Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Teal Eyes ❯ Chapter 18 ( Chapter 18 )

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ… It rightfully belongs to Akira Toriyama. I do own my original characters though.

mystic_writer: Thanks to everyone that reviewed the previous chapter: Moon Princess, Elenek, twin blades, Vegetas Bondage Queen, petite_angel, LionHeart823, Kachie-chan, DBZ Lover, and Candy the Duck!

Note: Sorry for not updating for a long time! I'm trying to get settled in to my new home-hey, if you've ever moved, you know what a pain it is! But now, thank goodness, I'm able to get back to everyone's fave fanfiction! ^_^ Ha, I wish…

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Teal Eyes

Chapter 18

By mystic_writer

-

Gohan fell to his knees, ignoring all that crumbled around him. Videl was… No, she couldn't be! She was strong, too hard-hitting to give in to such a fate. Videl Satan was everything to him, and he couldn't lose her now! He wouldn't…

His hands shot forth, plowing into the mounds of broken glass, concrete, and splintered wood. The wreckage hissed at his hands as he focused on only one thing: finding Videl. Some people gathered around him and helped in the search, unafraid of the effects from the atrocious quake.

Suddenly a bloody hand shot out of the debris, reaching into the parting sky. Gohan knew that gentle, feminine hand and reached out with his own rough, calloused hand. He grasped the hand and dug until Videl was free. Tenderly, he curled his arms around her and slid her from the wreckage. He held her close as she gasped for air, her eyes opening.

"T-Thank you," she whispered, a frail smile coming to her face.

Gohan pulled her close, hiding his face from her, as he tried to stop his eyes from tearing. The quake subsided just as quickly as it came, crying out with one final, monstrous rumble. An eerie silence filled in the air. All time seemed to stop, everyone frozen still, every thing broken. People gathered and came out from hiding to check on each other.

"This is the third time you've come to my rescue," Videl said, breaking the silence.

Gohan finally contained himself and faced her. He wiped some of the dirt and blood off her forehead. "That glass really got to you. You're cut all over," he informed, barely swallowing the lump in his throat. Just the sight of her in her current state nearly killed him inside.

Videl sat up. "I'll be alright. I've been through worse situations… worse pain. I'm okay. Really. It's nothing I can't handle you know."

Gohan got up and helped her to her feet, never letting go of her. "But Videl I…"

"Don't," she said, "I'm fine. I know what you were going to say… so just don't, okay?" she insisted, "You worry too much."

Gohan smiled a bit. "It's a curse I'm afraid." He peered above the tons of wreckage to get a better look at his surroundings. "I hate to say it but… what can we do now? I mean, I know there's help on the way but I still feel I like I have to help, but I'm not sure if I've the time… I'm worried about mom and everyone else."

Videl took a sharp breath. "Oh my God, you're right! Dad… I almost forgot!" She stepped forward before falling to her knees. "Ugh… Ow!" she cried, grasping her ankle. "Aw man. I thought this nagging pain would go away, but it really hurt when I put pressure on my ankle." She tried to stand again, before collapsing. "I don't believe this!"

"Hey." Gohan crouched to her level. "Calm down. I'll take you home. I'm sure your family is just fine… That was one sturdy looking house you have." `Or, God Forbid, had,' he thought. "I'll just carry you…" He paused. "I-If it's alright with you that is."

"Just get me home, please."

"Sure thing." Gohan coiled one hand under her knees and the other one around her shoulders, lifting her off the ground. "Ready? I'll fly as smooth as possible."

Despite her pain, a small smile inched its way onto Videl's face. She leaned into his chest, her cheeks lighting up. "Yeah. Thanks."

Gohan lifted into the air and slowed to a coast, almost in awe at the ruins of Satan City. There… there was nothing left. Even the forest and all the land beyond his sights seemed… mangled and disrupted. The young saya-jin felt his heart drop. This would be a day.

-

Chi Chi peeked out of her children's' bedroom, straining to see in the dark. The power had gone out during the quake, and most of the curtains were drawn. She looked over her shoulder at Goten and Sato, who were still hiding under a bed.

"Stay here." The stairs creaked and popped as she cautiously proceeded down them. Something caught her eye. A crack on the wall began to widen as the house gave a loud groan. Slowly, Chi Chi walked into her kitchen, feeling her heart spilt in two.

