A Wonderful Life
By: SomeRandomPerson648
Chapter 54: Change
A/N: Hey guys, and Merry Christmas! With chapters 14-20 having been touched up again I've been having lots of fun reimagining prior scenes properly and with better care, Chapter 20 looks almost entirely different now too! So, in favor of the holidays, I've decided to work on the present arc, the least I could do before I continue fixing my past mistakes. But for now, back to progressing the story again, enjoy!
As the heroes of Universe 7 continued to prepare against an evil of the future yet again, an uncertain evil of the present festered far away...
Far from the reaches of the known and unknown space of Universe 7 was another, vastly different universe, separate from the time and space that connected everything as it was understood. Another universe, known as Universe 10
Within the OtherWorld of this universe was a land eerily similar to the land of the Kais of the other, only made different by a large and ancient tree in midst of the land, and an equally ancient temple in the far distance
Beneath this wise and old tree were two Kais, sitting at a table with tea in front of them. Their cloths were both similar to those of a normal Supreme Kai, only in black with yellow accents, purple undershirts and blue pants. Both wore different colored Potara Earrings, and both also wore a light blue cloth wrapped around their waists along with white boots
The first of the two Kais had green skin, pointy ears and a white mohawk. He was far younger than the other man, but there was a certain enthusiasm and energy that could be observed from him. As he served a special tea to the older man, his movements were elegant and graceful, as though he was more important than what he seemed
The other was far older, with wrinkly yellow skin, pointy ears and a similar white colored mohawk. He was clearly ancient, yet for someone of his race to display aging skin also spoke volumes of his seniority. Unlike the younger man, he was much calmer and patient, lacking what the other had in youthful enthusiasm but making up in wisdom and age
The tea that the green man served his elder was a special type of tea, one made by the Kais with the express purpose of changing properties depending on the state of mind of the server. Both of the men used it often to monitor the younger man's state of mind on a daily basis
"I am grateful again that you've served me this tea, Zamasu." The older man thanked again. "I'm also glad to see that your sate of mind has been more level as of late."
"You flatter me master Gowasu." He responded as gracefully as always. "Though, I'm not certain about the accuracy of the tea this time."
"Oh? And what makes you say that?" Gowasu asked curiously. As he did, his pupil looked up at the sky, as though he was searching for something that he couldn't find. Answers? Questions? Whatever it was, Gowasu waited for his trusted student to tell him what was on his mind
"Lately, I have been questioning the mortals again. You've said the previous time we spoke that mortals are meant to evolve all on their own, with little assistance from the gods..."
"Go on..."
"...I've been wondering, what is the purpose of keeping these mortals if they struggle to grow?" Zamasu finally asked, making Gowasu curious
"Struggle to grow? Zamas, mortals have always found a way to grow and evolve through time. What is your point?"
"But by what I have seen through my years of training, mortals have only ever managed to bring about their own destruction through senseless violence time and time again." Zamasu retorted. "Are we gods not meant to interfere their sin and expunge their evil from its roots?"
Gowasu was now a little more concerned with his pupil, it was as if he refused to listen to his teachings and training. Yet the tea never changed, signaling to him that his mind was still in the constant neutral state
"Zamas, the role of a Kai is that of an observer, we are only to intervine when our universe is at stake. Otherwise, we'd be meddling with the natural order of the world."
"But the natural order of the world is governed by us gods is it not? The destroyers themselves dictate what planets are to be erased, we Kais fill the world with light, and the Omni-King governs our every decision. And yet, evil and sin is only ever created and maintained by mortals themselves."
"Are you suggesting that we interfere with the order of the universe?" Gowasu retorted, noticing the tea change to a darker color bit by bit
"I simply fail to see why we gods do not seek justice against all evil. If we are more than capable of dealing with the evil that radiates from mankind then why are we so hesitant in doing so?"
Gowasu could only sigh in response. Zamasu was always so eager to fulfill his role in the universe, it was what drove him to become the student of the Supreme Kai. But these radical ideas that have taken hold of him have only begun to lead him astray
"My student, it is important that you remember the position of a Kai. Our role in the universe, every universe, is to maintain a balance in the world, to nurture the good that the universe produces on it's own, away from our influence." He informed, but the tea remained very conflicted and mixed
"But what good is nurturing when our efforts are snuffed by the evil of mortals." Zamasu thought, looking to the sky yet again. No matter how many conversations they had about this same topic, the answer never got any clearer
"In time you will see the rules and laws of the universe, as have been set long ago. It would be best that you familiarize yourself with them moving forward. They are what bind us and prevent us from doing as we please." Gowasu informed, and was met with a polite bow. The tea, on the other hand, went back to being neutral in color, not wholly light but not dark either
"So young, so willing to do what's right in the world. But if his mind continues to settle for the same conclusion, I fear that there's not much room for him to grow anymore..."
"So...what're we doing here?" Asked Chocolata, looking around her surroundings curiously
Both she and her sister were currently sitting on a park bench in West City, observing the landscape. It was Prestina's idea to leave Capsule Corp, which wasn't like her at all. Anytime they left it was with one of the Briefs family, Teen Trunks or the older one, sometimes Vegeta too on special occasions. But all of them were busy with 'other' things at the moment, leaving them alone for once
So instead they tried to branch out of the house. With no training to occupy them and nothing else to distract them the two were left with their thoughts and the T.V., which wasn't an option at the moment
But another thing was Broly, whom Prestina also invited with them. Seeing as how he had nothing to do as well (And that he intended to stay inside all day if no one told him otherwise), Prestina took it upon herself to show him around the city. Currently, he was laying in the grass, staring at the bright sky and feeling his environment. The sisters could tell that he didn't get out often, if at all, which is also why they brought him along
"I don't know." She responded. "I just thought we, er, I needed a distraction."
