Chapter Thirty-Eight
The Astra Eridanus
The Moros system was situated at the boundary of the North and West Galaxy. What was once a bustling hub of ancient mining planets over a century ago had now become silent and empty. Its dying Sun casting eerie crimson shadows over cold grey planets.
It appeared devoid of all life, the trading routes shut down and the mines long condemned. The hum of the ship's engine appeared stark and obvious as they gradually passed through, loudly declaring their presence to no one but the abandoned worlds.
It was almost unsettling in the fact that they hadn't yet come across another living soul, save two incredibly brave Galactic Patrolmen who had chased them down before entering the planetary system. Apparently, they weren't all too happy that they had been heading towards the boarder without official clearance, and demanded to see some form of identification.
Of course, they hadn't believed Gohan when he had expressed that he didn't have any on him, because he was Lord Gohan after all.
"Lord Gohan?!" They had puffed and chortled in bewilderment, "Sure kid, if you're Lord Gohan the Destroyer, then I'm the Supreme Kai!"
Unfortunately for the Patrolmen, Gohan was not in the mood to be questioned. One teleportation and a threatening display of Destruction energy later, the Galactic Patrol had hastily sped off and miraculously, they hadn't been bothered since.
It had been a long journey thus far, and yet only a month had passed. For all occupants of the ship, however, it had felt like much longer.
They had fallen into a somewhat robotic routine. Wake up, eat, train, eat, sleep and repeat. There was of course, the exception of taking the time to shower so that they all didn't have to deal with one another's body odour after a sparring session, but unfortunately it was a luxury one would only choose to indulge in when the stench became unbearable due to the ship's shower only having the capacity for two temperatures; molten lava or painful artic daggers.
Gohan had set about to fix the issue - along with other technical glitches - but unfortunately his best efforts appeared to only make it worse.
Their combined stench certainly did not help with the steadily growing tensions amongst the crew. It was a long time to be cooped up in a confined space with seven other people, the majority of which sported… larger than life personalities which all too often butted heads.
Kratos had eventually had enough and had drawn up a set of rules for them to follow, which included:
- Goku is only allowed in the pantry supervised
- Vegeta, not at all
- Eris is not allowed anywhere near a sharp knife
- Or the stove
- Or anything that has the capacity to induce fire
Cooking duties had been limited to include Deimos only, who admittedly was an excellent cook but demanded penance each time. Makhai must announce how powerful and smart Deimos is before being allowed to eat.
The list of rules steadily grew longer and more personal the further they travelled. Gohan himself had angrily added a 'NO arm wrestling' rule after Vegeta and Kratos had shaken the ship so much that poor Bessie had nearly veered off course.
The only person not grating on Gohan's nerves was Piccolo, who was just about sick of everyone and their bodily functions.
"You all stink," he had told them one evening, nose wrinkled in disgust.
Makhai had let out a shriek of protest from where he was sat with Goku, attempting to teach him an incredibly complicated celestial board game which he just couldn't seem to grasp. Not that it mattered either way, Gohan observed, as Makhai always cheated regardless.
"You're not exactly a bouquet of roses either, Mr. Photosynthesis," he scoffed, stealing a point from Goku, "Besides, Eris likes my natural musk don't you babe?"
"Call me babe again and only the deep abyss of space will hear you scream."
"You can't scream in space," Gohan had said pointedly.
"Good."
When he wasn't training or fixing the ship Gohan had busied himself away from the group, mapping out potential rest points for the journey ahead should they need to stop for fuel or supplies. But unsurprisingly, Bulma had over prepared and they hadn't needed to make any such detour so far.
Instead, he had taken to his studies, conjuring numerous ancient textbooks from the hidden pocket of reality that was his 'safe place' in an effort to find something that could aid them in the pursuit of the Super Dragonball and the defeat of Perses. By now, the cockpit was littered with thick volumes and old scrolls in various long-forgotten tongues. Strewn across every surface, they stretched from floor to ceiling, hiding Gohan from view as he diligently flipped through every text and scroll, often reading the same pages two or three times.
Night after night, whilst the others had dinner or played boardgames to try and wind down after a full day of training, Gohan could be found pouring over another book in the Captain's chair, the reddish hue of the dying star his only companion.
Rest is just as important as training, his father's mantra echoed on repeat in his mind, but he irritably pushed it away.
What a joke. How could he possibly rest under these circumstances? If Perses didn't slaughter them all, then Grand Zeno would …
He shook his head, willing the damning thoughts away and reading the paragraph again.
Many religions and cults attempt to validate their actions through prophecy, whether it be vague or unfulfilled - all too often misinterpreted or indeed bogus altogether. Indeed, no mortal prophet has proven to be accurate nor had the reliability of science.
For example, will All end in darkness if it is prophesied so? Or because there are those who believe it so strongly that they will make it so?
The one true Seer is that of the Oracle Fish, who resides in the Realm of the Gods. Not much is known of her origin, though it is said that she has existed since the universes beginning. She is in dutiful service always to the Higher deities, the Destroyers and Supreme Kai respectively, though it is not unusual for other lower Gods to seek her omnipotent wisdom, along with -
"There you are - ! OH SHIT!"
A tower of books collapsed as Makhai tripped over a copy of Ancient Worlds: A History of the Beginning for a Deity in training. Thick dusty volumes spilled across the cockpit floor, subsequently knocking over two more precariously balanced stacks of books.
Gohan let out a gruff noise of aggravation over the obnoxious clatter, and slammed the book in his lap shut with a loud snap.
"Damn it, Makhai! I had those organised!"
Giving him a dubious look, Makhai snorted, "Organised. Really. It's a wonder how you can find anything in this mess."
"You wanted something?" He asked, not even bothering to hide his annoyance.
Makhai's ginger brows shot to his hairline, "Yeah actually, I wanted to know when you turned into Deimos and preferred hanging out with books rather than with your friends."
"I'm not exactly having a party in here, Makhai."
"Evidently," he observed, choosing a discarded text and studying the faded cover, "'An Apprentices Guide to Magical Warfare'. Honestly, what is this rubbish you're filling your head with? Are you trying to torture yourself or something?"
"I'm trying to find something we can use against Perses," Gohan sighed angrily, "Vegeta was right, it feels like we're sneaking around the universe in the hopes that we can find the Dragonball before they do. They're always one step ahead! New Mars, Black, now Zuno - who knows what else we've missed -!"
"Gohan," Makhai tried, taking a bold step towards him, "I know that what happened to Master Zuno shook you up -."
"That's not it - !"
"Just let me finish for the Gods sake!" He pressed, his fingers were digging into his shoulders now, having swiftly closed the gap between them. "Look, I get it. You need to be this valiant saviour that never stops, but isolating yourself from us isn't helping any. And you really need to get out of this fucking annoying habit of blaming yourself for every tincy little thing that's happened, it's pissing everyone off. Including me."
