A Wonderful Life
By: SomeRandomPerson648
Chapter 13: Fate's hand
A/N: Hey Guys! In the last chapter I forgot to mention that Vegenks has a halo over his head, cause you know... Vegeta is dead. So I'll update that near the posting of this chapter. Other than that, enjoy!
Vegenks stood tense in place as he attempted to sense Cell's Ki, but after a minute of trying he knew that he truly won the battle, there was no saving Cell. Vegenks drew his attention back to 16 and Prestina, flying and stopping just before them. They both looked somber, it was true that Cell was evil, but the both of them thought that there could've been another way, one that required less killing
But no more, for fate's hand already decided what will happen and what won't
"H-he's dead... right?" Prestina asked as she stared unblinkingly at the large pit that marked Cell's death. With no verbal response she was responded to with a quiet nod
The Majin took a good look at the pit, unsure of what to feel anymore. Cell was gone now, she hardly knew him and yet he'd made such a lasting impression that it felt so strange to see him gone in a flash of light. It felt almost unfair in a way
"16, where did you leave the Dragonballs?" Vegenks asked the Android
"I-I-I left them at Ka-Kami's." He responded with glitches in his speech. "I su-suggest you wait until you-you defuse so you ca-can rev-revive the fallen." He said as his voice repeated itself a few times. Prestina tried to put a hand on his chest to heal him, but instead her hand glowed with no effect.
"You can't heal him, he's mechanical. Once we revive my mot-I mean, Bulma, then she can repair him. Until then, we must wait thirty minutes..." Vegenks motioned her to stop as he sat down on a nearby boulder. The working idea for him was using the Dragonballs now risked being unable to revive Vegeta as he was fused, and rather than risk it he settled for waiting
Prestina sat down, still sparing glimpses to the pit while 16 floated away. "I-I will prepare m-m-myself for re-repairs."
"Please be careful!" Prestina advised as it the only thing she could do
"I will" He said as he flew towards Capsule Corporation, leaving the two in silence. Vegenks began to 'meditate' as Prestina sat quietly, settling with the recent events and attempting to fully digest them, but failing
The following silence was oddly calming, like a rising sun after a stormy night. Not too long ago they were fighting for their lives, but now they had a moment to settle and reflect, one that didn't come often during battle
"Glad I could stop Cell before he destroyed Earth..." Vegenks thought as he now understood the full truth
Cell may have been talking to Vegenks, but he was clearly referring to Vegeta as he laughed in his broken state of mind. With the shared memories of Vegeta, the side of Trunks now had a new perspective of what truly happened, the perspective of the abuser. Vegenks could recall all of the words and feelings that were said and felt during those times... they weren't all positive, to say the least
Nevertheless Vegenks sat in victory, he saved the Earth, at the cost of losing what was once considered an ally. At the cost of losing Cell
Several minutes passed and Vegenks' mind began to wonder about many things, what to call Future Trunks when he's around Kid Trunks, the legend of the Super Saiyan, and many more trivial matters that included the memories and the mixed personalities of both Vegeta and Trunks. All minus the parts about Cell, all of Vegenks wanted to ignore that. That was something, he felt, that should be properly settled when the two could speak face to face
But one matter crossed his mind that he hadn't thought of until then... what to do with Prestina...
"By what I can tell she's a good person, King Kai reported that too. But what will the Supreme Kai want to do..? Will he try and find her planet, or will she have to stay? Damn, how come I haven't thought of this." Vegenks contemplated. He opened his eyes to observe Prestina, who was flat on the ground amidst some rubble, staring at the pretty clouds above
"Hey, Prestina." He called out. She looked over to see that Vegenks was looking at her. Rather than get up from the floor she sat in place and looked back at Vegito
The fusion warrior looked around, trying to find the right way to word his question only to give up halfway. "Once I restore everything, what will happen to you?" He asked bluntly as she looked downwards
Unlike Vegenks, this was all Prestina could think about, minus the restoring part. She was a Majin, and she was associated with Cell and Buu. She wondered if it would be best to stay on the planet, or go in search of her home, however hard that might be. But she was also scared that she might not find what she last left off. Her family and friends would most likely be gone, or worse, the planet could have been destroyed. Lot could happen in 100 years, she felt, and she was worried that too much might've changed since she was gone
Prestina was depressed by the notion that she knew full and well by now she couldn't return to the life she lived a few days ago, something that grappled her for a while now. A strong sense of longing and remembrance filled her heart when she thought of these things. She felt like everything was one strange dream in a sense, or that none of it was real. She'd been so panicked and afraid that she somewhat couldn't register the feeling of rock and glass on her back that she laid in, though that was also due to her putty-like skin
In essence, Vegenks' question was a complicated ordeal in itself, and Prestina had no way of answering it. A tear fell from her eye as she stared at the ground in sadness, relapsing back into her earlier depression. "... I... don't know..." Vegenks did his best to empathize with her, she was in new territory. Whatever might've happened most likely affected her deeply
Vegenks thought of a suggestion, but his dual personality made it hard for him to voice his opinion. Part of him felt that his suggestion would make things tedious for Vegeta, while the other welcomed the idea fully. Vegenks eventually settled as he decided to voice his opinion anyway
"You know... once everything is back to normal, you could come live with us at Capsule Corp, until we figure out where you should go, that is." Vegenks suggested as Prestina's eyes lit up slightly
"R-Really? A-Are you ok with this?"
