He nervously dipped the tea bag in and out of his mug. Whatever he was about to say, he seemed somehow conflicted about it.

Finally, he broke the silence, "I think it would be better for you to postpone your work with the police while you train. Those weights will slow you down and put your life in danger. I don't want to be responsible for you getting hurt."

Videl glanced darkly down at the floor. Of all the things he could have asked. She couldn't believe it. To even think of abandoning her work was…well, it was unthinkable. All the people that counted on her, trusted her with their lives…how could Gohan ask such a thing? It made her angry. More angry than she probably had rights to be, but angry all the same.

She snapped her head up and glared intensely at the young man across the room.

"I could never abandon the people that need my protection," she vowed forcefully.

Gohan appeared stricken. Satisfied that her words had had their proper effect, she spun to go out the door.

"Wait!" he called after her.

She shouldn't have listened. She almost didn't listen. But something in his voice made her stop to hear her classmate out. She turned to see a boy who looked thoroughly defeated. He was stooped over the kitchen counter with his head on his forehead. She had never seen him look more miserable.

"I'm sorry," he said, raising his head to look at her. His eyes were filled with remorse. "I'm truly sorry. I just didn't want you getting hurt. I wasn't thinking."

He hung his head shamefully. Videl's anger quickly dissipated, and she tried to think of a way to cheer up the depressed boy. That was not one of her strong suits.

"That's right. You weren't thinking!" she boldly proclaimed, pointing her finger at Gohan. "Who do you think I am? I'm Videl Satan, daughter of the man who defeated Cell. No scumbag criminal is going to beat me, even with these weights on. You can count on it!"

She flexed a bicep to punctuate her pronouncement. The whole thing was incredibly awkward and embarrassing. Videl was seriously starting to regret doing something so ridiculous when Gohan looked slowly up at her. He had an incredulous look on his face, as if he couldn't believe she had just said that and wasn't sure what to think. The silence stretched out as they stared intently at each other. Finally, he smiled weakly.

"Thank you," he said.

Videl smiled back. Nothing else needed to be said. Waving goodbye, she walked out, closing the door softly behind her.

Hey everyone! It took a little longer than I expected, but I finally got another full-length chapter up and it feels good. I hope you liked it. I'm excited for things to come, so stay tuned and I will try to get new chapters out as regularly as I can with my hectic schedule.

As always, thank you for reading and please review.