"I'm not isolating myself," he said finally, shrugging him off, "I just want something to go in our favour for once."
"Yeah, I get that," Makhai spouted, a little calmer, "But you know, Eris is older than most of these textbooks, you could always pick her brain - do NOT tell her I said that, I don't want to sleep in your bed for the fourth night running."
Gohan snorted, "You could always sleep on the floor, you know."
"You're hardly ever in it anyway, so what does it matter?"
He said nothing, and ran his thumb over the rough binder of his textbook.
"You're Dad's worried."
"He's always worried."
"I'm worried."
Makhai wasn't dumb by any stretch of the imagination. He knew that Gohan was hiding something, and he was pissed that he hadn't trusted him with it. Gohan understood why Makhai was suddenly being a shade cooler with him lately, but he wouldn't relent despite it.
Whis and Lord Beerus had entrusted him with this and he couldn't break that trust. He had broken it one too many times already.
"You don't need to be," he told him, "I'm fine."
Again, Makhai scoffed, "Well then, if that's the case stop being an arse and come and have dinner with us."
"I'm not being an -."
"ARSE," he repeated, "Now hurry up before I have to set Piccolo on you."
"I'm just going to finish this chapter," he said, turning back to his book, "I'll read it and then I promise I'll come down for dinner. Happy?"
"Hardly."
"Well the more time you spend up here bothering me, the longer it's going to take for me to join you," Gohan shot back.
He huffed, stalking towards the exit and purposefully kicking a smaller pile of books out of his way.
He didn't pay attention to the profanities that left Makhai's lips as he made his way to the bowels of the ship. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, flipped open the page and resuming his place.
… along with fewer Mortals who have managed to seek her out.
The true Oracle has prophesied many futures, shaping destinies and revealing a persons path in life or in death.
Unlike the self-proclaimed Seers of the mortal kind, the Oracle's greatest strength is that she has neverbeen proven wrong. Since the beginning of time, each prophecy drawn from her lips has come to pass, even when the subject has tried attempted to defy it.
After all, one often meets their Destiny on the road to avoid it -
"OI! GOHAN!"
"WHAT?!" Gohan yelled back, launching the book across the room in a fit. Why couldn't they leave him to it?!
Makhai's voice drifted back up to him, "Tch, we're HERE!"
His initial anger at being interrupted - again - dissipated in an instant. Indeed, a soft ethereal glow had entered the cockpit and chased the blood red shadows of the dying star away.
His dark eyes looked out of the large window, and just like that a road materialised before him as if formed of pure rainbow light. Green, blue, gold rivers melded together like electric-neon crayon drawn across the black heavens to form one colossal stream. The magnificent aurora weaved through the vast congregation of stars like silk-woven threads, guiding their ship into the unknown.
Gohan had never seen the phenomenon before, he only knew of it from the many books he had read in the common room on the Destroyers world. But despite the hours he had spent poured over it, he had never expected it to look so spectacular. It was inviting, like a siren call drawing him in. He could certainly see why many had succumbed to its mysterious might.
"Whoa," his father's voice alluded to the others' presence, they had joined him so as to get a better view, "That's so cool! It's actually like a river in space! It's moving and everything -!"
"Idiot," Vegeta griped, pulling him back from where he had pressed his face against the glass pane, "It's not something to be ogled at, Kakarot. The energy coming off of it is insane."
"I can see why you said we should keep our distance as much as possible," Piccolo said to Kratos, "I don't like the feel of this."
"It's probably affecting you more because you're mortal," said Deimos, prompting Piccolo to scoff, "Although you're right to be cautious, the Astra Eridanus has a pull to it that those with weaker resolves cannot resist."
"I'll set Bessie to follow it," said Gohan, pressing a few buttons as he clutched the steering with his other hand, "I think it will take us another month or so to reach the centre of the universe."
"Another month?" Kratos glowered, "At this rate Perses would have wiped us out before we even get there. I thought you said this was the fastest ship in the universe?!"
"Well yes," Gohan said scathingly, "But you see, Kratos, space is rather big."
His angered retort was interrupted, by the klaxon that suddenly sounded all around them. A large amber light pulsated rapidly on the console beside Gohan, the blaring alarm assaulting their eardrums in rapid succession.
"The distress signal?" Gohan mustered aloud, scanning the screen in front of him, "And it's not too far from here…"
"Shouldn't we check it out?" His father asked, a mixture of excited and concerned.
He hesitated, and for good reason.
Though before he could open his mouth, did a desperate voice crackle through the ship's comms -
"If anyone iz there, please help - ! Our planet iz attack - BOOM!" Her accent was strong, the broken dialect accompanied by another shout in the background, "Sóse mas! Sóse mas!" Then again, "Husks - breeched - stronghold - send assist!"
"Husks?" Goku quirked, "Weren't they those zombie guys you warned us about?"
"They aren't zombies," said Kratos irritably, "They are effectively shells of mortal-kind, who have been corrupted and tainted by the Astra Eridanus. They are some of the most dangerous creatures in reality, and as such -!"
"Wait, Deimos - play that back," Gohan ordered, cutting across them, "I could have sworn I heard something."
"… our planet iz under attack - BOOM! Sóse mas! Sóse mas!
"What is that?" Piccolo frowned.
"It's Greca speech," Deimos informed him, glancing towards his fellow Guard, "Loosely translated it means 'save our souls'."
"It could be a trap," Kratos grunted, though he didn't seem all that convinced.
Eris hummed, "He's got a point, the last time we responded to a distress signal it was bandits. They tend to stalk lone vessels in secluded parts of the universe."
"Hang on, did you say Greca speech?" Makhai asked, as Deimos nodded, "But the only people who speak fluent Greca are -."
"SHIT!" Gohan cried suddenly, slamming the thrusters upwards without warning.
They screamed, thrown backwards by the unexpected force that launched them across the darkness of space. Bessie hurtled through the void at breakneck speed, the celestial river blurring in motion as they were propelled forwards.
Several planets and moons whizzed over their heads, until they nearly crashed into a fighter jet that shot across their path. Gohan hit the breaks, avoiding the collision by mere inches, coming to a screeching halt and sending his fellow crew flying into the windshield.
They landed in a heap with a resounding thud on the cockpit floor, but before they could air their grievances towards their impulsive Captain - Gohan had already teleported out of sight.
Planet Ares, Sacred Domain. West Galaxy.
His boots shifted on the hardened earth as he landed. He pulled his fingers away from his forehead, his hand coming to rest at his side, dark eyes drinking in the battle unfolding around him.
Goku much preferred instant transmission to whatever teleportation technique Gohan had learned. There was something uncomfortable about it that he couldn't quite put his finger on, though Gohan had assured him that it wasn't anywhere near as bad as the Kais similarly named instantaneous movement.
Either way, Goku was more than happy to lock on to Gohan's Ki and utilise his own technique to take him down to the alien world - he felt much more in control.
