TO HAVE AND TO HOLD [modplot]

[letsgolegion]

Who| Anyone who wants in
What| "To Have and to Hold" plot
Where| The planet Olum, Matihara Temple
When| Set vaguely the same time as "Gods Among Us" and "Other Mother"
Warnings/Notes| N/A

The planet Olum is a genuinely welcoming place. While the clothes they have to wear for the rituals are a bit...odd (provided they don't opt for coverups), they are comfortable, especially with such a balmy climate. Despite the Olumites allowing outsiders into their ceremonies, there's a distinct lack of tourist-ey elements; no gift shops, no merchants selling anything, just a spirit of genuine unity and celebration. The Olumite marriage guides seem to genuinely care about helping people with their relationships, and seem happy to share their cultural traditions with other species.

As far as missions go, it's definitely a nice vacation from the usual life or death struggles.

It means the Legionnaires have no distractions. They have to settle in and try to navigate this while faking sincerity as best as they can.

[ooc: All information about the setting can be found on the infopost.]

Comments

Ritual Areas

[saltsweet]

Videl had not felt a moment's hesitation when she heard what the relationship review entailed. She knew all the ins and outs of Gohan's horrible childhood, but she could only empathize with them so much. Her youth was wild and unusual, but it was incredibly tame compared to Gohan's. Gohan carried terrible burdens from his childhood, and finally Videl had a chance to truly understand them.

She would never get another opportunity like this.

Videl took Gohan's hand and squeezed it. She knew this was hard for him, so she didn't brush off the intensity of the situation with her normal flippancy. "I understand," she assured him.

[superscholar]

Gohan exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding, a small smile tugging at his lips. The reassurance from his wife already doing plenty to put him at ease, even if he still couldn't help but fret somewhere in the back of his mind. He wanted to share his memories, but he was still worried it might be too much for her.

Nonetheless, that didn't mean he wasn't going to do it.

"... Alright," He said with a soft smile, holding her hand. Giving it a firm squeeze, before stepping forward into the stone array. There was no big light show, no grand display or anything. Which threw Gohan off for a bit, before he decided to test the waters.

... Videl?

[saltsweet]

Videl stepped inside the array beside Gohan, also expecting some kind of flashy magic. Nothing happened visibly, but Videl felt an unusual pressure in her head; it was like being underwater. Her ears felt plugged and she could no longer hear any other sounds around them, until Gohan's voice rang clear as a bell inside her mind.

Gohan? Videl had to make a concentrated effort to think to her husband instead of speak to him.

[superscholar]

Gohan had a lot more experience with this sort of thing than Videl, thanks to Piccolo and King Kai. He'd been on the receiving end of telepathic communications before, although this was his first time actually sending them back. It was... weird, having to make a concentrated effort to mentally speak. But the muffled silence provided by the stones helped a lot, especially as he closed his eyes.

Hey honey, Gohan 'said', still keeping a hold on her hand within the circle. This is probably a little weird, but you'll get used to it soon enough.

[saltsweet]

Videl laughed. Sort of. She made the motion of laughing, but no sound escaped her lips. Instead, a 'feeling' of laughter rippled between their linked minds.

You talk like you're the expert on telepathy or something. Which really wouldn't be too weird; Gohan was an expert on a large array of subjects.

She turned her attention briefly toward the Olumite marriage guide standing just outside the stone array. The additional presence was reassuring; she had heard other couples talk about getting too deep into each other's memories and needing the guide to pull them out. With Gohan, that was a very real concern.

Why don't you go first, dear?

[superscholar]

W-Well, maybe not an expert... Gohan stammered, feeling more than a little embarrassed. Although how one can stammer during a telepathic conversation was anyone's guess. Nonetheless, he tried to push it aside, and focus on the task at hand. Taking a slow, steady breath...

And pulling Videl into a familiar landscape. Full of rocky terrain, carved out to look flat... with a gaudy marble tournament ring placed in the flattened terrain.

I think I know what you need to see first.

[saltsweet]

Videl's good humor faded as the landscape came into focus. She'd recognize this arena anywhere, even seventeen years later, even if she'd only ever seen it once on TV as a scared little girl instead of the hundreds upon hundreds of times she's seen it re-cut and replayed by her father and his adoring press.

The Cell Games were something that had stuck with her for many years, especially after she finally learned the truth of what happened that day.

I'm ready.

[superscholar]

Then we should probably run.

The words came out quickly, the hybrid's gaze trained on the sky. Two small figures hovering high above, one being the familiar green creature known as Cell, the other being his father in his Super Saiyan form. Cell's hand was aiming down at the ring, seemingly ready to fire, despite no ki present. But Gohan didn't need to wait for his father's warning. He knew what followed.

