Chapter Thirty-Seven
Zuno
"You cut your hair."
He hadn't meant for them to be alone like this.
Her sapphire eyes ran over his frame, drinking him in, as if she was seeing him for the very first time. He felt exposed, not knowing quite how to respond to her simple observation.
All of the air was forced from his lungs as he said finally, "Makhai felt I needed a change."
"It suits you."
After what had felt like hours, Gohan had finally managed to pull himself together and leave the sanctuary of the small kitchenette. His eyes were still raw from tears, his throat hoarse from trying to contain the sobs that had wracked his body - but he was certain that no one would be able to tell.
He had splashed his face with the cold water from the sink and slipped his mask back on, before he had obediently made his way back down the corridor in search of his mentors. Yet when he had entered the medical bay, he quickly realised that Whis and Lord Beerus were nowhere to be found.
He sensed their ever imposing Ki situated elsewhere in the complex. Their divine energies dwarfed the others, but he couldn't depict any sort of alarm from the Z-gang - which was a relief. Everything was still, calm.
And that's when he caught sight of Videl sat up in bed and nearly died all over again.
A lingering cloud of exhaustion encompassed her. She was pale, deathly so. Her long raven hair fanned out against the white sheets that were no longer decorated with blood - giving Gohan the impression that they must have been changed whilst he was having a nervous breakdown.
Large greyish bags hung beneath dull eyes as she stared at him from the mass of pillows that seemed to be all that was holding her up. She was still attached to various drips and machines, that beeped and whirred rhythmically over the long drawn out silence.
He didn't dare move. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay," she paused, mulling it over, "I should thank you, really. Even though I wanted to do it by myself."
"Videl -," he began to splutter, "You nearly died."
"I see that you're still as dramatic as always."
Gohan caught her jest all too late. The tension lifted regardless, and he laughed despite himself.
Videl chuckled, eyeing him, "Are you going to sit down?"
The laughter died. Slowly, he shook his head. No.
Her lips drew into a thin line as he glanced at the empty chair next to her bedside. He would need to leave soon - there was a dragonball to find and evil to thwart. He couldn't stay here for longer than was necessary.
That's what he told himself anyway.
A soft whimper reached his ears, and Videl's harbouring stare left him all too quickly. He froze, as she turned to the bassinet beside her and gently cooed at the small creature nestled within it.
"Dad's just popped out to get some food," she explained before he could utter a word, "He shouldn't be too long. I-I haven't really got the strength to lift her."
Gohan caught the panic grow in her eyes as the baby started to cry. It rattled harshly against his ear drums, getting louder despite Videl's attempts to calm her.
"Shh, it's okay," she tried, rocking the bassinet side to side, "It's alright, please don't cry - please go back to sleep."
Fitful cries reached another level, drowning her out. He could see the blankets thrashing from here, tiny fists struggling to break free of the swaddle.
His feet squeaked against the sterile floor almost on instinct. He stopped. Panicked. And suddenly forgot how to breathe.
Videl put an end to it immediately. "I've got her."
He uselessly watched her struggle. Her features hard as she leaned over, not allowing herself to give way to her pain. She picked up the screaming mass of blankets with a soft grunt, before leaning back on the pillows and awkwardly held the baby girl to her chest.
He was relieved when the wails petered out into the occasional mewl, and the look on Videl's face told him that she was too. They locked eyes again for a moment, before Gohan looked away.
"Why are you here, Gohan?"
He swallowed hard. There was a fire to her tone that reminded him all too well of their last encounter.
He didn't answer, which frustrated her to no end.
"If you're going to stand there, then you could at least talk to me."
Gohan sighed, finally turning to face her, "We don't need to do this now, Videl."
"Do what exactly?" Her brow lifted, defiant. She wanted him to say it out loud.
A spark of something sad and unpleasant sparked within him, "Do you really think I want to argue right now when I'm like this and you're like that?"
Gohan stared at her as he made a pointed gesture to her hospital bed. Her shoulders tensed, as though she would erupt just like she had done back at Bulma's birthday party, but she curbed it as quickly as it came.
She cast her gaze downwards, and Gohan immediately felt awful. It was palpable in the air, the wedge that had forced them apart all too soon. It was the closest proximity they had been to one another in months, yet he had never felt furthest away from her. What was worse, was that he couldn't change it. His duty compelled him not to, he had made his choice.
Another cry penetrated the air, as the bundle in Videl's arms stirred once more.
"She looks a lot like you," she said after a while, not once taking her eyes off her.
His mouth ran dry. He didn't speak.
"Unfair really," Videl sighed, "I'm the one that carried her around for nine months, and with the stretch marks to prove it."
He forced a small smile, "Yeah, that doesn't seem fair at all. Sorry."
"Dad nearly had a heart attack when he spotted the tail," she continued, glancing towards the door that Gohan was still firmly standing in front of, "Maybe that's why he's been gone so long. He did seem to rush off after changing her -."
He stilled, hardly believing his ears, "S-She has a tail?"
Videl nodded, seemingly unfazed. "Whis said something about her Saiyan genetics being a bit stronger due to the divine energy that she has. The Saiyan cells got stronger as she developed to be able to withstand the divinity of her Ki or something, I was just coming round when he was explaining it to your dad."
"Well, I suppose that makes sense," he managed to utter through his bewilderment.
His curiosity got the better of him, and he finally peered over the blankets, craning his neck to see.
There was a tail alright. Small and fluffy, it had peeked out of the swaddle and was wrapped warmly around Videl's forearm as she held her. Without meaning to, his eyes wondered over the rest of the baby's sleeping form.
She was so tiny. Fragile. The shock of black he had caught earlier decorated her head in soft velvety wisps. Small remnants of blood and vernix decorated her pinkish-purplish body, and despite what Videl had said, he found it difficult to tell which one of her parents she looked like more, as her features were still swollen and squished.
She had his eyes, he noticed. Her eyelids fluttering open for a split second as she wiggled and gave out a little stretch. She obviously found herself quite comfy against Videl, her head nestled cosily into her bosom.
His chest felt heavy, a sudden rush of something raw and unexpected came over him as he continued to stare.
How could this tiny creature be shunned or feared? For Gohan did not see some great taboo or divine monstrosity as he was lead to believe. He was certain that those who had thought so would sorely eat their words. She was helpless after all, innocent - just a baby.
Just some baby, he inwardly corrected himself. She was Videl's baby and certainly not his in anything other than blood because that would mean his whole heart would be squeezed out of his chest.
