Thank you for your continued reading, please don't hesitate to provide any feedback you may have!
Oh yeah and Castling is a Chess move, you know, to keep with the Chess theme of the last few chapters.
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Where the Warrior in Black had taken Tora, Tights had followed.
She found herself in a strange wide and open tiled alley, leading to various different buildings, all surrounded by what looked like grass. No horizon, the platform abruptly ended by a sort of grid. The buildings had a soft blue glow to them, and the sky, or what looked like a sky dome was pitch black and a continuation of the grid from the edge.
Not that Tights paid close attention to those details, as she saw movement in the building right in front of her; a door being closed. This was where her daughter had been taken, she knew it.
When she pushed it open, she saw through the penumbra the person she knew deep down was her friend walking and voicing light complaints about 'how big and tall' the 'little girl' had gotten. She ran after him through the odd corridors with old walls, ignoring the large openings offering a view to the eerie outside. It reminded her of Pilaf's Castle, somehow.
"Gohan!"
She called for him and sped up.
That was when the Warrior in Black realized he'd been followed, but it still surprised him. He looked back towards the voice, wide eyes.
"Bulma-san?!"
"Gohan-kun!" Tights repeated, she knew it, she knew it was him, she caught up to him and to her unconscious daughter on his right shoulder.
She'd have recognized that gi anywhere, and it wasn't just because she had fixed it many times. It wasn't exactly the same, and yet… that gait, those heavy but innocent eyes, that surprise-relief-ashamed voice whispering her name, a voice she'd heard many times when retrieving his broken body. This was Gohan. Their Gohan.
"You shouldn't be here! Shoot… Quick, follow me," he hushed the moment he fully grasped the implications behind her presence, and walked a little bit faster through the strange cold maze-like corridors.
Quickly enough, they found themselves in a room that Tights found quite similar to the room Gohan had as a child, which she saw last just after Chichi's passing… Except the furniture was suitable for an adult. A sort of personal room with a bed disguised as a couch, a bookshelf, a couple of chairs for reading, and some sparse belongings, and a door that led to what Tights guessed was a bathroom of sorts. Through the one window, pitch darkness, but the room was lit with some sort of eerie blue candles.
The door closed behind them, the Warrior in Black tried to get Tora to lay down on the bed. Glomp. Tights couldn't help a light chuckle full of memories seeing the young man try to pry her daughter off of him. Tora had decided he was 'her pillow' and had gripped firmly. The Warrior in Black whispered some complaints, 'come on Trunks don't be a baby' and other words Tights had heard long ago and even told herself. There was no use trying to fight a Saiyan grip, the Warrior in Black sighed in defeat and ended up sitting on the bed with her on his lap. He only let go of her to move some pillows against the wall so as to fully use the item as a couch and sit somewhat comfortably.
"It is truly you…"
"Yes, kind of…," he confirmed, his one arm wrapped around Tora, holding her shoulders (as if she needed any encouragement), holding her as close as she was holding onto him.
"Gohan-kun, what's going on?" Tights pulled a chair and sat in front of them, endeared by the sight, but still wanting some answers.
The Warrior stayed silent, averting his eyes, head down. He was hesitating and she saw through.
"Out with it," she insisted, giving him the 'mom' stare, arms crossed.
"I'm sorry, Bulma-san… I failed to protect her, to protect you," he eventually said, unable to add much more, visibly conflicted and trying to find a way to explain it all, but only an apology came.
"We're both alive and well, what do you mean?"
"True but— Do you remember what she was wearing that day?" he asked.
Tights gave it a moment. She knew it wasn't a question asked out of the blue. She knew him. She knew he wasn't asking without a specific purpose.
His eyes finally went from one to the other, betraying some fear, some nerves, some guilt. He looked so small, despite being taller than Goku and Yamcha.
The day her best friends' son died? The day her daughter came back with his body on her back, covered in blood, dirt, tears and pulsing power? Yes, of course she remembered.
"Sweatpants and a baseball capsule tee, the kind she wore when she spent time with you when you went out to train. She'd finally grown into that shirt, even with the binder underneath."
