A/N: Hello all! And welcome back to another episode of SGTD! Thank you so much for all your reviews and love last chapter, it was greatly appreciated as always! I'm so happy that you liked the way Chi-Chi was portrayed last chapter, to me she is often overlooked and under appreciated, and in a lot of fan-fictions she is abrasive and can be depicted as downright cruel. I really wanted to do justice to her character, as a mother who is fiercely protective of her family, but also kind hearted and loving. So Im glad you appreciated her! Thank you! This chapter is a little shorter than the last few at around 12,500 - which, lets face it is probably a normal chapter length lol. However, I thought that it was a good place to end the chapter and because I did so it got this one out a bit quicker for you. Due to my injury Ive had more time to work on this story, and I have to say that I'm really enjoying writing these next couple of chapters!
I really want to keep exploring the world of dragonball and keep building it in this story, but it does have meaning, everything will come together in the end - trust me! I sincerely hope you enjoy this chapter, I had SO MUCH fun writing it - probably a little too much in some regard (you'll see). Parts a much more light hearted than the last few chapters, I hope it's a nice break away from the angst. But you'd better believe those feels are catching! I have to give a big shout out to my wonderful friends Nyx and Chosen To Die, as I told them about the ideas for this chapter months ago and it had us in stitches! Hope you enjoy :)
Lotsa love, ES x
Chapter Twenty-Six
To HFIL And Back Again
xxxx
Lord Beerus' Planet, A Far Away Dimension, The Living World.
"Ah! There you are Gohan, I was wondering where you had gotten to! You almost missed lunch!"
Whis' cheerful tone echoed around the grand dining chamber as soon as he arrived. Rows of floating candles levitated in midair, their flames flickering in motion as the large oak doors swung shut behind him, casting dark shadows on the blue stone walls and the high rising archways that were held in place by giant knotted tree roots. The melting wax dripped onto the long table from above, which strained underneath the mountainous feast laid out before Lord Beerus.
The God of Destruction was already seated in his throne at the head of the table, his beetle black eyes surveying the young saiyan intently as he sighed.
"Planet Oizys has been destroyed as planned, along with all of its inhabitants," he informed them dully, bypassing his own throne and collecting up a plate.
Whis and Lord Beerus shared a look which went unnoticed by the halfling as he picked at a few morsels of food.
"I see," his mentor observed, "Well, good work. The Oizyians have been slaughtering numerous species on their neighbouring worlds for generations, any more and they would have most certainly upset the universal balance."
Gohan all but shrugged, not looking them in the eye as he piled up his plate. He paused suddenly, frowning at a towering stack of rectangular blocks next to a purple-fruited cake, still cool and wrapped in neat packaging with unmistakably Earthling ingredients printed on to the label.
"Ah yes," Whis informed him with a bashful chuckle, following his gaze, "The last of the food that I procured from our trip to Planet Earth. Unfortunately, the hundreds of boxes I picked up were not full of the ice-cream that Lord Beerus liked so much but in fact something called butt-er. Incredibly sickly, should you eat one whole."
The halfling thought for a moment, before shrugging to himself and grabbing half a dozen blocks, stuffing them in the pocket of his garb.
"Do sit down, my boy," The Angel implored again, his azure eyes giving him a once over, "You're working to push your body past its limits during your training, at least sit and rest at mealtimes."
"I'll take it to my chamber, thanks," the teenager replied cooly, before spinning on his heel and exiting the room without another word.
"I'll meet you on the meadow in ten takks!" Whis called, though was met with the harsh sound of the gargantuan doors slamming shut behind him.
"Oh dear," he said, staring after him, "I do hate seeing him like this."
"It's his own stupid fault!" Lord Beerus spat in annoyance, stabbing his fork into the large slab of meat on his plate, "We warned him not to get too close to that damned Earthling girl! And did he listen?! NO! And now look what's happened!"
The Angel sighed, "He is broken hearted, my Lord."
"Broken hearted?! Broken hearted?!" The Destroyer guffawed, spit flying from his mouth, "I'll give him something to be broken hearted about! Mainly, the destruction of the entire cosmos if he doesn't get that lazy, good-for-nothing backside of his into gear and stop pining over some mortal harlot like a love-sick puppy!"
"He is making some effort, Lord Beerus," Whis reasoned, "Although I understand your concerns. I was hoping that he would have mastered the power of the Super Saiyan God by now, but it appears that he is too distracted."
"Well he cannot afford to be distracted! When is it going to get through to that thick skull of his?" Lord Beerus spouted, throwing his hands up in the air out of exasperation, "As if things couldn't get any worse and he has to go and sire a demigod. It's a good job that we insisted he stay put on our world during his hearing, else he would been strung up by the other Gods completely! I have no doubt that he would have lost his temper with the things the Divine Council were saying about his mindless escapades, and we would have been an even bigger laughing stock than we already are!"
He paused, abandoning his meal in order to rub his temples in frustration, "Have they gotten back to you yet about the outcome of the council?"
Again, Whis sighed heavily, "Not yet, my Lord. Though I doubt it will be much longer, you did give them a few suggestions that I think they found most suitable. Although I must say that some of your ideas were rather… controversial."
"Like I give a damn," he snarled, "Really, the brat should be counting his blessings that it's taking so long to dish out his punishment what with Zamasu playing hide-and-seek with the Super Dragonballs."
"Indeed," said Whis, solemnly, "Still no word from that either I'm afraid. The Supreme Guard have had no luck finding but a whiff of Zamasu. And Perses' power only grows stronger."
"Don't I know it," Lord Beerus glowered, stifling a yawn as he continued bitterly, "Even so, we can't afford to dawdle. Especially not with my… declining condition. You'd better make sure that the boy steps it up, for his own sake as well as everyone else's."
Whis nodded dutifully, as the Destroyer gave the impression that there was no more to be said on the matter, tucking into his meal with impressive gusto. "I'll make sure to remind him, my Lord."
Gohan panted harshly, spitting out a hefty wad of blood and saliva onto the disturbed earth as his mentor's sceptre cracked him in the ribs once more.
The raging power of the Super Saiyan God spread through his veins like wildfire, as his crimson aura burst to life around his muscular frame. The hilt of the Z-Sword glinted in the dim light of the growing dusk that swept the planet from where it rested in the scabbard upon his back, though he hadn't been given many a opportune moment to use it in this fight. His ceremonial garb was in tatters, billowing around him as he leapt out of the way of another one the Angel's brutal strikes.
Whirling around in midair, the young saiyan hurtled back towards his opponent, aiming to drive a deadly spinning kick to his temple, before his leg was swiftly caught out of the air with ease. His dark red mane blew backwards from the force as Whis flung him across the meadow with an effortless flare of his Ki.
Gohan landed roughly on his backside, his fiery aura dissipating for the third time that training session as he struggled to maintain his form. He snarled as he picked himself up from the ground, glaring at his mentor whose features remained stoic, his robes still in pristine condition and completely unharmed.
Granted, the halfling had never managed to land a hit on the Angel in all of the years he had trained under him. Whis' movements were fluid and unpredictable, forever leaving Gohan in awe of how strong he must be, for he had never once seen the deity break a sweat. However, the teen was a lot more winded than usual, the sweat dripping from his brow and cuts and grazes decorating his body, along with a rather nasty bruise to his left eye. And it was all too clear to his opponent that he was being -
"Sloppy," Whis stated, aqua eyes surveying him in disapproval from across the now crater-littered meadow, "This just won't do. I would have thought with this new divine power that it would be easier for you to find balance within yourself. But you are still overthinking your movements, and yet not enough when you become frustrated. Ideally, what you want is for each and every part of your body to respond and move of its own accord, and to do that you need to fully immerse yourself in your training so that movement becomes instinctual."
"I'm trying," said Gohan, unable to hide the scathing inclination in his tone as he struggled to steady his breath, his muscles screaming in protest from overuse.
The blue-skinned deity cut across him, pursing his lips, "If you were seriously trying, my boy, then you would be seeing improvement at a much faster rate. I know that you're capable of more than this. Do I need to remind you of what's at stake?"
"I know what's at stake!" The teenager spouted, his voice rising suddenly and unexpectedly before he could stop himself, "I-It's just hard!"
Whis frowned, "I trust that you wouldn't find it so difficult if you stopped wallowing, Gohan."
"I am not wallowing!"
