Welcome back to the new arc of a Different Baby! This arc is the Solitude Arc, that's the fifth arc out of six. The theme song for this entire arc is Hikaru Utada's Sakura Nagashi, FYI.
If FFNET happens to fall apart, please find me on tumblr or twitter (secretsofdbz) and my ao3 username is the same (vonigner).
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Weeks turned into months which slowly turned into years. Chichi's second son, Goten, was born without complications (and without a tail), and Gohan had vowed he would become as good of a big brother as Tora had been to him. Kind, loving and respectful. He cared for his mother and his baby brother as often as he could, even if Chichi chased him away from the kitchen and wanted him to focus on his studies. Raising two half-Saiyans wasn't easy for the young mother, but she had no regrets, even if she missed her 'Goku-sa'.
Gohan missed his father too, but he knew it was not his decision to make, that he was looking out for him and his family by choosing to stay dead, for their sake. As he aged, he slowly realized Son Goku was not a legend, but a flawed man who lived for exciting fights. Gohan still loved him dearly, admired him even, but he could fully grasp what Tora meant, when he was talking about his future self. As a child, Tora wasn't able to fundamentally understand who his version of Gohan was until after his death, and now Gohan was going through the same process about his own father. There was no doubt in his mind, however, that Son Goku was a man who loved his family more than anything else, in his own weird way.
Not as weird as Vegeta, though. As soon as Trunks could walk and had a semblance of balance, Vegeta began training him, and fought Gohan on occasion. Gohan could tell Vegeta's heart wasn't in it, but there was no use trying to probe the Saiyan into talking. It wasn't his place, anyway, he was still just 'Kakarot's brat', a child that had little voice and understanding of such adult matters, even if he was slowly turning into one.
Vegeta had no obligation to him, but he was there, a physical presence and reminder of everything he went through since he was three . And they were moving forward, peacefully. Vegeta forbade the mention of 'his heir' and beat it into Gohan the hard way, putting him in bed for days. At first, Gohan thought it was hatred and denial (and when he tried asking about that, that put him in bed for even longer, Vegeta knew how to inflict pain), but eventually he came to the conclusion that Vegeta missed his 'other son' and that it was painful to think about him, even if he knew he was thriving in his own, Cyborg and Cell-free world with 784-Bulma. 'Our instincts aren't meant to deal with time travel,' Vegeta had gritted in anger to a semi-conscious thirteen year old Gohan.
Tora was never mentioned again. Little by little, as he came by with Goten on occasion, Gohan realized that despite the many pictures Bulma had of him, none were displayed in the household. Bulma told Gohan in passing, when he showed the one he still carried in his wallet, the one of his ninth birthday, a copy of the one he gave to Tora before he left their world, that she kept all the pictures in a secret album. She even confided that Vegeta looked at them, sometimes, when he thought she was asleep, and swore Gohan to secrecy. Gohan agreed.
After all, it had been Tora's wish to not be remembered, to not affect Trunks' upbringing. They weren't the same, he had insisted.
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Bulma understood Vegeta more than anyone else, and saw the façade he and Gohan put to the world. The three of them kept quiet, but Bulma knew they both missed Goku and 'big' Trunks. She did, too, and Goku's disappearance was the reason she eventually started smoking, all while apologizing to her alternative selves and alternate sons. Life just didn't have the same brightness after the Cell Games, especially with that buffoon doing a parade every year to celebrate his victory.
Like Trunks, Gohan had told Bulma it was fine, that he didn't want the publicity, and it was best for the planet to have an Earthling savior and for them all to fall into oblivion and peace. And little by little, the edited footage and the media were confirming the story. Everyone trusted the Champion, of course, and the world needed him. That didn't stop her from complaining about it to her parents or Vegeta when the right amount of alcohol and annoyance fueled her spite.
Only a few households, especially in Central City, knew something else was going on. Politics won over, however, as the Orange neighborhood which had been destroyed by Cell was rebuilt and renamed Satan City. The Golden Defender never answered their calls, and the few who had witnessed his coming to the defense of their city, and also seen his actions on TV, that May 31st, were certain that none of it was a 'trick'. Perhaps the Golden Defender wanted no recognition, if his live threat of strangulation should ZTV approach him during the Cell Games was to be believed… Some started to believe it was all a trick, especially as the replays of the Cell Games had edited out all of the blurry and corrupted files, but many Central Citizens kept believing in their (taciturn) hero and how he truly saved them. Quietly.
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Gohan's years of studies paid off, he obliterated the preliminary tests to enter Orange Star High School, enough so he didn't need to enter the entrance exams. The school survived Cell's blast, all those years ago, thanks to Tora's intervention, but unlike the neighborhood being rebuilt, it would not change its name. It was the best school he could attend to reach his goal of becoming a scholar, as private tutors and Chichi's own bright mind weren't enough anymore.
