Rough Fight on a Picnic Afternoon

Part 3

Now, two wars were being waged. Both fighting pairs seemed nearly equal, though the Son brothers had a slight disadvantage in power. Each was just a slight bit weaker than their opponent, and a slight bit younger, and less expirianced.

Trunks and Goten, so used to fighting each other already, were having the hardest time getting hits through. When one would try a punch, the other would recognize it from a previous spar, and parry in a way that would leave them open. In a way, they still felt like this WAS still just a spar. It was so fun and exilerating, with their Saiyan blood burning, that they almost forgot what they were fighting over.....almost. The stakes were a tad too high to forget fully, though.

Vegita and Gohan, however, hadn't faught in a long time, but, though Vegita had more strength (on a regular basis), Gohan had a few advantages. He had watched Vegita fight many times before with his dad, enabling him to see some favorie attack patterns of Vegita's. Vegita, on the other hand, hadn't seen Gohan fight in a long while, leaving lots of room to try new tecniques thought up, as well as old ones that Vegita had forgotten about. A small advantage on Gohan's part, but in a rough situation, you take what you get.

"Yah!" Vegita planted a fist in Gohan's chest, luckily Gohan had managed to alter the swing's coarse a little, or it would have his him in the gut. They were blown away from eachother by the shock wave of the hit, and each stood on the scarred ground, facing eachother. Not far from them, the group of picnicers that weren't fighting watched to the extent that they could, though Goku was the only non-fighting Saiyan picnicer that coud see everything that was happening.

They heard perfectly well, though, the words exchanged between the two mature combatants.

"You're stronger, brat," Vegita said, finding himself out of breath, "Stronger than before."

Gohan grinned, he was glad Vegita had noticed, "I've started training again."

"You? Never though I'd see the day YOU accually trained for fun," Vegita said, and he truely was surprised. Gohan? Train? Preposterous, "Who have you been training with?"

"Dad, of coarse," Gohan said, eyes searching for an opening in Vegita's defenses.

"Kakarot?" Vegita tossed a quick glare at a Goku, who just shrugged. Taking advantage of Vegita's momentary distraction, Gohan rushed in, jumping airborn half way through, and planting both feet firmly onto Vegita's face. As Vegita staggered back, Gohan flipped backward, and landed in the same place he had been standing in before he moved.

Once Vegita got over the initial shock that Gohan had so easily squeeked by his defences, he found him self smiling. The kid was either mad, or had REALLY been training. Vegita sweated alittle when he realized he would have to keep his guard up higher than he thought. He might not only need to be careful fighting...........he might need a strategy. He knew he had no choice, if he lost, but to do as his side of the wager had deemed. He had no choice but to win, his lineage demanded it. Why worry about that? He was Vegita, Prince....no.....KING of Saiyans! He would win this fight and finally get some of the respect he rightfully deserved.

Vegita attacked first, this time. He flew in with an obvious high aimed punch. Gohan moved his arms to block, but at the last moment, Vegita flew lower, sending his other arm under Gohan's block to hit him square in the ribs. Gohan gagged, and stepped back a pace. Vegita didn't stop, though, and he used his other arm to drive the high punch in after all. Gohan managed to swallow the blood that was in his mouth, and duck under Vegita's second punch.

Vegita tried to bring his knee up into Gohan's face, but Gohan dropped into a kneeling position and grabbed Vegita's legs out from under him. Vegita caught himself on one arm, though the felt the muscles in his arm wrench; he had landed on is crooked. He would be hurting tonight.....if not sooner.....he had to end this fight before his arm stiffened up. He had to end this now.....

Goten ducked under a high kick from Trunks and and tried to kick out his legs. Trunks jumped before Goten could, however, and planted a jump kick in Goten's shoulder. The younger warrior stumbled back momentarily, but forced away the pain and jumped back at Trunks. The older boy wasn't read for Goten to attack again to soon and was caught off guard. He was slammed into the ground by a tight little fist. He sat up and looked up at Goten, who stood over him with a scowl.

Goten waited for Trunks to get back onto his feet before pressing his attack again. Trunks blocked the first few hits, parring inbetween. Once again, the fight was even for a while, then Trunks jumped back.

Goten eyed him warily. Trunks grinned a grin that rivaled Vegita's. Goten crouched lower in his fighting position. Trunks was up to something.....but what?

"Oh, WOW!!" Trunks suddenly exclaimed, looking behind Goten. Curious, Goten turnes to look behind him....and realized his error too late. Before Goten could turn back around, Trunks went Super Saiyan and slammed a harsh punch to Goten's jaw. The little guy flew back and smashed through a tree, slidding to a stop with a soft thump agenst a rock. He breathed raggedly on the ground for a minute, then slowly got back up onto his feet.

"Had enough?" Super Saiyan Trunks asked.

"Heh....," Goten went Super Saiyan, "Jus' getting started."

They flew at eachother again.

"Goku....." Krillian said, looking up at his childhood friend, "Why don't you stop this? Your strong enough to.....People are getting hurt out there....."

"Krillian....." Goku said, his voice was so hollow one could almost feel it, "I can't stop them.....Not this time."

"But....but...why?" Krillian didn't know if he wanted to understand. All he knew was that Gohan and Goten were getting hurt, and so were Vegita and Trunks. This wasn't a fight agenst a common enemy. They weren't getting hurt by someone they were trying to destroy. They were hurting eachother. That was hard to comprehend for Krillian. After all those battles....fighting side by side.....risking their LIVES to protect eachother....and now they were fighting like bitter enemies. It was so wierd....

"This was bound to happen......I'm sure we all saw it coming....." Goku said, never taking his eyes off the battle field, watching both sons at the same time.