"Sort of... half of me doesn't want to deal with having another guest at our home, and the other half knows its for the best." Vegenks said truthfully as Prestina's shine faltered a little. Vegenks stood up and walked over to her. He caringly outstretched his hand for her
"But all of me knows that you can't be left without a home. So what do you say?" Vegenks with a confident smiled. Prestina looked up and smiled as well as she took his hand. As they held hands Prestina was graced was new feeling of safety and comfort that overwhelmed her, something she only felt a few times with Cell
Unknowingly, she trusted this man. Whether it was his confidence, his actions or his smile, Prestina knew she could trust this man. And Kami knew she needed to trust someone in this new environment
"Thank You."she said as she pulled herself up
"Good, now we should be leaving for Kami's lookout, the thirty minutes are almost up." Vegenks said before both he and Prestina began to float away. Vegenks scanned any energy that he recognized until he felt Dende's Ki, up ahead
With that both Vegenks dashed and Prestina flew after their new target
The flight took time, but they eventually arrived at Kami's lookout
"Hey Dende I need-" Vegenks began but was cut off by a blue ball of Ki that suddenly appeared at his chest before enveloping him. In no time the bodies of both Vegeta and Future Trunks were thrown out of the ball as it disintegrated
Vegeta wasted no time in taking off his earring, tossing it to Trunk for him to store. Trunks did the same, only he put both in his pocket
"Now then, what we came for." Vegeta remarked as he walked towards Dende, who had been standing in the same spot for a little over thirty minutes. Next to him was Mr. Popo, who had his hands behind his back
Dende was taller than when he was a kid, he wore a long white robe with a brown belt, brown shoes and a red vest that swayed loosely. Dende's skin was as green as Piccolo's, and his face was just as mature
Mr. Popo wore his white turban hat with his brown-ish red vest. He wore two large golden bracelets on both his arms, and he had white baggy pants. He also wore a bright red belt with his orange pointy shoes. He had pitch black skin, big red lips and two spherical eyes. The two coupled well together as the overseers of Earth, but they didn't look any less strange
To Prestina the two looked like an odd pair, but there was a certain something that told her they were important, unfortunately she didn't have the courage to interrupt them and ask
"Ok... Eternal Shenron, by your name I summon you forth!" Dende yelled and caused the ground below them to shake and glow. Suddenly, a yellow beam emitted from the group of Dragonballs that stretched further towards the sky, shaping and bending itself as it went
The sky darkened and the beam of light curved like a snake as it soon took the shape of a dragon. His tail ended by touching the small group of Dragonballs on the ground. When his body took shape his scales were green and he was extremely long to the point of having to curve his body several times. It had a large snout with large whiskers as well as deer-like horns and glowing red eyes. Though the dragon looked scary there was an air of elegance and magic to him, aside from the obvious pulsing red eyes
Prestina watched the new creature with amazement and awe. So these were the 'Dragonballs' that everyone talked about, seeing them up close and personal was nothing like Cell had described
"YOU WHO HAVE SUMMONED THE ETERNAL DRAGON! STATE YOUR TWO WISHES!" Shenron declared as Vegeta stood in front of the Dragonballs, ready to make the first wish. As Vegenks both Vegeta and Trunks were able to plan their wishes and their next steps afterwards
"Restore Earth back to before the attack of Majin Buu!!" Vegeta shouted as the dragon's red eyes began to pulsate. A few seconds passed before Shenron's eyes stopped glowing
"IT HAS BEEN DONE! NOW, STATE YOUR FINAL WISH!" Shenron said as Vegeta tried to word his sentence correctly
"Revive all who have been killed by evildoers within the past day!" Vegeta shouted as Shenron's eyes glowed yet again. Before long his eyes stopped pulsating and the halo on Vegeta's head disappeared
"IT IS DONE! NOW FAREWELL!"
The Dragon morphed back into a beam of light that contracted into the Dragonballs. The light then absorbed the Dragonballs as it shot straight into the sky like a rocket. Once the beam reached its apex height, it exploded, sending seven smaller beams of light into seven new directions around the Earth
"With the summoning of Shenron, all harm has been reverted. Now go Vegeta, we don't want to keep you waiting." Mr. Popo said as he walked back towards the garden. Dende also walked back towards the building, in order for him to resume his spectating of Earth
Vegeta, Trunks and Prestina flew in different directions. Vegeta and Trunks both understood that Dabura and Babidi could have been revived by the Dragonballs aswell, they didn't need to say it aloud. Vegeta flew towards the dessert that held Babidi's ship while both Trunks and Prestina flew towards Satan City
The Supreme Kai breathed a sigh of relief as the wishes were made, feeling a heavy burden lift from his chest. Decades of plaguing thoughts and worry were finally coming to a close, and the souls of his allies were now put to rest, wherever they may rest now
"It's over... Majin Buu is dead." He thought as he looked at the sky
That wasn't the end of his worries, others like Bojack, Turles and even Cooler could rise to power, those three being the most evident and the most observed threats. But that wasn't for today, it was for another time, for now the Supreme Kai wanted to view the positives
Life on Earth returned as the two devastated cities were restored, along with the dessert that surrounded Babidi's ship, although the ship was still there. The Kai looked around him to see many halos disappear. "It is done everyone! Earth is saved!" He exclamed as everyone around cheered
"Right... how're we gonna get there?" Goku asked. By what he knew, he needed King Kai to give him ki, but sadly he was out like a light at the moment, so much so that he even snored in his sleep
"I myself can give you the ki to support your trip Goku, but please, return at your convenience." The Kai offered with a tired smile, it was the least he could do after Goku helped save the universe
With a simple nod everyone gathered around Goku, placing a hand on his back. With several goodbyes the remaining Z Fighters teleported away from sight
The cities, having now been restored, were in complete chaos, but not in the destructive kind. Instead, the inhabitants of each fallen city wandered around confused, having not only seen the afterlife for the first time but having also come back from the dead, a very bizarre happening for them all
Trunks and Prestina flew through the sky above to see that everything was restored to what it once was, pedestrians walked along the sidewalks aimlessly and all cars had stopped driving and were parked in the middle of the road. As the two landed within the World Tournament grounds everyone looked around in confusion, except 17 and 18, who were laying in the arena unconscious at the center of the Tournament stage
Just as he and Prestina landed, Goku suddenly appeared beside them, along with the Krillin, Piccolo and Gohan
Prestina was startled by the sudden appearance of the new people and tried to hide behind Trunks, who didn't seem to be surprised in the least
"Oh don't worry, they're friends of mine." He said with assurance, though Prestina still read all of their minds to ease her suspicions. When she did she sensed no ill will from any of them, but she was still a little skeptical, as one would be when they've been deeply betrayed by a former friend
"So, you're Prestina huh? My name's Goku!" Goku introduced himself with a friendly hand, to which Prestina confusingly shook it. Just hours ago he was fight to the death against Cell, but now he was well alive
"Hi... Um...I was given the impression that you died already."
