Rough Fight on a Picnic Afternoon

Part 5

The super-battles had reached the highest point of intensity as they were capable of. They were in the last leg of the competion of the pride, the dramatice climax. A climax that will end with two victors, two losers, and no antagonists.

When summed up, things had gotten interesting.

Trunks blasted a bright ball of energy at Goten, but he was getting low on power with all the fighting, so the blast wasn't as fast as he would have liked. Goten's chi had gone down as well through the course of intense, Super Saiyan battle. He barely managed to raise his hands and catch the chi blast, for he had losted the speed needed to dodge. With a quick summoning of temporary energy, he shoved the blast back at Trunks, who threw himself out of the way at the last moment.

The two demi-Saiyans stood apart from eachother, facing eachother. Watching eachother. Each waiting for the other to attack, though each not wanting to start on their own. The fight in their guts had slowly worn off as the fight dragged on, as it is customary to do even with Saiyans.

Now they were fully comprehending just what this fight's outcome would be. One of them HAD to win. It wasn't a fight were they could both just collapes in a heap, piled on top of eachother in a heaving, gasping, giggling mass of childlike exhastion. One had to be the victor, and that victor would be superior to the other.

Each kid wondered and worried if they would be enemies, now. They didn't want that. They each wanted to just shake hands and go to eachother's houses, have a nice senzu bean, and go to sleep in the same bed so they could regain all of their streangth, perhaps they would even whisper to eachother before resting, talking about whatever was on their minds.

What were they going to do now? Who would they talk to? Who would they spar with? None of the kids at school really comprehended they were part alien, and would NEVER ba able to join in a hearty spar. Trunks was Goten's true and only friend, Goten was Trunks's one and only friend. They completed eachother, they were Gotenks. This just couldn't be happening....

The adult fight, too was nearing it's point of wearing down. Though not as much at the kid's fight. Gohan's body was aching more from absorbing Vegita's chi blasts than from accually being hit. Vegita's arm had gone completely limp. Useless, and a burden. They were both extremely exhasted. They both wanted to win with a vengance, but had lost the wild drive to fight, due to their aching bodies. They were far more serious about this than Goten or Trunks. This was a silent battle that had been festering since befor either of the children had even been born. A battle that was only now going to be solved.

But, apon being solved, would there ever be peace on the planet again? Even when one won the battle, would the other accept the fact that they had lost? Would there be a rematch? Each competator, Vegita and Gohan, were so evenly matched. They could be fighting for the reast of the time they were living, or till one of them was dead. And what about when trouble showed up? All of the warriors on Earth needed to get along fully if they wanted to win major battles. For how could they win if some of their two strongest fighters were quarelling amongst themselves in the heat of battle? This fight could cost the lives of every living thing on the planet.

Vegita charged Gohan's front, but fazed at the last moment. Gohan followed his movement by sence, and kicked behing him. By sheer luck, or perhaps careful aim, he managed to catch Vegita in his bad arm. Vegita was surprised by the sharp, piercing pain that spread through his body like a splash of ice-cold water, sending him to momentarily shiver in pain.

Goku watched silently, and though Krillian caught a few qick glimpses of the two battalions, only he saw what was really happening. He could see Gohan's body shaking like a leaf from the sheer agony of having attempted to control energy his body rightfully shouldn't have. Goku sympathised with his oldest son, for he remembered how nasty if felt after absorbing too much chi at a time. And this was, as far as Goku knew, the first time Gohan had ever used this tecnique. It must be pretty painful, though Goku was wondering why Gohan was using the chi absorbing tecnique so much, though. Gohan seemed to use it more than Goku found necissary.

Turles, Nappa and Radditz, though they couldn't accually SEE the fight, could guess at what was happening. For a few seconds, they would catch a glimps of Goten, or Vegita, or Trunks or Gohan as they paused to catch their wind before returning to the battle. Though neither were able to recognize fully how much the fighters were hurt, they could tell on a subliminal sence, one that ran naturally through their race, that the fight wouldn't last much longer. Soon, this all would all be over.

"To the air!!" Goku suddenly shouted, his voice surprisingly commanding. Without another word, he jumped high up and flew a good mile from the ground. Krillian flew up afterhim without another word. Turles and Radditz flew up behind them, with Nappa following after a moments thought as to whether he should argue or not. Not a second later, there was a wild series of colorful flashes of light below them.