He had stepped closer without realising it. "Has she got a name?"
"I can't decide," she shrugged, "Although Dad's been trying to force all kinds of ridiculous names on her, not to mention your mother."
"I can imagine," said Gohan, "My dad once told me that Mum tried to name me Einstein."
"Oh my god," her eyes widened, a snort flying from her lips, "Son Einstein, the saviour of Earth - Einstein, the kid that defeated Cell. Can you imagine?"
"Oi, don't laugh," He pouted, "Luckily Dad managed to win her over."
"Yeah, lucky for Chi-Chi," Videl teased, "I'm sure that if anyone had heard Cell call you Einstein then she would have had child services knocking at her door."
Gohan let out a small chuckle. The weight in the air shifted, it suddenly felt lighter.
"So what's so bad about your dad's choices?" He pressed, "Surely it can't be worse than Einstein?"
She tutted in annoyance, "He's determined to make a damned legacy out of her already, but there's one name he literally will not drop. He won't stop spouting on about naming her after his old martial arts master."
"Oh really? What was their name?"
"Pan."
Gohan became silent, and Videl immediately caught on.
"Don't you dare give me that look."
"I'm not giving you a look. I don't know what you're talking about, Videl."
Her eyes narrowed, "You like it, don't you?"
He hesitated, and it was all the answer she needed.
"Damn it, Gohan. Not you too!"
"So what if I like it?" He admitted, holding his hands up in defence, "It doesn't matter -."
"I am not naming her after some old dead guy."
Gohan looked particularly wounded, "I was named after some old dead guy…"
"That's different!" Videl protested, "Goku named you in honour of his adoptive grandfather -."
"Who was old, and dead."
She sighed, frustrated.
"You know what I think?" He asked, giving her a sly smile.
"I don't care what you think."
"I think that you secretly like the name Pan," teased Gohan, "But you're too stubborn to admit it because you didn't think of it first."
Videl attempted to glare him out, but faltered at the triumphant look he was giving her. He laughed, as she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Oh shut up."
Their light hearted exchange soon shattered, as the nameless girl's wail went off without warning. Gohan quickly reigned himself back in, taking a step back as Videl rocked her back and forth in her arms.
"I-I should go," he staggered after a while, "Makhai and the others have probably filled Whis and Lord Beerus in about everything -."
She nodded, dismissing him, "Bulma managed to distract them with breakfast, so they should be upstairs."
"Right," he replied, watching the tears roll down the baby's cheeks as Videl gingerly held her to her shoulder and patted her back in a soothing motion.
Dawn had started to creep over the horizon, waves of warm orange light stretched over the whitewashed walls of the medical bay. The skies outside were sparse, clear of any looming dark clouds for the first time in weeks.
It appeared that the storm had finally passed, and the irony was not lost on Gohan.
"You'll be careful out there, won't you?"
Her words caught him off guard. He had lingered here too long.
He paused, "I'll try my best."
She looked at him, finally, her gaze full of determination and an emotion he tried his damndest to ignore.
"Gohan, just -," Videl began, before stopping herself.
"Just?"
"Just don't be an idiot," she pressed knowingly, "Perses messed you up so bad, and -."
Gohan interrupted her before she said too much, "Not my finest hour, I'd wager. But I'm not going to let that bastard get the jump on me again. I'm going to win this Videl, no matter what the cost."
She shook her head, her damp bangs brushing against her brow and covering her eyes. "I know you will, and that's what worries me the most."
I hope that you would stop for a moment to think about your own happiness.
That doesn't matter.
Of course it does.
He sucked in a breath as the memory of their conversation from months ago sprang into the forefront of his mind. It seemed like so long ago now, when Videl and patched him up in his parents kitchen after a heavy training session with Lord Beerus.
Things were so much simpler back then, even if Videl didn't know what he truly was.
His gaze settled on the bundle nestled into Videl, now grown quiet and still in her arms, the sound of soft snuffly breathing filled the heavy air between them.
"I really should go," he said, tearing his eyes away and glancing towards the doorway.
Videl didn't look up, "I know."
There were so many things that he wanted to say, but they were better off left unsaid.
"The others will be wondering where you are," she said when he still hadn't moved, "You probably shouldn't keep them waiting."
Gohan nodded solemnly, she was right after all.
He stopped himself from steeling another glance of her, them, neglecting to tell her goodbye because he was awful at them. Instead, he span on his heel and made his exit in what had become some morbid tradition whenever he had to leave Earth.
The doors slid open with a mechanical beep as he crossed the threshold, not once did he look back.
Slender arms wrapped around his middle, pulling him to her desperately. It was as though she was trying to press every ounce of him against her, savouring the closeness for all it was worth.
"Mum," Gohan tried again as his mother refused to let up, her grip surprisingly strong, "Mum… Mum! You need to let go now, they're waiting."
She squeezed a fraction tighter, before finally releasing him.
"Oh, of course sweetheart," Chi-Chi sniffed, dabbing at her eyes with the handkerchief that had certainly served its duty over the last few hours, "Sorry, I just, well -."
"I know," he pressed, watching her eyes dart all over him, studying his features, "But I'll be okay, I promise."
Another sob left her lips, the wind knocked out of him as she buried her face into his chest. It was a much shorter hug this time, as she managed to pull herself together after a few seconds.
Her soft hand came up to caress his cheek, tears unashamedly escaping her as she did so. A distant memory called out to him, it was not unlike when she said goodbye to him as he left for Planet Namek all those years ago with Bulma and Krillin. Only now, he was much taller, and the stakes much higher.
"Please make sure your father behaves," she smiled through the sadness, "I don't want to have to chase him down across the galaxy should he cause any trouble for himself."
"Don't worry, Mum, I'll keep him in line," he said, giving her a wry smile back, "If I'm honest, I'm more concerned about Vegeta being in a confined space for months."
She laughed, the warmth of her fingertips finally leaving him, "Well, you take care of things out there, and I'll take care of everything here."
Gohan caught the meaningful look in her gaze, but was thankful when she changed the subject.
"Speaking of, I made a little care package for you."
"Oh, you didn't have to -," he was cut short, by the enormous rucksack she dumped in his arms - it was almost as big as him.
"Nonsense," Chi-Chi quipped, "My baby boy is going out into space to fight evil God monsters so he'll need all the basic necessities -."
"These are necessities?" He mustered weakly.
"There's everything you need in there," she nodded firmly, "Clean underwear, socks, toothbrush, hairdryer, books, blankets, extra food capsules, bandages, ointment, nail clippers, slippers -."