"Hm? Oh, sorry 'bout that but I'm already dead, so Cell just sent me back to Otherworld. But I think I'd like to keep it that way for now." He explained
"Mom! Videl! Goten!" Gohan shouted as he and Goku quickly flew towards the others. Gohan bear hugged the three for a second before putting them down
"G-G-G...Goku..?" Chi-Chi stuttered as she looked at her long dead husband. Her heart began to beat quickly as Goku smiled with joy. After a brief pause of disbelief she jumped forward and hugged him tightly as she reveled in the moment. Her husband was back...
"I missed you too Chi-Chi..." Goku said as he hugged her tightly. Tears fell from both of their eyes as Trunks, Bulma, Videl, Gohan and Maron looked at the reunited couple with joy. After a full minute. Chi-Chi released him as she wiped the tears from her eyes
"Oh! Goten, come here baby." Chi-Chi said to Goten, who was hiding behind Future Trunks as he stared at the stranger before him
"Oh hey Goten! It's me...your dad!" Goku said cheerfully as he kneeled down to the floor and outstretched his hands. Goten walked forward as he stared at his mother
"Is...is he right..?" Goten asked Chi-Chi shyly as she chuckled
"Of course he is! Now give him his hug." She answered. Goten turned back around to see Goku. He studied his face for a second and realized that it looked exactly like his...and he even had the halo over his head...
"...Daddy!" Goten shouted at the realization that he finally met his father. Goten rushed forward as both he and his father embraced each other for the very first time
"It's so nice to finally get to see you son! And I can already tell you're pretty strong! Maybe we can spar some once we get home!" Goku said excitedly as he put down Goten, who smiled brightly as he looked back at his mother
"Really! Can I!" He asked, Chi-Chi couldn't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm
"After you finish the rest of your studies. Then you can spar as much as you would like."
Goten cheered as Goku flew away, carrying Chi-Chi in his arms, Goten following quickly through flight. Gohan on the other hand chuckled as he saw the reunion, he might as well not interrupt them, he already had his reunion
Gohan turned around to see Videl's perturbed face. "What's wrong Videl?" He asked as she suddenly hugged Gohan in a sentimental way
"...I missed you..." she said as she hugged him tightly. Gohan was confused at first before realizing what she meant...
"What does she... ooohhh!! That explains everything!" The thought rang through as clear as day. She had feelings for him! Gohan inwardly beat himself over having now noticed months of messages and signals
"...Yeah, missed you too...So how does it feel to die for the first time?" Gohan asked as he drove the attention away from the moment. Videl was about to yell angrily for steering away from the conversation, before realizing that she died... and had came back to life...
"Wait... that was real..?"
"Yeah... sucks doesn't it?" He said casually as she remembered the pain
"Well yeah, I got crushed by debris, but after a few seconds... everything just stopped... Then I was in a very long line, with thousands of other white figures." She described as Gohan chuckled
"Yeah. I got split in half by a sword before I exploded." Gohan stated as Videl stopped suddenly. He what!? She looked at him in a very disturbed way as Gohan chuckled a little more
"Yeah. Trunks and I defused at the wrong time, and Cell to split me in half with Trunks' sword. And I'm not going to lie, it hurt like a lot. First I couldn't feel my hips, then my legs, and then my chest, until I finally blew up. My dad got me out of line so we could wait for the end of the battle at King Kai's place." Gohan explained as she was beyond confused, until he realized another missed detail
Videl had no context over anything he'd just said
"Oh right... I never told you about OtherWorld have I?" Gohan asked as Videl simply shook her head
"Huh...I should really fill you in on that. By the way I am starving. I'm going to the food court while everyone's confused." Gohan said as he began to float away. Suddenly, Videl was snapped out of her trance as she began to float after Gohan, angry at him for being so casual about things that were so important
"I really missed you guys." Future Trunks spoke as he hugged both Bulma and Kid Trunks. They hugged for a while before Kid Trunks released himself
"Wait wait wait. What was that about defusing?" Trunks asked his older counterpart curiously
Future Trunks easily explained the plan that the team had crafted at the Supreme Kai's land, as well as both results from the Fusion Dance and the Potara Earrings. Once he finished Kid Trunks' eyes seemed to glow a little
"Oh cool! I didn't know someone could do that! I want to fuse with Goten! Can you teach us?" Trunks exclamed as Future Trunks chuckled, he didn't expect his younger self to be so enthusiastic about it, so much so that he seemed to ignore his own death all together... at least there was some comfort in that
"Sure, one of these days." Future Trunks said as Kid Trunks cheered
"Hold on, then where's your father? And who is the pink girl over there?" Bulma said as he pointed at Prestina in the distance
For a second Adult Trunks was taken off guard by the question, his mind was clouded by the recent events regarding Vegeta. Should he tell her? What would happen if he did? Was now the right time
The time traveler looked visibly overwhelmed for a second before he shook his head, now was not the time to break those sort of news, the type that change your perspective forever. Instead Trunks explained what had happened after Cell's release, Cell's allegiance with Babidi, Prestina and Majin Buu as well as Vegenks inviting Prestina to stay, excluding the reveal of Vegeta's actions
"How'd your father agree to have another guest?" She asked in confusion, it wasn't like him to take other people into his home
"He didn't, Vegenks did. He had the combined personalities of both me and father, along with our memories."
