Chapter 14 - A Whole New World
For a small place way out in the middle of nowhere, it certainly wasn't what Videl expected.
The Son household was surprisingly normal. There was a fire burning in the fireplace to warm the place, a given with the massive storm raging outside, but beyond that, everything in their, you could probably find in any place in the city. A coffee table, a television set with a game deck. While it may have been normal, it certainly didn't seem like what she was expecting to find way out here.
She also didn't expect to find the spitting image of Son Goku in his youth leading them inside the house. "Goten" she remembered. "They must have a naming theme in their family. Son Goku, Son Gohan, and Son Goten."
Of course, she didn't know for certain that this was Gohan's place quite yet, but she was all but sure. After all, there couldn't be that many houses out in the mountains around here housing obvious relatives of Son Goku, right?
"So what are you guys doing out here?" Goten asked, his voice just shy of a chirp. "You don't look like you're from around here, are you?"
"Goten, who's there?" a female voice called from the next room over, in what looked to be the kitchen.
"That must be his mom" Videl noted.
"A couple people who were out in the storm" Goten called back. He looked back up at the two of them. "Uh, what are your guys' names?" he asked.
Videl blinked. "This kid let us in without knowing our names…" she realized. It may have worked in her favor, but this kid was way too innocent. "Uh, I'm Videl" she answered the child.
"The name's Sharpner" the blonde next to her answered.
"Videl and Sharpner, huh?" the female voice asked, much closer this time. Footsteps rounded the corner, and when she came into view, Videl realized she had been mistaken about the source of the voice.
Unless his mother was a teenaged redhead, she doubted this was her. She had a critical eye on her as she looked them over, but she too was surprisingly nonchalant about two strangers in her home. Her eyes lingered on Videl, and for the briefest of moments, she felt scrutinized harshly, and then it passed as she moved to stand by Goten. "So, what are the two of you doing here?" she asked. "I'm guessing you aren't just lost travellers in those clothes."
"Well, no, although we did kinda get lost on our way out here" Sharpner chuckled. "We were trying to find a friend of ours, Gohan?"
The redhead raised her eyebrows. "Gohan, eh? What are you guys looking for him for?"
"We've got a lot of questions for him" Videl said bluntly. "And we know he has the answers."
Her response was a brief look of disgust. "Listen, Gohan's resting right now, and besides, he doesn't have to answer to you anyways." She glanced back and forth between the two of them. "If you're just here to nag him, which I can assure you, he doesn't enjoy at the best of times, and this isn't one of them for him, then I suggest you leave."
For her more nonchalant attitude, she was definitely far more wary of the two of them than the young boy in the room. "You're quite the overprotective big sister, aren't you?" Videl noted.
The redhead in question blinked. "Sis… I'm not his sister, but he's my best friend, and yeah, when he's laid up resting, I'll get overprotective when random people come tracking him down to bother him."
"Uh, Videl, maybe we should come back later…" Sharpner muttered.
Ignoring the blonde, Videl glared back at the redhead. "Listen, what's your name?" she asked.
"I'm Lime" Lime answered.
"Alright then. Lime" Videl said. "Gohan's been lying to us as long as he's known us, and today, we discovered the tip of the mountain he's been hiding from us. He owes us some-"
"Gohan doesn't owe you anything" Lime said, scowling. "Did it ever occur to you close-minded city kids that there might be reasons for someone to keep something to themselves, or not?" She crossed her arms, and for a moment, Videl could swear that the air itself became heavier, almost… Almost like the sensation she got on that street, her body tensing slightly from the pressure.
She saw an almost imperceptible glimpse of triumph flash across the redhead's face, and that's when it clicked for her. "Whatever ability Gohan and all those monsters had, she must have it too" she realized. These real abilities that always used to be written off as theatrics, she could feel tangibly. Steeling her nerves against the instinct running through her from the sensation, she stood her ground. "When I learn that my entire life was built around a lie, that all that I am is because my father took credit for something Gohan did, then I-"
The sensation vanished from the air the next moment as Lime's face grew surprised. "Wait, come again?" she asked. "What about your father is…"
"My name is Videl Satan. My father is Hercule Satan" Videl said. "And today, I found out that everything I believed to be true in the world wasn't true. My father told me himself that he took the credit for Gohan defeating Cell seven years ago." Her emotions churned beneath the surface, but she didn't let it show. "Gohan not only let the world believe that lie, but got into our group of friends by lying himself. So, I'd appreciate it if I could go get the answers he owes me!" she finished with a dangerous edge to her voice.
Sharpner looked back and forth between the two women, obviously at a loss for what to do, while Goten looked uninterested. The tension was rising again, but not because of any weird powers this time. Videl's own intensity was weighing down the atmosphere.
