Looking at the two from his position, Gohan reasoned that both warriors had been locked in battle and that the two warriors appeared more powerful than ever before. He could tell just from the air surrounding them that they were now fighting in a league completely above any the demi-Saiyan could reach, and had just recently passed the climax point of their battle.
The sight of the alien tyrant kneeling before the Super Saiyan Prince was so gripping that Gohan completely disregarded the fact that Frieza had been brought back to life and that he was currently on earth. He also noticed himself and the rest of his friends standing on a nearby cliff, with his father lying defeated between them.
Just when he was about to ask what was going on, the disembodied Gohan suddenly heard Frieza speak.
"If I'm going down… I'M TAKING YOU ALL WITH ME!"
The Super Saiyan God Vegeta balked in shock, moments before the ground beneath him suddenly started to fracture and burn. As it turns out, Frieza, who had his hands placed firmly on the floor, had unleashed a powerful blast into the planet's crust so fast that the Prince had had no time to react to it. This resulted in the planet beginning to implode at an alarming rate and, after several tense seconds of mountains and oceans erupting into enormous, fiery columns of magma and rock, the entire world suddenly went up in a massive explosion.
Watching safely from the protective bubble of his dream, Gohan could only look on in disbelief as his home and all the people he loved vanished in a flash of fire. When the cataclysm ended shortly thereafter, all that remained of the earth was an asteroid field of rubble and rock, drifting aimlessly through the vacuum of space.
The sight shook the teen up so much that it literally brought him to his knees. Collapsing onto all fours, Gohan reeled forward and choked out several loud sobs, which rattled his bones and blurred his vision. His chest hurt and his head throbbed, giving his body the unmistakable sensation that he was about to throw up. However, this being a nightmare, the act of blowing chunks out in his mind would've been an incredibly redundant and arbitrary action, as he was merely a projection of his mental self. Nevertheless, the urge was overwhelmingly, and the boy did his very best to keep it together.
After all of the things he'd just seen play out before his very eyes, he found this to be an incredibly difficult act to accomplish.
He spent the next few minutes from that point onwards panting and sobbing, allowing his tears to flow free and hit the ground, where the droplets eventually faded to nothing. After feeling the sensations of defeat, grief and sorrow at the loss of his friends disappear, the boy slowly, but surely, glanced over his shoulder and towards the figure standing behind him. Eyes red from the tears he'd shed, Gohan saw the blonde witch staring down at him with an emotionless gaze in play.
Obviously she felt no pity for the teen's misery and simply allowed him to express his agony without any fear of consequence.
After taking a moment to catch his breath, Gohan whispered in a hoarse voice, "Are these… visions of the future?"
Immediately upon asking this question, the blonde phantom turned and looked in another direction. When the teen demi-Saiyan followed her gaze in confusion, he suddenly saw more visions begin playing out against the backdrop of blackness to his right. His eyes locked onto the ethereal screen as it started playing instances from the past, showing him multitudes of scenarios he'd never seen before.
He saw himself at the Intergalactic Martial Arts Tournament as a Super Saiyan 2, charging down both Bojack and Zangya. It was a scene he remembered as being one of the major stepping stones in his life and a moment where he set his closest and dearest friend on the path of redemption. However, he then received the shock of a lifetime when, as he watched the terrified female Hera back up, he suddenly saw her maniacal boss teleport behind her, push her forward and, without mercy or hesitation, unleashed a powerful blast right into her back. Her scream of terror filled the void as Zangya was incinerated in an instant, a sight that horrified the adult Gohan as he saw the blast that killed her shoot towards his younger doppelganger, who speedily avoided it.
Another vision flashed into view shortly thereafter, where he saw a young, eight year old Paprika on some far off, alien world, sitting in a dank, dingy alleyway of a backwater, garbage ridden city, with her knees brought up to her chest and arms wrapped tightly around them. The girl was sobbing and covered in muck and dirt, looking as though she'd recently been beaten, and had been living on the streets for a long time. The vision was one of loneliness and hurt, as she appeared both weak and helpless. Over the next few minutes afterwards, amidst the hustle and bustle of this forgotten market setting, it began to rain around the young Makyan, and she attempted to cover her arms in an effort to protect herself from the cold. She soon fell into a painful coughing fit and, dropping onto her side, her breathing eventually stilled and her eyes closed, presumably for the last time.
