Author's Note: Welcome back and Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! I'm excited to share the last few chapters of this story with you (23 might also be the wrong number, might really end up being 24 LOL) so we still have some time left with this story, but we're coming up towards the conclusion faster than I thought! It's been a very fun journey writing this story for all of you so far and I hope I can continue to produce something enjoyable all the way till the very end! So thank you for all the support, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the new chapter!
Chapter XVII – What Peace Really Is
The rest of the week after Videl and Gohan had taken down the Black Gloves was quite relaxed. After all the chaos and excitement, Videl was glad to have some down time. Orange Star and the other schools in Satan City would remain closed for the rest of the week, partially to allow time for the high school to be repaired and security to be tightened in the wake of the attack. As such, the young couple suddenly found themselves with some free time on their hands.
Before the attack had happened, Gohan had been planning to share some information with Erasa and Sharpner and see if they wanted to be let in fully or would rather stay out of his complicated life. As a result, after an entire wonderful day of relaxing at home together, Videl proposed they invite their friends over to her home. If they did want to be let in on everything, she was harboring quite the secret herself considering Majin Buu was her roommate.
And so it was that on that Friday, Videl answered the door of the Satan mansion when Gohan arrived, wearing a gentle, if nervous, smile. Gohan had opened up to her about his life story and of course she'd accepted it completely. But now she found herself in his position as well; her best friends were likely going to learn some truly shocking information today and she had to hope they could handle it and stay friends with her after this…
"Don't worry too much, Love," Gohan reassured her. She felt her face grow hot as he used that particular pet name; it was one he rarely called her by, even still. "They might have some pretty strong reactions, but they're our best friends. You've known them for years. They'll handle it all just fine and we'll laugh about it later!"
"Yeah…I guess you're right. I just don't want to push them away or anything…" Gohan gave her a warm smile.
"I think I said the same thing to you back in May when I told you my story. It'll be okay; they'll be way more distracted by the fact that I'm half-alien than the fact that Majin Buu lives here." Videl managed a laugh and took his hand, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"You always know what to say to make me feel better. Thanks Darling, you're the best. Besides, we don't even know if they'll want to hear all that just yet. Though I'd bet every Zeni we have that they will…"
Not long after, there came a knock at the door and Videl felt her heart start racing. She drew a deep breath and tried to calm herself but it wasn't until Gohan placed his large hands on her shoulders and leaned in close did she actually feel herself settling down.
"Hey, it's okay 'Del. I'm getting pretty good at this! Just leave most of the storytelling to me!" Videl managed to grin up at him.
"Okay, I will. But I'll back you up where you need it."
Finally, they opened the ornate doorway, their best friends standing on the porch with wide grins on their faces. "Jeez, Vi! I always forget how incredible this place is when I haven't been here for a while!" Erasa's eyes were huge and she gazed around the entryway in awe.
"Oh come on, you know I think Papa went way too far with this place. We don't need all this stuff," she deflected, rolling her eyes lightly.
"Still, if you guys ever decide you really don't want it, I'll take it off your hands!" Sharpner teased, laughing.
Soon, Videl had led everyone up to her room, where she'd set up a few chairs. She figured it was the best place to have the conversation…especially with Buu meandering through the house randomly. Papa wouldn't be back until evening so it would essentially be just the four of them for a little while. That was good.
"So! You said there was something you wanted to tell us?" Erasa began after she got comfortable, half on her chair and half on Sharpner's arm.
"Uh, that's right…" she answered, trying not to trip over her words. Why was she so nervous? Erasa was her best friend. Sharpner was too. They could handle it. They wouldn't abandon her.
"Want me to start?" Gohan offered, to which she gratefully nodded and gave him a small smile. "Well, we wanted to tell you two something that's gonna happen early in November. And depending on what you think of that, we might have even more to tell you."
"All right, why are you two being so cryptic? What's going on?" Sharpner asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously. Gohan laughed a bit.
"Honestly, I'm just not sure the best way to present it to you. So I guess I'll just say it all at once! We're gonna summon a magical dragon and wish away humanity's memory of Majin Buu in a few weeks."
The silence that filled the room was deafening. In fact, it was the loudest silence Videl had ever heard in her life. Sharpner and Erasa wore similar looks of disbelief and shock on their faces and their mouths opened and closed like fish several times. Finally, Sharpner managed to find his voice again.
"A…magical dragon, huh?"
"Yeah," Gohan conceded, rubbing the back of his head. "We've called him a few times in my life, though not as much recently. Have you ever seen the sky go black randomly during the middle of the day? Only for about five minutes or so, though."
"Now that you mention it, I do kinda remember something like that," Erasa murmured. "When I was little, my parents had to bring me to West City for a business meeting. I think the sky randomly went dark that day. I remember someone complaining about more experiments and tests at Capsule Corp. that were causing it."
Videl glanced at Gohan and saw on it a look of equal disbelief as their friends had worn moments before. "Uh, yeah! That totally happened in West City back then! You'd have been about seven, right?"
"Yeah!" she sang, grinning. Gohan just chuckled to himself.
"Funny that we were in the same city at the same time that day. My group was the reason the sky went black like that, but it was no Capsule Corp. experiment."
"It was a magical dragon…" Sharpner finished, eyeing him incredulously. Gohan nodded.
"Yeah. Actually, that was a different one."
"How many are there?" he asked in surprise.
"Two that I know of. Though there might be many more out there somewhere."
"Wait," Erasa interjected. "Why are you telling us about all this?" Videl took a deep breath and finally spoke for the first time in a while.
"Well, the two of you have kinda learned a lot about all of Gohan's secrets and I think it's made us all even closer friends." They both nodded and smiled in agreement. "So we wanted to tell you about the plan…so you could decide if you wanted to be included in the wish to remove Majin Buu from your memories."
"You want us to decide?" Erasa asked, eyes wide.
"Y-yeah…"
"Why would you want to erase everyone's memories of Buu anyway?" Sharpner asked, still confused. Gohan took up the mantel again.
"It's a bit complicated, but there's a good reason, I promise. But it felt…wrong to do something like that to the two of you. Especially after the way you've accepted so much about me that's not normal." Sharpner grinned at him.
"Yeah, normal's about the last word I'd ever use to describe you." Gohan laughed before meeting his eyes directly.
"So I've decided that if you want to keep your memories and stay like this with us, I'll tell you my story. My whole story. And all the secrets I still have."
"Wow, really?" Erasa was interested, to say the least. She'd been curious about Gohan's life for many months now, to be fair. Videl added on quickly to the end of the thought.
"But if you'd both rather go back to not knowing this stuff, we completely understand. It's not easy to take this kind of information sometimes, things that change your entire worldview. We just wanted to tell you about the dragon and the wish and give you some time to figure out what you wanted to do before November."
"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I don't need time," Erasa sang, winking at her best friend. Videl eyed her in surprise. "I want my memories to stay right where they are, thank you! I never want to forget anything that's happened since May, even the most terrible parts of it. Those memories have made me a much more open-minded person and they've brought me really close with Gohan! And even closer with you, Vi!"
"E's absolutely right; no way in hell am I gonna have my memories altered, not after everything we've learned and been through these last five months." Sharpner wore a confident smile and gave them both a firm nod. A wide grin appeared on Gohan's face.
"You two are the best!" They both laughed and even Videl felt herself relaxing at last. She should have known better than to doubt her best friends in the whole world. Sure, maybe they'd have bad reactions to Buu being alive (and downstairs watching TV) still, but they were so determined to stay with them. There was nothing to worry about.
"I was afraid it might be too much for you," Videl admitted, letting out a sigh of relief. Erasa shot her an amused grin.
