A/N: Over 500 followers?! You guys make my life! Thank you so much, I'm so glad you're enjoying to story so far. Okay so this update is out a little quicker than I expected, but I have been diagnosed with Shingles and am currently stuck in the house with nothing to do! So I am abandoning all adult responsibilities and cracking on with this story! Honestly all your reviews are so helpful and lovely and I just can't get over it! Just a little warning, as Gohan is growing up there will be more swear words etc, which is why this is T rated. The rating may have to change to M as the story progresses because of brutal fight scenes, more swearing and possible adult themes.
But yay Gohan is back on Earth! finally! More adventures to follow! As always, enjoy. ES x
Chapter Nine
Back to Earth
xxxx
Northern Wastelands, Planet Earth, Age 775
It was just a normal, peaceful day on the little blue planet at the centre of the Northern Galaxy. The bright May sunshine seemed to encompass most of the continent, bathing the Earthlings in the refreshing waves of warmth that the summer months brought. The majority of the Earth's inhabitants were going about their business as usual, unaware of the brilliant tunnel of light that had just shot through their planets atmosphere, for it was so fast that it was gone quicker than the untrained eye could see. For those who could sense Ki however, it was an entirely different story.
Scattered across the planet as per usual when there wasn't a threat upon the horizon, the Earth's strongest protectors had quite the shock as a great, unyielding power suddenly assaulted their senses. Though before they had time to process such a power, or even pin point just where it had sprang up from without warning, did it vanish completely. The Z-Fighters paused for a moment, sweeping their senses over the entire planet - but nothing. Shrugging to themselves, and passing it off as their minds playing tricks on them, they continued with their respective tasks at hand, completely unawares to the screaming junior Destroyer that had crashed quite unceremoniously into the dusty ground of a desolate wasteland.
"Oof!" Gohan winced in pain, dust flying everywhere as he landed, The Warp dissipating around him in an instant.
"Ha! Called it!"
The teenager ignored Z's laughter, rubbing his sore backside and clambering to his feet. He blinked, realising that he was indeed alone.
"Oi!" He yelled to the skies angrily, "You can't just leave me here!"
Nothing.
"Tough break kid."
He huffed in annoyance when he received no answer, although he really wasn't expecting one. He had to somehow bribe Whis to teach him that technique. Then again, he was too weary of Lord Beerus using it, let alone the mischievous half-saiyan. Gohan sighed, relenting in the fact that he was now stuck on Earth. The only solace he had gained was the fact that he had enough sense to hide his Ki as he had entered the atmosphere, if he hadn't, he would have no doubt that the Z-Fighters would already be upon him. He groaned, running his hands over his face as the breeze blew his ceremonial garb around him. Why did he even agree to this?
Still, being back on Earth was a rather nice feeling. Bright blue skies and fluffy white clouds were a stark contrast to the dark amber and red of Beerus' planet. However, looking around, he couldn't depict just where in the HFIL he was. A desolate wasteland greeted him, the earth dry and cracked underneath his boots. He frowned, depicting various craters and crevices around him. There were no trees or life of any sorts, rock formations lay crumbled on the ground and what looked like ash and scorch marks were evident amongst the beige backdrop. If he was any sort of Destroyer in training, he would assume that what stood before him was the aftermath of an epic battle…Oh…
A shiver suddenly ran the length of his spine and down to the place where his tail used to be. The scenery was now all too familiar, and the memories that he had long since suppressed came flooding to the surface. His stomach churned uncomfortably, and if his heart was any use at all he was certain that it would be pounding by now. He had no doubt of the reason why he had landed here, his soul must still be connected somehow.
This was the last place that he had set foot on Earth. This was where he had died.
The Cell Games arena.
He suppressed another shudder, swallowing the lump in his throat and kicking off from the ground with the idea of getting as far away from the wasteland as possible. Yet as soon as he lifted into the air, he stopped short. Something glinted in the sunlight, catching his eye from the other side of an enormous crater. Curious, the young saiyan floated towards it, and his heart caught in his throat when he realised what it was.
He landed swiftly, his onyx eyes fixated on the bronze statue in front of him. It shined brightly in the glare of the sunlight, and seemed to be the only thing standing for miles. His own, young face grinned out at him, donned in the gi that was reminiscent of his old mentor. Short spikes stuck out at odd angles atop his head, capturing the wildness of his once short hair. A long bronze cape, complete with shoulder pads, was stagnant in a non existent breeze. His face was youthful, happy, his stance strong with his arms folded across his chest.
Gohan had thought that he had looked so cool back then, his eleven year old self had wanted to be just like Mister Piccolo, coupled with all the strength and bravery of him and his father. He gulped, his chest becoming tight with emotion as he stared at the statue of himself. Who erect such a thing? Preserve the memory of a boy whose cockiness and rage had cost the life of his father and endangered his friends, as well as the entire Earth? It was only then did he notice the vast array of flowers surrounding the bronze depiction.
It wasn't a monument at all, it was a grave.
Brushing away some of the flowers that were deadened, he uncovered the plaque that lay at his eleven year old feet.
The final resting place of Son Gohan
18th May Age 757 - 26th May Age 767
Beloved Son, Friend and Hero
The Last Enemy That Will Be Destroyed Is Death
The teenager couldn't help but snort at the last line. It was sort of ironic, when his current role in the universe was effectively Death itself.
He sighed, noticing that candles and trinkets accompanied the flowers, along with a few childish drawings and old, sad looking teddybears. He had been rather young when he had died after all. The grave was well kept, he observed, and not much dust around considering where it was situated. He hesitated for a moment, but decided it might be too much to read the notes and letters attached to the flowers.
