Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Growin' Up ❯ Growin' Up ( One-Shot )

Growin' Up till someday we meet again…

His steps were careful as he walked through the immaculately kept and ever silent field. He held the flower bouquet gently in his grasp, he was older now, much older, but he still had more than enough strength to destroy the flowers; he still had more than enough strength to destroy several galaxies, but his days as a fighter were long since past. There was just no need anymore.

Intricately, he wove his way through the elegant white stones. Not many people were there, which was good, not much searching to do. Stopping at one stone in particular, he kneeled down and placed the bouquet at the base of the headstone.

Closing his eyes, he prayed to the good spirits that she was happy and at peace. After more than forty years of misery, a broken heart, and rebuilding, she very much deserved peace and happiness he would always remember and love her.

Laughter sounded not too far away; children's laughter. Surely children wouldn't come into a cemetery to play? No, they remained outside the gates chasing an errant ball that had rolled away. Standing, he walked towards the exit of the cemetery glancing at the first tombstone on his way out. Somewhat crumbling and vine-chocked, he could still make out the name carved on it.

Son Gohan.

A tear formed in his eye and he all but ran from the cemetery. After all this time, he still cried over Gohan. Setting a brisk pace, he stuffed his hands in his small, old, Capsule Corps. jacket, glancing at the buildings on his way. It had been his mother who rebuilt the world and restarted the economy. Thanks to her those laughing children could laugh and play.

Wow-Growin' Up Growin' Up

Itsu ka mata aeru

Wow-Growin' Up Growin' Up

Itsu ka mata aou

Wow-Growin' Up

Someday we shall meet

Wow-Growin' Up

Someday let's meet

He remembered a time when all lived in fear, when it wasn't even safe to come out of a building no matter how damaged or dilapidated it was because that was the only shelter for miles. Jinzoningens Juunana-gou and Juuhachi-gou had made sure of that by easily turning the world into their own hell's playground. He'd been just a boy when they attacked and killed people, the other Z-senshi among them. Those days had been terrible: many dead and many more injured struggling for the right and will to survive in a world of lost hope and will power. Those were bleak hours and dark days in a world where even the life-giving sun was afraid to shine. But now, the jinzoningen were gone now, so was Cell, the ultimate and incomplete fighting machine that would have killed him and taken his ship back to the past for events to repeat themselves; he'd seen to that. One barely beatable Cell had been quite enough.

Leaning on the rail of his balcony, he watched the darkening sky as he thought about his dead mentor. He'd been killed by the jinzoningen a few years before he'd gone to the past to warn the Z-senshi there of the events to come. Years of pain and suffering had made him a man, but had Gohan not trained him and taught him to go super Saiyan, there was a good chance he wouldn't have survived his first trip. If not for Gohan, he wouldn't have become the warrior he'd been; if not for Gohan, he never would have been the future.

Aoi sora no mukou doko made mo kakete 'ku

Kimi no mirai boku-ra no mirai

Tobikiri no chikara de tatakatta ano koro

Kimi no negai boku-ra no kibou

"Nani mo osorenai de yuke

Sore ga tsuyosa ni kawaru"

Sonna koto wo oshiete kureta itsu demo

At the other side of the blue sky anywhere you cross

You're future is my future

The time when you fought with such power

Your wish is my hope

"Fear nothing and go

Turn that into your strength"

Such things you taught me always

Of course, he had been very young when the jinzoningen had first attacked. He estimated that his counterpart in the past was the same age he'd been when that fateful day had come; maybe he was a bit younger. In a short time, really a matter of hours, he and Gohan were the last remaining Z-senshi. Because of that, Gohan had taught him everything he knew, just like Piccolo had taught Gohan everything he knew. The fact that Gohan was dead when he should have been alive and married was still a shock to him years later, and for what must have been the umpteenth time, he grieved once again.

Wow-Growin' Up Growin' Up

Itsuka mata aeru

Wow-Growin' Up Growin' Up

Itsu ka mata aeru hi made…

Wow-Growin' Up Growin' Up

Someday we shall meet

Wow-Growin' Up Growin' Up

Someday till the day we meet

Gohan had a certain solidity that he had always admired. He had always smiled in greeting even though guilt and anger warred in his soul. Those smiles comforted him, brightened him, and gave him the strength to endure whatever came his way. The strength to smile even in the darkest and worst of times was one reason of many why he respected and admired the older man still.

Egoa Urutora Z itsu mo mite ita

Kimi no genki boku-ra no pawaa

"Yume wo kanaeru tame ike

Sore ga sekai wow kaeru"

Sonna koto wo oshiete kureta nakama sa

I always see you smiling

Your liveliness is my power

"To fulfill your dream Go

That will change the world"

You're the friend who taught me such things

Wow-Growin' Up Growin' Up

Itsu ka mata aeru

Wow-Growin' Up Growin' Up

Itsu ka mata aou

Wow-Growin' Up Growin' Up

Someday we shall meet

Wow-Growin' Up Growin' Up

Someday let's meet

His shoulders shook as he remembered Gohan and the others. Dry sobs heaved out of him as news tears started to trickle out of his beautiful blue eyes. He still had many years to go, but when he did die, Gohan and the others would be there to greet and guide him.

Wow-Growin' up Growin' Up

Itsu ka mata aeru

Wow-Growin' Up Growin' Up

Itsu ka mata aou

Wow-Growin' Up Growin' Up

Someday we shall meet

Wow-Growin' Up Growin' Up

Someday let's meet.

He laid down on the plush bed watching the twinkling stars from his window before drifting off to sleep…

Gohan smiled at him and connected a fist with him and hugged him like a brother, his mother ran towards him and wrapped him in a hug, half turning, Piccolo smiled at him in welcome. Kuririn, Tenshihan, and Chiaotzu grinned in greeting. Grinning at him, Gokou punched his shoulder and shook his hand. And there, at the end of the procession was his father. He found himself standing in front of the man whom he'd never known but wanted very much to know. He would never confess his envy of his past counterpart for having a father while he was alive.

"My son," the short, spiky-haired man said embracing him.

Someday.

Wow-Growin' Up Growin' Up

Itsu ka mata aeru

Wow-Growin' Up Growin' Up

Itsu ka mata aeru hi made…

Wow-Growin' Up Growin' Up

Someday we shall meet

Wow-Growin' Up Growin' Up

Someday till the day we meet

Lady Kyia