They looked down to see the ground they were standing on seconds earlier completly obliterated. Though there was no crater. It was simple that every small bump and crevis on the rocky soil had been smoothed out and melted into glass. Not a flaw could be found on the huge, flat surface of the liquid pool, already drying into a hard lake, so shiny that it reflected the sky back upward like a mirror.

Only Goku had seen Goten and Trunks fire thousands of chi blasts at eachother seconds before, the heat of the blasts melting the earth beneath them.

"Hey, I can see myself!" Nappa said, floating down to hover right above the quickly drying, hot ground. None of the others in the group joined him, so he floated back up into the sky to float side-by-side with Turles and Radditz.

All of a sudden, Krillian jumped a little, as though poked with a cattle prod. Turled and Radditz exchanged glances, wondering what the heck was wrong with the midget, but before they could voice anything, Goku spoke.

"Hello, Picollo, come to watch the fight?" all three Saiyan's hear Kakarot say, and they each spun around to look behind them. There, true to Goku's words, floated Picollo. He didn't even look at the Saiyans, his eyes staring at the place where Turles thought he caught a glimps of the fight between Gohan and Vegita.

"Great," Radditz murmered, "What's he doing here?"

"He's here to watch Gohan fight....," Krillian said, looking momentarily at Picollo's cold face. Picollo looked at Krillian for a second, and the short warrior recognized pride in the Namek's face.

Picollo had been meditaing in his usual style, crossed legs and arms high over some nameless desert when he senced the fighting start. He didn't head in their direction right away, for he didn't care to watch Goten and Trunks fight. The children ment little to him. But, once things heated up between Gohan and Vegita, he became curious.

At first, he tried to ignor his curiosity. Months earlier he had noticed Gohan start training again, and at first dismissed the fight as a simple spar. But, soon he noticed the strange flux in Gohan's chi as he absorbed Vegita's blast. He couldn't help but to wonder.

He had been noticing that odd twitch in Goku's chi every time he and Gohan were training, and for quite some tome now Picollo had tried to figure out what exactly they were doing.

Even Nameks get curious. Eventually, Picollo could ignor the fight no more. He took off, following the blazing chi of his pupil. When he arrived, the first thing he noticed was Nappa, Radditz and Turles. He glanced at them with a rapid twitch of his pupils, too fast for them to notice.

True, he had already known they were restored to life. He senced their arrival the instant the wish was granted, and had figured out the rest. In fact, he watched them in their daily routine every once in a while. But he had never been this close to them since their return. They looked exactly the same, save for the change in clothes they wore.

Turles now wore a dark grey gi with a red belt, he refused to wear any shoes other than Saiyan boots, though he had exchanged his purple ones for black ones to match. Radditz had nearly gone mad wearing jeans and a t-shirt, so he also gladly wore a green gi. He wore a dark green sash belt, and even darker green Saiyan boots, as well as Saiyan arm thingies (A/N: What are those neat looking things Radditz, Turles and Nappa wore on their arms? I dunno the term for them.) Nappa wore a dark red vest and black baggy pants with little swirls on them, and he too wore Saiyan boots.

(A/N: Sorry I took so long bothering to tell ya what they're wearing. I've kinda visulized them dressed like that from the begining, but just didn't wanna bore ya with minor details.........but I couldn't resist in the end ^_^)

Gohan had just absorbed another chi blast. He had begun to depend on them for energy, as his chi was rapidly declining. It was almost like a drug, that ability. At first, it was almost harmful to use. But after using it snd using it, Gohan found he was depending on it to even keep at his normal chi level! He kept having to absorb more and more blasts from Vegita to get strong enough to even fight back.

Vegita was begining to notice this, however. He did his best to avoid throwing chi, but that was getting difficult, as he could only punch with one arm. His bad arm was begining to hurt when ever it even got jarred, or move in the slightest way, making punching with even his good arm, or even kicking painful.

Plus, Gohan was using Vegita's weakness agenst him. Whenever Vegita refused to throw chi, he would attack with a series of punches and kicks that obviously hurt Vegita, even to block. Eventually, Vegita would be forced to blow him away for a moment with chi to enable him to catch his breath.

Gohan was having a hard time staying conscious. His eyes kept rolling about, and he couldn't focus. He started to crave chi without reason. He needed it. He felt he would die without it. He needed it so much......