Suddenly, a spark of Ki alerted his senses, causing him to incline his head towards the horizon. The energy didn't seem extremely powerful or familiar, which put him at ease. He certainly wasn't ready to run into his family and friends just yet, and was willing to hide it out and avoid them altogether before Whis finally realised that his plan was ridiculous and futile and came to take him home. But alas he needed answers on how to achieve this Super Saiyan God form, whatever it was, or else face the probable wrath of Perses unprepared.
A mustard yellow jet flew overhead, it's blades whipping against the air and causing his hair to blow back from his face. The words 'SATAN' were emblazoned onto the side of the copter, and struck Gohan with a sense of familiarity, though he couldn't remember just where he had heard the name before. Curiosity getting the better of him, as it always did, the young saiyan stayed in place as the helicopter landed a short distance away. He watched as the door to the cockpit opened, and out stepped a teenage girl. She wore a long white t-shirt that reached her thighs, along with tight ripped jeans and fighting boots, fingerless gloves adorning her hands. She had tied her long raven hair back into two pigtails that cascaded down her back and reached her petite waist. Her dark hair contrasted brilliantly with her deep sapphire eyes that surveyed the area before she jumped from the cockpit and landed effortlessly upon the dusty ground.
Gohan's throat ran dry all of a sudden, and he couldn't help but notice that she was incredibly beautiful, and surprisingly rather strong for a human. He shook himself mentally as he realised that he was staring, his onyx eyes darting all over her curves, Whis would no doubt smack him over the head with his sceptre for that. The teenager had had numerous crushes over the years, and had been rather taken with a princess from an alien planet at one time. Though as his mentor had informed him, a Destroyer God's work included no time for girlfriends.
"Hubba hubba!" Z wolf whistled, though before the halfling could scold him, he realised that the girl was merely a foot away from him.
Her eyes suddenly widened at the sight of him standing there, "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realise anyone else was here."
"It's fine," he managed to force out, swallowing the lump in his throat and giving her a reassuring smile as she approached. There was something about her eyes that he couldn't quite put his finger on, though it made a strange feeling erupt in his stomach, "I was just leaving."
"Oh please, don't leave on my behalf," she implored, and it was then did Gohan notice that she had a bunch of flowers in her hands, "I just came to replace these."
He stared at her, intrigued, as the raven haired girl bustled about beside him. She picked up a glass vase closest to the engraving, and replaced the dying flowers with fresh ones.
"Daisies?" he asked, causing a little heat to rise to her cheeks.
"Yeah, what of it?" she snapped suddenly, her eyes narrowing dangerously at him.
He blinked in surprise, sensing a challenge from her. She must have thought he was teasing her, and from the challenging stare she was readying herself to shoot him down. Or punch him, one or the other. "Er nothing," he mustered, "I just thought it was an odd flower choice. It's not a bad thing though."
She stared at him for a moment, before accepting his answer, her delicate hand reaching out to rearrange the new flowers.
Odd.
"Well, usually people put lilies and forget-me-not's," she explained finally, "but I just think that those are a bit morbid. Daisies are… well, they symbolise hope and innocence, which is what he is all about I suppose."
Gohan frowned, looking towards the statue and back to the girl. Maybe it had been true once, but he hadn't been innocent since he had lost control against Cell.
"What did you bring?" she asked suddenly, this girl seemed just as curious about him as he was her.
"Oh, nothing," he said simply, but quickly realised that this may have been the wrong thing to say, "I've er, never been here before. I've been away, it's just odd to see me- er him like this."
"Did you know him?" she asked softly, tearing her eyes away from her work and staring intently at him.
He sighed, "An old friend."
"I'm sorry," the girl said sincerely, her fierceness having dissipated. Slowly, she looked back up at the bronze saviour of Earth, "Your friend was great person, he was selfless. He saved me, you know."
"Pardon?" he asked, whipping his head towards her. There was definitely something about those eyes.
"I was there at the Cell Games," she told him, her gaze never leaving the statute, "I snuck into the boot of my dad's car so that I could watch him fight up close. There was no way that I was going to be stuck watching it on TV at home like everyone else. Cell, that monster, he was about to fire an attack, and Gohan saved me. He was so quick that I didn't even notice I wasn't dead until I was flying through the air. I'll never forget what he did. So I come here once every month. Change the flowers, clean the statue, it's the least I could do."
Gohan gaped at her, unable to stop himself, "Wait, you're the girl from the Cell Games?!"
She sighed, pointing at herself as if it was obvious, "Um yeah, you know, the former World Champ's daughter? The little nutcase that nearly got herself killed? It was all over the news at the time."
"Your dad is Mister Satan?" He spluttered, attempting not to laugh out loud as he thought of the big hairy goof of a man who got knocked out of the ring by Cell with what was effectively a bitch slap.
And did she say former Champion? There must have been another martial arts tournament whilst he had been gone. That would make it at least five years since he had died.
She rolled her eyes, "Wow you really have been away, have you been living under a rock?"
"Something like that," he couldn't help but grin at her.
The Satan girl gave him a wry smile, before sighing, the sky was steadily growing amber, much resembling Lord Beerus' planet. The halfling blinked in the realisation that he hadn't seen a sunset in a very long time. Well, none as spectacular as this.
"It's strange to think that it's nearly been eight years hasn't it? It doesn't seem that long ago really," she sighed next to him.
He nodded his head, as violet started to intermingle with - wait, what?!
"E-eight years?!" Gohan yelped, as the girl looked towards him in alarm, "You're telling me it's been eight years?!"
He grasped at his chest desperately, he was hyperventilating. Eight years? That meant he was nineteen! Nineteen years old and he had just screamed like a little girl, in front of a very pretty girl who he had just met. And he was now on his hands and knees, pulling at his hair and muttering so many obscenities that he was surprised that The Supreme Kai didn't strike him down where he lay. Had it really been THAT long?!
