Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z.
Chapter 2: Change
The flight back home was going pretty well. After Gohan recovered from his hysteria at Vegeta's plight, he once again began contemplating how to ascend. Then, out of nowhere, Gohan sensed something. Someone was following him. Someone familiar. He looked back only to discover that the ki signature he picked up had completely disappeared.
'Hmm,' Gohan speculated. 'This could mean trouble.' Gohan stopped flying and scouted the area, and felt like he was being watched. "Alright! Come out! I know you're there!" He waited a moment, but nothing happened. "Huh. Maybe I'm just a bit too uptight today. Oh well." He continued his flight, keeping his senses keen. About two minutes later, he felt a slight upsurge of energy again. His flight ceased immediately.
"Alright. So, you wanna play games!" he roared. At that instant, his eyes became teal, his hair gold, and his muscles bulged. If someone wanted a piece of him, he wasn't going down without a fight.
Just then a small bald-headed man flew up from the forest beneath him, giggling.
"Hahahaha, did I scare ya, bro?" Krillin laughed. He felt privileged he had been able to at least frighten a Super Saiyan.
"Krillin! Phew, yeah, you did. Hehe. What's up?"Gohan powered back down into his normal state.
"Well, as you know, there's no grocery store on Master Roshi's island, so I was flying to go pick up some stuff when I saw you. What about you? What are you up to?"
"Well, I went to see Piccolo and Vegeta about training stuff."
"Uhhhh, how'd that go?" He cringed at the thought of asking Vegeta for training advice.
"Well, Piccolo gave some good advice, but Vegeta…well he was having a pretty crappy day. Literally." He mentally cracked up.
"Like always?" Krillin's sarcasm towards Vegeta never halted.
"Well, it's worse today. Bulma gave him something called a laxative or something."
"HAHAHA! Oh wow! That's great! Vegeta! Constipated! HAHAHA! You'd think he could just go Super Saiyan to push out his 'blockage' but I guess not!" Krillin was definitely having a fun time mocking Vegeta, although he probably wouldn't if Vegeta was actually around. "So anyways bro," he spoke, getting serious, "what do you need to train for? You're pretty much the strongest fighter ever right now!"
"Well…it's complicated." Gohan began. He then elaborated on how he needed to train his mind more, and how he felt that there was a level beyond super saiyan 2.
"Huh, well that's interesting. If anyone can do it, I know you can!"
"I bet my dad could, if he were here." Gohan then looked down, ashamedly.
"Gohan, look. I know you're sad about what happened to your dad. But look at it like this. He chose not to come back, he's doing alright. And before you go and get any thoughts, it's not your fault that any of this happened. Okay?"
"Yeah but-"
"No buts. If it weren't for you, all of us would be gone right now. I guess destiny sometimes just can't be avoided."
"Destiny? What do you mean, Krillin?"
"Well, in Trunks' time, Goku died of a heart virus, he wasn't killed by androids. Then in our time, we avoid most of the casualties, except that Goku still ends up dead. It's kind of like destiny wanted him to go or something. And the way I take it, it means he was needed elsewhere. Not just on Earth. And you were needed to become the new protector of Earth. You feel me?"
"Huh. Kind of. It makes sense, although it's pretty optimistic if you ask me." Krillin grinned.
"Well hey, life's too short to be pessimistic. If you spend all of your time worrying about what you should do or could do, then you'll never accomplish anything except making your hair fall out."
Gohan snickered. "A bit late for you, isn't it? Ahahaha." Krillin frowned.
"Hey, don't be so rude! I'm not naturally bald! In fact, I was kind of thinking about letting my hair grow out."
"Why, Krillin?"
"Well, I kept it waxed this whole time because of my fighting philosophy. But, there's really no reason to fight anymore, so it's rather pointless." Krillin then grinned and whispered, "Besides, it might help me with the lady department if ya know what I mean!" Gohan chuckled.
"Speaking of that, how're you and you-know-who?"
"Well," Krillin looked down, "not too good. BUT, that's a story for another time. I better go get some groceries. Nice talkin' to ya Gohan!" With that, Krillin flew off.
"Take care!" the young Saiyan yelled after him. With that, Gohan continued his journey home.
Later that night, Gohan deeply contemplated Krillin's words, so much so that he couldn't get to sleep. 'Maybe Krillin's right. I mean, I never wanted to be a hero, I never asked for it. It was just…thrown on me. I'm perfectly fine with letting someone else save the day. I didn't want that obligation, so why me? Maybe it was destiny?' He sat up with an intense look on his face.
'No! I refuse to believe that. If all of this was destiny, then that means that anything I ever do is predetermined. That means that if destiny willed it, then no matter how hard I train, I still might not be able to protect the people I care about. Krillin has to be wrong. I control my own destiny.' Gohan laid back down and turned over.
'Gosh, I can't believe it's been nearly half my life ago that this all started. I wonder what would have happened if Raditz never showed up? That means dad would've never died that first time, but it might mean him and Piccolo would still be enemies. It might also mean that Vegeta never came, so we'd have never gone to Namek. Then dad would've never become a Super Saiyan. Wow, come to think of it, it does sound a bit like destiny. One event just…changed everything. NO! I refuse to believe it.'
These thoughts and more haunted Gohan all night. 'How do I ascend? I know there has to be a way. Dad would know…that's it! Dad knew! At least, he knew how to prepare for the second level. We had to make it feel natural to be Super Saiyan in order to ascend to the second level. So maybe, to ascend again, I have to make it feel natural to be in the second level! Dad, you truly were a fighting genius.' At this, a smile crept across Gohan's face as he dozed off into a well needed slumber.