"That... makes sense. Otherwise he would've whined about someone staying over." Bulma said as she began to walk down the stairs. "But I think I've felt enough adventure for one day, hell, for the rest of the year. I'm starting the car."
As the three members of the Briefs family walked Trunks couldn't help but observe his mother. She didn't know what he knew, and yet that feeling of keeping such a dark secret from his mother ate away at his stomach. He felt compelled to tell her the truth about Vegeta, that he was a sick man with sick goals. But he held his tongue. He just couldn't bring himself to shatter her like that, not his own mother
While the three Saiyans and Half Saiyans rejoiced with their families, Piccolo, Krillin and Prestina went to see 17 and 18, who haven't moved from their places on the floor at all. They were shaking a little as the three stood over them
"W-What's wrong with them?" Krillin said as he kneeled beside his wife. His mind was still clouded with angry thoughts and accusations, but the worry of his wife's wellbeing took precedent, at least for the moment
"...They don't know they're out of Cell's mind...they were trapped inside Cell's mind for a long time..." Prestina explained as she kneeled between the two and she placed a hand on the two twins
"Hm? How did you know that?" Piccolo interrogated, not fully trusting the newcomer. Only King Kai mentioned the state of their minds
"I...can read minds. It's something that I was blessed with when I was born, I'm the only one I know that can read minds as effortlessly as I do."
"Hm, is that why Bibidi captured you?"
"Er... I don't know. But he said something about me being really strong, which is true, I-I've been told I have a lot of power." She explained nervously
Prestina was a rare case, born with an incredible psychic power, making her a perfect weapon... If only she had the training or heart for being a warrior like the others in her clan. Aside from her mental powers she was born with a freakishly large power level, something that attracted Bibidi when he found her
Prestina used her powers to connect with the Androids. Though she couldn't sense the beating of their hearts for some reason, she could feel the slow pulsing of their unconscious minds as she accessed their minds
"Wake up...everything is ok." She thought and in mere seconds the two Androids awoke screaming. They immediately flew upwards as they had trouble adjusting to the environment around them, it was as though they had been shaken from a nightmare
They could no longer see as accurately as before, nor could they hear as well as before. Their bodies shook in pain, they could still psychologically feel the horrors that Cell had been put through. They could feel...everything. The two had to occasionally make a noise and flex their muscles to make sure that they indeed were in control of their actions
"18... You're back..." Krillin said depressingly as he looked at his wife... His cold-blooded...inhuman...wife
"...K-Krillin..?"
18 didn't notice or even care about Krillin's concerned expression, rather she instead floated down to give Krillin a big, long hug, feeling the warmth of his body press against her cold chest. She slowly reached a hand to feel Krillin's hair as well, it was strange to get to run her hands through it again, almost as though it'd been many years. But Krillin never smiled as he looked at the ground sadly. His wife...wasn't what he ever thought of her...
"Mommy!! Daddy!! Uncle Lapis!!" Marron yelled gleefully as she dashed towards the three. She stopped before 17 as he slowly kneeled over and head patted his niece for what felt like the first time in years. Strangely enough he then hugged her affectionately worrying Marron, he rarely hugged her like that, he was always very carefree and laid back
"Uncle Lapis... What happened? Why are you so weird?" She asked innocently as a tear ran down his face, words couldn't express the amount of emotions he felt at that moment
"...Nothing...nothing at all..." 17 lied as he continued to hug his niece
Vegeta finally landed as he quickly became a Super Saiyan and scanned the area. He looked around and saw that the small pod that was the first entrance of the ship was still in place. Vegeta flew down and sped through the door. He noticed that each door was opened as he flew through, something had happened
Vegeta flew through all of the empty rooms and landed inside the final room. He entered to see Dabura, looking around curiously
"Well well! The king of Demons lives! Now, how about we cut the theatrics and end this!" Vegeta yelled as he powered up to his Super Saiyan 2 form. He noted that Babadi was nowhere to be seen, even though Kakarot said that Buu technically killed him
Dabura turned around to see Vegeta, in his battle position. Dabura's Majin symbol was gone and Dabura looked... happier than before. But not in an evil sociopathic way, more like a child in the park
"Oh hello Vegeta! I haven't been expecting you! Honestly I had a WONDERFUL time in Heaven! All the beautiful flowers I saw! Just wonderful!" Dabura exclaimed loudly as he jumped around in glee in a more kiddish fashion. Vegeta was immediately confused by the action
"...What...happened to you..?"