"Oh really?" He said pointedly, giving him an incredulous stare, before tapping his staff on what was left of the singed grass.
Much to Gohan's bewilderment, a pair of holograms materialised before him, showing what could only be described as pictures of a bomb site, filled with heaps of discarded clothes and other paraphernalia, along with piles of rotting litter.
"Here are two holograms," Whis continued, as the teen saiyan gave him an odd look, "One is a depiction of the largest dumping ground in the South-East Galaxy, the other is your bed chamber. Now tell me, which one is the dumping ground?"
He frowned, giving the holograms a long hard look, before gesturing to the one on the left, "That one."
His mentor's eyes grew fierce, "They are both your bed chamber."
The young Destroyer cringed. Damn it, he was good. He should have seen that one coming.
Though before he could open his mouth to retort, did the damning pictures dissipate into thin air, and Whis was upon him again.
"I understand that you're upset," he started, floating closer towards him, "But time isn't affordable to us. It doesn't help that you're not sleeping or eating properly. That lunch you took to your chambers earlier was barely a scratch on what you usually eat, and that isn't going to help with providing you with the sufficient energy to train. It is basic biology."
The halfling said nothing, though he was unable to ignore just how much Whis sounded like his father at that moment.
Remember son, a true Super Saiyan eats everything on his plate!
He suddenly felt incredibly small, an aching feeling of guilt gnawing at his insides as his father's voice echoed deep within his memories.
"You're practically a grown man now Gohan, you should know better," The Angel sighed, "Now that's enough training for today. I think that you should get an early nights sleep and we will resume our spar tomorrow."
Gohan was so shocked that he fell out of his transformation, his crimson hair and eyes returning back to black. "What?! Y-You're sending me to bed?!"
"Yes. And if I find the lights on in there then I will be very disappointed," Whis quipped, giving him a stern look that stared him out, "Now off you pop."
He scowled, though reluctantly did as he was told as his mentor replenished both the meadow and himself with a quick wave of his sceptre, restoring his garb back to its former glory. The young saiyan let out a frustrated sigh on the long walk back to his quarters, feeling no rush to fly or teleport. The vast array of swirling galaxies now standing out against the early evening sky, casting his shadow on the twisted stone-flagged path that led to the knotted roots of the world-eclipsing tree.
Years ago, after been chosen for the role of Junior Destroyer, he was offered his own much grandeur bedroom in the ancient palace. But the halfling had always felt more comfortable in the old quarters that he had shared with his friends when he had first arrived on the planet as a rookie recruit.
That all seemed like so long ago now.
Even though the beds in the boys dorm were empty save for his, Gohan liked the glorious views of the planet from the enormous window, as well as the cosy common room and the extensive library that it housed. He would sit for hours next to the roaring blue fire, filling his head with all sorts of universal literature, history and languages.
But right now, he could think of a million other places he would rather be. He already felt so suffocated, and spending the rest of the night stuck in his quarters at his mentor's orders was only going to make him feel worse. So instead, he diverted his path, stalking past the arched entranceway that led to the dark tunnels underneath the tree and made his way through the ancient courtyard.
His boots drummed on the cobbles as he weaved through the thick maze of the scared garden, bypassing the stone depictions of the ancient Destroyers of the past, who now appeared imposing and intimidating in their stature. It felt as though their empty, stone eyes were following him as he turned his back towards them, judging him almost.
The amber sky was getting steadily darker, though it could have been due to the fact that the shrubbery and trees grew wilder and less tamed as he continued in his stride, blocking out the budding stars that began to shine more brightly in the purplish twilight.
The atmosphere was painted with streaks of violet and gold, his shadow growing ever bolder upon the path, whose mosaic pattern was now interwoven by a spiderweb of crumbling cracks as he delved deeper into the abandoned trees.
"Um, excuse me, where do you thing you're going?"
Gohan rolled his eyes, directing his annoyance towards the sword on his back, "I'm going to train."
"I thought Whis told you that you needed to rest," Z reprimanded wisely, "We got our arses kicked out there, or didn't you notice?"
"Of course I did," the halfling said matter of factly, a deep frown encompassing his features as he ducked under a large tree branch that blocked his path, "Which is why I'm going to train, so that I don't keep getting my arse repeatedly kicked."
The relic sighed in disdain, "Well, suit yourself. But all I'm saying is that Angel-face has a point, you should really listen to your elders sonny boy."
Gohan chose not to reply, instead only the sound of his boots crunching on the fallen dead leaves filled the air.
"You should do as he says, you're already in enough trouble as it is."
"Yes, thank you Z, I have noticed," he shot back, causing the Z-Sword to huff.
"There's no need for sarcasm lad," he told him firmly, "If you ask me, this so called 'training' you have planned tonight is just a rouse. You're only going to end up staring off into space thinking about Videl again, like you do every night might I add."
The teenager stopped cold, the mere mention of the girl was enough to completely knock him off his feet, although he managed to hold his ground. A horrible pang rippled across his chest, a sinking feeling hitting the pit of his stomach, and before he knew it he had whipped his head around to face the hilt of the sword, an angered snarl leaving his lips.
"Well nobody asked you!" He spat, his skin prickling with a surge of sudden anger.
"I was just saying - "
"Well don't!" He growled, the words springing from his lips before he could stop himself, "Can't you act like a normal sword for a change and not speak to me?! I'm fed up of you constantly in my ear!"
His harsh tone echoed around the dishevelled garden, a creak of rotting branches swaying in the aftermath of his outburst.
The young Destroyer recoiled, immediately regretting his words. But it was too late, as Z's solemn sigh reached his ears -
"If that's what you want."
"W-Wait! Z - !" Gohan started, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean - !" But it was futile.
"Z?"
Nothing.
He sighed, running a hand through his long hair out of frustration as he received no reply. Great, now not even the ancient relic wanted to talk to him.
He didn't mean to take out his anger on Z, far from it, but lately he had been struggling to keep his emotions in check. It was frustrating, as it was the very reason why his concentration was lapsing in training. Still, he didn't want to admit it, even though the Z-Sword had hit the nail on the head. That the cause of his unconscious self-sabotage was because of the overwhelming sorrow that threatened to engulf him. And as the days, weeks and months sped by, it wasn't getting any easier.
He knew that he shouldn't let it be so debilitating, for there was way too much at stake. The inevitable battle for the cosmos was drawing ever closer, but all the halfling could focus on right now was just how empty he felt. It gnawed and twisted unpleasantly at his insides, no matter how much he tried to ignore it. And every time he closed his eyes, all he could picture was her.
He briefly wondered, that if they got through this turmoil and he took up the mantle of Destroyer, would he remember what she looked like as the centuries, millennia passed? Though he knew, he knew that he would never forget those eyes. Those beautiful sapphire orbs that shone into his soul and lit up his entire world, even if the time that they had gazed upon him was only brief.
Nor could he forget the hurt, the anger within them when his true nature had been revealed, and she had realised that he had lied to her. To everyone.
He had thought that by not telling them, that he had been protecting them. Though in reality, he had only been protecting himself. And what was it worth? For he had only put the lot of them in danger, escaping Lord Beerus' wrath by the skin of their teeth. It was more than evident that they had gotten off lightly, himself included. His punishment for his indiscretion had yet to be decided, owing to the fact that the cosmos probably had more pressing matters to deal with at present than figure out what to do about the future emergence of an infant born with divine power.
Uncertainty had been his salvation, for Whis had informed him that no one knew what would become of the child, and that only time itself would tell. There wasn't much that the Gods could do about it, until then. Still, Gohan had unashamedly pleaded with his superiors to uphold their promise and insist that only he was to blame for this predicament. Lord Beerus had banned him from attending the hearing with the Divine Council after all, and he didn't blame him. He had let Whis and Lord Beerus down just as much as everyone else.
Whatever the case, the teenager didn't care what happened to him, no matter how harsh the punishment. He didn't care what the Gods did to him, as long as she… they were safe.
Yet the notion that he was going to become a father barely registered, because the reality was that he would never get to be one. He was bound to the Destroyers world, and fated to forever wonder what would become of the life he had created. Would it be a son? A daughter? Would they inherit the dark eyes of their father and grandmother? Or look upon the Earth they resided on with dazzling pools of blue like their mother?
What would they become?
So many questions barrelled through in his mind, though only one thing was certain, in that not even the entire universe would mend the shattered pieces of his heart that Videl had left behind.
