A Wonderful Life
By: SomeRandomPerson648
Chapter 62: Semantics and Goodbyes
A/N: Hey guys. This chapter has been delayed for far longer than it should but regardless here it is, the end of the Future arc!
The darkened clouds above parted to the shining sun, blasted away by the moon-sized ball of Ki that invaded the atmosphere before exploding. The light of the sun graced the Earth as far as the eye could see, basking everyone and everything for what felt like the first time ever
For a full minute Gohan stared at the sky above, a sight he hadn't seen in ages. He closed his eyes and absorbed the radiance of the light and feeling the hope he clung to for so long evolve into victory. With the abandonment of his anger he could feel the mysterious new form leave his body, the yellow hair falling and becoming black, the color in his eyes returning and the coursing lighting dissipating
The lost form only amplified the pain of the myriad of bruises and cuts. But now that there was no more threat to oppress him the stinging was inconsequential to him
"Gohan!!" A voice shouted from the distance. He turned to spot both Videl and Trunks rushing after him, the latter of which flew in to bear hug the injured man
The impact caused both men to wince in pain. Yet the time travelers remained in the moment and basked in their collective victory until they were both satisfied. Likewise Videl took a moment to hug her companion, her embrace being far more delicate than that of the two Hybrid Saiyans
"I'm glad you're okay." She whispered, teary eyed
"And I'm glad you are too." He returned
The future fighters took a moment as a collective to enjoy their victory before turning to the two full-blooded Saiyans, both of which seemed to look on with a mix of pride and confusion
"Wow! What was that Gohan?" His father asked with a twinkle in his eye despite the battered body and tired face
"I-I don't know." He answered, looking back at his hands with confusion as well. "I guess... I just snapped again. Like I did before. It's been so long since I'd done it I forgot what it felt like."
"Well it was no Super Saiyan 2." Vegeta stated. "That aura was far more potent like your 'rage boosts' from before. And I think I sensed a bit of godly Ki as well."
"I did too! You think he got it from us?"
"Likely. After all my newest form used godly Ki as well despite never having done the ritual." Vegeta settled the matter
"And is Zamasu... really gone?"
"I don't know." Goku sighed, the sentence alone raising the tension
"What do you mean?"
"It's a bit of a tricky subject." Trunks began. "Although Zamasu was immortal Black wasn't and his form was tearing itself apart because of it. So in reality their fusion could come back in some way, or maybe just Zamsu."
"Or maybe their crappy fusion died with both of them." Vegeta answered as well, looking around to find no trace of the half god or even the Kai
"But I can't shake the feeling that he's still alive." Trunks stated, staring at the sky above
"But even then, I'm certain I can take care of him." Gohan declared, oozing with a level of certainty he thought he'd never have
"Then that only leaves one more thing..." Videl continued, looking down at the small huddle of pink and blue
The atmosphere within the group sank lower than the ground as they flew down to meet the remaining warriors. Well, impromptu fighters was the better term. The glee from moments prior was now overridden by the loss they sustained
The Majins Prestina and Buu of the current timeline stood around the corpse of the late Android 21, who appeared almost intact save for her skin being a lighter, less colorful tone than normal. Directly beside her was the kneeling Cell Jr. who seemed to be taking the death the hardest just after Cell himself. In his hands he held a small black shard that almost disappeared under his tiny hands. Despite its shape and size everyone recognized it as a broken wing piece
"Is he... dead too?" Prestina worried, a small tear forming in her eye more out of sympathy and sadness than closeness
"No." Vegeta replied with no clarification, floating over to the Cell Jr. and, with an outstretched hand, demanded to have the remaining shard
But unexpectedly, or at least expected by few, the childlike spawn of Cell recoiled within his presence out of fear and apprehension. The motion didn't seem to bother the Saiyan but Gohan understood that it stung either way
Instead Gohan walked forward, kneeling on one knee and offering his hand but still looking down due to their height difference. This time the Jr. seemed to consider the offer before ultimately relinquishing hold of his maker
Gohan stared at the fraction of the Android with a thoughtfulness he didn't expect until he held the fraction of the once enemy. He didn't know enough of his history to understand just who he truly was. The most he knew were the two versions of him that he met both in his own timeline and when he traveled in time, the version that became a threat that was defeated by a younger Gohan. Both were equally power hungry and malevolent with one going out with a bang and the other a mere whimper
But this one was different. Not just due to semantics and timelines and multiverses but character and personality. He was equally as menacing and even harder to read but likewise showed far more compassion and reason than he'd seen from the other two. And given 21's death... he could tell his reaction was genuine and even reflected in the Jr. before him
But all was to say the present moment, although Gohan recognized was significant, held no bearing on him even if he tried to make it so. They were enemies in different timelines but here they were mere strangers who fought and bled together regardless of the messy history that had nothing to do with either of them personally
As such when Gohan donated the remainder of his spare Ki, little as it was, Gohan knew it was special even if it wasn't special to him or even the receiver in question
"I don't really even know you, just a different you. But still, I hope you get better."