As this depressing vision slowly turned to black, leaving Gohan with a sickly feeling in the pit of his stomach, his dream soon came up with yet another premonition. This time it was on a different, futuristic planet with an orange sky and skyscrapers all around him. Almost instantly he spotted Kana, who was standing in the middle of the street surrounded by countless other members of her race, all of whom were looking up towards the sky in terror. What they saw hovering above them was a purple, cat-like alien of sorts wearing Egyptian clothing, accompanied by a blue-skinned man with white hair and holding a staff, a man who appeared eerily familiar to the demi-Saiyan.
From his place on the ground, the young warrior watched the cat alien raise his finger and, with an effortless flick of his finger, sent a tiny purple blast towards the city. Kana and her people were soon engulfed in a blinding flash of light, seconds before her entire planet was swallowed up by magma and hellfire. In the blink of an eye, the entire world was blown to kingdom come, along with her and a million other innocent lives.
A few more flashes of scenarios quickly passed across the screen, as the real Gohan saw many other scenarios and events transpire. He saw his father training in Otherworld, Vegeta piggybacking Trunks as a baby while Bulma and her family watched from behind, he saw himself cradling Goten when he was young, Krillin and Android 18 playing with their daughter in the sand, Piccolo meditating on the lookout, and various other sights that appeared familiar yet foreign to him at the same time.
After seeing dozens of visions flash through his mind, he then saw one last shot. It was an image of him in his room, as his twelve year old self, studying, and surrounded by books and worksheets of all kinds. He was dressed in casual clothing befitting someone pursuing the dream of a scholar and, as he worked, his mother came in to give him something to eat.
Gohan saw more of the same vision flicker in front of him. While his friends and family were doing things on the world outside, training, socializing and hanging out, the demi-Saiyan saw his dream-counterpart sitting behind his desk, cramming, sleeping there, and staying isolated from the rest of the world. This eventually led to him leaving the house for high school for his very first day, but instead of being dressed in the trendy clothes Gohan remembered wearing, he saw this version of him was dressed in a pair of concealing brown pants, a baggy, long-sleeved white shirt, and a black vest. He also looked skinny and pale; signs that indicated a person hadn't been outside much, was out of shape, and had been cooped up inside for days on end.
Initially the half-Saiyan didn't know what to make of this. However, after a minute of processing these images, Gohan's eyes widened in realization and his gaze snapped towards the blonde witch behind him.
It was then he spoke. "These… are visions from an alternate universe, aren't they? An alternate past and an alternate future?"
This much was obvious. Zangya being killed by Bojack, Kana and Paprika dying through extenuating circumstances meaning he and his friends never got the chance to meet them, an unfit version of himself losing to a fat, pink glob of chewing gum, his friends dying because he was unable to kill the creature, and Frieza being brought back to life and destroying the earth… all of these clues pointed to a universe where, instead of training and staying in shape, he got slack and weak, and important events in history had skewed ever so slightly off of the timeline that he knew.
His question towards the witch was soon answered by a firm nod from the phantom, which prompted Gohan to begin deciphering the meaning of everything he'd just witnessed.
"That world… all those terrible things that took place… my friends dying, me, Goten, Trunks and Piccolo being trapped in that prison, and Frieza destroying the earth… all those things happened because… I was too weak to protect them." Looking back at the vision where he saw his alternate self grinning back at him, with that stupid, naïve smile that hadn't seen a real battle in years, the warrior then spun back around and looked at the witch. "By not training and keeping up my strength… not only did I fail all of my friends and family… but I got every single one of them killed."
He should've saved them. No. He knew he could've saved them. If he'd continued to train, kept up his strength, and made an effort to uphold the mantel of his father, not only could he have prevented the earth from being destroyed, but he could've stopped his friends from meeting such a horrible end. He could've saved Zangya. He could've made a difference that brought Kana to him and changed Paprika's heart for the better. He could've destroyed that pink monster before he even had a chance to lay his hands on Krillin, Eighteen, his grandfather, Erasa, Lime, Videl and everybody else he cherished.