He stopped as soon as he came to a clearing, devoid of plush foliage and instead beheld a patch of cold dirt framed by closely woven branches that creaked and shuddered in the unfurling wind. Barren of leaves, it exposed the rotting bark and twisted roots that looked like thick gnarled fingers knotted together. The only thing that seemed to grow here were the clumps of stinging nettles and weeds, left unattended and therefore able to wildly flourish when absent of keen eyes.
His boots crunched on the mass of twigs that snapped like brittle bones underneath his weight, his eyes darting above him momentarily, taking note of how the entangled mass of dead trees almost blocked out the view of the sky above. The stars and distant galaxies just peeking out of the small gaps where the branches had thinned, bathing the empty clearing with sporadic patches of silver.
Gohan sighed heavily, deciding that he had come far enough. Unclipping his scabbard, he wrenched the silent Z-Sword out of the leather casing and sunk it into the hard earth, discarding his long blue cloak and hanging it over the hilt.
To hell with what Z thought, he growled to himself bitterly, quashing the haunting memories of the blue eyed girl and stretching out his muscles that were now exposed to the cool night air. Determined not to fall victim to the inner workings of his chaotic mind, the young saiyan disregarded the relic's warnings and set to work. If anything, hoping that by exhausting himself physically, it would do at least something to quell the tempest that raged within him.
Already warmed up from his spar with Whis, the young Destroyer allowed the Divine power of the Super Saiyan God to take hold of his form once more. A dazzling crimson light lit up the forest clearing, chasing away the darkness to the shadows of the lifeless trees that surrounded him. His hair wavered from the influx of Divine energy before turning from black to red, his dark eyes following suit.
Breathing deeply, Gohan concentrated, stilling his centre as well as his mind, before unleashing a heated flurry of swift kicks and punches at the air in front of him. Imagining a faceless enemy, the half-saiyan charged forwards, his boots skidding and upheaving the dirt behind him, before he followed up in his attack and delivered a perfect spinning kick to his opponent's jaw. Which to his dismay only made contact with a nearby tree, splintering the already wilted bark on impact.
Closing his eyes, he focussed more clearly, allowing a fake image of a shadowy figure to spring forth into his mind. Image training was something that Krillin had taught him many years ago on the way to Planet Namek, and was an incredibly useful technique to mentally practice conquering a foe. Though Gohan had taken this a step further since he had first arrived on the Destroyers world, choosing to physically mirror the fight occurring in his mind inside of taking up a meditative pose. It was one of the ways that had helped him to master his super saiyan two transformation so quickly.
Leaping out of the way of his imaginary opponent that had suddenly phased in front of him, the halfling sprang into the offensive, feeling the Godly energy surging through him as he launched an uppercut to the shadow's gut.
His muscles groaned in protest as the fictional spar continued late into the night. Though Gohan refused to give up just yet, ignoring the throbbing tension of knots in his back and shoulders, his fiery aura flickering in and out of existence.
"Damn it!" The teenager cursed, his heavy fist driving into the dirt instead of the ghostly figure's face.
He was getting tired, he knew that, the transformation draining his stamina. But he didn't feel as though he was close to mastering his new form just yet. And alas, it was only making him grow more and more impatient, his exhaustion and frustration getting the better of him.
Wrenching his fist out of the newly formed crater that much resembled over a dozen more that littered the area, Gohan spun on his heel to face his shadowy foe once more -
"What's the matter, Son Gohan? Struggling to keep up?"
The halfling snarled, his imagination running too wild for it's own good, adrenaline pumping rapidly through his veins as he stared down the unmistakable image of Perses.
He stood across from him mockingly, donned in the ceremonial garb of a Junior Destroyer like he had seen depicted in stone years ago. His young, handsome face grinned back, though the rest of his body was draped in dark shadows.
Gohan said nothing, instead balling up his fists as he catapulted himself towards him, his punch connecting forcefully with the demigod's cheek. Though, to his annoyance, it all but knocked the evil being's head slightly to the side, and prompted him to unleash a howl of raucous laughter.
The cold, dissonant sound grated in his ears as the imaginary Perses smirked cruelly, "Pathetic."
He growled, retaliating by delivering a striking gut-punch and booting the corrupted menace away from him. Gohan watched with satisfaction as the demigod's back hit the ground with a loud crash, a cascade of dark blood spewing from his lips.
Though to his displeasure, the shadow in his mind picked itself back up all to easily, licking the blood away from his mouth, seemingly enjoying the taste. And it unnerved him.
"How disappointing," Perses chuckled darkly, "It appears that you aren't all you cracked up to be, Destroyer. It's unfortunate that your arrogance was just self-assured, and here was me thinking that you would actually be worth slaughtering."
"S-Shut up," He spat into the darkness, though the ghost of his nightmare all but laughed cruelly in his mind.
"If only you would give into the beast inside of you," the shadow told him, "Then you would see what you are truly capable of. Oh yes, you would no doubt see that you are not so different from me…"
"I said SHUT UP!" The halfling roared, his barbarous tone rushing through the looming trees as he kicked off from the ground and hurtled towards Perses once more, crimson flames engulfing his body as he went.
His oncoming shin was abruptly caught out of the air by long green fingers, and it was with a tremor of quivering shock did he realise that his imaginary opponent had all but morphed into -
"It's like I said," Zamasu glowered, cold grey eyes glinting with malice as he held his leg in a vice grip, "Your crimes are far worse than our own."
Berating himself, he fell out of his transformation, unable to hold on to it any more as his hair and eyes returned back to black. He collapsed to the ground, the image of Gowasu's apprentice striking him into the dirt. Gohan cursed his stubborn and wearied mind, for all it was doing was springing forth a bombardment of negative emotions that proved impossible to ignore.
This was dangerous.
He knew all too well of his rookie mistake, as unfortunately image training did not come without consequence if one abused it. Krillin had warned him of such before he had showed him the technique. For pushing his mind too far past the limits of exhaustion could cause vivid hallucinations, mainly conjured up from places in his subconscious that he had pushed aside - like nightmares. If it continued, it could cause madness, seizures and even in extreme cases death.
He knew he had to break out of his psyche, but he just couldn't focus. The damning depictions of his mind were far too overwhelming! Growling at his own stupidity, the young saiyan clambered back to his feet, attempting to ignore the echo of Zamasu's snide voice.
"After all, death and devastation is widely accepted as long as it does not affect the universal balance, correct? And if it is threatened then it is only met with more destruction…"
Whirling around, the demon in his head was met with a sickening elbow strike to the face, sending the shadowy fiend flying backwards through the mass of trees. They were far away from the clearing now, though Gohan failed to register just how he had made it out this far. Instead, he snarled, feeling the ebbing fury of the super saiyan form bubbling underneath the surface of his skin, ready to force it forwards and blast the imaginary Kai right in the face.
Though as soon as he approached the shadow, did his mind once again bring forth another haunting memory -
"You should have just told me!" his father cried from where he lay on the ground, broken pieces of rotted bark strewn out around him from the aftermath of the teenager's hit.
"D-Dad -," he gasped, his blood running cold and panic gripping him, stumping his transformation completely as the shadowy portrayal of his father suddenly phased in front of him.
"How many?!" Goku snarled, his obsidian eyes sharpened in betrayal and anger, "How many planets - people Gohan?! How many did you slaughter?!"
"Dad I-I - !" Gohan croaked, his tongue suddenly felt heavy and twisted, tears stinging at the corners of his vision, "I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"
"LEAVE!"
He fell to his knees, as the shadow warped and in his father's place stood Videl. Her words cutting through him like a knife as she toward above him, her beautiful features twisted with disgust and hatred.
"Videl -" He whispered, a lone tear falling freely down his cheek. Imaginary or not, the agony he felt was far too real.
A sharp pain rippled across his skull, causing the halfling to cry out, grasping thick handfuls of his hair in his fists. Make it stop. Please make it stop!
"Y-You're not a boy -!"
No, not him. Not - !
Fuchsia eyes glowed, burning right through him as they locked with his, the shadow now leering right over him.
"You're a monster!"
Gohan screamed, as his hair stood on end, swiftly turning to gold as he exploded with power and anguish. Lightening bolts rippled across his frame, striking the ground and cracking the dirt apart at his knees. Mud, rubble, tree roots and rotting forest debris swirled and encircled his rapidly growing aura as his entire body shuddered with power. Golden strings of light lit up the night sky, shielding his vision - that was already blurred from tears - before his hard emerald eyes settled on the tall figure that had seemingly appeared right before him.