With a sigh, Lime scratched the side of her head. "Sounds like you have a bit more reasoning than I thought" she conceded. With a light frown, she added "But still, I'm not about to let you go see him." At Videl's glare, she rolled her eyes. "It's not anything I've got against you, but Gohan's body is pretty messed up right now and he needs his rest to heal." Crossing her arms, she glanced back and forth between them. "So, what is it you guys know exactly?"
Sharpner, anxious to be able to contribute something to the confrontation, began. "Well, we know that Gohan defeated Cell, and he has all these crazy superhuman abilities."
"And apparently, all those 'light trick' excuses that my dad has been feeding the world for the past several years are false" Videl tacked on. "Whatever they are, those explosions and flying people, they're real."
There was a brief pause, and Lime cocked her head to the side. "Anything else?"
With a simultaneous nod from the two of them, Lime let out a small sigh. "Well, that's something I can work with a little bit, anyways."
"Work with?" Sharpner asked.
"What does that mean exactly?" Videl questioned.
"Listen, this isn't my place to illustrate Gohan's biography for you" Lime said. "But if I can give you a few answers, for what I'm allowed to answer, would you be fine waiting for Gohan on the rest of what he wants to share?"
"How do you know he would want to share anything?" Videl asked.
"Because I know Gohan" Lime said. "Simply put, Gohan doesn't enjoy keeping secrets, but he'll do it if he thinks people will be happier or safer without the knowledge" she shrugged. "Suffice to say, his world isn't the safest out there."
Memories of a shattered city center came to mind for both of the teens, as Sharpner paled slightly and Videl felt her resolve shake ever so slightly. But she wasn't about to let it go.
"Tell us what you can" Videl said.
A moment later, the three of them were situated in the living room, Goten having gone off somewhere after a brief talk with Lime off to the side. Goten didn't have many limiters and may potentially share something more confidential than what Lime knew was allowed. It was only fair, but Videl's detective side craved the potential information that was being lost right now.
"What happened at the Cell Games?" Videl asked, before anything else could be said.
"Gohan defeated Cell, that's all you need to know" Lime said simply. "What's next?"
"Wha- There's a lot more to it than that, I know that much" Videl pushed.
Lime sighed. "Listen, alright?" she said. "And listen well, because I'm only saying this once. I'm not sharing the details of the Cell Games with you for two reasons. One…" she said, lifting a finger, "I don't know all the specifics myself, because I wasn't there. All I know is what I've heard." Lifting her next finger, she continued. "The other reason is that it isn't something I want to talk about, nor something I think that Gohan will want to either."
Sharpner raised an eyebrow. "Why not? I would think if anything, Gohan should be thrilled he can share that he saved the world, right?"
"Except Gohan's not like that" Videl realized. Still, she could understand the mysterious teen not wanting to brag about his past, but it sounded more like Lime was saying he was set against it.
"Gohan's not the type to want to brag about his accomplishments like that" Lime said, affirming her thought process. "I would have thought you'd know that, being his friend and all."
"Then something must have happened that day" Videl realized, looking at Lime for confirmation. "Something else big happened there besides Cell's defeat."
She didn't expect Lime to look a few shades short of depressed when she asked. "Again, I'm not going to betray Gohan by talking about it. What happened there is beyond personal and something that shook him to his core." Her voice felt genuinely hurt by the recollection. "He's more or less past it now, but it's still not a fond memory. Which is why I can't share it."
There was no faking the kind of emotion being displayed, which was enough for Videl to drop it. Before she could gather her thoughts, Sharpner led on. "Do you know why he let Videl's dad take the credit?" he asked.
"Honestly, that's an easy one" Lime said, leaning back. "No one of the real fighters at the Cell Games liked the spotlight in any way. Well, one of them does like it, but even he didn't want it that way. Letting Hercule take the credit seemed to be the most reasonable way to appease the world and let everyone live with the peace they wanted." She smiled a bit. "Honestly, they seem pretty happy. A few of us around here know the reality of the world, and they come through from time to time, and they're honestly a pretty cool group."
"Who all is in it?" Videl asked. Her disappointment rose when she was met with a shaking head from the girl across from her. "Right, privacy" she griped internally. "Alright, fine then. What about those explosions and flying people and all that? My dad called it light tricks and theatrics for years, do you know what they really are?"
Surprisingly, Lime stood up as she asked. "I know the basics, anyways" she said. "Those lights, the explosions, the flight, they're all completely natural. Hell, feasibly, any living thing with a high enough intellect is capable of doing it."
"Doing what?" Sharpner asked. It didn't take a psychologist to pick up the undertones of excitement in his voice upon hearing that.
