Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Suffer the Children ❯ Gathering of the (Former) Red Goddess ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4: Gathering of the (Former) Red Goddess

"Trunks," she whispered softly, caressing his face with petal-soft fingers. "Hear me…"

With a grunt, Mirai Trunks slowly opened his eyes. All he knew for certain was that his female visitor had sea-blue hair (and that she was disturbing his sleep). "Kaa-san?"

"No, Trunks; I'm not your mother."

He blinked a few times, and realized she was right. Bulma didn't have pink eyes. "Who are you?"

"My name is unimportant for now," she said, brushing the hair from his eyes. "Chibi and Goten weren't the only ones taken. They won't be rescued without your help."

Trunks sat up, wide-awake. He was only slightly surprised when it occurred to him that he wasn't dreaming. "What do I do?"

"Gather the Z Senshi, and I will do the rest," she promised, brushing her lips gently over his forehead.

Before Trunks could ask anything else, the beautiful woman vanished into thin air. He stared at the empty spot on his bed for a moment, then quickly got dressed. "Hope my next vision's that nice," he muttered, rushing out of the room.

* * * * *

"Washu-chan?"

"Tenchi-sama," Washu scolded gently, still bent over the console, "you really shouldn't be up and about. Without Sasami or Tsunami, you-"

"Can't be healed on the spot. I know. But I hate lying there being useless when Sasami and Yugi are out there with that monster." Tenchi sighed and came to stand behind her in the dark lab. "Do you have a plan?"

Washu merely looked at him.

"Sorry. How far along into the plan are you?"

She grinned. "This far," she said, pressing a button.

Instantly, Tenchi found himself staring at eight very attractive young women. A second later, he stumbled wildly for the bathroom, clutching at his gushing nose.

"We're all here, Washu," Sailor Saturn announced with a nod.

"Who was that guy?" Jupiter demanded.

Washu glanced back. "Hmm? Oh, that was Tenchi-sama. Why?"

Jupiter began to answer, but got a look from their leader. "No reason."

"Washu-san, do you know where ChibiUsa and Setsuna are being held?" Sailor Moon asked.

"The answer to that is yes and no, Sailor Moon. I have narrowed their location down to exactly thirty different dimensions. Within a few hours, I could have it down to nineteen."

"That…isn't very reassuring."

"Considering there were over five billion yesterday, I'd say it's a vast improvement."

Tenchi returned just then, clutching a napkin tightly. "Sorry about that…"

"How can you be sure they're in any of those dimensions?" Mars asked.

"That's a good question, actually. I've been tracing several unique energy signatures. You see, I've done extensive studies on the two girls that were taken from us, so it was easy enough to lock in on them. Then I added ChibiUsa's energy signature to-"

"And HOW," Uranus interrupted, just short of fuming, "would you happen to know ChibiUsa's energy signature?"

Washu blinked. "Well, I've tracked down powerful jewels in the past, so I assumed the crystal radiating hope and love was hers, and it-"

"You traced the Ginzuishou?" Mercury asked in shock.

"Oh, is that what you call it? Whatever it is, it's VERY powerful, and I can't believe I didn't find it earlier than I did. It's been very helpful in the search."

The Sailor Senshi all exchanged worried glances.

"What are they so afraid of?" Tenchi whispered in Washu's ear.

"Probably that I know too much," Washu replied. "A very realistic fear, all things considered. It's pointless, though; I couldn't be bothered with betraying them."

Tenchi sweatdropped. "Washu-chan…"

"Well, I couldn't! You know how dangerous Yugi can be when she's provoked! It's crucial that we get her back before she's forced into her old ways."

"Ah…who is this…Yugi?" Venus asked. "And why is she dangerous?"

"Like ChibiUsa, Yugi's essentially a good person. But she can be mislead just as easily as Chi-"

"LOOK," Uranus snapped. "We didn't all gather so you could discuss our personal lives! We just want ChibiUsa and Setsuna back!"

Washu frowned. "No, YOU look. You have to understand that whether any of these children was ever used for evil or not, that's the ONLY possible reason they would've been taken in such a manner. But the simple fact that some of them HAVE been exposed makes them even more susceptible to turning again."

Uranus began to speak again, but Sailor Moon cut her off. "Forgive us, Washu-san. It's just…we all love ChibiUsa dearly and want her returned safely, along with Setsuna."