His heart caught in his throat for a split second as he recognised Perses, who was now solid unlike the image in his mind. That was, until he realised with relief that he had somehow wound up directly in front of the unkempt statue of the disgraced Junior Destroyer, and certainly not the real thing.
The halfling couldn't comprehend just how he had ended up so deep in the sacred gardens at that moment, as his despairing emotions got the better of him, and he was unable to stifle the intense feeling of hatred that rose like bile in his throat. It stewed and festered until it spread, twisting and coiling inside of him until -
KA-BOOM!
Gohan panted as the vibrant light from the blast subsided, his arms falling back to his side as wisps of his now dark hair fell about his fevered cheeks. Letting go of his wrath as well as his transformation. He swore under his breath, as he realised that forested area around him was completely devastated. Smouldering remnants of broken bark turning to ash beneath his feet. No doubt Whis and Lord Beerus would have heard that one, and he was certain that the building column of smoke could be seen from the palace windows.
Speaking of smoke, he watched silently with dark awaiting eyes as the blackened clouds unfurled in front of him and cleared away. The finely powdered dust left over from the impact appeared to pull together, moulding and morphing back into solid stone before the statue of Perses reformed fully without a scratch. Taunting him.
"I told you that the statues of the old Gods cannot be destroyed, young one."
The teenager almost jumped a mile at the sudden voice, spinning on his heel and locking eyes with an all too familiar face.
"Though you made good work of attempting to blow a hole in the planet, I'll give you that," said the Oracle, chuckling lightly at the guilty look on his face, "Do not worry too much, perhaps you could entice Whis to grow another bed of Ananke roses now that you've cleared the majority of the overgrowth."
He averted his gaze away from the little blue fish, the golden staff that held up her fishbowl glistened in the starlight that shone from the large gap in the trees that Gohan had created. He chose to say nothing, the silence broken only by the slight slosh of water against the rim of the bowl as she floated closer towards him.
"Now I know that I may be all-seeing," she pressed, resting her small fins upon the rim, "But even a blindman could see that you didn't come all the way out here just to do a spot of gardening."
She paused for effect, perhaps in the hopes that he would acknowledge her small joke. But when he gave no answer, she sighed, "It has been many years since you have ventured this far out into the sacred garden of souls forgotten. Your mind is more troubled now than when we first met."
"A lot has changed since then," he mustered quietly, sitting himself down on a fallen log that had miraculously survived the explosion. Silently, the Seer followed him.
"You haven't," she told him after a small beat of silence, prompting him to look towards her, "I still see that same curious boy who appeared on the Destroyers world eight years ago, armed with a righteous heart and a bright head on his shoulders, and a strong sense to prove his worth."
Gohan regarded her wordlessly as she smiled, reaching out a fin to tap him lightly on the hair, "He's still in there, somewhere. Just lost."
He swallowed thickly, looking back down at his calloused hands that were now covered in mud and sharp scratches from training, "I don't think anything will ever be the same again. I-I've disappointed everyone, and now -"
He paused, looking up at the swirling galaxies beyond the atmosphere, the myriad of startling colours reflecting in his deep onyx eyes. The weight on his shoulders seemed to increase tenfold - if that was at all possible, staring out at the very universe that he was responsible for from the broken log on Lord Beerus' planet. A planet that, one day, he was set to inherit.
"D-Do you think… do you think that it'll be okay?"
His words could have had a million and one connotations, but the Oracle Fish seemed to pick up on exactly to what he was referring to.
"Still so full of questions," she sighed, giving him a small yet sorrowful smile, "Questions that I do not have the answers to."
The teenager couldn't help but snort, attempting to cover up his sadness, "I thought you said that you were 'all-seeing'?"
The Seer pursed her lips, though thought better than to push it, "There is a saying that time can heal all wounds. Though some run much deeper than others."
He scoffed, resting his chin in his hand, "Whoever said that is full of crap."
"You'd do well to mind your tongue, young Lord," she frowned, offended, "I am the one who said that I'll have you know!"
Gohan shrugged, "Well, I'm just saying…"
The Oracle harrumphed, folding her little fins in disapproval as silence engulfed the pair once more. After a while, he could feel the fish's gaze upon him again, but decided to ignore her, instead finding a charcoaled twig and absentmindedly tracing circles in the dirt with the end.
"Do you know why it is forbidden for Gods to be with mortals?"
Snap.
The twig in his grasp snapped harshly in two as he stiffened at the Seer's question, his breath hitched as she asked again.
"Do you know why the Gods are banned from taking wives or husbands? Or why they are prohibited of procreation from their own seed or womb?" Her eyes beheld him firmly, as he finally looked towards her, "It is a notion that has existed long before Perses came to be, though it was not always punished so severely before the potential dangers of a demigod became well-known. Either way, it was gravely frowned upon, can you imagine why that might be, Gohan?"
The halfling paused, before shaking his head, "Not really." In all honesty, he wasn't entirely sure what she was getting at.
"It is so that they will not love," she told him, "For love is the death of duty."
He remained silent, as the Seer quirked again, "What do you think your father would do, for example, if he was forced to choose between his honour to the universe and therefore his duty to protect it, or those he loves?"
At her words, it was though a flash occurred in his mind, springing forth the haunting memory vividly, as though it was happening right before his eyes, there upon the smouldering dirt.
The dust harshly invaded his pupils as the rapid winds blew back the long spikes of golden hair away from his face. Stinging with grit, tears of frustration and anger prickled at the corners of his eyes, his hands and knees colliding roughly with the ground as he pounded his fists on the hardened earth, cracking it apart on impact.
He had failed.
Cell's laughter rang cruelly in his ears - mocking him, taunting him as he bulged to a colossal size. The wicked monster towered above him, blocking out the hot May sun and engulfing the preteen in his shadow.
"Ten more seconds and the Earth will be gone!" Cell bellowed smugly, unable to contain his sadistic mirth at the sight of the fallen boy at his feet, "I suppose we'll call the Game a draw!"
Gohan gritted his teeth, unable to bring himself to stare his inevitable doom in the face. He stared hopelessly at his hands that were scrunched up so tightly that his fingernails drew welts of crimson blood from his palms.
The laughter continued to grate heavily on his every nerve as Cell's mesh of combined Ki climbed and climbed to beyond dangerous heights. A bombardment of dust clouds swept across the wasteland, and he could no longer hear the screams and shouts of his friends over the roaring winds that threatened to blow him away at any moment.
And then it happened in an instant. A displacement in the air and the sound of large boots tapping on the ground in front of him.
Gohan looked up finally, all kinds of shocked and confused, his bloodshot green eyes widening at the sight of his father standing boldly between him and the bulbous Cell. Goku's super saiyan hair wavered in the hurricane, though his stare was focused and determined. Two fingers lingered on his forehead from where he had performed his instant transmission technique, and Gohan watched with uncertainty as the man placed his other hand on Cell's protruding belly.
The bug-like monster appeared just as bewildered as he was, though before the boy could open his mouth to ask just what on Kami's great Earth his father was playing at, did the saiyan in question incline his head towards him.
"Hey," said Goku, his voice so calm and quiet as he beheld him. He didn't understand, was his father trying to sooth him? Had he teleported to his side so that they would die together?
He had half expected him to shout and scream, berate him for not listening. For all this could have been avoided if he had just listened and finished Cell off when he had the chance! Now the entire Earth would fall victim to his mistake, and Mum, Dad, Grandpa, Piccolo, Krillin… everyone would perish along with it.
Though instead his father smiled, brightly almost, his fingers unmoving from their position above his brow. And suddenly, Gohan got a very bad feeling.
"You put up a good fight, Gohan," Goku told him, still smiling, "I'm so proud of you."
"W-What?" He blundered, his voice croaking. Though whether or not it was due to the amount of dust particles he had inhaled or the sudden tightness in his chest, he didn't know. "D-Daddy?"
He hadn't referred to the man as 'daddy' in a couple of years now, deeming himself far too old to be calling his father as such. Though in that moment the word spewed from his lips before he could even process it.
He caught the sparkle in his father's eyes as his childish tone drifted between them, though it was quickly replaced by a hint of sadness, and a longing that he couldn't quite put his finger on.