Those clothes couldn't be cleaned and at the time, she knew Tora would never wear them again, even if they could've been salvaged from that awful day. She'd thrown away the clothes she'd worn the day Gohan lost his arm a few months prior. The one time they fully went as far as they could and fought together against the Cyborgs, Gohan had explained when he regained consciousness. A disaster.
And their state right now was similar to the state they were when Gohan lost his arm, actually. Tora's clothes were half torn. The black tee she entered the Budokai in was in tatters, she could see the shoulder strap of the binder was barely holding on. What she could see of her gray pants had suffered from contact friction and they were full of dirt, some wood splinters and even some pine needles. The Warrior in Black's clothes weren't in a much better state, she could see his shin through the torn fabric of his left side and half of the muted orange gi top had given way to the black undershirt. That was why he had a slight limp when walking and carrying Tora.
"Yes that was what she wore," he confirmed with a low voice, forcing Tights to look back up to him and out of her observation of their state. "That day, the Cyborgs attacked Central City, just nearby… I didn't want her to come with me, but she insisted, and I failed to say no… They recognized her tee," this version of Gohan explained in hushed whispers.
Tights saw the grip tightening on both sides. Tora might have been out cold, but she still reacted to her mentor and friend. They truly cared for each other, attached at the hip ever since her baby girl was born. Tights reached, and without being told off or resisted, she slid her hand underneath the fabrics and touched her girl's nude shoulder. She felt her girl relax under the touch, and saw the Warrior's faint smile at the reaction. He continued explaining.
"They… they found out. They found out who she was, what she was, and who you were. So they went to West City and… found you. And I couldn't do anything about it."
"So.. you're telling me we died in your timeline?"
A somber nod confirmed it.
"The Supreme Kai of Time gave me a chance to fix it, if I served her, so I interfered against myself," he added. "So even if I knew what the result would be, I made sure she couldn't come along."
She knew him in and out. She knew Tora always wanted to fight alongside Gohan, and was persuasive, stubborn, insistent like her, like her father. They both knew it. At the time, Tora had said Gohan had knocked her out before going to fight to his death. It had been something she had a hard time accepting.
"You sacrificed yourself…"
The Warrior nodded softly, eyes closed, holding onto his student, confirming how well Tights knew them both.
"I know myself, it was a trade I was willing to make, so the other 'me' understood. In the end she succeeded where we all failed, I knew she had it in her. And I knew you'd finish your project if I bought you some time. It was the best outcome I could've hoped for."
"She got to meet everyone in the past and even let her hair grow again," Tights' fingers touched those loose locks, surprised to see a burn mark on her forehead, which was seemingly fading away.
The Warrior smiled. He had faith, and hope, and Tights could see it and all the relief washing over his face.
"No one but Miss Bulma Brief could've made it possible."
"Duh," she was proud, of course.
"I'm still baffled that she grew up so tall despite being Vegeta-san's little princess!" he laughed, trying to chase away the worries and fears that still lingered.
"Well she got the good genes from my side," Tights chuckled and winked playfully.
"She still has those two little hair locks too…"
"Her little antennae."
Tights felt Tora shift under her hand and the Warrior bit down a gasp. He tried his best not to protest the grip that was crushing his ribs. He was already low on energy.
"She's grown so strong," he breathed out.
"She's now nineteen… hardly the little kitten you knew anymore."
The Warrior agreed and hugged back the woman he helped raise, trying to give her comfort through her sleep in hopes of getting her to let go. Tights saw in his face the slight twitch indicative of pain.
Beyond their clothes, the fight had also torn their bodies. Their skin was cut, bruised, dirty and had some blood on them. The cuts had stopped bleeding quickly, it seemed, stupid Saiyan genes. The Warrior's knuckles of his one remaining hand had deep marks, but not as deep as Tora's own closed fists. Her skin was perhaps a little paler than the usual healthy golden glow she inherited from her father.
"Bulma-san, there's a… sink over there. Could you wet a couple of towels, please?" A slight chin movement indicated the other door, confirming it did indeed lead to a bathroom.
"Yeah you both need to be cleaned up a bit," she had a nervous chuckle, regretting grilling him before taking care of their wounds.