The adolescent also knew his mother wanted him to go and make friends his own age, and perhaps meet a nice girl who would give her a grandchild in the foreseeable future. Gohan wasn't exactly excited at that prospect, but he figured it was a problem for his future self.
Orange Star never had a student so young since Bulma, who entered at fourteen; usually, students came in to perfect their end-of-secondary curriculums, as a mixture of traditional high school and preparatory classes to enter the highest rated colleges and universities of the planet. And while Gohan was sixteen when he passed the preliminary exams in the winter, his paperwork indicated he was fifteen years old, due to the time he spent in the Room of Spirit and Time and in 787.
These were going to be two intensive years of studies and competition, but Gohan, like all Saiyans, didn't back away from a challenge, even if it was a different kind of challenge than the ones other Saiyans reveled in.
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Even if Central City was far away, Gohan could easily get there in minutes. However, wanting to remain unnoticed, he opted to use his late father's Flying Nimbus, as it was unlikely for his mother to let him live in the City (they couldn't afford it anyway). She had accompanied him during the preliminary entrance exams in January, and did some shopping while he passed the tests with flying colors, and once accepted (with a good merit-based scholarship), she came along to tour the campus. The structure was immense, and a gym was finished being built to encourage young people to do more physical activity. Even if the school wasn't going to change its name, a Satan-approved-and-branded gym was accepted. Gohan promptly asked to be exempted from sports at school, but Chichi refused, she wanted him to excel at sports too, even if she and Bulma agreed he needed to keep a low enough profile when it came to his physical prowess.
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The last time Gohan went to school with his mother, the teenager caught wind of police movements. He dropped out of the Nimbus to quickly deal with the ongoing crime (an armed robbery), and used super Saiyan to hide his identity. Chichi was displeased because they were going to be late, but thankfully they weren't, and appreciated her son's heroism, knowing little could harm her baby boy now.
Oddly enough, that wouldn't be the first nor the last time. He did it again a couple of times when going to different pre-back-to-school events on his own, and Gohan couldn't help but feel a sneaky satisfaction of helping people with a secret identity and not staying for questions. And thus the urban legend of the Golden Warrior was born.
Tora was right, people weren't exactly imaginative when it came to naming things. He remembered how the 784-radio had called him after he had killed the Cyborgs. Being nicknamed the same thing Tora was, and his version of Gohan was, left a bitter-sweet taste in Gohan's mouth, but he would make sure to be worthy of those who preceded him in another world.
"I am glad I met you," Tora had whispered into his ear when they hugged goodbye. "I will miss you, Gohan-san. Please be happy and thrive."
He wanted to become the kind of person Trunks and Goten would admire, and live up to Tora's hopes and standards. And live up to his future self's standards, which was a strange feeling to deal with, as at one point, they were the same person.
Gohan couldn't help a quiet chuckle as one of his earlier assignments had been to write a letter to his future self. He aced it, as unlike his peers, he actually had a tangible experience with it, so his words came naturally.
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Gohan had his first day of class at the beginning of April 774, as the new academic year started just after spring break, but unlike others who had been in the program since their earlier years, he was introduced to the class as a new student who had passed the entry exams with flying colors.
Others who passed usually joined earlier years, but Gohan entering third year out of four was unexpected.. and a source of interest for his new, forty or so, classmates. They welcomed him warmly, with some teasing about being a nerd. He was surprised to find out one of them was actually Mr Satan's daughter. A spike of energy caught his attention during the first period, until he remembered Goten and Trunks were meant to spend the day together, so they were probably play-fighting, as usual.
Videl, however, was a fascinating specimen, and he felt like he met her before. She seemingly worked with the police on occasion, running out of class when her radio went off during the second period. That's when Gohan realized she was present when he stopped the second robbery, thankfully his 'disguise' had worked and he was not recognized, even if the witnesses had told her the Golden Warrior was wearing a similar outfit to Gohan's. Her friends, Sharpener and Erasa, were floored by how little of anything Gohan knew, about the city, its new urban legend, about Videl and her father, about proper class manners, but they'd teach him.
The teenagers were scolded more than once during the first four periods for chatting during class, as Gohan adjusted to the expectations of 'being in class' and of the surprise that was being in the same class as the daughter of the man who claimed to be the one to defeat Cell. Fate had a strange sense of humor. He also had to consider extra-curricular activities, but he didn't want to attract too much attention and if he was going to moonlight as a vigilante, he needed the extra time. Gohan had tried learning about music after Tora left, but he just didn't have a musical ear. Sadly there were no beginner spots in the music section of the school.
The teenager ate on his own on the roof of one of the school buildings, he had grown into quite the eater like his father and his (feed-a-whole-family-for-a-year) capsulized meal would be best kept out of prying eyes.
'Tora-san never went to school, either… I bet he'd handle all of this differently,' the teenager remembered how they studied together on occasion.