"Rrrright." Chocolata said skeptically, it was one thing to distract yourself, and it was another to plan something new. It really wasn't like her sister to do something so out of the blue. When they were kids, she was always content with repeating the same things over and over, admiring the flowers, running around the pink fields, she never got tired of it
"What do I do? I know we can't sit around doing nothing, but I don't know where to go." Prestina wondered internally. "Trunks is with Gohan, Vegeta's...busy. Bulma's occupied too, so is 16 and other Trunks is doing something else. There isn't anyone with us who knows the city so well..."
She sighed to herself, tired and a bit distressed."Cell made this look so easy when he did it."
The Majin almost froze upon hearing herself. In truth, she was subconsciously attempting to mimic Cell's tour of the city a few years back. As short as it was, Prestina liked being shown around the city, seeing new things and so on. It was practically the turning point of her life, the start of her great stay on Earth
...Even if it was offset by the soon following destruction, and the stress that was set in her... But she tried to look on the bright side, as hard as it was
"I admit that it was fun, but that's not the point." She told herself. "I want to take the charge for once, I want to show Chocolata and Broly around too..."
Ignoring the part about Cell, Prestina tried to retrace her steps, recalling all that she did before, as well as a few things that she's grown to like about the city. She wanted to show her sister and Broly what she liked about the city, although she still couldn't decide on where to go exactly
"Hm...well we're already at the park, we could look at the museum? Neither of them have seen that before. Oh! There's a small hiking trail near the edge of the city too! If I could just..."
With little warning, Prestina jumped from her seat and started walking away, to the surprise of the other two. Both the Saiyan and Majin followed her lead...wherever she was going
"Um...where we going?"
"No idea!" Prestina declared, surprising the other two. "But if I know any better, then we're sure to find something fun."
"I guess Cell did have the right idea...it's too bad it had to end the way it did." Prestina settled. For once, she was going to follow his example, one of the very few that she liked from Cell. Take the good from the bad, so to speak
"Hm. Guess sis really has changed." Chocolata smiled, observing how cheery her sister was. No matter what, she almost always had a smile on her face, just like when they were kids. Even if things have changed...it'd be a nice change of pace to follow her sister's lead
Broly on the other hand didn't exactly understand what they were doing. But, it was great to see the beautiful city around them. He didn't know much about it, and what he did know was often confusing for him to understand, but what he knew was that it was always fun to be with friends
For a second, Broly caressed the green fur that wrapped around his waist, remembering his first friend. Though he missed him dearly, he's come a long way from his 'home' planet, so many new friends, so many new sights
It was too bad father wasn't enjoying himself like he was, but there was nothing Broly could reasonably do
The trio walked along the pathway through the park, awaiting a new adventure, even if it wouldn't go as planned
Elsewhere, within the heart of Satan City were the Hybrid Saiyans, Future Gohan, Future Trunks, as well as Present Gohan and Videl
To both of the time travelers' surprise, Gohan and Videl invited them to hang out in the city, seeing as how the newest of the two travelers was trying to get to know the people of the timeline. But the young couple were also curious to find out more about the future, and their lives there as well
As for Trunks, he did his best to put his earlier conversation with Bulma aside for the moment, not one to bring down the mood. But the impact of the event remained in the back of his head, despite what he did. It was the lingering feelings of guilt that kept him from moving on, like he'd done something wrong, which was still fairly debatable in his mind
The group was currently taking a cinematic stroll through the city, catching up both Future Gohan in the present and the others on the future. The city was jam packed with pedestrians in every corner, and the buildings still shone with a great brilliance, a pleasing sight for the future warriors
"So you and I started dating in the Future?" Videl asked Future Gohan, who chuckled at her statement
"Yeah, guess things tend to stay the same no matter the timeline." He laughed. "In the Future, you, I and a many others took charge of rebuilding the world. It took some time, and there was lots of progress. But...things went south once Black showed up."
There was a moment silence before Future Gohan broke it, seeing how he ruined the mood again. "Um, so how did you two meet in this timeline?"
"Oh right." Present Gohan realized, he never explained it to his future self. "Well, we went to the same school together. At the time I was trying to be a local super hero of justice, but she found me out." He chuckled
"It's not my fault you let you're guard down so much." Videl teased playfully, she still couldn't forget how obsessed she was over the Golden Warrior, oh how things change
"Hehe, I guess so. She blackmailed me into teaching her how to control ki, and we've been together ever since."
"And I don't regret any of it~"
"Wow. That's um...different." Future Gohan replied, a little confused by how unique their meeting was. He just couldn't imagine himself going to school with Videl...or being able to take strolls with her around an intact city
Matter of fact, everything that he was seeing so far was hard to imagine, so it was no surprise that he was stunned by something again. It was still hard to express how bizarre some of the things he's seen were, almost like he'd dreamed it all up
"I guess it's to be expected when everything went so well here. Me on the other hand..."
But rather than go into the negative train of thought again, he noticed that Trunks was a bit distracted, almost like he was preoccupied with something
"Hey Trunks, you alright? You've been pretty quiet this whole time."
"Hm? Right, sorry. Just zoned out a bit."
"What's up? You can tell us." Present Gohan pried as well, making Trunks sigh. Now it was a problem
"...Mom and dad got into a messy fight yesterday. And it ended with dad getting kicked out of the house." He revealed, surprising everyone else. "Mom's been handling it pretty poorly, and I haven't heard from dad at all."
"They got into a fight?! About what?" Videl exclaimed. As far as she knew, Vegeta and Bulma were a really stable couple, so for them to get into one fight and break up was massive news for her
"It was about Cell..."
The phrase alone was all it took to make Present Gohan gasp with understanding. Guess she found out huh?
"It was only a matter of time," he figured, "the truth would've slipped sooner or later."