Tights stood, her fingers still lingering on her daughter's shoulder for a second, and went to said bathroom. She opened the faucet and patted her sides while the water filled a small bucket of water. That was when she realized she did not have Tora's capsule case on her person, as it was in her jacket, and…
"Damnit! I left the jacket in the car!"
The information was worrying, as that jacket contained Tora's belongings; her wallet, the capsule case containing her wardrobe, and what mattered right now: the pharmacy. Thankfully the bathroom did have some supplies she easily found. Gohan was Gohan after all.
She came back to sit in front of her friend and her daughter with the wet towels and what was needed to sooth the bruises and clean the wounds from all the dirt and debris they both rolled in during whatever fight they were involved in. Those supplies weren't as good as what a proper pharmacy had, but they were better than what she had to work with during the Cyborg siege.
Clearly her daughter wasn't willing to let go of her hold, so the task was tedious and even with the Warrior in Black's help, Tights had to work around Tora's grip to assess both their injuries. It was nothing new for the two of them and they even shared a little laugh at their own expense. It was a long time ago, but this had been their life for a few years and the memories were cherished, even if they were traumatic.
She didn't hesitate to get her daughter out of her binder to get a proper feel of her injuries, even if the Warrior in Black got beet red and made a show of keeping his eyes shut all while mumbling incoherent protests.
"Oh come on Gohan-kun, it's nothing you've not seen before."
"Bulma-san! She's not ten anymore!"
Tights thought the squeal was adorable, but privacy didn't matter when it was for medical purposes. Especially amongst close friends.
Despite a few cracked ribs and serious soreness, the two of them would be overall fine after a good rest. The Warrior in Black still managed to wrap his former pupil in a bedsheet, as the tatters of the tee and binder were not salvageable, and while taking them off during the 'Saiyan grip' was feasible, putting clothes on Tora wasn't. Not Tights had any clothes to put on her daughter anyway, since she stupidly left the capsule case behind. They'd have to make do with what they had at hand. The bedsheet would have to do in the meantime.
"Now that's done… Mind telling me where we are?"
"Somewhere neither of you should be at," a stern cold voice echoed through the walls.
Dende had been welcoming and friendly, but he was inexperienced in dealing with threats in general, and while he had his strengths, such as repairing Tora's sword (Syowa did not hesitate to entrust him with the weapon she had found and he noticed the strap was broken), he could only advise on his expertise. A moment of genius struck him when he saw Seventeen and Eighteen together.
"Perhaps they could learn the Fusion Technique too?" he ventured to Goku and Piccolo as they were watching over Goten and Trunks practice the movements. "They're the same height and have similar strengths, right?"
"We could."
"I'm not doing that ridiculous dance."
"Not even with me?"
"Especially not with you."
"I don't think it'll work," Goku completely ignored the banter between the siblings. "They're Androids—"
"Cyborgs," both of them corrected.
"Yeah, that, well, you guys don't have a ki, so you can't make your kis match and combine…"
The children were truly their best bet, and they actually picked up the precise movements very quickly. Piccolo was surprised at how natural it had become for them to do it, but they still needed to keep their energies in check so as to not be noticed.
Goku was running out of time and options, as Babidi directed Buu to destroy places due to him not getting the information he was looking for concerning the three that had caused him great insult and injury: Piccolo, Goten and Trunks.
Syowa was catching up to the crazy amount of information she was gathering from what had happened that day through Yamcha, whom she was able to meet thanks to Eighteen gifting her VIP baseball seats way back when. He'd since known she was somewhat, somehow 'in the know' because of Tora, so he was happy to fill his biggest fan with the occasional mind-blowing thing involving their little group.
"Don't worry about the damage, we'll solve everything with the Dragon Balls as soon as possible," Yamcha tried reassuring Syowa.
The Dragon Balls themselves, well, with everyone coming back to life after the Cell Games, she could believe her idol was telling the truth.
Dende hadn't objected to the gang and their families to be brought to the Lookout for safety, he was glad the Lookout was of use as they all retreated to find a solution. Tora's disappearance worried him to a certain extent, they all had so much on their plate, and those strange rifts he and Piccolo (but nobody else?) felt had him question whether the two were related in a way. It was strange nobody remembered the short-lived invasion of strange creatures with a void of energy fueling them, but that mystery would be investigated later.