"HEY! GET AWAY FROM THE RING! NOW!"

Cell's aura exploded around him, an energy blast forming in his hands. Gohan's entire body tensing, and immediately grabbing Videl, flying away from the ring as quickly as possible. It wasn't until he was flying away that he remember that this was a memory, that they would be fine. But even with that knowledge... he couldn't help but protectively tighten his grip on Videl, as he felt the ring and the area around it explode behind him, kicking up rock and dirt.

Eventually, he set Videl down. At the edge of what looked like a gigantic crater. The sight was enough that Gohan was having a hard time steadying his breathing, the entire ordeal just seeming way too real. But eventually, he let go of Videl... and clenched his hands into fists, biting his lower lip.

Cell blew up the ring, because he didn't want to worry about ring outs anymore. He's been wanting to fight my father ever since he was created, and he wasn't gonna let his own rules get in the way of that...

Finally, the two dots in the sky went back to fighting. Punching, kicking, zipping around the sky, and firing energy blasts at each other. Gohan turned away, looking at Videl.

I thought my father was holding back. I thought that, no matter what Cell threw at him, there was no real way my father could lose.

Finally, Goku stepped down from the sky, touching the ground. And for the first time in his entire life, Gohan heard the words that he never thought could escape his father's lips.

"I give up."

I was wrong.

[saltsweet]

Gohan reacted faster than Videl could. She heard him tell her to run, but she was initially struck by the sight of Cell and Goku high above her. Even though they were far away, Videl felt like they were very close. Everything felt very close. She had only ever seen the Cell Games from behind a TV screen; to be seeing things right up close now---

The thought was abruptly interrupted when Gohan grabbed her and flew her away from the blast. Her attention snapped back to the present and she pulled herself tight up against him as the explosion shook everything around them. When the dust settled and Gohan let go of her, Videl stayed close, attention returning to the destroyed arena.

I never understood why that happened, why he just gave up like that. It was hard to see them on the TV most of the time since they were moving so fast, but it always seemed like he was holding his own just fine against Cell.

[superscholar]

Gohan didn't respond immediately, his gaze back on the battlefield. His entire body tense, as he watched the exchange between Cell and his father. He knew how this all went down, this was his memory, after all. Which was why he couldn't help but shift his gaze over to one of the specs standing by the cliffside... a young blonde boy with a white cape, who was much too young to be here.

"Alright, time for you to take over!" Goku called out, as if it was just a normal occurrence, and not the end of the world at stake. "... Gohan."

On the outside, it looked like they were evenly matched. But as it turned out, my dad was giving it his all, while Cell was just humoring him. I... didn't really think that could be true, since my dad was the strongest fighter I knew, but...

Goku flew up to the cliffs then, standing in front of the younger Gohan. And even though the conversation was far away, Gohan himself could hear it plain as day, meaning Videl could too. "You're up for this, right?"

"M-Me... take him on...? I-I don't--"

"This is madness, Goku! There's no way the boy can win!" Piccolo suddenly cut in, looking absolutely livid. And just like that, both Gohan and Videl were right there, as part of the group, watching the scene unfold. "I'll admit, Gohan's abilities are far beyond what they used to be... but you're pitting him up against a foe even you couldn't beat!"

"Listen, you have to trust me," Goku cut in, still sounding like he wasn't worried. "Gohan has a power within him that's greater than anything you could possibly imagine."

Goku turned to look at his son, all the while the older Gohan couldn't help but tense at the words being spoken.

"Just think about it for a second... he's been fighting alongside us ever since he was little, against some of the toughest enemies around. I remember what I was like back when I was his age. I wasn't half as strong, not even close."

I didn't do it because I wanted to. I did it because I had to.

"Hey, come on man," Krillin cut in. "It's great that he's already a Super Saiyan, but what you're asking is..." He turned to glance at Gohan, more than a little worried. "It's kind of a tall order... right?"

The older Gohan took a deep breath, closing his eyes. As much as he thought he was prepared for this, he wasn't having the greatest time hearing all these things over again. Arguing over why he should fight, why he shouldn't. Treating his power like a tool to be used, at an age when he... didn't really know what he wanted.

Goku knelt in front of the younger Gohan then, speaking softly. "What do you think? Did you see Cell hit me with anything you couldn't handle? Did you see me go at him with anything you don't have?"

"... I... I don't think so, no..." Gohan stammered, hesitant. "But you were both holding back, right? I'm sure it'd be a lot different if you were going all out."

"I don't know about Cell, but I was giving it everything I had..." Goku answered, before placing both hands on Gohan's shoulders. "You thought I was holding back, because the whole time you were gauging my energy against your own."

... He's right. I thought he was holding back, because he was weaker than me, and I thought there was no way that could be right.