The only downfall to his technique was because it was so instant his ears didn't have time to adjust to the sudden onslaught of sound that flooded them.
Screams penetrated the air, attacking him from all sides along with the raucous sounds of battle. Cries of pain and groans of the dying, commands - shouting back and forth. Metal on metal, swords clashed and shields rattled, the heavy smell of blood and death filling the air.
Goku stood somewhat breathless, the power emitting from the celestial river appeared even more potent here. He could see it clearly above the atmosphere, long waves of light dancing across the sapphire blue sky - a sky that was not unlike Earth's.
The battlefield was nothing but dust and dirt, all baked under two unrelenting suns that hung in the air. The once fertile land had been scorched by fire, and had turned the emerald grass to a burnt charcoal. The clearing - turned battle ground - was surrounded by an enormous sub tropical jungle, a vast array of greens and dense vegetation cradled by lush evergreens.
He could see that many of the trees had been destroyed, disturbing the tranquility of the jungle. Branches were filled with arrows and long spears, whilst some foliage had been hacked down altogether by swords. In some places, trees had simply broken under the weight of the fighting and fallen over, crushing soldiers along the way. The ground had been trampled by masses of shuffling feet, leaves splattered with blood and gutted flesh.
He paused, looking for the epicentre of the fighting. A bead of sweat trickled down his brow. The heat was oppressive, thick and humid.
Another scream came from a place of terror, telling of a mind lost in absolute fear. His chest tightened without warning, the pressure in the air intensifying as a vibrant golden blur shot across the battlefield.
Gohan seemingly appeared out of nowhere, a potent fire burned in his emerald eyes as he grasped hold of the mutilated claw of the enemy, protecting a wounded warrior from its frenzied attack. Snatching another ruinous strike out of the air, Gohan ripped its arm clean off, sending a terrain of clotted black blood spewing forth.
In an instant, it was vaporised.
The Husks were unlike anything Goku had ever seen before. Unnerving. Stuck halfway between humanoid and creature, they stood at around ten or twelve feet tall. Desperately thin and gangly, they looked as though their bodies had been stretched and tortured into this unnatural form.
They were all completely naked, skeletal arms dragged large claws that appeared too large for their hands. Their vacant eyes revealed only white, for there was no iris - soulless. Wide gaping mouths sliced far too highly into their cheeks, revealing yellow teeth that were just as rotten as what remained of their flesh. Grey sinew torn and bubbling in places, and poisoned sickly green veins swelled beneath translucent skin.
There were hundreds, no thousands of the creatures that poured from the sky. What Goku had initially thought were alien bugs from the jungle flying high above was actually the mass of Husks breeching the planet. They poured from the Astra Eridanus, getting bigger and more recognisable as they charged closer to the battle field.
At once, fighter jets launched in rapid formation, unleashing a torrential downpour of Ki infused blasts that gunned down the first wave of creatures that they met. It was in vain, as the mutilated Husks grew even more manic, leaping on top of wings and and smashing through the cockpits to claim their victims.
One jet shot low over his head, spewing black clouds forth from its engine. It crashed somewhere deep in the jungle - its pilot more than likely already dead.
Anger burned right through him, he didn't understand just why the Husks were attacking an innocent world, especially as Kratos had informed him that they were effectively mindless.
The second level of Super Saiyan welcomed him with open arms. Gold encompassed him, and the familiar feeling of heightened power shot through his veins like electricity. Lightening bolts battered against his aura, sizzling over his muscular frame and blowing back a few Husks that had suddenly leapt towards him.
He had wisely matched Gohan's current transformation, it would not end favourably if they didn't start out strong.
Speaking of Gohan, he had turned to help the warrior he had saved to her feet. She looked very similar to the rest of the natives, which consisted of an all female army. They all had dark skin and dark hair arranged in various fashions of dreadlocks. She wore a bronze armoured chest plate which matched her shoulder and shin guards, with a tunic made up of white cloth underneath. Like her fellow warriors, she wore thick leather sandals on her feet - which Goku didn't think would be sturdy enough for fighting - and a bronze helmet upon her head.
She looked shocked as Gohan helped her to her feet, passing her a long spear which had fallen in the chaos. He said something to her in that strange language he had heard earlier - Greca, and inclined his head towards the barracks behind them. The young woman nodded wordlessly, clutching at her bloodied side and taking off at a run.
"KAKAROT!"
Goku whirled around just in time to see a Husk disintegrate in front of his eyes, only to reveal Vegeta.
"Are you going to actually fight during this battle or stand there gawking like an imbecile?!" He chastised, a white hot Ki blast building in between his fingertips and intermingling with his own Super Saiyan glow.
They were surrounded all too soon. Gaping mouths emitting strangled mewls as the Husks dragged themselves closer to the pair of Saiyans. Goku discharged his own blast at the same time as Vegeta, they soared towards the creatures, the Ki eagerly gobbling up deformed bodies and leaving nothing left.
More burst forth from the fire and smoke that lingered, long jagged claws slashing wildly in a desperate attempt to cut them down. An explosion sounded from somewhere in the distance, accompanied by more squalls of pain. A long spiral of purplish energy surged forth across the battlefield, blasting apart every Husk that were unlucky enough to stand in its path. He could feel Piccolo's energy spike again, before the same blast ripped through the air once more.
Goku caught sight of Kratos just as his fist carved into a gnarled cheek, his speed not hindered by his hulking stature. Kratos bulldozed his way through a deadly throng of Husks, sending mutant bodies spiralling into the suffocating air. Empty carcasses dropped like flies, joining the other corpses that now rested permanently at their feet. There was a stuttering spark of energy, as Makhai bolted swiftly and expertly in between the falling bodies, limbs jutting outwards as he collided with the mutant enemy, each one exploding on impact.
He shot off into the distance in a blur of dazzling amber, calling out to his comrades as he went. Goku didn't catch what he said, as a brazen shout came bellowing towards him. Eris skidded into view, creating some distance between her and a crowd of the ghouls that had chased after her. She snarled, blood flying from her lips as she tore the crown from her head and threw it hard.
The crown's sharp points sliced through the Husks like a deadly boomerang, cutting through rotting sinew and bone. An odd array of heads, limbs and torsos collapsed into dust, as Eris snatched her weapon out the air.
Goku spun on his heel, kicking up a line of dirt in his wake. Long shadows, giving way to a mass of gawping eyes and talons leered over him. He jumped back, maintaining blasting distance and firing off a few more brightly coloured spheres of Ki. They were abnormal. He couldn't sense them - as though they were neither alive or dead.
Wisps of a strange inky substance began to weave between his ankles, much like a serpent in search of its prey. It slowly laced over the battlefield, until the eerie smog wrapped itself around almost every Husk in the nearest vicinity.