"Where's Sixteen?" Eighteen asked Seventeen.
"Off-world, with my parents and the entire zoo," Bulma answered in his stead. "They're running some experiments."
"Yeah big bro is better at taking care of the fauna and flora, with the entire hard-drive in his head and everything, so he took the job while I focused on mine," Seventeen explained with a bored yawn.
Bulma was glad her parents and Tama were safe, if West City was raided at some point, what a relief. Obviously, a few minutes later, someone came through and indicated Trunks was indeed Trunks Brief, the son of the owner of Capsule Corp. So it wasn't a matter on 'if' West City was going to be raided, but 'how fast', and Bulma apologized to her compatriots silently.
However, with the Dragon Balls being still inactive for a few weeks, the question of the Dragon Radar suddenly came out, and as Bulma was picked up from Papaya Island and not from home, this meant…
"We gotta get the Dragon Radar out of there before it gets destroyed!" Krillin realized it.
Goku heard and left Piccolo in charge of Goten and Trunks to find out what the commotion was all about. Eighteen raised an eyebrow and perked up.
"I'll go get it," Bulma interjected. Her son didn't know what it looked like and nobody else had clearance and enough knowledge of the inside of her house, let alone her lab to find it.
"I'll take you," Yamcha offered. After all, she hadn't come to the Lookout through her own means, it had been Krillin who had carried her.
"I'll carry you, Mama!" Trunks jumped in.
"I'd better go alone, when you guys fly, others can feel your ki, right?" a nod confirmed it. "Then I'll use Tora's car. Syowa, you've got his capsule case, right?"
Syowa nodded and took the precious object out of the inner jacket's pocket, even if she was reluctant to do so.
"I don't think Tora-kun would appreciate people rummaging through his things."
"Well I'll seek forgiveness and he'll lecture me later," Bulma took the capsule case from her hand. "Gotta act instead of waiting around and see what falls upon us, for once," she mumbled more to herself. She guessed Big Trunks would agree anyway, after all he had lent her the car prior.
The idea of her beloved city and her lab being in imminent danger didn't help with her patience and diplomacy. She opened the case. Wardrobe (clean), Wardrobe (dirty), unlabelled (the Time Machine, probably), computer, pharmacy and.. yes, 32. The experimental car. She popped it out on the platform.
"I'll be back in no time!" she hugged her son a little tighter and then hopped in the car.
The commands hadn't changed since the last time she drove it, all those years ago when she went home with Gohan and Yajirobe (and her precious little baby). Before taking off, Bulma gave a thumbs up to her friends. The securities had been overridden by her future self, so she had to take a moment to adjust to the new power unleashed by one of her greatest side-projects.
Goku watched it all go down with wide eyes. Bulma was a feisty, stubborn friend who saw what she wanted or needed to do and just did it. That's what he loved about her, Bulma was always an inspiration. He picked up his jaw from the floor and glanced over at the others. He couldn't let Babidi and Buu reach West City before Bulma got out of there, so they needed to be stalled. He went to talk to Piccolo while the kids practiced.
"What is it?"
"Bulma-san went to retrieve the Dragon Radar before—"
"I heard that," Piccolo cut off Goku and pointed to his ears.
Goku appreciated how little time his old rival wasted and got straight to the point. The kids came back from their break. Goku patted both their heads with a certain friendliness, and Trunks grumped and fixed his hair.
"They're on their way to West City so I'll stall them, gotta buy you guys some time."
Piccolo noticed a hint of doubt in his voice. He squinted his eyes to try and see through Goku, through his deception, through his decision making process, but saw nothing but blind trust.
"It's their world to defend now, right?" Goku laughed and with two fingers on his forehead, he disappeared before Piccolo got the chance to react.
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Trunks loved his Mama, even if she was a little weird, and since his Papa was gone, he needed to be the one to take care of her. Vegeta's last words to him echoed in his mind but he held back his tears. His Mama had gone off home to retrieve something important, and when Trunks had expressed wanting to go with her, he was denied by Goku and Piccolo, they needed to focus on practicing.