"I can certainly understand that. We feel the same way about Sasami and Yugi. But before any of us takes action, it's important that we analyze all the information we have. Which means we have to know exactly what each child taken is capable of. I know it must seem like prying to you, but if it becomes necessary, we'll have to know just what we're up against."

"I understand, Washu-san," Sailor Moon replied at once. "We'll help in any way we can."

* * * * *

"Let me make sure I heard you right," Piccolo said slowly. "You called us up here because the beautiful woman in your dreams told you to."

Mirai Trunks blushed. "She knew about Chibi & Goten, I swear it! I wouldn't have said anything if I didn't think this was serious!"

"Well, it does sound a bit odd," Gohan noted.

"I know that, but…I feel like I can trust her, for some reason."

"I'm glad to hear that, Trunks. My sister is quite trustworthy."

The Z Senshi looked up to see a red-haired woman's face floating high above the Lookout.

"This is your dream woman?" Videl asked.

"Her sister, apparently," Trunks replied.

"Oh, that's different, then," Piccolo sighed, rolling his eyes.

"You haven't seen different yet," Washu promised. "Z Senshi, I'd like you to meet the Sailor Senshi."

The air above the Lookout crackled for a moment, then cleared to reveal the second set of Senshi.

"Still think I'm crazy?" Trunks asked.

"Nah," Piccolo murmured. "Now I KNOW you are. Good news is, so are the rest of us, so it doesn't really matter, anyway."

* * * * *

"Here's what I think," Yugi said. "They took us because of our powers. So they're not gonna kill us."

"I guess," Chibi replied. "But why haven't they used us yet?"

"Well, maybe they have. You haven't seen Goten, right? Maybe they're just using him for now, and you're back-up."

"But Majin Buu would be stronger with both of us. It doesn't make sense for him to only absorb Goten."

"That doesn't matter anymore," Setsuna pointed out. "They have the Time Staff. With that, they could just as easily have gone forward in time and taken you both when you were much stronger. The possibilities are endless."

"…we should really stop guessing what they're gonna do with us," Chibi suggested after a moment.

"Yeah," Yugi agreed. "So, you think you could show me that Fusion Dance?"

Chibi stared at her. "Um…no."

"Hey, it's either me or her, and I'm only a little shorter than you. You got any better ideas?"

Chibi considered that for a moment. Despite her being a girl, he could sense Yugi's strength. She was suppressing most of it, naturally, but he imagined he could easily lower his power down to her level. "Okay. But I'm only SHOWING you. We're not actually gonna DO it."

"Girls really do mature faster. It's not like I have cooties."

"You're still a girl. I don't wanna fight with br-"

"They're NOT even halfway developed yet!"

"They're still THERE!"

"Oh, c'mon! That's no excuse! Sometimes I can barely tell!"

"Can we NOT talk about this right now?!"

* * * * *

"Shouldn't you be resting?"

Goten froze in mid-kick. "I can't. I have to be ready, in case I have to fight."

"Just an hour ago, you were in intense pain. You shouldn't be up."

Goten was used to people babying him. He didn't necessarily care for it, depending on who was doing the babying, and accepted such treatment with varying degrees of compliance. But there was something in the girl's voice that suggested she was only concerned about him, the same way he was for her. "But I do feel better," he protested weakly.

"I would hope so. It almost took forty minutes to heal you."

He blinked. "You…did that?"

"How did you think you got better?"

Goten sweatdropped. "I thought I had a senzu bean in my sleep…"

"You really shouldn't strain yourself, though. I won't be able to heal you so easily next time."

He thought about that, then sat down between her and Kagome. "Is that why they took you? Because you can heal?"

"Majin Buu didn't say-"

"MAJIN BUU?!" Goten shrieked, waking up Kagome. "He's BACK?!"

"I guess so."

"Oh, this is bad," Goten moaned. "What was he wearing?"

"Um…just some white pants. Why?"

Goten sighed in slight relief. "Maybe he hasn't absorbed anyone yet."

"He can…absorb people???"

"It gets worse. He gets their powers, too," Goten added.

Sasami's face paled. "I think I know why he took Yugi and me, then."

"Don't worry, I won't let him take you," Goten promised, squeezing her hand.

"But…Majin Buu's so powerful…how would you stop him?"

"Goten's stronger than he looks," Kagome said.

"I've fought him before," Goten went on. "Trunks was there, but…I think I could fight him alone…" He wisely decided not to mention that he hadn't been able to go Super Saiya-jin lately.

