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Gine could only watch in horror as the attack crashed down on him... until he leapt as hard as he could into the air at the last moment. Gine felt a floodgate of relieve open up and poured through her, then she was suddenly knocked back by the flying debris and deafening sound of the explosion.
Gine shielded Gohan as the others ducked for cover from the heat and rocks. When the dust settled they all got back up. When they saw the ring, they gasped.
There was no ring anymore. Just a giant square shaped hole in the ground!
"KAKAROT! KAKAROT WHERE ARE YOU?!" Gine heard Krillin cry out.
"I hate to be the pessimist, but I don't anyone could've survived that..." He said solemnly. Chi-Chi started to cry softly.
Gine came to her senses and remembered.
"Kakarot's alive." She said without worry. Everyone looked at her like she was insane.
"Look." She said as she pointed up toward the sky.
There he was. He jumped as high as he could at the last second. So that's what Tien meant when he said avoid it.
Now both of them were falling back to the ground. Then it clicked in Gine's mind. There was no arena to land on except deep in the bottomless pit Tien created, so they would have to land outside it. And whoever did so first would be out of bounds... ingenious!
The announcer came out from his hiding spot and saw the two combatants in the sky. Gine wondered how that man was wasn't dead yet from all the crossfire he's been in.
"I'll be right back, folks!" The announcer said as he popped open a jet scooter to fly towards the falling pair.
She could tell they were both out of energy and could not keep floating up there forever, one of them is going to fall first. But then, Kakarot turned around, and cupped his hands.
Gine was confused. Was he going to fire a Kamehameha away from Tien?
"HAAAAAA!" She heard him shout from high above as he fired the beam, but it sent him rocketing toward Tien. Kakarot slammed into him with enough force to send both of them flying way out towards the city and out of view.
"After them!" Bulma cried as she charged in the direction of where they flew towards. The rest of the gang, and the audience followed suit. In a few moments it became pandemonium as the tournament goers left the ground in a flood of humanity that shook the streets with it's footfalls, people shoving and pushing to get out of the way and not get run over.
Gine charged after them last once it was safe not get trampled over with Gohan in tow. After a while of sprinting and maneuvering past the rest of the crowd, Gine and the rest of the gang managed to get out onto the street heading towards the specks that were Tien and Kakarot. Their plunge back down to earth nearing its end as they came closer to the street.
Kakarot struck a vehicle before hitting the ground, followed by Tien who just landed on his back.
That was it. Kakarot was out first, Tien won.
When they reached them, they were both out cold and unable to accept their positions. So it still wasn't over yet still.
Gine stood over her son's unconscious, battered form. No matter his injuries, he would live, he was a Saiyan afterall. He even had a slide upward curl in his lips as he lay there knocked out. Even when beaten and bloodied, he looked content. Gine smiled heartedly.
This truly was one hell of a fight, and she was glad he had it.
"You look awful." Krillin joked at Kakarot who couldn't respond. Chi-chi was inconsolable, kneeling by his side balling her eyes out and asking if 'her' Kakarot was dead or not. 'Her's?' Gine thought, then shook it off.
The crowds gathered around them as they lifted Kakarot and Tien to cheer them for such am amazing fight. Then the cheers came for Tien, as he regained consciousness first. Now it was officially over. Tien Shinhan, former student of the Crane Hermit, was now the new Champion.
A large man held up Tien on his shoulders in piggy-back like she used to do with Kakarot as a baby. Everyone then started to applaud, "Three cheers for Tien Shinhan!" Someone would shout. Another would say, "I'm your biggest fan!" Then another, ""Way to go, Tien!" Even Chiaotzu had made it out to the street to greet his friend.
The slow clapping and cheering turned into a chorus of praise for him and his turn away from the darkness. He looked so humbled it almost looked like he was going to cry.
Deep down, Gine was glad for this ending to such a dramatic showdown. Seeing this man turn from a ruthless minion to an honorable warrior was so heartbreakingly inspiring that it seemed fitting for him to be lifted up and declared a hero of the day. Now she saw why Kakarot loved this tournament.
She somehow thought of how they imagined this world would be when she and Bardock first chose this planet to escape to, thinking there would be nothing here. Oh she wished Bardock could see how different this place was. The intelligence gathered by the Planet Trade Organization did no justice for this world at all for the Earthlings, and what truly amazing things they were capable of. And to think she choose this planet by chance with what little info they had that day so long ago.
But those thoughts turned dark as she remembered Bardock, Planet Vegeta, Raditz. That was another lifetime ago, and tried to blot out those memories and get back to the present.
She knelt by Kakarot snoring away on the street, splayed and his gi tattered surrounded by his friends and family. "I'm so proud of you." She said to him as she stroked his face, he twitched and started to come to as the cheers for Tien Shinhan went on around them.
This here, this is what really mattered. Her little champion.
Later that afternoon, they all gathered to say their goodbyes.
Gine was utterly exhausted. The sensory overload of being around so many people, the drama of the victories and defeats, and the grievances caused by Crane had drained her emotional strength away and has left her hanging on by a thread to just not collapse where she stood. She was so glad she got to see this tournament with Kakarot, but was just as happy to go back to their peacefully isolated mountain home as soon as possible.
Kakarot finished drowning himself in fresh clean water to wash and hydrate himself. "See you all in three years!" He called out to the announcer. Kakarot then changed out of his torn gi, borrowing Krillin's while he fitted himself into a nice formal suit for someone as small as him.
"That was an amazing tournament with thrilling fights! I'm sure gonna miss it very much." Roshi said almost reminiscently, as if for Jacky Chun instead of himself.
"The finale was close. It was just bad luck that you hit that truck." Said Krillin.
Kakarot waved that off. "Aw, it's okay. I had a lot of fun!"
Gohan smiled at that. "And that's all that matters."
Gine sort of agreed, if it had less drama. But she couldn't s
top herself from telling her how happy she was at seeing Kakarot do so well.
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Want to read more?
The next 10+ chapters are already available on my Patreon!
By joining, you'll get:
📖 Early access to future chapters
🗳️ Polls to shape the story
🎁 Exclusive content for Patrons
🔥 Bonus scenes & content you won't find anywhere else
👀 Don't fall behind—others are already ahead!
👉 patreon.com/FanfictionTakashi
(If link doesn't show, just search on Google: FanfictionTakashi Patreon)