Gohan sighed to himself as his mother went off on a tangent, self-consciously running a hand through thankfully gel-free hair. Yep, this was just like Namek.
Luckily, the hangar was too busy for anyone to listen in to his mother listing off the embarrassing reel of 'essentials' she had packed for him.
The humungous bay was packed full of Capsule Corp. employees readying for take off, walking the length of the hangar with tablets in their palms and gazing at complex looking diagrams. Robots were busy loading boxes and capsules near the foot of the spaceship that took centre stage in the middle of the brightly lit room.
It was a fairly large vessel. It held a cockpit that was fit for around ten or so crew, and had two levels. The lower level held sleeping quarters and the upper had various sized meeting chambers which Gohan had personally gutted for training space.
It had an impressive wingspan that stretched from one end of the hanger to the other, and a long pointed nose that almost made it look like some sort of fighter jet one might find on Earth. It looked like it had once been painted a spectacular chrome, but its outer bodice had most certainly lost its shine.
The paintwork was faded, with deep scratches marring its body and scorch marks littering its underbelly. Brown patches of rust decorated the joints and crevices, and an old faded picture of a busty alien 'pin up' girl was seemingly all that remained of its original artwork, the name 'Bessie' written in a faded red just underneath the girl's scantily clad form.
Gohan had managed to break free of his mother, just in time to hear Vegeta snarl up at the ship upon his approach.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me."
"What's the matter?" Gohan asked, as Vegeta gave him a furious stare, his own duffle bag balancing on his back.
The rest Z-Fighters had come to wave them off, they too giving the vessel rather dubious looks.
"There is no way in hell that I am being paraded around space in that monstrosity you call a spaceship!"
"Her name is Bessie," he corrected, ignoring the subsequent scoff of frustration that followed, "And she's the only ship we've got, so if you still want to come along then you'd better suck it up, Vegeta."
"He's got a point though, mate," Makhai sighed as he joined them, heaving a rucksack over his shoulder, "Bessie is an…. acquired taste."
"Acquired taste indeed," Kratos glowered, bolstering past them to the ships loading dock, "If you prefer to travel in a heap of junk."
Gohan rolled his eyes, "Oh shut up, there's nothing wrong with her!"
As if on cue, an ear-grating noise cut through the air with a horrific creeeeeeaaaak! The dock door opened almost mind-numbingly slow, before slamming onto the floor with a loud clang. Dust and debris flung into the air, washing over them in a huge wave of smoke and sending them into a series of hacking coughs.
"Alright fine," Gohan griped, "So she's a little rusty! She's still the fastest ship in the known universe."
"It's only that fast because you make it go that fast," Deimos said pointedly, shooting him a glare. "Hence why it's falling apart."
"I'll say," said Bulma, goggles fixed to her face and a soldering tool in hand.
She was learning over the ship's circuit compartment, which lay open in the breast of the ship. "This baby has certainly done some miles, the hyperspace drive was partially damaged. Not to mention that someone must have bodged the repairs! You're lucky that you decided to take off from Earth, else you wouldn't have gotten very far should you have taken off in this state!"
Gohan gave her a sheepish look, as Eris sighed in annoyance beside him.
"I'll never know what possessed you to steal that rust bucket," she tutted.
She and Deimos had joined them on Earth a few short hours ago, having had accompanied Whis and Lord Beerus.
His father frowned from where Piccolo had been busy scolding him for already digging into their food supplies for the trip.
"Wait a minute, Gohan - you stole a ship?"
"I prefer the term liberated."
"Well, in that case, you 'liberated' the wrong ship," Makhai laughed, clapping him on the back.
"That's… irrelevant," Gohan huffed, "Anyway, we'd draw too much attention to ourselves in something flashier, and we can't warp everywhere either. This is supposed to be a stealth mission."
"But - !"Goku began to protest, when Vegeta let out another grunt of irritation.
"Oh who the hell cares?! Can we just get a move on already. And stop eating all the damned food, Kakarot!"
"But I'm hungry!"
"I cannot believe that I'm entrusting such a delicate task to you peons," Lord Beerus said snidely.
He and Whis were stood off to the side, preparing to wave them off. They had patiently been watching the scene unfold before them after Whis had conjured Gohan's ship out of thin air.
Whis chuckled, "As unorthodox as it may seem to have mortals accompany Gohan and the Supreme Guard on this quest, my Lord, I do believe that the plan they have managed to come up with far exceeds anything that the Divine Council has put forwards in their efforts to apprehend Perses. That, and I'm sure that the Saiyans and Piccolo will be a great help to Gohan especially."
"Well, yes, there is that," he admitted, humming in thought, "I suppose that they can keep a close eye on him, seen as when I leave him to roam he winds up impregnating the local wildlife."
Gohan scowled, as his father promptly choked on a turkey leg.
"I must say that I am particularly intrigued by this mortal version of the Super Saiyan God transformation," Whis chimed, eyeing the soon to be travellers, "Yet despite the heights of power you have all achieved thus far, I must stress to you that this will not be an easy journey. Not only must you follow the treacherous path of the Astra Eridanus, you will be in a race against time against Perses and his associates. I'm afraid that if he gets that Dragonball first, then all is lost."
"A rousing speech as always," Makhai drawled under his breath.
Kratos bowed his head in respect, "We will not let you down, Master Whis. The sacrifices we have made thus far will not be in vain."
Whis nodded curtly, before turning to him.
"Gohan, a word if you please."
Something unpleasant gnawed within him, as the others began to busy themselves with their goodbyes. He watched as his father and Krillin shook hands before pulling into a hug, clapping one another on the back, their gruff laughter and well wishes carrying to him.
Goten ran up to him next, grasping onto his leg with tears in his eyes. Much like Gohan had done as a young boy. He tore his gaze away, stepping off to the other side of the deck with his superiors, he was suddenly nervous.
Whis didn't hesitate, "I noticed something curious about this 'Gohan Black' during your fight on New Mars."
"Oh? You did?" Gohan quirked.
"Tell me, Gohan, did you notice anything strange about his energy?"
He thought for a moment, "Well, yeah now that you mention it. Something was definitely off about it, something unnatural almost. But I didn't know if that's because I was sensing myself."
Whis nodded," Yes, I thought that might be the case. You are still rather new to this Divine role, so it may be difficult for you to unpick the intricacies of what you are sensing, particularly if the Ki signature is overshadowed by so much malicious intent."