His initial alarm dissipated, spotting Deimos atop a nearby rock formation with his hands stretched wide. The ghastly ropes tightened viciously around their skeletal forms, squeezing and crushing their bones in rapid succession. They let out an otherworldly screech as their bodies crunched and groaned, their flesh softening like butter and seeping out of the gaps in their restraints.
Vegeta roared in frustration, as the dead and defeated were soon replaced by more that continued to escape the celestial river. His subsequent spinning kick severed the heads of two - three Husks who leapt at them. Goku released a sizzlingly Ki ball into another's disfigured face, following up with a fast elbow strike to the chest. Ribs caved inwards as it was fired backwards across the plane, clearing a long path of broken bodies as it went.
"There's too many of them!" Kratos' voice came up snarling over the shrieks of charging Husks.
He couldn't help but agree in between his colliding fists. He could sense that the natives of this world were strong and capable fighters, watching as one particularly muscular woman launched her spear and skewered around half a dozen Husks at once. Yet it was evident that they had been fighting a while, their numbers rapidly depleted.
Even with help it wasn't enough. The Husks just kept coming, and every time they destroyed one at least ten more would take its place.
"We need to finish this NOW!" Piccolo shouted, darting into view and unleashing a well aimed Masenko into the fray.
Then suddenly, as if on cue, a bolt of Ki shot into the air in dazzling contrasting colours. It went off like a flare. The strange light exploded and forked, before spreading across the battle field in every direction, catching the attention of the fighters on the ground.
"What the -?" Goku mustered in confusion, before a hand grabbed him by the back of his gi and dragged him away with a surprising amount of strength.
"MOVE!" Makhai bellowed, his amber eyes wide and panicked, "GO - NOW!"
"But w - ?!"
"MOVE GOKU!"
They were running, he was still unsure as to why - though the Supreme Guard appeared to know. Was it some sort of attack?
He could hear rapid feet thundering behind him, along with another shout.
"TAKE COVER!" Kratos roared, barrelling into them with a couple of injured warriors under his arms.
Something was building. He could feel it now. The pressure in his chest intensified tenfold, as what he had come to recognise as Divine Ki assaulted his senses. Like a mass of marching ants it invaded them and dug into his brain, a wave of dizziness hit him - along with a sickening feeling of dread.
He was pushed behind a mass of broken boulders, oddly unable to coordinate his own limbs. And that's when he caught sight of Gohan hovering several feet above them.
His body was engulfed in dark purple fire, making his skin and golden hair look dull and haunting. He could see it clearly now - that horrific violet - reflecting in his cold and calculated eyes.
And that's when he realised, the forking wave of light wasn't an attack at all - it was a warning.
It was like looking at an evolved manifestation of what he had once forced his son to unleash many years ago, in all its destructive glory. He had only seen snippets of the power that Destroyers wielded thus far, and it was chilling - especially when that dreadful energy was coming from Gohan.
It didn't suit him.
Everything went oddly quiet, like the moment of lingering silence between lightening and thunder. One, two, three, four, five - and then BANG!
Gohan shot forwards, smashing through a mutilated skull, his fist thrumming with violet Ki as the rotting flesh and blood sprayed. The Husks rushed him regardless, ruinous energy obliterating them before they could even get close.
And then, the Destroyer propelled even higher into the air, and faced the terrifying army of lost souls head on. His arm stretched outwards, cloak whipping about in the wind, fingers pointing towards the sky.
"Hakai!"
As soon as the word of damnation fell from his lips, the air crackled and popped with deep purple particles. Energy of Destruction swept the entire area. A cacophony of deadly light detonated like firecrackers right the way up into the atmosphere and beyond in one brilliant arc flash.
The dazzling suns surrendered to the darkness, a great cloud of violet dust eclipsing the once blue sky in the aftermath.
He heard Kratos cough in annoyance beside him, "So much for a stealth mission."
"You know, they always start out with the best of intentions…," offered Makhai.
Temporarily blinded by the enormous wave of light, Goku blinked rapidly, only to find Gohan stood in the middle of the empty battle field with that awful aura still pulsating around him. Though he was relieved to find that the Husks were no more.
"Lord Gohan!"
Gohan turned, as what appeared to be the leader of the battalion approached. The young woman had the same dark skin and black hair as the rest of the natives, yet her dreadlocks were adorned with gold and silver beads, cascading down her back in long woven plaits.
Her bronze amour was more decorated than the other warriors, giving her a more regal appearance. Blue war paint marked her muscular yet feminine figure, dashed under her cerulean eyes and over her lips, standing out starkly against the blackened blood that had dried on her otherwise clear skin.
She saddled a very large cat-like creature, it looked a cross between a saber-toothed tiger and a jaguar only twice as big as the wild cats found on Earth. The feline growled and purred gently, as Gohan powered down, his hair and eyes returning back to black and his dark aura snuffed out.
"Princess Otrera," he greeted in kind, as she bowed her head in respect.
"Forgive me, my Lord, but eet iz Queen now," she replied, taking off her helmet, and gestured to the two armed guards that flanked her.
The moment Gohan cast his gaze in their direction, they bowed so deeply that one knee touched the floor. Goku had half expected Gohan to become flustered at the display, and implore them to stand. But he didn't. Nor did he return the bow.
"It's been a while," said Gohan, giving her a charming smile, "I didn't hear that there had been another crowning ceremony."
"I'm sure you are far too busy to be troubling yourself with the affairs of Plant Ares, my Lord," she grinned back, "Yet eet appears the Gods have answered our sisters' prayers on this day."
"Well, actually," he mustered a little more sheepishly, "We were just in the area…"
"And how grateful we are that you were," Queen Otrera implored, "Eet iz thanks to you and your comrades that Ares still stands."
"Ah shucks," Makhai called, "It was nothing, your Highness!"
"A feast!" She bellowed, sharply punching a fist in the air, "In honour of Lord Gohan!"
The warriors subsequent cheer roared in his ears, and Goku lost sight of Gohan in the crowd that followed them on the way to the palace.
Luckily for his gluttonous stomach, the palace didn't lie all too far away from the battlefield.
It was central to a hidden metropolis deep within the jungle, tall buildings of magnificent stone towering above them. Its white glare shone brilliantly in the sunshine that continued to beat down upon them in warm waves, as the injured and dead were carried into the city by the able bodied.
The palace itself was a sight to behold, endless wide corridors decorated with beautiful mosaics and art. The floors gleamed so much that Goku could see his own reflection as they walked along it. The banquet hall was shortly set up by throngs of servants, and Goku was promptly asked to take a seat at the long marble table in the centre of the grand hall.
Again, he looked around for Gohan, who was already seated in the throne at the head of the table. The Queen sat at his right without protest, her wild cat lying obediently at her feet.
They were deep in conversation, but he couldn't make out a word of what they were saying, trying to grasp the strange language that unfolded between them. It was fairly jarring on the ears, it had a harsh tone to it with almost musical notes that rolled off the tongue.