Trunks wasn't exactly thrilled with having Goten's dad serve as a teacher. His dad, and Goten's big brother, and his… whatever Tora was in relation to him, they all died, and Trunks resented Goku a lot for it.
"What were you even doing?! Where were you when my Papa died?!" Trunks had accused him of cowardice.
"And big bro!" Goten had doubled down.
The kids had rebelled, and Piccolo had wanted to scold them for their rudeness, but Goku stopped him.
"I was unconscious. But I have no excuse, you're right."
He had admitted weakness, he had apologized, he said the Dragon Balls would fix it, but that they would avenge them, they'd win.
The plan as explained was that they'd first need to learn the Fusion Technique, perfect all their movements and keep their kis as small as possible, and then when his time ran out, with Piccolo they'd learn how to control their own power.
Trunks mulled over everything while he and Goten went on a drink and bathroom break. Goten looked a little gloom and doom, the shock of Gohan's death was still present. It was getting dark, too. Trunks hugged his bestest friend.
"We'll get stronger than them alright, 'Ten? Gotta protect our Mamas."
"He won't get away with it!" Goten had agreed with a newfound resolution, the tears gone.
When they came back, ready for more training, Goku patted both their heads. He entrusted the world to them.
And then he disappeared. And suddenly a massive energy wave took over the world, shook the atmosphere, created typhoons and changed the weather all across the world. And then there was a fight.
"What the hell?" Piccolo ran off to the main platform, they barely had begun practicing again. Goten and Trunks followed him, no use staying alone.
"What's going on?!"
The lady that worked at Uncle Tora's and Gohan's school was scared. Trunks didn't know why she was even there, but he didn't really dwell on it for too long.
Eighteen took Marron back into her arms when being on Seventeen's shoulders wasn't where she'd find reassurance. Even the Lookout was shaking. Piccolo ran to the edge of the Lookout to see what was going on (or so he said, but Trunks knew nobody had eyes that sharp!).
Goten went to his mom. She was quite scared, didn't know what was going on either, but Trunks saw how Goten was proud to be a reassuring protector to his mom. Trunks resented the adults from keeping him from going with his Mama because of that.
"That's Goku!" Krillin somewhat confirmed, helping Dende out as he, too, was having trouble holding his footing with the waves of energy.
And then after a while, it stopped.
And Goku was back, panting, sweaty, dirty, exhausted.
Chichi ran to him, and then so did Dende to heal him.
"I think—" he breathed out in between pants. "I think West City is going to be safe for a little longer." Goku took Dende's hands into his own and thanked him. "Save your energy."
"Goku-sa!"
"I'm fine! It's just that… Yeah I wasn't sure, but my body can't handle this power when I'm not in Otherworld," he laughed and gave a hug to his wife and gave a pat to Goten's head. He'd stayed behind his mom, but he was still curious about his dad. It's not like he had had the time to get to know him, after all.
"I went a bit too far, but Buu's still so strong."
Trunks couldn't help but be in awe. That was the kind of power Goten's dad had? Impossible.
"We gotta be stronger than that?!" Goten exclaimed, the task was out of reach.
"What about Papa? Was he stronger than that?" Trunks had to ask.
He knew Vegeta and Goku were fighting prior to the whole debacle, and since Goku admitted he was unconscious, that meant Vegeta had won their spar.
"Yes, probably!" Goku was nonchalant and chuckled, even as his body was seemingly falling apart. "You guys can get stronger than us, stronger than Vegeta, than me, and even Gohan. No doubt!"
But the kids doubted his words, doubted his carefree confidence. Even with that incredible display of strength and ki, winning against Majin Buu was impossible.
"You two got super Saiyan earlier, right? That's amazing, it took Gohan like, six months to get it, and even then he was older. You guys will get it. First the Fusion, then with Piccolo you'll get to control it, alright?"
"I'll do it! If being a good student is what it takes, then I'll do it! I'll become stronger than all the adults, whatever it takes, you'll see!"
