A/N: Hello all! I'm back!
I realize that I haven't been on this scene for quite a while. There are a few rather simple explanations for this, but I will not bore you with the details. If you REALLY want to know, I recently updated my profile with these details. Just know that I am now back on the DBZ scene and will be taking up the rewrite of this story as my main project for the indefinite future.
This is my attempt at trying a new writing style that I believe will give a much more in depth insight into the telling of my original plot. It is different enough from "Gohan's Legacy: Legacy Through Courage" that past readers of that story should still be able to get some value from reading this rewrite. Please let me know how I'm doing as this is my first crack at this rather new writing style.
As of right now, I've only completed this prologue and the first two chapters of this rewrite. The reason I am posting this now is to gauge interest in the story as well as obtain any comments that can help me improve. I will try to update as frequently as I can, but writing will most likely be slow for the time being due to my current life situation.
So without further adue, here is the prologue! Enjoy!
"Dialogue"
Thoughts/Mindscape
"Telepathic communication"
~Change in setting~
*Actions*
Flashback/Dream sequence
Prologue: Potential
~Spinach Wastes, 503 West Farming District; October 12th, Age 761~
Anger.
Frustration.
Rage.
Fury!
These are the emotions that he focuses on, the emotions that fuel his drive. Sweat drips down his hairless brow as he focuses all of his ki into one point. He is preparing himself to use his brand new technique, the Special Beam Cannon. This is the technique he specifically created as a sure way to kill that son of a bitch Goku, his mortal enemy. Much to his frustration though, he's not using it for that purpose. No.
Instead he has to use it to kill off this freakishly strong alien.
This man that he's up against, Raditz as he introduced himself, claimed himself to be part of this 'almighty superior race' as he called it. What was it he said it was called again?
The saiyans.
Ah yes, that's what he called them. He claimed he was part of an almighty race called the saiyans. Not only that, but Raditz claimed Goku to be his brother, making his most hated mortal enemy one of these ridiculously strong aliens too.
Those words, while arrogant, might have more behind them than he would care to admit though. This freak is actually proving to be a rather potent threat. While he wouldn't go as far to say that this guy is almighty, Raditz is indeed much stronger than he thought he would be. He loathes to admit it, but if he had not enlisted his mortal enemy's help in this fight, he would have easily been killed by this bastard. The alien invader bests both him and Goku in ki (by a significant amount he admits grudgingly), and as he proved earlier, the freak is very skilled in fighting. He definitely wouldn't say Raditz' fighting technique is that great, but this saiyan's instincts really make up for his lack of form. After all, instinct was what allowed the freak to dodge his Special Beam Cannon the first time he used it.
He still can't get over how the bastard managed to do that.
And now that moron Goku has just pointed out that when he still had his tail, that it hurt like hell when it was squeezed. In fact, it hurt so much so that he became completely powerless. Piccolo had to roll his eyes and snarl at his extremely tentative ally when he mentioned that. That was definitely some information they could have used earlier this battle. They both have been fighting–or rather getting pounded by this saiyan for the past half hour, and his half-witted temporary sidekick had waited until now to mention such a gigantic vulnerability? Talk about a dim-witted buffoon!
Still, after his ultimate technique failed the first time, they both decided that the best strategy would be to go for this alien man's tail to hold him still while Piccolo charged his Special Beam Cannon a second time.
We're lucky that this guy seems to be as stupid as his brother, he muses, smirking at that thought. Raditz' arrogance ended up being his downfall. Through some miracle, his pathetic excuse for a rival managed to grab his numskull alien brother's tail. Its even more satisfying since the idiot invader was lazily fighting him, thinking nothing Goku could do would be able to hurt him.
Hmph. How wrong he was. Now he sees the same saiyan that caused him and Goku so much trouble is lying flat on his stomach, powerless to do anything.
Almighty my ass, he sneers silently. That is an enormous weakness for a race that calls themselves 'almighty.' He shakes himself out of his thoughts and focuses back on his task. Common Piccolo! Concentrate! I'm almost there… just one more minute and this guy is toast. Just think, once this nuisance is finished off, I can focus back on killing Goku and taking over this pathetic planet.
"Kakarot please! Let me go!" The saiyan screams at the top of his lungs. What is the freak doing? Begging for his insignificant life? Pathetic. "Please… have mercy!"
Nice try. He chuckles in his head. He finds it amusing how someone who was so intimidating and arrogant before turns into a coward the instant he's on the wrong end of a situation. Even Goku's not stupid enough to fall for that…
Or is he?
His eyes widen as he sees a contemplative look cross his idiotic, soft-hearted rival's face, as if actually considering what his supposed brother is saying. Much to his continued disbelief, he even sees his temporary ally start to loosen his grip on the tail just the tiniest bit.
Piccolo growls in frustration. Fed up with his idiot of an ally's forgiving nature, he tries to talk some sense into the fool. "Goku don't listen to him!" he shouts. "He's only saying that to get to you let go!"
And to think that this moron is his main opposition to world domination.
Again, pathetic.
"Do you promise to leave and never come back if I were to let you go?" Piccolo's eyes bug out as his rival's response hits his sensitive ears. Goku can't be serious can he? Is that lowlife seriously considering letting this monster go?
"Yes! Yes Kakarot! I swear I will leave and never come back! I only came to see if you wanted to help us, but I can see that you like life on this planet and won't join. That's all I wanted I swear!"
That bastard's ridiculous pleading is seriously getting on his nerves, but the fact that Goku seems to be falling for it makes him even more angry. Much to his continued astonishment, his hated rival starts to loosen his grip on their common enemy's tail even more.
"Goku you moron!" He yells furiously. No! This isn't supposed to happen! He can already predict what the alien is going to do. As soon as he gets control of his body again the monster is going to turn on his brother right away and most likely kill him. As much as the thought of Goku dead pleases him, it's his job to kill the buffoon, not this overpowered idiotic monster of an alien.
Screw this! He's not going to let this saiyan get away with this even if his rival will. I have no choice but to use my attack now. I just hope it's strong enough to kill this guy. As soon as Goku lets go of his supposed brother's tail completely, Piccolo thrusts his arm forwards, pointing directly at the freak, who is now just starting to get up.