"Why? What does Cell have to do with this?" She asked, only to see Trunks and her Gohan share a look
"What's going on? What did Cell do?" Future Gohan almost tensed, assuming the worst from the villain of many timelines. But both Gohan and Trunks only sighed, it wasn't really their business to tell, but they also shouldn't keep it from them, not when they already knew too much
"...It wasn't what he did, but what Vegeta did to him." Trunks began. It was his father, so he should be the one to tell the story, but he didn't feel comfortable with the words he had to say
"Nearly ten years ago, Krillin and I found the Cell of this timeline and took him in. Eventually, mom reprogrammed him and kept him for experiments and research. But dad hated him, because the other Cell killed me and beat him to near death twice. So when he got the opportunity..."
"He tortured this Cell, for seven years along with 17 and 18." Present Gohan finished, seeing Trunks struggle with putting the words out. It was understandable, after all it'd be hard to admit your father committed such a crime. But the other two were utterly shocked by the revelation, no matter how many people would stumble upon the truth it didn't make it less surprising, since they were hearing something so dark about their close friends
"What?! How could they!" Videl exclaimed, that was the first she'd ever heard of that. She couldn't even imagine them doing something so heinous...but Future Gohan could
"They're...different...from the rest of us." Gohan continued explaining. "Vegeta wasn't always as nice as he is now, so to speak. In fact, he was the one who came to Earth nearly twelve years ago and destroyed a city." Gohan continued, surprising Videl even further
"T-that was him?! And that's..." She began, but Trunks finished the sentence for her
"Yeah...he's my father." He admitted rather painfully, yet Future Gohan was more preoccupied over the final statement
"The Androids hurt Cell too?" He restated, followed by two nods
"I knew I couldn't trust them! They were hiding it all along... They never change!" He jumped with an incredible sense of betrayal
When he heard that the Androids were good, he wanted to accept that as fact rather than fiction, but this only proved that they weren't what they seemed! They were still capable of hurting his world, just like in any other timeline
But rather than get angry, the Hybrid Saiyan only thought more, trying his level best to settle down old tensions. As believable as 'the Androids are evil' was, he couldn't help but doubt it now, he had to. They were showing so much progress, especially after his meeting with 17 the other day. And even then, he realized, this was ten years ago, after they'd been redeemed already. And yet, they're still living normal lives just like Vegeta
"That can't be it can it? They aren't the Androids of my time...I've settled for that much at least." He figured
"...Why did they do it?" He asked, and was met with only sighs
"17 and 18...weren't ones that understood morals." The other Gohan responded. "By what my dad and King Kai told me, they just didn't know it was wrong to get their revenge, even if it was just a look-alike of the man who absorbed them."
"And father," Trunks added, "was still angry and full of hate at the time."
"I guess...that still lines up." Future Gohan thought. The Androids of his timeline were bloodthirsty too, and there was no doubt that they didn't know anything about morals. As for Vegeta, he didn't put it past him. It only reminded him of the Vegeta he knew, the one that died to the Androids, who fought with him and against him. That Vegeta was a different man, a monster...
Looks like sometimes things are still the same...for better or worse
But the next one to break the silence was Trunks, this time with a more renewed certainty. He knew where the conversation was headed, and especially what Future Gohan was thinking...because he'd thought the same things countless times before
"But they're different, all of them." He confessed. "Dad isn't the same monster he was years ago, he's proven that more times than I can remember now. And the Androids...they aren't the ones from my timeline, the ones that ruined everything for fun. They're learning, and they're adapting to be like us. They even have families now, it wouldn't be right to brand them as monsters all over again, not after the progress they've made."
The statement alone took the rest aback a little, but it was true, even Future Gohan had seen it. Vegeta, 17, 18, they were far from the bloodthirsty monsters that they were known as before, and each of them were integrated into the Z team like Piccolo and Tien before them
"Wow. I...don't know what to say." Videl commented
"Its a lot to take in, but things are different now. We've all moved on and forgiven them...it's hard to hold it against them after all they've done." Gohan sighed. It was still a hard pill to swallow every time he had to tell someone about it. Yes, they acted way out of line...but they've changed, they aren't the same
"...But Cell hasn't..." Trunks reminded them, making them grimace
While they were all worried about the consequences of their friends' actions and what they entailed...they never considered just who was the real victim. The one who lived with the pain everyday, the one who had to suffer the true consequences of their actions
"H-hey! Why don't we stop by and get something to eat? I'm sure you're all hungry, I know I am!" Videl distracted the group. Even though it wasn't long since they ate breakfast, her appetite only grew as time passed
"Yeah, let's put this aside." Trunks declared. "We should enjoy ourselves right now, not get worked up over something from the past."
Although everyone nodded in agreement, Future Gohan was taken aback by him. Even though this must've been hard for him, he was ready and willing to set it all aside just to not dampen the mood. In a way, it was an act of self sacrifice that Gohan took note of... He too has changed a lot from the kid he knew
"He's the only one here who knows what I've been through too." Gohan thought. "He knows what it's like to live under the Androids...to struggle every day. If he's learned to accept them...then I should too."
"I'm glad he's here, instead of with me, struggling against Black. I'm sure my Trunks is in a better place too."
As the rest of the group moved ahead of him, Gohan took a moment to observe them, to truly take in his surroundings, his environment...the people he's met and reunited with
As he observed he witnessed a sight that could only be described as his wildest dream yet. The intact, bustling city chalk full of life, energy and activity. Videl, pregnant and walking arm in arm with a healthier, far less scarred version of himself. And walking beside them was also his previous friend and student from many years past, Trunks, all grown up and happy
It was beautiful
"Hey Gohan! You alright?" Trunks asked, noticing that he'd lagged behind a little, and he even had a small tear in his eye
"Yeah...I'm good. Just daydreaming."