"Are you alright?!" The girl gasped, suddenly alarmed as she kneeled to his height.
Gohan wasn't calming down, and he was on the verge of having a panic attack when a loud slapping noise reached his ears. He jumped, realising from hearing alone that the ballsy girl had slapped him in order to knock some sense into him.
"Ow!" she winced, wringing her wrist, "What the bloody hell is your face made of?!"
"S-sorry!" He gasped, grabbing onto her hand and pulling them to their feet, healing it instantly with a shock of Ki. Though luckily the girl didn't notice, and it was so fast that she thought it had just smarted a little, rather than broken her fingers. He really needed to lower his guard.
"Sorry," he repeated, as the girl eyed him, "It's just… it's just been a long day."
The teen saiyan gulped, realising she hadn't said anything in over a minute.
Slowly, she crept towards him, her mouth opening in shock "When you said you'd been away… have you been in the hospital?"
"Hospital?" He frowned.
"Sorry to pry," she said, concern in her eyes, "But you said you'd been away, and the way you just reacted only tells me that you don't know how much time has passed since your friend died. Did you have amnesia or something?"
He stared at her, hesitating. Well he couldn't bloody well tell her the truth could he? This girl did seem smart, and she was certainly nosy. His brain told him to go with it against his better judgement, hopefully Whis would figure something out that didn't involve Earth and come and pick him up soon.
"Let's see," she continued, not giving the young saiyan chance to answer, "Do you know what year this is?"
"Uh…" he started, quickly adding the numbers in his head, "Age seven-hundred and seventy-five."
"What date?"
Shit.
"I rest my case," she said smugly, before her eyes softened, "Why didn't you say anything? You poor bugger. It's obvious to me now, you must have just come out of the hospital and thrown on the first clothes you came across!"
Gohan's nose wrinkled in annoyance, as he folded his arms protectively over his ceremonial garb.
"Where did you find those anyway?" she teased, "In a fancy dress shop? They're so weird!"
"I, uh, don't remember?" he squeaked.
The girl sighed, pulling on his arm, "Come on, you're coming home with me."
"W-what?" he asked, this girl was incredibly odd.
She rolled her eyes at his reluctance, "I'm not going to leave a lost boy all alone after finding out he's had amnesia for Kami knows how long. You need some proper clothes and food in your belly. I'm heading to my dad's first for dinner because I only moved into my own place a couple of months ago so it's a bit of a mess. But don't worry, we'll eat there and then you can sleep on my sofa until you're back on your feet. My dad's a bit of a pain in the arse but he won't be opposed to an extra house guest."
Gohan stared at her in disbelief, he hadn't been bossed around like this by anyone other than two certain deities in a very long time. Something told him from the determined look in her eyes that he wasn't going to get away with not accepting the pretty girl's offer so easily. Though food did seem amazing right now, and it was getting late.
Slowly he smiled, "Well, in that case, might I know the name of my saviour?"
"Oh!" She flushed, realising that neither of them had exchanged names, "It's Videl. What's yours?
Double shit!
"Or can't you remember?" Videl asked, wincing a little incase she had caused offence.
"Um, no it's uh, Beerus!" he blurted, without thinking.
"What?" Videl blinked.
What?
"What?" chimed Z.
"Yeah, Beerus," he repeated, not wanting to seem stupid. In all honesty the young saiyan wanted to slap himself. He had just said the first name had come to mind! Dammit!
"Hmm that's a strange name," she observed, before breaking out into a smile, "Well, let's go Beerus. I can fill you in on everything you've missed after dinner."
Gohan sighed, before following the girl into her jetcopter. Well, at least no one was familiar with the name Beerus the Destroyer this far North of the galaxies, or else he was certain that utter chaos would unleash.
The ride in Videl's jetcopter was unbearably slow, and he couldn't help but think that if Lord Beerus were here then he would have destroyed the Earth in annoyance and condemned any such vehicle like it in the universe straight to HFIL. Though Gohan wasn't as temperamental as the purple kitty cat, and even though it was slow, he couldn't help but enjoy the scenery.
Clusters of lights twinkled at him like constellations from below as they flew over numerous villages and cities. He could just make out the green foliage of grass, forests and trees, along with snow capped mountains in the distance as they headed further East. It was like seeing it from the other side, and he was having a very similar reaction to when he had first set foot on Beerus' planet. Had he ever admired Earth's beauty like this before? A part of him couldn't help but think that he had taken it for granted in all the years he had been alive.
As the sky grew darker, the shadow of the Eastern mountains drew closer, and Gohan started to panic a little, realising that they were heading straight for his former home. He had to force himself not to sense for his parent's Ki. No, prophecy or not, he would wait it out until Whis picked him up. He couldn't risk seeing them, or else it would be even harder to tear himself away. He had a job to do after all, and he wouldn't let the universe implode because of him.
"Um, Videl?" he asked, causing her sapphire eyes to avert to him momentarily before focusing on where she was going, "Just how far East are we going?
"Oh we'll be landing shortly," she smiled, as he sighed in relief, "Dinner should already be waiting."
He smiled back, "Thanks."
And descend they did, passing over an enormous sign that read 'Welcome to Orange Star City!' before flying over the town centre that was vibrant with life and light. Videl smiled at the look on his face, as the young saiyan had pressed his face to the glass, watching the hustle and bustle of Earthlings below. The city seemed to glow an array of bright colours, and he could make out people decorating the streets with streamers, balloons and strings of fairy lights. Large crowds seemed to circulate around various pubs and similar establishments, and a giant billboard was being erected in the middle of the town square, though all he could depict from it from this height was a flash of golden paint.
"They're getting the streets set up for the celebrations," she informed him, sighing at the confused look he gave her, "It's the eighth year anniversary of The Cell Games in two days."