In fact, taking in the words Lime had spoken, Videl felt a stir of excitement to herself. "Any living thing, huh?"
Lime held one of her hands out in front of her. "Here's how Gohan explained it to me. You guys know those old religions that the Japanese and Chinese and, well, basically any civilization had with any superstition? They talked about spiritual energy, through a bunch of different names. Chakra, chi, mana, reiki, all of that?"
"Yeah, I think I remember hearing some of those things in history a while back" Sharpner admitted, much to the surprise of Videl. Catching the look she was giving him, he frowned. "Is it really that shocking that I paid attention in class?" he asked.
"Kind of?" Videl admitted, almost snorting at the look of betrayal she got from her friend.
"Ahem" Lime cleared her throat, catching their attention. "I'm doing this for you guys" she pointed out.
"Right, sorry" Videl and Sharpner answered together.
Lime sighed. "Anyways, all of those ideas were true. The modern name, at least the way we learned it, was that this energy was called ki. It's basically life energy existing in all living things, from grass, trees, snails, dogs, and yeah, people. Everything has it, and with the right knowledge and training, it can actually be harnessed."
Scrunching up her face in concentration, the air above her open palm sparked, shocking the two sitting across from her. Slowly, the sparks began to solidify, as a pulsing ball of light began growing in the redhead's hand, as the two grew wide eyed. Shaking her hand, the energy dispersed, as she looked slightly less energetic than she had before. "With practice, you can take your own energy and harness it in different ways. Gohan taught me some, enough to teach me how to fly, shoot some basic attacks, and power myself up physically. He wanted to make sure I was safe, since he knows the area around here can be dangerous." She took in a breath. "Still, it's not exactly a natural thing for me, and I haven't been practicing it as much as I could be, so it takes it out of me a bit."
Sharpner in particular looked more than a little hyped up. "So anyone can learn how to make those explosions and fly and stuff?" he asked excitedly.
"With practice and a bit of luck, yeah" Lime said, shrugging. "Gohan said it varies from person to person. Some people might pick it up in a day or two, others might have to train for a decade before getting the hang of it. It's luck of the draw, really."
Videl fell silent as she absorbed the information. She may have been a fighter at heart, but her detective work gave her a good brain to process this rapid influx with. "That ball of light is energy that exists within all creatures" she remembered. "It can be molded and harnessed, and that's how people like Gohan and the old World Martial Arts Tournament contestants were able to fly and shoot lasers and all those crazy things." She looked back up. "How strong is Gohan, really? How strong was Cell, too?"
Lime furrowed her brow. "Well, that's kind of a difficult question" she said. "It's not really easy to give a solid answer, because it's complicated." She smiled slightly. "Gohan isn't one to brag, so it's not really my place to tell you something outside of his comfort zone. Suffice to say, he's really strong."
"That wasn't a very satisfying answer..." Videl huffed internally. "And what about Cell?"
"Weaker than Gohan."
Videl facepalmed. "Are you trying to screw with us at this point?" she asked.
Lime huffed, a trace of a smile inching onto her face. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say the two of you are decently smart" she said, glancing back and forth. "I told you, I'm not trying to push Gohan's comfort, but I know him well enough to know he's going to want to explain at least a few things, so I'm taking this off of his plate for him."
"What does that have to do with-" Videl began to ask, before the redhead continued talking.
"Like I said, Gohan isn't one to brag" Lime said. "The reason he didn't show anything? He was probably trying to blend in and be a normal teenager. Just because you found out he was hiding a few things doesn't mean you have to know everything down to the size of his underwear and exactly how far into the planet's surface he can punch." She wagged a finger. "And I'm being vague about Cell because, for obvious reasons, you could use that to get a read on Gohan, and probably more than one he'd be comfortable with."
Videl leaned back as Lime spoke. "She's a lot smarter than I thought" she realized, cringing a bit at herself as she realized her prejudice towards the country gal.
"Could you give us something though? You've got us wondering now" Sharpner said.
Lime rolled her eyes. "Fine. Let me just say this. If he wanted to, he could probably take on anyone on Earth in a fight, and get away without a scratch."
"Considering the fact that Gohan helped level half of Satan City earlier, she has to be downplaying him" Videl thought. Not that she didn't admire it to an extent, she was obviously knowledgeable about the territories she was stepping into, and she knew exactly where to draw her lines. "That doesn't mean I'm not annoyed that I'm not getting any of the real details I want from her."
But she knew that full on interrogating her wasn't going to get her any answers. She was too smart to slip easily, and she knew how to control this Ki stuff, which meant she was strong enough that there was no way to intimidate it out. Not that she was overly fond of the idea of intimidation to begin with, but it was a valuable detective's tool nonetheless to consider.