It was nearly 2:30 in the afternoon the next day, and Gohan still was not up.
"Oh my gosh, dad, I wonder if he's sick! I mean, he even slept through breakfast! He's never asleep past 8." Chi-Chi was worried. She had noticed a change in her son's demeanor since the Cell Games, but his behavior lately was even more aberrant than usual. He was ahead in his studies, something she'd never expect. But it wasn't that. He was more…quiet. Gohan wasn't the happy kid he once was. He still had a lot of love, that she could tell. He just kept to himself more.
"Maybe. I think it's best to let him get his rest. We'll ask him when he wakes up," replied the Ox-King. Worry filled his voice as well.
Finally, around 4:00, Gohan awoke. He walked into the living room, where Chi-Chi and the Ox-King were playing with Goten.
"Morning mom! Morning grandpa!" Gohan greeted the two with the Son smile.
"I believe you mean 'afternoon', Gohan," Chi-Chi corrected.
"Huh?" He looked at the clock. "Oh wow…talk about messing up a circadian rhythm."
"Gohan…I have to ask you something…but first you have a visitor."
"A visitor?" He was confused. Who'd be visiting him?
"Go outside and see." Gohan obeyed. As he stepped outside, he was surprised to find the Saiyan prince sitting under a tree.
"Well! It's about time! You're lucky your mother had a frying pan, or I would've woken you up hours ago!" Gohan chuckled, imagining Chi-Chi threatening Vegeta with a frying pan. 'Oh mother…'
"So Vegeta, what's up?"
"WHAT! I'm the one who should be asking what's up. You're the one who came looking for me yesterday, remember?"
"Oh yeah, hehe. Well, I was going to ask you something…about Saiyans."
"Hm? What?" Vegeta perked up, intrigued. He considered himself an expert on the topic, and secretly loved when someone required his expertise.
"Well. You know I reached a level beyond a super saiyan. I know that you felt the existence of this level while being a super saiyan."
"Yeah, and?"
"Well, I was wondering. The super saiyans of legend were unstoppable, right?"
"According to legend, yes. No power in the universe could surpass their strength. Why?"
"Well, I feel like there's still another level. You see, I reached the second level, but at some point in the fight, Cell was still able to match me. So…"
"I see. It's entirely possible. I wouldn't know…" Anguish could be seen in Vegeta's eyes as he spoke. Upon hearing this, Gohan was shocked. He was sure Vegeta would've ascended by now. It's already been a year. If he ascended, he should've been able to feel what he felt. "I see you have a confused look on your face. To clarify, I stopped training." Now he'd heard everything. 'Vegeta?' Gohan thought. 'Not training? What's going on?'
"I will not explain any further than that."
"Oh…okay. I was actually wanting a sparring partner, though."
"Maybe the Namek can entertain you. I figured you'd still be training, though, so I brought you a little gift." Vegeta pulled a capsule out of his pocket and threw it over to Gohan.
"Uh, what's this?"
"It's a gravity chamber. It goes up to 750 times normal gravity. My woman decided she would make a few of them, in case we ever faced another crisis. But I don't need one." The young boy became rather gloomy. Nothing was the same anymore. Even Vegeta didn't want to train.
'Well,' Gohan thought, 'I guess the good old days really are old now.'
"If that's the end of your inquiries, I'll be leaving now."
"Oh. Thanks, Vegeta!" With that, Vegeta flew off.
The Prince of all Saiyans experienced a horrendous shock following the Cell Games. For nearly five years, his ultimate ambition had been to beat Kakarot. The three years of training at 450 times normal gravity, the two years he spent in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, and even eventually achieving the pinnacle of the Saiyan race, was still not enough to catch him. He had pushed his body to limits he never even imagined existed. And now, Kakarot was gone, and what's worse, his twelve year old child was way more powerful than him. What did he have to achieve now? Some days, he'd just lie in bed wishing Kakarot would come back, or for another villain to come along. His insatiable appetite for fighting had plummeted to no more than a slight thirst.
As Vegeta flew off, Gohan could only think to himself. 'Wow, things really have changed. I've seen demonic tyrants, androids, little green men sprouting up from the ground, but never would I ever expect for Vegeta to just…give up. Dad, I wish you were here.'
He remembered his mom wanted to ask him something, so he went back inside.
"Well son, how'd that go? No fights today?" Chi-Chi was part relieved, but also part disappointed. She didn't want anyone to get hurt, but on the other hand, she knew a good brawl might cheer her son up.
"Surprisingly, no. Vegeta said he doesn't train anymore."
"WHAT!" Chi-Chi was flabbergasted beyond belief, her jaw hanging open, her eyes wide.
"So mom," Gohan interrupted, snapping his mother out of her dismay, "what did you need to ask me?"
"Oh, right. Gohan, are you feeling okay? Do you feel sick or anything?" He gave that innocent confused look that him and Goku became known for.
"Huh? No, I don't think so. Why?"
"Well…what about depressed? Are you sad or angry Gohan?"
He thought a moment. He couldn't tell his mom the truth. She already had enough stress taking care of Goten and trying to be two parents at once. She hadn't even had the time to properly mourn his dad's loss yet. How could he put more on her?
"No, I feel fine mom." He forced a smile to make it look convincing. Chi-Chi knew he was lying, but thought it best not to push things.
"Well okay, sweetie, if you say so." She walked over to him and kissed him on the forehead. "I'll go make some dinner now."
"Thanks mom!" This time, a real smile spread across his face. Nothing could keep a Saiyan down when there was food involved.
"Oh, and we'll have some company for dinner today."
"Who?"
"Yamcha. He called earlier and said he'd like to come over."
"Cool!"
