Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dragons and Yaoi ❯ Part 12 ( Chapter 12 )

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ characters. I'm not getting any profit while using them.

Warnings: Yaoi (male x male). Mirai Trunks x Gohan. Bishounen (“pretty boy”). Complete OOC.

 

Dragons and Yaoi

 

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by Redmarshin

 

Part 12/Epilogue

 

A fireball appeared in Athara's palm. He tore the pendulum off his chest and threw it under Gohan's feet.

 

“Such things can't stop me,” Athara said to Gohan then turned back to the group of sorcerers and mages that had just barged into the barn. “You stupid fool,” Athara muttered under his breath. “If I had wanted you dead, you'd have been dead long ago.” He launched the blast, taking half of the barn with it and scattering the group to the sides.

 

Athara countered all attempt to blast and magic him. From the corner of his eye he noticed one of the mages scurrying to Gohan. Athara wedged himself between the mage and Gohan to shove him out of the oncoming danger. He managed only to gasp as a blue blast hit him on the back, sending him onto Gohan's drawn sword.

 

Athara looked at the sword protruding from his chest. He raised his head to look at Gohan's stunned face. Gohan stared at Athara's wide-eyed face. A thin red line escaped Athara's lips and ran down his chin, the droplets falling onto his robe.

 

Before Athara slumped to the ground, Gohan's sword protruding from chest, Gohan's ear caught the last word Athara's lips whispered: “Again.”

 

Gohan wasn't even sure what happened later. It seemed like a morbid nightmare - after several shocked seconds of nothing from both sides, Athara stood up, drew the sword out of his chest, threw it to Gohan's feet and started the bloodshed. When Darius came, Gohan was already half-mad.

 

XXXXX

 

“So you found me it seems…” Athara's voice wafted from behind Kiasho who was trying to foist off the pendulum to Gohan.

 

Wadra, Kiasho and Gohan turned around to stare at Athara who approached their table and sat down next to him.

 

“No sudden moves,” Athara smiled at Kiasho, a sudden flame flaring in his palm. “I was curious of what you were going to do… But to set up my lover against me…” Athara pouted. He snapped his fingers, and Wadra hit the wall behind her painfully. “No sudden moves, I said.”

 

Indifferent, Athara watched people scurry away from the tavern.

 

“Athara!” Gohan grabbed Athara's wrist, Athara's eyes snapping to him. “What the fuck is-?” A moment of Athara's diversion was enough for Kiasho to get his dagger. Gohan's head jerked to Athara's right side, to where one of Kiasho's daggers was protruding. He didn't even have a chance to react as the sorcerer's other dagger slit Athara's throat.

 

His eyes wide in shock and disbelief Gohan held Athara's wrist until the younger man slumped to the floor underneath the table.

 

XXXXX

 

Gohan turned to look around as suddenly the door exploded. He blinked when five men crashed into the barn. One of them was Kiasho.

 

Before Athara's blurred eyes could discern the blast aimed at him, he was tossed to the side.

 

“Who the fuck are you?!” Gohan yelled, after rolling off of Athara, his sword ready in his hand. One of the five men was Kiasho.

 

“They are from the Council,” Athara rasped out. He brushed his hair out from his face and tried to get up from the ground. He fell back down onto his hands. “Shit,” he cursed while kneeling on the floor. “Get away or they'll kill you.”

 

“Goddamit!” Gohan hissed, launching at the group.

 

“No! Gohan, you don't…” Athara shouted. His world froze in a second of horror.

 

The impact of a blast sent Gohan sprawling away from the five men.

 

“Gohan!” Athara yelled, panicking. “Gohan stop! These are the Elite Sorcerers and Mages!”

 

“You have never been a sensible one, have you?!” Kiasho howled, approaching Gohan who was gathering himself from the floor.

 

Shit, shit, shit, Athara chanted in his head, why can't I concentrate?!

 

“You heard what I said then!” Kiasho continued. “Why do you protect this scum?!”

 

Gohan growled. “Even if so, you can't kill him!”

 

“Ah well…” Kiasho rolled his eyes. “Your choice…” he raised his hand with a glowing blast above Gohan's head.