Gohan jumped at Vegita, pounding with energy he wasn't aware he had. Vegita thought quickly, and instead of blasting Gohan back with accual concentrated energy, he gathered the chi in his body, let it reach its peak, then blew his power out in all directions, not unlike his usual power-up sequence. The force of his chi blew Gohan back, leaving him weak and spent feeling......he needed more chi....he needed it so bad.........

Vegita gasped as he felt his power suddenly begin to decline. Gohan had forced his way back to Vegita, and grabbed a hold of his arm......his bad arm......and had begun to drain away Vegita's power, right through his skin.

Normally, this would have been impossible. Chi was a force that didn't usually exist on the outer layer. But when Vegita had exploded his power to blow away Gohan, he forced his chi to the surface, nearly making himself a living chi blast. A chi blast Gohan was quickly absorbing.

When Gohan had grabbed Vegita's arm, they both froze. Gohan's whole body felt like it were being burned alive, but he couldn't stop taking energy....there was SO MUCH! Gohan had felt so weak.....he needed more energy.....he still craved more.....his energy felt like it vanished the instant it entered his body. He needed more.....so much more.....he was so tired.......

Vegita dropped down to normal Super Saiyan form, no longer able to maintain Super Saiyan 2. Why couldn't he stop his power from flowing out of him? Once he had started to release it, he couldn't stop as Gohan continued to take more and more energy, like a leech. The dam had been opened. Now the water was flowing out so fast it was nearly impossible to stop. Vegita had to act fast......

Picollo watched, wondering WHAT he should feel. He knew that his old self would have taken a sick sence of pleasure in the look of helplessness in Vegita's face. But he was different. Soft, perhaps. He wasn't the ruthless killer he had once been. He watched, not knowing what to feel.

Goku watched, fasinated that Gohan had not only perfected chi absortion, but he had added onto it. Who would have known you could take chi out of some one by simply toughing them? Goku would have liked to expiriment with this new idea, but not here. Not like this. Goku was having a hard time not interfering and tearing Gohan away from Vegita. He had to repeat over and over to himself that they and only they could finish this fight.

Vegita was in intense pain. He was blinded by it. Over whelmed by it. His arm.......if it hadn't been broken before, it must be now. Gohan was squeezing it so hard.......forcing out all the energy Vegita's Saiyan body was pumping to it to increase the healing. What was the kid doing? If this kept up, Vegita wondered if he would even survive......

NO! He was Vegita! He wouldn't be beat so easily! Completely ignoring his agonizing arm, he spun up and kicked Gohan in the head. Taked back by surprise, Gohan was thrown to the ground. Instantly he dropped out of Super Saiyan form all together! He hardly had the energy to get back onto his feet! Where was the energy he had gathered......He needed more......

But now that Gohan had stopped stealing Vegita's power, Vegita could now control his chi again. He quicly stopped his aura from leaking chi, but the damage had already been done. His power was so low. Vegita fell out of his usual Super Saiyan form. Both fighters stood apart, facing eachother. Both with incredibly low chi's. What would they do now?

Trunks and Goten, now extremly tires as well, had each fallen out of Super Saiyan form already. Though most of the people watching the fight were concentrating on Gohan and Vegita, Goku would toss a quick glance at the kids. Accually, neither looked too bad. Besides a few cuts and bruises, nither Goten or Trunks had been hurt too bad. Their power had dropped because they had put so much energy into the accual blocking, dodging, and attempting to hit eachother.

They each stood, arms hanging limply at their sides, almost too tired to lift them. They were each panting hard, and their eyes were locked. Then, an unspoken message was passed between them. They smiled mischiviously. They had just figured out at the same time how to end their fight.

"Yyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!" Gohan screamed suddenly. His back arched unnaturally. His head snapped back. His legs stiffened. He was enveloped in a blinding light as suddenly, all the chi he had collected.........the chi he swore had vanished the instant he absorbed it........eruped in his already weakened body. With the last shred of will power, he formed a huge ball of energy above his head, and hurled it into orbit. The gigantic chi blast flew out of the Earth's atmosphere and vanshed. They couldn't see it as it passed out of the bright blue sky.

The explotion of Gohan's chi before he threw it into space had blown everyone, even Goku and Picollo, back. Vegita, so near to Gohan, was thrown to the ground, where he landed on his side, aching too much to move.