Gohan's frown only deepened. Why would the Earthlings be celebrating with such gusto? To be fair the planet was saved from being annihilated, but that fate had been avoided on numerous occasions before, and from his recollection the Earthlings had never celebrated so enthusiastically so many years after the event.
Videl shook her head, mistaking the look on his face for something entirely different altogether, "Kami, we're going to have to hope that your memory comes back soon, just how much can you remember?"
"Uh, last time I checked, The Cell Games were pretty much the last thing," he informed her, it wasn't a complete lie after all.
"What happened?" she asked in a sympathetic tone.
The teenager sweated, damn it this girl didn't stop asking questions!
"I er, hit my head," he said stupidly, "I was out in the city when The Cell Games were happening, and with all the earthquakes going on, I fell over and blacked out. The next thing I remember was waking up this morning in the hospital!"
"You fell over?" she quirked disbelievingly.
"It's as stupid as it sounds!" He laughed nervously.
"Idiot," mustered Z from his sheathe.
"Shut. Up!" Gohan hissed through gritted teeth, though thankfully Videl didn't seem to hear him.
"Wow I can't believe you've been out of it for that long," she continued, "Don't worry though Beerus, if your memory doesn't come back then I've got a couple of friends that could help you out."
He frowned, did she mean a psychiatrist or something?
"Well, this is us!" She beamed, as the pavement grew nearer and they landed with a small bump.
Feeling rather cramped, Gohan eagerly clambered out of the copter and took a good look around him. He had to admit that he was impressed. They were in a very posh looking neighbourhood. With large high rising houses that were gated and hidden behind beautiful green trees. The street was ridiculously clean, with a shiny red post box in the middle of the pavement. They were stood in front of the gates of what looked like the largest house on the street. Four stories high, with enormous bay windows, stone flagged stepped led up to a large double oak door with a brass knocker on the front. The gates were wrought iron, and behind them lay a pebbled path that led up to the house.
Videl smiled, "A little much I know, but Dad used to be the world martial arts champion after all."
"You say used to be," said Gohan thoughtfully, "Was there another tournament?"
"Oh yeah, last year," she informed him, and the young saiyan instantly picked up an aura of darkness and sadness around her, "Dad technically won, but a lot of stuff happened and people got disqualified, he didn't have chance to fight anyone really. Rather than winning by default he renounced his title until the next tournament. He's a good man like that."
He frowned, wondering why the boastful buffoon he remembered would do something so selfless as Videl reached up to press the buzzer, although he couldn't help but wonder if his father and the others had competed. He wouldn't put it past them. But why didn't anyone win? He had a funny feeling that he was missing something.
"Shit," Videl whispered suddenly, retracting her hand away from the buzzer so fast as if she had been burned, "I forgot to say, one of my dad's friends is staying…"
Gohan blinked, noticing the way she had wrinkled her nose in distaste.
"He's an odd looking fellow," she informed him, "But he's alright really. A little protective over his food, so just make sure you sit far away from him at dinner okay? He trains at the dojo with Dad, he's uh, lets just say he's not from around here."
He nodded, processing all the information. Protective over his food? Huh, sounded a lot like a certain God of Destruction in his opinion.
Giving him another smile, she pressed the buzzer and voiced her presence to whomever the operator was. The gates swung open to allow them passage, but no sooner were they near the front steps did the large oak doors swing open and non other than the Champ himself appear.
The young saiyan raised an eyebrow, Hercule Satan hadn't really changed that much since the last time he had seen him. He still sported that ridiculous afro, sideburns and trimmed beard that stretched over his enormous jaw. He was dressed casually in grey sweatpants and a black tank top, that did nothing to cover the hairiness of his muscular chest and arms.
He regarded Videl with the same sparkling sapphire eyes as she, giving her a wide grin and letting out a bellow of laughter that thundered over the gardens.
"Sweet-pea!" He bellowed lovingly, "I wondered where you had gotten to! It was getting late and I was about to ring the police department and-!"
"Dad," the raven-haired girl interrupted, looking slightly embarrassed, "Will you stop fussing? I'm nineteen for goodness sake! And I am the police department, nothing bad is going to happen!"
Mister Satan chuckled, moving to embrace her, which she allowed with a playful roll of her eyes.
"Oh I've missed you so much! It's been so long since you visited!"
"I was here yesterday!" she protested, though the amusement was evident in her tone.
"Well you can't blame a man for worrying about his baby girl-!"
Hercule suddenly stopped dead, as he caught sight of the tall, muscular young man in odd clothes standing next to his daughter.
"And just who is this boy?" He growled, his demeanour doing a complete one-eighty as he positively glared at him.
He blinked, he certainly hadn't received a greeting like that in a while. Usually, people would automatically cower in his presence. It was actually rather refreshing.
"Daddy," Videl warned, catching on quickly, "This is Beerus. I found him wondering around Son Gohan's grave earlier, he's got amnesia and by the sounds of it only remembers snippets of his life."
"Really now?" he glowered, giving him a scrutinising gaze, "And just what do you call that get up your wearing? Looks like some kind of punk to me."
"Dad," the girl pressed, before Gohan could open his mouth in an angry retort, "He remembered that Son Gohan was a friend so be nice."
Mister Satan regarded him for a few moments before breaking out into a dazzling smile, "Beerus eh? Well you're a lucky young man being picked up by my Videl here. Such a sweet girl she is, helping out where she can. Now listen up sonny, I'd be happy to help with this amnesia business you've got going on, but I don't want you trying anything funny with my daughter!"
"Dad!" the daughter in question positively seethed, "It's not like that! It's just dinner, and I'm going to try and figure out how to help him tomorrow!"
"Yeah don't worry Mister Satan," Gohan chuckled, "I'll be out of your's and Videl's hair in no time at all."
"Now that's what I like to hear!" He chortled, clapping him on the back before pulling him into the house.