"Oh it was wonderful! I cut in line and was sentenced to heaven! It was such a beautiful sight! It's too bad that I was summoned here once more. When I came back Master Babadi wanted me to destroy the planet, but I didn't want to! I was forced to defeat him, since he wanted to threaten the Earth once more!" Dabura exclaimed happily as he flew around in gleeful circles
Vegeta dropped the form as he awkwardly flew upwards. Dabura was an honorable fighter by what he saw... if he was faking everything then this surely had to be a new low, one that not even he would stoop to
"... uh... how about you leave Earth...on the ship..? You can find a few other planets with... wildlife..?" Vegeta suggested awkwardly as he flew away. Dabura nodded
"Certainly! I'll get out of your hair!" Dabura said as he flew to the lower decks of the ship
Once Vegeta left the ship, the ground began to shake violently as the door contracted. Suddenly, the ground broke as the large metal object began to fly outwards. Once the rumbling stopped, the large ship was finally in the air as it quickly flew out of the atmosphere. Vegeta continued to stare as it left a large hole in the ground
"What a strange twist..." Vegeta said as he flew away, towards West City
Goku and Chi-Chi finally landed in front of their house. Goku had summoned the old Nimbus once more for ol' times sake, they even let Goten sit with them as well
Goku, Chi-Chi and Goten stepped off as Goku thanked the Nimbus while it flew away once more
"Home sweet home... I can't believe you managed to raise two kids without anyone Chi-Chi." Goku remarked as the three entered their home. Chi-Chi chuckled softly at the remark
"Yeah. It's easier when you aren't forcing them to study." Chi-Chi joked at her past short-sidedness as she recalled a memory of her screaming at both Goku and Gohan. The amount of stress that she saves is quite frankly ridiculous
Goten rushed to his room to complete the rest of his work as Goku softly hugged Chi-Chi from behind
"... Nothing I say can tell you how sorry I am for leaving you Chi-Chi... I didn't want my presence to hurt you or our sons... Like it did when Raditz came." Goku whispered as a tear fell from his eye. Chi-Chi turned to wipe the tear from his face away
Unlike before Chi-Chi had a better understanding and appreciation of Goku. She herself was unable to fight planet-leveling aliens and save the Earth countless times, but she could support Goku and raise her children to follow their own paths, not ones she's strived them for. That's all she was able to do, nothing more, nothing less
But that didn't remove the pain she endured when she lost her husband, the years spent without waking up beside him. She needed him just as he needed her, and for them to be separated was both impossible to endure yet necessary for their safety
"I know you meant well..." Chi-Chi said as she hugged him once more. For a whole five minutes the two stood in silence as they let time peacefully flow by. Chi-Chi let go of Goku as she walked into the kitchen
"Now if I still know my husband, then I know that you must be starving after all that fighting. I'll cook something up while you spar with Goten, he should almost be finished by now." Chi-Chi said as she grabbed a couple of frying pans and her ingredients. Goku nodded happily as he walked outside to stretch. Goten ran down the stairs as he held a few pieces of paper
"I finished mom!" He boasted as he passed the few pieces of paper to his mother. She held them as she examined the work. It was clearly rushed because of the poor handwriting, but even then it was all correct
"You should work on your hand writing when you're rushing dear, but that's just a nitpick. Now go and spar with dad!" She exclaimed as Goten's face lit up
"Thanks mom!!" He said as he dashed out the door to see Goku stretching. Chi-Chi chuckled and wiped tears from her eyes as she prepared the rice and chicken
18, Marron and Krillin landed in front of their house. 18 had forgotten the looks of their own home, everything seemed new yet familiar, even though she had seen it all just this morning... easy to say that her senses were still out of wack
"Maron, could you please go to your room and turn on the T.V? Mommy and Daddy need to have a word." Krillin said to Maron as she nodded and went to her room and closed the door. 18 looked confused as Maron walked away
"Why did you send Maron away?" She asked as Krillin wordlessly sat down on the couch. He patted the seat beside him to signal 18 to sit down next to him. For a full minute there was silence as Krillin rested his face on his hands, not saying a word. 18 was worried, what was with the silent treatment? He never gave her the silent treatment before
"... Why did you torture Cell..." Krillin suddenly asked, surprising 18. He knew?
"... What do you mean?" She asked trying to play dumb. Krillin stayed still as he sat in his spot, unchanged
"Don't... 18. Goku and the Kais saw what you, 17 and Vegeta did to Cell. Hell, Cell told us after he killed everyone. Please 18... I need to know... why did you torture Cell..?" Krillin asked 18 seriously as he turned to face his wife. She was frightened to see Krillin's cold eyes staring back at her, it was as though she couldn't even recognize him. 18 looked away as she couldn't bear such a sight and began to try and form an answer...only to have none
"... I... don't know..." 18 answered as Krillin continued to stare at her in disappointment
Unlike with Vegeta, neither 17 nor 18 considered that what they were doing was wrong, neither could sense or feel deep within their guts and minds that what they did was bad, only that it brought them pleasure. It was as though the sickening feeling of seeing Cell in pain was a great thing to them
In the end Gero's influence and design changed 18, she wasn't different from her counterpart from the future, she never was. Both had sought to hurt others for their own gain, and neither could understand right from wrong, only from what felt good
"... So you don't know huh... So you don't know why you would ever TORTURE someone. You just did it for fun?!!" Krillin raised his voice in anger as he got up from his seat and yelled at 18. He was finally starting to feel the true effects of the reveal, feeling his anger boil over because of 18
She'd tricked him all those years ago. Krillin was so star struck by 18's beauty that he never saw the true 18, only what he wanted to see. He earnestly believed that he was able to change her for the better, to show her how to love. Instead he was stabbed in the back, his efforts having thrown back at his face
18 continued to look down at the ground "...I...I..." she tried to say
"I can't believe it 18!!! I've known you for so long, your different now! And yet you and your brother even thought about torturing Cell?! Without me knowing?! This is just... just not like you. Why would you ever do something like this..?"