Meanwhile, the God of Destruction Beerus, his Angel Whis, as well as Goku and Cell traveled through the depths of space, time and beyond. The group traveled within a ball of contained space that zipped through space in the blink of an eye...and have been for the past half hour
To pass the time, Beerus, Goku and Cell meditated as they formed the train of crossed legs leading back to Whis, but only the God was successful in properly doing so, the Saiyan only able to empty his mind, and the bio-weapon too distracted to focus
Cell was doing his best to distract himself from the small accident in the morning by paying more attention to the task at hand, meeting Zamasu. It mattered to him a lot more that he finally meet the true face of this new threat. One threat that was now personally his worst enemy
"If he really is or was a God then why did he set on killing mortals? Isn't he supposed to oversee them?" He wondered curiously, he still didn't understand the full scope of "Zamasu's" goal, as stupid as it was. "Maybe he hasn't even begun yet."
"...What's taking so long? If I may ask." Cell asked impatiently but polity
"Traveling through the universe and into OtherWorld takes time, Cell, especially when you're coming from a different universe." Whis responded, but the last statement caught Cell's attention
"Pardon? From a different universe? So there's more than one?"
"You're correct, fairly keen observation." Whis praised. "The Universe as you know it is but one of twelve, the seventh to be specific. Each universe has its own set of Supreme Kais, as well as one God of Destruction and Angel per Universe. Where we're headed is what's known as the tenth universe."
"What?! You mean there're other Universes? Man, that means there're countless other fighters than just the ones in ours." Goku commented, the mere idea of people as strong as, or stronger than, the likes of Frieza or Buu made Goku a little excited
"Hm, so Zamasu is a god of the tenth universe? I wonder how he came to become so deranged." Cell voiced his curiosity
"Indeed, last I checked he was only the Supreme Kai Gowasu's apprentice." Beerus voiced as well
"It's important to remember that time travel can always garner strange effects in the world. As of yet his evil heart may be dormant, but only time will tell if it'll stay that way." Whis informed
"Whichever way this ends, I'd prefer to see him die, it'd save me the trouble of having to fight him again."
"We're approaching our destination soon, I suggest you brace yourselves, landing tends to get a little bumpy." Whis advised
In seconds the space of light that enveloped them came to a screeching halt, breaking and exploding to reveal their destination. It was a grassy plane with a building in the far distance, much like the Supreme Kai's world back in Universe 7
And conveniently standing in front of them were the two Kais Zamasu and Gowasu, in the middle of a stroll
When the group landed on the surface, Cell's immediate instinct was to lock his eyes on the green man, something about him screamed out to him on the first glance. Whether it was in his eyes, his posture or his ki signature, something told Cell that this...was Zamasu
"He certainly looks the part, arrogant, pretentious. If I'm not mistaken, he's the one we're looking for." Cell guessed as they approached the two Kais
"Greetings Gowasu, and pardon the intrusion." Whis regarded the older man, who was taken aback by the appearance of a God of Destruction with no warning
"A-ah, Lord Beerus, a pleasure as always." He said as both he and the other man bowed respectfully. "To what do we owe you the pleasure."
"We're here on an important business, one regarding your Universe." Beerus began, but was interrupted by an enthusiastic Goku
"Hi, my name's Goku, and I'm a Saiyan from Earth!" He introduced himself as he walked up to shake the two Kais' hands
Although taken aback, the older man returned the gesture. But Zamasu refused to even touch meet eyes with the mortal, almost appalled by his presence as well as his boldness
"Zamasu, shake the kind man's hand. It's best that you acquaint yourself with him, he's our valued guest." Gowasu ordered firmly, forcing him to shake hands reluctantly
"Interrupt me again and I'll blast you back to Earth. Understand?" Beerus threatened, making Goku smile nervously
"Ehe he, right, sorry." He said and stood back, out of the way of the gods
"As I was saying, we're here on important business." Beerus began to explain, but excluded a few details, so as to not mess with their own investigation
"Psst, hey Cell." Goku whispered, the two of which were standing behind the God and the Angel. "Do you think they'll let us fight?"
"You're first reaction to meeting gods of another universe is to fight them?" Cell asked curiously, this was a side of Goku he never saw at all, beside his memories
"Don't tell me you aren't curious too. These guys are from another universe! Surely that means they're strong!" Goku got excited, which Cell could partly understand, he too was curious, even if he was sensing their power to be quite low
But instead, he was occupied by something else. He stared directly at Zamasu, who noticed Cell staring at him but largely ignored him and Goku, only paying attention to Beerus and Whis
"I'd like to say I'm more interested in other things..." Cell smirked, observing the Kai with a keen eye
After much talking and lots of explaining, the group found themselves within the only building around, an open temple space that had a single table in the middle
By what Cell could hear, Beerus informed Gowasu about the 'mysterious' warrior from a different timeline who wore a time ring, careful not to reveal the relation with Zamasu
At the table in the middle of the temple stood Beerus and Whis, patiently waiting for Gowasu to bring them what they asked for. As they did so, Cell and Goku stood idly by while Zamasu stood away from the mortals
Eventually, the Supreme Kai of Universe 10 appeared with a strange black box with a golden cloud design and a purple string tying it in place. The man placed the box on the table, untied it and opened it to reveal six rings inside, one of which was the silver ring that Cell Black wore, and the remaining five were identical but colored green
"As you can see, the time rings are all accounted for. Although, it's a surprise that there are so many this time. There must be some sort of disturbance."
"Actually, we can answer that." Beerus responded
"In our universe, mortals were able to create Time Machines in the future, making a true mess out of everything." Whis continued, surprising the other two gods. "A decade ago there were two new timelines that intertwined with ours, creating the second and third ring of the rings before you. But just yesterday we were introduced to two more, one of which is where our mysterious time traveler hails from."