"I know, you always worry too much about us! But it's our turn to support you two now! So, I dunno about Sharpie, but I'd love to hear all these secrets I don't know!" Videl couldn't help but laugh at the blonde; she was always the type to inject a bit of levity into a situation and it always made her feel better.
"What do you say, Sweetheart? They're your secrets to share," Videl said, smiling up at him. He grinned and laughed lightly.
"I think if they're both that determined to stay by our sides, I owe them the truth. Especially for accepting me the way they have when there's still so much they don't know. So," he paused and turned towards them, "if you two are ready…I'll tell you everything."
Erasa's eyes lit up at once. Even Sharpner looked quite invested now. Both watched him expectantly and without interrupting as he collected himself and took a long breath. Videl held his hand warmly, just as a show of support. She was sure it was still nerve wracking for him to admit the truth of his heritage to anyone. At least he'd already done it once with her.
"My father is an alien from another planet and my mother is human, so I'm half-alien. That's why I can turn my hair gold and fight the way I do."
Mouths fell open in unison once more and Videl stifled a giggle. While she had been surprised, sure, it had also made sense to her. When nothing logical made sense anymore, then the illogical was the only place to go, after all. She had seen too much to question his words by that point, too. But their friends were still adjusting to all this. She had to admit, though, she rather liked Gohan's amusing choice to rip the band-aid off, so to speak.
"So…the 'Gold Fighter' is…an alien power?" Erasa managed at last. Gohan grimaced a bit.
"Yeah; sorry I kinda dropped that on you all at once. I didn't know how to say that, either. But yeah, I come from a race of nearly extinct warriors called Saiyans. They were almost wiped out when my father was a baby, but his parents sent him away in time and he crashed here. So that might help explain a little of what you've seen since the Tenkaichi Budōkai back in May. Everything at the tournament arena was real and so is everything that's happened since."
"Dude," Sharpner began, finally recovering his voice. "I expected you to say a lot of things just then, but that was not on my list. But…it's honestly a lot more plausible than wigs and laser shows," he joked, grinning again at last. Videl grimaced.
"Ugh, don't remind me of that, please."
"So all those people that can turn gold then," Erasa continued, training off and pondering. Gohan simply nodded.
"Yep; they're all Saiyans too! Or at least half-Saiyans. My father and the shorter man in blue from the tournament are the only full-blooded Saiyans left. My little brother and Bulma's son are the other half-Saiyans, along with me."
"Okay, time out," she interrupted, reeling somewhat. "You keep saying this like it's so normal. Are there really other planets out there with whole warrior races on them? Like…it's not just us down here?" Videl grinned at her friend.
"You should buckle up, 'Rase; we've got a lot to tell you!"
Erasa and Sharpner had started out feeling utter disbelief as Gohan shared some of the finer details of his life with them, but slowly they were starting to accept things for what they were. Videl noticed that he spared them some of the more gruesome details of his past, as well as some of the more emotional moments. She didn't blame him; it must have been hard enough to relive those with her. Notably absent was his telling of Piccolo's sacrifice when he was a child, some of the more upsetting details of what happened on Planet Namek, and the specifics of Goku's death during the Cell Games. Otherwise, he told them everything else, from the Saiyans invading Earth all the way until the death of Majin Buu at the hands of his father.
It took a while and both of them had to interrupt to ask a few questions as they went along, but at last, Gohan finished the second recounting of his life story. Videl's hand had never left his for the entire duration, something she could sense he was grateful for.
"That's…a wild story, man," Sharpner managed at last. He shot a grin across the room at him. "But after what I've seen the last few months, I honestly believe it. Especially since Videl over there didn't bat an eye at all. You've heard all that before, of course?"
"Of course," she echoed, smiling. "I know neither of you would repeat any of it, but I just want to officially ask that you keep all that secret, okay? Aside from us three and Papa, very, very few people know the truth anymore. And it's honestly a lot easier for Gohan and his family and friends if they stay out of the spotlight."
"Don't worry, Vi! Or you, Gohan! We won't tell a soul!" Erasa promised, giving them an excited thumbs up.
"Our lips are sealed," Sharpner agreed.
"Thanks, you two." The relief in Gohan's voice was palpable. He had been accepted again, this time by his two best friends. She was truly glad Erasa and Sharpner were such wonderful people.
"Hey," Erasa began, her brow furrowed. "I know it's been a little while since it came up, but now that we know all the secrets, why are you erasing humanity's memories of Majin Buu?" Videl felt her heart drop. She had almost forgotten about that.
"Oh, uh…maybe it's better to let 'Del handle that one," Gohan offered, taking her hand in a show of support the way she had done earlier. She thanked him silently; if he hadn't grabbed her hand, she might have bolted from the room.
"S-sure…um, there might be one more secret…I have something to tell you guys…and maybe something to show you, too. It's…a lot. Maybe even harder to believe than anything Gohan's told you already."
"Relax Videl, after everything we've heard, we can take it," Sharpner promised, giving her an easy nod. She took a deep breath. And then another, just for good measure.
"Well, uh…Papa kinda became friends with Majin Buu back in May. He actually convinced him to give up his evil ways for a little while and…well, you heard the story. But, um…Majin Buu is…still alive. And downstairs. Watching television. He lives with us."
Erasa and Sharpner looked as if they'd been struck by lightning and dropped from an incredible height at the same time. That hadn't been the reaction Videl was hoping for, but it wasn't a surprising one, all things considered. Buu had been the creature that had killed them, along with everyone else on Earth.
"W…what?" was all Sharpner could stammer. Videl nodded quickly.
"Believe me, I know. I was livid when Papa brought him back. But he's good now, really. I've seen it. The evil side of him was split off during the whole incident in May and while he's still very strong, he's not even close to Gohan's power anymore! So he's not a threat to us or anyone else. But…he's also like a giant toddler. He eats and watches TV with Papa and plays with his puppy and…just kinda has a good time."
"I…I'm having such a hard time imagining this," Erasa managed, her eyes still nearly popping out of her head. "The…big pink monster that killed us all is downstairs?"
"Not that one, exactly! It's the fat one that you saw my dad fighting," Gohan interjected. Erasa stared at him for a moment, seemingly confused as to why that made any difference at all. Videl decided to continue trying to ease her anxiety.
"I will say…I had a really hard time with him being around at first. I had nightmares about him, I avoided him, I hid in this room or stayed out with Gohan almost every day for a while. But…I forced myself to try to make peace with him. Partly for Papa, but mostly for myself. And he's actually turned out to be a genuinely good person. Or…whatever he actually is. Gohan and I have even had fun with him," she admitted.
Their friends were starting to settle down it seemed, their eyes reducing back to their normal sizes. Sharpner managed to find his voice next. "This is pretty mind blowing; sorry. I believe you, really. Especially since Gohan would've ripped him to shreds for killing you back in May if he was still evil." Videl felt her heart flip at those words. The fact that Gohan would do it was already wonderful enough to know, but the fact that Sharpner knew it too was what really made her feel extremely lucky.
"Yeah, honestly if you and Gohan aren't worried about him anymore, then I don't think we should be either," Erasa admitted, though her face betrayed her trepidation still.
"Do you guys wanna meet him?" Gohan offered.
"No!" Erasa cried out instantly. She caught herself and managed a nervous laugh before taking a slow breath. "Sorry. I meant…not yet. I still need to wrap my mind around this a little better. I do want to meet him and see what he's really like now but…maybe a little later, after I've sat with this for a while."
"Y-yeah…I think the same's gonna be true of me," Sharpner confessed. "Like I said, I really do believe you both. But…I don't think I'm ready to meet Majin Buu in your living room just yet."
"That's perfectly fine," she reassured them. "You can take all the time you need. Hey…did learning that Buu's still alive make you reconsider keeping your memories…?"