As she worked out the situation in her mind, Lime let out a yawn and stretched in front of them. "I think that's all you guys were asking about, yeah?" she asked.
Videl's head jerked back. "Wait, no, I've still got some more questions" she said. "What happened earlier today, what was Gohan involved in?"
"Heck if I know" the redhead said with a shrug.
"Hey, I thought you knew this stuff" Sharpner protested.
"I'm not exactly Gohan's mom or anything" Lime pointed out. "I wasn't even there. All I know is, some serious crap went down, and Gohan put a stop to it, or at least helped to. End of what I know."
"Well that's a whole lot of nothing" Videl muttered.
Sharpner frowned a bit to himself. "Something big, and you said Gohan is resting right now, yeah?" With a nod from Lime, he continued. "Is… Is Gohan okay?"
Videl's stomach dropped as Sharpner asked that question. Guilt flooded her system. Even if she wasn't quite sure what to think of the mysterious teen at this point, he was still part of their group, and she didn't even stop to consider his condition.
Hell, even without Lime telling them that something went down with Gohan in the middle, she saw him get trapped in an explosion and fight a literal army of monsters, with Cell at the lead.
"Gohan's… Well, Gohan's been better" Lime said slowly. "I know he took some bad hits, and he hasn't been awake since I got here a couple hours ago." She frowned. "Goten says he's perfectly fine, but that kid thinks his brother is some sort of god." "Not that he's entirely wrong, Gohan is literally friends with Kami." "I don't really know how bad it is, but he's stable, if that's what you want to know. He's not in any danger of dying, even if he's banged up."
Sharpner looked a little relieved. "Well it's nice to hear Brains is gonna be sticking around" he said. Raising a hand to his head, he chuckled. "Jeez, am I gonna have to find a new nickname for the guy? He's got a lot more than brains going for him."
"You could always just call him Gohan" Videl said flatly.
"Sorry Videl, but that's not how us guys work" Sharpner shut her down. "He needs to have a nickname."
"Oh, they're that important?" Videl asked. "Maybe I should let him know, and maybe let him know about that nickname Erasa gave you a while back."
"...Videl…"
"Whaddya say, Sharpie?"
"No!"
A snort brought them back to reality in full as Lime laughed at them. "You two certainly have some dorky vibes around you, I can see how Gohan became friends with you two" she said. "It's just unfortunate that he had to become friends with you in particular."
Videl instantly felt ticked by that comment. "What's that supposed to mean exactly?" she growled, good times forgotten.
Lime waved a hand. "Sorry, I didn't mean it as an insult" she said. "I just meant, Gohan wanted to be normal to someone. Yet the one group he finds himself in has probably the only kid his age who's got the exact situation to find out and be impacted by his, well, abnormalcy. You know, I can't say much is just bad luck in life, but out of the entire world, that happens?"
"...Oh…" Videl realized.
"Lighten up, I'm not railing on you, the coincidence is just… well, it's too much, if I'm being honest" Lime said lightly. "Anyways, we're getting off topic. Is there anything else you want to ask me?"
Videl glanced sideways at her friend, sharing a silent message. "I think that's all we can ask about right now, with all these rules in place" she said.
"I've got to look out for my buddy" Lime said, not sounding apologetic. "And speaking of which, if there's nothing else, you guys should clear out so Gohan doesn't have anything to stress about when he gets up."
Capsule Corp.
"I'll be back soon, Trunks" Bulma said, standing up.
Trunks broke his gaze away from the remaining healing pod to look towards this timeline's version of his mother. "Huh? Is something up?" he asked. "Something I can help with?"
The bluenette shook her head. "No, I just need to go let Chi-Chi in" she said. "And besides, you're the one that's been through an interdimensional crash, I'd say you don't need to help with anything right now, even if there was something."
"But I-" Trunks began to stand, before a firm arm crossed his chest.
Vegeta sent a slight glare sideways at the youth, before turning towards Bulma. "Let Kakarot's woman in. We'll be here" he said simply.
As Bulma left the room, Vegeta looked back at Trunks. "You need to learn when there's a time to fight and when there's a time to rest, boy" he said harshly.
Trunks blinked once. Twice. Never looking away from his father, he gaped. "R-rest? I thought you said that warriors never have time to rest?"
Taking his arm off of Trunks, he crossed them over his chest. "Extended time spent here has taught me otherwise" he admitted. "Hell, even that fool Kakarot was correct. Constantly straining your body to its breaking point only helps you for so long. Whether it be from physical or mental wounds, you must give them the opportunity to heal before you return to that point."
Trunks stared a moment longer, before sighing and hunching over. "You're certainly singing a different tune than you were last time I saw you…" he noticed.