Until -
"Tell your mother that I'm sorry. Tell her that I had to do this, Gohan."
What?! The halfling panicked, his eyes frantic and pleading, as Goku looked upon him one last time. No! Surely he couldn't be - !
"Goodbye, my son."
NO!
He lurched forwards in desperation, his heart pounding rapidly in his ears. Though just as he reached for the tattered orange fabric of his father's gi, did his fingers meet nothing but air. His wretched scream howled in place of the high winds, as Goku and Cell had indeed, disappeared completely.
Of course, it was more than obvious to Gohan that his father had been brought back with the Namekian dragonballs shortly after his own death. Even still, the man had taken a gamble. Shenron did not have the power to bring back people from the realms of The Otherworld multiple times, whereas Porunga did. It was lucky that they were able to even find New Planet Namek in the first place, and that Dende was more than willing to become Earth's Guardian and make them a new set of dragonballs to boot. Else no one that Cell had murdered would have been able to come back to life.
Though despite the uncertainty around his resurrection, his father had sacrificed himself without hesitation. There was no fear or trepidation in his eyes from what Gohan could remember from that fateful day, just pride and adoration for the son whose mistake he had been forced to correct.
At the time, the young halfling was unable to think straight in the immediate aftermath of his departure, and didn't know if his father even could return. And by Gods, what if they didn't have the sacred Namekian wishing orbs to fall back on? He would have been gone forever. Left his friends to mourn for years to come, left his wife and son… sons even. What if he had never gotten to meet Goten?
Indeed, his father had chosen his duty to protect the Earth above all else, but in turn he had saved all of those he loved.
He swallowed, his mouth dry, shaking himself out of his thoughts, "He would do whatever was right, no matter what."
"Son Goku is one man in ten thousand, I'm sure," The Oracle smiled knowingly, "Others are not so strong. For they would ask what is honour compared to a woman's love? What is duty compared to the feel of a newborn child in your arms? Does it compare to a father's pride? A mother's smile? Or a brother's acceptance?"
"When there is no cost, duty comes to us easy then," she continued, as Gohan looked away again, averting his gaze to his scuffed and dirt laden boots, "But sooner or later, whether in this life or the next, there comes a time where it is not easy. A day where a person must choose."
"So this is my time?" He snapped suddenly, a sickening coil of anger and frustration winding tightly in his gut as he looked sharply back at the Seer, the storm evident in his dark eyes, "Is that what you're saying?! That I just have to move on and forget? Forget Videl and leave her alone and… and p-pregnant on Earth whilst I do nothing but stay here and train because it's my DUTY?!"
"It hurts," she said, "I know it does."
"No! You do not know!" He snarled, getting angrily up from his seat and making to storm away from the wise old fish, putting some distance between them, "You do not know how I fucking feel!"
His calamitous words echoed over the remnants of charcoaled trees, carrying off into the distance and out into the starry night.
Though the Oracle appeared unfazed by his outburst, and spoke calmly, "I do know, Gohan. Because I have seen it."
"W-What?" He fumbled, his anger faltering slightly, whirling back around to face her, "What are you - ?"
"I may reside on this world, young one, but unlike you I am not bound to it," she informed him, "I am free to roam as I please, providing wisdom to those celestial beings who may seek it. I have lived hundreds of billions of years, and through that time I have seen great turmoil and strife, ways that it can be overcome, and ways that it can mean one's downfall. I remember stories of great love and loss, ones filled with undying hatred and others benevolent beauty. I remember a broken hearted Kai of one such beauty, who summoned me one-thousand three-hundred and twenty-one years ago, asking for guidance after leaving her mortal husband and infant son Perses - who was no more than a Tartarian month old."
Gohan blinked, though stood his ground, the starlight eerily lighting up Perses' statue, casting silvery shadows upon the ground.
"Bound to duty and honour, she left the ancient Planet Tartarus for The Sacred Realm of the Kai's for good," the little blue fish sighed, somewhat sadly, "Though had we known what was to become of her son back then, she may have had to give orders to have the boy killed herself."
The young saiyan all but stared, and couldn't help but wonder, "What did you tell her?"
"The same as what I have told you," she replied simply, "It is like I said, there comes a time when we all must make a choice that might be difficult to comprehend for others of weaker nature. Perses too, had a choice. When he died in The Great War of Galaxies, he too had to choose to confront his mistakes in the form of his father in The Otherworld and spend his afterlife there, or become a God. He chose the latter, but he was too angry at the universe around him, and could not find peace within himself. In time, he ignored my warnings should he continue down this path, and I think you know how that turned out."
He nodded bitterly, closing his eyes tightly shut as he let out a shaky breath, attempting to curb the anguish he felt inside of him.
"Only you can choose," the Seer said quietly, "Only you know what is right."
Slowly, he opened his eyes, the dark onyx pools shining in the deep purple night, "But how? How will I know what's right?"
"Remember why you chose to embark on this path, Gohan," she informed him wisely, "Remember who you are."
"But what if I don't know who I am anymore?" He spouted, his voice tight and strained, fighting with himself not to start shouting again, "What if I don't know who I'm supposed to be?!"
"Look deep inside of yourself, young Destroyer," the Oracle Fish stated cryptically, "Only then will you find the answers that you so desperately seek."
"But I don't - ! W-Wait!" Gohan cried out, as she started to float away from him and into the night air, "What does that even mean?!"
Though to his chargin, she didn't reply, instead firing herself into the atmosphere so that her golden staff intermingled with the billions of stars shining above him. The teenager was left helplessly behind, his own silhouette eclipsed by the shadow from Perses' great statue that loomed over him.
He sighed, staring up at the point in the sky where she had disappeared. Deciding to find his sword before he headed back to his chambers, he realised that the Oracle was right, in that he had some incredibly difficult decisions to make.
"You cannot be serious."
"Oh but I am," Whis chimed, before he quirked an eyebrow at him, "Surely you didn't want a more drastic punishment?"
"Well, no," Gohan replied sheepishly, reaching a hand behind his head, "But I've got to be honest Whis, I was expecting something a little more… I don't know… stabby?"
His mentor blinked, "Stabby, my boy?"
"Yeah," he nodded, "You know, something like being wrapped in chains in the deepest part of the demon realm for a hundred years, being tortured and mutilated by Dabura and his cronies. Mainly with hot pokers, swords, spears… Stabby."
"Ah yes, I do see what you mean," said Whis thoughtfully, as the halfling acted out stabbing at the air to emphasise his point, "But that would be impossible Gohan, for Dabura was killed in the conflict with Majin Buu, subsequently causing him to turn over a new leaf. He now resides in the gardens of Otherworld as per King Yemma's discretion."
"Oh right, yeah," he hummed, "I forgot that you mentioned that."
"Though if you would prefer something more stabby, I could always ask the Divine Council to - "
"N-No!" The young saiyan yelped, holding up his hands in defence and cutting his mentor short, "The punishment is fine as it is! I just wasn't expecting something so… mundane? I mean, cleaning HFIL can't be too hard, right?"
He didn't mean to sound ungrateful, not by any means. Though when he had been summoned out of his cesspit of a bedchamber that morning by his mentor informing him that the Divine Council had finally decided on his punishment, he couldn't help the nervous knot from building in his stomach.
However, when he had been told that he would be giving the Home For Infinite Losers or Hell a 'spring clean' as it were every single day until the Council deemed suitable didn't seem all too bad to him. It was more of a slap on the wrists if anything, certainly not what he had been expecting as consequence for him falling in love with a mortal, laying with her multiple times and spreading his 'Divine seed' - definitely their words, not his.
The Divine Council was made up of Gods from the other universes, ones whom he had met before back at Grand Zeno's palace months ago. A mixture of Supreme Kais and Destroyers would make up the panel, casting judgement on many inter-universal issues, which apparently included anything or anyone in this particular case, that broke Divine Law.
In all honesty, it was punishment enough just to hear Whis read out the decree to him in great detail. He could still feel the heated blush on his neck.
The blue-skinned deity pursed his lips in disapproval from across the meadow, the amber sky circling above them, as Gohan attempted to give him an innocent smile back.
"I wouldn't take this assignment lightly, Gohan," said Whis, frowning, "They could have you cleaning HFIL for a millennia, and it is not a place where one would choose to spend a lot of time. It is called Hell for a reason."