"Not at all!" Erasa promised her immediately. "If the only way to keep them was to go meet him right now and talk to him for an hour, I'd do it! But…it isn't and I'm definitely not prepared for that," she reiterated, laughing at last.
"Same here, I'm not changing my answer for anything," Sharpner assured her. "So when you all summon that magical dragon in November, include us in your list of exceptions! I don't wanna forget a thing."
"Neither do I!"
"It's a promise," Gohan guaranteed them, smiling. Videl felt her own lips curve into a smile as well.
"Absolutely. And thank you both for being so understanding about everything. We're really lucky to have the two of you in our lives and to call you our friends."
"Oh stop, you'll make me blush," Erasa teased, a spark of her usual pep returning at last. The four of them laughing together was all it took for Videl to know that, no matter what they learned and no matter how difficult it was to accept, Erasa and Sharpner would always be her best friends. And now they'd be Gohan's too. His real friends who could share in the knowledge of his incredible past with him the way so few could.
There were no two ways about it – their friends were two of the best people on Earth.
"Do you wanna make cupcakes for them?"
That innocent little question had started it all. Gohan and Videl had been relaxing with Buu after a rigorous training session that Saturday when the topic of their friends had come up. Videl was explaining to Buu that in a few weeks he'd be free to move around the world at his leisure and told him that they might be introducing a few friends who would still remember him. After a lull in the conversation, Videl had turned pointedly to Gohan and asked that question.
"Cupcakes?" he repeated, a little surprised.
"Yeah! We're used to crime fighting and thugs invading places, but they're probably still recovering from the other day. Plus we did drop a lot on them yesterday. We should make them some dessert, like cupcakes!" Her smile was dazzling and Gohan couldn't have brought himself to say no even if he'd wanted to.
And so, the young couple found themselves in the kitchen with everything they'd need to bake the perfect batch. Even though there was no smell just yet, Buu kept shooting excited glances towards them, the anticipation on his face obvious even from across the room. He was their designated taste tester, after all, and he took to that duty with unsurprising enthusiasm.
Videl was quite a sight, Gohan thought to himself a few moments later. Her hair wasn't so long yet that she had to tie it back, but she very deliberately brushed it behind her ears as she secured the long white cooking apron around herself. Since she was dressed very casually under that – a simple t-shirt and some sweatpants, perfect for relaxing at home after a hard day's training – Gohan knew she wouldn't agree that she looked breathtaking. And yet, she did. It was the most casual outfit in the most casual of contexts, but he was convinced he'd never seen a more beautiful sight than Videl at that moment.
"Here, I'll get your apron," she told him, dipping behind him and tying the strings for him. He snapped out of his daze just in time for her to float up into the air, spin around him quickly, and plant a sweet kiss on his lips.
"T-thank you, Doll, that's so sweet of you!" She grinned and pecked him on the nose.
"Of course! Where were you? You don't usually stutter from a kiss anymore unless I take you by surprise!" She was too good.
"I was just thinking about how beautiful you are," he admitted honestly, a warm smile appearing on his face. She rolled her eyes and her grin grew wider.
"Oh come on, I look like I'm ready for bed, not for a compliment."
"Comfy is cute! Especially on you!"
"Well, I'm glad for that! I'm not one for getting all dressed up all the time anyway."
"You look good in everything, no matter what it is," he assured her. She lowered herself to the ground and looked up at him, her eyes widening as if she'd just remembered something.
"Oh yeah, speaking of getting dressed up, Papa asked me to run something by you! Are you doing anything with your family or friends on New Year's Eve?" Gohan blinked a few times in surprise but shook his head.
"No, we never really do anything special. Goten's still a bit too young to manage making it to midnight and in years past Mom and I have just relaxed at home. But even with Dad back, I doubt much will change. Once when I was really little, Bulma had a party at Capsule Corp. for everyone, but she hasn't done that in a long time so I doubt she'll do it this year. How come?" Videl's eyes were twinkling and she smiled up at him.
"Do you want to come to a party with me?"
"A party? You're not usually into that kind of thing." She giggled.
"You're right; I'm not. But this is a special party!"
"Special?"
"Yep! It's a party hosted by the King at his palace in Central City!" Gohan felt his face contort in surprise.
"The King? Wow, that's pretty awesome! I guess that's not a huge deal to you and your dad though, huh?" She shook her head and leaned up against him, glancing at the recipe book they had placed on the counter earlier.
"It's not that weird, no. Though I haven't gone with Papa to the party in a few years; I got tired of always being 'Mr. Satan's daughter' and not just myself. But this year is different. This year, I can bring you!"
"T-the King invited me?" Gohan asked, suddenly incredulous. Videl laughed lightly before squeezing his hand.
"Not directly, no. Papa and I get invited every year, and everyone who gets an invitation gets to bring a plus one. So I want to bring you! If you're interested, of course! Otherwise, we could just relax at home instead." Gohan grinned and shook his head.
"Nah, let's go to this party, it sounds incredible! I've never seen the palace, but my dad's told me some stories. Besides, I'd love to go to a party with you!"
"Really?" Her eyes were shimmering again. She wouldn't have outright admitted it, probably, but it seemed she really wanted to go to this party after all.
"Absolutely! Is it a formal thing?"
"Yeah, it's exactly what you'd expect – fancy dinner, ballroom dancing, extravagant dresses and tuxedos, all that stuff." Gohan felt himself grinning at her before he knew it.
"So I get to see you wear an extravagant dress then?" She blushed fairly deeply but managed to smile as well.
"Y-yeah, I guess so. And I get to see you wear a tuxedo! Have you ever worn something like that before?" Gohan grimaced.
"I've worn suits before and I never liked those. I can only guess a tuxedo is gonna be even worse…" Videl laughed and took his hand, placing a string of gentle kisses along each knuckle.
"It's not that much worse, honestly. Besides, we'll be having so much fun you won't even remember you're wearing it!"
"I'll take your word for it. I don't really have something like that though," he admitted.
"Oh, don't worry! I'll take you by our family tailor after school sometime soon and she'll get you all fitted and taken care of. She's an absolute genius. In fact, the only person who knows my style better than her is 'Rase."
"You have a family tailor?"
"I never mentioned it?"
"No, but then again, I guess I'm not that surprised." She giggled lightly again.
"Yeah, she's been in charge of Papa's fashion since the Cell Games…but he usually just wears his normal outfits to most events anyway. And while I don't really see her too much, the few times I have were actually surprisingly pleasant! So we can trust her with everything for the King's party!"
"That sounds so great! I'll take you up on that then!"
"Perfect! Now, what do you say we work on some cupcakes?"
"Let's! Where do we start?"
Videl reached over and picked the recipe book up off the counter, thumbing through the pages until she found what she was looking for. Gohan, feeling a bit too far from her, wrapped his arms snugly around her waist and leaned in close, resting his head on her shoulder and peering at the pages himself. She made a small noise of happiness and nuzzled his cheek with her own before she pointed to the page on the right.
"This is the recipe my mom used to use for my birthday when I was little," she explained, a wistful smile appearing on her soft lips. "They're my favorite cupcakes in the world. Wanna try these?"
"I'd love to. We've gotten a lot better at cooking since we started, I bet we can get it right on the first try!" A light laugh escaped his girlfriend.
"I think so too! Guess we have some high self-expectations to live up to, huh?"
"Hey, you and me together? We can do anything."
"I think so too."
Gohan turned and kissed her softly on the cheek, watching as the slightest hint of a pink blush dusted her cheeks. "I love you, Videl."