"He could…kill you," Sasami protested, her eyes wide with worry.

"I know," Goten replied. "But I won't let him hurt anyone else." He grinned. "Anyway, Trunks says I should always protect pretty girls."

"He does?" Kagome asked, smiling a bit.

"Yup! He says if I'm lucky, I might get a kiss!"

"So if we weren't pretty, you wouldn't protect us?!"

"Well, SURE I would! But this way, I've got even more reason to!" He turned to Sasami with a hopeful smile. "Right?"

Sasami realized, in that moment, that Goten was perfectly serious. He would fight to protect them, even if it sealed his fate. He didn't seem to care that he was risking his life for strangers, only that he stopped a demon from wreaking havoc. And he couldn't have been a day over twelve. The thought brought tears to her eyes, and she couldn't stop them as she hid her face in her hands.

"Sasami, please don't cry," Goten pleaded, gently pulling her hands away. "Don't be afraid! I'll protect you, I promise!"

She shook her head, trying to say that wasn't why she was upset, but Sasami knew she'd never be able to make Goten understand. All she knew was that she didn't want this innocent, brave boy to die because of her. Choking back a sob, she threw herself at him, clutching him tightly.

Goten was a little startled, but quickly returned the embrace, trying to soothe her. "It's okay, Sasami. Everything will work out eventually, you'll see…"

Kagome watched them in silence, wishing she had Goten's confidence. She knew he would keep his word, but couldn't help wondering if Majin Buu was stronger than a certain loudmouthed demon lord. It was a moment later before she finally missed her jewel shards, and it didn't take a genius to figure out which demon had them by now…

* * * * *

Washu had always been good at multitasking, but she suspected that this was taking it to a new degree.

On one screen were the Sailor Senshi. On another, the Z Senshi. On the third, detailed visuals of Mistress 9 and Majin Buu, as well as several graphs charting their suspected power levels. Each of the remaining screens did the same for two of the missing persons: Chibi Trunks & Goten, ChibiUsa & Setsuna, and Sasami & Yugi.

Wanting to be prepared for anything, Washu had just made Trunks and Gohan go through a thorough description of the different Super Saiya-jin stages. Vegeta had remained totally silent, but grimaced a bit more when Goten talked about Super Saiya-jin 3.

Against several protests, Washu had updated Chibi & Goten's graphs to reflect both of them reaching Super Saiya-jin 3 separately, and then pulled up another screen focusing on Gotenks…in every possible stage. Her response was that they had to be ready for anything and everything.

But that still left some problems.

For starters, there was really no accurate way to gauge the power of either of the Ginzuishou, since they had the ability to adapt and respond differently to various situations. Washu had finally settled on designing approximate charts for Saturn, Uranus, Venus, Jupiter, and Sailor Moon, then drawing conclusions from those…which didn't help all that much.

"I have a suggestion, Washu-san," Trunks said suddenly.

"Oh? What's that?"

"Saturn-san…you did say that you defeated Mistress 9 before, correct?"

Saturn nodded. "With Sailor Moon's help, yes."

"And the two of you-alone-did this?"

"That's correct."

"And do you think it's possible for her to defeat someone considerably stronger than herself?"

Saturn glanced at Sailor Moon, then nodded. "Well, yes. The mere fact that she is evil gives her a considerable advantage. Her power, from what we've seen, has a habit of increasing almost exponentially when used against a stronger opponent."

"So…you're saying that if she faced someone with a pure heart, she could instantly be more powerful than they are?"

"Definitely. From what you've said about Saiya-jin, I can only assume she was able to knock out the boys because she overwhelmed them with a force of pure evil. It would certainly stun them at the very least."

Trunks smiled grimly. "Washu-san, I think you should set the power of the Ginzuishou equal to that of Super Saiya-jin 3 Gotenks…for now."

"Ah…I think that might be a bit high," Gohan said hesitantly.

"I don't. Mistress 9 obviously has access to a power unlike anything either of us has ever faced before, Gohan. It's almost Saiya-jin in nature, except that she doesn't need to be near death to become stronger. Which makes her nothing short of deadly, in my view. And from what I've heard of Majin Buu, if she was able to resurrect him, she's far more dangerous than anyone's giving her credit for. If the Ginzuishou has never failed Sailor Moon, AND still exists even in ChibiUsa's time, then it must be extremely powerful."