"Gohan, answer me. Is this true?" Piccolo asked.

"... Y-Yeah..."

[saltsweet]

Unthinking, Videl gripped Gohan's shirt as the argument unfolded about whether or not the young Gohan should face Cell.

We couldn't hear any of this on TV, she mentioned, too absorbed in what was going on to say more.

She could feel her husband grow tense as they spectated and her grip on his shirt tightened, trying to anchor him to reality alongside her rather than slipping too deep into his troubled past.

She pursed her lips, listening silently to the argument, a flame of frustration flickering to life in the pit of her stomach. This was how it happened, how Gohan ended up facing Cell? Yes, Gohan had told her that he went up against Cell because of Goku, but Videl hadn't realized it went like this: with Goku pushing his son into a life-or-death fight with the entire world at stake because Gohan had the physical strength and without regard for what Gohan wanted.

As her husband spoke, Videl realized that she had made the same assessment as he had back when this happened; it didn't seem right that her father in law was weaker than his son in this moment. That fact ran counter to the norm of their lives, the norm of the past ten years they had spent together. Videl knew that Gohan had a deep wellspring of power with no fathomable limit, but he never displayed that power the way Goku did. In the (more or less) peaceful life Videl lived with her husband, it was easy to forget exactly how strong Gohan was, and a part of her was ashamed to realize that.

[superscholar]

Gohan may have been stronger than his father, but he wasn't as skilled as his father was. He only ever kept up with his father and his friends because his power could make a difference, because it was needed for their lives to keep going. If it was up to Gohan, he would've never trained, he would've just continued to stick to his studies...

But he didn't have that luxury. He never really had it, when he thought about it.

The guy who was filming everything never really... came to us, I think. They were mostly sticking by Mr. Satan, which I guess makes enough sense. I didn't really care, I was kind of... distracted, for obvious reasons.

And said reasons made themselves clear as his younger self took his shoulder pads off, letting them drop to the ground with an extremely heavy thud. Hovering down to the battlefield, fists clenching as he hesitantly prepared himself to fight. Gohan couldn't help but look at himself, his gaze alternating between himself, and Cell.

The briefest image of Pan standing down there flashing through his mind, a sickening shiver shooting up his spine.

I should've never been down there.

[saltsweet]

Videl flinched as the younger Gohan dropped his training armor on the ground. Unlike her husband, she was watching Goku and the other fighters as the young Gohan descended toward Cell. She could no longer hear what they were saying as the young Gohan moved out of earshot, since the memory was limited by his perception, but she was dying to know what was going through their minds. Goku seemed so calm about sending his son into a battle that could spell his death and Videl couldn't fathom how. She thought of Pan and how she would feel if Gohan sent her to fight a monster like Cell. Videl knew she'd react like Piccolo was doing now, disbelief spiking immediately into anger. It was unthinkable; Videl would rather die in an unwinnable fight than pit her daughter against such a cruel opponent, no matter how strong Pan was.

Her husband's last sentence brought her attention back to his younger self, facing down Cell. No, he shouldn't have been there. Videl had thought that years ago, when Gohan first told her this story. Fighting Cell was a necessary sacrifice for Gohan, Videl could not deny, but it was a sacrifice he shouldn't have needed to make.

For the moment, she watched in silence.

[superscholar]

Gohan didn't say a word as he watched himself prepare to fight Cell, his younger self dropping into a combat stance. A tense expression on the older man's face, as the two fighters simply stared each other down. He knew this wasn't going to be pleasant, so he was trying to do his best to be objective, to take his feelings out of this. But he could already feel his frustrations bubble to the surface the more he watched, years of hindsight picking away at him.

Right now, all they could hear was from Gohan's perspective. His family and friends completely inaudible, all the while the reporter was clearly commentating, but the words coming out of his mouth were muffled, completely incomprehensible. Gohan knew what was coming though, his gaze turning back to his father. nd as much as he wanted to be mad at what came next... it was so unquestionably like his father, that he couldn't bring himself to.

Goku could've never known how things would've played out from here.

"Hey Cell!" From the cliffside, Goku threw a small bean at Cell. The green monster catching it, a confused expression on his face. "It's called a Senzu Bean! Eat up!"

"IS YOUR BRAIN ON VACATION?!" Krillin screamed, loud enough that Gohan could actually hear it. "WHY THE HELL DID YOU GO AND DO THAT?!"

Remember the bean I fed you during the World Tournament, when we were teenagers? The one that healed you completely? Well... that's what dad just gave Cell.

Cell chuckled then, low and amused. Staring at the bean with mild curiosity, before it turned into sadistic amusement. "Incredible. With everything at stake, you still can't help but be a slave to your better nature. Sickening." Cell's smirk grew wider then, gaze turning to Goku. "All the same, I gladly accept this token of good sportsmanship. But mark my words..."