Trunks had made his decision, he wasn't going to let 'impossible' enter his vocabulary, it was a forbidden word at Capsule Corp after all. He was stubborn. He'd get stronger, he'd avenge his dad, he'd avenge Tora, he'd protect his mom. And Goten joined in, he'd avenge his brother, he'd protect his mom too, nuh-uh, no way the bad guy would get away with it!
But first, dinner.
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It took Kibito a minute to realize exactly what had happened to him. He remembered Dabura's attack and how he had been turned into stone. It was well during the night now. He panicked at the absence of the Supreme Kai, but he quickly found him in the debris near the spaceship, which hadn't survived whatever battle had happened. He was in an awful state, but it wasn't anything he couldn't heal.
Shin was grateful, and quickly filled in with what had happened. Tora and Vegeta had turned on them, and Gohan.. Gohan! He found him. He was still alive, but barely, his body was broken in so many ways Shin felt second hand pain and he was unconscious. It was like he was chewed and spat out…
He couldn't let him there and die like that. Gohan had strength and potential, perhaps he could actually win if given a chance, with the right training, out of danger for a little while longer.
"Kibito, we have to go," he ordered, and despite Kibito protesting the idea of taking a mere mortal to the Kai Realms, he obeyed.
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Right after his encounter with Goku and his promise to send him even stronger warriors to 'play with', Buu had gotten rid of Babidi. For a second, Piccolo thought it meant all could perhaps be solved peacefully, but Buu actually enjoyed destruction. So the rampage continued, albeit far less organized. All hopes landed back on Goten and Trunks' shoulders.
Since she couldn't really ask Tora for permission either, Syowa still decided to use her phone to call her father. She left him a message, explaining she was safe, and that he should stay safe as much as possible. Everything would be alright, she was in good hands and the 'World Martial Arts people' were planning something to save the planet. Mr Popo's food was delicious, and all these people were nice and interesting, even if a little weird. Yamcha was happy to keep her company and explain who everyone was (Kami, like, actual Kami was an alien? And he was younger than her?), which kept her mind busy trying to make sense of everything she didn't know, instead of focusing on the end of the world.
The young Earthling also found she was short of breath when she helped carry some plates, but this was explained by the altitude, and as long as she didn't do physical activities, she would be fine, she needed to adjust. Everyone else seemed perfectly at ease, which was amazing.
Bulma came back safely with the precious Dragon Radar right at dusk, having managed to avoid the trail of destruction from Goku's outburst. She also brought a few other belongings that could become handy should their stay on the Lookout be prolonged (as it would, because of course it would). She was quick to grill Goku about what happened and what he had done.
And then Baba appeared on the Lookout. It was time for Goku to go, right as the sky turned fully dark. It hadn't been twenty-four hours, Chichi protested, but Goku's use of energy when he summoned that immense power against Buu had cut his time short; the body he had in the Realm of the Living just couldn't handle it any longer.
Piccolo's heart had gone soft, he allowed Goten to go and give his farewells, and he had to admit, even he was moved by how the little six year-old hesitated in asking his dad for a hug util Chichi nudged him and Goku didn't think twice to pick up his second born.
From the corner of his eye, Piccolo saw how Trunks had withdrawn behind his mother. Considering the poor excuse of a hug Vegeta had given him, even with how little he knew about Earthling familial customs, Piccolo understood. Saiyans were tactile creatures. Even Tora, actually.
He hoped he'd find out what exactly happened to him and that other Gohan, but only Syowa had witnessed it and she only spoke of a black rift and lacked the knowledge necessary to be able to describe exactly what happened in enough detail for him to jog Kami's memories and make sense of it.
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In another realm, Gohan came back to his senses. The Supreme Kai was watching over him and he seemed relieved.
"Ah, finally, you came through, I'm glad."
"What happened?"
Gohan sat up slowly, and looking at himself, he realized he wasn't wearing what was left of his Great Saiyaman costume, but an outfit similar to the two Kais who had taken him away, with the exception of the earrings which he did not have.
He took a moment to observe where he was, precisely. The lush green grass, the lovely purple sky that somehow reminded him of Tora's hair, and the shapes of several planets surrounding this strange planet. The gravity felt the same.
Shin helped him on his feet.
"You were out for a little while. Majin Buu transformed you as well as myself into candy. It seems he did not get a chance to eat us, but you were in pretty bad shape."