Those words alone were enough to make her cheeks darken several shades of scarlet deeper, but a wide smile never left her lips. Maybe it was the softness he'd said it with, or the closeness they shared at the moment, or even just the unexpectedness of the sentiment. Whatever it was, though, Gohan couldn't believe he was lucky enough to witness his Videl glow like an angel right before his very eyes.
"I love you too, Gohan. So very much."
The cupcake baking itself actually went quite well. They had each taken to preparing a different bowl of ingredients before combining them and placing them in the oven to cook. During that time, they finished up some homemade vanilla frosting as well, a bit of a challenge for the amateur cooks, but something they were determined to succeed in. Once they were done, they both marveled at their handiwork. The frosting looked delicious. The fact that Buu kept looking over and drooling from across the entertainment room was further proof that they'd done well.
"Let's try it!" Videl suggested and Gohan eagerly agreed. She took a spoon and lifted some of the fluffy white frosting from the bowl, scooping a small amount onto her finger before tasting it. Her eyes lit up in an instant and she noticed that Gohan smiled in response.
"That tasty, huh?"
"Yeah! We did a really good job with this!"
Gohan followed suit, tasting the frosting in the same way, and was delighted by it as well. All the reward she needed for the effort they'd put into this little project. "Wow, you're absolutely right!"
"See?"
"Go team!"
"We've gotten so much better!"
"Hey 'Del, how much time do the cupcakes have left to bake?" She turned away and glanced at the oven. "Five minutes," she told him, spinning back on her heel towards him.
Before she could fully process what was happening though, she felt something rather cold on the end of her nose. Glancing as best she could towards the sensation, she saw Gohan's finger against her and followed it up to his face, trying his best to stifle a laugh he was very much losing the battle to.
"What…" she managed before it clicked. "Did you put frosting on my nose?" At last, Gohan broke out into laughter. He was so amused and tickled with himself that she couldn't help but give in as well, a fit of genuine laughter ensnaring her.
"Sorry, I just couldn't stop thinking about how cute you'd look like that!" he managed between bouts of mirth. Her eyes narrowed and she smirked at him.
"Well, I'm glad you find me cute like this! Let's see if I think the same about you!" Before he could react, she swiped a bit of frosting from the spoon onto her finger and dove for him. She caught him with one arm, trying to poke the end of his nose with her finger. During the struggle, they lost balance and started to fall backwards.
She had to credit him for his reflexes; even without being prepared, he held her easily and used his ki to cushion their fall, easing them to a stop just above the ornate tile. Lowering them to the ground, still laughing, he resigned himself to his fate. "You win, go ahead!" he conceded, grinning all the while. Videl faked the best pout she could manage.
"It's no fun if I don't beat you fair and square! You know I'm competitive," she teased.
"Then I guess you won't be needing this?" In one swift motion, Gohan raised himself up and quickly licked the frosting off the end of her finger. When she thought about what had happened later, she would dissolve into a fit of blushing embarrassment. But at that moment, her desire to beat him was just too much stronger and she feigned indignation.
"I didn't give up!"
"Oh? It seemed like you weren't gonna do it."
"Fine, then I'll just do this instead!" she cried out triumphantly, leaning forward and pressing her nose right up against his. Gohan's eyes widened in surprise as she rubbed her nose against his, frosting getting all over him as well.
"You know," he admitted, grinning widely, "I didn't expect that!"
"You were the one who taught me things like that! Use the unexpected to your advantage!"
"You're right, I can only blame myself for how strong you've become," he joked, laughing heartily again.
Her nose still pressed up against his, she kissed him. Maybe a bit too passionately for the situation they were in. Majin Buu was guffawing at the television mere yards away and they were lying on the cold, uncomfortable kitchen tile, but she didn't care. Nobody could see them anyway. And he was just too handsome and adorable to resist. As she grazed his lips with her tongue, she felt his breath hitch before he timidly let her in.
They hadn't kissed like this in a little while, not since the last time they'd been well and truly alone back in September. She never wanted it to stop. The feeling of their bodies pressed up against each other like this, the way his tongue nervously responded to hers, it was all so intoxicating and addicting. She could never get enough of him when they had moments like this. Which made it all the more disappointing when the oven timer went off loudly across the room.
Snapping from their passionate embrace, Videl finally collected herself, breaking their kiss and sitting back onto her knees, breathing quite heavily. Gohan was catching his own breath too, a bit surprised by how assertive she'd been if his blush were any indication.
"Sorry," she whispered. He shook his head quickly.
"Don't be. It's been a little while since we've had the chance to do that."
"It really has. And we've been so busy lately."
"Maybe we can steal a little time alone soon, just you and me?" he suggested, a tiny glimmer in his eye. Videl blushed and smiled.
"It's a date. As soon as we can manage it."
"We should get our cupcakes before they burn, though," he reminded her.
"Oh!" She leapt to her feet and hurried to the oven, pulling the sheet of baked treats out quickly. They weren't burnt at all, but if he hadn't reminded her they probably would have been…
Crossing the room again, she placed them on the stove to cool and offered Gohan, still rising to his feet, her hand. He took it and she pulled him up, pleased by how much easier it was to lift him this time than it had been several months before. Her training was helping a lot.
"Thanks, Angel," he said, kissing the top of her head.
"You're welcome, my love."
"How'd they turn out?"
"Great! They look perfect!" Buu's ears perked up a bit at that comment, she noticed.
"All right! So now what? We just dress them up and that's that?"
"Yep! But first, how about we set a few aside for us?"
"I like the way you think!"
A few minutes later, all the cupcakes were frosted and finished, four of them sitting off to the side on the counter. They had made a decent sized batch, with eight remaining for Sharpner and Erasa. That was probably more than enough for their two friends, all things considered.
Videl glanced up and noticed Buu leaning around the entryway to the kitchen, eyeing the cupcakes with wide eyes as he drooled unabashedly. She laughed and waved him over. "Come on, Buu, we saved you one!"
"Yay!"
The pink giant bounced giddily across the room until he stood next to she and Gohan, eyeing the cupcakes with wonder. "Here you go, this one's for you!" Buu grabbed his and Videl took one for herself and Gohan, placing it in her boyfriend's outstretched hand. Buu tilted his head curiously as his eyes fell on the remaining treat.
"Why there extra? That for Buu too?"
Videl laughed. "No, that's for Papa when he gets home later!"
"…can Buu have?"
"You can, but I'll have to let Papa know you ate his only cupcake. He'll be disappointed that he didn't get one," she teased, grinning.
"…Buu leave for Mr. Satan."
The three of them took a bite of their freshly made dessert – well, she and Gohan took a bite while Buu popped the whole thing into his mouth, wrapper and all. She felt a sensation of nostalgic delight wash over her. It was every bit as delicious as when Mama had made them for her birthday as a kid.
"These turned out so great!" Gohan told her, thrilled by the results.
"They really did!"
"Buu want more!"
"Easy Buu, these are for our friends," she cautioned him. His face fell and he moped for several long moments before she sighed and rolled her eyes, grinning up at Gohan. "Tell you what, we'll make some more for you to celebrate once you can leave the house, okay?" Instantly, he lit up again.
"Videl mean it?"
"Of course! You can even help us out; we'll teach you!"
"Buu do! Buu do!"
While he celebrated and danced around the room, Videl turned back to Gohan. "Sorry, I kinda volunteered you just then. You don't have to if you'd rather not."
"Are you kidding?" His face was alight with a wide smile. "I'll take any excuse I can to spend time baking with you. Or doing anything with you, honestly."
"You're just the best, you know that?"
"Only for you."
Videl just snuggled up close to him and basked in the feeling of warmth and happiness she was overcome by. Maybe it was the memory of Mama's cupcakes or the joy emanating off Buu. Maybe it was even just the promise of many more days like this with her Gohan in the future. But right then, at that very moment, Videl's heart was so full of happiness and love that she couldn't help but squeeze him in a tight hug. Things were looking even better now than just a week ago. And she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
"Did your men find anything interesting in the initial sweep of the systems?" Bulma's curious voice rang out.