There was a moment of silence as 18 still couldn't come up with a good answer to Krillin's question. But what could she say? It was for fun? She couldn't see why not? That she needed to?
Krillin sat in place, and after a while, he took 18's continued silence as an answer. She didn't change. She was still the same killer as in Trunks' legends
"I just... can't keep this up anymore 18. I can't just stay here knowing that you did something so... evil. I thought that you weren't like that. Guess I was wrong about that too..." Krillin said, which made 18 react
"Wait... what do you mean?" 18 said, which made Krillin more upset
"It's over 18... I don't want to be with you anymore... this isn't why I married you, and had a kid with you." He said before he walked towards Marron's room and cracked the door open
"Honey... pack your bags, we're going to visit Grandpa Roshi for a few days." Krillin said in the calmest voice possible as to not alarm her
"Ok!" She replied cheerfully as she went for a small red backpack that she had and filled it with clothes and underwear. Krillin closed the door as 18 looked at Krillin with a tearful face
"Wait... you can't leave! I-I still need you!" 18 said as she followed Krillin to their room
Krillin simply grabbed his black duffel bag for traveling and filled it with enough items to last him at most a week
"Y-y-you can't leave! Please, I-I can't be alone right now, I need you with me!" 18 yelled in desperation, however, Krillin only zipped up the half full bag and walked out of the room. He then went to the bathroom to grab Maron's red toothbrush and his own, along with a tube of toothpaste
"I'm ready." Maron said as she walked out of the room and noticed that her mom was crying
"Good sweetheart. Now say goodbye to mommy." Krillin said as he picked her up and put her on her shoulder
"Goodbye mommy..." she said as she waved at a tearful 18
"Please! Don't leave me alone! Please!" 18 said as Krillin exited the door and slammed it shut, leaving 18 all alone
"... Daddy... why was mom yelling?" Maron innocently asked Krillin as he held her tightly and flew away into the sunset
"... Because mommy and daddy were arguing. So we have to give her some space." Krillin responded as he wiped a tear away, followed by more
"... oh... ok..." Maron said as they both silently flew away.
18 cried profusely as she curled up in the floor. It felt as though her world was crumbling apart, every second she was inside Cell she dreamed of her normal life again, to see Maron and Krillin once more. Instead they abandoned over a simple mistake? This was a dream, it had to be
"...Please...don't leave me alone..." she sobbed, feeling the creeping loneliness return to her once again
The Briefs family finally parked their car in their driveway after a long and stressful day. Usually for the Z team massive world ending threats and the battles that followed tended to last more than one day, much like the struggles against Demon King Piccolo, the Androids and Frieza. But when they did they were receded by years of training and preparation, like the struggles against Piccolo Jr. and the Saiyans
So it was reasonable to say that the suddenness and intensity of the recent battle shook the Briefs family, especially Adult Trunks, who felt as though he was being eaten alive by the new information regarding his father, and Bulma, who was still in disbelief that she'd woken up, died and been resurrected in the span of half a day
But most importantly they all couldn't help but wonder about Cell. He was quiet, yes, and kept to himself, in fact sometimes they would go days without seeing him since he only ever trained with Vegeta and stayed in his room. There was a strong sense of betrayal that they felt, one that they hadn't felt before. One of their own turned against them. Someone, who lived under their roof and ate their food as well, had not only successfully killed everyone of the Briefs save for Trunks and Bulma's parents, but also threatened the world for seemingly no reason. It was all still a hard pill to swallow
Just as the other four left the car Vegeta landed beside them, returning from seeing Dabura and his strange new personality
"Oh hi honey! How was the scouting mission!" Bulma greeted happily before they shared a kiss. But rather than answer her properly Vegeta dismissed her immediately afterwards, heading inside the building instead
"...Don't ask..."
Vegeta felt conflicted, not only because of the bizarre sight he'd witnessed but also because of what he did to Cell
Originally, once he finally saw sense of his own actions, he felt pity for Cell for treating him badly, but thought that what was said and done could be ignored, water under the bridge so to speak. He didn't think much about it at the time, he believed that it was a mistake and that all he had to do, all he could do really, was apologize and move on with his life
But when Cell turned on him, when he killed his family, proceeded to kill countless innocents and level two cities, it threw Vegeta back to reality. A strong sense of guilt gripped his heart as he saw his family and the city around him. Cell turned on them because of him. Because Vegeta was the one who pushed him past the breaking point, and Babadi gave him the power to seek revenge. It was Vegeta who oppressed him and Babadi gave him an out, at the cost of Vegeta's lively hood
Cell killed because of Vegeta. Cell murdered his family because of him. He threatened Earth because of him
Everything was his fault
Vegeta headed straight for the Gravity Room to unwind, training was the only thing that he knew how to unwind, he wasn't one to relax
Bulma also decided to move on as everyone simply walked into the building. As they did so Prestina jumped out of the car, marveling the strange building and the ones surrounding it. The environment was still very new to her, but riding the car with the Briefs family was a new experience as well. The feeling of sitting in place and watching things fly past her was just as marvelous as flying herself, only with less effort and more comfort. This was regardless of the tension that she could read from the others, she willingly chose to ignore it because if she did she would he sent back into her own depression
Prestina was stuck outside, however, as she wondered how the large doors opened without contact. Kid Trunks went back once he noticed the pink girl staring at the entrance rather than walk through like a normal person. He heard from his older self that she was new to Earth so that might be why she looked so stunned
"Uh... what's your deal? You just walk in." He said as he walked inside once more, the automated doors shutting behind him once again
Prestina stood in place for a while before trying to use her hands to push the doors open. However, once Prestina stepped further, the doors slid open automatically, stunning Prestina as she walked through. She saw a very large lobby with a single red couch next to the wall. There was a large desk where a blond woman sat. She talked to Bulma as the two Trunkses and Vegeta walked further into the building. Prestina walked next to Bulma as she wondered where to go
"-Yeah, busy day as usual ma'am. I heard on the news that there were three monsters destroying cities. But I guess they magically disappeared. Android 16 also walked in half an hour ago in really rough shape. Does your husband have anything to do with that?" The receptionist mused as Bulma chuckled, humoring the lady. Save for the Z team there were very few others who knew what really went down with these powerful earthquakes and mysterious aliens that come and go
"Oh you know. Absolutely nothing happened, just a normal day." Bulma teased as the receptionist chuckled as well, seeing what was happening
"Yes ma'am, normal day." She chuckled before noticing the cute pink skinned girl standing beside Bulma. "And who's this lovely lady?"