Videl rolled her eyes behind her father's back, giving Gohan an exasperated look.
The young saiyan grinned back, just as Mister Satan started talking his ear off about which limb he would rip off first if he were to ever to lay a finger on his 'precious baby girl'. Gohan wasn't really listening, and instead was admiring the grandeur of the house. Beautifully painted pictured lined the walls, framed by golden patterns and strung over white washed walls. The floor was made of marble, with mahogany tables lining the huge hallway. A spiral staircase stood in front of them, leading up to the upper levels, where Gohan could see a glistening chandelier dangling from the top ceiling.
After a whistle stop tour of the house, in which Hercule was eager to show the teenager his gun collection much to Videl's despair, did they finally sit down for dinner. It was rather odd, sitting at the dining table with the girl he had saved from The Cell Games and her ignoramus father who had mellowed out significantly in his opinion. He couldn't help but think that it was due to what the man had seen against Cell eight years ago, the Z-Fighter's power must have both terrified and humbled him. It was clear that the Satan's were rich, and Mister Satan's popularity hadn't wavered despite his loss in world champion status. Butlers brought out all kinds of delicious foods that Gohan hadn't realised he had missed so much and as consequence was devouring everything that they put in front of him with impressive gusto. Videl and her father were staring at him with a mixture of horror, awe and disgust. He had forgotten how just how good the food on Earth was, and he made a mental note to take some of it back to Lord Beerus and Whis. His tastebuds were in heaven!
"It's the amnesia," he informed them in between bites, "I can't remember the last time I ate!"
Videl gave him an amused look, "You certainly have an appetite, I've only seen a handful of people eat like that."
"Just hungry," he shrugged with a smile, before gulping down an entire steak and kidney pudding whole.
Suddenly, a tingle presented itself in the base of his neck. He stopped eating abruptly, as an immensely powerful Ki approached. His eyes widened, as a blob of a creature entered the dining room, an aura of crippling energy surrounding him. He was huge and bulbous, with pink gelatinous skin and squinty dark eyes. He wore baggy white trousers and boots, along with a black waistcoat that barely stretched over his bulging belly, and a small purple cape that was tied underneath numerous chins.
"Ah there you are Buu!" Hercule chimed happily, "All your food is ready for you."
Buu? As in Majin Buu?! What. The. Actual. Fuck.
"Beerus? Is something wrong?" Videl asked him worriedly, as all his eating had abruptly come to a halt.
But Gohan was glowering at the monster in front of him. Just what the bloody hell was that horrid creature doing here? In Mister Satan's house of all things! He remembered The Supreme Kai informing Whis that Majin Buu had been defeated. He had nearly had to step in after he and Whis had found out that the beast had been unleashed and The Supreme Guard were already on a similarly dangerous mission. Though, before he could travel to the Sacred Realm of The Kai's, Z-Sword in hand, Shin had informed Whis that Gohan's assistance was not needed, and that mortal warriors had been able to defeat Buu.
Mortal warriors? He had never thought… was the planet Majin Buu had been imprisoned in Earth? Could it be that his father…? But if that was true, then it didn't make any sense at all! Majin Buu was still alive! Here on Earth! Sitting across from him happily and about to tuck into a ridiculous amount of food even by Gohan's standards. He couldn't risk it. Buu needed to be eliminated. He would need to be destroyed on the spot and he would have to get the hell out of the Satan Mansion and take shelter in a cave somewhere. The halfling would have to be extremely careful, as firing a blast would cause too much destruction, and he would hate for Videl and Mister Satan to get caught in it. That, and it would alert the Z-Fighters to his presence on Earth.
No, he thought, shaking his head. He would paralyse him, phase out, erase him, and leave. It was the only safe way to do it. Yet as the junior Destroyer was mulling over his thoughts, the Majin stopped inhaling his meal, and stared at the young saiyan with beetle black eyes, regarding him curiously.
"Boy strong," he stated, causing Videl and Hercule to look towards them.
"Boy very strong," Buu said again, "Boy play with Buu?"
The teenager stared, observing the talking pink blob. This creature was just like a child! It didn't make sense, but somehow he couldn't depict any dark energy coming from him. To his right, Mister Satan started to panic.
"Er Buu?! Why don't you play later with the strong ones eh?" He gulped, falling over his words, "Beerus is sick you see, he's not strong at all! Why don't you eat your food and you can go and play with them tomorrow eh?"
To Gohan's astonishment, Buu smiled happily, "Okay Mister Satan!"
He blinked, as Majin Buu returned to his meal. He was…different. Certainly not the demon of chaos that he had been warned about. And who were these 'strong ones' Mister Satan was referring to? Alarm bells were ringing in his head, so much so that he stood up abruptly from the table, gaining the other's attention.
"Er, is there a bathroom I could use?" he asked quickly, causing Mister Satan to blink at his sudden outburst.
"Um, of course," he informed him, "The closest one is down the corridor on your left, past the kitchens."
Gohan uttered a small 'thanks' before racing from the room. He found the enormous bathroom in no time at all, and bolted the door behind him, materialising his communication device out of thin air. No sooner had he pressed the button, did his mentor's smiling face appear on the screen.
"Ah Gohan!" Whis beamed, "Don't tell me that you've found out how to turn into a Super Saiyan God already? I must say I'm rather impressed!"
"Tell me everything you know about Majin Buu," the young saiyan cut across him seriously, breathing heavily in an attempt to keep himself calm, "Before I eliminate him."
"Majin Buu?" The Angel blinked, "Whatever for?"
Gohan sighed, and proceeded to tell his master what he had found.
"My my," Whis chuckled when he had finished, "No more than a few hours on Earth and you've ran straight into Majin Buu. You certainly are a magnet for trouble my boy."