"A lot has… happened" Vegeta muttered, subconsciously rubbing the center of his forehead, his scowl deepening. "The past two months have been rife with intense situations. They… haven't all gone according to plan." He growled lightly. "I still feel disgusted that I resorted to fusing with that damn clown, twice!"
"Uh, fusing?" Trunks asked, confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Kakarot discovered a few methods to perform Fusion over the past several years" Vegeta stated. "Both of them unbefitting of a warrior. However, I cannot deny the raw power that came with them."
"Wait, by Fusion, you mean, two people becoming one?" Trunks asked.
"Yes, boy, that's what I'm saying" Vegeta said. "Your younger self, and Kakarot's youngest child actually practice the technique liberally."
Trunks' brow furrowed. "Goku's youngest… Hey, that reminds me. You keep talking about Goku, but didn't he decide to stay dead when Gohan defeated Cell?" He scratched his head. "Also, the way you said that made it sound like he has another kid? Does Gohan have a brother?"
"Slow down, boy" Vegeta said. "Kakarot is still dead, but he returned briefly during our combat with Majin Buu. He plans to return to life in a few months as well, when Namek's Dragon has been restored."
"Oh, I see…" Trunks said. "And, about-"
"Yes, Kakarot left his woman with a child shortly before the Cell Games" he cut him off. "The brat is named Goten, whom the you of this time gets along with inexplicably well." With a snort, he added on "Spitting image of his father, that one. Shocked me to hell when I first saw the child."
"Wow, I never really considered that happening…" Trunks admitted. "Gohan never had a brother in my time, so it wasn't on my mind, especially since I didn't think that Goku would leave Chi-Chi with a child like that."
"I doubt the clown even realized" Vegeta scoffed. "He had no idea until he first returned to this planet about a month ago."
"Oh, right" Trunks said.
The two passed in a slightly uncomfortable silence before Trunks started again. "So Majin Buu was released in this time, yeah?" he asked.
Again, Vegeta rubbed his forehead roughly. "Yeah, the big pink balloon freak" he said. "Bastard killed everyone besides Kakarot, Dende, and that oaf Satan."
"Wait, what?!" Trunks asked.
Vegeta waved his hand. "I suppose saying he killed me is an inaccurate statement" he corrected himself. "Buu had super regeneration that put even the likes of what Cell had to shame, and he was extremely powerful. In a last ditch effort to kill the monster, I performed a self destruction attack." His omnipresent scowl deepened. "Bastard survived, I died, then Kakarot demonstrated a new level of Super Saiyan and battered him around for a while before having to return to the Otherworld. YES, Kakarot found a level above ascended" Vegeta nipped it in the bud as Trunks opened his mouth again. "Super Saiyan 3, he calls it, and by extension, we've taken to calling the Ascended Super Saiyan state, Super Saiyan 2."
"Super Saiyan 3…" Trunks muttered. "Just how powerful is it?"
"It's… staggeringly so" Vegeta begrudgingly admitted. "According to Kakarot, the form is very difficult to hold, as simply being in it places a heavy strain on the body and weakens your energy and stamina considerably. But it completely dwarfs Super Saiyan 2 in terms of power." Brow scrunching, he thought for a moment before speaking again. "If I had to approximate, I would assume Super Saiyan 3 is twofold as big a jump from the ascended state as the ascended state is from a normal Super Saiyan, perhaps around four times ascended." Looking up, he recalled the fight on the world of the Kais in his mind. "Though sometimes, Kakarot seemed to display explosive strength well beyond that..."
"So was that how you guys defeated Buu? Did Goku teach you guys how to become a Super Saiyan 3, and defeat him?"
Vegeta let out a short bark of laughter, startling his son. "Please, the Majin was a much trickier customer that that" he said. "On top of his regeneration, he was constantly transforming and absorbing others to increase his own power. So far, only Kakarot has managed to become a Super Saiyan 3, if we don't count the fused entity you and his son turn into."
"So how did you defeat Buu then?" Trunks asked.
Leaning back, Vegeta recalled the details of the fight. "Those two learned to fuse, and Kakarot's eldest had his strength unlocked. But they got careless, and majin Buu absorbed them. Me and Kakarot fused ourselves to defeat the monster, but we avoided defeating him, so we could rescue the ones he'd absorbed. We freed his good part, and were left with this version of him that acted as if he were destruction incarnate." Looking over, he recalled the final move. "Kakarot's Spirit Bomb was how Buu was defeated. It slew the Majin obliterating him completely. Of course, being the softy that he and Satan are, they spared the good part of him, so we still have some of that creature living on this world."
Trunks absorbed the information. "Wow, that's a lot of events to happen over the course of one fight…" he pondered. "Hey, by the way, who is this 'Satan' guy you keep mentioning?"