"Not only that, you're lucky that it's not a whole lot worse, boy," snarled Lord Beerus, who was relaxing on a sun-lounger several feet away from them, "You should be eternally grateful to the both of us for saving your incompetent backside from condemnation! The only reason that you are still standing here as my successor is because the other Gods were intrigued by this Super Saiyan God transformation - that you still haven't mastered might I add - and that without your little… misdeed such a thing wouldn't have been so easily achievable."
The teenager huffed, folding his arms haughtily across his chest.
"Lord Beerus is right Gohan," his mentor implored, "It is only by the skin of our teeth did we manage to rectify the situation without too much kerfuffle."
"Speak for yourself," scoffed the mighty Destroyer, "I'm never going to hear the end of this from my idiot brother."
Whis sighed, "And I'm afraid that it's only took this long to find a suitable punishment because of this whole mess with Zamasu. Luckily the Gods on the panel agreed that exploring this new form of yours may help in the conflict that is certain to come."
Gohan cringed, feeling guilty. It had been weeks since his talk with the Oracle Fish, and he was still struggling with the Super Saiyan God form. Every time he transformed, he failed to control the Divine power that Lord Beerus had surmised had somehow become a part of him back when he had first achieved it.
However, similar to when he had performed the ritual back on Earth, he couldn't quite get a firm handle on it, like something didn't quite fit right - only now it was much more erratic and unmanageable to maintain for longer periods, despite being able to bring the Divine power to the surface more easily. Unfortunately, this ended up with him slipping out of the form at the most inconvenient moments, subsequently getting his backside handed back to him by his superiors during training. Only adding to his overall frustration. Granted, he hadn't resorted back to image training after last time, and similarly wasn't going to rush into it any time soon.
His lack of success wasn't helpful at all, given the current situation. And the corrupted Kai's disappearance was not only concerning, but deeply disturbing. For they should have found something by now.
"Still nothing at all? Not even any sign of him in other universes? Other dimensions?"
"None whatsoever," the Angel informed him solemnly, "Though all you need to worry about right now is training, and behaving yourself whilst you are in HFIL. If you cause too much trouble there then the council could revoke their decision and dish out something much crueller. You are already walking on thin ice, one more slip up and they might go back to their original idea and have Lord Beerus destroy the Earth, taking the bastard child out with it."
The halfling gritted his teeth, though quickly curbed his anger at the look of warning that his mentor was giving him, "Fine. I'll behave."
"Good!" Lord Beerus snapped, "Now hurry up and get out of my sight so that I can finally have a relaxing nap without your insufferable whining."
Gohan shot him a hateful glare, straightening his long blue cloak in preparation to be sent to HFIL, when Whis gasped aloud.
"Oh my! I almost forgot!" He spouted, looking the young saiyan up at down and causing him to frown. Behind him, Lord Beerus' lips beheld a devilish smirk.
"Huh - ?"
He was caught off guard, as Whis waved his staff in an elaborate fashion and his entire body began to glow.
Then, all of a sudden there was a loud POOF! as a torrent of white smoke exploded around him, followed by an odd sound that was akin to one of Master Roshi's hentai movies - not that Gohan knew what that sounded like… of course.
*WOOOOOOOOW!*
He coughed loudly as the clouds cleared, and regaining his composure, he suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. Exposed, even. For where his Destroyer robes had been nestled suitably around his person, were they replaced by what could only be described as a frilly MONSTROSITY.
It didn't take him more than a split second to realise that he was in a dress, for the cool breeze around his nether regions was all too obvious. The black velvet fabric was way too short to be considered appropriate by any means, barely covering his backside and exposing the bright pink bloomers that hugged his rear all too tightly. The dress was puffed out at the shoulders, whereby trims of white fills adorned the hem, including the short skirt.
The attire was accompanied by a frilly white apron, and a matching headpiece atop his hair - the long ebony locks stuffed into pigtails held in place by large fuchsia bows. Long fishnet stockings, with a white garter strapped around one of his muscular thighs and a black choker necklace around his neck. Much to his despair, a pair of black platformed, high heels completed the outfit, which he nearly toppled over as he shrieked angrily, looking down at himself in horror -
"WHIS! WHAT THE HELL?!" He bellowed, "I LOOK LIKE A MAID!"
His mentor's eyes positively sparkled at his masterpiece, seemingly oblivious to the vein throbbing in the half-saiyan's temple as Lord Beerus doubled up with loud, raucous laughter.
"B-Because t-that's - puff - what y-you - puff - a-are, brat!" His predecessor howled, struggling to catch his breath as he toppled off the sun-lounger due to laughing so hard, pounding his fist on the ground as he continued to hysterics.
"Oh Gohan, it's not that bad," said Whis, chuckling at the furious look on his bright red face.
"N-Not that bad?! NOT THAT BAD?!" Gohan guffawed, "WHIS! I AM WEARING WOMEN'S KNICKERS!"
To prove his point, the teenager span on his heel - heels - bent over, and lifted his frilly skirt in the air, exposing himself even further.
"S-Stop!" Lord Beerus cried, clutching his stomach as his laughter continued, tears streaming down his cheeks, "I - can't - breathe!"
"Well, you can't possibly go about scrubbing the depths of HFIL wearing the garb of a Junior Destroyer, such a thing is most sacred," Whis implored wisely.
Gohan growled, positively seething as he roughly pulled his dress back down. Not that it did much to cover himself up, mind you.
"Besides," the Angel continued, "It is the second part of your punishment."
"YOU NEVER MENTIONED THERE WAS A SECOND PART!"
"Well we had to come up with something to sway the Divine Council," explained Whis with a heavy sigh, "Though I must say that I didn't think they would go for it. However, Lord Beerus was quite persuasive."
The young saiyan whipped his head around to face the God in question, pigtails flying as he snarled with an unyielding amount of rage, his eyes flashing green, "YOU! This was YOUR idea?!"
"And so what if it was?" Lord Beerus glowered menacingly, wiping the tears from his eyes as he managed to - finally - calm himself down, floating back to full height as he regarded him, "I don't think that you're in any position to bargain, brat. Much less question the likes of me."
He faltered, snapping his mouth shut though still glaring daggers at the God of Destruction.
Whis sighed again, breaking the mounting tension between the Destroyers, "Well if you really don't like it Gohan, I suppose that you don't have to wear it."
"W-What?" The halfling blinked, hopeful, "Really?"
"Certainly," his mentor smiled almost wickedly, "In fact, there is another option. Though it is much more revealing…"
His eyes widened in terror, before he gulped, "Y-You know what. This… this one is f-fine."
"I thought you might say that," Whis grinned, "Now that's all sorted, what's say we deliver you to the Check-In Station, King Yemma is already waiting. All that plumbing won't do itself, you know."
Gohan was left confused, "King Yemma? Plumbing? I thought that you said that I was just cleaning HFIL?"
"Cleaning does not just involve sweeping and dusting, my dear boy," the blue-skinned deity explained, "Far from it. No, your first task is to sort out the plumping in The Otherworld and it's surrounding dimensions. I am led to believe that it started with a rather severe blockage in King Yemma's private bathroom."
The young saiyan paled considerably, as Lord Beerus tossed him an oversized plunger that was just as tall as he was.
"Have fun," the Destroyer smirked, as Whis gave him a small wave.
"We'll see you at dinner, Gohan!"
Before he could protest any further, he was engulfed by the bright light of The Warp that catapulted him into another dimension. Lord Beerus' laughter ringing in his ears.
The Bloody Pond. Area 1, Sector 3. Home For Infinite Losers.
Oh how the mighty had fallen.
No truer words had been spoken, in his opinion. Though all things considered, he would take all kinds of gruesome torture over this. For the first time in these last several months, he was actually relieved that Videl of all people couldn't see him, especially in such a mortifying predicament.
This was humiliating.
Though perhaps not nearly as much as having to explain to King Yemma as to why there was suddenly a hole in his palace wall. The King of Ogres, of course, given Gohan's high status didn't appear to mind in the slightest, even grovelling to him for the unseemly mess that he had created by decking one of his attendants through the temple's towers - subsequently sending the entire structure collapsing into rubble.
Not only had this caused a backlog of souls waiting to be judged - the line reaching far along Snake-Way, the young saiyan had to then help rebuild half the Check-In Station.