"My kitchen!" Pots and pans were strewn about, the counters busted, and the floor jolted. She stepped to the back door, which had been flung off the hinges, and held her breath as she looked outside. "My house… M-My land! My…" She treaded out further, able to get a better estimate of the damage done to her cottage and land. She sighed. "This had to happen… This had to happen! I…" The house moved, falling in a bit more. Chi Chi gasped, running inside to fetch her children, the thought of her poor father also entering her mind.

-

"Achoo!"

Goten rubbed his nose after breathing in a little too much dust from under his bed. "Why did we have to hide under my… Hey! A jellybean!"

Sato gasped when he stuffed the stale candy in his mouth. "Oniisan! That's dis… disgu… dis… uh, really gross!!" she informed, unable to say `that grown-up word.'

"Mmm," Goten said, crunching the rocky treat, "Cherry!"

Sato turned green and turned the other way, trying to ignore Goten's bad habit of eating anything and everything.

"Why is it so dark oniisan?" she whispered, her little coal eyes looking from one side of the room to the next, "Where did the lights go?" Her eyes began to tear. "I'm afraid," she murmured, her breathing picking up, "I don't like the dark! It's bad!" she confessed, "I had to hide with Kioshi when he and the people were on …mission-thingys…" The memory of her late brother brought huge tears to her eyes. "My… my brother…" She began to sob, burying her face in her hands. "Kioshi! I hate the darkness! I hate the trembling! No more hiding! No more fighting! Noooooooooo!"

Goten put his arm around her. "Sato! It's okay! Don't be afraid! It was just a really bad earthquake. We're not under attack! There's no bombs or anything like that! I promise!"

"No no no!! I can hear it!" the little one screamed, covering her ears, "I can hear the fighting! I can hear the rumbling! No!! Make it stop!!"

Goten tried to shake her out of it. "Sato, you're scaring me! Mom!!!"

"I'm here! I'm here!" Chi Chi rushed into the room and ran to the bedside. "Wha-What's wrong with Sato?"

"Mommy!" Sato cried, bolting into her mother's arms.

Chi Chi lifted the child into her arms as she stood, holding her close. "… There's no time! Come Goten!" She grabbed his hand and led him down the stairs. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her capsule box. "Goten! Get the car out."

Goten did as he was told and threw the capsule to the ground. "Mom? Where are we going?"

Chi Chi buckled Sato into her seat. "To the old city. We have to check on grandpa."

Goten hopped in beside Sato and took her fragile hand. "But mom, what about our house? Is it gonna fall?"

"I-I don't know." Chi Chi started the car. "Let's hope not, okay? But regardless, we can't stay there in the condition it's in."

Goten frowned and gazed at the only home he'd ever known. Suddenly, the house rumbled, caving in even more. Goten felt tears come to his eyes, but rubbed them away, turning from the sight. "M-Mom, what about Gohan?"

"I'm sure your brother's fine. He takes after his father…"

"No, I mean what if he comes looking for us?"

"Oh. Well, hang on." Chi Chi took a scrap of paper and a pen from the glove compartment and wrote a quick note before handing it to Goten. "Go put this on… well, at the door somewhere, okay? It'll let Gohan know we're fine, just in case."

Goten leaped from the car and put the letter at the foot of the door before returning to his place beside his trembling sister. He patted her hand. "…Sato? Hey Sato?"

Sato stared off into space, almost in a trance-like state.

"Hold on!" Chi Chi said.

The car lifted into the air and blasted off to the east.

-

Videl gasped when she saw the remains of her and father's once glorious mansion.

Gohan touched down and laid her on the soft grass near where her home had been.

"Stay here. I'll look, okay?" he requested.

Videl nodded.

Gohan closed his eyes and concentrated on finding the ki. It was hard, because he had never tried to find such weak ki before. His eyes opened and he walked over to a certain spot. After about fifteen minutes of digging, he found what he had been looking for.

Videl pulled herself off of the ground, ignoring the pain running through her leg. There were more important things to be concerned about. Tears of joy flowed down the young woman's face when Gohan pulled the barely conscious Hercule from the rubble.

The champ blinked and looked at Gohan.

"Mommy?" he asked before passing out.