"Mortals are able to tamper with time and space?!" Zamasu panicked, but he asked a far more pressing question
"I do not understand, what is the purpose of the Time Rings?" Zamasu asked, clearly new to the subject. He was aware that Gowasu was one to keep secrets, as is normal for a Supreme Kai when it comes to their pupil, but for him to not even be aware of the existence of such weapons came as a shock for the god in training
"The Time Rings are tools of the gods that allow us to travel through time, but their complex nature makes them hard to put to use without breaking apart reality as we know it." Gowasu explained. "The green rings each represent an alternate timeline, each with different futures than our own. For every important change in the future that is made, and new variant of the timeline is made. The silver ring, however, is able to access each and every timeline, which could explain why our new assailant may posses one."
"And yet, one must question how they were to get ahold of these vital items." Whis commented
"Indeed, these are safeguarded by my hands. Whomever may have stolen the ring must have not only been aware of their existence, but must've killed me to acquire them." Gowasu agreed
"These items are powerful, yet, why do we gods have them? ...And why do we not use them?" Zamasu thought. "Whoever this being may be, they're dangerous, and not to be taken lightly."
As Cell listened intently, he and Goku were able to piece things together. Somehow, the Zamasu of the future was able to kill Gowasu and take the main time ring for himself. But that still didn't explain the rest, how he knew of Goku in the first place in order to wish for his body, and how he traveled to Universe 7 to wish on the Dragon Balls
But little by little, Goku got more impatient. He knew that he was supposed to be polite, but he was dying to ask Zamasu to a fight, his curiosity just begged him!
"Do you think I should ask him to a fight nicely? Maybe we'll get to do a little sparring." Goku motioned towards the unsuspecting Zamasu, making Cell chuckle at the man's impatience
"Who knows, maybe if you ask kindly then he'll say yes." He teased, making Goku giddy
"Right! Here goes nothing." The bold Saiyan responded as he approached the four Gods, who were still in the middle of a conversation
When Goku approached the four, they were all taken aback by the mortal's odd behavior. He really had the guts to interrupt a conversation between gods?
The mortal walked up to Zamasu and bowed respectfully, clasping his hands together in front of him as he did. "Uh, sir! It would be the upmost honor that we engage in fisticuffs! ...Please?" He pleaded as eloquently as he could
Zamasu on the other hand was both confused and disgusted by the Saiyan. He wanted to fight him? A god? He was out of his mind!
"But seeing as how he's with Lord Beerus, there's no telling what this mortal is important for." He figured, but that didn't take away from his disgust. This mortal was clearly punching above his station
"Hm, it would seem Goku's a bit too eager to engage in a fight." Whis observed, but it wasn't exactly unexpected. In fact, it was the whole reason why he and Cell were here in the first place
"Indeed he is. Gowasu, you wouldn't mind if your apprentice would participate in a spar would you. It's for our research of sorts." Beerus asked, knowing full and well that he wasn't going to be refused
"Of course, Zamasu is more than capable of handling himself in a fight."
"What? You expect me to fight a mortal?" Zamasu cried in outrage
"Please, be compliant Zamasu, and do as the destroyer asks."
"Although, there is one thing." Beerus mentioned. "You, Cell. You'll be the one to fight Zamasu." He ordered, to Goku's despair
"What!! Really! That's no fair!"
"Then next time you'll do as I say and not interrupt a god when he's talking!" Beerus retorted, making Goku sigh in defeat, guess Cell's advice didn't really work out
Cell, on the other hand, was just as surprised as the rest of them. He didn't really understand why he had to fight him, surely the investigation would garner the same results if Goku were to fight him
But rather than talk back to the God of Destruction, Cell followed the orders given to him. Both he and Zamasu made their way to a spot outside of the temple, with the rest close behind
"What am I doing fighting a mere mortal? Is this some sort of test?" Zamasu questioned, glaring questionably at Cell. His ki signature seemed to be unique, a large mixture of many unrecognizable energy signatures rolled into one, including the other mortal's energy
"Let's see how well a 'God' can remain composed. He's bound to reveal his true colors if I push the right buttons." Cell planned evilly. There was was one reason why Zamasu turned villainous in the future, and he intended to find out why. But it also seemed that Goku's enthusiasm rubbed off on him, but not in the intended way
In the sidelines, the gods and the Saiyan payed close attention to the oncoming fight, although Goku was definitely a little deflated by missing his first chance at fighting an opponent from a new universe
"So, you hold favor with a God of Destruction. Why is that?" Zamasu near demanded from Cell, making him chuckle
"He sees value in me, is that not enough of a reason to keep me around?" He deflected, making Zamasu irritated
"Then answer me this, mortal. Why is it that I can clearly sense the other man within you? Is this a sort of game you play amongst yourselves?"
"Tsk, this Zamasu is too curious." Beerus complained, but not one to ruin the flow of the banter. If Cell plays his cards right, they might just reveal Zamasu's true intentions, or better yet they'll have to destroy him early, saving him the extra effort
"I'm glad you ask!" He began. "I am a being that was manufactured by human hands for the sole purpose to kill. I was created by mortal hands, and now here I stand...facing their supposed creator." He jabbed, making a clear emphasis on the creation part. Last he recalled, Goku, or Cell, Black despised Cell because of his origin alone. Hopefully, Zamasu has the same reaction now
"W-what?! What blasphemy is this! A mere fabrication facing a god?"
"I suppose so." He responded. "Now, are we fighting or not?" Cell asked as he positioned himself into a fighting stance, the angry Zamasu following as well
"Tsk, I'll have to show this creature what a god can do then."
With no warning Cell bursted after the Kai, launching a series of fast paced attacks after him in the hopes of catching him off guard. But, surprisingly, Zamasu was able to avoid each attack with elegance and speed, only ever using his palms to deflect the oncoming attacks like they were nothing
With nothing better to do, Cell started another offense, a mental attack of sorts
"Is that it? Do you only know how to play defense? Surely a god would know how to throw a punch!" Cell antagonized, making Zamasu angry. He had the gall to make fun of him?