Gohan mulled it over, as the Angel continued, "And you are correct, it did feel unnatural. It was as though Black's power grew the more he fought you, as though by fighting you he was learning how to fight like you. Not only that, but the Divinity within his energy was eerily similar to a Kai, one particular Kai in fact. "
"But I don't understand, how could the future me feel like Zamasu?" He started, "It doesn't make any -."
"Sense?" Whis finished, "No I agree, and I'm sure those questions will be answered in due time. For now, I am more concerned in you finding the last Super Dragonball and ensuring the multiverses safety. We needn't worry the others of this revelation just yet, we need them to focus on the more pressing task at hand. Just know that this Black isn't what he seems, should you be unfortunate enough to encounter him again on this journey."
"I don't believe for one second that my successor would ever be so gullible as to fall for Zamasu's trickery," Lord Beerus snarled suddenly, "Nor be so weak to turn his back on the Gods and Destroy them like a coward."
"Careful my Lord, that was almost a complement," Whis mused teasingly.
"Shut it!" He scoffed, "I'm just saying that he may be an idiot, but there's no way he's THAT stupid!"
"Wait, so you're saying that Black might not be the future version of myself?" Gohan asked, a small flicker of hope within his eyes.
"It is unlikely," said Whis, giving him a fond smile, "You have certainly caught the attention of Perses and Zamasu, Gohan. For one, fulfilling the prophecy of releasing the ancient Z-Sword from stone -."
"And picking fights where you aren't supposed to!" Lord Beerus snapped, causing Whis to chuckle.
"Well yes, there is that," he continued to smile, "Your stubbornness is certainly a force to be reckoned with, which only contributes to my theory. We know that Zamasu used the time rings to travel into the near future firstly, and that somehow he obtained immortality during the time he spent there. It is my theory that he successfully collected all seven Super Dragonballs in the future to make that wish, awaiting or travelling to a time where they became active again in order to create this doppelgänger known as Black. Together, they would find no resistance to enact the final stages of his plan, wiping out all the Kais and Destroyers - effectively Destroying the future. He then travelled back to the present to continue his bidding for Perses here, and unleash his revenge on you in doing so."
Gohan paused, his stomach clenched, "But why not use the Super Dragonballs to unleash Perses in the future? Why go through all this trouble?"
Whis sighed heavily, "A good question. It may have been that by the time Zamasu had travelled to the future, that the Gods of that time had already found a way of preventing the Future Perses' escape, they may have been able to apprehend Future Zamasu in the process, making it virtually impossible for Zamasu to recreate what he wished to do so here."
"That, and they need the Z-Sword," Lord Beerus surmised, "It could be that future you had been Destroyed along with everyone else and therefore the knowledge of the known whereabouts died with you. Or, more than likely, Zamasu simply couldn't wield it."
"I assume you have kept the current whereabouts to the Z-Sword to yourself?" Whis asked, his calculated gaze drifting to the small crowd of his family and friends next to the ship.
Gohan nodded.
"The legend of the Z-Sword is well known across the cosmos, blade and master have the ability to become one weapon that is capable of great feats of strength," Whis surveyed him quietly, "You have done an excellent job of mastering this relic, Gohan, so much so that it has become a part of you. The sword comes to you when called, and you have defeated many great enemies together over the years. Your bond is unrivalled, yet despite it, we know the lengths that Perses will go to get his hands on it."
"I've not told anyone, so if they're after the sword, then they'll have to go through me," he said boldly, as Whis' lips drew into a thin line.
"We are headed to meet with the Grand Priest after your departure, and will inform him of your mission with the Earthlings," he said, "You must consider each of your actions carefully from here on out. If the situation with Perses gets any worse, then Grand Zeno may need to be notified."
Lord Beerus banefully scoffed, "And if that happens, then it might not be Perses that wipes us all out."
Gohan felt his stomach give way to a sinking feeling, as Whis attempted to brush him off.
"Please my Lord, don't trouble yourself with such morbid thoughts, we are certainly not a lost cause just yet."
"Easy for you to say!" Lord Beerus snarled, "If the Omni-King decides to pull the plug then you Angels will continue to live on whilst the rest of us perish!"
"Would he really do that?" Gohan mustered carefully, although he knew the answer - there used to be eighteen universes after all, "Would Grand Zeno really end everything?"
"As I said, Gohan, we will inform the Grand Priest of your expedition, and as long as we have the Z-Sword in our possession we can still turn the tide - we still have hope," Whis sighed, "However, you must proceed with caution, as I'm afraid that what happened on New Mars would be just a drop in the ocean."
A searing rise of anger bubbled underneath his skin, flashes of Bia's final moments sprang horrifically into his mind.
"Do not forget how narrow your judgement can be if clouded by revenge," Whis' wise words drifted towards him.
Reluctantly, he forced back the heat that burned through his veins. Gohan nodded, swallowing the dryness in his throat as Whis turned away, little else to say. Lord Beerus however was not done.
"Yes…" the Destroyer agreed, meeting Gohan's weighted gaze and holding it. "And it's time for you to stop disappointing me."
The spaceship punched the sky, blowing back the mass of fluffy white clouds and threatening to tear the atmosphere apart. They had left Earth far behind, the great blue ball wrapped in oceans and mountains became nothing but a speck until it disappeared completely.
It was almost like being back inside the Warp, as jets of light whizzed past them in unrelenting succession. Planets, stars, moons, galaxies, all blurred and moulded into one continuous spiral of light as they hurtled through the velvet vacuum of space.
The ship screamed, almost in protest, shaking from the rip-roaring force and prompting it's passengers to hold on to their arm rests for dear life.
But Gohan paid no mind to the shrieks that escaped them as he dipped and dived through a particularly nasty asteroid field, missing a large mass of space-rock by inches.
He had taken his leave shortly after his conversation with Whis and Lord Beerus, their harbouring words leaving a sour taste in his mouth. He had barely registered it when Whis had handed him a brand new communicator, bidding him a 'good luck' in the process.
If only sheer dumb luck going to get them through this mess, he thought bitterly.
Gohan was well aware of the six other universes that had been pushed to extinction by Perses over a thousand years ago. Perses, a Junior Destroyer at the time, had set about his plan to eradicate everything within the lower ranked universes firstly and thus Grand Zeno had been forced to wipe them from existence.
Gohan knew of the delicate intricacies of upholding the cosmical balance more than most beings, but his stomach clenched at the thought of what could happen should Perses and his entourage repeat mass-execution here.