Gohan, Videl, and Bulma had headed to the Satan City precinct the next day at the request of Chief Kaneki. They had finished organizing the hardware and data they had seized from the Black Gloves. It was all situated in a large storage room of theirs, neatly set up for easy access.
Kaneki shook his head. "Unfortunately, very little that we weren't already aware of. Evidently, they actually referred to those gloves of theirs as the 'Manifest Gloves' and there were some details on a few members of the organization that we hadn't managed to get out of them just yet, but ultimately all the data here did was reaffirm the things we already knew."
"Hm. That's a bit of a shame. Mind if I poke around some?" Bulma asked. Kaneki gestured to the lineup of computers and equipment.
"Not at all, help yourself. Saiya Squad, you're welcome to go through anything you like as well. I have some things I have to attend to briefly so I have to step out, but I'll be back in about thirty minutes at most. Take your time and search through as much as you want."
"Thanks, Chief," Gohan called to him as he headed towards the door. Once it shut behind him, they were free to discuss their theories without needing to obscure the specifics.
"So, they were 'Manifest Gloves,' huh?" Bulma mused aloud. "I assume it's simply because they allow the users to 'manifest' ki. What a boring naming convention," she scoffed, earning a chuckle from Gohan and Videl.
"Well, at least we know your theories were right," Videl offered.
"Yeah, that's true. For not being too familiar with ki science, I think I did a decent job of deciphering it."
"Hey look at this," Videl called out, raising up a schematic. Gohan glanced over and saw the designs of the Ki Suppressor, clear as day.
"That's their favorite toy, right?' he called, rifling through a few papers with names of members and the dates they'd joined. Videl nodded before laughing a bit.
"Yep, that's it. Hey Bulma, you'll never guess what he named it."
"Oh no, what is it?"
"'The Paralyzer.'"
"Are you serious?" she demanded in disbelief. "Part of the fun of inventing things is naming them! Why even bother with a name at all if you're just gonna be that unoriginal? 'Ki Suppressor' is a much more interesting name…"
"Speaking of interesting names, your name comes up in this journal entry," Gohan interjected, gesturing to a computer screen.
"It does?"
"Yeah. Apparently, he figured you were the only one smart enough to counteract his 'Paralyzer.' He knew you had found him out when he discovered the tracker in the transmitter and assumed you were the one helping the two of us get around his machine. That's some pretty decent deductive reasoning, actually." Videl frowned from across the room.
"Yeah, it is…Bulma, you don't think he'd come after you, do you? He's still out there and we have no way of finding him." Bulma's eyes flashed and she grinned intensely.
"I'd like to see him try. With my Vegeta and Trunks at home, if he ever dared to darken our doorstep, they'd make sure to give him a very warm welcome."
"Even if he used that machine on them?" Gohan reminded her. She considered the thought for several moments.
"It seems like he doesn't have anymore, especially if he didn't try it on the two of you during your raid on his base. But even if he did, Vegeta's been training to shake off the Suppressor's effects lately. It's his new form of gravity training," she explained, much to Gohan's amusement. Leave it to Vegeta to turn something that could actually be a threat into another training regimen.
"Has he managed to break through it yet?" Gohan asked, curious how well Vegeta could channel his strength consciously against the technology. It had taken Videl being in danger to push him far enough; he seriously doubted he could have done it if it had just been him in danger.
"Not quite. He's getting closer, but he hasn't done what you did yet."
"He probably just doesn't have the right motivation, huh?" Videl proposed from across the room, rifling through some more files.
"That's what I said," Bulma agreed. "Nobody he loves has been put in danger because of the Ki Suppressor. If Trunks or I were in trouble, I bet he'd break through it too."
"I'm sure he'll be just fine in the end," Gohan agreed. "Vegeta's always been the type to exceed what even he thought he was capable of when his back is to the wall."
After several more minutes, all of them were coming up blank for new information or discoveries. "Guys, the well is running pretty dry over here," Bulma sighed, logging out of the last computer setup. "He really is a cautious guy, this 'Boss.' There's not a single trace of his identity on any of these computers. The only thing that even proves he used them is that digital journal from earlier where he talked about your connection to me. I'm pretty much at a loss for anything else."
"Same here," Gohan conceded. "Seems like there's nothing that means more to us than it did to the Chief. We have schematics for those 'Manifest Gloves' now but does it really matter? Just because we know how that weapon is made doesn't mean we can stop it without using force."
"Yeah, there's nothing of much value here. Though I'll definitely copy those schematics and compare them to my own projects and see what I can learn from them!"
"How about you, Ni-gō? You all good over there?" Gohan was a bit curious why Videl was so quiet.
"Um…actually…I might've found something just now," she called out, waving them over. Gohan and Bulma crossed the large storage room and stopped beside her. On top of the table she was standing by was a large map of their school, detailing the specifics of the Orange Star attack. There was a breakdown of the names of each member and which classroom they would be assigned to (including their captors, Toji and Mino) as well as a schedule to bring the Paralyzer around to each station. It was very well thought out.
"This is their plan from when they attacked you, huh?" Bulma mused. Videl nodded but Gohan was a bit confused.
"But what does this tell us that we didn't already know?"
"The plan doesn't really help much," she admitted. She pointed to a spot on the upper left-hand corner of the map. "But this seems important. I feel like I recognize this but I can't exactly place it. Do either of you know what it could mean?"
Gohan followed her finger to a small logo. It looked as if two triangles had been placed on their sides, their points joining in the middle. The right side was filled in black, sporting a red letter 'R.' And, as if it had been inverted, the left side was filled in red, with a single black letter 'B' at its center.
"That…looks a bit like the old Red Ribbon Army logo, doesn't it?" Gohan murmured. Videl gasped and clapped in excitement as she finally realized where she'd seen it before and Bulma nodded without so much as a moment's hesitation.
"Yep, that's the same design," the older woman agreed. "The lettering is different though. 'RR' used to stand for 'Red Ribbon.' We saw it time and time again on the Androids and even on Gero himself back before Cell showed up. It's a bit of an assumption, but I think this safely proves that whoever this 'Boss' is was pretty heavily influenced by Dr. Gero."
"Then you and Eighteen were right," Videl reminded her. "He must be some kind of student or relative or something like that."
"But what does 'BR' stand for?" Gohan pondered aloud.
"Well, judging by the color scheme, I'd say something like 'Black Ribbon.' 'The Black Ribbon Army'…sounds about as original as anything else this guy's named."
"Kinda stands to reason too, if those gloves were their primary weapons and they were solid black," Videl agreed.
"Let's check the computers one more time and see if we can find that name somewhere in them. It may not lead us anywhere, but it's at least a start towards Boss's identity," Gohan suggested.
Another pass over the computer setups, though, left them with nothing new. There was no other mention of "Black Ribbon Army" or even the standalone letters "BR" anywhere that they could find. Disappointed by their lack of new information, but at least pleased with the name they'd learned, the trio prepared to leave the storage room and meet up with the Chief. As if on cue, however, Kaneki reappeared at that very moment.
"It appears you've just about wrapped up here. Did you find anything useful?" Bulma laughed a little.
"Only that our mysterious boss's naming sense is terrible. Though…I wonder if you could keep an ear to the ground for us?" Kaneki nodded.
"Of course. What am I listening for?"
"We found a logo on one of the maps that seems to suggest to us that this group actually called themselves the 'Black Ribbon Army,' like the Red Ribbon Army from all those years ago. I'm sure you've heard of them?"