"What are they saying?" He asked Makhai, who had taken the seat next to his.
"No idea," he told him with a shrug, "Gohan's way better at Greca than I am."
"Only because you can't be bothered to learn, Makhai," Eris pointedly said from her place opposite them.
"Oh so what? We hardly visit here anyway," he huffed, his gaze drifting towards the head of the table, "Speaking of, I wonder if the princess - sorry Queen - remembers that little rendezvous of hers and Gohan's behind ze ol' tapestry during our last trip?"
"Be respectful!" Kratos hissed, as Goku started to feel a little warm, "We are guests!"
Averting his eyes, he made to serve himself what he determined to be some kind of meat cutlets from the platter placed before them.
Deimos all too quickly smacked his hand away.
"Not yet!" He scolded, inclining his head to where Gohan was being served first.
He watched as his plate was piled high by a couple of servants, before moving on to the Queen. Once their wine was poured the Queen gave a small nod to signal that the rest of the table could begin.
It was a weird phenomenon, this etiquette that he vaguely remembered experiencing on his visits to Fire Mountain - before he married Chi-Chi. Gohan however, seemed unfazed, seemingly used to it. Goku couldn't help but notice how the servants hovered either side of him, filling up his goblet whenever it got close to being empty, or replacing his near empty plate with another stack of food.
A clatter of cutlery caught his attention, and he quickly piled his plate high with an array of strange delicacies in front of him. Unidentified meats, gloopy broths, colourful vegetables and numerous types of seeded breads. The glorious smell was causing him to salivate, his stomach happy that he didn't have to wait any longer.
The others wisely followed suit before he and Vegeta unleashed the full force of their Saiyan appetite.
"Now remember love, I've got a condition which means I have to drink one of these every fifteen minutes," he grinned cheekily at a pretty servant girl, who had just poured a hefty amount of wine into his goblet.
She blinked, recognition in her eyes, "Ah yes, I remember you. You are Lord Gohan's assistant are you not?"
"His what?!" He guffawed, as the Eris, Deimos and Kratos promptly snorted into their food.
"I will go and warn - I mean, let the kitchens know that we will be in need of more liquor," she bowed her head, and quickly bustled off.
"Well, at least they remembered you," Kratos smirked, as Makhai responded by flipping him off.
"So, you've been to this planet before?" Piccolo asked over the table.
"Planet Ares is one of the main worlds that the Gods favour," Deimos explained, sipping on his drink, "It's part of a network of ancient planets that supply the Kai realms and Destroyers world directly. There are seven planets in total."
Vegeta was sceptical, "Seven planets? Hm, you wouldn't happen to mean the Holy Seven? I thought it was a myth."
"Many mortals believe it to be so," said Eris, "It is better kept that way. There are many out there that would try to take advantage of these precious worlds."
Swallowing a hefty mouthful, Goku asked, "What's so special about 'em?"
"Each planet has its own unique quality or purpose which the Kais and Destroyers have historically utilised," said Kratos, "Food and wine, art and literature, entertainment, weaponry and so on. Many mortals suffer greed, and the want for things that they do not possess. It would cause many wars should the existence of this place become common knowledge across the universe."
"Some of the planets are protected by powerful warriors like this one," Deimos added, "But not all."
"Yeah and we all know what Lord Beerus would do if someone blew up his favourite dessert parlour," Makhai shuddered.
"Doesn't it seem odd to you that one of these so called Holy planets were attacked by Husks?" Piccolo interjected, "It doesn't feel coincidental."
"An astute observation, brave warrior," the Queen's strong accent cut across them, eet appeared she had caught the end of their conversation. "As ze celestial river passes by our great planet every few years, eet iz not uncommon for the occasional group of Husks to breech our stronghold. The warriors of Ares have always managed to push back. However, they have been incredibly restless of late, the largest attack our world has ever seen. Eet iz like I was telling Lord Gohan, we would not have survived without your help on this day. We will be forever in your debt."
"I'm sorry we didn't get here sooner," Gohan said.
The Queen shook her head, "Our fallen are with the earth now, their deaths will not be without merit. Our mother will welcome them back into ze jungle and they will rest eternally with the amazon. Amín!"
"Amín!" The servants saluted, raising their firsts before the Queen surveyed the table with a cool blue stare.
"Now leave us," she addressed them, "Go, enjoy ze feast amongst your sisters, there are some things that I would like to discuss with Lord Gohan and his comrades."
"But my Queen," one of the servants uttered, "Ze goblets -."
She stopped her by raising a hand, "I am certain that we will manage to pour our own wine, Lycia."
"O-Of course. Thank you, your Highness," she bowed, setting down her large golden jug along with the rest of the servants and swiftly made her exit along with them.
As soon as the large bronze doors clanged shut behind them, did the Queen suddenly relax, slouching back in her chair. She let out a breath of relief, pulling off her extravagant helmet and chucked it over her shoulder.
"Oh thank ze Gods, I was starting to get a cramp in my neck!"
Gohan chuckled, as said helmet clattered to the floor, "How did you even manage to fight in that armour?"
"You know, you would have thought my mother would have entrusted me with that information before she passed - but no, as long as eet 'looked the part'," she sighed, turning to the others, "Please forgive me for ze earlier formalities, my people are sticklers for tradition and eet's as exhausting as eet sounds."
"Not at all," Goku laughed, "No need to be formal around us!"
"Huh, I do not recognise you, Warrior in Orange," she quipped curiously, "Are you a new member of ze Kais Guard?"
"This is my father - Son Goku," smiled Gohan. "Along with Piccolo and Vegeta, who are my old friends from Earth."
"Your father, my Lord?" the Queen's gaze ran the length of him, intrigued, "Your seed must be a mighty one, Son Goku."
"Well, the harvests not been so bad this year, you should see my cabbages!"
"Oh my."
"ANYWAY," Gohan spouted hotly, red-faced much to Goku's confusion, "You said you had something to discuss with us? Sorry to get straight to the point, but we can't stick around I'm afraid."
"That eez too bad, Lord Gohan," she said with a subtle glint in her eye, "But I understand. I didn't think you would be in ze Sacred Domain on a social visit. There have been rumours."
"Oh?"
"Word travels faster around these parts than you might think," she explained, "There have been whispers amongst ze Holy planets that an ancient Destroyer has escaped 'is prison and eez set on rewriting ze cosmos as we know it. By the look on your faces I'm assuming that these are not mere rumours at all."
"Unfortunately not," Deimos said bitterly.
"And I take eet that you, Lord Gohan, are on a quest to stop this chaos from unleashing?"
Gohan cleared his throat, "Well, yes. We're currently searching for something that will help us put a stop to Perses' plan."
"Yeah," said Goku, "We're looking for the Super - off!"
He was cut short by Vegeta's sharp elbow digging into his ribs, thankfully Queen Otrera didn't notice.