"Oh, her name's Prestina. She's um, new here." Bulma said with the extra inflection on 'new,' which gave the impression that she was one of those aliens too. "She's going to be living here for the while so please be nice to her." Bulma explained before walking away
"I'll try not to Mrs. Bulma!" The receptionist shouted back as she went back to her computer. It would be weird seeing an attractive pink girl with fairly revealing clothing, if it wasn't for the fact that she's seen many other strange things, like Cell. And plus... she just looked adorable
Bulma and Prestina went through the doors that led to the garden as Prestina marveled at the patches of lush green grass that was sectioned off by concrete. There were a verity of different flowers that were plotted on the grass, along with a few large trees that shot up to the glass dome. The large dome above the garden allowed for sunlight to enter and deep through the tree leave, giving the place a more natural feel.
Prestina wandered around as Dr. Briefs greeted his daughter. The old man had a thick grey mustache with large black glasses and greying light blue hair. He wore his usual white lab coat with a light blue dress shirt, dark green pants and orange sandals. Though he may look wise and old, the sandals revealed a more causal side to him as well, like someone who had seen everything and did everything
"Hello dear! Now who's the lovely lady?" He asked as he mentioned Prestina, who was sniffing the flowers in the distance. Bulma turned around to kiss her father in the cheek
"She's a new guest. She's an alien that was unsealed from a century old pod. It's a long story..." Bulma said as she felt pity for Prestina, not able to imagine what it was like to be to time displaced
"I see... I still can't believe ten years ago all we had to deal with was Piccolo. Now we have to deal with space... fascinating." Mr. Briefs said until he realized something else. "And what about Cell? I didn't see him return with you"
"A-about that... He was..." She struggled to phrase her words. "He kinda... turned against us."
Upon hearing this Dr. Briefs was shocked. Turned on them? But why?
"Turned on us? Now how would that've happened?" He asked, to which Bulma responded with the detailed account Trunks gave her before as well as her own. She managed to explain that Cell was suddenly possessed by an evil wizard named Babadi, and the following events that ensued, plus the origins of Prestina
When she finished Dr. Briefs was surprisingly understanding of the situation. Prestina aside, Cell turning on them like the other one was surprising, but he could still imagine it happening. After all he and her daughter knew that it was still a possibility
"It's a shame we couldn't prevent him from going bad, if only we could've done more to prevent it."
"Yeah... now it's my fault that the Earth was put in danger."
The guilt that Bulma felt was immense. It was her idea to keep Cell around for experimentation, knowing that he was dangerous. She failed to prevent that from happening. And now it was her fault that the Earth was in peril... that her family and friends died because of her mistake
"That's not true, you and I did the best we could. We have to accept that there was nothing else we could do." He lectured her
"Your right... but everyone was put at risk because of us."
"Even if we failed to stop him, you've managed to revolutionize medicine with his blood. Honey, you've saved thousands of lives with the Senzu pills, and everyone is grateful for it. What happened with Cell was an honest mistake, there is no certainty with experiments."
Dr. Briefs was well versed in cheering up her daughter. It reminded him of when she was young and naïve, she'd beat herself up and cry for every gadget that blew up in her face back then. This was a different type of experience, but he saw it as a failed experiment
There was a small moment of silence between the father and daughter before Dr. Briefs broke it
"16 showed up in the lab today, he's still waiting repairs. If you want you could help me, you now you're way around his circuit boards more than I am." He offered, to which Bulma smiled
"Yeah... I'll be there." She said before remembering something. Her older son mentioned something about Prestina being attached to him
"Hey Prestina, would you like to see 16?" She asked the Majin, who perked up when she heard the question. With a nod she walked over to Bulma and noticed her father
"Hello, my name's Prestina." She greeted
"Ah hello, I'm Dr. Briefs."
