"KaaaaMeeeHaaaMeee HAAAA!"

It was the day before Gohan's first day at school, and he had never been more nervous. He didn't really know what he had been thinking when he had stolen away into the hyperbolic time chamber at one thirty in the morning. Ever since that set of wishes he made on the dragonballs over the last two years, when he wished for there to be no limits on the amount of time spent in the chamber, for the chamber to no longer cause aging, and lastly, for the chamber's gravity to adjust itself to the personal preferences of those inside he had gone in for a week of training every weekend (after he finished his work of course, or his mom would kill him). It made it much easier for him to keep up with work, and training simultaneously. After he made the first two wishes, however, he had spent a full two years time in there training, to make up for the last five years of being just a scholar.

He had now spent the last 44 16 hour days, 9 hours, 50 minutes training in the hyperbolic time chamber, with six hour intervals for sleep. He now had 12 hours, 10 minutes left before the minute he had to leave. It was a good thing he could fly faster than anyone on earth, or he would never have made it to the chamber in time. As it was, it took him half an hour to reach the chamber, and it would take him just as long to get back so he could get out of his training clothes and shower. It was a good thing he would get out at 5 o'clock. He didn't have to go to school for another hour. Damn his mom and her math tutelage! After being home schooled for seven years, he was quite probably the smartest kid going to Orange Star High, but it was still an annoyance when a mathematical equation pops into his head when he's trying to perfect a new ki technique.

'Well, I still have ten minutes before I should sleep. I'll get up with six hours to spare, so I think I could spare those next ten minutes to try something new.'

He had felt the new transformation building in him for the last week or so of training. This was the main reason he had left the extra six hours open for after he woke up. He knew ascending to a new super saiyan level would exhaust him to no end, so, just in case, he left six hours for extra sleep time. He had felt the approaching power increase when he went ss2, and he knew what it felt like, so he knew now was a good time to try it out. He powered up to super saiyan 2, not stopping when he reached the limit of that power. It seemed that with each new level, it became harder to obtain the new strength, but gave much more satisfaction when it was reached.

He had some idea that, in order to reach super saiyan 3, he would have to push not only his rage to a new level, but his physical limitations would have to be breached. He pushed himself to the brink. His power now flooded the air far into the distance and out of his line of sight. He also figured on the fact that he was only half saiyan meant he needed more energy to complete the transformation, making him more powerful in that state than a full blooded super saiyan would become. Every once in a while, he used the psychic training piccolo had given him to let his senses slip beyond the boundaries of his dimension, so he could check up on his father's progress in his training in the Otherworld. Although he could not speak to Goku, it made him feel better to be close to his power.

When his father was alive, they were very close. The last time he checked on his dad, goku appeared to have breached a new level in his training. Gohan could tell by not only the boost in his power level, but by the change in the frequency of the power. He remembered piccolo's words to him on the subject of sensing others ki, and recognizing it; "Each individual's ki has a specific frequency that makes it different from all others." He had learned since then that each super saiyan transformation changed the frequency a little bit more than the last. Still, when last gohan had checked on his father, they were of the same power level, even though they were on different super saiyan levels. That meant that when gohan did reach ss3, he would be even more the strongest being in the universe than he already was. He wasn't conceited or anything, but, after years of wishing his power would go away because of the damage he could do with it, he had finally come to accept it.

However, he was having trouble reaching the next level. This was the first time he had really tried, but he was pushing every part of himself now, and it still wasn't doing it. If he kept this up, his body would just shut down. He knew what he would have to do, then. When he was here the first time, when his father was still alive, goku had taught him every technique he knew. Some he couldn't do, because he didn't have the requirements, so, although he had the technique, he couldn't use it. One of these was instant transmission, although, he promised himself, if he ever got the chance, he would travel to Yadrat and fulfill the necessary requirements to use the technique.

He knew of only one technique that could push him to the next level, and although he had never tried it before, he was determined to be stronger. At the moment, the memories of the fight with cell flooded his brain, provoking him to rage. After all these years, the grief at his father's death was still fresh in his mind. Yet, it wasn't enough to push him to a super saiyan 3. he would do it. He would try the kaio ken. The special technique that his father used when he first fought Vegeta. However painful, the technique expanded the physical limits, and therefore gave the user a portion of strength transferred directly from his life force. The only problem was, because they were both already super saiyans when he had mentioned it, his father didn't think they would ever need it again, and didn't teach him the technique. He only knew how to use it from watching his father all those years ago in his fight with Vegeta. But he assumed that was how his father had reached it, so that was how he would. He focused his energy around his core being. He felt his blood flow through him, felt every vein in his body pulsating with demi-saiyan energies. The electricity crackling around him now was so bright and so frequent, it became hard to see beyond it. His internal clock said he had three minutes left. He activated the power.

"KAIO KEN!"

his muscles bulged, his shirt ripped, he physically grew a few inches. Then, something happened. It continued. This was wrong. He no longer had control. The technique was tearing the life from him. He felt his power double, triple, quadruple, quintuple. This shouldn't happen. He couldn't move now, and the pain was nearly unbearable. Even in super saiyan 3, he would never obtain this much power. This was the strength of his life. It was killing him. He let out a scream. So great was the scream, the entire gateway into the chamber was torn to bits. He was trapped. Then a hole ripped open into the real world. The force of this power was tearing a hole in space time.