Soon Zamasu began fighting back with fierce punches, making the fight far more interesting
"Wow, Cell's working himself up real good. If this keeps up maybe Zamasu will retaliate!" Goku analyzed, noticing that Cell was still holding back substantially
"So, what's your purpose? What's the point in keeping you gods around if we 'mortals' are able to take care of ourselves." Cell continued to taunt and berate, to Zamasu's increasing anger. But this was a little too far, and began to raise questions
"Is the mortal angry with my student?" Gowasu asked Beerus. It wasn't like any normal mortal to be so bold against a god, yet here he was holding not only substantial power, but an attitude like none other
"Nonsense, he's just testing your student. A test of grit, or sorts." Beerus made up the excuse, but even he was getting a bit offended by the words
"That Cell better hold back on his words. He's lucky this is for the sake of my experiment." He thought to himself
"You mortals...are meant to be...observed." Zamasu repeated what his master told him, careful to bite back on his true views, less he get questioning glances
"Observed? Is that it? Are we not enough to warrant your protection? To deserve your aid when we need it most!" Cell rebutted, getting a little off track from his original goal
"W-what?" He questioned. Now this was cutting deeper than it should. Was he...questioning the purpose the gods?
"Tyrants, beings of mass destruction and chaos, are 'we' mortals not allowed to receive aid from the gods! Are we to just clean up your messes while you sit and watch from afar!" Cell yelled and began to attack with a greater ferocity than before, forcing Zamasu to focus more on the battle than the conversation
"I-I..." He managed to say, but was to preoccupied with blocking and evading a series of right hooks as he digested the words
"Is our suffering not meant to stopped by your godly intervention?! Is our pain just for your entertainment?!? Are we here so that you can make fun of us!"
With that statement Zamasu seemed almost shocked by his words, giving Cell the opportunity to land one devastating blow to the face, knocking him back with an astonishing power
When Zamasu recovered from the blow, he began fuming hatefully towards Cell. How dare he lay his hands on him, a god!
Cell, along with everyone else, witnessed Zamasu shift in demeanor like the flip of a switch. But this only made Cell smirk with joy. Good, this would finally be over
"Are you not going to fight back against me? Show me the real you!" Cell seethed with an insane form of excitement, he was now far from worked up, far more than he's reasonably be
The Kai in training only got angrier with the impudent mortal's words. His words alone were reason enough to smite him from where he stood. But the god forced himself to asses the situation before he made any rash action, more afraid of the power of a Destroyer and the judgment of his master should he act out of line
He first looked at the other four and noticed that none of them were making an effort to stop this creature from attacking him. In fact, Beerus seemed more than curious towards the Kai more than Cell, the same went for his angel. Something was clearly wrong, it was like they were inspecting his every move rather than paying attention to the fight itself, waiting for a reaction
"Show me the real you? Just what does this mortal know that I don't?" He asked as he looked at Cell, noting his clear anger. Part of him was genuinely angry towards the god for reasons that he did not understand. But the rest...it seemed too impulsive. He was antagonizing him on purpose!
With that final realization it didn't take long for the cunning god to stumble upon the truth, the real truth. This battle...it was related to the time breaker
"Master himself said that in order to collect the rings, someone must've taken care of him. I am the only one close to him, save for the God of Destruction Rumsshi, but he'd have no reason to kill him." Zamasu pieced together. "They're all observing my every move...waiting for me to slip."
Now with a calmer and more analytical mind, Zamasu forced himself out of his anger and planned his next course of action. He more than wanted to show Cell what for, but he now knew, through his enlightening discovery, that he'd be playing into his hands if he did so. And he wasn't going to be a fool to fall for some else's trap
So the best course of action...was to step down. To deny Cell of his wanted attention
In a strange twist, Zamasu suddenly calmed himself and dropped his fighting stance, surprising everyone else
"I...concede the match." He declared, shocking everyone
"You what?" Cell asked
"A god such as myself should not have to suffer your childish antics." He shot back. "Though you are strong, I will not lose my composure in front of my master."
The statement took Cell off guard, he knew? "So, you won't strike down evil when it faces you head on? I thought you gods were meant to be righteous, not cowards."
The tension grew between everyone, the words cut far deeper than Cell was aware of, touching upon an inner turmoil within Zamasu. His immediate impulse was to charge at the insolent pest for everything that he's done so far. But his rational mind held him back, if he continued this petty squabble any longer, then there was no telling where it would lead him
"...Evil must be struck down before it grows to threaten the natural order of the universe." Zamasu began. "But you...are not worth my time or attention. You are but a brat talking back to it's guardian."
"You..." Cell began to fume in anger. He wasn't even going to regard him any more. He wasn't worth his time?! Even when Cell was more than capable of revealing what he truly was, the god wouldn't pay him any heed...as always
But before Cell could continue, Beerus appeared before him and placed a hand on his chest
"Stand down Cell, that's more than enough."
With much reluctance, Cell took a deep breath and dropped his fighting stance. He couldn't let his personal feelings get in the way again, not after he already, unknowingly, exposed the truth to Zamasu
"I applaud you Zamas, you passed my test." Beerus praised in a strangely reluctant matter, proving Zamasu's new theory correct. They were against him, he was their target
"I believe if that's everything on the agenda, we must be making our way back to Earth." Whis declared, forcing a sigh from Beerus
"Fine, so be it."
With a few short and sudden goodbyes, the inhabitants of Universe 7 transported themselves away from the Land of the Kais, giving the two Kais a much needed breather. The pressure of a Destroyer God was more than the both of them could handle, let alone when given the reason to erase you
"I'm glad that you were able to muster the patience to pass the test." Gowasu praised. "Though, I wonder what made 'Cell' as angry as to make him act out of line."