Everything he had worked for, sacrificed, would be for nothing. His friends and family, the Gods, everyone would no longer exist. And Perses and Zamasu would have won regardless.
He couldn't let onto the others, they had enough to focus on already. His hands gripped tighter onto the controls, just as Makhai let out a strangled squawk.
"WATCH OUT!"
He barely dodged it in time, spiralling out of the destructive path of an enormous asteroid. The ship flipped and spun in rapid succession, nearly colliding with several feral rocks as Gohan fought against the steering, turning sharply right and propelling them out of harms way.
They careened to a halt all too quickly, the ship groaned and creaked as they floated in silence for a few moments, hanging in amongst the inky blackness that surrounded them.
He let out a breath of relief, leaning back in the Captain's chair and twisting to meet the others.
It was a sorry sight to behold to say the least. Eris' hair was stood completely on end, even messier than usual. Piccolo and Deimos looked even more green, and Kratos had his head in a paper bag.
Vegeta's eyes were wide and unseeing, his fingers gripped onto his seat so tightly that he had destroyed most of the arm rest. His father and Makhai had unfortunately drawn the short straw, and without seat belts they had been tossed aggressively around the cockpit, landing in a mass of limbs up against the sliding doors that led down to the rest of the ship.
"WHO THE HELL TAUGHT YOU HOW TO DRIVE?!" Vegeta roared, finding his voice before Gohan could even muster an apology.
"That would be Makhai," Deimos weakly mustered over the sound of Kratos hurling.
Makhai's reply was muffled from where he remained trapped underneath Goku, "I take no responsibility for this. Gohan said his dad taught him before he died, I just gently guided him after that."
"I taught him how to drive a car, not a spaceship," Goku winced, clambering to his feet and giving Gohan a disapproving stare, "Well, I tried to… he nearly wrecked it, it was a good thing Chi-Chi never found out!"
"I was eleven Dad," Gohan argued, "You should have known better than to let me drive a car back then."
"He also let you fight Cell," Piccolo scoffed, "I think we're beyond the point of redemption here."
"Now that's not fair," Goku frowned in annoyance, as Gohan rolled his eyes.
"When you maidens have finished twittering," Eris interjected haughtily, "Do we have any idea of where we are and how we're going to get to the Astra Eridanus?"
"We should be somewhere near the edge of the North Galaxy - here," said Gohan, hovering over the console in front of his seat and pressing a few flashing buttons.
Complex panels lined the walls of the cockpit in a dome, green and amber lights flickered and whirred back, a distant hum filling the space around them. Bulma's Super Dragonball radar took pride of place in the centre of the dashboard, suspended by a mass of wires that connected it to the ships main system. The grided lines revealed nothing but a blank green screen.
"Yeah, we're close to our first stop," he explained, analysing the screen next to him that showed a lone glowing dot in the centre. He pointed to a strange looking blob in the left hand corner, "That's Master Zuno's planet."
"Master Zuno?" His father quirked, as Makhai's eyes widened in horror, "Whose that?"
"HELL no!" He cried, "Gohan, why?! If you think I'm kissing him again then - !"
"We have to go to Zuno to find out how to get to the Astra Eridanus," Gohan shot back, "Unless any of you know where to find it?"
"I hate to admit it but he's right," Kratos chimed in gruffly, he still looked a little pale, but at least he wasn't chucking up any more, "No being has managed to map out the Astra Eridanus before, the river changes and shifts to make it harder to seek out. Master Zuno knows everything that there is to know in this universe, if nothing else, he will know where best to currently find it."
"Wait, if this Zuno guy knows everything about everything in the universe, then can't he just tell us where the Super Dragonball is?" Goku asked.
Gohan shook his head, "No, not with Divine artefacts. They sort of have a block on them so to speak. Sorry, but we will have to do this the old fashioned way."
"Ugh," Makhai groaned, "This is literally the worst road trip ever."
"So what's the deal with this Master Zuno?" Piccolo griped, sceptical, "Is he some sort of deity?"
"No one really knows what he is, but he's certainly not a deity," said Eris.
"All anyone knows is that he knows literally everything about everyone and everything that has ever happened in the history of time," said Makhai, "He could look at a complete stranger and tell them what pattern is on their underwear."
Deimos sighed in despair, "That was such a waste of a question."
"You only get one?"
"That depends," Makhai grinned wickedly, giving Gohan a wink.
"On what?" Vegeta scowled.
"Well, let's just say that the last time we payed Zuno a visit Kratos got one question and pretty boy over there got six."
"That isn't the point," Gohan flushed in embarrassment, turning back to the controls, "Besides, we only need to ask for directions so that we don't veer off course and waste more time. It'll take a few days for us to get there, even in hyper speed."
"Speaking of," said Deimos, giving him a pointed look, "Can you promise not to try and kill us all before we even get there?"
"Oh fine, I'll set her to cruise control," he huffed, pressing a few buttons on the dashboard before calling out, "Bessie, set a course for Master Zuno's world, North Galaxy."
A whirring sound started, as the screen next to his left hand fizzled to life and an old husky female voice stuttered, "A-Affirmative , L-Lord G-G-Gobon. S-Setting a course f-for M-Master Z-Zuno's plan-n-net, h-hyper speed a-a-a-a-activated."
He sighed in annoyance as the others looked on confused, "It's GoHAN, Bessie. We talked about this."
"A-A-Apologies L-Lord G-Grogan. S-Setting a course f-for M-Master Z-Zuno's plan-n-net, h-hyper speed a-a-a-a-activated."
"No, not Grogan - ! Oh forget it," Gohan said forlornly, as much as he tried, the ship never was able to get his name right.
Bessie's engine gave out a shuddering splutter before a mechanical whirr reached their ears. The ship slowly changed direction, its nose pointing further North before jolting forwards. Numerous stars and galaxies shot past them until they became nothing but jets of silver light, forming a vibrant whitish tunnel around them.
There were going unbelievably fast, now reaching speed of light, albeit it the journey was much smoother this time.
Vegeta scoffed in distaste, "You programmed the damned ship to call you 'Lord' too?"
"It's my title," Gohan argued, he was starting to get a headache, "If you want, I can programme her to call you Vegeta, Prince of all Bitching if you're going to keep on whining."
"Gohan," Piccolo cut across Vegeta's subsequent growl, "Don't you think that it's about time we all got some rest? It has been a long night."