Alright so maybe he had overreacted a little. Though he did not think that his punch was unjustified, as the ogre in question had been bold enough to give his rear a cheeky spank whilst he was busy scrubbing whatever foul germs had infested King Yemma's toilet with a gigantic loo brush. Already trying not to gag from the stench, the halfling nearly brought up his breakfast when he realised what had just happened.
In all fairness, the disgusting brute had better be counting his lucky stars that the teenager didn't just Destroy him on the spot.
Still suitably violated, though holding on to some will to press on and sort out Otherworld's plumbing problem (which as Whis had informed him, had indeed stemmed from King Yemma's bathroom, much to his horror) Gohan found himself on his last task of the day - emptying and refilling the bloody pond. Much to his disgust, it lived up to its name, and was quite literally a pond filled with sticky crimson blood. It was still oddly warm, and spurted out of a large fountain in the centre of the circular fixture. He didn't ask the ogres who guarded HFIL just where the blood had come from, and in all honesty, he really didn't want to know.
It was tedious work, even though the young saiyan didn't have the first clue about plumbing. All he had learned so far, was that it included a hell of a lot of… unblocking. Gohan visibly shuddered, the memory of what he had found in the King of Ogre's enormous toilet was going to haunt his nightmares for the rest of his afterlife.
He turned the large golden taps that protruded from the rocky ground at his feet, wiping his brow free from sweat as he watched the pond begin to fill back up with blood. It was almost unbearably hot down in HFIL, causing his ridiculous outfit to stick unpleasantly to his skin. Though he didn't know just what exactly he had been expecting, he hadn't visited hell before, and similarly had no reason to.
Otherworld was the kind of place that didn't get much attention from the higher-ranking Gods, as they were all far too busy dealing with the realms of the living. There were spot checks performed every few millennia he was informed, though these were mainly carried out by the Kais. Extremely rarely involving The Supreme Kai unless something was amiss.
He had to admit that it was a very strange and downright eerie place. It was huge in scale, separated into many sectors that he learned would take years to clean in one sitting, though a couple of very helpful (and terrified) ogres named Goz and Mez had offered to draw him up a schedule so that he could keep up with the maintenance.
Even still, he wasn't entirely certain where to start, and there were several regions that he had been specifically warned to stay away from. For what he couldn't yet fathom, but he already knew from his studies that it wasn't an easy way to spend an eternity. The weather conditions were positively catastrophic, and could change drastically at but a few seconds notice. Fire-storms, devastating tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, and razor sharp hailstorms that could rip your skin to shreds were just a few disasters that he had read about.
The land was pretty much barren, devoid of flowers or other foliage that one mind find on the Kais or Destroyers worlds. Save for perhaps the 'trees' that looked more like spikes than bark, the sharp imposing spirals protruding from the dusty ground, reaching towards the dark yellow clouds in the air. An incredibly gruesome fate should one be so unfortunate to fall off Snake-Way that hovered thousands of feet above.
He could make out a dark, pointed mountain range in the distance, where he was told the most dangerous hellions were imprisoned in the cells that lay within its deep valleys. Blood red lightening bolts cracked and rippled across the sky overhead, pitch black clouds swirling and encircling the rocky peaks. Even from this distance, he could depict blood curdling screams and bone quaking roars coming from the prisons. And Gohan made a mental note to avoid that place, he would rather not run into anyone he'd had a hand in… putting there.
The sky itself was also an oddity, shrouded in clouds and patches of deep orange, red and black. It cast dreary shadows on the rock formations and dark caves surrounding him, and he could hear a gaggle of horrified gasps and sobbing not too far away - no doubt Goz and Mez frightening a few new occupants as they welcomed them to the 'Land Beyond the Clouds' or 'Land of No Return' or whatever he had heard them whispering to each other earlier when attempting to come up with cool phrases to scare their impending arrivals.
SPURT! SPUTTER! SPLASH!
Gohan groaned in annoyance, as suddenly, the pond stopped filling with blood. The taps started to whir and grind, the blood no longer flowing freely and instead spitting wildly, some of the warm crimson liquid squirting in the opposite direction and coating his frilly white apron.
"Damn it, stupid thing!" The halfling griped, relenting in the fact that he would have to try and fix it again.
Praying to all that was holy that King Yemma hadn't blocked the bathroom again after his large lunch, the young saiyan tossed his pigtails over his shoulder and bent down, switching off the flow abruptly.
Though just as he was about to inspect the plumbing, did a barbarous shout cut through the air -
"Well, well, well lads - lookie what we have here!"
A gaggle of halo-topped aliens stood several feet away from him, all dressed in a very similar and very familiar looking armour. They giddily pointed at the 'maid' bending over the pond, drooling at the sight of the halfling's backside from its position in the air with hungry eyes.
Gohan growled, berating himself from not noticing the hellions sooner as he pulled his skirt further over his thighs from where it had ridden up. Attempting to ignore their cooing, he focused on fixing the faulty faucet so that he just could get the hell out of -
"Don't cover up for us darlin'!" A gruff-voiced, teal-skinned alien hollered.
His comrade, a pug-faced purple humanoid, wolf-whistled, "Yeah, we were quite enjoying the view!"
Don't rise to it Gohan, he chanted in his mind, coaxing himself down from blasting them into the arse end of oblivion. Just fix the pond. Ignore them. Fix the pond and -
"Nice pins an' all!" Another cat-called, licking his lips as his gaze raked over the teen's figure, "I'd love to see what the front's packin' though!"
"Yeah come on sweetheart, don't be shy! Give us a twirl!"
"Cyoar! What I wouldn't give to have a piece o' that - !"
Right! That's it!
Gohan's fury erupted in a burning blaze of gold. The dark pit of HFIL was illuminated with a dazzling amount of light, as the teenager whirled around with venom in his emerald eyes. Wild spikes of blonde hair struggled to be contained by its frilly pink bows as it blew back in the fierce breeze he had created with his aura.
"OH YOU WANT SOME OF THIS, DO YOU?!" The young Destroyer roared, a sizzling ball of white hot ki growing rapidly in his palm, surging with a crippling amount of power.
The slobbering goons shrieked in fright, as they were confronted by the furious super saiyan. Who was not only extremely powerful, but also -
"A bloke!" One of the men shouted in pure terror from where he had crashed to the ground out of shock, "Blimey! I-It's a bloke!"
The others, who Gohan immediately recognised as low-ranking members of The Frieza Force, clung to each other desperately, shaking with fear. It wasn't quite clear whether they were going to start balling, or wet themselves as the halfling took a threatening step towards them, his platform heel digging sharply into the ground.
"It doesn't matter what I am!" He bellowed, charging up his Ki so that a plethora of lightening bolts rippled over his frame - causing one of Frieza's men to burst into tears, "You sick bastards! Didn't your mums teach you to always treat a lady with RESPECT?!"
"RUN FOR YOUR AFTERLIFE!" They screamed, just as the young Destroyer released the blast and knocked them flying into the air with a cataclysmic BOOM!
He watched the explosion darkly, folding his arms across his broad chest as the smoke cleared and their smouldering bodies were flung into a large nest of spikes not far away. Though to his displeasure, even if they did 'die' again, they would be re-spawned.
Unlike those who were sent to the heavens, the inhabitants of HFIL were fated to spend an eternity there for their crimes. Well, in most cases anyway. He knew of only three people that had been given a second chance in their after life, and none of them would make inappropriate comments about his backside like that -
… Alright, maybe Makhai would… - has.
The only way they wouldn't re-spawn was if they were Destroyed by a Destroyer. And although the halfling was incredibly tempted, he knew that he would only get in trouble with Lord Beerus if he Destroyed anything that wasn't ordered. And as he thought back to his mentor's words in the meadow earlier, he knew that he should try to keep his head down and not cause any more chaos for himself. He really was walking on thin ice, after all.
Satisfied by the unmistakable groans of subsequent agony that protruded from the bed of spikes, the halfling snorted, dropping out of his super saiyan state and once again bending down to tend to the defective plumbing when -
KA-BOOOOOOOOM!
What the - ?!
His eyes widened to the size of saucers, reflecting the mammoth plume of fire and smoke that had just erupted in the distance.
He could have sworn he didn't just do that… right?
Though there was no time to ponder just what Whis and Lord Beerus would do to him if he had accidentally managed to blow up part of HFIL, as an aftershock rocked the area, the bloody pond upheaving a tidal wave of blood from the force and sending it crashing over him. He quickly conjured a shield above his head like an umbrella, protecting himself from the cascade of crimson liquid.
