Chapter 1 A Darkness Within The Light
Author's Note: Alot of the first few chapters of this story will be a longer, slightly altered and more detailed version of IW Goten's early years as this story is centered solely on him and his reality from my first fanfic. This goes without saying that some aspects might change as I write from how they were in my first story and that crossover may not be canon to this story's timeline, though if that's the case I might redo it as an arc in this story...eventually, maybe.
The Son Family have been highly regarded amongst those who knew them personally for being pure and innocent people. Since at least the days of the long since deceased Grandpa Gohan, members of this family have been helping and reforming troubled or endangered folks either through above and beyond human martial arts and/or simple yet amazing acts of kindness. The most famous member of the son family to date was Son Goku who had saved the world from countless threats of all kinds including corrupt armies led by dictators, demons, aliens, robots, cyborgs, and even bio engineered monsters. The most ironic part of his heroism is that he wasn't even a human himself but an alien, specifically a Saiyan that been sent to conquer it for the highest bidder. Thankfully through his raising by Grandpa Gohan...or because of an head injury he suffered as a baby...it's hard to tell, he came to be Earth's greatest warrior and with his growing team of friends known as the Z warriors and later his son who was affectionately named after his Grandpa, helped bring down minions of evil that sought to corrupt or destroy everything they cherished with their lives even as the foes became exponentially more powerful. Tragically however Son Goku departed from the living world due to the latest enemy, Cell. Miraculously, Son Gohan managed to vanquish the abomination and brought forth another era of peace...or so he hoped. As it turned out Goku had relations with his dear wife Chi Chi a few times in the days before the confrontation with Cell. As a result, about nine months later she gave birth to not just one but a twin set of babies, both of which were spitting images of their late father, almost as if the universe were playing a sweet but simultaneously cruel, sick joke. She named one Goten to sorta of honor her husband and because the ten part of the name meant "heaven". The second boy however she had decided to give a more sophisticated elegant name like she originally intended to for Gohan, Xavier. Due to the twins's heavy resemblance to their legendary father it was thought that they would continue the kind of legacy he and the whole Son Family had led. However is that what was supposed to happen or something they thought was going to happen?
Son Family HouseHold, Mount Paozu Region Age 774
The normally colorful and bright region of Mount Paozu was at the mercy of a raging thunderstorm. The clouds were so thick it looked to midnight despite it actually being noon, the saturated ground and everything on it only illuminated by the occasional lightning. Walking in the middle of this torrential storm was a now seven year old Goten. The young demi saiyan was shaking all over with a very apprehensive and depressed expression on his face. Coming up to a small hill, through a brief spark of lightning he spotted his quaint mountain home. Despite the home to anyone else appearing to be a safe haven from the nightmarish storm, Goten's unsettled expressions and shaking intensified, as if he somehow feared the house more than the storm ravaged woods. He even paused his approach despite being soaked to his underwear. "Maybe if I'm really careful I won't get hurt...again" Goten whimpered to himself quietly. The little boy resumed his approach to his home though he went at it at a snail's pace despite the increasingly thick mud threatening to swallow him whole with each slow step. Finally he reached the front door and opened it at last entering the house. The interior of the house was a rather rustic yet beautiful decor as it was mostly one large dining room and kitchen with two small bedrooms. On the fridge there was a note that read "Gone out shopping be back in a couple hours, be good and behave boys, love you Mom". Lined across the walls were pictures of Goten's family, some of him and his younger selves alongside his two brothers and mother, others were from the time before he was born and in a few of both types of pictures were of there many lifelong and often otherworldly friends. Suddenly from dining table there was the sound of a dog barking, followed up by the source of it to come racing at Goten and licking his face. "HaHaHa! I'm happy to see you too Bee! Hey stop it! That tickles!" Goten laughed joyfully as the aforementioned yellow Labrador continued to lick him affectionately. The boy could not help himself but giggle and smile despite his fears from moments ago. Bee belonged to Hercule Satan, the phony hero that had taken credit for the monster Cell and as of a few weeks ago Majin Buu's defeat despite it really being his brother and returning father respectively. Hercule had left Bee with the son family a few hours ago as he had to attend meetings and autograph signings and he plus his friend a freshly reformed Majin Buu thought it'd be easier to leave Bee with a pet sitter. "O-ok bee go play, I'll play with you later, promise!" Goten promised the puppy sincerely prying it off his face. The puppy barked happily and ran off. Goten meticulously wiped off the mud off his caked shoes, not wanting to make his mom angry with him later as she tended to be a bit of a clean freak and brake into hysterics whenever he or anyone else made a big mess. After he finished that, he tiptoed across the hallway, past the dining room and upto his bedroom door furthest to the back. The door creaked cringingly loudly as Goten opened it inch by inch his eyes darting around keeping them out for something. Or someone. Checking the coast and seeing that it appeared clear, Goten stumbled into the room. These living quarters used to be his older brother Gohan's and the two of them shared it during the older brother's teen years however he had moved out to live with his wife Videl in another city a few weeks ago. Goten then shakily closed the door and he at last breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of the lock shutting. "Well hellooo there bro!" A voice abruptly shouted excitedly. "Dahhh!" Goten exclaimed nearly jumping out of his pants in frightened surprise. He turned around at lightning speed right as a bolt of it briefly illuminated the dark room and his equally aged twin brother Xavier appeared sitting on their buck-bed just as the lightning struck. Xavier arose from the bed with a chippy and