"That's a great idea," His father yawned loudly before he could so much as protest, giving his arms a long stretch, "Phew, I'm bushed! We need a good rest before we start on our training, I say we get a few hours sleep and we can start practicing the Mafuba, what do you say Piccolo?"
One by one they retired beyond the sliding metal doors that led to the body of the ship, expressing good night wishes and stifling yawns.
There were several spaces that Gohan had kitted out to become bedchambers, one for each member of the Supreme Guard, including himself. Two of those were sadly empty now, and Makhai and Eris almost always shared one nowadays - allowing his father, Piccolo and Vegeta to set up camp.
Waves of guilt crashed into him, although he tried not to dwell on it. He kept his gaze firmly fixed outwards, vibrant white and silver reflecting in his dark eyes. There he remained, unable to submit to slumber just yet, afraid of what he might succumb to in the depths of his nightmares.
The sliding doors of the cockpit let out a final hiss, finally leaving Gohan in his solitude. Or so he thought.
"Hey, you okay?"
He turned, he must have been so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't realise someone else was still here. He could only think of one person that may have lingered behind, perhaps to try and cheer him up like usual or keep him company until sleep demanded them.
So he was surprised when it was his father, not Makhai who sat down in the co-pilots chair next to him.
A beat of silence passed between them, until he nodded, "I'm fine."
Goku hummed, he wore his usual cheery smile, but Gohan could see right through it. It was funny really, the man was never this easy to read when he was a child.
"You know," he tried again, "Something tells me that it's not just Vegeta that's bothering you."
No shit, Gohan thought, but he chose his words more carefully, "I've just got a lot on my mind."
"Want to talk about it?"
Great Zalama, he was impossible.
Goku sighed, as Gohan remained stubbornly silent.
"Goten really wanted to come with us you know," he started, finding interest in his nail beds, "He reminds me of you sometimes, when you were that little. You always wanted to come and train and fight with me and Piccolo, despite what your Mum said."
He was perplexed, looking back towards him, he had no idea what his father was getting at.
"I didn't train him like I did you," he told him, "After you defeated Cell, there was so much peace. None of us had ever known a time like it, and because of it, I didn't see a need to push Goten so much, and boy did it frustrate him. It still does. I guess that I never got the balance right with either of you, huh?"
"Well, the world was ending every five minutes when I was that age, Dad," said Gohan, "Goten and I had completely different childhoods."
His father didn't say anything for a while, and Gohan wondered if he had said something he shouldn't have.
"Did you know that Goten wasn't planned?"
That caught him off guard, he whipped around in his seat, facing him fully.
Goku blew out a breath, eyes meeting his, "Your mum and I were happy, of course, but it wasn't the time to celebrate. We were going to tell you that you were going to be a big brother after the Cells Games were over, but… we never got the chance."
"Oh…," was all he managed to muster. Gohan had never bothered to do the math and work out just how long it had taken for his parents to have another child after his death, the thought was too depressing to say the least. He had just assumed that their grief had compelled them to.
It didn't matter now of course, but his father's revelation still struck him unawares.
"He really did want to come," said Goku, "I think he feels a bit put out that I'm off having an adventure with you and not him."
Gohan let out a small snort, "He'll get over it. Besides, it's not like you're going on holiday, it's going to be dangerous. You made the right call by making him stay on Earth, he's just a kid."
"So are you," Goku said pointedly.
"Hardly," he stated cooly, turning away and looking out of the large window before him, "I haven't felt like a kid in a long time."
"I guess you're right," his father sighed, following his gaze, "It's still kinda hard for me to accept that."
As the distant thrum of the engine drifted in between them and filled the empty space that hung in the air, Gohan pondered if his father's mind had wondered back towards Earth. He dared to allow himself to go with him for a brief moment, back to the sterile air of the medical bay and the scent of stale blood and sweat that lingered there. He almost imagined the soft swaddle of blankets and a shock of ebony but dragged his subconscious back kicking and screaming before he was able.
He knew exactly where his father's thoughts had travelled to, and he hoped it brought him the same feeling of peace that Cell's demise had left behind all those years ago, instead of the deep rooted despair that those images brought Gohan if he allowed himself to think on too long.
"Goten will be happy when you're back," he said finally, clearing his throat, "He will have missed you."
"Yeah," said Goku, smiling back at him, although Gohan thought that it seemed a little forced, "I can't wait to see what Krillin will have taught him! I think it'll be really good for him to have a proper Master."
"Dad," said Gohan, not returning the smile, "Goten won't have to fight. I'll make sure of it, okay?"
His father's resolved unravelled, his grin gone completely, before he let out a small chuckle, "That should be my line, you know."
He shrugged, leaning back in his chair. He had meant it when he had told them that he didn't want the Earth involved in this war, and that included his little shit of a brother too. For a war it would be, Perses was determined of it.
He hadn't clicked with Goten as Goku had hoped when he had been back on Earth, but any sort of brotherly bonding was way down on Gohan's list of priorities. Still, he was grateful for his father's honesty, the tension in his chest felt a little less agonising.
"You should get some sleep," said Goku, clapping him on the shoulder and getting to his feet, "Rest is just as -."
"Just as important as training," he finished knowingly, remembering all too well of his father's mantra from years back, "I know, Dad."
Goku chortled, ruffling his hair so that the short spikes stood even further on end, "Then you'd better get to it, else I'll volunteer you first for Piccolo to practice the Mafuba on."
Thankfully, Gohan managed to escape being subjected to the dreaded Evil Containment Wave for another two days. Piccolo was in a deep meditative state for a little under twenty-four hours, sifting through the dark memories of his father and analysing the inner-workings of the technique that had trapped the Demon King for over a century.
Once Piccolo had managed to utilise the technique and enrich it with his Ki, it was time for the live bait. After much resistance from Vegeta, his father had relented and offered himself to be the first victim. Waves of swirling green energy lapped eagerly at every corner of the training bay, hitting its target and carrying them off in a horrific maelstrom of heat and light.
It was powerful, he would give the old Master Mutaito that. It took a few tries and a lot of head injuries (luckily Goku had a hard head), but finally Piccolo had managed to seal him in a luggage trunk.
Apparently, it was more difficult to trap someone in smaller containers, so they decided to use bigger traps firstly so that Piccolo could get used to using the technique without worrying about his aim. The technique certainly used a lot of energy as they had been told, and after the first few Piccolo had to take a break or eat a senzu to restore his life force.