Gohan was bewildered, as the smoke, that he now realised was a striking green in colour was rapidly approaching him, a cloud of ash, fire and bubbling lava hot at its heels. He was about to teleport hightail out of there, when suddenly, a frantic voice bellowed from somewhere up ahead, and it was then did he notice a man at the base of the monstrous explosion, speeding away from the unfurling mass of debris.
He was flying incredibly fast, nothing but a blur of messy black hair and black and green armour. From this distance, it looked as though it mirrored Frieza's old minions, but he couldn't quite make it out due to the rate he was hurtling away from… no wait - towards - HIM?!
"WHAT ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE FOR, BOY?!" He yelled frantically, his voice low and gravely, even in its arduous shout.
But the teenager was suddenly frozen to the spot, his mouth agape in shock as the man fully came into focus.
He couldn't help but think that he looked like - he was the spitting image of his - !
Gohan yelped, as he was swiftly yanked by the scuff of his neck and pulled roughly away as the pond was suddenly engulfed in flames behind him. He jolted his head to the side as his captor - who he was still too stunned to release himself from - growled with obvious annoyance, a strong, battle-scarred fist firmly grasping ahold of him by his frilly collar.
"Gods," he spat viciously over his shoulder, "I didn't know that being half-human meant having half a fucking brain cell too!"
Well at least that settled it, he thought as they continued to fly at breakneck speed, dodging the explosion as it continued to blow up the ground behind them. This man was certainly not his father.
14th November, 2019.
A/N: What a twist! Who is this mysterious man who has a hold of our favourite Junior Destroyer? And what caused that big explosion? It doesn't look like Gohan is going to stay out of trouble after all... Find out in the next episode of SGTD! Chapter Twenty-Seven: Uprising.
Symbolism: Ananke roses - Ananke is considered the most powerful dictator of fate and circumstance; mortals as well as gods respected her power and paid her homage. Sometimes considered the mother of the Fates. Rose is considered a symbol of balance. It expresses promise, new beginnings, and hope. Its thorns represent defence, physicality, loss, thoughtlessness.
I provided a bit more about Perses in this chapter and about his father's race. I chose his home planet as 'Tartarus' which in greek mythology is the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans. Tartarus is also known as the place where souls are judged after death and where the wicked received divine punishment.
I'm also aiming to touch more on, and explore Gohan's SSG transformation next chapter, as much like his emotions, it is disjointed and difficult for him to get a hold of at present. Hopefully that will become clearer as to why soon :)
Reviews:
777torn777: answered via PM.
Maman-Sofia: Thanks so much for your review! Yes Chi-Chi's granny senses are well and truly here! Bravo for booing Barry!
Godel : Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed the chapter. Yes absolutely, I didnt want Videl to be so angry for too long at Gohan. She would 100% protect his legacy no matter what. You also hit the nail on the head with Piccolo (no pun intended, ha!) I really love what they did with Piccolo being around Pan in Super, and I wanted to replicate this here, but in a much sadder tone as Gohan isnt with them. Thank you for your kind words about Chi-Chi, many fanfictions depict her as an insane, overbearing mother. When really I can totally see where she comes from, she just wants to keep her family safe, and I really wanted to show this throughout this entire story. Giving her a more realistic approach which I admit is hard in the crazy world of Dragonball! Thanks for your compliments and your well wishes too! Warms my heart! :)
keyblademeister88: Thanks so much! Yes I didnt want Gohan wallowing completely and not doing his job. But as you can see from this chapter he's still doing some of that! ha
Hek'UnnSkipper: thank you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter with it being more Gohan centred!
ericsofly2 : thanks!
pr0dz: I would LOVE to see this too!
Winged Seer Wolf: thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it and I made you laugh! :) Ahh, unfortunately Videl would not be permitted to live on the destoryers world as she is a mortal. The Gods do not approve of the future demigod either... so no family time Im afraid.
Thomas-The-TMC: thanks so much! :) And yay praise for Ch-Chi!
X3runner: uncle/grandpa Piccolo at his finest! Thanks for your review, Im really happy you enjoyed the chapter and loved Chi-Chi too. I find her an underrated and overlooked character a lot of the time, which is why I really wanted to do her justice! Interesting thoughts about Gohan's power too, I am definitely exploring this more in the next chapter.
RabbitMelody: that they did. that they did.
Squidzi Galaxi: I am planning of doing a 'Lost Buu Saga' spin off for this story. So I hope you look forward to that!
o- Nyx -o : Mucho love!
Marbbles123: yay thank you so much! I was a little concerned about how this chapter was going to be perceived seen as, as you put it, it mainly follows Videl. But I did think having a short break from Gohan would make his appearance a little more dramatic in that sense! So glad you enjoyed her terrible date (poor videl) and ghost Gohan too! Thanks for the Piccolo and Chi-Chi love too :) makes me so happy! And as for Gohan's consequences... I wonder... was it what you expected? :P
WolfofTheWest777: Thank you! :)
OmegaRealism: LOL. blocked.
super mystic gohan: thank you so much! :) I can't wait to reveal the results of the gang's training!
FireEmblemMaster101: Absolutely, you got it! The council are way too busy right now, so they may need to rethink Gohan's punishment. However, for now, this is suitable enough ;) Seriously, thank you for your kind words. I really dont understand why people are mean just for the sake of being mean! Its no big deal, it aint gonna stop me from writing! Thank you :)
Lord0: Aw thanks so much! It really means a lot!
ARandomGuest : Thanks for your review! Yeah I think that 'peace' is a strong word. But there is a universe at stake, as well as others. More of the Z-gang's feelings over Gohan's role will be explored, but at the end of the day, and like you say - he's still their Gohan and they cant stay mad at him for too long. If there is one thing those characters are, is loyal. As for Goten... more to come with that one! So glad you liked Videl and Chi-Chi and ghost Gohan, I really hope you enjoy this chapter as much :)
Pie 555: Thank you! Really happy you enjoyed the chapter! xD That punch was so satisfying to write you have NO idea! And the Piccolo batdad comment made me chuckle - so thanks! Goten's character will be explored further, dont you worry about that. You also make a good point about the fusion dance,hmmm deffo things to think about there! Haha I think I may have lived up to the booty in this chapter!
slade42: exactly!
Justanius: thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed the chapter! :)
Chmia : oh bless you! Yeah I think Videl gets a bit of both this pregnancy - saiyan hunger vs sickness, she couldnt have it all that easy bless her! I have some ideas regarding a saiyan hybrid/demigod pregnancy. But none tooooo drastic. Also congratulations on the birth of your son xD I just had a niece so its babies everywhere. Baby cuddles are the best! Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as the last :)
ssjash:Praise indeed! Thank you so much!
Iwik : Wow thank you for your review! So happy you enjoyed it! Oh how to reverse the damage INDEED. Will it EVER be reversed?! ahhhh! I cant wait to reveal more! Thank you so much for coming back and reviewing each chapter, it honestly means so much. I hope you got a good kick out of this chapter too!
ErintheBestest: Thanks so much for your reveiw/s! Im so happy you loved the chapter, especially the slower paced interactions. We had a very exciting couple of chapters, so these last couple are the calm before the storm. I really enjoy writing these moments between characters so hearing that you readers enjoyed it really makes me giddy! So thank you :) Glad you enjoyed the break from Gohan, but it was nice to write him back in in this chapter. I missed him! haha Loved that you picked up on Chi-Chi's character too. I always feel like so many people don't like her, but Im so glad that it seems that people reading this really root for her! Which is brilliant. Agree on the fem rewrite, it would be nice to see the strong female characters continue to be prominant after they get married and have babies! Though it was nice to see female super saiyans in super and Eighteen kicking ass in the TOP. Even if I didnt agree with the U6 super saiyan transformation method... ugh... back tingling. No! And thanks for your kind words on trolls! Much appreciated! :)
ObnoxiousDadJoke: wow thank you so much, kind word indeed! :)
tacktician: I understand your point, but I wanted to make the rules a bit harsher in this story with Gods mixing with mortals. It may seem over the top, but I think it gives Gohan's story more heartbreak and things to overcome. Also, Beerus' family are long gone. Who knows, maybe he struggled just as much as Gohan is currently doing when he first became a Destroyer? :)