A Forgotten Life

Chapter Eighteen

"I'm sorry, Aki. We shouldn't have forgotten you," Krillin said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. Then he smiled. "But, hey! Maybe you can win more tournaments and come visit us more often once this is done with!"

Aki regained her smile. "Yes, maybe. I'd like that."

"Not to soud rude, but we do have a situation on our hands," 18 reminded us. 

Daddy's face turned serious. "18's right. We have work to do. Kids, follow me and Piccolo. We'll show you what you need to do."

Piccolo and Daddy lead us away from the rest of our family and friends, herding us in a spacious room. When we got there, he told us to line up with the person we'd be fusing with. Goten and Trunks made room for Aki to stand next to me, which pushed Bulla and Marron down some. 

"Good. Now I want you all to listen to me and listen to me good. We don't have a lot of time for this, so you need to learn it as soon as possible." Daddy adopted a lecturing tone. "The Fusion technique is sorta like a dance; you have to preform certain movements in order for it to work. But you have to get every single move correct, otherwise the whole thing falls apart. Got it?" 

When we nodded, Daddy continued. "Good. Now, before we do anything, I need you all to match your parner's power level. So, for example, Bulla, you'd need to raise yours slightly so it's even with Marron's. Trunks, lower your's so it's the same as Goten's." When he got to Aki and I, he paused, smiling. "Mooney, Aki, you're power is already even. We haven't even started and you two are right on the ball!"

I smiled sheepishly and glanced over at my cousin. I could see the confident smile on her face. She was ready for whatever came our away.

Once we all had our power's even with our fusing buddies (as Marron liked to call it), Daddy went on explaining the next part of the technique. But before he could start, we were interrupted by Babbidi.

"Citizen's of Earth! I'm so sorry to interrupt you again, but this time I bring you a special message! It's for a certain group of people. I'm not going to name them, for you know who you are. I just wanted to tell you that the city you call home is wonderful!" The scene in our minds changed from Babbidi and Buu floating to a bird's eye view of West City. We all gasped.

"No! Daddy, we have to do something!" I cried, looking up at my father desperately. "He's going to destroy our home!"

"Grandma! Grandpa!" Bulla yelled, her face stricken. She and Trunks had just lost their dad, and now their grandparents were about to be added to Buu's list of Human casualties.

"Goku!" Bulma exlcaimed, coming through the door. "Please tell me we have time to get them!" Just as Daddy was opening his mouth to answer all of us, new images flashed in our heads, followed by Babbidi's voice.

Large beams of yellowish-purple light came from Buu's hands. He swiveled around, blowing up anything and everything he could. The wizard controling him laughed.

"I hope you enjoyed our present! I expect to see you all soon! Majin Buu is growing bored and wishes for some excitment!" As if to prove this, Buu raised his hands - just like Daddy does when he makes  a Spirit Bomb - and formed a huge ball of dark Ki. Smirking wickedly, he threw it at what was left of West City, destroying it in a matter of seconds.

"You have five days to face me or I let Majin Buu blow up this planet!" Babbidi declared. "Don't disappoint me!" And with that, his horrifying images left, leaving us alone once more.

My body shook with rage and sorrow. Tears leaked from my eyes, and even squeezing them shut didn't work to stop them. All my friends from school... Trunks and Bulla's grandparents... Even Videl's dad... All dead, along with thousands of innocent people. 

"Stop that. Right now." Surprised flooded through me when I heard to tone of Daddy's voice. I opened my eyes and looked at him.

Just like me, his body was shaking, and I knew he was beyond furious. With Babbidi for killing everyone, and probably with himself for not trying to stop him. I glanced around at the other's, and, seeing the confused and surprised looks on their faces, I turned my gaze back to Daddy, waiting for him to explain. I had to constantly blink to get the tears out of my eyes.

"I said enough! No more tears! It's time to suck it up! I'm sorry if I seem harsh, but in order to do this Fusion right, you all need to be tough! So no more crying!" Daddy's face was stone cold, his eyes hard as diamonds. I was still very surprised. This was the first time I had ever heard my dad speak this way.

With the back of my hand, I harshly brushed my tears away, forcing them to stop. I shut my eyes, taking some deep breaths, trying to get the tremors to leave my body. But they didn't, at least not completely. The sobs no longer shook me, but my anger. Babbidi had gone far enough. It was time for him to to be stopped.

Reopening my eyes, I felt my resolve harden. Daddy was right. This was no time for tears. It was time to be tough. It was time to be the warrior I know I am.