If he had been strong and had the courage to face his fears, no one would've had to suffer because of his weakness.
But in that alternate reality, he couldn't protect anyone, because he allowed his abilities and responsibilities to go to waste behind a desk, and they all suffered and died as a result.
The knowledge that he'd failed them in that reality brought a terrible pain to Gohan's heart, which had him reach up and clutch his chest tightly. The memories of all of his past battles and the horrors he'd faced… every single one of them came back and struck him down like a ball taking out a stack of pins, leaving him with a shockingly painful impression.
In these few, brief moments he spent lamenting on his past actions, Gohan was able to realize the full totality of all his failures. Even after his battle with Cell, very few things had changed. His fights with Nappa, Vegeta, the Ginyu Force, Lord Slug's army, Turles, Frieza, Cooler's Armored Squadron, the androids, Broly, Cell, Bojack, Zeru, and the human mercenary, all these tests he'd faced all amounted to one irrefutable outcome: his failure as a warrior and as a person. In every single one of those battles, he'd been unable to carry the weight of the hero… of the role that his father had willingly passed down to him. No matter what he did and no matter how much pain he took, he couldn't stop his friends from getting hurt or beat any of the monsters he'd faced without their help.
His father had fought and won countless battles under his own power. If he was supposed to have inherited the strength that his dad once held to make a difference in the universe, then why couldn't he do the same thing?
He may have been strong, but what was the point of having all that remarkable strength if his friends were still going to get thrown into harm's way?
The visions being shown to him of this alternate reality only confirmed his fears… that no matter what he did, he was doomed to fail.
Gritting his teeth and fighting off the stinging sensation in his heart as best as he could, the boy took a few deep breaths to try and relax. He tried anything… everything he could to quell the feelings of dread, defeat and hopelessness from overtaking him.
Eyes closed and expression calming, the teen used the next few moments to gather his thoughts. In that time, a warm sense began to creep over him like water and, looking up from where he was kneeling on the ground, he saw a bright light appear in front of him. When it flickered and expanded, figures began to emerge from the veil and reach out towards him, trying to communicate with him.
Feeling a warm hand press against his cheek, Gohan's eyes shimmered with surprise when he saw Videl, Zangya, Erasa, Lime, Kana, Piccolo, Vegeta, Krillin, Bulma, his brother, Trunks, Chi-Chi, and many other people appear, with the former two standing directly in front of him and lifting his chin up to look at them. Seeing them all gathered together under a bright, celestial glow, standing together as one, their eyes fixed firmly upon him, and smiles on most of their faces, the teen felt all the negative energy and exhaustion leave him.
When Videl and Zangya nodded to him with their reassuring smiles, his heart skipped a beat. Smiling, Gohan moved his cheek into the former's hand. Placing a gentle palm over the raven haired girl's, he took a deep breath and stood up. Feeling their strength lift him from the gutters of despair and loss, the Z-fighter kept his eyes locked forward for several seconds, before eventually turning to face the blonde witch standing behind him.
His eyes narrowed upon her when their gazes met. "All those battles I'd fought over the years… all the times I felt like the world was crashing down around me and I was powerless to help… all of that is in my past. This alternate world you're showing me…" He shook his head firmly, "It will never happen. Do you want to know why?" Fists clenching, Gohan glared the blonde witch down with all the confidence he could muster as he was propelled forward by the memory and image of his friends standing behind him. "Because I won't let it happen. I will continue getting stronger so that I can protect everyone that I love. Videl, Zangya, Goten, Piccolo, Erasa, Lime… no matter what it takes, I'll make sure nothing ever happens to them."
As he spoke, he saw the expression on the girl's face darken and her frown deepen. Despite the menacing aura she was emitting, the blonde witch with the eye patch continued to glare up at the young warrior as he said his piece. The situation quickly unfolded into a glaring contest, where both fighters continued to glare one another down without the slightest hitch in either of their domains. It seemed like the two of them had hit an impasse, in which neither one of them knew what to say or do next.