"But…if we overestimate its power, couldn't that be harmful to ChibiUsa?" Venus asked.

Trunks blinked. "I hadn't planned on attacking her. I was under the assumption we were trying to save her?"

"We are," Sailor Moon agreed. "But…knowing Mistress 9, she'll probably try to bring ChibiUsa over to her side. She knows it would hurt me-and Saturn-if we had to fight her."

"Which you won't," Washu said suddenly.

"How do you know that for sure?"

"Because I have absolutely no intention of letting you anywhere near Mistress 9, Sailor Moon."

"What?!" Sailor Moon cried, being restrained by several Senshi. "If you think I'm going to let my daughter remain in the hands of that woman-!"

Washu sighed patiently. "As Trunks has already pointed out, the power of one Ginzuishou alone is enormous. I will, under no circumstances, allowed Mistress 9 to gain two of them. That would defeat the purpose of us coming together to plan a rescue mission."

"She's right," Mercury said softly. "Mistress 9 came too close to winning last time. You shouldn't go, Sailor Moon."

Sailor Moon froze and stared at her. "But, Mercury…it's ChibiUsa!" she protested.

"That's exactly why you can't go. You would do anything to save her. Even give up the Ginzuishou."

Washu cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, Sailor Moon. But we need to think rationally about this. So Mercury will be part of the small force I send into Mistress 9's pocket dimension…as soon as I find it."

"Small force?!" Uranus cried. "Are you insane? Have you heard anything we've said about Mistress 9?!"

"Yes. And I've also seen what Majin Buu can do. I refuse to send all of you, only to be absorbed or turned against us. Remember that I'm the only one that can get you there, and that we either do this my way, or we do it without you."

"Will I be included in this effort, Washu-san?" Saturn asked.

"Against my better judgment, yes. You know better than anyone else how Mistress 9's mind works, and you have enough power to make some impact against either her or Majin Buu."

Mars frowned. "What about the rest of us?"

But Washu had already turned back the Z Senshi. "Also, I want Trunks and Vegeta to go with them."

Trunks nodded his agreement, but Vegeta remained silent.

"Why not me?" Gohan asked.

"Vegeta has more experience at this sort of thing, and Trunks's visions may warn the team of what's to come and allow them to prepare. Right now, we could use the advantage. Anyway, Gohan, if the team fails, we can't have all the best fighters on it, can we?"

Videl spoke up. "But…just the four of them?"

Washu tapped her chin thoughtfully. "You may have a point. I wonder…"

All of the Senshi tensed as a shadow-cloaked figure rose up behind Washu.

"Washu-san!" Trunks cried in alarm.

"You're a dear to worry, but it's only my other sister." Washu turned around. "Is something wrong, Tokimi?"

"I would not come to you in person otherwise." Tokimi gestured slightly, and two large containment tubes rose behind her. "I have more information on your enemies."

"Oh? Don't keep us in suspense!"

"Mainly, there is one other: Sesshomaru."

Washu blinked. "Um…any of you guys know that name?"

"He is a powerful demon lord. That is all that matters. He was the one that defeated Setsuna."

"The wolf man!" Trunks said.

Tokimi seemed irritated. "He has that ability, yes."

"Then what's in here?" Washu asked, poking one of the tubes.

"There is another missing child called Kagome, and she was traveling with these two."

One of the tubes vanished, and a small boy with reddish brown hair tumbled out.

"Why don't you let the other one out?" Washu suggested, helping the confused boy up.

Tokimi frowned. "No. He was…violent and rude."

"He's always like that," the boy added helpfully, glancing around. "Um…where are we?"

Washu smiled kindly. "You're in my lab. Don't worry, we're going to bring Kagome back to you two."

"Oh. Okay. I'm Shippo, and he's Inuyasha. Well, he will be when he gets out of there…"

The words were barely out of his mouth when the tube shattered and a red blur flew directly at Tokimi.

Washu sighed. "I know you'd just break out again, but don't make us humiliate you by stuffing you back into a tube."

The red blur had stopped, mainly because it was now trapped in a green bubble, and had resolved itself into a sour-looking young man with amber eyes, white hair, and a red kimono. "You're the LAST freaky woman that gets the best of me today," he snapped.

Up on the screen, the Sailor Senshi were in a state of distress. The moment Inuyasha had been slowed down enough, Mars had shouted, "Youma!" and put them all on alert.