"Of course. They've been gone for decades, though. Why would someone with ties to them resurface now?" Gohan wondered for a moment just how much Bulma intended to explain. She decided to keep things brief, however.
"We're not really sure, either. But that does seem to be the case. So if you happen to hear anything about the 'Black Ribbon Army,' would you mind letting us know? I'll be digging a little deeper with my connections as well. It might give us some kind of clue as to who this 'Boss' really is." Kaneki nodded again.
"I'll see what I can learn around the city and from our suspects in custody. If there's a clue as to his identity in that name, you can bet I'll turn over every stone I can if it means finding him."
"Thanks Chief, you're really helping us out here," Videl told him warmly. He offered a calming smile.
"The feeling's mutual, I assure you. Knowing the three of you are out there keeping an eye on this is an immense relief to me and my department as well. Let's hope we can learn something new going forward and put a real end to all this sooner rather than later."
School started up again the following Monday with Videl and Gohan walking onto the familiar campus hand in hand once more. Orange Star had brought in several psychologists and counselors whom students were free to meet with should they so wish, something Videl was glad for. While she and Gohan might be perfectly fine following the attack, she was sure many others weren't. Most people weren't used to those kinds of situations, after all.
They brought their homemade cupcakes in a small container and happily presented them to Erasa and Sharpner. Their friends were quite grateful but insisted they hadn't needed to go to the trouble and worry themselves so much. Sharpner especially promised he was totally fine after last week. It didn't stop them both from enjoying the desserts though, but not before insisting she and Gohan each have another with them.
Apparently, the rest of the class had silently decided that Gohan and Videl were the Great Saiyaman duo and had all just as silently agreed to never utter a word about it. Erasa explained the whisperings she had heard among their classmates that morning about how the couple had saved their lives and the entire school and how they would never betray them for protecting them. Their homeroom teacher might even know the truth at this point. Videl was tempted to try to quash those suspicions but ultimately decided against it. What was the point? If she denied it too adamantly, they would be even more suspicious. The best thing they could do was ignore it and not draw any more attention to themselves. Though…it felt nice to know the people she had worried so much about had their backs.
And so, school life resumed as usual for several weeks more. And finally, November arrived, heralded by a return to the cool weather she so much preferred to the lingering warmth from the summer months that had extended uncharacteristically into October. Time marched forward and, soon enough, the first Sunday that they could again use the Dragonballs to make their wish arrived.
The morning had been a whirlwind for Videl; Gohan and his entire family – even his grandfather – had quite literally appeared on their doorstep and offered to teleport she, Papa, and Buu up to the Lookout, where the wish-granting orbs had already been gathered. Videl held Gohan's hand tighter than usual; she had never teleported before. It felt a bit like going over the big drop on a rollercoaster – her stomach lurched and she felt the ground fall out from beneath her, clinging a bit harder to him. But after a second, she was greeted by solid ground again and she opened her eyes to see the familiar sight of Dende's Lookout once more.
The rest of the Z Warriors had already gathered, including Bulma and her family, Krillin and his, and those she only knew by face – Yamcha, Tenshinhan, and several others. Goku gave everyone a wave, wandering towards the group as everyone else followed suit. Goten and Trunks immediately started goofing around together, roping Marron in moments later. Buu just watched everyone curiously; he probably felt more than a little confused by what was going to happen today. She noticed that Papa stayed close to Buu, holding Bee for the moment. She was a bit worried he still felt guilty for the past. Hopefully he'd be able to fit in with the group with a little time…
Videl's wandering thoughts were pulled back as Goku's cheery voice rang out. "Hey everyone, it's been a while! Good to see you again!"
"Hey Goku," Krillin waved, grinning widely. "I see you brought the guest of honor with you, huh?"
"Yep! I figured it was easier like this; it was my idea, after all."
"I still struggle to understand why you do the things you do, Kakarot," Vegeta admonished, scowling.
"Oh, come on Vegeta, I gave you a second chance and look at you now!" The Saiyan Prince clicked his tongue.
"I'll admit that Buu's held up his end of the bargain. If no one else objects to actually going through with this, then I won't either."
"Why did you want everyone to gather on the Lookout anyway, Goku?" Bulma asked him, curious his reasoning. The man just grinned.
"I just thought it'd be a nice way to put an end to everything that happened back in May! We were all here on the Lookout when it started, so this is the perfect way to finish it! Plus, it'll make Shenron's job a bit easier since he only has to exclude the people here."
"Actually, Dad," Gohan began, but his father just laughed and smiled again.
"Whoops, that's right! There are actually two more people that won't be forgetting, aren't there?"
"Two more? Who would that be?" The low tenor of Piccolo reverberated across the expanse, though it didn't sound disapproving. Gohan took it upon himself to field the question, smiling at his mentor.
"Mine and Videl's two best friends, Sharpner and Erasa. They've come to accept a lot about me in the last few months and they don't want to forget Buu since it's what brought us so much closer together. I hope everyone's okay with that," he explained, looking around hopefully at the group.
"Of course it's fine, Gohan! Don't even worry!" Krillin called out, throwing him a confident thumbs up. "You all let me make a wish for Eighteen and her brother after Cell, I definitely have no right to complain if you wanna add someone to our list here."
"Yeah, I don't think anyone will have a problem with that," Bulma agreed, nodding confidently.
"Thanks everyone," Videl called out, smiling around at the now-familiar faces. They really were such lovely people and she was glad that she knew them, even if her first meeting with most of them wasn't for the most ideal of reasons.
"All right, shall we get started?" Dende proposed. Mr. Popo, carrying a cushion with the seven Dragonballs placed perfectly atop it, sat it down at the center of the Lookout. Everyone watched in anticipation as the Guardian raised his hands before him.
"Eternal Dragon, by your name, I summon you forth! Arise, Shenron!"
A powerful yellow light erupted from the Dragonballs and shot straight upwards, snaking through the sky like a titanic serpent. Videl had seen this happen once before but it still made her mouth fall open in awe as she witnessed it a second time. Next to her, Papa began sputtering and almost lost his balance; this was entirely new to him. Buu simply looked on in wonder and made a noise of amazement as Bee barked warily, now in the pink giant's arms once more.
The sky blackened and the yellow light faded. In its place now rested the familiar form of Shenron, the impossibly large green dragon that granted the wishes of those who gathered the Dragonballs. What an incredible sight he was. His long body twisted and coiled through the dark clouds that blotted out the daylight and his eyes glowed an eerie red. Despite herself, Videl seized Gohan's arm, staying close. He could obviously tell she was a bit overwhelmed as he instead took that arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her in close. It was comforting and Videl felt her sense of trepidation begin to vanish.
"I am the Eternal Dragon," Shenron's powerful voice rang out, thundering off of every surface and reverberating through her very body.
"Hey Shenron!" Goku called out. Videl tensed up as he addressed such a powerful creature so casually. Didn't he fear anything? Gohan just rubbed her shoulder, silently reassuring her that everything was fine.
Indeed, it was, as Shenron gazed down at the being who had spoken to him. "Ah, it is you once again. The last time you summoned me, you asked that I split your two wishes across half a year's time. Six months have now passed. Speak your wish and I shall grant it."
"Thanks again for letting us do that," he called up to the dragon. "We have our wish ready for you! And we promise we won't bother you again so soon next time"
"Very well. I shall grant your wish should it be within my power to do so."
"Oh, this one's easy compared to the things we've asked you to do in the past! We'd like you to remove everyone on Earth's memories of Majin Buu, except for this group here on the Lookout and two others who aren't."
"A very simple matter. Who are the two additional exceptions?"
"Gohan, you wanna tell him?" Goku grinned. Gohan chuckled before raising his voice and calling up to Shenron.