"Special Beam Cannon!" He shouts.
A thin, purple beam shoots out of his fingers, two yellow beams spiraling around it in a corkscrew fashion. It may not look like much, but this attack has tons of penetrating power. The attack is so fast that he can't see if he even hit his target before an explosion sounds off and the area is filled with dust. However, he is able to hear the distinct sound of a body hitting the ground and he starts laughing maniacally.
I did it! I killed that freak! No thanks to Goku, but still it worked out. He smirks, but it only lasts for a moment before he hears screaming.
And not screaming from his target.
Piccolo can only gape as the dust clears to reveal Raditz, undamaged, with his foot on top of Goku's chest. The saiyan laughs evilly as he stomps his foot down on his brother's chest hard, a sickening snap echoing through the area as he breaks the man's sternum, creating a fatal injury that will kill Goku within minutes if left untreated.
The man continues to laugh stupidly as Piccolo looks on at the freak, mouth on the ground. He can't believe it! How did that bastard dodge his attack again? He timed it perfectly! His aim was flawless! There's no way that bastard could've–
What the hell?
His eyes widen even more as they suddenly dart around the area, jolted out of his seething by sensing a ki very close by, a ki so incredibly strong that he it makes him feel fear for the first time in his reincarnated life.
Now who the hell could that be!?
This power makes that freak of a saiyan's seem like nothing! Trying to calm his nerves a little, he gulps to clear his dry throat before he focuses on the power. This power leads him to the direction of the saiyan's space pod. For a moment Piccolo forgets his fear as confusion takes over. However, a memory of what the freak said when both he and Goku first got here comes to the front of his mind, and he realizes that there is only one person over in that direction.
No way…
He quickly darts his gaze over to the saiyan they've been fighting this whole time and sees that he is looking in the same direction as his dumb pod as well. Piccolo can also hear the faint beeping noise of that device on that freak's face and see the look of pure astonishment.
Needless to say, his ki senses have been confirmed.
There's just no way though! The only person over there is Goku's whiny brat of a son who is trapped in that space pod. It couldn't be him; that ki is almost double that of this saiyan that he and his rival have been fighting! But it has to be since he's the only one there.
"What is going on here?!" Raditz shouts, clearly enraged. The bastard slams his foot down on Goku's chest in frustration. This causes the broken doofus to scream out in pain again as his sternum suffers even more damage, but neither he nor Piccolo are focused on that at the moment. "Dammit! This scouter must be broken!" the freak shouts again. "There's no way that Kakarot's pathetic son could have a power level of 2000! Not even Prince Vegeta had that high of a power level at his age!"
However, Piccolo knows what he's saying is truth. His ki senses don't lie.
His superior hearing picks up the faint sound of cracking before an explosion wracks the area, creating a local earthquake with its potency. All he can see are thousands of computer parts and metal pieces scattering all over the place before he looks into the sky.
No way… Is what he's seeing true?
Up in the sky, about 50 feet over the crater, is Goku's son, glaring hotly at his 'uncle.' The kid does a quick front flip before landing on his feet right in front of the crater. Piccolo seriously can't believe his eyes. That kid is radiating pure power like none he's ever felt before! It is truly an amazing sight that leaves him speechless. He would be sneering at the brat for the obvious tears in his eyes had the kid not been radiating a ki that could wipe him out in a blink of an eye.
I'm just glad that I'm not his target at the moment.
The kid growls at his newly found out uncle and said uncle backs up hesitantly, moving away from his brother. Piccolo scoffs. Is that freak really afraid of a little boy? Never mind that he's weary of the kid himself. It is Goku's kid after all, who is the biggest pain in the ass that there is. Much to his continued shock, he can see a blue aura start to form around the whiney brat.
"Leave my daddy alone!" the kid shouts furiously, and in an instant launches himself at his 'uncle.' Piccolo can only hear the sickening tearing of flesh and the sound of a two bodies dropping to the ground before his eyes are able to catch up to the action.
And what he sees sends him reeling.
That kid, that whiney, crybaby of a brat, is lying face down on the ground, breathing heavily but that isn't the shocking part. No. The shocking part is that Raditz, the same freak that the combined effort of himself and Goku couldn't even match up against, is lying on the ground, writhing in pain and coughing up wave after wave of blood. As he walks over to get a closer look, his eyes nearly bug out of his sockets.
There's a giant hole in the saiyan's abdomen!
That kid was so strong that he went right through him!
This sight brings back memories from his previous life of fighting a fifteen year old Goku. That bastard had done the exact same thing to him! This however is even more impressive. First off, this kid is only four years old, and by the looks of it, hadn't had a day of martial arts training in his life. Yet, this mere toddler of a child was able to focus a ridiculous amount of power into one headbutt. Second, the pure amount of power that this kid used was through the roof; he not only penetrated though the saiyan's armor, which had proven to be extremely durable during his battle, but the saiyan himself!
This kid is amazing! Incredible even! He's only four years old, yet if this is what he's capable of right now, imagine what he can do if he learned to control it! Goku will be dead soon if he's not already from the shattered sternum that he's suffered at the hands of his brother. Of course the bastard's pathetic friends will wish him back with those wretched dragonballs eventually, but in the meantime Piccolo could take the kid, and train him to control his powers. If he had even a year with the boy, he could make him the biggest weapon the Earth has ever seen!
The potential is phenomenal!
He looks over at the trembling Raditz (who somehow hasn't died yet) in time to see him raise a hand and form a weak ki blast. Much to his shock, Raditz quickly sends it at the brat, who is only getting to his feet now, and scoring a direct hit. The kid is quickly knocked unconscious.
Piccolo sneers. If that blast had been any bigger it would have killed the boy outright. The little twerp probably had used up all of his ki in his attack on his uncle and had absolutely no way to defend himself against the blast. He marches right over to the saiyan to make his death come just a bit sooner since he almost took out his secret weapon.