 

Gohan lowered his eyes to stare at Kiasho's head that had rolled from Kiasho's shoulders under his feet.

 

Tarrus grinned.

 

XXXXX

 

He had been waiting for three hours now. His back was sore from being pressed to the rough trunk of the tree, and he was cold. The night had drawn long, and he doubted if the information was correct and if anyone was going to really show up at all.

 

After one of his comrades gave a sign, Gohan's eyes snapped immediately to the dark path on the side of him. Two figures slowly swam out of the darkness. One of them had a sword drawn at his side, another person seemed to be unarmed. It was dark, and Gohan couldn't see well, but he was sure that Mirai was the one unarmed.

 

Another sound signal was given, and Gohan with the rest of his comrades sprang onto the path. He slashed his sword at Mirai, but his hit was blocked by Mirai's companion's sword. Gohan growled in frustration, but his chance was lost and he engaged in the fight with the bodyguard. He hoped his comrades would have better luck.

 

The bodyguard was good. Their strength and skill were almost the same, and it seemed it would rather depend on luck who would kill whom first. The forest was dark, and it was hard to discern the movements and the blade that threatened to slit him.

 

Gohan's eye caught a short lightning flashing on his right and then the rest of the sounds ceased, he could only hear his and his opponent's moves.

 

“You okay?” the man whom Gohan was fighting shouted.

 

“Yes,” came the short reply, and Gohan turned his head to see a longhaired man in the shadows. He was just standing there, watching the two of them fight.

 

Gohan cursed as he almost got his head cut off due to his inattention to his opponent. He concentrated back on the man, and after a few minutes was victorious, the other man's body falling under his feet. Fighting for breath, Gohan turned his attention to Mirai who was still standing under a tree and watching him silently.

 

“I think I know you… But I'm not sure where we met…or when…” Mirai wondered, showing no intention to attack or at least to retreat. He was simply watching Gohan. “But you feel very…familiar… What's your name?” he asked.

 

“My name will be your least concern when I slit your throat!” Gohan growled, approaching slowly.

 

Mirai's eyes were narrowed while he was trying to remember where he had seen that face. His body froze then.

 

“You… Gohan?” Athara's lips moved of their own. A small red trickle escaped them while Athara stared at Gohan. “It's you… I have forg-” he coughed, “forgotten…” he rasped before slumping to the ground. His eyes closed.

 

Gohan drew his sword back from Athara's body. He wondered how the man knew his name, but then brushed the thought away - he had to escape quickly from here. He started to run.

 

“You know… It is starting to piss me off…”

 

Gohan froze in place at the words that were muttered into his ear. He turned his head to see the man whom he had just killed standing at his side. Gohan's eyes dropped to Mirai's stomach where blood was freely running down his groin and stomach and then to the grass.

 

“Are you truly that retarded?” Tarrus wondered. “Killing the man you love…for…I wonder which time it is…”

 

By the time Tarrus said those words, Gohan had taken about ten steps back. He felt his back hit a tree. Memories began flashing in his head, and he suddenly knew what this man, no, God, was talking about.

 

Gohan didn't even try avoiding Tarrus' fist that had crushed his head.

 

XXXXX

 

Athara's fingers played with the hilt of his dagger then he plopped back onto the bed with his back. His gaze slid to Gohan who was sharpening his sword. The sound was loud and annoying, and Athara was waiting for him to finally finish.

 

Darius and Delaros were gone to talk to the captain about something that Tyari managed to fuck up. Literally.

 

“I heard sailors talking that a quite serious storm is coming,” Gohan said, checking the edge of his sword with his finger. He yelped and cursed then stuck his bleeding thumb into his mouth. “I wonder when we'll finally reach that Jahuda's port…” he muttered around his finger. He removed it from his mouth to look if it was still bleeding then tore a small piece of cloth from the coverlet that was thrown on the bed and wrapped it around his finger.

 

Athara shrugged. He thought about simply healing Gohan's finger, but he knew that the man would freak out and refused the thought. Athara yawned. The whole day had been boring. Anything would be more interesting that simply lying and counting the dark dots on the wooden ceiling. If anything, a storm would not be that bad, would it?