"Will you just explain why that pink monstrosity is still alive please?" The teen saiyan said haughtily, "And why he is currently having a cosy dinner with the Satan's as if that's normal?!"
"Oh alright," huffed Whis, before the distinct tap of his staff was heard, and a holographic image of the fat Majin appeared right before him in Mister Satan's bathroom.
"Ah yes this is very interesting," Whis' voice echoed around him, "It seems that Majin Buu is not a threat to the Satans, the Earth or anyone else for that matter."
"But that doesn't make any sense!" Gohan protested, "He shouldn't even be here in the first place! Didn't The Supreme Kai say that he had been defeated?"
"Well, in a way yes," said Whis, "But it is a little more complicated than that. Majin Buu was defeated, but not this version of the creature."
"I'm confused," he deadpanned.
"Let me show you what I mean," the Angel sighed, before the figure of Buu disappeared and in it's place materialised a short demon-like creature, with similar pink skin. It's eyes were manic, it's sharp teeth bared as it laughed silently to the heavens, it's fists pounding on it's chest in rapid succession.
"What is that thing?!" gaped the teen, the child-like monster was certainly disturbing.
"The true form of Majin Buu," Whis explained, "As you may already know from your avid reading, Perses himself created that monster and set it on the Supreme Kai's themselves. Though despite popular belief, Majin Buu didn't kill them, instead he absorbed their entities. This meant that Buu's original evil soul was soothed and warped by good, the good that you see in this living version of Buu."
Gohan watched with horror, as the images flew around the room, and he watched the manic monster absorb the wounded Kai's, his body changing shape with each absorption until he moulded into the fat Buu that had sat across from him at the dining table.
"After much effort, Buu was captured and sealed in an impregnable prison, buried within the surface of a planet that was still in it's infancy," said Whis, as the unmistakable image of Planet Earth appeared before him.
The teenager couldn't believe it, Perses' greatest weapon had been trapped within the Earth's core all that time. Even when he was still living on it. Things had a very funny way of working out.
"Bibidi, the wizard whom Perses bribed to do his bidding had a son named Babidi, who it seems unleashed Buu of his own accord in order to take control of the universe," his mentor continued, as he watched Buu's escape play out right there in the bathroom. The wizard, who looked more like a flea in his opinion, watched Buu appear with glee.
Gohan's eyes widened, and a pang rippled across his chest as images of his father, Vegeta and Piccolo appeared before him, bloodied and covered in battle filth as they attacked the beast all at once. The rest of the Z-Fighters flashed over the bathroom, the blasts firing from their palms illuminating the tiles in a colourful glow.
"It seems that these mortal warriors who defeated Majin Buu were your father and his friends," said Whis, "Though they had a long fight ahead of them, the goodness in Buu overpowered the bad, and by help of Mister Satan's friendship he was able to expel the evil within."
Another image of the smaller Buu materialised in front of him, as he watched his battle-worn father in all his super saiyan glory backhand the evil imp across a violet sky that no doubt belonged to The Supreme Kai's sacred world.
"It was your father that delivered the final blow," the Angel continued, as the glow of the spirit bomb shone brightly over the bathroom, and the evil entity of Buu's original form disintegrated before his eyes, "Though he honoured Mister Satan's request to keep the good Buu alive. I don't think Prince Vegeta was too pleased about the arrangement, but it seems that Mister Satan has been true to his word and has kept Buu in line so far."
The young saiyan blinked, trying to process all the information as the hologram disappeared into thin air. It was certainly crazy, but nice in a way to think that his father and his friends were still working together to protect the Earth like they always had done. He wondered if the battle with Majin Buu would have gone a lot differently if he was around. If he was completely honest with himself, he didn't think that he would have spared any part of that monster.
"Ah yes," Whis nodded, still gathering information about the event, "It seems that the Earthlings even used the Earth's dragonballs a few months afterwards to wipe everyones memory of Majin Buu, except for those in your little group. Hmm the events must have been quite traumatic for them."
Gohan felt his chest grow tight, a guilty feeling plaguing his stomach. If he had known that Majin Buu had been attacking Earth, then such damage could have easily been avoided he was sure. He certainly would have had the power to put an end to Buu.
"Oh fiddlesticks," his mentor cursed, breaking him out of his thoughts.
"What?" he asked, frowning.
Whis sighed, "Oh it's nothing too bad. It's just that if you were planning on using the dragonballs as a last resort to find out about this Super Saiyan God from then you won't be able to use them for another month in this case. It hasn't quite been a year since they were last used."
"Figures," The teenager groaned, "So you're basically saying either suck it up and ask Vegeta or wait it out for a month?"
"The choice is yours alone," said Whis, causing the halfling to scoff.
"It's not like I even chose to come here, I - hello?" Gohan mustered realising that his communicator had gone blank. "Whis? Helloooooooo?"
Knock knock knock.
He jumped, as there was a loud pounding of a fist on the door behind him.
"Beerus? Are you alright in there?" came Videl's worried tone.
"Just fine!" he called back, banishing his device in an instant.
"Are you sure?" she asked, "I could have sworn that I heard you talking to someone."
"Er, yeah," Gohan mustered weakly, "I er, talk to myself a lot?"
"O-kay," Videl replied a little apphrehensively, before he heard whispers from the other side of the door.
"See? I told you Videl, he's a weirdo!" Mister Satan hissed, "I'm not happy about him staying in your apartment, why don't you let him stay here instead?"
"With Buu running around the place?" she scoffed, "You heard him earlier, he wanted to fight him for some reason! And besides, he'll be sleeping on the sofa. He seems innocent enough, he's just lost and scared."
"Well…" the man mustered reluctantly, "Well alright. I know you can handle yourself sweetheart. But any funny business and you be sure to call me, I'll be round there like a shot and tear that scrawny little punk limb from limb!"
