Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Fall of the Mighty ❯ Anguish Madness Folly ( Chapter 23 )

~Damned Be Your Morals And Goodwill!~

Thanks for the feedback OddBallSlasher. I'll take it into consideration. O.o Though I don't exactly understand what you mean by "all the girls started showing up all over the place". As far as I know there are two granddaughters who are only around for very short scenes at a time, Pan, who I haven't gone into detail with at all, Nalia, who is barely a shadow in the background and has only spoken four times in the whole fic, and Spice who is the only female character that really interacts. I admit that Videl had some parts but…she's dead now so I can't really count her. I wonder if you actually read past chapter 10. I think, if you did, that you would have been more upset at all the other things that I've done and probably wouldn't care anymore about there being females in the story. I would like to think that I lost readers because of my writing style and storyline rather than that they ran for the hills because a girl appeared and they just couldn't take it. In fact, I am more surprised by how many people like my story than by how many don't. It's easy not to like something. Right now the male to female ratio is 11 to 5. That's 2.2 to 1. In reality it is more like 11 to 3 because Nalia and Pan are barely mentioned. That's almost 4 to one odds. 37 million times better than the lottery. ^_^ So I don't know what you mean by "girls showing up all over the place". For everyone's peace of mind I have gone and removed the word self-insertion from chapter 10 as it was obviously causing an unforeseen amount of panic and pandemonium. I would like to take this moment to assert that I purposefully do not want this to be the usual type of fanfic you see everyday in insurmountable numbers that someone spit out on a piece of scratch paper in geography glass and everyone else loves because it was short and stereotypical. I put a lot of effort into this story and I am sorry to say that I am not doing it for the readers because I know that only a small amount of them will like it. I am writing this for myself and for my own enjoyment. Knowing that someone else enjoys it too is encouraging and I like to see it but I am not going to sacrifice my story to make everyone happy.

No, this is not the stereotypical happy story. Not yet at least. I hope it doesn't become one either though it just might if I don't watch it. But keep reading, I'm not done yet!! I do not mean for this to seem to be more about Spice, she's just the flavor of the hour. Next will be Tong, probably. Um…The whole story seems to be running away with me and I am cycling through the characters. I won't go through them all. Mostly just Gohan's family and (of course) Vegy and Kaky, and maybe more of Trunks' family. It *is* going somewhere, I promise. I mean…… In the first place I never meant it to go past eight chapters and now…I'm not sure how many it will take. It will all come back together for a big finish…just not yet. I already know how I want to end it……the problem is getting there. I *AM* getting there. All of my characters have become exceedingly important to me even though I am systematically destroying their lives. You only hurt the ones you love. That sounds sick doesn't it? I am trying to make sure they are all different. The end *IS* in sight, the trail is just a little dark. In a crisis everyone seeks someone they can find solace in and even if they do not accept the solace provided, they will gain something from the contact. That is how many relationships are made. That is how Vegeta and Kaky got together in the first place. It would not have happened otherwise.

~And Damned Be My Lack Of Them!~

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"Oh no." Tong knew from her silence, his eyes welled up with tears and he tried to enfold her in his arms but she pushed him off and walked away. "Spice. Spice, come back!"

Behind her she could hear her older sister sobbing loudly. She had to get out of there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Anguish Madness Folly*

Dende placed his hand on Piccolo's shoulder, bringing the other Namik out of his meditation. "Piccolo. You know what's happening. Something has to be done."

The older Namik grunted grumpily. "It's their lives. No concern of ours."

"Wrong. I may be blocked from interfering but you aren't. You are a part of them no matter how much time you spend up here meditating. You aren't Kami."

Piccolo stood up. "I was enjoying the peace and quiet. They make everything so chaotic." He muttered regretfully and took to the air.

"Gohan! What are you doing?"

The demi-Saiyan flipped in the frigid air, startled out of his unhappy thoughts. "I don't know." He admitted to his old mentor.