"Not the type you're used to defeating, fortunately," Washu said. "This one's actually a great deal stronger. And, like Sesshomaru, he should prove to be quite difficult to deal with."

"You say that like it's a good thing," Venus murmured slowly.

"Well, it is. He's the last member of the team."

There was a shocked silence, which the demon quickly ended.

"I don't do `team' stuff, lady," Inuyasha replied haughtily.

"You do if you want to beat up on your brother and save Kagome…not to mention those jewels."

Inuyasha growled, but eventually quieted down.

"He's Sesshomaru's BROTHER?" Gohan cried.

"I can see the resemblance," Trunks noted.

"Can he be trusted to cooperate with us?" Saturn asked.

Washu nodded. "Yes. But you can expect him to behave like this the whole time."

"And…these…are the people you're sending against Mistress 9 and Majin Buu?" Sailor Moon asked.

"I will bring ChibiUsa and Setsuna back, Sailor Moon," Saturn stated. "I swear it."

Sailor Moon smiled slightly. "It's not you I'm worried about, Saturn. But thank you."

"There is one more," Washu murmured. "Almost forgot about him, really."

"Who?" Uranus asked, already dreading the answer.

"The very same young man you Sailor Senshi insisted not attend this meeting: Duo Maxwell."

* * * * *

The last thing she recalled was beating some idiot three times her size in the Tenkaichi Budoukai with little more than a punch and a kick.

And then there was total darkness.

Now there was an odd, metallic chamber, shaped almost exactly like a large-scale model of an egg.

And the boy.

She froze as their eyes met…and she knew.

He did not, predictably, but that was hardly his fault. "Are you okay?" he asked, offering a deceptively strong hand that was only slightly larger than her own.

She nodded, a bit too slowly, and accepted his hand, pulling herself to her feet. "Where are we?"

"I'm not sure." He glanced around. "There's a door, but it seems to only open from the outside."

Her eyes trailed over his clothes, and she held in a gasp. Even though they were torn, badly scorched, and half-soaked with blood, she could still recognize Piccolo's Namekian-style fighting togs anywhere. ESPECIALLY when they were in that condition, come to think of it.

He noticed her staring. "It's nothing," he said, sounding as if he barely believed it himself. He tried not to move much, mostly so she wouldn't notice his useless arm and its dead weight.

Every part of her screamed in need: to hug him, to comfort him, anything to lessen the pain of the one closest to her heart. But there was nothing she could do, nothing she could say that wouldn't alarm him and require lengthy explanations.

Fate was cruel.

But as they would soon discover, Fate had nothing on Majin Buu.

"I'm Son Gohan," he said at length, his eyes curious, but not the least bit wary. For some reason, he trusted her completely. Perhaps it was merely that they were both stuck in the same rut. Perhaps it was some…deeper connection.

She began to answer him almost automatically, but stopped herself. "Son…Gohan?" she repeated, as if she'd heard the name before. And she had. All her life.

"Maybe you heard of my father," Gohan began, but he suddenly tensed up and turned to the door. "Stay behind me," he whispered.

She obeyed, not because she was afraid or weaker than him, but because he had told her to.

The door slid open, and the enormous power level chose that moment to slap her in the face with its fearsome presence. She could almost taste the energy coming from this being, and despite his color, she knew it would taste anything but sweet.

Majin Buu stooped as he entered, his lips curving into a malicious grin as he eyed the two children.

Only she knew that something was…wrong about him. Having never seen his evil form in person, she could only go on what her parents and friends had told her. And judging from the odd outfit, not only was he evil again, but he'd already claimed a life and soul as his own. She suppressed a whimper and clutched the boy's hand instinctively, forgetting to gauge her strength. Her nails dug in his hand hard enough to draw blood.

Gohan was surprised, but did not show it. But if she were that strong, maybe he wouldn't have to look out for her as much as he'd feared. He'd just destroyed one monstrosity, and that had taken all he had, and then some. There was no way he could defend either of them for very long against this pink creature…whatever it was.

Majin Buu remained where he was, though. "Son Gohan," he said quietly, apparently amused. "I've been…expecting you."

Gohan couldn't help it, his blood began to boil, even now. Just the way this creature breathed seemed to be a threat…and his Saiya-jin blood refused to let that threat go unanswered, even in his current state. As he struck a fighting pose, he only hoped the girl wouldn't suffer because of him. Then he felt her hands pulling, tugging him back.