He notices that the freak is a mess. It's really a pathetic sight to see this once fierce enemy of his lying in a growing pool of his own blood from a blow created by a mere toddler. "Almighty warrior race eh?" he taunts, making sure the alien knows his place. "You are pathetic! Taken out by a toddler." He then smirks evilly, deciding to taunt Raditz further in his final moments of his worthless life. "And do you know what makes your effort completely in vain? On this planet we have these things called dragonballs that can grant you any wish. Goku will surely be wished back by his loser friends and he'll be back, good as new for me to kill within the next year. In fact, you did me a huge favor since once you're wished back once you can't be wished back again, making his next death at my hands permanent!"
The saiyan can only cough up blood in response. Much to Piccolo's disgust, the pathetic bastard gets some of the filthy red liquid on his iconic brown boots. He growls in anger before charging a ki blast in his hand and blasting the disgusting rat's head clean off.
Boy did he hate Raditz. Almost as much as his idiotic brother.
Almost.
He quickly makes his way over to the little boy. Goku's little boy he reminds himself. Goku's little boy with an overwhelming well of untapped power. He will take this kid and train him in his conquest for world domination. However, before he is able to get too far, he hears the faint sound of static, and then laughing coming in the direction of his hated rival… or at least where he used to be. That damn Kami must have taken Goku to Other World with his body. The only thing left over there is that stupid looking glass eyepiece that the saiyan was wearing before. It must have gotten knocked off by the power of the blow Goku's brat dealt him.
The thing still is functioning apparently. Piccolo makes his way over to the offending device. As soon as he picks up the strange technology, it starts talking, or rather, someone on the other end starts talking. So this apparently is a communication device as well, he assumes. He listens in to what the other person is saying, curious as to who would be contacting that bastard he just fought.
"Did you hear that Vegeta?!" one voice exclaims. Piccolo can tell already from the sound of this guy's voice that he's an idiot, much to his chagrin. "There are these things on that planet that Raditz went to that can grant wishes!"
At that his eyes widen. Did they hear what he told that alien before? Obviously, since they are discussing it at this very moment.
"Yes I did Nappa," another, more regal voice replies. Unlike the stupid sounding one, this 'Vegeta's' voice carries a no nonsense tone. Obviously this is the one in charge of the duo. "And I think it sounds like it's worth a trip to that planet to get a hold of them. I believe Earth was the name of the planet."
"Are we going to wish Raditz back Vegeta?" the stupid one, Nappa, replies back. Piccolo holds his breath, hoping they won't. If he had to fight that monster again…
"Of course not Nappa!" Vegeta answers commandingly. Piccolo lets out a breath of relief before scolding himself for being so pathetic as to worry about that. "He was a weakling and that would be a waste of a wish! You are at least five times stronger than him, and don't even get me started on myself."
The green man finds himself frozen in his spot, now not caring about his trepidations. After all, worrying about something so insignificant as keeping his stoic image is nothing in comparison to what he just heard. Did this guy just say that this 'Nappa' was at least five times stronger than the freak he just fought? Piccolo didn't even stand a chance against Raditz!
"You're right as always Vegeta," Nappa replies, obviously sucking up to his superior. Piccolo gulps. The guy who said that was the guy that was claimed to be five times stronger than the saiyan he just fought, yet by the way that he sucks up to the other… this 'Vegeta' must be much stronger than even this Nappa!
Oh dear Kami he's really dug himself in a hole.
"Of course I'm right you buffoon! Honestly Nappa, use your head for once! Think about what we could get with this wish. We could wish for immortality and then we wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore. We'd be invincible!"
"Yeah! That sounds amazing Vegeta! Let's go to Earth and wish for immortality!" At this Piccolo drops the device, eyes wide. For only the second time in his reincarnated life, he's scared speechless. "How long will it take us to get there?" the offending device continues uninterrupted.
"It shouldn't take us more than a year to get there if we leave right now Nappa."
"Oh yeah! Let's go Vegeta."
"Are you forgetting who gives the orders Nappa!?"
"Sorry Vegeta."
"That's more like it. You may be an elite, but I am the prince of all saiyans! I command nothing but the utmost respect from my subjects. Nonetheless, I agree with you. Let's move."
He can hear a faint clicking sound, and he assumes the device just shut off. His mind is reeling right now at what he just heard. Two more of these saiyans will be coming to Earth within the next year. And not only that, but they're apparently many times stronger than the one that he just fought and couldn't even defeat. In fact, the only reason he's still standing right now is because of that–
His eyes widen again as he darts over to the unconscious toddler. This kid showed some absolutely mind-boggling power earlier. If he can harvest this power, he may have a shot at defeating these new saiyans! He grins evilly as he picks up the toddler by the back of his kimono. He will teach this kid to control his power and he will be the biggest weapon he's ever had.
With that kind of power, the kid will be unbeatable.
~Guru's Lookout, Planet Namek; December 20th, Age 762~
"Lord Guru! There are three strong kis heading this way!"
The Grand Elder of the Namekians looks over at his most loyal child with pride. Their race has been wiped out to just the two of them and Dende, yet the warrior has never left his side once, not even when his own village was under siege. Nail vowed that he would stay by his side always, protecting him from the harshest of evils. It's one of the few things that keeps the eldest Namekian going, despite the fact that his time in this world is nearly up. "I sense them as well Nail. One of them is that Earthling, Krillin, that was here earlier. The strongest one is the evil saiyan I felt land on this planet earlier. However, it's the third power that is the reason that they are all heading this way."
He looks down to see his strongest bodyguard as well as his youngest remaining child looking up at him curiously. "No disrespect intended Guru, but what is the big deal about that third power? It's the weakest one of them all. Aren't you more worried about that other, darker power?"
"Nail!" the smallest protests. "That third power is Gohan, a boy my age who risked his life, along with Krillin, to save mine!" The little Namekian scowls at his larger brother, a gesture that Guru finds amusing, before turning to him with bright, hopeful eyes. "I think they are coming here in order to release Gohan's power, correct Guru?"
The elder can't help the warm smile that comes across his face when seeing young Dende talk about the two Earthlings. His precious child was so fortunate to have run into such pure hearts amongst all of the evil present on this planet. Guru didn't even hesitate earlier to give his dragonball to the bald one as he didn't have selfish intentions for the magical stones, which is a rarity at the moment.
"You are correct in your assumption Dende." the elder responds warmly, causing Dende to beam up at him. No doubt because his new friends are coming back.