"In that case, I may have some information that could aid you on your journey."
Gohan leaned forwards in his throne, "Really? You do?"
She nodded, lowering her voice just incase a servant should waltz back in.
"Two sun-circles past, our scouts apprehended three thieves who had trespassed on our most sacred shrine. We managed to kill two but the third managed to escape. We were able to trace them back to Planet Rhudz - one of the Holy Seven. They must have passed through ze Gateway between Worlds which connects our network. We thought they were just petty thieves after ze Diamas crystals."
"What's a Di-a-mas crystal?" Goku spoke up, still rubbing his sore ribs.
"A Diamas iz an extremely rare stone, historically mined here on Ares as eet was native to the planet, in ancient times they were used to make powerful weapons for the Gods until my ancestors found a better use for zem," she explained, "My foremothers found a way to trap memory inside of these gems, and were thus known as the gatekeepers of memory. Overtime, Gods and mortals alike sought out my foremothers to rid themselves of memories they wished to purge. This might have been a memory of a traumatic event or a lost love. Memories, however bad or disturbing were still seen as sacred, a part of a persons being, soul. Therefore my foremothers kept every Diamas should the giver of memory should ever wish to obtain zem again."
"Sounds like a complicated technique," observed Piccolo.
"Indeed," Queen Otrera nodded somewhat solemnly, "Sadly, the ability to perform this technique has been lost throughout ze generations. We have still kept ze Diamas in a shrine to honour ze forgotten memories, but ze downfall is that thieves still seek ze rare crystals in order to sell on ze galactic black market."
Makhai let out a low whistle, "Yeah they would sure go for a hefty price."
"Did they manage to take any?" Gohan frowned, as the Queen shook her head.
"Just one, which I thought was odd. But when I looked through ze archives, I found something even more disturbing - the one they managed to steal was a very old Diamas, said to have belonged to a Junior Destroyer known as Lord Perses."
Gohan stilled, as the others looked worriedly between them.
"But why would Perses - ?!"
"The thieves," Gohan interjected, there was something electrifying to his gaze that made Goku immediately uncomfortable, "Do you still have the bodies?"
"Yes, my Lord. They are buried near ze shrine."
"Show them to me."
A scrape of heavy wooden legs on the marble floor told him that sadly, the feast was over. He would have protested, if not for the dark expression upon Gohan's face.
The shrine was located near a roaring waterfall which poured graciously into a bubbling stream. The place was tranquil and inviting underneath the dappled light of flourishing trees.
Instead of bearing bountiful fruits, from the branches dangled twinkling crystal clear gemstones. It was like looking at constellations in the night sky, for there were hundreds, thousands of carefully crafted jewels hanging before them. They glistened and winked, almost vibrating in the wet breeze created by the falling waterfall.
The wild souls of the jungle called out to them in a beautiful chorus; the soft buzz of insects, the caw of alien birds and other creatures that he didn't recognise. They sang as the suns began to set, succumbing to the early call of twilight.
KA-BOOM!
The jungle's lullaby was disturbed all too abruptly, as shower of wet dirt and grass cascaded into the air. A flurry of bird-like creatures rushed from the trees in fright, the sound of panicked flaps and shrieks echoing around them.
Gohan lowered his arm, towering over the unmarked grave before them. The foul stench hit him square in the nose, bile immediately rising to his throat.
Goku swallowed thickly, trying to rid himself of the rotten taste, as Makhai pinched his own nose in disgust.
"Ugh, this is why I hate grave-robbing."
"Well? Who are they?" Vegeta spat, peering into the grave.
Goku reluctantly followed his gaze. The deceased had been thrown rather unceremoniously into the six foot hovel, limbs strewn over bloated bellies, gases festering and rigour mortis long set in.
The skin had already begun to decompose, he could see the insects burrowing into the rotten grey flesh from here. Empty, sunken eyes stared back at the group from the dirt, dirty blonde hair strewn around them like a sad, dull halo.
Goku had seen his fair share of dead bodies in his lifetime, but each time it came with a sadness that always knocked him unawares. No matter if they had been a bad person or not.
Even still, he was not prepared for when Gohan jumped into the grave with them.
Ignoring his sudden gasp, Gohan wasted no time in flipping one of the body's over with a sharp nudge of his boot. A fresh wave of unholy smells hit him, as Gohan's fingers hovered over the brutal slash on the thief's chest, stopping when he noticed the large pattern on his mangled arm.
"I know that symbol," Makhai mustered, squatting at the edge of the grave to get a better look.
It consisted of a large crimson circle, etched with wispy strings of red surrounding it - as though it was on fire. A red sun.
"You do?" Deimos asked dubiously.
"You don't need to sound so shocked Deimos - I do know things, you know."
"It's the mark of the Shining, isn't it?" Gohan asked, although he looked as though he already knew the answer.
"The hell is the Shining?" Vegeta glowered irritably. Goku had to admit that they were learning a lot today, it was almost too much to take in.
"Fucking nutcases is what they are," said Makhai, "A religious cult that are huge Kai fanatics -."
"I've only ever heard passing whispers of ze Shining before now, but over the last few months there have been conversations between ze Royal Houses of ze Seven about ze future of our Holy worlds, and what I've heard izn't pleasant in the slightest," Queen Otrera spoke up, her features laced with concern, "I have encountered new council members with that exact same marking, I'm afraid that what was once a small cult has turned into a movement. You must be cautious, my Lord."
"Cautious? Why?" Goku blinked, "Gohan can look after himself - !"
"They hate Destroyers, loathe them," said Deimos, looking perturbed, "If a movement against Destroyers have already gained the favour of the rulers of the Holy Seven, then -."
"That doesn't matter," said Gohan, cutting across them, "I agree with Piccolo. This is no coincidence. Kai-obsessed cultists steal Perses discarded memories from Ares and suddenly a load of Husks nearly wipe them out? Something stinks."
"Well, you are stood waist-deep in a grave mate," said Makhai.
Piccolo caught on straight away, "Just what are you planning, Gohan?"
Gohan sighed, not looking at them as he clambered out of the dirt laden tomb. He sighed again, and ran a hand through his messy spikes of hair.
"I want you to go on, without me."
"Are you stupid?" Kratos was first to protest over the startled noise that escaped them, "No, really. How absolutely unhinged are you, to think that going after that damned crystal over the Dragonball is a good idea?!"
Immediately on the offensive, Gohan snarled, "Perses is hiding something in those memories of his, why else would he send out those crackpots to do his bidding and steal it back?"
"You don't know that - !"
"It's obvious isn't it?!" He shouted, "Why else would they steal his memories? How would they even know they were here?!"
"Be that as it may, it sounds too dangerous for you to go on your own," Piccolo said sternly, "If you believe that we might find something in Perses' memories to aid us in this fight, then we should go after it too. We should split up."