Gohan smiled to himself. `He'll be just fine.' He easily lifted the man, carrying him to where Videl stood, and lay him down on the soft, green grass.

Videl brushed the tears from her eyes. "G-Gohan I…"

Gohan turned and ran back to the crumbling wreckage.

"I'll be right back!" he called.

Videl looked down at her father and cried softly. `Oh dad… I'm so sorry. Please make it…'

A moment later Gohan returned with Valerie in his arms and placed her by Hercule. "Don't worry about them Videl. They'll be fine, but they need help."

"Gohan, thank you," Videl said just as a wave of dizziness hit her. Gohan caught her before she could fall, his hands grasping her shoulders.

"Hey are you okay?"

Videl looked up at him and smiled. "Yeah."

Gohan eased her down to the grass once again. "There's medicine I know of that can help… but I have to go and get it. I'll be quick."

Videl's eyes widened. "What? You're… leaving? But Gohan, I need you! You said it yourself, they need help. Don't go!"

`Oh man did she have to say it like that?' Gohan thought. "I'm going to get them help. I won't take long. I promise."

Videl looked away. "But…"

Gohan's brow furrowed. `Ah crap. The sad face always works…' "Look Videl, I'm not abandoning you. I would never do that. I want to help you."

Videl rubbed her arm as the cuts began to sting. "I know. I just feel safer if you're near."

"I need to do this," the saya-jin replied, "I'll see you in a while, okay?"

Videl sighed. "Just hurry. Please Gohan! This doesn't feel right."

Gohan nodded. "Yeah." He pondered for a moment, before slipping off his coat and draping it over her shoulders. "There," he said, lowering his head to hide his sudden blush. "See? I'll still be here-no matter what."

Videl pulled the coat close, nestling into it. Instantly, she felt secure and fulfilled, like he would be there right beside her. But… would he return? Videl smiled to herself, confident in his words.

"Go on!" she said, smiling, "Get out of here silly!"

Gohan returned the smile and got up. "Bye!"

Videl scooted close to Valerie and Hercule and lay down, burrowing into Gohan's coat, as she began to imagine what would happen to them now.

-

"Come on, come on, I don't have all day!"

Crystelle sat up, feeling woozy. Her eyes crept open, her vision gradually coming into focus. In front of her sat a large man behind an even bigger desk. Two horns were perched on his head, and a black beard adorned his face. He didn't look too happy either.

"State your name," he bellowed.

Crystelle covered her ears. "Ow! Do ya have to be so loud-whoever you are?

"Yes, I do," he replied, "I'm the King of the Other World-Yenma."

Crystelle pulled herself off the red carpet. "Who? And where the hell am I?"

King Yenma leaned down to her, rather annoyed. "This is Other World. I am your King. Now will you please state your name so I can see who you are so I'll know where to send you? I'm quite busy!!"

Crystelle shrunk back. "…C-Crystelle Te," she managed to get out.

King Yenma picked up a large yellow book. "Te…." he mumbled as he flipped through the pages. "Aha, here you are. Hmm… Erm… Ah… Well, you're one heck of a case…" When he closed the book, a loud thump echoed throughout the room. "Crystelle Te, I herby sentence you to the H.F.I.L!"

Crystelle blinked, backing up. "Sentence? What do you mean?"

"Oh, you'll find out!" King Yenma said as he hit his desk with his enormous gavel, opening a space in the floor beneath the newly deceased woman, sending her into the darkness.

Yenma sighed. "Next!" He looked at the lengthy line of white, wispy souls that had just come in from Earth, and prepared himself for a long day. `We haven't had casualties this high since that monster Cell! What's going on down there?'

-

Gohan raced to his destination as fast as he could, his mood dissipating as he stared at the endless damage. The tiebreaker between the Earth and Dende's Lookout came into finally view. Gohan landed on the marble floor by Korin, who had been gazing over the railing. Before the saya-jin could speak, Korin held out his furry paw where a handful of Senzu beans sat.

"Here Gohan," said the white cat, "I had a feeling you would need these."

Gohan looked down at the beans and then back to Korin. "…You know something I don't. What is it?" he asked, taking the medicinal beans.