"I understand your plan Guru," Nail pipes in. "Those two are pure enough to trust, but I'm still quite concerned about that dark ki that's trailing them."
"Ease your fears my son," he replies calmly. "These earthlings may not seem like much, but they can definitely hold their own fine. And even so, you are more than capable of taking the dark ki out if need be." Guru pauses a moment, concentrating on the dark ki. "However, I don't think such precautions are even necessary. I detect that even that evil ki is starting to change for the better."
He can see that his two sons don't quite believe his last declaration, not that he can blame them. However, he is a master at ki detection and in reading one's intentions. Over its time on Namek, the dark ki has been getting less and less evil. It has been a very subtle change, so subtle that he doesn't even believe that anyone else has noticed, but the change is definitely present. While he doesn't completely trust whoever bears this ki as of yet, he can definitely tell that whoever it is has been changing for the better.
"Sir! The earthlings are here along with the evil saiyan!" Nail's declaration draws him out of his musings, leaving him to ponder them another time.
"Go out and greet them Nail." As much as that saiyan has changed, he still needs his son to distract him so the saiyan doesn't charge in while unlocking the other Earthling's potential. I can already detect that he has much ki still hidden, waiting to be tapped into. "Tell the one called 'Gohan' to come in here to see me. Meanwhile, you are to distract that dark ki while I see this Earthling."
"Yes, Lord Guru," Nail replies obediently, walking out the entrance leaving him alone with Dende. He looks down at his youngest surviving son briefly observing him. The giant Namekian can clearly see the excitement present on his youngest's face in anticipation of getting back together with his savior. Those Earthlings definitely made an impression on Dende, and a very positive one at that.
He smiles at the sight.
"Gohan!" Dende yells, rushing the Earthling and trapping him in an embrace as soon as he sets foot in the entrance. Guru takes this as an opportunity to observe the Earthling. Dende wasn't exaggerating when he said that he was Dende's age. While he is unfamiliar with Earthlings and how they age, he would guess that this 'Gohan' would be no more than a toddler in his race's terms. He is about half the height of the man that came here to retrieve the dragonball, and Guru can tell that this one is still a youth by the facial features. They look very young, and don't look developed as of yet.
The giant Namekian feels a wave of sympathy for this young one. Surely if Gohan is caught up in this mess that is going on at the moment he's had a rather rough childhood up to this point. He has sensed this child before battling other evils. From what Dende tells him, this child is already a rather skilled martial artist. What hardships has this young one had to go through to be such a hardened warrior already at such a tender age?
"Hey Dende!" he can hear the young Earthling boy reply. "I'm glad I got to see you again!" Guru smiles at the innocence he can feel from this youth. While he has indeed had a hard childhood, it seems he still hasn't lost his childish innocence. He looks on as the boy lets go of Dende and turns to him. His smile broadens at the wide-eyed, astonished look he's getting from Gohan.
"Wow Dende, Guru is gigantic!"
He can't help but chuckle mirthfully at that. Innocent indeed. "So you are Gohan. Dende has told me a lot about you young one. I can tell that all of his stories about your purity and strength are true, yet I feel a great amount of ki still untapped inside of you. Come here child, and let me unlock your potential."
The young boy grins at him and nods, walking over to his side. "Now child, I will place my hand on your head to get a better reading of your ki. I will then unlock any ki that is still untapped at this point in time for you. Do not fear though; even after this, you will still be able to get stronger. I am merely unlocking ki that you wouldn't normally have access to at this point in your life, as you will end up being a vital part in the defense of this beautiful planet. I can already sense that you have pure intentions, so I only need release your ki. All you have to do is relax and let me do my work. Are you ready child?"
He sees the child nod at him in an affirmative. "I'm ready Mr. Guru, sir." The giant Namekian grins. The young Earthling looks determined and focused, confirming his theories about the boy. Gohan is innocent and pure, like a child, yet when the time is right he sports the maturity of someone much older. Not wanting to waste any time, he places his large hand on top of the child's head. Then he reads the boy's ki.
And he holds back a gasp.
Nothing these days seems to surprise the wise Namekian, but Gohan's ki is definitely an exception. Never in all of his lengthy life has he felt a ki as remarkable as this child's! He knew that this boy was hiding a vast amount of untapped power in his young body, but not even he could imagine how much it actually was. He looks down at the child briefly before closing his eyes and concentrating on the ki again. The well of ki that this young boy possesses is out of this world! There are no words to describe the sheer magnitude of potential that this young one has.
And while the boy's potential ki is surprising, what truly takes him off guard is the purity of the ki. Never has he ever felt such a pure ki! Not even the tiniest drop of darkness taints this phenomenal boy's soul. He never knew that such a pure heart even existed!
Now he finds himself in an unexpected conundrum. The well of power that the boy has is seemingly limitless. If he were to release even a portion of it at this very moment he would have more than enough ki to destroy the evils on this planet, including the horrible villain that has been slaying his people. His planet would be free from the tyranny of Frieza for good.
However, he also realizes that doing so would be incredibly selfish. Yes, this boy has the potential to wipe out the greatest evil that this planet has ever seen… but at what cost? There is a reason that the ki that this child has remains untapped. While it would be a shock to his young body to suddenly get all of that power, he realizes that this boy's body would be resilient enough to adjust to it. The advantages of youth he figures. However, Gohan's youth is also his greatest limitation.
Yes, the young boy's body would be able to handle it, but his mind is another story. At his age, Gohan's mind is still very much susceptible to influence. Introducing that much power into one's body can corrupt anyone, especially a youth. Not only that, but upon briefly reading this young one's memories, he came across times where this boy was pushed over the edge, where his anger took control of him. Guru is able to tell that this boy had absolutely no control over himself during these times, as these memories would go blank for a certain period of time until his anger was resolved. These underlying emotions are worrisome to him with this boy still being so young, and he feels that if he were to release the amount of ki he wants to, Gohan would certainly not be the same after everything would transpire. Guru wants to preserve the unmatched purity of this particular soul as much as possible.
After all, he believes that this boy's purity is the most important thing.