"No, we shouldn't," Gohan argued, "We would draw too much attention on Rhudz- "
"Gohan - think for a moment," Makhai interjected, holding his gaze, "Rhudz. The planet with the Destroyer-hating mob of crazies - and you want to go ALONE?! Worse, what if Zamasu or Black or PERSES is waiting for you there!"
"Look, I'll take my communicator if I run into trouble," he said, "You can use the Gateway to get to me if needed -."
"This is fucking DUMB, Gohan."
Goku rubbed his temples as the argument continued to unfold. Yet Gohan was unmoving, stubborn as a mule.
"This is a suicide mission - what help will you be to the universe if you cease to exist?" Deimos glowered, as Eris got her two cents in.
"The Dragonball is our priority and it should be yours too! We should all go -."
"Exactly, if a wish is made then what help is Perses' pretty necklace THEN?!"
"Gohan, just think about this -."
"I used to hide out on Rhudz when I was alive! Made a bit of cash in the underground fighting rings!" Makhai exclaimed, "I know the planet like the back of my hand! I've got connections. If you just let me go with you then -!"
"No."
Gohan's cold whisper may as well have been a shout. His energy piqued and blew past the trees in a cruel brisk wave, plunging them into silence.
"I've made my decision," he said harshly, his hard stare daring them to protest, "I'm going to Rhudz to retrieve the Diamas, and you will all stay together and continue to search for the Dragonball. You can take Bessie, I can use the Gateway to get around so it won't be a problem."
Finally, his eyes met his expectantly, as if waiting for him to argue.
Goku thought about it for a moment, and pondered what he would do in this situation. As much as he didn't like it, he came to the same conclusion that Gohan had.
"Well," Goku mustered, "I don't like you going alone, but I trust you."
Gohan didn't smile, but he nodded, accepting his answer.
"The likelihood is that Perses and Zamasu already know that we are searching for the last Dragonball, which means you're better off staying together and protecting each other," he said, turning to the rest of them, "You need to stay on course and get to the centre of the universe - I'll try and get a hold of the Diamas as quickly as I can. Queen Otrera, can I count on your discretion?"
The Queen bowed her head, giving him a knowing smile, "Of course, my Lord. You have had eet always."
Goku wasn't sure if there was a double meaning there, especially seen as Gohan had noticeable tinge of pink to his cheeks as he turned away.
"Queen Otrera," addressed Piccolo respectfully, "If Gohan does get a hold of this Diamas, how easy is it to access the memories within it?"
Her smile fell, "I'm afraid I can't you a simple answer, not many troubled souls want their purged memories back. Although, in ancient scriptures, eet iz said that in order to access the memory one must expose ze Diamas to blood."
"Oh great!" Makhai puffed, absolutely livid, "Hear that Gohan? You just need to STAB yourself with an ancient magical crystal - shouldn't be too hard seen as you're so intent on fucking killing yourself."
"That's enough, Makhai!" Gohan blurted out angrily, he could have sworn that his eyes glowed violet in that moment, "I'm in charge of this mission, and I've given my order!"
Hurt flashed through Makhai's eyes, shortly replaced by his own anger.
A beat of heavy silence passed as he bowed, slowly.
"As you wish, my Lord."
With that, Makhai spun on his heel and disappeared back through the trees.
Gohan all but scoffed through the stunned silence, not even bothering to watch him go.
"How quickly can the Gateway be ready?" He said as he turned to the Queen, who looked similarly bewildered.
"A little under ten takks, Lord Gohan. Shall I ask ze servants to prepare some provisions for your journey?"
"That would be great, thank you."
Goku had not taken his gaze away from where Makhai had vanished. He could feel his second hand hurt from here. He felt a familiar ache in his chest, a stark reminder of the pain that title had brought him too.
Makhai had already returned to the ship before they had even returned to the palace. He didn't even come to wave Gohan off at the Gateway that would take him to Planet Rhudz in search of the Diamas.
The Gateway to the next world operated as some kind of mystical bridge that could take a person to and from any of the seven Holy worlds. And as he watched Gohan disappear into the vast beam of light, he thought it oddly similar to the Warp technique that Whis used.
Despite the others disapproval of Gohan's decision to split off from the group, Goku did understand his theory. Maybe there was something within Perses' memories that they could utilise to win this, it was worth a shot. He just hoped that they were able to find the Super Dragonball before the enemy - and definitely before they got wind of what Gohan was trying to do.
He hadn't been too worried about him, truth be told. Until it had been just over three weeks since they had last seen or heard from him. Deimos had tried to reach him a couple of times after about a week - just to check in, but Gohan hadn't answered.
"Maybe the connection is bad?" Eris had once offered after another unsuccessful attempt at contact.
"That, or he's been captured by Kai-loving extremists," scoffed Vegeta, earning himself a deep glare from both Goku and Piccolo.
"Well, I'm just saying," he spluttered irritably, attempting to brush them off.
"Well don't," Piccolo glowered, "Besides, he probably can't answer. He's meant to be keeping a low profile."
"You're probably right," Goku had agreed, swallowing his nerves, "He's fine!"
He was not fine.
Goku was worried now. It had been over a whole month. Just how long did it take to find a gemstone on one planet?! Surely it wasn't as difficult to find as a Super Dragonball across a whole universe!
He tried to quell the gruesome depictions that kept springing into his mind. Gohan, lying in the snow with a spear jammed into his sternum, his warm blood melting the away the snow that cocooned his unresponsive body -
"Oh, you're still up."
Goku jumped, startled by the sudden voice. He was walking aimlessly again, unable to sleep and had unconsciously entered the dimly lit cockpit. He hadn't noticed Makhai, who was curled up in the Captain's chair with a blanket, his knees were bent upwards towards his chest but his feet dangled well off the edge due to him being so gangly.
He observed Goku with tired amber eyes. He hadn't been sleeping either.
"Do you mind?" He asked, looking pointedly to a chair.
"Be my guest Goku, take a pew."
The lazy joke caused his lips to twitch into a smile, as he sat in the co-pilots chair next to Makhai. It struck him that he had took the same position only a few weeks ago, only with Gohan, who had looked just as troubled as Makhai did now.
It was an odd look on the kid - even though he wasn't really a kid, in reality he was older than he was. He certainly hadn't been himself since he and Gohan had argued, and he could tell that Eris and Deimos were worried about their comrade.
Kratos was enjoying the peace and quiet.
"So what's up?" Makhai asked.
Goku could immediately see past the light-hearted tone, but kept it to himself. He may be Gohan's best friend, but he didn't really know him all too well.
"Nothin'," he replied, "Just can't sleep."
The small smile he had offered faded away, "Yeah, Eris was getting fed up of all my fidgeting, so I thought safest bet was to hide away up here before she tried to blast my nuts off - again."
"Gohan's room is free," he said without thinking, prompting Makhai to turn his head sharply and scoff.