Despite Gohan's initial concerns, his old mentor managed to maintain his stamina for longer with each try. Although, the seed of doubt till lingered, he had only worked his way up to trapping his father in his Super Saiyan form thus far, and Perses was eons stronger than that.
The thought perturbed him, but Piccolo would not back down so easily.
Everyone had agreed to take it in turns to be sealed after Vegeta had nearly murdered them all for testing his containment in what they thought was an empty water bottle. Thankfully, they had forgotten to apply the 'Ofuda' or demon seal to complete the technique and seconds later a gasping and sopping wet prince reappeared.
Still, it was a good test in the fact that it confirmed that the Mafuba was effectively useless without the seal.
In between assisting Piccolo with the containment wave, the others sought to focus on their own training before they arrived at Master Zuno's planet. With so much power being thrown around, Gohan was extremely grateful to Bulma for reinforcing Bessie's structure.
She had even designed Ki deflecting panels much like the ones she used in Vegeta's stand alone gravity chamber, so that Ki would absorb and not burst out the other side and effective destroy the ship and everyone in it.
Deimos had even performed a few protection spells for good measure, which was especially reassuring when Gohan, his father and Vegeta accessed their Divine power.
It was during one such Godly spar did the ship's system begin to bleep wildly, sputtering an exhaustive, "D-D-Dropping out of h-h-hyper sp-speed. D-Destination in sight, M-Master Z-Z-Zuno's Planet."
Gohan had just finished slamming his blue-haired father to the floor with a sickening CLANG!
"Oh, we're here?"
"A-Afirmative, L-Lord G-Goulash…"
"It's GOHAN!" He puffed angrily, he had only reprogrammed the communication systems yesterday in between training sessions. At this point he was certain someone was just messing with him. He made a mental note to have a stern word with Makhai later.
"Owww," Goku groaned from the ground, winded, "No fair, we were just getting started!"
"Sorry, Dad," he sighed, grasping his hand and hauling him to his feet, "We'll pick up from where we left off after I've spoken to Zuno."
Powering down, Gohan made his way to the cockpit with his father at his heels. The metallic doors hissed open, revealing the rest of their crew already waiting for them. Gohan took his place in the Captain's chair, watching and waiting as the white-silvery lights dimmed and became more recognisable as stars.
Bessie shuddered and churned, rocking back and forth as they struggled to slow in speed. Gohan grappled the steering console just as the ship let out another wail, hanging on for dear life as the turbulence threatened to launch them all from their seats.
The noise was grating, like a thousand nails upon a chalkboard as they finally stabilised, the engine letting out one last angry sputter as they hung before a painting of magnificent technicolour. Thousands of swirling stars winked back at them, sheltering distant planets and giving them life. It was quite an amazing sight to behold.
They passed a large yellow world surrounded by several moons. It gave off an eerie glow inside of the cockpit as they jetted past it, its shadows lingering on their relieved faces.
"Well, that wasn't as bad as last time," Goku giggled, "Good job, son!"
"Don't speak too soon, he hasn't landed yet," Kratos said snidely, as Gohan shot him a glare.
"Ahh this reminds me of old times," Makhai sighed with an air of nostalgia, draping himself across the co-pilot's armrest, ""Remember when we used to go on missions where there was only a hint of impending doom?"
"Yes Makhai, we remember," said Eris, rolling her eyes.
"Those were the days," he sighed again, shaking his head, "Oh! And remember when Gohan used to be the bait? That was fun."
"It was not fun."
"It was FUN!" He exclaimed, turning to the Earth-dwellers, "Bless him, he was so little that when we went to visit other worlds we had to tie a balloon to him so that we didn't lose him in a crowd."
Gohan huffed in annoyance, focussing on flying the ship as the others snorted with laughter.
WHAM!
They screamed in unison as something slammed hard into the windshield.
"ARGH!" Makhai yelled, slamming his hand down onto the controls and initiating the wipers, "GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF!"
The wipers did nothing but hit the corpse in the head, but Gohan wasted no time in yanking the steering off to the side, the body slipping back into the darkness where it floated there stiffly, wide eyes white and unseeing.
"What the - ?" Gohan started, peering into the void.
A deep seated feeling of dread filled him suddenly and unexpectedly, as the body unmistakably belonged to one of Master Zuno's attendants. He recognised the long sweeping yellow and green robes almost instantly, along with the symbol of an upside down triangle etched into the man's belt.
The attendant's usual violet skin was now a greyish blue and covered in a thick layer of frost from having suffocated in the vacuum of space. Blood frozen solid underneath oxygen-starved flesh, it was obvious that the poor man had suffered a horrific fate.
A ways past him sat the strange planet that belonged to Zuno. A large forest eclipsed the relatively small world. A hug of browns, ambers, reds and golds forming a shelter of extended limbs that protected the sanctuary that lay far below.
The planet was suspended by long arches of wood, almost like the sphere was nestled in a present box. It gave way to its further mystery, a gateway to the secrets and knowledge of the universe that most could only dream of.
Gohan immediately detected a long plume of smoke and ash escaping the thick, seemingly impenetrable foliage, and what was worse, several more robed bodies lay still and suspended above the trees, slowly drifting into the abyss.
Deimos swallowed hard, his aghast expression much resembling the others, "It looks as though Perses may have beaten us to it."
"Either that, or it's a pretty morbid welcome party," Makhai said darkly.
"I'm going down there," Gohan said boldly, "We need to find out what happened here, I can sense someone still alive. It's faint, but it's still holding on."
"Hold on, how do you know that this isn't just another trick?" Kratos glowered, his eyes hard and defiant.
He shook his head, "No, I can't sense any negative energy. Whoever was here, they left a while ago."
"Then we're coming with you," said Piccolo, cutting across him before he could answer, "No arguing, we don't know what could be lurking down there."
Reluctantly, Gohan obeyed, gesturing at his father, Vegeta and Piccolo to hold onto the others whilst they all teleported out of the ship and down to the planet.
They landed on the deep brown earth with a thump of their feet, appearing in front of an ancient temple. It was made up of white stone and high thatched rooftops, ancient runes and symbols painted expertly onto the walls, decorating every surface.
The stone-paved walkway was lined with more giant trees with leaves of every colour of autumn, they wavered in the none existent breeze, as if mourning the fallen scattered around them.
Gohan counted at least twenty with one sweep of his gaze. Twenty bodies that lay motionless, slumped in death and scattered around them. Crimson blood soaked the soil that the ancient roots would eventually soak up, tainting the serenity of the once peaceful planet with slaughter.