So he throws out his selfish intentions in favor of preserving a hero in the making. He has no doubt that this boy will be not only be an incredible warrior, but an amazing person as well. Guru quickly unlocks some of the boy's amazing ki. While he unlocked enough ki for the child to be able to defend himself and his friends, it is but a very small fraction of his true potential. He then opens his eyes only to see the young boy staring at his hands in a state of awe.
"Is this really my ki?" he hears Gohan mumble to himself. The Namekian smiles, relieved. It seems he succeeded in preserving the innocence of this child. His smile widens as the young boy looks up to him disbelievingly. "Is this really my ki?"
"It is indeed young Gohan," he says in response, taking great joy in the astonished expression on the child's face. It always warms his heart to see such innocence. "I have unlocked your potential. Use it wisely."
Guru figures that the grin on this young boy's face could have given light to their entire solar system. "Wowee! Thanks Mr. Guru, sir!" Gohan exclaims. The youth quickly goes over to Dende and lifts him up in a bone crushing hug. "Dende you were right! This guy is amazing! Thanks for telling us about him!"
The Great Elder really could watch this scene take place all day, finding joy in the excitement and happiness of children. As both boys continue to find comfort and joy from each other, he ponders upon the incredible child that he was very fortunate to meet.
That boy will go on to do remarkable things. I foresee this young one growing up to be the savior of the universe one day.
~The Lookout, Korin's Tower, Planet Earth; May 17th, Age 767~
Meditation.
If anything would be able to calm his nerves, it would be meditation.
Sitting in his usual cross legged position with both hands in a cup shape, he silently hovers two feet off the ground. Everything is still around him, the air not even causing the slightest flutter in his signature, majestic white cape. Everything looks to be calm and collected.
Dammit! Even this isn't helping! Not even the tranquil lull of mediation is able to help him in the slightest bit. Of course he knows why he's so nervous. That idiot saiyan prince failed to finish off that green grasshopper Cell when that arrogant bastard had the chance. Instead, the moron opted to let the bio-android he was fighting obtain his perfect form in order to get a bigger challenge.
Well he certainly got his challenge, that's for sure. The only redeeming thing about that whole situation is that the stupid prince got what he deserved for his idiotic move. Before Krillin gave Vegeta a senzu, he was beaten to a bloody pulp. Even worse for the saiyan, his pride got absolutely shredded in the process. Thankfully, Cell appears to have inherited Vegeta's arrogance and is giving everyone ten days to get stronger before he fights them all at a tournament that he's holding. Now they are on the Lookout, trying to train as much as they can in order to defeat this new foe.
Only it seems to be impossible.
He sighs as he tries once more to enter a peaceful trance, yet to his frustration it comes to no avail. Dammit! Why can't he just calm down? After all, Goku is currently training Gohan in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, and surely his former enemy will get strong enough to actually put an end to this new threat.
No! He can't keep on relying on Goku to bail everyone out every time a new threat appears! He needs to get stronger himself. Goku may be the strongest out of everyone, but in this battle, even he may not succeed on his own. It might take the combined effort of everyone to take down this grasshopper-like android.
That's why he's here.
Of course he's going to go in the chamber himself once the father and son are out, but that won't be for another two hours yet! He doesn't know if he even will be able to keep himself sane long enough to wait that long.
"Everyone!" he overhears Mr. Popo shout out. Knowing that the black genie only makes an announcement like this when something truly important is happening, he decides to listen in closely to what his former companion has to say. "Goku and Gohan are emerging from the chamber!"
What? They're done already? But they haven't even been in there for the full 24 hours yet! They still have two more to go! He can hear similar things being said by the others on the Lookout, including a mocking Vegeta who claims the chamber must have gotten the best of the father/son duo. He frowns at that statement. As much as the saiyan prince was saying that to mock his student and his father, it is a legitimate concern. He remembers when Goku was still a boy and came here to train with Kami; the boy could only stay in there for a month before he had to come out.
Is it possible that Gohan couldn't handle the chamber for the full year?
His first reaction is to deny that claim. He taught the boy himself! He personally knows how tough the pre-teen is. But as he ponders the idea further, he realizes that it is entirely possible that a year in there may have just been too much for the demi-saiyan. After all, Gohan was only nine when he entered (although he's going to be biologically ten now). Goku was a good six years older than his student when he entered the first time. And why else would they come out so early? They still had another month left to train! Goku knows that to go up against this threat they need as much time as possible.
Oh Kami! Gohan couldn't handle the chamber for the full year!
He quickly gets out of his meditation position and dashes to the Time Chamber entrance. He remembers that Goku was completely beat when he couldn't handle the chamber the first time; it was not a pretty sight, and Kami had to wait weeks for him to get better before he could continue. If Gohan were to come out in that state…
He quickens his pace to the chamber. Only Gohan could ever evoke such a reaction out of him. Over the years, he has grown to care about the boy deeply, almost as much as a son that he never had. In the wilderness all of those years ago when he was training the boy, he vowed to himself to always protect him, no matter what.
Finally! He's made it to the chamber door. He waits anxiously at the end of the hallway, ready to take his pupil to the healing ward if need be. There is no way that he is going to let that boy suffer any more than he absolutely has to. He faintly notices the others arrive as well, but his focus is solely on the door. All commotion stops as the doorknob starts jiggling from the other side until it is eventually twisted downwards, undoing the latch on the door. Said door makes a soft squeak as it opens up. At first, all he can see from the other side of the door is white. Soon though, a figure starts to take shape in the white silhouette and takes the form of a boy.
And his breath gets caught in his throat.
There, standing in the doorway, is Gohan. The boy appears to no worse for wear, but his tattered clothes tell the tale of the intense training the demi-saiyan must have gone though. His ki is suppressed expertly, giving off hardly any reading at all to his senses. But that isn't what has him stunned speechless.
It's the fact that the child has bleached blond hair and piercing teal eyes.
The hair and eyes of a super saiyan.
What the hell is going on here?
He and Goku had tried endlessly to get Gohan to transform, and from this effort, he's learned the nuances of the transformation. He's seen a super saiyan enough times to know that it takes a great deal of effort not only to obtain the legendary form, but to maintain it. He also knows that it's almost impossible for a super saiyan to stay calm while transformed, and that a lot of excess energy goes into trying to control the heightened emotions that come from the legendary form.