Kibito observed it all happen with a certain disdain; he didn't like this one bit, but the Supreme Kai was the one in charge, despite him being so young.
"What about Earth? My friends, my family, Videl-san, Tora-san?" Gohan felt a wave of panic hit him.
"We don't know, but we have work to do if we wish to be able to defeat that monster. There might be a way, a legendary weapon that you might be able to use…"
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The following days were a blur and a roller-coaster of emotions.
Videl, who had been freed by the death of Dabura, was eventually spotted by Dende. Mr Popo fetched her, and brought her and her little sister to the Lookout, where she was reunited with a few people she knew, and a lot of people she didn't. Dende knew Gohan would want her and her little sister Mai to be safe. Trunks and Goten enjoyed spending time with Mai and Marron on their breaks.
Videl having been brought back meant that Lady T and Kibito were freed from their stone prison as well, which gave Piccolo some hope.
"Did you see the two others that were frozen with you, Videl?" Piccolo inquired.
"Kibito and Lady T?" Videl used the names they entered the Tenkaichi Budokai with.
"Yes, them," he bit his tongue about the lack of decorum Videl had shown, but he couldn't blame her.
"No, I actually wasn't where we were attacked, somehow I… I was moved, I think? I wasn't fully aware of my surroundings in that state, I'm sorry."
"Mh."
Piccolo wasn't pleased with that answer, he returned to the kids and ignored Videl's following questions about everything and everyone. Thankfully Yamcha and the others were more chatty and willing to inform her of everything else. She refused to believe Gohan had died.
In his mind, Piccolo tallied everything: with Kibido and Lady T nowhere to be found and the Supreme Kai, Gohan and Vegeta dead, their forces weren't very high. Whatever that meant to the universe, Piccolo wasn't sure, especially with the Supreme Kai's disappearance, but regardless of the odds, he wasn't a quitter. Neither were the others. Earthlings and Saiyans were incredibly stubborn.
Goten and Trunks had mastered the technique, their coordination was perfect, their movements were smooth.
"Alright, it seems you are ready, good job. Now you'll need to do it fully powered up to super Saiyan, but…"
"If they do that, the ki will be immense and Buu will come right at us, right?" Chichi asked.
"That's why the next part of the training will happen in the Room of Spirit and Time, where they will be able to power up without ringing any alarm bells," Krillin had understood the whys of the plan.
"Exactly," Piccolo confirmed. "They know the movements, now they need to harness the power. I'll be there with them."
It was time for them to enter the Room of Spirit and Time to master super Saiyan. Piccolo had planned on going with them alone, but Seventeen and Eighteen offered to accompany them. They'd discussed it amongst themselves prior.
"You're not exactly child-friendly, Green man, so we're comin' with you," Seventeen argued.
"We don't need food, we both know kids, and we are strong enough to face super Saiyans," Eighteen added. She wasn't really negotiating, she was going in regardless.
Eighteen knew about it all, Krillin had told her about the limitations of the Room a few months into dating, when she casually asked about Tora's strength during the Cell fiasco, and that led into him explaining only two people could go in at the time due to food restrictions.
Like Piccolo, the Cyborgs could forego food, and they were probably able to withstand the brutal conditions. That, and the kids would need to be fed, entertained and kept busy. Piccolo knew he simply didn't know how to handle Saiyan stomachs (or even human stomachs), and these two were not the same as Gohan. They weren't as autonomous as Tora, who was already an adult when they shared the room with Tenshinhan seven years prior.
It would be a little crowded, but they didn't intend to stay for a full year, so he would have to bear with it for the sake of the world. So Piccolo did not protest the Cyborgs' presence, even if he did not openly welcome them, his non-hostility was as much approval as they'd get considering the gravity of the situation.
The children were hugged by their mothers, encouraged by the others, and Mai and Marron's cheers, even if they didn't fully understand what was going on, gave them focus. Obey Piccolo to be stronger than their fathers to defend their mothers and everyone else.
Hopefully it would all work out as intended, Piccolo did not know when Buu would lose his patience as he was waiting for the strong playmate Goku had promised him a week prior. He hoped whatever would be born from the Fusion Technique would answer all their prayers.