Piccolo regarded him coolly. "You better figure it out. Your children need you."

"Need me? What do you mean?" He felt out for them. He didn't exercise his senses anymore like the Namik and his daughter did so there wasn't all that much he could tell about them but something was definitely wrong. "Why can't I feel Videl?"

Piccolo didn't answer.

Spice stopped in the grass in front of the hospital. She could feel her hair stirring and rising up as energy crackled through her. She pushed it away though. She didn't want it. 'I still have the senzus. If I had gone home…' She pushed that thought away as well. Sinking down to sit she just stared blankly ahead for countless minutes. She could feel everything around her but paid it no mind. Her father followed by Piccolo arrived and she only glanced up when they stood right beside her. She looked up blandly into Gohan's eyes.

"What happened? Where's Videl?"

She just watched him with no expression on her face.

"Spice?"

A loud barking laugh burst out of her before she could quench it. It felt good and the look on her father's face was priceless so she gave another longer, richer laugh. "You killed your own brother so Kami killed your wife! Isn't it great?" She laughed again, delightedly.

"Kami isn't part of this." Piccolo informed her humorlessly. Her amusement vanished and she stood.

"I didn't think he was. I just find the circumstances to be ironic. Don't you?" The girl looked back to her father who wore such a stunned, emotionally pained expression that it made her laugh again. Quite the opposite of Piccolo's closed calm.

"Gee. You look like someone died."

As soon as the words escaped her lips her calm shell shattered. Piccolo frowned at her and Gohan's pain took on an aspect of horror as well. Her lip quivered and the tears that wouldn't come before now started to pour down her cheeks.

"Oh! No, sweetheart!" Gohan hugged her but she pushed him away, trying hard to control her trembling voice. "Don't waste your pity on me, I won't give it back. Go console the one's you still have." She giggled again. "Sweetheart? I don't think so. I'm not sweet. You should know that by now." Her chuckle started to sound desperate and forced. "I would have to have a heart before you could touch it." That disturbing grin and those intense eyes fell into a blank expression again and then she flew away without looking back.

Vegeta was once again passed out, his exhausted body demanding sleep. Goku lay beside him unable to close his eyes. What had happened? Everything had changed once again and he didn't know how much or what to do about it. He wasn't equipped to deal with all of this. He didn't even think he was smart enough to figure it all out. He wasn't pregnant anymore. He'd lost the child. His child. He loved all his children, even this one who he never got to meet. It hurt. Oh kami it hurt so much! There was nothing he could do, it was a natural death, no wish could reverse it. Already he was beginning to feel sort of like his old self again. What about Vegeta? Did he need to worry about losing him too? He hoped not. He didn't want to think about it. He'd begun to feel secure about the other's presence. And Gohan. What was he supposed to do about him? He had to do something or else things would get out of hand again when Vegeta woke up. He knew that what had happened had been a mistake. Gohan would never purposefully do something like that. He couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Was it his own fault? Did he mess up somewhere to cause this? He'd always done his best where everyone was concerned. Sighing he hugged Vegeta's waist, pausing to soak up the pleasant warmth, and stood up to stretch, his energy was already starting to come back to him. It was getting late. He wondered if Gohan had gone home yet. He concentrated and found his ki, transporting to it.

Goku blinked in confusion, wondering where he was. A shiver ran up his spine when he realized that the smell in the air was a distinct sign of needles and disinfectant. Why was Gohan at the hospital? He turned around to find Gohan and Pan huddled together and leaning on each other for support. "What happened?"

Gohan started. "Dad? Oh dad!" He jumped up and grabbed him in a clinging hug. "Dad! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Goku reflexively hugged him back looking at Pan's tear streaked face questioningly. "What…? Shhh. It's okay, Gohan." He crooned soothingly trying to calm him down. "It's alright. Everything'll be alright. What happened? It's alright. Tell me what happened?"