Gohan fell to his knees. He looked at Vegita, then up to his father and trainer. He hadn't noticed Picollo arrive, but wasn't surprised to see him there. But then Gohan looked back at Vegita, conscous but unable to move. The younger warrior slowly got to his feet and walked over to where Vegita lay, quivering from pain.

"Prince..*pant*...Vegita.....," Gohan said, no sarcasm in his tone, "You...*wheeze*...were stronger than me. You.....*pant* should have won, and would have won. But the.....*gasp* deal wasn't who.....should....or would *pant* have won."

Vegita looked at Gohan, and wished he were dead. He couldn't get up. He couldn't move. His arm, as well as the rest of his body ached too much. It was excutiating. But what hurt more was his pride. He had lost......lost to this KID! No.....he couldn't allow himself to believe he would now be expected to......bow......to Gohan.

"Vegita," Gohan said, catching his breath enough to finish a sentance without wheezing, "You don't have to bow. I won't make you do that, and neither will anyone else. But remember, Vegita, remember next time you're about to say something about 'third class half breeds.' Remember that you're lucky you don't have to bow to one. You can no longer say that we're lucky we don't have to bow to you......"

With that said, Gohan fell right onto his face. He was completly and utterly drained.

He was completly and utterly drained......but he had won. He had finally beat Vegita. After all this time......all this time! Were they enemies or allies! HE HAD WON! Only now did the realization of this kick in. He!! Had!! WON!!

Ignoring the pain it caused, Gohan began to chuckle. It was a hoarse, gurgly chuckle. A sweeter sound Gohan had never heard.

Goku, Krillian, Turles, Radditz, and Nappa flew down and landed. Picollo hovered not far above. All of them heard Gohan's weak laugher of victory. All of them knew who had won.

They almost thought of going home, but suddenly remembered Goten and Trunks! They whipped their heads around at the same time to see the two children not far off. They were both grinning sneakily at eachother. It was truely time to end this.

"Huff!" Goten punched himself in the stomach. He fell to his knees, for he had hit hard. He looked up into a calm faced Trunks and said loud enough for the spectators to hear, "Hey! I'm so strong, I beat myself! That means I'm stronger than you! I'm even stronger than me! HAHAHA!"

"Oh yeah?!" Trunks said, and kicked himself in the knee. He fell to the ground. It had hurt, "Well, see? I beat myself more! I'm totally the strongest!"

After a few rounds of this, both kids crawled to the glassy surface of the melted ground they had caused earlier. The melted ground had hardended into a crude mirror. Goten carefully walked out onto the glass lake, making sure not to slip on the zero-traction surface and he looked down at his reflection.

"Oh great and might Goten!" Goten cheered, and bowed to his reflection, "You have beaten me! I humbly grovel at your feet!"

With that said, Goten turned and looked expectantly at Trunks. Trunks wandered out onto the frozen lake and, with equal painstaked humbility, said to his reflection, "Oh, great Prince Trunks! You truely ARE the mightiest! For you and you alone are stronger than me!" And Trunks fell to the ground before his reflection, bowing and mock-weeping. Soon, both boys were TOTALLY over dramatizing their splendor with various quotes as:

"You are the victor of all living beings!"

"You are not only incredibly strong, but incredibly handsome!"

"You're not only incredibly strong AND incredibly handsome, but also incredible SMART!"

"You're not only incredibly strong AND incredibly handsome AS WELL AS incredibly smart and inteligent, your also every ones favorite!"

"You're not only incredibly strong AND incredibly handsome AS WELL AS incredibly smart and inteligent, and...." (ect. ect. ect.)

And so, the fights were over. While Trunks and Goten flattered themselves to a fault, Picollo slowly vanshed, feeling incredible pride for Gohan. Turles, Radditz and Nappa stood out of the way, feeling very pethetic. Goku teleported home for senzus, while Krillian sat between Vegita and Gohan, wondering if he would ever be able to learn how to absord chi..........

*A day later at the Son house*

"Goku?" Chichi asked, coming out of Goten's bedroom.

"Yeah?" Goku looked up from the snack he was munching on

"Do you know why Goten has been bowing to his mirror, lately?"

"Heh. Yeah. Don't worry, he'll stop after a week is up......"

*And a day later at the Capsule Corps. house*

"Vegita? Do you know why Trunks keeps bowing to his mirror?" Bulma asked over a cup of tea.

Vegita didn't answer.

The End