playful smile on his face placing a hand on Goten's shaky shoulder. "I was starting to worry about you Goten! What with the storm and all! Are you ok?" Xavier asked in a concerned brotherly tone. "Uhh...yes I'm ok Xavier..." Goten answered nervously putting on a fake smile. "Good..." Xavier said in a satisfied manner putting his arms behind his back before asking "So...how did it go?". Goten's fake smile dropped instantaneously at that question and hutched down slightly. "I.. I couldn't do it..." Goten muttered whimpering as his eyes glistened with threatening tears. Xavier's smile dropped slowly and his eyes narrowed as a dark look overcame his face only interrupted by another lightning flash. "I'm sorry bro, I didn't quite catch that, what?" Xavier asked feigning a confused expression though anger could be heard in his voice. "I...couldn't kill the birdie..." Goten clarified shaking in fear putting his hands up. "Couldn't or wouldn't?" Xavier inquired his anger now more obvious as he leaned closer to Goten. "I couldn't! The birdie didn't do anything wrong!" Goten finally screams out with frustration mixed with fear. "The hell it hasn't! That damn eagle's been screeching at me all the time!" Xavier argued back furiously, "I told you to kill it!". "Gee I wonder if it hates you because you're a dick" Goten whispered under his breath, his expression briefly turning bitter and hateful. "What was that?!" Xavier questioned. "N-nothing" Goten replied stuttering. "Whatever! Now get back out there and slit that feathered bitch's throat!" Xavier commanded angrily. "No! I will not! It had a family! I'm am not robbing those chickies of their mommy!" Goten rebelled. "Really?" Xavier asked seemingly in regret before he then creaked open a smile and exclaimed "Fantastic! That makes everything better!". "Huh?! What are you talking about?!" Goten asked shocked by his brother's giddy excitement. "Think of it bro! Not only will you kill that screeching pest, but you can make his family watch! That'll scare the feathers off of them so much we'll barely have to pluck any! Plus the fear will make them all extra tender! Hurry up and kill them so we can give them to Mother! It'll be the best dinner ever because you killed it yourself!" Xavier explained his sick idea in an uncomfortably happy tone. Goten's mouth hung open recognizing the dark deed Xavier wanted him to carry out. "But...but there just babies" Goten cautiously said hoping that fact would get his deranged twin to change his mind. "So? What's your point?" Xavier asked sounding genuinely confused as to why his desire was troubling Goten so much. Goten lightly gasped realizing that Xavier didn't care in the slightest. "Well? What are you waiting for? Go! Mother will be back in less than an hour!" Xavier ordered once again impatiently. With seething rage that had been building during this whole exchange, Goten gritted his teeth and defiantly screamed "NO! I REFUSE! LEAVE THE BIRDS ALONE!". Xavier's dark expression dimmed further as he turned his head to look at a baseball bat he had on a desk which had quills of a hedgehog attached to the barrel. "Fine" Xavier stated emotionlessly. He then robotically walked over and picked up the spiked bat. Whatever bravery Goten summoned moments ago shrivels and dies as he sees Xavier start to slowly approach him. Xavier stops just a few inches from Goten's face with a look of disappointment and anger. The twins lock eyes for a few moments before Xavier abruptly swung his bat and struck right on one of Goten's right knee. "Ahhhhh!" Goten cried out in pain alongside the thunder and lightning outside as the countless sharp quills rapidly and gruesomely dug into his skin. Xavier gained a tiny sadistic grin as he then pulled the bat back to his side which resulted in the quills cutting Goten's knee up even more. "Since you don't like listening to me and I pretty sure you called me a dick, I'm afraid I have to discipline you" Xavier said menacingly looking down at Goten who was holding his profusely bleeding knee while looking back him with terrified eyes. Then the two twins began to hear a little growl and both turned their heads around to see Bee looking at Xavier with wolf like aggression. Xavier regained his sinister grin and raised his free hand making a come gesture with his finger. "Come here doggie..." Xavier cooed creepily. In response and to defend Goten, Bee leaped towards Xavier only for the devilish demi saiyan to catch the puppy by his throat and then slammed it to the floor severely injuring it. "Bee!" Goten screamed in horror attempting to get up and safe the puppy but failed as his half broken knee buckled and he collapsed back down in agony. Xavier looked at the wounded puppy and his grin expanded into an almost inhumanly wide crazed smile as he rose his bloodied bat into the air. "Wait...what are you doing?!" Goten asked scared knowing the answer but hoping he was wrong. His anxiety was validated when Xavier looked back him smile never waning while shaking his head up and down. The puppy seemed to know what was about to transpire as well and whimpered. "NO! DON'T! PLEASE!" Goten pleaded his lungs out begging for his twin brother to relent. His prayers went unanswered as Xavier without hesitation whacked the puppy in the head with his head leaving it head with its head split open with some of its bone and brain showing. "NOOOO!" Goten wailed in despair tears flowing out of his eyes. He then limply crawled to the Bee's body, burying his head in its fear and cried softly. Meanwhile Xavier was giggling with delight, actually shaking with thrill raising his head looking upwards. "Ohhhh...that was...nice" Xavier said savoring the rush he was feeling. Once it passed he looked back down at his still stifling twin. "You petted him too hard, that's the story your going to tell Mother and Father, get the picture?" Xavier questioned Goten. Goten with a heavy heart and stifles he nodded his head obediently. "Just remember Goten, I only do this because I love you, if you had done what I asked you to do, this could have been avoided, understand?" Xavier said condescendingly reaffirming his dominance. "Yes..." Goten replied quickly. With that Xavier walked out of the blood splattered room and Goten looked out the window to the storm outside. His teary face contorted twitchingly into a somewhat angry bloodshot one while a mixture of sobs and growls came out of his mouth. The anger faded and sadness took over the little boy again reburying his face onto the puppy's corpse whimpering "bee... It's my fault... I'm sorry...".
Well, it looks like the end of an era, and the beginning of new one, one who's sides will be considerably, grayer than those who have graced the world before, and perhaps beyond.