 

Athara roused from his sleep at the feel of something brushing against his face. He tried to swat the thing away, but it didn't stop. Athara's sapphire eyes blinked open at Gohan's smiling face.

 

“Hey,” Gohan chuckled, dragging his lips over Athara's brow. Athara smiled, too. His eyes closed while he was enjoying the soft connection.

 

Gohan's mouth found Athara's mouth, and Athara's mouth opened to let him in. After the kiss Athara curled up at Gohan's side, resting his forehead on Gohan's chest.

 

“Do you love me?” Athara asked.

 

“No, seriously - you are worse than a woman,” Gohan sighed.

 

Athara opened one eye to glare at Gohan's chest. “What's wrong with me wanting to hear that you love me?” He raised his head to look at Gohan's face and found two dark eyes watching him. “Will you stay at my side no matter what?” he asked.

 

Gohan was surprised by Athara's serious tone and looks. “Is there a problem with something?”

 

“Do you really hate mages and sorcerers…?” Athara lowered his head not to see Gohan's face and buried his head into his lover's chest. “Do you hate them that much that…”

 

Gohan ruffled lavender hair, watching the silky strands seep through his fingers. “Well, I'm in love with one of them, so I doubt if my former statements are of any truth…”

 

Athara's sweating hands gripped Gohan's waist firmly. “Have you ever heard about Mirai?”

 

“A what?” Gohan continued playing with Athara's hair. “What is that Mirai?”

 

Athara was afraid that he would simply choke or his heart would stop because of the panicked beating in his chest. He could feel Gohan tense in reaction to his own tension.

 

“Mirai is the one who unifies people who want to create a new kingdom from where their power will reach the whole world…”

 

“Ah, that madman. I heard he wants to unify all sorcerers and mages and rule over us, simple people.”

 

Athara shook his head. “No, it's not in his plans. He doesn't really care about unifying the sorcerers and mages. It's rather about unifying all people and trying to change something into a better side… He doesn't care about power, but he tries to use the one he has to stop the quarrellings between the various organizations.

 

“The coronation would be the first step to getting power over all existing mages and sorcerers. And what would be later… He doesn't know that, but his intentions are not those you said. He is not a bad person, at least he thinks he isn't… He just…he's just young and foolish and doesn't really know what to do to make it all better…”

 

Athara didn't really remember what happened. He never remembered, he just knew what was going to happen, and was trying to avoid it. Did he do something different which would help him escape his fate? - He didn't know that. He never did.

 

Gohan didn't cease ruffling through Athara's hair. “I don't really care, nor believe in those stupid prophecies… But you talk about him as if you'd know him personally…” he wondered.

 

“I do,” Athara nodded. He raised his head to look at Gohan's face.

 

“You do?” Gohan was surprised. “Have you met him?”

 

Athara faltered then just let himself tumble off the cliff. “I'm the man they call Mirai, Gohan. I'm traveling to get that stupid crown and the promised scepter which will give me more power than I already have. And I'm not a mage. I'm in between. Some persons are able to use both types of magic…”

 

Athara braced himself against that dark disbelieving gaze. His mind was screaming in panic, not believing that he had just made such an obvious act of suicide.

 

Gohan smiled then laughed. “You are kidding, right?” he laughed, exhaling the breath he had been holding.

 

“No.”

 

Athara freed himself from Gohan's frozen embrace and stood up. He snapped his fingers to light the candles then went to sit down at the table. “I'm absolutely serious.” He snapped his fingers again.

 

Gohan's shocked gaze settled on a white dog that had appeared next to Athara's chair.

 

“Your family had him when you were about ten years old, didn't they?” Athara ruffled the white long fur, and the dog barked happily then ran to the bunk where Gohan was lying. The dog jumped onto the bunk and started washing Gohan's face with his tongue.

 

Disoriented, Gohan blinked several times at the dog's muzzle. He sat up slowly then turned his head to Athara who was sitting on the chair, watching them with a soft smile on his face.