"Remember that foolish, powerless human who thought he could take on Cell himself back at the Cell Games?"
"Yeah…"
"That fool has actually managed to convince people that energy is a trick, and he defeated Cell" Vegeta grunted. "As far as the general population knows, that fool is their savior."
Trunks couldn't resist a short snort. He remembered exactly how weak that man had been back at the Cell Games. He found it quite hard to believe that he had fooled the world as such, but if the gang wasn't making any challenges to that claim…
"He must be quite the expert bullshitter" Trunks said. "It would never have worked in my time, people had their eyes all too opened by the Androids."
"I swear, it takes all my self restraint to not slap him into another mountain every time I see or hear him" Vegeta huffed. "Having someone with pull over the Earth's general population was the only reason we were able to defeat Majin Buu though, so I suppose in some way, it has paid dividends."
"He was the reason? But I thought you said Goku's Spirit Bomb-"
"He was the reason Kakarot's Spirit Bomb had a chance at all. You remember the strength of the one he used against those three Androids that blindsided us, correct?"
"Yeah, what of it?"
"As far as I've gathered, the Spirit Bomb has a limit to how much it can borrow power to create itself. To make it truly powerful, we had to get the entirety of the human race to offer up a portion of their life energy to empower it to a point where it was capable of eradicating the Majin. Those idiots didn't do anything when myself or Kakarot asked for their assistance, but the second that buffoon began to ask, the entire population was offering their strength. And it was only from that much power that we were capable of wiping him out."
"So he was a bit like Cell in that regard?"
"Yes, but considerably more annoying" Vegeta scowled. "Cell could regenerate from very little, but Buu had to be completely destroyed down to an atomic level. My Final Explosion technique blasted him into dust, and he still returned." He clenched his fist. "That creature is probably the most annoying one I've ever encountered. You could blow him to pieces, and each individual piece could regenerate with a mind of its own, until they decided to merge back together."
"Uh… that sounds, well, it sounds like you're making this up at this point" Trunks pointed out carefully.
With a scoff, Vegeta looked up. "You're not wrong, it sounds completely insane to exist" he admitted. "Yet that's exactly what this being was. He was an insane, magical demon." He looked back to his son and cracked a smile. "Hell, the bastard had a technique he used to literally turn people into candy so he could eat them."
"Okay, now I know you're pulling my leg" Trunks laughed weakly.
"Maybe, maybe not" Vegeta said, looking away again. "The good piece of him is living with that buffoon, perhaps he could demonstrate that power to you. Tell me, what's your favorite flavor?" The last part was rather darkly put, causing Trunks' stance to waver.
"I… I'll take your word for it" Trunks conceded. A cocky smirk from his father told him that was what he was aiming for. "Oh, about these fights you've been having, you mentioned something about a, you said a reality warping demon?"
Vegeta gave a curt nod. "Indeed. Something to do with the Soul Cleansing Machine of Otherworld malfunctioning created an odd being. He had many abilities. Regeneration, transfiguration, portal creation, and some large amount of control over the fabric of reality." He gave Trunks a serious look. "He was causing the dead to walk to planet, and twisting the Earth's energy around. As I said, I wouldn't have been surprised if his presence was the reason your landing was rough."
Rough was an understatement, Trunks realized, looking back to the full pod. "Who is she?" his father asked.
"She's… a friend" Trunks said. "Me and my mother were putting ourselves in charge of trying to restore the planet from the destruction the Androids caused. I was doing a search for people in need of help, and found her, apparently sometime after she had lost two of her partners. We helped her recover, and she joined our effort in helping restore Earth." His pants bunched up as his fists clenched. "A lot of good that did us in the end…" he growled. "Seven years in, and the planet gets completely purged by a monster." There was a tearing sound in his pants as his grip tightened. "Me and her would have been destroyed in the attack as well, if my mother didn't send me back."
"Bulma did that?" Vegeta asked.
Trunks nodded, not looking at his father. "She said… she said it was her final wish" he managed to choke out. "She didn't want to leave her world, and she said… that she didn't have much time left anyways. But she wanted me and Mai to live."
"I was under the impression you never wanted to abandon your world either" Vegeta asked.
"I didn't… but, how could I deny what she was asking of me?" Trunks said.
"I am not sure, Saiyan parents aren't quite so doting" Vegeta said bluntly. "My own mother's response to my early training against a Saibaman squadron and receiving an injury was to berate me for my weakness and deny me a healing pod." He laughed without humor. Studying his son, he continued. "How strong was this beast to make you flee?"