"The two exceptions are our friends Sharpner and Erasa. They live in Satan City and attend the same high school as myself and Videl." The dragon's eyes glowed a bit brighter and Videl resisted the urge to draw away. She wasn't sure why the creature made her feel so nervous. It was probably her unfamiliarity with the situation, judging by everyone else's relaxed attitude. Even Marron looked like she was just watching a movie.
"Very well. They, too, shall be excluded from the effects of your wish. Is that everyone you wish exempted?"
"Yes, that's everyone!" he replied confidently. Shenron's eyes flashed brightly before he spoke once more.
"Your wish has been granted."
"Thank you, Shenron!" Gohan called to him, ever the respectful one. Rather than vanish at once the way he had done last time, the dragon deigned to speak once more.
"As you have staggered your wishes, you will have one wish available to you again in another half -year's time. It will take one full year for both wishes to become ready again."
"Got it," Goku called out, "we promise it'll be at least a year this time!"
"Then I shall return to my slumber."
"Thank you, Eternal Dragon," Dende called to him. A moment later, Shenron's body was engulfed by the yellow energy again and he was drawn back into the Dragonballs. They rose into the before blasting off in every direction, disappearing towards the horizon as the sky cleared again, the familiar warmth of sunlight returning to the Lookout.
"Well, that's that!" Goku called out, turning to Buu. "Nobody else should remember who you are now! That means you can go anywhere and do whatever you want!" Buu tilted his head and looked at Goku curiously.
"Buu can go outside again?"
"Yep! You could train with Mr. Satan, or have lunch with Videl and Gohan and their friends, or just wander around and see the sights!"
Mr. Satan finally spoke, having collected himself again. "Um, Goku? Won't people be a little freaked out if Buu just starts wandering the streets?" He just laughed and shook his head.
"Nah! The people of this planet are less upset by things like that than you might think! Remember how little anyone reacted to Piccolo at the tournament?" The Namekian scoffed.
"Hmph. I wouldn't care if they did react. But he does have a good point; strange, alien species aren't exactly foreign to this planet these days. Just say he's your pupil from somewhere else; they'll eat it up if it comes from you." He wore a small grin on his face as he spoke. Mr. Satan simply nodded before remembering something.
"Oh, that's right! Since we erased everyone's memories of Buu, will those interviews I did about defeating him be a problem?"
"Uh…I dunno!" Goku admitted, chuckling easily. Several people around him groaned before Piccolo spoke again.
"I suspect Shenron accounted for that as well. He's very thorough when granting a wish; any recordings of those interviews are likely long gone."
"Oh good," Mr. Satan sighed, wiping his brow with his sleeve. "I'd hate to have made a mess of things 'cause of that."
"Well, it sounds like none of us have anything to worry about!" Goku cried out triumphantly. "And with that, we're officially done with everything that happened back in May!"
"Not quite," Bulma's voice interrupted, a sly grin on her face. Everyone glanced at her and she winked. "Next weekend, Vegeta, Trunks, and I are hosting a party at Capsule Corp. for everyone! It's partly a celebration but it's also a welcoming party for our new friends! That means Videl, Mr. Satan, and Majin Buu all have to be there!"
Videl felt her heart grow full. Bulma wanted to go that far to include them in the group? What a wonderful person she was. Gohan rubbed her arm and smiled down at her. Chances are he'd known about this party already judging by his reaction.
"Can Bee come too?" Buu asked, holding up the dog and grinning. The little guy just barked and wagged his tail happily as several people laughed.
"Of course Bee can come! He's also part of the team now!"
As Buu celebrated and danced with his four-legged partner, Videl finally pulled herself from Gohan's embrace and approached Bulma. "Thanks a lot for doing that. It really is so nice of you to include us."
"Don't even worry about it, Videl," she sang, winking at her. "If anyone's part of our little family after all this, it's definitely you! Besides, you haven't lived till you've come to one of our parties!"
"I'm looking forward to it already!"
The next week passed and for the first time since May, Majin Buu was able to venture outside of the Satan Mansion. Videl was a bit nervous about it at first, but Gohan had assured her it would be fine. As it turned out, he was right – nobody panicked, there were no news stories about the pink giant that had invaded the city, nothing changed at all. Well, that wasn't entirely true, either.
In the middle of the week, Gohan and Videl had responded to a call from Chief Kaneki. A jewelry store was being held up by a pair of men who had taken all the customers hostage. The Saiya Squad had arrived on the scene and, after their usual theatrical entrances, the men walked deliberately through the front doors, directly to the Chief, and turned themselves in. Apparently, Bulma had been shopping there and Buu had been her escort. He had at least made their afternoon a little easier.
The next weekend, as promised, Bulma hosted her party at Capsule Corp. All of the Z Warriors were in attendance, even Dende and Mr. Popo at Bulma's incredible insistence. It had been a long time since they had all gathered together to just have some fun.
The Capsule Corp. atrium played host to the party, which had been lavishly catered and decorated for the occasion. Gohan forgot how much money Bulma really had sometimes until she went all out with things like this. In fact, the only thing missing was Goku, a fact that Chi-Chi was tremendously frustrated and upset about. Nobody dared to ask her directly what was going on.
When Videl had asked Gohan though, he pulled her aside (far away from his mother) and explained that there were some baby Pterosaur eggs that were hatching and he wanted to be there to make sure they were okay. She didn't really seem to get it, but accepted the explanation nonetheless before they joined the rest in the center of the atrium for the party.
Master Roshi and Yamcha were going through an old photo album with Oolong and Puar, laughing at antics from years past. Most people were relaxing and eating, Vegeta having taken his own private spot in the corner and chowing down in solitude. Of course, Majin Buu wasn't entirely content to let that happen. The sandwich Vegeta was eating looked awfully delicious to him and he peered around a tree and stared at him, accidentally drooling on his head. Gohan was shocked to the point of disbelief when the proud Saiyan offered Buu the sandwich with a half-smile…though not before taunting him with it briefly.
Even Mr. Satan had settled into the atmosphere, chatting with Dende about what a Guardian was and what his responsibilities were in overseeing the Earth. Videl disappeared for a few moments to grab some food for the two of them and, moments later, Krillin and Eighteen approached, Marron running off to chase down Goten and Trunks.
"Hey Gohan, how's it going?" Krillin asked, his trademark grin lighting the room.
"I'm good, Krillin! It's great to see you again! You as well, Eighteen!" The blonde woman nodded her acknowledgement, smiling softly.
"So," Krillin continued, "I hear you guys took down that crime syndicate that was running rampant in Satan City! Nice job!"
"Thanks! It wasn't easy to find them, actually. But after they threatened our school and our classmates, Videl came up with a pretty genius plan to take them down. Their leader is still out there somewhere though."
Eighteen, who rarely interjected into conversations like this, spoke suddenly. "Bulma mentioned the logo you all found last month – Black Ribbon Army. So, whoever he is really does have ties to the old man, huh?"
"It sure seems that way. We're still looking for anything we can to track him down, but he's basically dropped off the grid. We don't have a clue where to even begin searching." Eighteen scowled.
"Well, I doubt you'll have to worry. Anybody close to Gero wouldn't be able to accept losing. He'll be back. Just stay wary and I doubt someone as strong as you will have anything to worry about."
"Thank you, we'll be careful."
"There were some strange things about him though." The new voice belonged to Videl, who was back with a pair of plates for them. Gohan gratefully accepted his and thanked her before standing close and taking a bite of his food as she continued. "He surprised me during our raid and shot a few ki blasts at me. We didn't think he'd be able to use them since neither of us sensed anything special from him until he attacked."
"That is rather odd," Eighteen pondered. "If he learned ki science from Gero, it's possible he has a deeper understanding of the power than we're giving him credit for. He could have developed some kind of device that masks his energy signature, like Bulma made the two of you those Barriers that counteract the Suppressor."