"I'm sorry… I…" He took a few gulping breaths and sobbed. "V… Videl had a heart attack. She… She's dead… She's… Spice hates me and… and Tong won't speak to m…me…'cause I wasn't there. I shou…should have been there… I'm so stupid! I… I'm so sorry! And wha…wha…what I did to you a…and Vegeta… I'm sorry!"

"Shhh." Goku hugged his son tighter trying to calm him. 'Oh no.' He remembered how hard it was to lose ChiChi and Gohan and Videl had had a stronger relationship than he and ChiChi did. He didn't know what to say. He had to say something. He desperately wanted to comfort his heartbroken child. "It's not your fault. It's not your fault. It'll be okay. I'm so sorry, Gohan. There was nothing you could do. It's not your fault. Everything will be okay." Pan came up and squeezed into the embrace as well and they both sobbed into his broad chest. Goku saw Tong's reddened face a little ways away and beckoned to him. The boy came up hesitantly and Gohan grasped him and pulled him into the tight huddle. Goku closed his eyes and rested his chin sadly on his son's hair. So many things had changed. He pushed down his own pain and loss and put on a heartening face. His child and grandchildren needed him to be strong. As always.

Vegeta rolled lazily and stretched out with a long groan. His mate was gone. He stretched out his senses and snarled. He was with his boy. After a second, though, he turned pensive. His mate's ki…was tense?…restrained? Something was wrong. Not dangerous just…not good. There were others that felt similar around him. Vegeta picked out and labeled each. His own son's ki was low and normal, probably asleep. He glanced at the clock, he'd only slept a few hours. He wanted to know what was going on but he'd be damned if he went anywhere near Gohan with his mate there. That slimewad had signed his own death warrant. Fury boiled up in him but he cut off all thoughts regarding it, this was not the time. Right now he was just curious. He felt out for his adopted niece. She was very far away and her chi felt odd. Dark. Something was definitely wrong. Forestalling his anger he dressed in a new pair of gi pants and a shirt and exited the complex on his island.

"Hi, Vegy." Spice grunted through gritted teeth as sweat poured down her face. "Out for an evening flight?"

He studied her with his head cocked to the side. "What are you doing?"

"I'm contemplating the universe. Can't you tell? What does it look like I'm doing?" Her hand slipped and she scrabbled for purchase.

"It looks like you are doing something stupid."

"Oh. Well. That too." She was clinging to a high cliff face in the middle of the night with nothing but stars to see by, there was no moon that night and, by the looks of it, she had been at it for a long time. She wore nothing but her boots, a light pair of boxers, and a flimsy blood-stained cotton tank. Her ki was at it's normal level and he could see dark smears where his blood had dried on the skin of her arms, legs, and face from earlier. "I think I've done pretty well with nothing but muscle."

"Why?" The prince sounded genuinely puzzled.

Spice grinned toothily at him in the dark. "Why not?" She let herself hang for a moment and groaned appreciatively. "Wow, I'm in some real pain." She straitened out again. "I hate fear. I'm afraid of falling, did you know that? I never told anyone. I worked so hard to be the best at flying so that I could always be sure that if I fell I could catch myself. What are you afraid of, Vegy? I know there's gotta be something." He just frowned at her in the dark. She was now nearing the top of the cliff and halted. The distance down to the ground was immense. "My dad may not have killed the child, but he did sin against you…against all of us." Vegeta's jaw tightened and Spice chuckled, not really paying attention to him. "Well…not all of us. Just you and Kaky and Tong and me. Sometimes I believe that there are no coincidences but you never know, do you?" She finally looked at him. "My mom is dead. She died maybe two hours after I told him I was no longer his daughter. So I have no parents but that's okay." Vegeta didn't say anything but she could tell he was surprised. "You know how sensitive he is. I'm sure he's in tortured misery right now." Suddenly she changed the subject again. "I think everyone should face their fears. Have you, Vegy? You probably have. I know you had a hard life." She took a breath and looked like she was about to say something else but then she let go of the cliff face and leapt off into the dark with her arms spread wide.