Gohan sighed, resting the back of his head against the doorframe in despair. If he didn't find out a way to get information out of Vegeta without looking too suspicious then this was going to be a very, very long month.
Although it looked like a small building, the area that Videl lived in seem rather nice. The streets were clean and the pavement below them was framed by large oak trees, the green leaves wavering in the slight breeze. The stars had started to appear in the sky above, though he couldn't see much of them in the middle of the city, what with the polluted air. It was a bit disappointing, though he didn't have time to dwell on the fact, as Videl had quickly decapsulised her jet and was already dragging him down the stairwell that led to her apartment.
The place itself was a lot smaller than he was expecting, though that could have been due to the fact that he was so used to his enormous sleeping quarters back on Beerus' world. Videl's apartment consisted of a well equipped kitchen come living room, which housed a plush sofa and comfy looking armchair that surrounded a fairly sized TV. A bookcase, along with a few paintings and martial arts posters lined the walls, and scented candles that he just knew would tickle his sensitive nose when lit were dotted around the place. The coffee table similarly had books upon it, along with a laptop and a used coffee mug. Several cups and plates were drying on the draining board in the kitchen, and a stack of files and papers were spread out on the kitchen table. He caught sight of a doorway which no doubt led to her bedroom, along with another that he could see housed a bathroom. It was small, yet cosy. Though it was evident that she had not longed moved in, judging by the stacks of boxes next to the doorway, which still had bits of junk sticking out of them.
"WOOF!"
"GAH!" Gohan yelped in surprise, not one to be caught off guard by any means, as he was suddenly bowled over by a large labrador retriever that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. The young saiyan cursed himself, as the excitable dog proceeded to slobber all over his face with his wet tongue. He blamed his lack of concentration and jumpy demeanour on his current predicament, for the familiar sights and sounds of Earth were utterly overwhelming his senses.
"Bee!" Videl scolded, grabbing the pup by the collar and hauling him off the poor teen on the floor, "Bee no! Get off him! Sit! I said sit!"
Finally, Bee obeyed, coming to heel at the girl's feet, although his tail continued to wag frantically.
"Sorry about that," Videl cringed, "I don't know what has gotten into him, he doesn't usually like strange men."
"Lucky me," the junior Destroyer drawled, wiping his sodden face with his sleeve and glaring at the mutt that was panting happily beside Videl. She did not mention that she had a dog.
"He might not look like it, but he's still in his puppy phase," she explained, as Gohan begrudgingly got back to his feet, "I'm still training him."
Bee whined, as he started forwards toward the halfling once more, prompting Videl to drag him back again, "Bee! Ugh calm down you daft dog! Just what has gotten into you?"
"Don't worry," she huffed, giving Gohan an apologetic smile, "I'll keep him in my room tonight so that he doesn't bother you."
"It's alright," he replied, though he eyed the labrador uncertainty, he wasn't used to things pouncing on him so enthusiastically.
"Why don't you make yourself comfortable?" said Videl, gesturing to the sofa behind them, "I'll go and see if I've got any baggy clothes you can borrow."
"Thanks," the teen saiyan smiled, as she and Bee disappeared into the confines of her bedroom. He sighed as he sank into the cushions, casting his gaze around the living room. Well at least this set up was better than finding a cave to sleep in for the night, he thought. However, his outlook changed, when he saw the clothes that Videl had provided for him.
And so there he was around ten minutes later, the junior Destroyer of universe seven, sat across from a headstrong girl and her mangey dog on the sofa in her small apartment, dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants that were so short that they didn't even reach his ankles. That was nothing compared to the bright pink t-shirt he was wearing, which was so small that it stretched over his muscular torso, causing the fabric to gather. His entire navel was on show - resembling some kind of crop top, though to his annoyance it only made the glittery unicorn on the front look even more disfigured.
Oh how the mighty had fallen.
"I'm sorry about the shirt," Videl mustered, passing him a pillow and a couple of blankets, though it was evident that she was trying to keep herself from laughing, "It was a birthday present from my friend Erasa, though thankfully it was too big on me. I don't really do pink."
"Funny that, neither do I," Gohan griped, attempting to pull the uncomfortable shirt over his belly button once more before dumping the pillow on the sofa and getting ready to settle down for the night.
Videl snorted in amusement, though her eyes softened slightly as she spoke, "I'm sorry about my dad earlier, he can be a little overprotective."
"It's fine really," he replied, smoothing out the blankets, "I like him, he's a funny bloke."
Though he couldn't help but think but 'little' was an understatement. He had thought that Whis and Beerus were overprotective of him - honestly, he only got lost in the demon realm one time, and it was as if all of HFIL had broken loose.
It took a moment for him to realise that Videl was looking at him as though he was crazy. Attempting to avert the conversation away from the awkwardness of Mister Satan, the halfling drew her attention to the bookcase behind her. The majority of books were on martial arts, and he spotted a large number of trophies and medals displayed on the shelves amongst them.
"So, you're a martial artist?" he asked, nodding towards the trophies.
"Sort of," she replied off-handedly, "I've been training since I was seven."
"With your dad?"
"Yeah, but I don't train so much with him anymore," said Videl, suddenly becoming more interested in the glass of water in her hands.
Gohan raised an eyebrow, he had interrogated a lot of people over the years, and from his experience he could see by her nervous gesture that she was definitely hiding something. Still, whatever it was wasn't any of his concern, he doubted he would see her again after he had gotten hold of Vegeta or the dragonballs.
Wait...
Videl and her father knew about Majin Buu, including his destructive nature from what he could gather from their whispers outside of the bathroom earlier. And Whis had said that the Z-Fighters had wished for the Earthlings memory of Majin Buu to disappear apart from those that were directly involved in the chaos that had unfolded at the point of his release. Did that mean that Videl was there? Her father certainly was. Did she know of his friends and family? Talk to them? Fight alongside them even? She certainly was strong for a regular human that was a given.