Cell's tone took a darker turn.

"I'll see to it that you regret the gesture."

[saltsweet]

Videl felt a solid weight drop in the pit of her stomach as she watched what transpired. Her brows furrowed as she looked between Cell and Goku, mind whirling as she tried to process what had just happened.

He...

Gohan's narration called up her own memory of lying on a gurney at the World Tournament, grappling with unbearable pain and certain that she was about to die. At some point, Gohan's soothing voice broke through the din of her pain, gently instructing her to eat something he pushed into her mouth. Videl could still vividly recall her unquestioning trust in him at that moment; even at death's door, she would have done anything for him right then. The next second, a soothing warmth spread from her gut through the rest of her body, an internal balm that repaired every inch of damage from her fight.

The weight in Videl's stomach lurched and her expression transformed from disbelief to rage. Shrieking with fury, she leapt from her husband's side and flew up to the cliffside where Goku and the others were standing.

You idiot!! Videl threw a left hook straight for Goku's jaw. Unfortunately for Videl, her attempt to influence the memory was ignored and her fist flew harmfully through Goku's face. How could you do that to your son?! Do you want Gohan to die?!

Punch after punch she threw, each as worthless as the last. All around her and through the memory, all motion was frozen. The very air warbled threateningly, a sound like the far off rumbling of thunder, as though the memory itself were a porcelain dish wobbling uncertainly at the edge of a table.

[superscholar]

Yes, the memory was definitely frozen now. And so was Gohan, as he watched his wife leap up to his father and throw punches at the man's face. It was... both completely unexpected, and not even slightly unexpected, all at the same time. The idea that Videl would punch his father not something that ever crossed Gohan's mind, but then, in retrospect... he knew better than to doubt that Videl would do something like that, given her fiery temper.

It was enough that he couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if one of those punches connected. And in that very moment, Goku's face became incredibly solid, her punch connecting and sending the man flying through the air, landing on his side and skidding along the ground. Everyone else reacted, looking down at the man in shock, before looking up at Videl.

And right there, everything shattered.

Videl!

Gohan flew at her, trying to grab her. The entire landscape becoming a dark void, surrounded by shattered glass, as Gohan flew as fast as he could, but somehow not fast enough.

Videl, grab my hand!

He reached forward, trying to reach her. But somehow, the closer he got, the farther away he got. No matter how fast he flew, it just wasn't enough to reach her. But he kept trying, and trying, and trying--

"VIDEL!"

Gohan was grabbing her shoulders, trying to shake her out of the memory. Standing in the stone array, his grip so tight that he would've been concerned about bruising if he wasn't so worried about her not waking up. "Videl, it's not real! Wake up!"

[saltsweet]

For a moment, the anger was knocked right out of Videl as one of her futile punches connected with Goku's jaw and sent him flying. She gaped at him, then at her fist, remembering right then that none of this was actually real. She was about to turn back to Gohan to apologize for her outburst when the ground below her suddenly cracked. She looked down just in time to see everything shatter like glass beneath her feet.

She screamed as she plunged into a black pit, suddenly unable to fly.

Gohan! she cried in panic, reaching up for him with both hands. Somehow she was falling faster than he could fly. A wave of terror rippled through her. Gohan!!

Then he was gone and everything was black. There was no sound either and, when she tried to draw in a breath, found that there was no air. She tried to reach up to grab at her throat, but couldn't move her arms. Couldn't feel her arms. Panic gripped her tighter.

A firm pressure in the center of Videl's forehead suddenly captured all of her attention, drawing all of the flailing parts of her together, like a magnet collects metal shavings. Her eyes snapped open wide and she was greeted by the elegant blue face of the Olumite memory guide. Seeing Videl conscious, the guide leaned back and smiled, removing her thumb from Videl's forehead.

"Here now, she is safe," the Olumite said to Gohan as she stepped back to give the couple space. "I must say, it has been some time since I met a pair that lost control of a memory so quickly."

Still in Gohan's arms, Videl coughed pathetically and tried to offer an apologetic smile. "Sorry I punched you dad, dear," she said with a slight rasp, still catching her breath.

[superscholar]

The moment Videl's eyes opened, Gohan couldn't help but exhale the breath he wasn't aware he was holding. The man's shoulders visibly sagging, as the tension completely left them. He closed his eyes, resting his head against her forehead. An amused smile tugging at his lips, especially once she uttered the apology, and he realized that he really should've expected something like this to happen.

"Don't worry, my dad was pretty dumb back then..." He muttered, the relief practically audible. Gohan was just glad Videl was okay, and it showed. "The senzu bean was probably excessive... but it worked out, so just try to remember that."

Then, after a pause. "... Ready to go again?"