This had to stop. If he didn't stop himself, he could destroy the entire universe. He focused his human side, desperately trying to balance the rage. In the distance behind his closed eyes, he saw her. The girl of his dreams. She was pretty tall, with long raven hair, tied in two ponytails. Her wide eyes were a deep azure, her face one of immaculate beauty. Her form, graceful, yet strong, like a fighter's. Then, as suddenly as she had appeared, she was gone, in an explosion of energy and a cry of anguish. The sight of her, then, the feeling of her power die, caused a rage to rise in him like no other. Something had harmed her, and he could do nothing to stop it. The rage rose through him, dwarfing the power of the kaio ken. He felt his skin glow with power. He let out a cry of unbridled fury. The power dissipated. He opened his eyes. He was staring through the red haze of bloodrage. He looked down. His body had changed. He sensed the change in the frequency of his power. His muscles were larger, yet proportionate to his body's size. He felt something swishing behind him. He looked around, to find that he had regrown his tail. He also noticed that his hair reached down to the ground. Although the power of ss3 was nothing compared to the strength he experienced under the spell of the kaio ken, he was rather glad. He doubted he could survive that much power. He found that he was exhausted, and powered down. He collapsed almost immediately.

She awoke with a fright. Her dream had been one of incredible power, if not one of any significance. She was walking along a dark tunnel, and she saw a light ahead. As she got closer, she saw that the light came from a man.

'No, not a man, a boy, about the same age as me.'

He was resplendent in a red training gi, with a blue undershirt, belt, and wrist bands. As she got closer still, she saw his face. He was indeed as young as she, if not only a year older at most. His face was soulful, strong, and determined. His eyes somehow faded between deep blue and obsidian, without ever changing color. He had short, however unkempt spiky hair, and a ponytail tied back behind him, blowing in a wind that seemed to come from the boy himself. He carried himself with an heir of great self respect, but without the typical arrogance and pride that usually follows. His eyes held a sort of unbound innocence that, despite the power she could feel within him, power enough, she was sure, to destroy worlds, seemed to fit perfectly.

She knew at that moment that this was the boy she was destined to fall for. He was just perfect enough to be a dream come true, and real enough to be a living being. Then, the change occurred. His eyes went turquoise, his hair golden, and the air around him crackled with electricity. He sent a wave of power around himself. She didn't know how, but it seemed he was getting stronger still. He let out a cry – "KAIO KEN!" and his muscles bulged inhumanly. She suddenly was struck with a chord of fear, her instincts telling her the boy was in danger of dying. The boy let out a cry in pain, and then seemed to notice her. When he saw her, the pain within him seemed to cease, and he turned to her. It was then that she felt the burning searing pain within her stomach. She let out a cry, and fell to the ground. "NOOO!" the boy cried. Before the dream faded, she saw him change again. His hair grew long, reaching the ground, he sprouted a golden tail, and his brow grew heavier. Still in his eyes, there remained that innocence, and a concern for her well-being, and, perhaps, even, a love. That was when she woke.

"what was he?" she asked herself.

She promptly shook it off. She had school today, and now was not the time to worry about mystery men of her dreams. She showered, dressed, and then Videl Satan got into her jet, and flew off towards school.

When Gohan woke up the next morning, he found it to be a week after he had collapsed.

"Shit! That means I've been in here a full 28 minutes longer than I wanted to. I only have 32 minutes to reach home, shower, change, and fly to school."

It would take him a full 30 minutes just to get to school. He was never going to make it.

'unless…'

the requirements of the instant transmission were an advanced understanding of the ki of the user, and the ki of the location, in relationship to space-time. He was pretty sure his knowledge of physics were good enough, and his senses were certainly enhanced even normally from becoming a ss3, so he could definitely sense things much better than ever before.

'Worth a try, I guess.'

He reopened the portal into the real world by going ss2.

'Wow, I guess going ss3 really enhances all my power, although I'm sure that the kaio ken pushing me past my physical limits, triggering my saiyan heritage had more to do with it.'

He left super saiyan, and jumped through the portal seconds before it closed. Then he tried the instant transmission. He focused his energy, realizing his relationship in the universe around him, and sensed the exact location of his brother's ki. He activated a time-space slipstream with his power, and passed through it. He exited into the bedroom he shared with his brother.

'alright! I did it!'

he had to cover his mouth to keep from screaming when he accidentally jumped on the edge of the training sword he had given to Goten. It was a good thing he had skin that was relatively bulletproof, or that would have hurt a lot more than it already did.

He showered at super speed, dressed in blue jeans and a pink button down (he had heard somewhere that when a man wears pink it shows an incredible amount of social confidence, something he was lacking in), ate a two ton breakfast that was large even for him, said goodbye to his mom and little brother, and flew off, since he didn't know anyone from the school to lock his ki onto. Fortunately, his new transformation left him with his speed nearly doubled normally, and he went super saiyan to increase it still further, so he managed to make it to school with thirteen minutes to spare. He landed inconspicuously behind a tree, and stepped out just in time to see an all too familiar face of a certain girl walking with her friends. He froze. This was the girl from his dreams. Although he hadn't doubted she was real, it was a little bit of a surprise to see her in person so soon. He had a feeling he wouldn't be watching her from afar for very long. Determined to meet the girl when the time was right, he walked off towards school.