Author's Notes: This is my first DBZ fanfic, so feel free to offer any hints or suggestions, as long as they're constructive. Flames are NOT wanted. As for timeline, this takes place two years after the Trunks saga. Any other questions, feel free to e-mail me. Now, wihout any further ado, here's the story.
Heart of Darkness
CHAPTER 1: BEGINNINGS
Darkness. It was all she had known for time without end. It was her whole world, her everything. And she hated it. She loathed the never-ending blackness. There was a time, so long ago, when she had flitted freely through the daylight, dancing through sun-filled meadows, laughing at the joy of life...
Then the stranger had come to her. Since that day, the rays of warmth from Earth's nearest star had never again caressed her body, and she had been dragged, kicking and screaming, into the night.
One day, however, as she hid in the shadows, she sensed him. His strength was admirable, especially for one his age. Drawn to his strength, she travelled to him, and then spent the next few years observing him. It turned out he was not of this planet. He was a being known as a Sayian. His coming heralded a new age for the Earth, as others with this great strength appeared, some good, some evil. The boy, however, outshone them all in terms of brute force. He fought on, against ever-increasing odds, gaining new allies along the way. At one point, he destroyed an entire army single-handedly. Another time, he stopped the rampage of a huge green alien intent on taking over the planet. Then, as the years passed, he fell in love with a human and married her. They had a son together, and he had the potential to be mightier than his father.
But then it happened. Another Sayian arrived. This one was his brother, Raditz. And he and Raditz perished in combat, killed by the Namek. She screamed that day. He was gone, the only one to ever provide her with a chance of escape from her prison of eternal night, the one known as Goku.
She cried with joy when, a year later, he returned, many times more powerful than before. Again, he won his battle, this time aided by his son. A while later, he and all the surviving Z Warriors left the planet to face the prince of the universe, Frieza. She sensed him still. Their foe was strong beyond belief, yet they fought valiantly. And, when it seemed that there was no hope, something changed. The prince of the universe killed one of Goku's friends. Goku's rage propelled him to new heights, and he was transformed. He beat Frieza, although he barely escaped the exploding planet. In the chaos that ensued, she could no longer sense him. But she knew he was alive.
Some time later (she knew not how long) Frieza returned, much stronger than he had been previously, and he brought his father with him. With Frieza threatening to destroy the planet, she feared for her own existence for the first time since the stranger had come to her. Nonetheless, Frieza and his father were defeated by a mere boy, who had undergone the same transformation as Goku. As she watched this new development with interest, she sensed it. He had returned, and was now the most powerful warrior in creation. It was time to implement her plan.
"Yessss," she hissed.
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Piccolo gasped as his opponent's fist slammed into his stomach, winding him. He hadn't been expecting so much trouble winning. I've gotta remember not to underestimate him, he thought, just as his foe appeared above him and tried to smash him into the ground. Piccolo deftly spun around, grabbed his fists, pulled his adversary towards him and head butted him squarely on the bridge of the nose. While his foe struggled to regain his senses from that vicious attack, Piccolo roared and threw a ki ball at him. It caught him off guard and he was hurtled Earthward from the force of it, slamming into the ground. He tried to get up, but he just didn't have the strength. The fight was over.
"Unlucky, Gohan," called Goku from a nearby hilltop, where he had been overseeing his son's defeat. Truth be told, Gohan had been unlucky. The only thing that had stopped him from winning the training bout was Piccolo's speed. Even then it had been a close thing. Gohan's power level and skill had risen dramatically in the last two years, so he was nearly a match for Piccolo now. He still holds back too much, though, thought Goku. Gohan always tried not to hurt either Goku or Piccolo when they were training, despite being told repeatedly. He'll never ascend to a Super Sayian at this rate. Oh well. He sighed.
It had been two years since Goku had returned to Earth, two years since the death of Frieza, two years since Trunks had issued his warning. Two evil androids will appear and destroy civilisation, killing all the Z warriors, he had said. However, Goku was beginning to have his doubts. Trunks had also said that Goku himself would be killed by a heart virus two years before the androids appeared, and had given him the antidote for it. This much was untrue, as Goku had shown no signs of illness. Maybe Trunks had been wrong...
But they couldn't afford to take that chance. It was their responsibility to protect the planet, and they would not allow anything to happen to it. So they trained. The training was so intense they had had no time to visit any of their friends, who were training elsewhere. Oh, sure, They had kept in touch, over the phone and via the post. Gohan had even received a birthday present sent from Krillin. The fact that it had been a toy car didn't matter; Krillin was useless at picking gifts. It was the thought that had counted.
"I wonder if we'll see the rest of the guys before the androids arrive," mused Goku to himself. "Ah, well, time to go home for dinner." A grin appeared on his face.
By the time he flew over to the battlefield, Gohan had regained enough strength to stand up. "Sorry, dad," he apologised, "I still need more training."
"Ah, don't worry about it son. Remember, Piccolo's been training too, so it's only natural that he's stronger than you. Isn't that right Piccolo? Piccolo?"
They turned around. Piccolo seemed to be concentrating. After a few seconds, he looked at them. "I just got a message from Kami. Round up the guys. We got trouble."