"..." Trunks didn't answer right away. Whether steeling himself or recalling the beast, he wasn't sure. "Very" Trunks said simply. "I fought a warrior called Dabura. I assume you guys know him." With a nod from his father, he continued. "The monster that came to Earth… It made Dabura look like Frieza did compared to Cell."
"So I take it you've ascended?" Vegeta asked.
Trunks nodded. "Yes, it was a while back, but I broke through to the next level" he said. "I had no idea about this… the Super Saiyan 3 though, so I didn't seek a further form."
Vegeta growled. "You realize your goal should always be to ascend further?" he remarked sharply. It was worded as a question, but it was more of a statement. "My blood runs in your veins, your goal should be to grow ever stronger, and leave the old behind in the dust. You shouldn't have settled for Super Saiyan 2, even if you weren't certain there was anything beyond."
"I realize that now… but, I remembered how much power Gohan had, I didn't think there could be anything greater than that."
"Saiyans have no limits, you should know that by now, boy!"
"...Yes father" Trunks muttered. "I'm not sure it would have mattered though. Super Saiyan 3 sounds powerful, but that four times increase above ascended that you mentioned? I… I think that the monster was even beyond what I could reach with that level of strength. Even with my technique honed as it was before the monster arrived."
Vegeta shook his head. "Perhaps not. But if you had continued to grow your strength, maybe that would have been enough. However, there is no use dwelling on the past, only focusing on the future."
Standing up, he looked down at the future timeline version of his son. "Come now, Trunks. I am going to test your resolve to keep pushing beyond. I would take you to the Gravity Chamber, but it's not working. So outside!"
Mt. Paozu
"Well that's not good."
Videl pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. The gale had died down quite a bit outside, even if the sky was still dark and the rain was still frigid. It was well enough to fly in.
That, of course, being the case if they had an operational vehicle.
The left wing of the aircraft was in very poor condition. About halfway across, the metal seemed to distort and bend, no doubt the work of a lightning strike. The rough landing through the canopy of trees probably didn't do them any favors either.
Having been blinded from the flash of lightning when they landed, it made sense that neither of them had noticed this damage before. That didn't make it any less annoying to deal with though.
"How are we supposed to get home now?" Sharpner asked.
Videl turned back to the doorway, where Lime stood. "You said you flew over here, yeah. Could you give us a lift home?"
Lime shook her head. "Sorry there, but when I said I flew over, I mean I literally flew over" she said.
Videl frowned and turned back to her damaged vehicle. "That's gonna cost a lot to repair…" she muttered. Usually, that wouldn't be a problem, since they were rich, but Videl wasn't sure when she was going to want to deal with her father again. Of course, the people at the Capsule Machine store knew her well enough that they might be able to bill it to her father… that, of course, being if she'd ever be able to get back to Satan City.
"How far of a walk is it from here to Satan City?" Videl asked tentatively. She had a bad feeling she knew the answer, but she had to see.
"As the crow flies, you could probably hike it over in a few days. But you two aren't crows and can't fly, so it would probably take you a lot longer than that." Lime shook her head. "Even if it wasn't a bad distance, this isn't exactly a safe area. There are bandits, animals, hell, even some dinosaurs in these parts."
"Wait, dinosaurs?" Sharpner asked.
"The circus found a dragon the other day, didn't they?" Videl shot back.
"These parts are pretty disconnected from the rest of the modern world, I'm not surprised you guys don't know much about what's out here" Lime said.
"Then what should we do?" Videl asked. She wasn't necessarily fond of the idea of being stranded out here until a mechanic could get out here.
"Well, I'd say you could stay here, but Gohan really does need his rest, and having you two in his face as soon as he gets up would probably be counterproductive" Lime said. "Besides, not really my place to invite you to stay anyways, Chi-Chi ain't home."
"So you want us to pitch a tent or something?" Sharpner asked.
Lime rolled her eyes. "I'm not gonna throw you two to the wolves you know" she said, looking at a small watch on her wrist. "It's about half past two right now. I usually fly over here when I want to visit, cuts the travel time down to about twenty minutes. But my village isn't too terribly far, we could probably foot it over in about two hours. You guys wanna come back with me and crash there until we get this sorted out?"
Videl blinked. This girl had only known them for a little over half an hour, and she was inviting them to stay at her place. "That wouldn't be too much trouble, would it?" Videl asked. She could be pushy when she wanted to be, but she hated to impose.
Lime waved it off, chuckling. "First thing you need to know about us out here in the mountains. We're pretty friendly as long as you aren't trying to mess with us. It'll be no issue, and I'm sure my folks would agree."
"Thank you" Sharpner and Videl said at the same time.
Lime shot them a smile. "Sure thing. Lemme grab my things while you guys get that thing packed up, and I'll be back in a flash."