"I'm sure he'll regenerate sooner or later. I know enough to say he doesn't die easy." He clarified without realizing how true his statement was
"We need to find a way to fit 21 into the Time Machine. If possible we can use the Dragonballs to revive her there given there aren't any here." Trunks reasoned, feeling sick to his stomach as he looked at the truly dead woman before him
"Buu can help!" The Majin piped up, the tentacle on his head shifting in place
The small appendage shot a pink beam at the corpse, transforming it into a piece of plain hard candy. The sense of familiar horror crept into the warriors of the past as the Majin picked up the candy, only for the feeling to pass as he gave the living food to Gohan
"Buu turn her into food to go!" He stated, a wide smile beaming from his face
"That's right!" Trunks declared. "We can ask Prestina and Chocolata of the past to transform her back."
"Wait. Me and my sister?" Prestina cut in
"It's a bit of a long story but Cell helped your whole family. If I'm being honest it's one of the very few good things he did." The half Saiyan answered
Again Gohan felt as though he were missing a full story of context but kept quiet. He knew the summary given to him by Trunks himself and the Prestina of the past but that did not make the missing history any more familiar. Likewise he could tell that the girl struggled to process the full meaning of the words and only nodded along
"Right. Then... maybe I should leave now that I can. But I'm glad to have met you all." She added with as much sincerity as she could muster before remembering something else. "And I think this is for you."
Just in front of her appeared a familiar white ball of light, the ever present soul that traveled with Android 21 since she appeared. The living object seemed too quiet amidst the solemn atmosphere, its thoughts and feelings a mystery to everyone else
Unexpectedly the light disappeared into the small black wing piece, hiding itself into the partially living object. None around were familiar enough with the soul to understand it or its actions, only marking it as a silent observer that stuck close to the pair of Androids
"We'll take care of them." Gohan confirmed
At the signal the Cell Jr. slowly rose to its feet, the sadness clinging to its every action. Cutting to the chase it walked up to the black shard and the candy in Gohan's hands and waved goodbye before flying away
Likewise Prestina took a moment to approach the two dead yet living objects, looking at them with a melancholy that was hard to place. Both were people who she'd just met with one having done her a grand favor. Similar to Gohan, Prestina knew deep in her heart that her moment of silence meant far more than she understood. Cell and the others alluded to a rocky relationship in a different time but she neither understood it nor wanted to know. Instead she addressed his fractured body and that of his ally like anyone would a kind stranger, one who gave her the chance to find her way home
"Thank you. I hope you'll both be okay." She said, turning to the small group of people remaining. "And you all too. Goodbye."
With her ancient ancestor just behind her Prestia flew and caught up to her guide, waving goodbye and receiving waves of goodbye as well. Soon the two Majins and the Android spawn left the Earth, making their way to a long lost home
The remaining group of mixed warriors stood still, processing the sentiments given and those that were merely symbolic. And at the center was Gohan, who now held three lives in his hands yet their weight was neither felt physically nor emotionally, distant people with absolutely no relation to him
And yet there were still a few more loose ends to clear up, more pressing matters that were directly related to them and as such the warrior pocketed the items, making his way to his next destination
Several miles away from the now destroyed city were the remainder of humans in the Earth, a small coalition of fighters and soldiers whom were still alive thanks to the efforts of the Z Warriors
There were many complaints and complications with the move, as expected with moving a small army of people a whole city away with little preparation or warning. And yet none were as important as the ever present battle. None of them knew what truly happened, their only source of information being the extreme rumbling and shaking of the earth beneath them as the struggles for power continued. But in their hearts they all knew that something definitive had happened once the shaking stopped
Among them Bulma and Mai did their damndest to calm tensions but without Videl to co-lead the mess was only more notable. After hours of quelling the crowd all that remained was to hope and pray for the wellbeing of their frontline fighters and more importantly... their friends
"Are you sure we shouldn't activate the Ki blockers? If Black and his friend win they'll be hot on our tail." Mai suggested, tapping her foot on the floor with an ever growing impatience
"If Black and Zamasu win then there's no hope for us." Bulma countered. "And I know we won... I can feel it."