 

“Ev-,” Gohan swallowed to get his voice working. “Even if you…if you are a sorcerer… There's…there's no way you could… How did you…?”

 

Athara closed his sapphire eyes then opened them again, not trusting to look at Gohan. “Besides that I'm a sorcerer-mage, I… I think I'm sort of a …realization of Tarrus…”

 

Gohan ruffled through his hair, absolutely confused and lost in the eerie feeling of surrealism. He pushed the happily whimpering dog away from his face. “I don't…understand.”

 

Athara gave him a shy smile. “I can't say that I understand it very well either… It's just… Tarrus is using this body,” he motioned at himself, “to reside on Earth. I'm not sure about the rest. Sometimes I can pull out on his power and knowledge,” he pointed his index finger at the dog.

 

“He knows everything,” Athara continued, “and I can find the most things that I need in his memory. Actually…actually I'm not a real person at all… I'm just a fraction of his personality and mind. The human body can't take all of his power and knowledge, so Tarrus from his existing character traits created a person, me, to link him to the Earth… Ummm…” he felt both hot and cold at the look Gohan was giving him. “Do you want to kill me?”

 

Gohan blinked at the sudden and unexpected question. “I…I don't know yet,” he fell silent then turned to look at Athara again. “You lied to me.”

 

Athara only nodded.

 

Gohan turned his head back to the dog. “Can I keep him?”

 

Athara shrugged. “I suppose…”

 

Gohan reached out his hand to stroke the dog. “We'll have a long talk. But no more lies,” he said. “And then we'll figure out what to do…” he raised his head as he heard short choking sounds. Athara's shoulders were shaking, his face hidden between his palms. Gohan's eyes followed a clear drop of liquid that fell to the wooden floor.

 

“I'm not sure about anything, yet, Mirai,” Gohan said. “But I know that if you wanted to kill me you'd have done that long ago. And I know you didn't need to tell me what you said at all.”

 

“It doesn't matter,” Athara shook his head. “It doesn't matter,” he inhaled deeper, trying to get a hold of his tears. “It's enough of… It's enough that you don't hate me…”

 

Gohan lowered his eyes to the dog that put his head on his knees. He petted the dog's head. “You scared the shit out of me. My head is a mess. I'm not sure how it will all work out, but…”

 

“It's okay,” Athara raised his watery eyes, wiping the tears out of them. “Even if it doesn't… I'm…I'm glad.”

 

Gohan sighed. He continued to pet the dog. He didn't hate Mirai. He thought that he must be mad, wanting to trust the man who sat in front of him. He must be completely mad wanting to walk over to the man and embrace him to soothe the stress away. No, he was not mad - he was insane to feel like that. But logic didn't stop him from feeling all that. Didn't stop him from…

 

Gohan's hand faltered as different fractions and pieces started flowing into his head. Wide-eyed, not seeing anything, Gohan's eyes fixed on the wall opposite him. Several seconds passed, and he started crying himself. He didn't know why he was allowed to remember, but he was enormously glad he was.

 

“Athara, come here,” Gohan held out his hand for the other man. His arm was shaky and unsteady, and he wasn't sure he wouldn't faint from pressure in his head and heart. “It's me who should apologize and beg forgiveness after all…” he breathed out between his sobs when he saw Athara falter, giving him a mistrusting look. “I'm sorry for all those times I… I remember everything… Oh gods…”

 

“I'm so sorry, sweetheart,” Gohan squeezed Athara in his embrace when his lover approached. “I'm sorry for everything,” he kissed Athara's cheeks, eyelids and lips fervently. “I'm sorry,” he was shaking, hardly believing that he was able to feel Athara against his chest, grateful to whatever there was above him for this not even the second but who knew which chance for them.

 

“It's okay. This time it's okay,” Athara tightened his arms around Gohan's back, hiding his tear stricken face in Gohan's shoulder. “This time we can change everything.”

 

Gohan was only able to nod, not trusting his voice. Through tears he grinned when his dog nuzzled Athara's thigh. There were many questions and many things that Athara and he needed to do, but right now he could only think about how lucky they both were.

 

THE END

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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