This doesn't make any sense! Gohan is not only completely calm and at ease, but he's actually suppressing his ki! There should be absolutely no way that his student should be able to do that and still hold this form! He's a freaking super saiyan! Super saiyans aren't supposed to have such control over their ki!
What's more, when Gohan entered the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, he wasn't able to transform at all! How the hell did he not only transform–at the age of ten mind you–but also gain such mastery and control over the form that he is able to be his normal self while still transformed? What kind of ki manipulation skills does his pupil have to be able to control the ki flow of so much ki so easily?
It seems as if his student finally noticed that he is here as he can see him grin that famous grin that he and his father are known for. "Hey Piccolo!" Gohan shouts, running over to him. The Namekian can only gape at the grinning boy, still reeling from the fact that he's not only alright, but more powerful than ever before. He looks down into his pupil's now teal eyes and sees obvious excitement and happiness at seeing him, but his eyes also sparkle with an innocence that only Gohan could give off. It's that same sparkle in his student's eyes that changed him from a demon king to a protector of the planet.
Only this time that sparkle is coming from the eyes of a super saiyan.
Again, What. The. Hell!?
"Wow, I didn't expect everyone to be out here to greet us." Piccolo takes his eyes off of his pupil for a moment and looks at the new presence. Goku is standing in the doorway to the chamber now, and his former enemy seems to have full mastery of his super saiyan form as well. Piccolo stretches out his senses and… yep. He's suppressing his ki too, although admittedly not as expertly as Gohan. But Goku's mastery at least makes more sense since the saiyan has been a super saiyan for four years now (five counting the time spent in the chamber) and is a full-fledged adult.
"Well we didn't expect you two to come out of the chamber two hours early!" Yamcha counters his former enemy. "We had actually thought that something might have happened to you guys." Piccolo admits that the lazy bandit has a point. After all, that's why he was here waiting for them.
The full blooded saiyan scratches the back of his head in the annoying nervous gesture that he also passed on to his son. "Geez guys, sorry to worry you all, but Gohan and I just completed our training sooner than expected. It would have been pointless for us to stay in there any longer."
"So does that mean that you found the key to beating Cell in there Goku?" Krillin now asks.
Goku merely chuckles in response. "You could say something like that…" the saiyan trails off. Piccolo raises an eyebrow. What did Goku mean by that? Just what kind of training did he and Gohan go through for him to be acting so confident? He wonders just how much stronger being able to maintain the super saiyan form as if it were his base made both him and Gohan.
He looks down at the boy one more time. Besides the hair and eyes, Gohan doesn't look any different than he did before. Just what kind of power is hiding beneath that calm, collected exterior?
"Hey Piccolo," said boy speaks, and the Namekian has to shake himself out of this musings to give the demi-saiyan his attention. "Could you make me some clothes just like yours? I think they look cool…" Gohan then gives him a grin so bright that it's blinding. "And I want everyone to know who taught me how to fight."
A small smile appears on his face before he can stop himself. Damn that boy! He's the only one that can make him soft, and it's infuriating! Yet, he takes one look at the boy's face, the demi-saiyan's eyes shining with love and adoration, and he realizes that he wouldn't have it any other way. "Sure kid, they'll look real good on you."
He puts one of his hands on Gohan's head and concentrates his ki into the form of his signature clothes. This has proven to be one of his more handy techniques over the years, as he constantly needs new clothes after every sparring session he has with his ghost self. This time though, he's making the outfit for his student. In an instant, Gohan's torn and tattered saiyan armor is replaced with the iconic purple gi and brown boots that Piccolo is known for. He even added in a cape for Gohan, figuring the boy would find that particular element to be most beneficial in aiding his training.
Gohan looks himself over in awe, and then beams up at him. Piccolo can't help but wonder what he did to deserve such a smile. All he did was give the kid clothes. "Wow!" his pupil exclaims enthusiastically, eyes sparkling again. "This is so awesome! Thank you Piccolo!"
The Namekian smirks, placing his hand on the boy's head. "Glad you like them kid."
"Wow Gohan," Goku adds in. "You look sharp! Like a mini-Piccolo." Said Namekian scoffs at that. The kid doesn't look that much like him. However, the boy super-saiyan merely beams at his father, forcing a ghost of a smile on Piccolo's face. Damn kid. "So guys," his former enemy continues, now addressing everyone else. "What did we miss? Can you guys fill us in on what's happening on Earth?"
Piccolo scowls through the whole explanation, shooting Vegeta a death glare when it was mentioned what the buffoon actually did to aid in this mess. By the end of it, his former enemy's cheerful expression melts into one of weariness. "So Cell's stronger than ever huh…" The saiyan adds after he's caught up to speed.
"But you're still strong enough to take him… right?" The former desert bandit counters, and Piccolo has to bite back a scoff at the desperation he heard in his voice.
"I'm not sure Yamcha," Goku replies, catching everyone off guard. This is the first time that Piccolo has heard his former enemy not confident in his ability. But he can't help but remember that not even ten minutes ago, he was as confident as can be. Coming out of the chamber early made that very clear. "I haven't felt Cell's power up close yet so I'm not sure how I compare against him," the man continues. "So I guess the only way to find out is to find him and compare myself to what I feel."
This causes outrage amongst the rest of the group, but not Piccolo. He knows how much Cell wants this tournament that he set up. The android won't do anything to Goku… yet. "Hey guys, don't worry! I'll be back before you know it!" The Earth raised saiyan reassures his friends again before putting two fingers to his forehead and teleporting to Cell's ki. It's only about thirty seconds before his former enemy reappears in front of them.
"So what'd you think Goku?" Krillin asks this time. "I mean, you're stronger than him now right?"
Goku scratches the back of his head and Piccolo knows his response before he even opens his mouth. His former rival only does that when he's nervous about something. "Actually Krillin, if I were to fight Cell right now, he'd probably clobber me!"
Piccolo almost falls over at that declaration. He admits that he's somewhat taken aback by Goku's response; not by the content, but how he said it. The way Goku said that he would get beat was in the most aloof manner possible; the man made it sound like he couldn't care less that Cell could beat him.
He definitely has something up his sleeve.
The question is… What?