Too much time had passed since the blue haired woman experienced the familiar position she was in yet it was all too recognizable. The cold calmness that came after the planet stopped shaking, the strange feeling in her stomach telling her, in contrast to the eerie silence, that all was well in the world. From the Saiyans to Namek to the final confrontation with the Androids this feeling never betrayed her and with all on the line... she couldn't afford to be wrong
And finally, as the sun rose from the horizon a clump of dots appeared in the sky flying to meet them at breakneck speeds. The Z fighters made their return all save for one but in exchange another took his place, someone Bulma never would've thought she'd see
"T-Trunks?"
The ghost of the woman's past returned to her, softly landing before her with the same face and purple hair but in a larger and more defined body. She could only imagine how her boy would look once he was older but having him in front of her eyes, smiling at her with the same recognition she had...
"I'm back."
Wordlessly the older woman approached the former boy, now a young man of his own. Memories of countless moments in her life flooded her mind. Sleepless nights in her bed, hoping and praying that he may return to her arms but getting nothing. Many days she expected the young teen to burst through her doors and return as though it was all a bad dream but not once did that happen
Likewise Trunks himself recalled his true mother, the one who cared for him when he was little, the one who loved him even when the world was at stake at every minute. The pain that had long since dulled with time returned with full force and although he knew he wasn't meeting his true mother... this was a great alternative
The two finally found one another after years of having lost each other. Despite everything, the time lost and the pain that defined their every action they finally meet one last time. Both mother and son embraced each other for what felt like the first time in far too long. The two remained in the moment for as long as possible, making up for lost time
And standing just beside them was Vegeta, who watched the display with a calm gaze. He, of all people, knew what the moment meant to both people and made no motion to interrupt them. But as the woman silently cried in the arms of her lost son she looked up to see the man, smiling with red, watery eyes
"Thank you." She mouthed, not breaking from the embrace
Caught by surprise by the acknowledgment the prince glanced away, poorly masking his smirk
Beside them Mai finally regrouped with her two allies, looking at both with crossed arms and a nervous gaze
"Did we win?" She asked, looking at both to dispel her disbelief
Sure enough the two smiled and nodded, an air of security and positivity she didn't think she'd ever see from two hardened veterans. Yet at seeing smiles so genuine brought a reluctant tear to her eyes and with one deep breath the tension in her shoulders disappeared
"We still have a long way to go." She reminded them, looking off into the distance littered with ruin and destruction
"But we can do it. I know we can." Gohan stated, looking at the same distance with far less skepticism
There wasn't enough time to recover what was lost but even so they made do with what they had. The two Saiyans and younger women stepped aside and allowed Trunks, Gohan and Bulma to enjoy their moment together in what felt like never before. From reminiscing about their shared past, recalling events and details with minor inconsistencies to even laughing at the smaller, much more intimate moments that none of the three could forget. Though not one of the topics were of real importance the sheer fact that they were capable of speaking once again was all they ever needed
However, all too soon the Time Machine made its final appearance
"Take care okay. Maybe one day we can talk a little more." Bulma implored, kissing her son on the forehead as he blushed rather immaturely
"I'll try okay." He replied, pulling away to allow Bulma to address Vegeta, who stood a few paces away
"And take care of our family alright. No matter what." She demanded firmly yet with a melancholic smile. Her response, as always, was a quiet nod of affirmation
"I'll miss you dad." Gohan told his father, who bear hugged him as though he were still a kid
"And I'll miss you too. Maybe we'll spar sometime?"
"Count on it."
And lastly, the two Time Travelers looked at each other once more, the lost student and mentor duo standing before one another with warm smiles on their faces. For a moment both Goku and Vegeta looked with a tinge of worry, gauging the silent decision being made until finally Trunks patted the other's arm
"It was nice seeing you all again."
"You too." Came the reply, and with one final embrace the decision was made
In no time the three time displaced warriors hopped onto the ship and quickly it floated into the air, disappearing between realms as though they were never there to begin with
It only took minutes for the group to travel through space and time and return to the era they came from, so radically different from the future prior. Where light was a rarity now it was in abundance, the glowing sun raging above them all and the fully intact buildings shining in brilliant radiance
The welcome party was eerily similar to the one they saw less than five minutes prior. It was almost jarring seeing how nothing had changed in the past, seeing familiar faces yet different people. None of which experienced or felt the moments of mere minutes ago and had no idea they even happened, nor would they truly understand them
When the three men jumped out of the Time Machine they were each welcomed by their respective families, all of which were desperately waiting for their return. Goku embraced his wife and two sons as though he hadn't seen them in forever, in spite of the time travel
The time traveling Gohan's absence was already felt despite the short amount of time he was present. The family looked amongst themselves with bright, shining faces and treasuring what they still had
"He stayed?" Goten questioned, receiving a nod from his father
"I would've like to say goodbye." Chi-Chi lamented. "But I'm glad he found happiness in his own world."