"I wonder the same as well..." Zamasu responded. As infuriating as he was, there was, seemingly, no reason for him to act the way he did
"Not only that...he posed the same questions that I have. He too wonders the same things as I, whilst only being a mortal." He assessed, looking up to the sky yet again. His initial and current anger was offset by how curious this creature was. A man made creation, challenging a god, questioning the meaning and purpose of the gods
This would normally be cause for Zamasu to build anger towards mortals for making such infuriating creatures with power that could rival a god of things...if only he wasn't just as fascinating
"Somehow...this mere mortal is the only one who dares question our purpose as well...accompanied only by myself."
With that Zamasu's heart only grew more conflicted, garnering far more distaste for mortals than before...but now putting himself into greater consideration as well
This was a learning experience, one that showed Zamasu that he hadn't learned everything after all, especially not when it came to mortals
Back in West City, the disaster of a party continued exploring the city in an attempt to have discover more, for the sake of an adventure...but nothing went right
Firstly, their various different trips were either failures, or ended in total chaos. They tried going to the nearby mountains for that hiking trail, only to get lost along the way, getting off the trail. It was easy to find their way back at fist, but when the weather became rough, the terrain much rockier and the environment more difficult track, they had to call it quits after a few hours of trying and failing to complete the course
When they came back it took them forever to find a museum within the vast city, only to find it closed for the weekend. With very few options remaining, Prestina's initial optimism was soon turning into despair
The trio walked alongside the giant buildings and skyscrapers of the city, looking for something new to discover. Chocolata was already aware of places such as the arcade, the park, and even the bowling alley from that one time that the Briefs family went out on a family adventure. The problem was it that the large city scape made it hard to find solid entertainment, perhaps because they were walking along the business infested side of the side rather than the pedestrian side
The Majin sighed with defeat, it was demoralizing how badly she already failed. And even though they could fly from place to place with ease, they lost more than half their day so far, and things weren't looking any better
"I guess I shouldn't have been so hopeful, Trunks, Cell, Bulma, all of them know these cities better than I do." She thought, looking around for anything new, but failing to find anything that they hadn't already seen before, let alone interesting
Chocolata on the other hand wasn't exactly upset by the string of failures, it was actually kinda fun to see her sister take charge, leading them all throughout the city and more. But her sister's growing despair was also becoming more evident the more they failed. Broly, who was right behind them, was also of the same mindset as Chocolata, except it was less obvious to him that Prestina was getting upset
"Hey sis, why don't we stop here? I'm kinda hungry for an ice cream." Chocolata suggested to her sister, both turning to see a quaint ice cream shop just beside him. It wasn't really eye catching or out of the ordinary, but by this point Prestina was taking any suggestion
"Yeah, that's a good idea." She agreed and lead the group into the store. Much like most of the normal ice cream chains everything was painted in bright and attractive colors. Plus, it served fast food as well. Though it wasn't exactly a new sight for the sisters, Broly took a second to marvel at the colorful atmosphere around them. Though mundane and unremarkable, Broly still felt as though he stumbled upon something breathtaking
But the second they entered the store, a small realization hit Prestina
They needed money
"Oh...we don't have any money." Prestina stated, which deflated the both of them. It was one of the few things that they thought would work for the day
Usually, the Briefs would pay for anything that would come their way without a second thought, but now that they were on their own they didn't have anything to pay for food. They could always return to Capsule Corp, but they'd already come so far without having to rally back
"Hm? Oh hey guys! What's up?" A voice called out from the small crowd
They three turned to see Teen Trunks and his date, Mai, sitting in a booth with two sundaes. While Mai was perfectly calm and collected, Trunks had a nervous sweat rolling down his face, guess his charm was starting to fail him
"Hey! Who could've guessed you'd be here." Prestina exclaimed
"Who're they? Friends of yours?" Mai asked curiously. Although she knew a lot about the Briefs family, more than she'd care to admit to Trunks, she didn't know much of anything about their two long time guests
"Right, this is the first time you're seeing each other." Trunks realized before addressing the situation. "Everyone, this is Mai. Mai, these are my friends Prestina, Chocolata and Broly."
"Mai? I've heard so much of you." Prestina greeted with a friendly handshake
"She's a lot prettier than I imagined, no wonder Trunks fell for her so quickly." She thought. "But I still need to be careful, she could be planing something."
Although she was happy for her friend she couldn't immediately place her trust into his date, not after the way the two met. Since she somehow broke into Capsule Corp twice, there's definite reason to worry...for Trunks' sake of course
"He talks about me?" She asked curiously
"Sure does, he still can't believe that he's even remotely close to someone so pretty." Chocolata teased, making Trunks blush in embarrassment
"H-hey! Don't say something so embarrassing!" Trunks pleaded with a red face. Mai, on the other hand, was also a little flustered, the first time she's ever been. Also something Prestina took careful note of
"Alright alright I'll stop, but in exchange we need a favor." She settled. "We need you to pay for our Ice cream!"
"Huh? Oh! Guess I forgot that you guys don't have any money. Sure, I'll pay." He agreed, it would at least distract him from his nervousness that kicked in. Being so close to a girl still made him nervous
"Right, could you get me something with chocolate? I'd really appreciate it. Oh! And maybe Broly would like some food too." Prestina informed as she sat just in front of Mai, watching the rest of the group get in the long line
There was an awkward moment of silence between the two women, neither of which knew what to do or say to break it
"So...how do you know Trunks? You two seem pretty close." Mai asked, trying to make small talk
"Hm, oh...um. I stumbled upon his family once upon a time." She began. "I used to live in a different planet entirely before, until I was kidnapped and sent to Earth. It's...a long story, I'm not sure if you'd like to hear."