Piccolo frowns at the rest of the group's outrages and pleas to go back into the chamber. He feels his eyebrow twitch at the pathetic display of cowardice that everyone is showing at the moment. So Goku said that he wasn't strong enough to beat Cell. That doesn't mean anything! Maybe he's suggesting that they all work together. While Piccolo admits that that would most certainly wound his pride, he would definitely jump in and help if the fate of the Earth was on the line.
Finally, Goku gets his friends to calm down, reassuring everyone that everything will turn out just fine. Again, the way Goku looks at them makes Piccolo think that the saiyan is planning something. He's so confident that they are going to win, even after essentially saying that he doesn't have a chance against Cell. What has him so confident? What is he planning?
It is at that time that he notices the man's gaze. The confident expression isn't focused on the rest of the group, but on one individual in particular. His son. That's when it hits Piccolo. This man is showing this confidence to placate Gohan! Maybe Goku doesn't have any real confidence at all, but doesn't want Gohan to worry about it. That would make sense…
If he didn't know that Goku doesn't fake his emotions.
He spent three years with the Son family training for the androids, and over that time he's learned many things about how his former rival acts around his family. One of the things that he picked up on is that Gohan seemed to know his father's feelings, even if Goku tried his best to hide them, so over the years, Goku just stopped trying to hide his emotions from his son. Knowing this, Piccolo knows that the confidence that Goku is showing right now is genuine, especially since he's looking directly at his son.
And just like that, his eyes nearly bulge out of his head in realization.
Goku isn't suggesting that he's going to beat Cell, or that they even work together. No. His former rival is expecting someone else to step up to the plate.
And that someone else is his son.
Gohan.
His eyes dart right over to Gohan. He already can tell that the kid has no clue what his father is planning since the expression on his pupil's face shows confusion, but Piccolo can tell that the confidence that his father is displaying is reassuring him.
Piccolo's immediate reaction to this hidden plan of Goku's is absolutely not! He will not have the one person that he deeply, truly cares for go out and risk his life. It would just be too devastating to him if something were to happen to Gohan. His life would be so much emptier without his prodigy of a pupil.
Then the rational part of his brain takes over. He realizes that Goku has the exact same feelings towards his son, perhaps even stronger. How many conversations did he have to have with his former rival to tell him to actually go hard against his son when training him? Too many for the Namekian to remember. He knows that Goku would be the least likely person to suggest that his son fight the green-grasshopper. Not because of lack of confidence in him mind you, but just because he wants to protect the boy. He also knows that his former rival would put Gohan's life before his own, as would Piccolo.
He also can't get around the fact that Goku is just so confident. The amount of confidence the saiyan is displaying at the moment suggests that he not only thinks his son will be able to win, but he believes that he would win in a landslide. As the Namekian continues to gaze upon his pupil, he remembers that despite this normal looking exterior, that Gohan is still a super saiyan. Not only that, but he's showing some superb ki manipulation skills by just being able to hold his transformation and suppress his ki. This makes Piccolo wonder…
Just how much ki is Gohan hiding?
~Cell Games Arena, Northern Wastelands; May 26th, Age 767~
"Now the real fight will begin."
He focuses on the fight in the ring, knowing his mentor is right. His father and Cell were just warming up before, despite the astonished reactions of all of his father's friends. He has been training with Goku for the last eleven months and knows that his dad is capable of much more than he showed just a few seconds ago. Of course Cell seems to be holding back as well, but he has all of the confidence in the world that his dad will defeat the green menace.
After all, no one's better than his dad.
"Wow, they're really going at it!" Krillin shouts. "They're moving so fast! I can't even keep up anymore!"
"No kidding Krillin," Yamcha replies. "They are on a completely different level."
Gohan raises an eyebrow as his eyes dash though the air, following his father's and Cell's movements easily. It's true that they are starting to get serious in their fight, but he has no trouble following them. He can see every strike, every counter–he can even see his dad's look of fierce determination and Cell's arrogant smirk of satisfaction. In his opinion, they really aren't moving that fast, but he doesn't voice that opinion out loud. He just shrugs off the comments and figures that the reason he can see so easily is because he's able to track his dad's ki better than anyone.
Besides, his dad's ki hasn't even reached his own max yet. His father is still obviously holding back.
Focusing back on the fight, he sees his dad and Cell stop fighting momentarily. It seems as if they are discussing something, but he can't hear what they are saying. He can't see his father's expression since he is facing away from him, but if the expression on Cell's face is anything to go by, something big is about to happen. Suddenly his dad turns around, and the look on his father's face confirms his suspicions. He gulps at what the green android has planned.
"Guys!" Goku shouts desperately at everyone. "Cell is planning to blow up the ring! Everyone move away!"
Gohan is still processing his father's words by the time Cell releases a powerful ki blast at the ring. His instincts quickly take over and he dashes away from the ring and towards Hercule. While the strange man may be the strongest human on Earth outside of the Z-fighters, he wouldn't survive an impact with a ki blast like this at this close a range. The demi-saiyan quickly picks up Hercule by the back of his gi and uses his superior speed to dash away from the ring just as the ki blast makes its impact on the earth.
The shockwave from the after-effects of the ki blast almost makes him drop Hercule, but he thankfully is able to maintain his grip on the man. Eventually, he gets far enough away from the action and sets Hercule down next to where Trunks and Krillin set down the news reporter and cameraman.
"You guys should leave while you still can," the demi-saiyan advises the 'World Champ' and his crew before flying off to the plateau that the others are standing on. He can faintly hear Hercule's protests as he flies away. As he listens, he can't help but roll his eyes before letting out a giggle at the memory of how the man came here. He admits that the guy was really funny earlier when he was trying to intimidate Cell. Who tries to break tiles with a karate chop to show off their skills?
His musing is cut short by the continuation of his father's battle with Cell. As he lands next to his mentor, he focuses back on his father and Cell. The battle is really starting to heat up. His father is going at it even harder than before, and Gohan can tell that he's starting to get some good hits in on Cell. The frustration on the android's face tells him that Cell knows it too. His father seems to finally be trying, though Gohan can still tell he's holding back a little.