"Sure did!" Goku confirmed. "And I'm sure he's strong enough to take care of any threat that shows up."
"I just hope he's alright." Gohan of the present timeline added
Meanwhile the opposing family and their extension was more tempered in their reactions, both mother and son of the present timeline greeting the men with an expected calmness
"So you beat the faker?" Teen Trunks asked his older counterpart, whom nodded his response
"And you said goodbye?" Bulma questioned, a smile answering her question
"And you didn't want to stay?" Prestina asked rather nervously. "I know you wanted to spend more time with Gohan."
"It's... a little complicated." The purple haired man admitted. "On the one hand I'm glad I got to spend more time with him after all these years but on the other... this is my home, and I'm sure he thought the same."
At that the pink skinned girl smiled, moving in for yet another hug. Of course Trunks didn't refuse, instead silently appreciating this unusual day, or days, of emotion
Just beside them, Vegeta looked on with a distant closeness, present yet not quite in the exchange. It wasn't that he was prevented from interacting with the family directly but he himself didn't feel comfortable with interfering. It was going to take a lot more to feel welcomed, and even more to forgive himself
Yet Bulma took a moment to spare the prince a glance, one that was quickly noticed. It wasn't one of hatred or disgust but a silent appreciation. The Saiyan, of course, knew exactly what she referred to and after having completed his promise to two copies of the same woman he nodded slightly, granting the woman a tiny smile
"This is all well and good but where are the other two?" Beerus demanded, his presence having been forgotten amidst the show of emotion
Like a splash of cold water Goku reeled, only now remembering the two fragments of the people in his pocket. Quickly he pulled out both as the God's answer, confusing everyone around. It took a few seconds for the God and his assistant to fully understand but everyone else was even slower in the upkeep
"Wait, are those-"
"21 and Cell." Vegeta answered for all. "Unfortunately both fell in battle but only Cell survived. 21 was not so lucky."
"Or unlucky." Adult Trunks added, staring at the two sad fragments
"I see." Whis, responded and with the wave of his staff the two objects floated in the air, shaking before one was enveloped in a puff of pink, magical air while one became a light construct in the outline of a person
After a few seconds the crowd now saw both Androids laid bare before them but there was a notable difference between the two as one was colored a lush green while the other a pale pink. Cell himself looked as though he'd rise any moment but 21 on the other hand was well and truly laid to rest
Death itself was never quite a serious topic for the Z team. Sure it was serious the moment it happened but there was always some shape or manner to bring the lost ones back. But in the case of 21 she seemed to be completely gone in both senses, well and truly dead in the full intent and meaning. None could stare for too long as the emptiness of the once person only made everyone that much more uncomfortable
However, within the body of Cell a familiar force went to work
It wasn't often that the soul peered into the mind of an unconscious person yet here it was, drifting within a sea of uncertainty. The darkness that surrounded it was not of evil or malevolence but instead of void and nothingness for in a sense the soul was inhabiting something that only barely counted as living let alone conscious. The soul itself had believed it was forgotten within the fragment of its own friend, inhabiting a body that held no mind nor was even a body to begin with. But finally the soul could sense that the something happened, its habitat suddenly growing and expanding in size and likewise the mind of its friend returned only partially
Given that Cell's mind was only recently formed it had no clue what to expect but what it found was intriguing to say the least
The realm of Cell's soul was that of a shifting plane stuck between darkness and light like half closed eyes in broad daylight. Memories and thoughts would flash and disappear in the fake sky above as a slideshow of events that never happened to Cell himself but instead were a collection of those that he comprised of, a fact seen clearly in how disjointed and unrelated they were. Yet his own memories were nowhere to be found, either gone or hidden from the soul's peering gaze
And staring at the sky was Cell himself, or what the soul could recognize as Cell. Instead this half-conscious being took the form of a large green bug, one that stared almost innocently at the sky with no sense of the world. Whether this truly was Cell or a deeper, subconscious version of himself was a mystery but the question didn't quite matter
The soul communicated its intention to the bug, glowing brightly as it did. And yet it could sense a reluctance from both the body and mind, a refusal to awake as though every fiber of Cell's being would rather remain dormant and inactive. But that was not possible, especially not with what needed to be done
The soul witnessed as the world within Cell began to shift as Cell himself awoke, slowly changing into the familiar environment from before but now much dimmer than before
The green Android arose from his state of nonexistence, a familiar feeling as though having been born again from nothingness. His mind slurred into activity, slowly resurrecting his consciousness and memories until one ever present concern appeared once again
"Where is Android 21?"