"Well, we have quite a while. I wouldn't mind." Mai responded, showing genuine curiosity that Prestina was also able to read from her mind
"Oh, well, I guess it wouldn't really hurt to tell." She responded
It took a while, but Prestina was able to detail her initial stay in Earth, excluding most of what Cell had done. Mai listened intently, not just to gather more information but also to satisfy her own curiosity of the pink woman. When she finished, she breathed a tired sigh, like she'd fabricated the most unbelievable story, which was sort understandable, most of the things she said were hard to believe herself
"And that's pretty much how I've gotten to know Trunks, better yet his older counterpart." Prestina finished, unsure of Mai's next reaction
The human girl took a second to process everything that she was told before sighing. As hard as it was to believe such an incredibly made up story, Trunks could control energy with his bare hands, and the part about the string of ruined cities checked out as well. There was still so much she didn't know about Trunks and his circle of friends that Mai had to accept at least parts of it
"Huh, I didn't know things could get so...far fetched. I thought the weirdest part was that you all could fly." She commented, not judging anything from the Majin
"The last time I checked, Goku and Piccolo were the only ones with super powers. Things really have changed since then, in more ways than one." She thought to herself
But Prestina, throughout their entire conversation, read Mai's mind to gauge her thoughts. It felt like an invasion of privacy of sorts, but Prestina couldn't put Mai past her, not like she did Cell when they first met, or 'Jin'. So what if she scanned her mind? As long as Mai wasn't planning on anything then she was fine! Right? Right?
"In more ways than one? What does she mean?" Prestina thought, distracted. She was incredibly uncomfortable with reading the mind of another so closely, but she knew that it was necessary at the moment
"I would tell you how I met Trunks...but I guess he's already told you." Mai mentioned, stunning Prestina. Since when could she read minds too? "It's okay if you're not comfortable with me yet, I know what I've done wasn't right."
"...I... Yeah...Trunks mentioned that you broke into Capsule Corp...twice."
"Figures." Mai responded. She was very observant in picking up queues and signals from Prestina, a skill she's honed for years, or at least did her best at retaining
There was a small moment of silence before Prestina got a little more serious, now that things were a clearer between them, there was no need for sugarcoating. Mai knew that she wasn't trusted, so there was no reason in pretending otherwise, at least that would make things easier
"Can I ask something?" Prestina questioned. "Why are you really dating Trunks?"
Another moment of silence fell before them. Mai took a second to see the teenager in question, in the middle of filling out a large order of food for the larger man. Mai considered telling the full truth, confiding in someone for the first time in a while. But instead, she decided to say part of the truth, the better part
"...Trunks is a nice person. When he found me out twice he didn't even lay a finger on me, even though he was more than capable of killing me." She began, but Prestina already knew that Mai was only saying half of the truth. "But he didn't. Instead, all he wanted was a date, with me, his burglar. It came as a shock when he asked me out, but I thought I should give him what he wanted, as payment." She said before her mood became a little somber
"But, I know this won't last long, he'll figure it out know soon enough. There's nothing in me worth keeping, but I'm just glad that someone bothered to care for me a little, even if it was just on the surface."
Prestina was shocked by what she heard, from a teenager no less. For someone so young and pretty, she was incredibly mature for her age. She knew her limits, and she wasn't going anywhere further. But it was also what she was hiding that scared Prestina. What more could there be to it? If it wasn't for her reading her mind, she would've believed her without question
Whatever this secret was, Prestina had to put it aside for the moment, to pretend that she didn't witness any of the personal inner turmoil within this stranger. Instead, she sighed again, both out of pity for herself and Mai. It was Prestina who made the moment a bit complicated, but now she knew the truth, or at least most of it
"...Then...can ask you something? A promise?" She asked the now mellow teenager, who nodded
"When you break up with him...please let him down gently. Don't break his heart. It would mean so much to me if you didn't."
The request was taken into thoughtful consideration and, after a while, the girl's only response was another nod, thus ending their conversation. At least now Prestina could worry a little less about Trunks, but there was still a glaring concern
Just what was this girl planing?
Soon the rest of the group arrived, unaware of the enlightening conversation the two girls had. Both also seemed a little out of sorts, sad even
"Hey guys! What's going on?" Trunks asked, holding a three scoop cone ice cream for himself. Beside him, Broly had two cones of ice cream too. He couldn't really decide between a few of them, so Trunks gave him multiple. He also had some food on the way as well, enough to send the kitchen into overdrive too
"Hm? Nothing! Did you get my ice cream?" Prestina deflected
"Yep, here it is sis!" Chocolata answered, passing her a cone of brown ice cream, one that was so oddly familiar that it brought a flood of memories again, ones that Prestina was trying to repress yet for the moment. A time when she was both at her happiest and saddest, nearly three years from now
And here she was now, a different person, surrounded by different people, dealing with nearly the same problems. They weren't to the same extreme as before, but they had the same demoralizing effect. It was as though the world had flipped again, the Briefs were all dealing with their own problems, and all she could do was distract herself from the depressing atmosphere
"She's right...how things change." Prestina sighed to herself, trying not to look as depressed as she was. But between Bulma's earlier depression, her failure at channeling anything good for the day and the discovery that another one of her closest friends was being deceived before her eyes...it was tough for her to handle, just like back then
A/N: Hey guys! Again, so very sorry that I've been taking a full month to work on the story, and revising my shoddy work has been a bigger time consumer than ever. But here are the big changes!
Reviewing chapters 14-20 has been taking a lot longer than usual as of late, school's ramping up for midterms and there was a lot of context missing from some of the chapters, namely 17-20. The first of the three almost doubled in length by the time I finished, and reviewing a 10k word fight scene (Chapter 20) with only 1 hour of natural free time is harsh
The one and only major change was the fight scene in chapters 19 and 20, I added more thoughts and viewpoints from characters there. But 20 was a challenge, I ended up making the fight more realistic by power-scaling Cell, but at the same time making his abilities more clear. It's hard to explain, but in reading everything becomes clearer
Anyways, I apologize again for taking too long to update, but I'm certain that things will ease up this coming vacation. Who knows, maybe I'll finish this coming arc before the end of the vacations if I'm diligent enough
That's about all, see you later!