"Don't talk to me about that git."
"Oh right, sorry."
Silence engulfed them, save for the low hum of the ship's engine. Occasionally, it was sputter and fizzle, but he had become used to the noises by now. He knew what noises he shouldn't panic over and which noises he definitely should.
The Astra Eridanus unravelled before them in glorious waves of mysterious light, paving the way deeper and deeper into space. The ship followed the unending river with the same obedience as it had been doing for last long few weeks. The soft glow shone into the large window, casting wave-like shadows over the cockpit.
Makhai sighed, looking out into the abyss.
"Why did that stupid bastard go off on his own?"
Goku turned to face him, his anger palpable in the air.
"Was he always this much of an idiot when he was alive?"
He chuckled at that, catching Makhai's curious gaze.
"An idiot? Never," he told him, "Gohan was, and still is one of the smartest people I know. But stubborn? Yeah he was still just as stubborn, probably worse now…"
He clicked his tongue, "And you think death would change a person."
"He did change," Goku said solemnly, "In quite a lot of ways actually."
Makhai said nothing, as they both became lost in their own thoughts.
Finally, Makhai spoke, "He told me how he died against that Cell monster you know."
"H-He did?"
"Yeah, it sounds like he's always been a walking fucking saviour complex."
"Well, I suppose -."
"And another thing!" Makhai ranted, all the weeks of anger and frustration he had bottled up suddenly spewed forth, "I offered to go with him. Hell, I pretty much downright BEGGED! And how does he treat me? ME? Of all people!"
"I'm sure he didn't mean what he said, Makhai," said Goku, sincerely.
"That's - !"
"Sometimes, Gohan opens his mouth before his brain can process his words," he continued, "I think he kinda got that from me."
Makhai grunted in annoyance, but appeared to calm down a little.
"You know, I once had to punch him when he was a kid - and not the sparring kind of hit either - because he wasn't listening to me," he explained, "He was going to try and stop Cell before he was ready, all to save Piccolo. But he wasn't ready, he would have died out there. So I had to punch him real hard to get him to stop."
"So… you're saying I should have punched him so that he didn't leave or?"
"No, that's not what I'm getting at," Goku said, "I felt awful once it had all calmed down, but I did what I had to do to keep him safe. I know it doesn't excuse how he acted, but maybe Gohan said something harsh like that to keep you safe."
Makhai paused, mulling it over, "I dunno, it… sounds like something he would do."
"There, ya see?"
"You know, Gohan was right about you," he said with a wry smile, catching him off guard.
"What do you mean?"
"'You never fail to see the good in anyone'," he quoted, propping a finger into the air, "Even if they are being a self-righteous prick."
Goku smiled back, "Well, I just think that everyone deserves a chance to be saved."
"Huh, interesting," said Makhai, "I can see now why you struggle with this Destroyer stuff so much."
He faltered, "I don't -."
"Uh, yeah, you do," he pressed, "Man, that is messed up."
"What is?"
"That you and Gohan are basically at opposing ends of the spectrum," he said matter-of-factly, "You wouldn't destroy anyone if given the chance, and yet Gohan will - does for the greater good of the universe. Am I wrong in thinking that you only killed those Husks because they are effectively soulless?"
"Well, sort of -."
Makhai's eyes narrowed, "My point, exactly. Majin Buu - Perses' worst creation, even he was effectively spared because you lot drove the good out of him. I think we both know that Gohan would have eliminated his entire being in a heartbeat."
Goku said nothing, he knew he was right.
"You might think that everyone is worth saving, and that's fine. That's your deal. But you might want to stop with the 'look of absolute horror' that you do whenever Gohan uses Destruction energy," said Makhai, "It's not going to help him come to peace with his decision to become Lord Beerus' successor if his Dad keeps acting like he's the boogie-man."
"I don't -," he tried, "I'm just worried about him."
"Gohan says that you're always worried about him."
"Can you really blame me?"
"Touché, Goku," he hummed, resting his chin on his knee, "But I'm still mad at him, you know."
"Yeah, I know."
A quiet, yet comfortable moment passed between them. Absentmindedly, he wondered just how many therapy sessions this old cockpit had been privy to.
"You're a good friend Makhai," Goku said after a while, wondrous rays of light casting over his frame.
His words were met by an incredulous stare.
"No, really," he said honestly, "I'm glad that Gohan had someone like you by his side after he died."
"Thanks," he replied, the most sincerest he had ever known him, "Maybe remind him of that when he gets back."
They laughed, both feeling lighter. A burden shared is a burden halved, after all.
And then, just as their laughter died down, did a strange blip blip blip blipsound reach their ears. It took Goku all but a split second to recognise it, the continuous blipping noise that had sung through nearly every memory since his childhood.
He turned to the centre console, where the universal dragon radar sat pride of place. Makhai followed his gaze, his mouth falling open as he too noticed the flashing orange dot that seemed to tease them from its South-West position on the gridded screen.
Blip blip blip blip.
Goku's shock soon spread into a wide, toothy grin, a mixture of relief and excitement came flooding through his veins.
At last, they had located the final Super Dragonball.
A/N:Once again thanks for sticking with me! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter.
The Goku and Makhai scene gave me SUCH joy, it was good to explore the story through their eyes. Gohan has gotten a lot more serious - more to come on that one. I have the lovely Bonism to thank for that - I literally could not have gotten this far without her support, and threats.
Some of you may have noticed the Greek mythology links throughout the story.. cough cough. And you would be right that the people of Ares or 'Arieans' are based off the Amazonians. Ares is also the greek God of war and courage, and was worshipped by the Amazons, so I thought naming their planet after him would be a nice fit. Queen Otrera was also the first Amazonian Queen.
For those of you that remember many chapters ago the warrior Princess that Gohan got caught snogging behind a tapestry - yep, that's her. Nice when a little tidbit in the story comes full circle - finally!
The tension between Gohan and Makhai was good to explore here I felt. It was really difficult to let them fall out, but I feel like it's a good development for both of their characters. Gohan splitting off from the group was also something I didn't think was going to happen, but as this story grows and gets darker, this is important to challenge. Gohan does not have that safety net here, and needs to rely on his own senses for a while.
I'm also trying my hardest with a busy schedule to try and keep at least one chapter ahead. I am LOVING the next chapter I have lined up. I am calling it Gohan's sexy chapter. You'll know why soon enough. The Destroyer is here ya'll.
Thank you for all the wonderful reviews on my last chapter, I'm so glad that people are still enjoying this story. I agree with the comments a couple have made about Gohan's angst being a bit overstretched - and yeah, my bad. I would certainly tone it down if I ever rewrote this story, some things I would take out completely, I think it is mainly the fact that I have had to take so many breaks throughout writing this that it became difficult to move on quickly from previous chapters if that makes sense! Even so, the next couple of chapters have got a much better pacing to them so hopefully that will make up for it!