Korin looked down over the banister at the beautiful Earth. "Well, to tell you the truth I'm not really sure what's going on, but I do know this: that wasn't nature." He faced Gohan again. "I'm worried. I sensed something was amiss, but I wasn't able to tell until it was too late. People are in chaos. They don't know what to do. And so many have perished already! I just know Yenma's having a time in Other World…"

Gohan joined his friend's gaze. "This is horrible."

"You think that's horrible?" griped a voice coming up the stairs, "That stupid quake broke all my jars!"

Gohan turned to see Yajirobe emerge from the basement, broken pieces of pottery in his hands.

Yajirobe pouted. "Where am I supposed to store my cookies?!"

Korin pointed a claw at the stout martial artist. "Aha! I knew you were hiding sweets from me!"

"What? It's my food! Why should I share it?"

Gohan's thoughts began to run rapid while the two bickered. `What if… what if Cell came back? Or worse… Maybe something's up with the Earth! Even so, what caused that quake?' He looked up at the sky, which was a funny dark purplish color. `If dad were here, I'd feel a lot better. But since he isn't… I'm the man now. I've got authority. If… if something's wrong, it's up to me!'

Korin turned to Gohan after hitting Yajirobe on the head with his staff. "I don't know what's going on, but I suggest you do as much as you can to help down there," he said, "I think you should know the hardest hit area is near the East District."

Gohan broke away from his thoughts as soon as those words had left Korin's mouth. "Oh no, mom!" He turned and readied to blast off.

"Take care Gohan!" Korin called as the teen flew away.

-

Videl crouched at Valerie's side and stroked her bloodstained hair.

`Oh Valerie…' she thought, watching as Valerie moved slightly, still remaining in her deep slumber.

Videl took out her capsules and opened one, revealing a bottle of water that she always carried with her. She popped the top and showered Valerie's face with water, washing away most of the blood. Videl turned her attention to her father and lifted his head as she poured water into his mouth. His eyes opened slowly, widening at the site of his daughter.

"V-Videl…" His words slurred as he closed his eyes, his head starting to spin. "W-What happened?"

Videl laid his head down. "Don't worry dad. Just rest." She looked up at the strange colored sky and shivered, pulling Gohan's jacket closer. "Gohan, where are you?"

-

Splash!

Crystelle surfaced from a fountain of red water, spitting the foul liquid out of her mouth. She pulled herself from the spring and heaved as she lay on the edge of the spring.

"Where am I?" She held her nose as a rank odor reached her nostrils. "Gross… What is that?" She looked around, finding herself in the middle of a run-down city that seemed to stretch on forever. Suddenly, Crystelle hit the ground and found herself eating dirt.

"Hey look, fresh meat!"

Crystelle pulled herself to her knees and gave whoever had pushed her the best evil look she had. Three women stood around her.

One woman with dyed hair, whom seemed to be the leader, bent down to Crystelle's level. "Look at her. Have you ever seen so much jewelry? Wow, those look like diamonds!"

"I got dibs on her rings!" the second one cried.

"That dress is so my size!" said the third.

"Back off! I saw it first!" the leader retorted.

Crystelle shot up, furious. "Hey! You broods find your own goods!"

"Broods?!" The leader stood, unleashing a samurai sword from her belt. "Let's get her girls!" More figures emerged from the dark alleyway, most holding some kind of weapon.

Crystelle turned blue anime-style and screamed as she turned on her heels and ran.

"Get her!!"

Crystelle picked up her pace. "Where are the authorities in this place?!" she whined.

Some women appeared in front of Crystelle when the leader signaled to them. "Honey, we are the authorities!" one of them said, holding a club.

Crystelle came to a halt and looked around at all the pain she was about to receive…

"Waaaaaaaaaah!"

-

mystic_writer: This chapter was dedicated in hating memory of Crystelle! Mwuhahahahaha!! ^_^ Sayonara! Adios!

Chi Chi: Good riddance witch! >_< Ohhhh I would love to be in that scrap!

mystic_writer: Ditto! *holds up sign* By the way, I've founded the C.H.O-the Crystelle Hate Organization!! Wanna join? Well there's great news! If you hate Crystelle, you're already a member! ^_~

And, by the way, if anyone wants to see T.E. art, email me and I will send the requested art to you or the URL of the site where I have some of it posted… If you have your own site with art or fanfiction related to Gohan and Videl, I'll be happy to contribute! ^_^

That's all for Chapter 18! Tune in next time!