Koneka's Excellent Vacation

part17 This chapter flashes forward, then flashes back. Don’t get your shorts knotted — it ain’t over yet! Disclaimer: Not mine, but one of these days I’m gonna corner Goku or Vejita and THEN you’ll see who belongs to whom! _____________________________________ Koneka’s Excellent Vacation, Part 17 Cell Games: Goku’s Sacrifice I’ve left the door to my apartment open and Jimmy is gleefully running in and out. “Koneka! Koneka!” He’s standing by my tipped-back chair where I’m sitting with my feet propped on the window sill. He’s bouncing on the balls of his feet — an exuberant youngster full of energy and vitality. I look at his face and already see the memory of what has gone before fading. The young are so resilient... I lay my pen down in the gulley between the pages of my journal. “What’s up, bud?” “Mom wants you to come to dinner! Pleeeeeese?” “Of course I’ll come! Tell her thanks and find out what time she wants me. ‘K?” He tears out of the apartment, but he’s back in seconds with the appointed dinner time, then he’s gone again in a flash, the sounds of his laughter ringing in the hallway. It brings a smile to my lips. The afternoon is warm and sunny. There’s a soft breeze coming through the open window where I’m sitting. For awhile I just sit and listen to the noise of life in the street below, wonderful and musical, sounds I had never noticed before. Now they’re so full of meaning. My vacation is drawing to a close and I feel the need to get this all down on paper, so that I’ll never forget. Not that I ever could. Not that I could ever forget him. How do I put this on paper? Those last few awful hours of loss and rebirth, strength and weakness, love courcourage and sacrifice. I pick up my pen and continue recording the incredible story. ___________________________ Gohan exploded, hate and rage fueling his power, a surge of electricity like lightning, crackling and encircling his body. His face was set — a hate-filled sneer that made fingers of fear crawl up my back. Cell was laughing. “At last you’re showing your true power!” But his glee was short-lived as suddenly the bag in his hand disappeared and reappeared in Gohan’s. I hadn’t even seen him move. The cut on the young man’s forehead seemed to stand out in sharp relief like a badge of honor against his white skin and blazing golden hair. His visage never changed, the teal blue eyes glaring from under the thick blonde eyebrows. Then it was happening. One after the other, Gohan destroyed the mini-Cells with a punch, a kick, a slam. His expression never altered as he went on his destructive spree. “Is..is..that Gohan?” Jimmy whispered, blinking up at me. I wasn’t sure anymore. Who was this transformed titan who seemed to have lost his soul? I glanced over at Goku so far away, and I saw him lift his head and a tiny smile appeared on his face. “Yes, it’s Gohan, but he’s...different,” I said. Is this his hidden power? This cold killing machine? “Cell can’t touch hi148;148; I said aloud, more to myself. And it waue! ue! Gohan’s speed was amazing! Every punch Cell threw hit air, every kick was blocked by the grim young man. He never said a word. Cell was furious! The battle raged, at least Cell’s battle, as I saw Trunks handing out something to each warrior who found strength from whatever it was. Goku was standing now and Vejita was snarling at his son, snatching the object from his hand. There was too much action for me to follow. Jimmy was clinging to my leg and I knew I should get us out of there, but we both seemed to be petrified into immobility. Gohan was making mincemeat of the monster and now he was advancing on a terrified Cell. Stopping spinning energy disks with his arms, Slapping energy balls away, throwing them far off into space. And still his visage hadn’t changed — cold determination etched into his face. And now Mr. Satan is talking some trash about taking him into his school, and Cell was rocketing into the sky. “OH MY GOD!” Cell hurled the biggest blast of energy I had ever seen straight at Gohan, who was calmly watching it approach. We were going to be killed! And still I couldn’t move. Quietly, so quietly I heard Gohan say “Ka-me-ha-me-HAAAA!” and he met the blast with one of his own. Dust and sand were blowing everywhere, and I grabbed Jimmy’s head and pulled his face into my stomach, crouching low. When it finally settled, we were covered in dirt. “You okay, Jimmy?” I said, as I brushed us off. “Y-yes,” he said weakly, looking into the sky at Cell. He gasped. I followed his gaze and saw that Cell was missing some body parts. Goku was screaming, “Finish him off nowhan!han!” And to my amazement, Gohan was doing nothing while Cell powered up until he was huge! But he was so big and bulky, he couldn’t land a blow. Then, with a scream, Gohan flew into Cell, landing a vicious kick to his middle that sank in nearly to his knee. Cell was gurgling and dripping — I almost threw up watching him. He was swelling and puffing and, to my horror, he retched and out popped a person! Jimmy screamed. I heard Krillin cry out, “It’s Eighteen!” Gohan was still just standing there, glaring at Cell. “Come on, Gohan,” I whispered. Even I knew he was the only one able to finish off Cell. “Cell’s changing,” Jimmy said. He was right. Cell’s tail had grown longer and his face looked more primitive. He attacked Gohan but was even slower in this form. Goku was screaming again, “Gohan! Stop playing around! Finish him NOW!” But the young man was ignoring his father. Then, to our utter amazement, Cell began to swell up like a balloon. “I’ll blow up soon. I’ll die and so will you!” he was saying, laughing crazily. “The whole Earth will blow up!” How could that be? That wasn’t true was it? But when Gohan dropped to his knees and fell forward, my heart leapt into my throat. For some reason, I looked at Goku. He turned to gaze at the warriors, said something that I couldn’t hear, raised his fingers to his forehead and his other hand in a wave. “’Bye, everyone,” he said. I heard Vejita’s astonished “What?!” Then suddenly Goku was in front of Cell and saying good-bye to his son with two fingers to his forehead and his palm flat on Cell’s bloated belly. They disappeared. Time stood still. Krillin dropped to the ground. “Goku!” Gohan looked up with tears streaming down his face. ‘DADDYYYYYYY!!!!” ...continued...