Even in his sluggish state of mind his head whipped to the sides, registering his surroundings and the people around him. He knew from one glance that he was back in the present, surrounded by the current Son and Briefs families. But very quickly he found his most pressing concern
Laying just beside him was the body of Android 21 once again, just as hollow and lifeless like before. The cruel hand of fate twisted its knife once more as he remembered his most recent memories, his fight and his failure...
No one around bothered to speak nor did he want them to for he could already assume what happened. The specifics weren't important for he had something else to worry about
"I need the Dragonballs." He said under his breath, fatigue still coating his voice and hindering his movements as he stood from ground
"We can get them for you but you need rest." Goku spoke up, his concern and surprise matching that of everyone else
"Can I have the radar?" Cell asked, looking directly at the only scientist around
Bulma stared at the Android with every bottled emotion she had. She looked at both the tiny, needy creature she saw years ago and a cold hearted killer all in the same person. She could remember the pain she endured at knowing her family died to his attacks and the trauma at dying along with them, two memories she could never forget. And yet upon looking at his tired, helpless expression, asking for help rather than storming her lab and taking the radar regardless... she was almost indecisive were it not for the pressing urgency of her decision
"...Yes. It's in my office." She sighed, not bearing to look at the Android any longer
Without another word Cell flew out of the scene and dashed for the Dragon Radar, leaving everyone else to question themselves
"He's never been this desperate before." They noted. The only time he came close to pleading for their help was when Android 21 first appeared before them, laying unconscious in his arms. Back then he had the luxury of maintaining his pride and the reluctance due to his still flaming hatred. But after having laid himself bare before the weakest of the group they couldn't help but take a moment to register what transpired
"...I'll take 21 to the lookout." Gohan offered, receiving no complaints or response as he picked up the graying pink body and flew to his destination. Close behind him the remaining Saiyans followed as well, silent watchers to make sure nothing went awry
The rest remained silent, their former excitement and glee now bitter as they processed the quick succession of events
Even in his tired state Cell managed to spend only half an hour collecting the Dragonballs, soaring through several miles in seconds using only the bare remains of energy he had. Ironically what was once meant to be a heartfelt journey of scouring the globe for the magical objects was now a hasty trek filled with stress and worry. Yet the irony wasn't something Cell bothered to note as he flew from place to place
Likewise the soul inside of him mirrored his feelings precisely, so much so that it took a while of mindless flying to realize that he was carrying it. The soul itself offered no comfort nor did he ask for it as both were going through the same loss. Their only hope were the collectable miracles he gathered
After a stressing amount of time the seven balls were gathered and brought to Kami's lookout where he could sense members of the Z team and, assuming they're kind enough, the bod. As he imagined he arrived to see apprehensive faces and the cold reminder of his failure, all staring at him expectantly. But he was in no mood to comment or react as he landed on the floating platform and tore open the small leather bag
Quickly and without assistance he placed the magical orbs down and summoned the dragon all on his own. The others watched closely as the beam of light that blotted the sky changed shape into the majestic dragon of legend
"You who've summoned the great Shenron, what is your wish?"
"Shenron, revive Android 21!" Cell pleaded, waiting eagerly to fix his mistake
...
...
...
"That wish is beyond my power." The dragon's voice boomed with absolute authority
Spluttering for words Cell tried to collect himself, failing as he looked at those around him. But they too were at a loss
"Why is that out of your power?!" He panicked, staring at the dragon's cold red eyes
"The one known as Android 21 no longer resides within this realm."
Tried as he might to deny it the Android knew exactly what had happened. He understood deep within himself that it was a lost cause because the evidence was already there. Much the same way Trunks or the Cell of an alternate timeline can reside in the OtherWorld of this dimension so too can 21's soul be claimed by another OtherWorld
The Bioweapon could only fall to his knees in a defeat so absolute it shook his very core. Only once before had his world been torn asunder but unlike then he did not know of a life better than the one he was given. But now, after years of having experienced life anew he was thrown back into nothingness because of his one, fatal mistake
Neither Cell nor the soul within him fully registered their surroundings, ignoring the Shenron's leave and the dispersal of the Dragonballs because they were of no use to them. Of all the power in the world it could not grant them their one wish...
The return of hope