"Curious." Was his only thought, which Prestina read. She could tell that he was curious about her, seeing as she was from space and all
Still, Prestina was glad to meet another friendly face in a strange environment. It would take some serious getting to her new surroundings, but she knew that there were people here who supported her
Goku sighed as he downed his last plate of rice. Before him sat many plates of food that ate, along with Goten. The two were also fresh, having both taken showers after their sparring. Goten was now wearing his navy blue pajamas and Goku wore a new Gi
"Kami... I really missed your food Chi-Chi, still as tasty as ever!" He praised before standing up from the table. "But now, I have to go..." Goku could feel that he was really stretching his stay, but he couldn't help but at least have a meal with his family before he left, he wasn't sure if he was ever coming back to begin with
"Wait! Will you be coming over once in a while..?" Chi-Chi asked as she looked at her husband longingly. Goku thought about it for a second, he didn't want to accidentally cause another universal threat, but he didn't want to leave his family again. He hadn't seen them in years, and this time it was starting to weigh on him
"... I'll ask the Supreme Kai if he'll left me visit every once and a while." Goku assured as he hugged Chi-Chi and Goten. While they hugged, Gohan returned from Satan City. He looked at the trio and smiled as he entered his home, remembering his time when he was younger, back when all he knew was his family and home
"Hey dad! Leaving already?" Gohan asked his father as he turned around
"Yeah, don't want to disrupt my training." Goku chuckled as the two men hugged each other, having not done so in a long time
"Right, it was nice seeing you in person again." He said as Goku let go of his son
"Yeah, goodbye guys." He said as he walked out the door. He turned around and waved at his family with his left hand with his right hand to his forehead. Chi-Chi, Goten and Gohan waved back as Goku disappeared from their world yet again
"Where have you been Gohan?" Chi-Chi asked. "There's still dinner left to spare for you." Chi-Chi asked Gohan as he helped her pick up the plates
"No thanks mom. I ate with Videl already." Gohan said. Rather than be upset Chi-Chi smiled slyly
"You two really get along. I'm just surprised I'm not a grandmother yet." She teased as Gohan turned beat red by the statement
"M-Mom!!" He yelled as he tried to cover his face
"You and Videl hang out a lot, can she be my new sister!" Goten said, confused by the last comment. Chi-Chi laughed out loud
Night settled on West City as Vegeta and Future Trunks stood in the middle of the garden, waiting for the Supreme Kai in awkward silence. Prestina stood behind them nervously as she waited as well, unsure of what they were waiting for
Goku, Kibito and the Supreme Kai suddenly appeared in front of the three.
"Hello Vegeta, do you have the earrings?" The Supreme Kai asked sternly. Vegeta outstretched his hand to reveal the Potara Earrings that he and Future Trunks used earlier
"Good, we can't thank you enough for what you all did for us, this won't go unnoticed." The Supreme Kai replied as he grabbed the earrings
"Actually, we have a question. What'll happen to Prestina?" Future Trunks asked as the Supreme Kai held the earrings in his fist
"Well, she isn't evil, that's for sure. She no longer has any ties with Babidi, so she's just as free as Dabura. But we'll be keeping a close eye on the two regardless." The Supreme Kai said as Prestina breathed a sigh of relief
"Wait, Dabura is alive? Why is he running around?" Goku asked
"He went to heaven while he was dead. Now his's more...flamboyant than before." Vegeta responded. "And what are you doing here Kakarot?" Vegeta questioned Goku as he noticed he still had the halo over his head
"I'm training with them, so that if another threat appears, we'll be ready. But every weekend I'll visit Chi-Chi and the boys."
"I decided to allow Goku to visit using my donated energy, it's the least I could gift him for helping save the universe." The Surpreme Kai, to which Vegeta scoffed
"Of course. Then that means a farewell is in order." Vegeta said as he outstretched his right hand. The two shook hands for a few seconds, retaining eye contact as they smirked. Rather than mention the elephant in the room, Goku seemed to look past the obvious and simply regard Vegeta as another warrior, something that Vegeta himself felt grateful for. Though he was no longer obsessed with besting Goku, he wasn't keen on letting him pass him either
"We'll be leaving now, the Earth is in your care Vegeta, Trunks." The Supreme Kai said. "I... trust that you won't make the same mistake." He regarded Vegeta, who nodded firmly yet sadly before the three disappeared from sight
"Well, that means you can stay with us for now. I'll show you to your room." Trunks said as he went to the guest rooms. Prestina and Vegeta followed as they left the garden
In the night sky of East city a women flew around the night sky, searching for the ultimate creation, along with a large and shadowed figure. There was no way that it had been killed, it was designed by the greatest scientist known on Earth! It was impossible for it to die
The only thing that could be made out was the faint outline of a lab coat and long hair in the moonless sky. The shadowed figure was tall, and entirely wrapped in the night's darkness, but there were hints of armor like clothing and a pony tail. The woman used a device she quickly prepared that was able to track her quarry, no matter how small it was
"... Here..." She said as she landed in an alleyway of the newly restored city. The device beeped loudly as it marked the exact coordinates of the creature
"... Looks like he needs a little... kick." She said aloud as she put the device inside the pocket of her coat. She outstretched her right arm, and concentrated as she attempted to sense the energy of the creature, still not used to the feelings of ki sense
The singular cell pulsated as it was reluctant to grow in size, almost like it was a conscious decision. The woman's hand began to glow as it force fed the single cell enough energy for it to multiply
After a few seconds, the cell vibrated as it split in half and doubled. Each cell continued to repeat the same process until it was now the size of a very tiny clump of mass. The clump of mass doubled in size multiple times until it gained the form of a left foot. The foot shot out a piece of an black armored shin. The shin then shot out a green thigh with many black dots
The woman chuckled as the leg then grew a hip, and then it formed the right leg and the bottom half of the torso
After ten seconds, Cell was laying on the ground unconscious. The tall figure carried the Android over it's shoulder as they flew off to the distance, leaving the town in peace...
"You still have your uses Cell... Now, it's time to come back home..." The woman thought as she flew away into the night sky
With the recent events, our heroes finally rest as the world, no, the universe was saved
And on this day the threat of the crazed Buu was ended... but the threat of the Bio Android known as Cell, has only begun...