As the redhead stepped back inside, Videl pushed the button that would cause the machine to condense down into capsule form. "You know, she seemed a bit abrasive when we first met her, but she's actually kinda cool" Videl admitted.
"Kind of like you?" Sharpner snickered.
"Bite me, Sharpie" Videl shot back, much to the blonde's amusement. Picking up the capsule, she stuck it in her capsule case before pocketing it.
The door opened behind them, and Lime came out, a bundle in her arms. "That was fast" Videl commented.
"I didn't bring much" Lime shrugged. "Anyways, I grabbed y'all some coats. You're gonna be grateful for them if it starts raining again" she said, passing out a couple basic yellow raincoats to the two of them. "It's not going to be the worst, but it's a long walk, so I hope you aren't too tired."
Sliding the yellow plastic coat on, Videl took a glance towards the redhead. "We both train in martial arts pretty frequently, I think we can handle a hike."
"Glad to hear it" Lime said.
Sharpner finished sliding his on, then looked around. "What about those dinosaurs and things you mentioned? Won't they still be an issue?"
Lime shrugged as she began walking down. "They shouldn't be an issue. I should be able to make it so we can avoid hitting those areas, and if we do run into something, I've got you covered."
"You've got us…" Sharpner began to ask. "Ohhhhh, I get it. That Ki stuff."
Lime nodded. "I'm nothing anywhere near great with it, but I'm more than enough for some animal. Anyways, talk while you walk! We're losing…" she paused as she looked at the sky. "Not sure if you can call this daylight, but you know what I mean."
"Right" the two agreed, making their way after the redhead.
"It's just a hike, what could go wrong?"
Alright guys, gonna call it a bit early this time. I know it's a bit shorter than normal chapters of mine, but in reality, this was meant to mostly be an exposition chapter the whole time. Dragging it on much longer woulda been pointless, since I couldn't do much else with it for now.
Before I answer reviews and sign off, I would just like to say this real fast. Thank you all, thank you all SO MUCH. When I started writing Fanfiction, I would have considered it a great person success to even get a story with a couple hundred followers. But, thanks to all of you, Another Age, Another Adventure is the fourteenth most followed Dragon Ball Z story on the entire site! Out of over fifty thousand of them! Personally, I don't feel like my work is THAT valuable, but all the same, you guys have made me so happy by placing me on that high of regard. Just… thank you all, so much.
Fire-Fly999 - It could be, or it could be something unforeseen. I suppose you'll have to wait to see.
inFamousSlyMonkey - Vegeta isn't exactly that big of a family man after all, heh, nor is he the emotional type. Videl's got that detective streak going for her. And thank you for the encouragement!
Kingkakarott - I also enjoy giving the spotlight to lesser seen characters. I actually have plans for using a character I don't think another fic has even ever mentioned sometime in the future, but I'm not gonna spoil exactly who. Hopefully you enjoy them as much as you enjoy my Sharpner and Erasa.
Iwik - Oof, I can empathise with that. I've never experienced it, but I can imagine. Sorry to 'steal' your fic 0.0
Lightningblade49 - more or less… yeah, that was her purpose for the scene, at least right now. Heh
Neededsomething - I suppose you'll just have to wait to see what happens in due time, sorry for being so cryptic, but it loses something if I reveal anything in advance
Romanovascap - indeed. Janemba is probably my favorite of the movie villains, so I was hopeful to do him and his abilities justice. After all, warping reality and flipping the concept of life and death isn't just something that should leave nothing in its wake
Star1X - well, I do plan to use some of the more common tropes at some point, but don't worry, I like to try being unique when I can. Also, Zangya was mostly just a minor character. Helping to fight the person who killed you isn't necessarily something you get to go back to life for, you know?
I'mAAnimeMaster - same reason he couldn't try to go see Dende. Gohan isn't in a place where he can move right now. Interactions between Gohan and Trunks coming down the line.
Tsukimine12 - hey, I'm trying to avoid going OOC, that means taking the good with the bad to make the character genuine.
Dark Aura User - Trunks was mostly just a result of the situation. Trust me, simmer time is upon us.
Slythefoxx2 - sorry if my characterization of Gohan makes you upset, but I'm going for an accurate portrayal. Gohan is, a flawed character. He doesn't enjoy getting into fights, and when he does, he lets his power go to his head. He's shown that on several occasions. I'm not turning this into a story where I make Gohan go OOC to turn him into the perfect flawless warrior. At that point, it's not Gohan. It's an OC with his name, design, and power.
Alright, that's it for now folks. I may be getting a job soon, which may or may not impact future update time, but hopefully I can avoid keeping you guys waiting very long for future installments. If you enjoyed, please, reviews are my driving force for writing, and I'll gladly see you all next time!