However, it seems as if his father is planning something. He is able to get a good axe handle blow in on Cell, forcing him to the ground, and immediately he starts to charge a Kamehameha. His dad seems to be putting tons of ki into this blast, as if trying to deliver a finishing blow to Cell. He smiles. His father is about to win this. Surely this blast will be able to finish Cell off.
Everyone else seems to have other worries however, begging Goku not to unleash the blast in fear of what it might do to the Earth. Cell is even mocking the Earth raised saiyan for it, claiming that he's going to blow up the planet that he's trying to save. Gohan frowns at everyone's worry. Don't they realize that his father knows this? Do they really have so little faith in his dad? He knows that his dad wouldn't unleash that Kamehameha from up there. He must have another plan. The demi-saiyan quickly glances at his mentor, who returns his gaze with a knowing look.
He smiles. At least Piccolo knows that his dad wouldn't be foolish enough to unleash that Kamehameha from where he currently is. His dad definitely knows what he's doing.
His prediction comes true a moment later when right when Goku is about to unleash the deadly Kamehameha, he uses instant transmission to teleport directly in front of Cell and unleashes the blast at point blank range. Gohan cheers, laughing with glee. He knew his father was innovative, but that was pure genius! He just hopes that it was enough to finish off the bio-android that has been terrorizing the Earth.
His laugher however fades as the dust from the blast clears, revealing Cell… at least the lower half of his body. But he knows that Cell has the ability to regenerate. After all, he has his mentor's cells in him. He frowns, tuning out the shouts of victory from Yamcha and Tien. They've never witnessed the android's regenerative properties before, so they don't know that he's capable of coming back from an attack like that. Still, he can't help but pout when he sees the lower half of Cell's body jump to its feet, and then regenerate the rest of it a moment later.
However, Gohan feels out the android's ki and smiles softly. Regenerating had taken a lot of the green menace's ki, and he's now weaker as a result. Gohan smile turns into a grin when he realizes that is father hasn't even shown his full power yet. At this rate, his dad should be able to finish off Cell no problem!
The green menace stretches out his new body quickly before dashing at Goku. Gohan watches the fight play out and sees both warriors go at it again, and it seems like they both are giving it their all. They both are exchanging blows at very high speeds, appearing to be in a stalemate. He knows better though, and can't help the smile that comes to his face. His father still hasn't shown his full power yet! There's no way that Cell can win.
However, as the battle continues on, he becomes worried. His dad is doing things that he normally wouldn't do now. He is currently using lots of his energy shooting multiple ki blasts at Cell, and his ki is suffering as a result. Of course, Cell's ki is falling too, but his father's is falling much faster.
…But that doesn't make sense! Why is his father getting weaker when he hasn't even used his full power yet?
Eventually, Cell stops his father's ki onslaught by using a force field that spans a good quarter of a mile. He frowns, feeling his father's ki. Why is his ki so low? Surely he still has something hidden up his sleeve. There's no way that he is finished yet.
"I give up!"
He freezes in shock at that statement that came from his father. What did he just say?
"What did you say Goku?" Apparently Cell was thinking the same thing.
"I said, 'I give up!'" his father restates what he previously said. "I can't beat you Cell, so there's no point in drawing out this fight any more than we have to." This confirmation comes to not only his shock, but every single person within hearing distance. Of course though the shock is completely understandable. After all, they just heard his father say that he can't beat Cell.
"Are you serious Goku?" he hears Cell reply incredulously through his shock. "You realize what this means right? If you give up, then there is no one left to fight me and I will blow up the Earth."
"Hold up there Cell," Goku counters back. "Just because I'm done fighting doesn't mean that there's no one left to fight."
Even though Cell is high up in the air, Gohan can clearly see the amused smirk on the android's face. "Oh really Goku? Who else is going to fight me? Vegeta? Piccolo? Trunks?" The monster scoffs. "Please Goku, no one else even comes close to your power. They would be a waste of my time."
He can hear Vegeta growling at Cells comment, but he ignores it in favor of listening to what his father is going to say next. He has to have some sort of plan. After all, he wouldn't just hand over the Earth to Cell. "You're wrong Cell," his dad counters. "There's still one more person that can fight you. After him, there's no one else. I will say this though. This fighter is a lot stronger than I am, and after fighting you first hand, I know that he's stronger than you as well."
This gets the demi-saiyan's attention. Who could his dad be talking about? Is he talking about Vegeta or Trunks? After all, Vegeta did go in the time chamber again after he and his dad got out, and Trunks has proven to be incredibly unpredictable when it comes to his power. But as much as he thinks about that, he just can't help but remember the awed expressions on both of their faces when his dad powered up before. They seemed genuinely surprised at how strong his father was.
But if it's not one of them… then who is it that he's talking about?
"Oh really Goku?" Cell taunts, and Gohan can tell that the android clearly doesn't believe his father for a second. "Stronger than me eh? You humor me Goku! No one is stronger than me!"
He hates to admit it, but Gohan agrees with the android. If his father can't beat Cell then who can? However, Goku merely smirks at Cell. "I would like to hear you to say that after he beats you Cell!"
"What was that?" Cell retorts. The android is clearly taken off guard by Goku's comment. His father merely smirks wider.
"I said, 'I would like to hear you say that after he's beaten you!'"
The android scowls. "You seem to have a lot of confidence in this mystery fighter of yours Goku." Gohan can hear the contempt in the android's voice at that comment.
"Of course I do Cell. I know with all of my being that he will finish you off for good. The Earth couldn't be in better hands."
This statement of faith catches everyone completely off guard. Gohan can see that Cell is shocked at this statement, but for once, he understands why. He can't believe what his father is saying. He is talking like whoever this person he is claiming will fight next will win without a doubt.
Who in the world could he be talking about?
"Well you're certainly good at making up stories I'll give you that," Cell states mockingly. "However, I'll allow it for now. Tell me who this fictional fighter of yours is and I'll show you just how foolish you are."
His father however takes the obvious mocking without batting an eye. "Gladly Cell," he states, before looking up at the cliff. Gohan can feel his father's gaze right away and knows that he's looking directly at him, full of confidence. This puzzles him for only a moment until his dad continues with the announcement of the next fighter.
"You're up, Gohan!"
And with those words, life as he knew it would never be the same again.