"That's a really good point," Gohan agreed. "It would explain why I couldn't sense him after he escaped too. Otherwise, he's incredible at masking his ki signature, every bit as good as any of us. And if that's the case, I have to wonder who could have taught him…"
"I'd say it's far more likely that he was aided by technology," Eighteen assured him. "If his best efforts couldn't take Videl by surprise, then he probably isn't trained to the same degree as most of this group." Her eyes suddenly widened. "Sorry Videl, I didn't mean to offend you." Videl just smiled and shook her head.
"Don't worry about it, I know what you meant! You're right, though; I'm still not as strong as the fighters in this atrium. Yet."
"You have no idea how much you sound like Goku when you talk about getting stronger," Krillin chuckled, grinning in amusement.
"Well why don't you joke about it someplace else? I was having a relaxing meditation session before you started babbling." The deep voice that startled them belonged to Piccolo, who was lying on his side behind a nearby bush, leaning on his hand as he faced away from them.
"This is where you were? It's great to see you again, Piccolo!" Gohan cried out, extending his hand to him. His old mentor grinned and accepted it, Gohan hoisting him to his feet. Krillin narrowed his eyes and grinned devilishly at the Namekian.
"That wasn't meditation; that was a nap! We've been standing here talking for a few minutes now and you just noticed!" Piccolo smirked.
"It's not my fault yours is the only voice grating enough to break through my concentration."
"Uh huh, sure."
"It's good to see you Piccolo," Videl told him after he and Krillin butted heads just a bit longer. He offered a calm smile and nodded to her.
"You too, Videl. It's been a while since we've actually spoken, though I've sensed your power when you and Gohan train. You're making pretty excellent progress." Gohan was thrilled to see her face absolutely light up at those words.
"Thank you!"
"You still struggle to form your own ki blasts though, don't you?" She sighed and hung her head.
"Yeah. I can draw some energy into my hand, but never enough to actually fire it."
"Sounds to me like you could do with a different approach. Why don't you train with me for an afternoon sometime? I can't promise you'll get it right away, but I can help you along I think."
"Piccolo," Gohan warned, smirking, "you can't throw my girlfriend into the jungle and abandon her." His old mentor grinned and chuckled lightly.
"Don't worry, that was a special training I developed just for you, kid. No, for Videl I was thinking some image training might be the right way to go."
"Image training? For ki blasts?" She seemed a bit confused by the proposition but the Namekian just nodded.
"My theory is that you can't see yourself actually using this power for yourself. You can envision yourself flying, deflecting blasts, guarding attacks, even using the power boost it gives you physically. But those are all pretty passive uses of this power. The offensive uses are where you still have some hesitations."
"Honestly, I think you're exactly right," she admitted.
"Tell me – sensing ki signatures is a bit difficult for you too, right?" She nodded.
"It is. I can do it, but I have to focus pretty hard on it."
"It's another more active use of ki; I think that's why you struggle some. You're a martial arts prodigy, with years of experience and physical training under your belt, but that makes it even more difficult to master the idea of this intangible energy that you're trying to reign in and make an extension of yourself. Even more so since your personal fighting style is usually more reactive than proactive. But I have some ideas for how to help you with that."
Krillin gave her a thumbs up and grinned widely. "You should do it! Piccolo's a genius when it comes to mind and spirit training; there's nobody better!" Gohan suppressed a grin of his own as Piccolo smiled despite himself, obviously appreciating the compliment.
Videl turned to Gohan and gazed up at him. He could read her pretty well these days, too – she was silently asking if he'd be sad if she trained with Piccolo some. He understood her thoughts: maybe she was worried training was something special to him, that it was something he treasured them doing all alone, just the two of them. But as much as he did treasure it, there was nothing he wanted more than for her than to become strong the way she wanted to. So it was completely effortless when he smiled widely at her and nodded firmly.
"You should definitely take him up on it! I'll even fly you to the Lookout when you do!" Videl smiled so widely her cheeks must have hurt.
"Thank you, Darling. I'd love to train with you, Piccolo!" He smiled down at her, his eyes closing.
"Excellent. Why don't you come meet me on one of your days off? Just have Gohan here let me know which day works best for you; he'll be able to reach me. I rarely have anything else going as it is."
"I will! I can't wait!"
"And we've gotta train together again, too! I was impressed last time and I wanna see how much better you've gotten since then!" Krillin insisted. Eighteen rolled her eyes but offered a serene smile.
"We'd be happy to host you next time. You can bring Goten and your parents too if you'd like. Marron would be thrilled to have the company," she assured them.
"We'll take you up on that sometime soon!" Gohan promised, smiling widely himself. Just then, Bulma's voice rang out across the atrium.
"Hey! Gohan, Videl, Krillin, everyone! Get over here! It's time for the dance off!"
"The…dance off?" Gohan managed, suddenly feeling a bit awkward.
"Bulma's been planning it all day," Piccolo explained. "I've heard her choosing songs since before you got here."
"I-is that so?"
"Are you nervous, Love?" Videl teased gently, smiling up at him. Gohan chuckled a bit, albeit anxiously, before nodding.
"Maybe just a little bit…"
"Come on, this'll be great practice for the New Year's party! Let's just go up there and have fun!" Her dazzling smile and shimmering eyes could have convinced him to agree to anything in that moment and he slipped his hand into hers, nodding and falling into step beside her.
As they were all walking over, Krillin nudged Eighteen and smirked up at her. "You think we should show 'em a thing or two?" She pursed her lips.
"Absolutely not."
"Ah well, can't blame a guy for trying, right? Guess I'll have to go solo this time around!"
Gohan couldn't stop himself from laughing. It was great to be around everyone like this again. Sure, Buu hadn't been a threat to the world for six months now, but it really felt like this put a perfect little bow on top of everything that had happened. Everyone was alive and happy and healthy. They had added a few new members to their ever-growing family. And, of course, he was constantly reminded that he had the most wonderful girlfriend in the world
"You look so happy about something!" Videl noted, an easy smile on her pink lips. "What are you thinking about?"
"Oh nothing," he answered automatically, his mind slowly coming back to reality. "Just thinking about how perfect everything is right now. This is what peace really is."
"It's pretty incredible," she agreed, sighing contentedly and snuggling close to him again.
"It sure is," he mused, holding her close and relishing the comforting warmth of Videl at his side. "Now, what do you say we go have some fun?"
"I say let's do it! Nobody's gonna out-dance us!"
1/6/2023
Post-Chapter Note: Hey again! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I also hope that last scene didn't feel like anything was missing. I'm sure most if not all of you are already aware, but I was directly mirroring the plot of the last episode of the anime before the End of Z arc, where they all have the party together. I added a few of my own little conversations here and there but ultimately I figured the episode's content stood well enough on its own and I didn't really want to rehash it (things like Goku showing up late, Chi-Chi being upset at him the whole time, the actual dance party, etc.) when I could explore newer relationships we haven't seen as much.
But if you do want a dance scene, don't worry because there will definitely be one of those coming in the very near future! If only I had started writing this a week or two earlier, I could have lined up the New Year's Eve chapters with real life! At least we're fairly close to it still so it shouldn't be that jarring. Otherwise, I hope you're also looking forward to some Buu antics too, because I know I am! I've been pretty sparing with him up till now and while he certainly won't be in every scene from here on, Sharpner and Erasa knowing about him and him being able to leave the house opens up so many delightful possibilities going forward and I'm excited to have some fun with him!
Anyway, thank you all for the reviews, favorites, follows, and support - I really do appreciate it so much! I'll see you all next week with the new chapter! Have a wonderful weekend!