However, as the silence continued to permeate throughout the void that was Gohan's nightmare-slash-dream, the demi-Saiyan narrowed his stare even further and hissed. "Tell me… where exactly do you fit into all of this?" he asked in a low voice, with a tone that was both threatening and dangerous at the same time. "I couldn't see you in any of those visions and I don't recall ever meeting you before. So who are you… and how do you know me?"
At first the shorter female with the oversized witch's hat didn't appear to want to answer his question. Just like with a lot of other details that remained privy to the hybrid, it seemed as though she was probably going to hold out on revealing anything incriminating about her until she felt it was necessary. But just when Gohan felt like she was going to turn tail and run for it, the blonde surprised him by raising her hand and pointing to his left. Taking that as a directive, the half-Saiyan then turned and proceeded to watch as another viewing portal opened up nearby.
For what felt like the tenth time this cycle, another vision began to play. Again, it was an event the young warrior had not seen before… and one he figured was from an alternate universe.
He was on Kami's Lookout again, but this time he could see all of his friends standing there and looking around in confusion. He could see Bulma, Chi-Chi, the Ox-King, Master Roshi, Yamcha, Mr. Popo, Android 18, Krillin, their daughter Marron, Puar, and Oolong. Videl was also there, alive and well, bringing a sense of relief to the young warrior. However, he couldn't see him, Goten, Trunks, Piccolo or Vegeta anywhere in the area, which left several questions the teenager had unanswered.
Apparently confusion gripped the Z-fighters that were present there as well, as they gathered together to try and solve this bewitching riddle.
"We're alive?" Bulma asked, looking across to see Chi-Chi and everybody else form up alongside her. "How… can this be?"
"Did one of us do this?" Videl also spoke up, adjusting her blue T-shirt with the word 'Fight' emblazoned upon it, while also checking to make sure everything else was in one piece.
"Well… we're no longer ghosts. I guess that's a good thing," Chi-Chi remarked, while coming to stand alongside her son's girlfriend with her hands on her hips. She then began to survey the area as well. "But… where are the boys?"
"I don't see Goku, Gohan or anybody else around," Krillin added, scratching his head while watching his wife pick up their daughter. When the android ambled over, the short fighter quickly shrugged. "To tell you the truth, I'm just as stumped as the rest of you guys."
"I remember training on the Grand Kai's world with you. But other than that, I've got nothing," Yamcha added, stopping alongside his fellow human fighters with a befuddled gaze in play.
"Somebody must have wished us back," Master Roshi's voice croaked in as he held his place beside Oolong and the others. Stroking his beard, the old master looked down and began processing his collective knowledge for a solution. "I don't sense the boys or Piccolo around… nor do I sense anyone else. So… if I was to guess as to who used the dragon balls to wish all of us back to life, my best bet would have to be-"
"It was me," a new voice suddenly interrupted.
When the Z-fighters and the incorporeal Gohan followed the exclamation back to its source, all of them got the shock of a lifetime when they saw the owner of the vocal chords standing nearby. Almost everyone on that lookout literally jumped back several feet in alarm, as the pink demon with the tentacle on his head, the white pants and the belt with the letter 'M' on it, was grinning right back at them with a smug expression in play.
The sight of the demon staring them down had the adult demi-Saiyan blink in astonishment, before he realized that the creature seemed a little bit different this time around. Unlike the previously muscular, humanoid form he'd taken on before, this one was much more defined and rounded out, as if a sculptor had gotten to work in filing him down to size. He seemed more human this time, with facial characteristics, a proper nose, and a much longer head-tentacle that extended down to his waist. He also had proper fingers, which made Gohan think that the demon had gone through yet another metamorphosis.
The name of the creature was revealed to him shortly thereafter, thanks to the terrified shouts of his friends.
"M-M-M-Majin Buu?!" Krillin shouted in alarm, "W-What… you… how are you still alive?" Everyone else standing behind the short fighter, Videl, Mr. Popo and Puar included all had the exact same question hanging over their minds.
By the looks on their faces, they obviously weren't expecting their most dangerous enemy to date to be standing up there on the lookout with them.
===============================
If you want to support me and also access 30 advance chapters, join my patreon with the link patreon.com/EddyHazArd Or just search "EddyHazArd" in the patreon searcher.