He had been Tora's tutor, in his world. Bulma wanted her son to go to school, but Trunks was rowdy, to say the least, so he attended whenever his mood would allow it and was otherwise taught at home. Goten was being tutored at home, as he had been, but Chichi was less strict about than she had been with him. It wasn't uncommon for both boys to see each other at Mount Paozu or at Capsule Corp to play, which usually either consisted of spares or trying out new toys.
Trunks was a spoiled little boy, no doubt about it, but he happily shared with Goten, and Gohan was thankful for it. Having friends their own age was something neither Tora nor Gohan had growing up, and it was something that Goten's existence would fundamentally change. Trunks started to look more and more like Tora, according to Bulma, but Gohan just never saw it. Trunks was Trunks, a bright and stubborn boy always up to pranks and games, and Tora was Tora, a young determined man who had been forced to grow up too fast, but who retained a kind nature.
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When the second period of the afternoon started, Gohan was bored out of his mind and waiting for the teacher to show up in the large, amphitheater-like classroom. He had let it slip that he lived near Mount Paozu, which prompted Erasa to ask him for a drive home (which he obviously couldn't accept), so he was eager for class to start so he didn't mess up further with the whole 'being the center of attention' thing.
An old man in a strict gray suit walked in, and the students all stood in respect. It was a routine to stand for each teacher and authority figure, when they came in, and when they left. Gohan was quick to catch on, and the teacher waved them to stay put as he walked towards his desk where he put his paperwork and computer. Projecting elements on a screen made learning easier. Gohan was still used to note taking and going through the materials, but it was only his third class. This one was math, and Gohan dreaded it, it was his weakest point (too abstract once numbers were replaced by letters), and this specific teacher had been on the board to decide whether he was admitted or not.
One thing was strange, though, the teacher didn't close the door. Which somehow explained why they were all still standing.
"My apologies for being late. Seems today is full of surprises, class," he started, removing his glasses and cleaning them. "First, a homeschooled fifteen-year-old enters our third year, and now a seventeen-year-old shows up out of nowhere and scores a 100% in last years' math finals.." he mumbled with a certain irritation. "Due to exceptional circumstances, a new student will be joining us. Ah, here," the man gestured, as he heard heel steps in the corridor.
The principal advisor, a tall young woman with a brown bun and a deep muted green outfit, whose name Gohan had forgotten despite her having been the one who did the admission procedure, came in followed by a young adult. The advisor gestured for the students to sit down, and they did.
Gohan didn't hear anything that was explained by either adult about their new student, all of his senses collapsed as he recognized a peculiar hair color, a blue jacket he had become so familiar with, that yellow warm hoodie he wore when he stayed over, the aloof and distant demeanor of someone who clearly wanted to be anywhere but here. What the others remarked was also the absence of a backpack, or anything indicating this guy was ready to be in school, but Gohan noticed the absence of a sword instead.
Gohan's ki had spiked when all elements he had recognized confirmed this was indeed his friend, and that grabbed the new student's attention. Not the sudden standing up, hands on desk, the shouting of his name interrupting the presentation, but the ki that caught Tora's senses off-guard just prior.
Gohan leaped over the tables, ignoring everything else, walked over two tables and jumped towards Tora, tears in his eyes, repeating his name once more, and Tora welcomed him with open arms and a bright but confused expression.
"What are you doing here, Gohan-san?" Tora had the gall to ask in a whisper when Gohan embraced him tightly, ignoring the uncanny fact that Tora was now shorter than him.
"What are you doing here?" Gohan asked back, and was about to continue asking if something was wrong, if there was a new danger, but he was suddenly reminded about where he was.
Their reunion was interrupted by the advisor and teacher coughing, and Gohan promptly apologized bowing low and everything, mumbling something about 'a long time friend he hadn't seen in ages'. Tora gave him a warm and friendly smile, his demeanor having changed from hostile to somewhat accepting of being present in school. The advisor promptly left the classroom and wished them all a good afternoon, which was returned by the students. Gohan promptly went back to his seat, all red-faced and trying to forget how much of a fool he had made of himself.. and Tora.
"As I was saying, this is Tora Brief. He was off-world for a while," the teacher looked at Tora, who nodded to confirm. "I trust you'll make him feel welcome, class."
"Brief, like Capsule Corp's Dr Brief and Bulma Brief?" Erasa asked.
"My grandfather and my aunt," Tora nodded. It was a lie, of course, and Gohan knew it, but what else could he say?
"You'll catch up about such things after class, now. Tora-kun, the exam you passed this morning is today's lesson. Would you mind explaining to the class how you solved these problems?"
Tora more or less reluctantly complied under the scrutiny of everyone in the room. The teacher had to stop Tora a couple of times to explain how he went from A to D, the teen with a lavender ponytail and undercut skipped many steps in his demonstrations.
Sharpener whispered to Gohan. "Your king-of-the-nerds title is in danger."