When Tora finally regained full consciousness, her senses went in full overdrive. She sprung up, ready to fight everything and anything, but she saw and she felt no one. She found herself in a strange room full of books, with shelves going as high as the eye could see. Light was sparse, only a few blue fires burning casting cold shadows.
As her senses fully took everything in, Tora noticed her skin felt different, she was wearing a fabric she recognized from long ago instead of her usual binder and tech-tees. It smelled of Gohan, and the warmth lingered in it. It was far too open for her liking, especially as she realized she had been undressed unbeknownst to her. No binder. Gohan's gi, quite a little bit too big for her. Her hair was undone, but she didn't bother with it. Her pants were the same, and so were her shoes. She still had the Saiyan crest pendant. She touched it, trying to make sense of exactly what happened to her, her memory only giving her flashes of her trying to go after the Supreme Kai. She also remembered being quite hurt, but she was as good as new. No wounds, no cuts, no bruises.
Tora started walking in the library, her footsteps echoing, searching for an exit. She checked her watch, it didn't have an elastic tied to it anymore. It also gave no coordinates, only an error like when she was in the Room of Spirit and Time. However, unlike her stay there, it also didn't give her the time nor the date, it was frozen on June 30th, the day of the Tenkaichi Budokai.
"Hi, Trunks."
Lady T's voice made her jump out of her skin, and her reflex was to send a ki blast in that direction, which hit a sort of… barrier. The woman behind the barrier sounded tired, exhausted even, her tone wasn't as playful as before.
"Woah, pouncy are we, tigress? Calm down, I won't harm you."
Tora was ready to bite, but she did not attack a second time. That was enough of an invitation to let Lady T continue. She saw the Kai approach, she came out of seemingly nowhere, and observed how her tired voice matched an exhausted and slowly-moving body. Under those gold and white robes, Tora guessed she was wounded.
"I… need your help, actually."
By the second day of freedom from Babidi, Buu eventually created some sort of base for himself and raided a city at random every now and then until somehow Mr Satan of all people managed to earn his friendship and trust and… By the fourth morning, Buu plain stopped destroying and killing and eating everyone because that clown asked nicely.
Piccolo, the Cyborgs and the kids still decided to go ahead with their plan to train in the Room of Spirit and Time, just in case. They weren't sure how well the kids could handle the brutal conditions of the special room, so they decided to stay about two weeks inside, meaning one hour outside. They needed to be able to let out all of their power without attracting attention.
Eighteen had to check with her husband, but Krillin got wide-eyed at being even asked permission. Of course she could go. Of course he didn't mind she'd be sharing a bed with her brother. Of course he trusted her with everything.
They'd see each other in less than two hours, even if it was longer for her. That's when Krillin realized it; for Eighteen, that would be longer. It was her way of expressing she would miss him. He squeezed her hand and then gave a light kiss to her knuckles and confided that he would miss her too.
With Marron now in her father's arms, Eighteen hid her embarrassment and how moved she was by her husband's kindness and understanding of what she really meant. She went ahead with her brother, Piccolo and the kids. Seventeen would play the friendly unhinged uncle, as he always did, so she and Piccolo would need to be the stern ones to manage the kids so that the chaos would be contained in order to get the desired results.
.
Tragically, the timing of their entry into the Room of Spirit and Time could not have been worse.
Some Earthlings, not seeing Mr Satan come back with the defeated monster, decided to take the matters in their own hands and confront Buu themselves. They somehow managed to enact their plan mere minutes after Piccolo closed the door behind them all.
Rage took over Buu when the dog he had adopted was shot by some criminals. And then it was Mr Satan's turn to be wounded. Dende saw from the Lookout how Buu was consumed by hatred for all living beings, but had managed to save both creatures through his healing, not dissimilar to his own. The Earthlings that angered Buu didn't survive long when the new being born from all that rage and pain took action.
Mr Satan and the puppy were spared, but the new slender gray creature wanted to rampage further. He soon overtook the childish and fun-seeking side of Buu right as they became one once more, with the destructive and chaotic side taking over.
And his patience had completely ran out.