Vegeta watched her plummet into the blackness with a perplexed frown waiting for her to power up and catch herself but she didn't. After a number of seconds he uttered a curse and shot after her.

Far below him yellow energy flared and lit the crevasse but Spice didn't stop her decent, if anything the blast of energy from powering up sent her falling even faster. He watched her flip in mid air and brace for impact. He almost reached her but he had waited too long. He watched her stiffen in sudden panic as the earth loomed and rushed up at her but she closed her eyes and steadied her ki.

She hit and imbedded into the rocky ground and the yellow light died away. Vegeta landed, creating an energy ball to see by. "Idiot girl. That was barely enough ki to survive such a fall."

A cough sounded beneath the dusty air and she laughed with pain and elation. "That's not the point, Vegy! Fear and conquer! I always thought that I could do anything and I've just proved it to myself. *That* was the point." She dragged herself out of the crater she'd created and murmured something.

His brows drew low. "What?"

She looked down at the ground. "I said I can do anything." She turned up and her voice reverberated off the high walls. "I don't need anyone!" One single solitary tear appeared at the corner of her eye and her high pitched shriek echoed throughout the chasm making Vegeta cringe.

"I DON'T NEED ANY OF YOU!"

She turned to the jagged cliff and, with another rage filled shriek, drew back and slammed an unprotected fist into the rock as hard as she could. Even with only her normal level of ki to enhance it, the granite cracked under the force of the blow but a much louder crunch echoed through the chasm.

"Bakana!!"

Vegeta caught her arm as she was about to do it again and looked at the bloody mess that was her fist. White jagged bone jutted out from her knuckles and he could see more of her bones were out of place as well.

"Let go of me!!" She screamed and fought his grip, powering up, but he blocked her clumsy attack and caught her other arm.

"Baka onna!" He squeezed her injured hand and she shrieked in pain, falling against him, and stilling. A racking sob and shudder shook her as she pressed her face to his chest.

He just stood there for a moment, surprised by the sudden switch of emotions. Spice had gone instantly from wildly destructive to desperately seeking comfort. Slowly he released her arms to cradle her shoulders and her gasping breaths turned to outright sobs. He realized that he must have changed greatly in the last weeks to be willing to offer the solace she so wanted. Only a month before, he would have dropped her to the dust and told her to be strong and get over it.

He cared for this girl, she was the only one of the Kakarott's whelps that he claimed as part of his family, and what she'd done today was altogether too familiar to him. She hunched against his strong form and weakly pounded her unharmed fist on his sturdy chest, her cries increasing. He had always felt a connection with her and now she had disavowed her own father in favor of him. It was surprising how much Saiyajin had passed down to her when she was only one quarter in blood. Soon she calmed.

"Girl." She didn't reply. He thought for a moment and then picked her up in his arms. Her velvety tail wrapped around his forearm as he flew. 'Ah, yes. I'd forgotten about that. That explains some of it.' She'd always seemed to have more attuned instincts than the others including Vegeta's own children. Now they would be even stronger with her full Saiyan abilities restored.

He now knew what was wrong. While that kisama had been busy sticking his nose where it didn't belong his mate was dieing. Gohan should have paid more attention to his own mate and family than anyone else's. He'd lost not only his mate but, from the sounds of it, his daughter too. He glanced down at the girl in his arms. She looked so small and fragile huddled against him in her sleep. Blood from her hand pooled at her stomach like a fatal wound. He wouldn't let anything happen to her. He would not allow her life to be spoiled if he could help it.

Ahem… Well? What do you think? How many did I piss off? Hehehe Well, I'm good at that even when I'm not trying. As always, Reviews and suggestions are gratefully accepted and betting slips are still available for the Gohan and Piccolo pools. Hope you had fun despite the overall atmosphere. I sure did.