Krillian didn't say anything, but looked back out to the battles being faught. He had noticed the rising tention between Gohan and Vegita, but what about Goten and Trunks? They were inseperable! How could one little spat ruin every thing they had......

Goku must have either been having the same thought, or read Krillian's mind, for he said, "You couldn't have expected the kids to get along every second, could you? No one gets alond 100% of the time....."

Goku stopped talking Gohan slid limply across the ground to rest at Goku's feet.

Not far away, Vegita stood, with the fist he had punched Gohan with still raised. He was breathing unevenly, his sore arm was begining to hurt.

Turles, Nappa and Radditz hadn't seen Gohan coming, so they were shocked when his limp form flew out of no where. All three of them could see he was hurt, a little blood dripped from some un-seen injury under his hair, to drip down his forhead and over his eye. He lay still for a second, then painfully propped himself up on one arm.

Gohan looked up at his father. Goku....his dad...He was stronger than Vegita. All he had to do was say a word, and Goku would step in for him.....but......then this whole fight would be for nothing. Gohan remembered the whole reason he had started training was because of Vegita. He couldn't take being looked down on anymore. He was SON GOHAN! He would NOT loose to Vegita! He couldn't let himself be humiliated! He COULDN'T!

"Nuh....never give up.....," he mumbled and painfully got to his feet, "Can't loose.....WON'T loose..."

The three resurected Saiyan watched as Gohan got to his feet. They could see that Gohan wasn't just fighting for the simple things, like Vegita calling him names. He was fighting for his independance. Vegita still felt he could look down on, and intimidate Gohan....like he was just an unwilling slave. If Gohan DID win this fight, he would be seen as an equal, even if Vegita never admitted it. Gohan wouldn't be that frightened child, who Vegita could pick on. He would FINALLY prove he was a man. A Saiyan. And a good person to have on your side. Not just someone who is in the way.....

And the Saiyan spectators felt sudden respect for him. Even if Gohan lost, they would respect him. Up to this point, they still saw him as a kid, a brat. That little fellow who wasn't strong enough to oppose them. Even when they saw him turn Super Saiyan for the first time, while training with his father, while trying that new tecnique Kakarot had thought up......They still thought 'hhmm, look. That is a strong kid.' But now, they truely saw. He was a TRUE warrior. A person not to be reckoned with. He was Gohan.

Goku looked into the eyes of his son. They were as black as his, with no other color in them. But, if you know where to look, you can see even more emotion that in normal eyes. His son was determined. He wouldn't give up, not until he was unconscious or dead......

"Dad....," Gohan said, his voice hoarse from screaming while in battle, "I won't fail you."

Goku nodded, and motioned the small audiance of picnicers to step back a few yards. He followed, casting one more look into the eyes of his eldest son.

By now, Vegita had caught his breath. His arm was swelling. He had jarred it worse that he had thought. He had to start moving it soon, or it might become uselessly stiff. He saw the small group of spectators move back, giving him and Kakarot's brat more room to fight. Vegita smiled, and raised his hands, gathering energy into them....focusing it.

Gohan looked at him, his face drawn with concentration.....but on what? Vegita could see Gohan wasn't trying to center his chi in any part of his body......he was concentrating on something else....but what? What was he trying to do!?

"Huhn?" Goku looked hard at Gohan's body....his position, "He isn't......is he?"

"What?" Krillian asked, looking at Goku in an attempt to read his face.

"Let's just watch and see....." Goku said, not sure if this would prove to be a good thing or a bad.....But he felt Gohan's chi....how he was using it, and said quietly to himself, "I didn't know he learned how to do that...."

Gohan bent his legs, and raised his hands as though he were about to block a chi attack, or catch a ball. Taking this as a challenge, Vegita focused his gathered energy into a large, bright blue ball of energy he held over his head, and threw it as hard as he could at Gohan. The attack was so strong, the sky turned dark momentarily for miles around.

Krillian raised an arm over his eyes, ready to hit the deck if when the chi blast hit Gohan, for he was expecting a large shock wave in the least when the blast hit, even if Gohan was able to block it.

Gohan didn't shift stance as the blast neared him. He was too busy concentrating....thinking only 'sure hope this works....'

As the blast hit, there was a momentary flash of light, that blinded eveyone for a second. Trunks and Goten paused in their exchange of hits, each turning their eyes to Gohan and Vegita's fight.

The chi blast had dissappeared.

It just wasn't there.

The instant it hit Gohan's finger tips, it had vanished.......but, all that could, felt Gohan's chi raise rapidly.

"What the...," Vegita said as he felt all the energy he had put into the blast go from a bright ball of chi directly into Gohan's body.

Gohan had successfully absorbed the chi blast. Just as Goku had....

"He did it! I thought I could only-" Goku started to say, but was cut off as Gohan screamed.

"EEEEEAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" and Gohan made an identical ball of energy as the one Vegita had thrown, and returned it to Vegita.

The Saiyan prince was caught off guard, and was hit full force. He was blown back a few hundred feet. As he strained back to standing, he stared at Gohan, not fully comprehending what had happened.

"Wuh...WHAT!? How did you.....," Vegita tried to find the right question, "WHAT THE FLAMING HELL WAS THAT???!!!"

"A new tecnique, Vegita.....," Gohan gasped out....his body felt like it was being torn to shreds. How did his dad deal with the agony? He felt like he had gone all out in a fight...but..no. He, even now, felt his strength slowly returning. Gohan sweated a little. If Vegita figured out his power was low......he could lose. He felt so drained. It felt like forever for his power to slowly crawl back to him.

He wouldn't be able to use this tecnique too much, after all.......

To be continued.......