"No," she whispered urgently, shaking her head. "You can't!"

Gohan was hardly listening. His eyes were trained on the pink creature. "I know it's hopeless, but I won't let him hurt you."

"But you CAN'T!" she cried.

Gohan knew then that she knew: he had nothing left. But something inside him, whatever it was, insisted that he protect this girl. She was innocent, and neither of them deserved what he knew would inevitably happen in this chamber. But he was going to delay it as long as he could, for her sake. "Stay back," was all he said before he charged.

"NO!" she shouted.

Majin Buu did not attack. He merely stood there while Gohan's weary fists and feet rained blows all over him. "Are you done yet?" he asked after a moment.

Gohan landed, panting heavily. He'd reopened a wound in his useless arm, and a fresh blood trail was quickly covering up the old, dried ones.

Buu's boot came out of nowhere, connecting with the back of Gohan's head and sending him flying across the chamber. Still, Buu was there to catch Gohan, his pink, meaty fingers closing easily around the boy's throat. "I hope you're ready to get serious now, Gohan." He squeezed to punctuate his words.

Gohan gagged and kicked to no avail.

"Stop it," the girl whispered, her eyes wide with fear. "Just…STOP IT!!!"

"Are you going to make me?" Majin Buu asked.

"…yes."

"No!" Gohan coughed. "You don't stand a chance against him!"

"…I have to try." Her eyes began to water. "For you…"

Gohan felt a pang of…something in his heart. "You don't even KNOW me!" he protested, desperate to keep this stupid girl from getting herself killed. Well, faster than the pink monster was planning to kill them, anyway.

But the girl didn't hear him. She walked over to Majin Buu and looked up at him. "Put him down."

Majin Buu tossed Gohan aside and grinned. "No crying when you get hurt…Pan-chan."

Gohan didn't know the name. There was no way he could know; he was only eleven years old. He had never even met Videl. Just hours before he was brought here, he had returned peace to Earth (for a time) by defeating an evil known only as Cell, and his father had been killed with it. And all he knew was that if he didn't do something, someone else would be lost because of his mistakes.

Pan's blows had about the same effect as Gohan's, but she was not tired when she stopped.

Majin Buu chuckled. "Good. But you'll have to do better. Much better." He brushed some nonexistent dust from his new, dark blue Kaioshin's vest. "Now. Get up, both of you."

Pan walked over to Gohan and helped him up. "We should do what he says."

Gohan nodded absently, staring at her. "Have we…met somewhere?" he asked. "I have an odd feeling I should know you…"

Pan smiled and squeezed his good shoulder. "Guess I just have one of those faces, ne?"

"Don't we all," Majin Buu laughed, cracking his knuckles. "Welcome to Buu's Bombastic Training Camp." He took a deep breath then spat out a dozen white clouds.

Pan resisted the urge to cringe…especially when the clouds begin to form bodies and faces.

Soon, there were a dozen white, smaller copies of Buu, giggling madly and forming a circle around the two children.

"The rules are simple," Majin Buu said. "If both of you are still standing when the last ghost is gone, you get to rest. If not…you get to try again."

This time it was Pan who pushed Gohan behind her. "Don't worry, Papa," she said, and then grimaced.

Gohan started. "Papa…?!"

The thought barely had time to register before the first two ghosts slammed into them, enveloping the children in two huge explosions.

Majin Buu threw back his head and laughed as the ghosts continued their deadly dance.

* * * * *

"Has this ever happened before?" Yugi asked, gently wiping sweat from Chibi's forehead.

"No," Setsuna replied, her heart aching as she watched the boy groan in pain. "They must be doing something to him, but I can't imagine what…"

"Can't we do something for him?"

"Maybe. Yugi, you said you were a telepath, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but how does that help?"

"Pain is partially mental. If you can turn off his pain receptors, he might pass out."

Yugi blinked. "But…I've never done that before."

"There is nothing I can do for him, Yugi," Setsuna admitted. "Only you can end his suffering."

Yugi hesitated, then carefully placed her hands on Chibi's head.

After a few long moments, Chibi stopped shifting and began to breath normally.

The second she was done, Yugi's eyes rolled up into her head, and she fainted, her head coming to rest on Chibi's chest.

Setsuna watched the children sleep for a while before closing her own eyes and attempting to do the same.

None of them could've known that a similar scene had just played out in Goten's cell.