His mind was whizzing with possibilities, though before he could ask her any more questions, did the girl let out a big yawn and scratched Bee behind the ears.
"I should be going to bed," Videl sighed, "Goodnight Beerus, sleep well. C'mon Bee."
"Woof!"
"Thanks, goodnight," he mustered weakly, before collapsing on the sofa as soon as her bedroom door closed with a snap.
Gohan groaned, smacking himself in the head. He literally couldn't have bumped into a worse person at his grave.
"Well well, you certainly know how to keep things interesting," Z chimed from where he was hidden underneath his garb in the corner.
The teenager glared in the legendary sword's general direction, "Oh give it a rest will you?"
"I'm just saying, this could be a good thing you know," said Z indifferently, "Hey, your family and friends might found who you are and all the horrors of what you've become but at least you get to have some fun out of being here. I know I would if I was you, ho ho!"
"What are you on about?" Gohan frowned.
"The girl of course!" he tutted, causing the young saiyan to roll his eyes.
"Get your mind out of the gutter."
"Don't play innocent with me sonny boy, I saw the way you were looking at her."
The halfling spluttered, heat rising to his cheeks, "I was not!"
"Gohan and Videl, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"
"Do you want me to destroy you?" he glowered angrily.
"Ha! I'd like to see you try," The voice scoffed, "Even if you managed to, what good would that do you?"
Gohan clicked his tongue in aggravation, "You're infuriating."
"And you're just kidding yourself."
"Goodnight Z," the teenager sighed, pulling off his restrictive unicorn shirt and slipping in between the blankets, rolling over in order to get more comfortable.
"Yeah yeah, goodnight. Damn teenagers."
Though Gohan did not close his eyes, instead his gaze was focussed on the small gap in between the living room curtains, from where he could see the twinkling stars above. It was odd, being back on Earth after so much time had passed, though his mind was not focussed on the memories of his youth that he thought would appear. No, instead Z's words seemed to echo in his ears, and as he finally closed his eyes, the image of Videl popped into his mind. Her long lashes fluttering at him as she spoke from across the table back at Mister Satan's mansion, that dangerous glare she had given him back at his grave, the way she playfully rolled her eyes, causing his breath to hitch in his throat. It was a shame that he would have to leave eventually, Videl beheld a beauty that he had never admired so much before, or that had so much effect on him. That, and her stubborn, forceful nature was something that had surprised yet enticed him to no end.
He shook himself mentally, attempting to subdue the butterflies that had suddenly erupted in his stomach. He had a duty to uphold after all, a job, a quest and a possible battle to face. He couldn't afford to get distracted. However, in his heart of hearts he knew that it would take some time to get those blue eyes out of his mind.
5th September, 2018.
Reviews:
ashlovesdbz: aw thank you so much! good luck with high school! glad youre enjoying this story, haha you should be scared for Gohan! I know I am! ;)
dloold87: yep, Whis is a super dick xD
TheRangerBoy: hope it lived up to your expectations!
Justanius : thank you! hope you enjoyed this chapter!
PhoenixFire100: aw thank you so much!
keyblademeister88: thank you!
.master: thanks!
MadmanJrs: really hoped you liked videl's introduction, glad you think the Buu saga was also not needed. But I threw in a little explanation anyway, as well as showing off a bit more of what Whis can do!
Aaron Leach: thank you :)
EleazarTheUnforgotten: thank you! i hope you liked the swift update!
duskrider: thank you
victor0606 : cheers!
Thomas-The-TMC: yay glad to hear it!
X3runner : thank you so much for your review, it really means a lot when someone voices exactly what I want the readers to get from the story! As for Gohan ageing... because he has chosen to grow up he will continue to age. But dont worry he wont be turning into an old man of destruction - as Beerus certainly isnt at millions of years old. There will be an explanation for this in later chapters, but I dont want to spoil it just yet ;) And as for Vegeta's dance... you may just have to sit tight for his reaction to Beerus. Believe me, there will be one!
Lightningblade49: good observation. I dont see vegeta talking about his heritage to some random kid in the street!
dspendragon125: thanks! hope you enjoyed this one!
777torn777: yeah I had Gohan hide his power so that the z-fighters didnt catch on. And as you can see, seeing the child who had defeated the greatest villian to grace the earth not only win but die infront of his eyes has truly humbled mister satan. I didnt mellow him out completely, I still wanted him to be his goofy, overprotective self for comedic purposes. I hope this has come across in this chapter, and hopefully more so as the story continues. And yes, you are right. They are one down for the ritual... ;)
Massimo samblotti : thank you!
warriorofdark: i hope the little Buu saga snippet helped.
Naite-Laef: aw thank you so much! that means alot!
Patachu: haha im not that mean i didnt leave you hanging long!
Robthekiwi121: XD
Viscides : me too! I'm so excited to get to his family, my intention is not to drag it out TOO much!
dx-1118: BAM. right in there with Videl, thought it was fitting, I hope you enjoyed that! Yes youre right about Champa and that he would be looking for a junior destroyer as well. Seen as Gohan is a little late to the training game because of Perses going awol, by theory Champa's predecessor would already have been training for a few centuries, as they would have to be dead. ive had a few ideas for who this might be, as there is certainly potential for the other universes to meet in this story. However, I haven't decided whether or not to follow the Super timeline completely, as I have stronger ideas in process that need to fit in with Perses. I hope this makes sense! Thank you for your review :)
Guest: sorry to disappoint but I am a GXV shipper!
yunayuu : thank you! Its about to get messier! poor gohan!
LEO LOVER 2016 : well im glad I was able to get this chapter out for you lol! thanks! :)