They had been butchered. Every last one of them.
Before he knew it, his feet began to walk. Body and mind on autopilot as he felt the anger rise within him. He could feel his father and his friends not far behind him, their own rage and sorrow palpable in the weighted air.
Zuno and his attendants had been a peaceful people, blessed with knowledge that they shared for a small tribute. They did not wage wars on others or were drawn to any destructive tendencies. They were of a celestial presence, though not entirely God-like. They referred to themselves as servants to the great universe, which of course they were respected for.
They didn't deserve to die.
He had barely made his way into the enormous temple, when he felt it. That same spark of wilting Ki he had sensed earlier.
He took off without a word, leaving the others to scramble after him. He passed more corpses on the way to the throne room, slashed and hacked to shreds, their insides blasted apart and their guts spilled out onto the floor like some kind of gruesome sacrifice.
Empty eyes followed him as he ran, following the energy that was rapidly falling away.
He skidded to a halt when he found it, his worst fear realised, even though he had a sinking feeling of what he was about to find.
The battered, tortured body of Master Zuno lay writhing on the ground from where he had been knocked out of his floating throne. He was almost unrecognisable. Deep blue blood was rapidly haemorrhaging from his large pink body, his oversized head was swollen and bruised, his skull caved in at one side.
Gohan ran to him and Deimos immediately followed, skidding to his knees with his arms outstretched, long lost incantations falling from his lips as he tried desperately to heal him.
"Master Zuno!" Gohan spouted, lifting up his head so that his eyes met his, "Master Zuno, can you hear me?!"
A horrific rasping noise escaped the being's throat, his breath rattled, "L-L-Lord Gohan, is that y-you?"
"Who did this? Who did this to you?!" He started hotly, "Look, I'm sorry but there's no time for a tribute - !"
"T-Tribute?" Zuno almost smiled, "H-Having you here, m-my Lord, is t-tribute enough."
"Then tell me who did this," Gohan heaved, he could feel his Ki wavering even more, sparks jetted out from Deimos' fingertips, but it didn't seem to be doing much at all.
"T-That is not your question, my L-Lord," Master Zuno choked, and more thick blue blood came forth, "Y-You seek the celestial river, the Astra Eridanus."
"Y-Yes," he mustered, "But -."
"The A-Astra Eridanus is the celestial river that runs throughout the m-multiverse," he began, dark eyes dulling, "I-It holds all the m-magic, mystery, life and d-death of everything that e-ever was or ever will b-be. T-Time itself is b-born from it, connecting all s-souls within reality. T-The Astra E-Eridanus' power is used to bond the souls of Supreme Kais and Destroyers from each universe, so that each set of G-Gods of Creation and D-Destruction are l-life linked through i-immersing themselves i-in it's depths. T-The Astra Eridanus is to b-be avoided b-by mortals for i-it - ."
"Where can we find it, Master Zuno?" He tried, attempting to remain respectful over the dying man's rambling, "I know it shifts and changes, so where can we find it if we left now?"
"Y-You will find it's c-current path drifting South-W-West, t-take the route through the M-Moros s-system - cough cough."
Gohan locked eyes with Deimos, who had finally withdrawn. His hands came to rest on his lap, his lips no longer moving. Solemnly, he shook his head.
"Master Zuno," Gohan said quietly, "Please tell us, who did this to you."
He didn't answer for what seemed like a full minute, and Gohan had thought he was already gone when he suddenly rasped.
"Z-Zamasu cough…," he whispered weakly, so weak that he had to bend down to hear him, he was barely clinging on, "And a w-woman. T-They wanted… the… r-relic."
"The Z-Sword," Kratos' booming tone shot towards them, shaped by anger, "A fruitless effort, Master Zuno would not have been able to tell them it's whereabouts, it's a Divine artefact much like the Super Dragonballs."
That wouldn't have stopped Zamasu, Gohan thought bitterly, he must have thought that he could torture the information out of Zuno regardless. He probably enjoyed it too. But who was this woman that Zuno spoke of? He certainly hadn't encountered anyone else working with Zamasu and Perses, unless she was some minion they had picked up on the way to do their bidding.
A rasping, hacking howl of breath rattled over the temple.
"M-My L-Lord," Zuno cried, the effort of his breathing laboured even more, "I-It is n-not just… the s-sword… they s-seek…"
"Master Zuno -," he started, but he was too late.
"He's gone," Goku said sadly.
Gohan scrunched his eyes up tight, before he let out a shuddering breath, and gently placed Zuno's head back on the cold stone floor. He was thankful that his eyelids had closed in his final breath, he didn't want to look at any more deadened stares.
"We'd better get out of here," said Makhai, his gaze not once leaving Zuno's body, "We've stayed too long, they might come back."
"Let them," Vegeta snarled, "I'll gladly show those bastards the path to oblivion if that is what they so desperately seek."
"No," commanded Gohan, steadily rising to his feet, "You guys go back to the ship, I'll meet you there."
"But Gohan -," his father started, just as confused as the others.
"They deserve a proper cremation ritual," he cut across him, staring him out, "It's a Divine practice, and I'd like to do it alone."
Piccolo nodded in understanding, "As you wish, let's go Goku."
"But - !"
Gohan turned away, ignoring his father's protests as he set to work. It was only proper, after all, and he knew that Whis would have approved. He felt their Ki teleport back to the ship as he started to move the bodies.
He had no idea how long it took him, probably an hour or so. Gohan took his time, it was the least he could do as a mark of respect. For this massacre should never had happened.
If only he had gotten there sooner -
No.
He could not dwell. He couldn't allow it.
Instead, one by one each corpse came to rest on the pyre. Stale blood oozed from the cavernous wounds and trickled down the small mountain of bodies like a tranquil stream. The sticky fluid had coated his arms and garb, but Gohan did not pay it much mind as the white hot Ki shot from his palm and connected.
Gold and amber flames ate away at broken flesh and bone, glorious Divine Ki burning through unseeing gazes and faces frozen in screams. Gohan closed his eyes as the heat lapped eagerly at his skin, a solemn prayer drifting through his mind. He couldn't help but allow Bia's warm smile to creep into his mind at that moment, he would have liked for them to have honoured her memory like this.
For all it was worth, duty cast long shadows that replicated the ones made by the pyre, passing over the ancient temple as the furnace continued to smoulder.
And there Gohan stayed.
He stayed until the bodies disappeared and all that remained was ash.
AN: Thanks for sticking with me so far for those enjoying the story! I appreciate it!