Redemption

I do not own any rights to Dragonball Z, or any characters and ideas, except my own.

To all those who decided to write a review, I just want to say thanks. I really mean it. You guys are really the ones who make it worth writing each week. I am also glad that you six wrote reviews telling me how I am doing as a writer and storyteller. I will try to make it a very good chapter for all you readers out there.

A/N: You guys have to read this fic!!! I read it right before I went to Iraq. It is caller The Return, by The Smooster. If you like long fics, this is definitely worth the read!

Sorry this came out late. Now, on with the story...

Dragon Ball Z: Redemption

Chapter 3 - Aftermath Part 2
As people began to arrive at the site of the Cell Games, Hercule just stood in shock. He had no idea what he was going to tell everyone. He was the one who was supposed to defeat Cell, not some strange group of blonde haired fighters that showed up out of nowhere!! He took one slow look at the devastation wrought by the tremendous powers the other fighters had shown, that he knew dwarfed his own. He slowly began to limp toward the remains of his Airbus, the injuries sustained from Cell's backhand were not serious, but they still hurt. But a small sound in the surrounding silence startled him. He looked around, trying to locate its source, when he heard it again. Someone was crying, and the source seemed to be coming from his Airbus. He froze right where he was standing when he recognized the crying. How could she be here!!! She was supposed to be at home with his wife!!!

Videl just couldn't believe it. Even though her father had forbidden her to come and watch him fight Cell, she knew that she had to go. So as her father finished saying good-bye to her mother, she quickly snuck into the back of his Airbus, and hid among the bags her fathers best students were bringing along with them. She couldn't stand the idiots, but put up with them for the sake of her father.

The ride was rather boring, and she spent the time listening to her fathers students fawn all over him, which she found disgusting. As the trio of idiots prattled on and on, they never even noticed that their idol wasn't even among them. Hercule had gotten up and moved to the back, since even he found their chatter annoying. "Oh man what have I gotten myself into?" he asked himself unaware that anyone, let alone his daughter, was listening to him. "First I open my big mouth and say I am going to beat Cell, and then the problem with Sethra pops up. I don't even know what to tell Videl."

At the mention of her mothers name, as well as her own, Videl perked up, and strained to hear everything her father said. She was unaware of anything happening between her father and mother recently. Hercule's musings were cut short as the pilot announced over the intercom that they would be landing at the site of the Cell Games shortly. Hercule turned and went back to his seat, among his followers, who were unaware that he had even left them. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, putting all his problems aside as he prepared for the fight of his life...

To say that Videl was confused would of course be an understatement. She had no idea that her parents were having problems, but to hear them from her fathers own mouth, had her mind racing. She had half of a mind to confront her dad then and there, but the announcement over the intercom cut her short. They were here. She was about to witness her dad in all his full glory. She couldn't wait.

Videl made her way to a window facing the tournament ring, just in time to see her father attack Cell. The elation flew from her face as a bored looking Cell just stood there smirking as her father threw his best, to no affect.

Hercule just couldn't fathom the amount of strength the monster possessed. He was throwing his best and nothing happened. He stopped and looked up at Cell and saw that he wasn't even looking up at him. He followed Cell's gaze to a group standing nearby, watching the one sided fight. Some of them looked on with pity, while a short man with blonde hair that seemed to mock gravity smirked on in amusement. He turned back to Cell as his anger rose. He was the great Hercule!!! It was then that Cell decided to remove the pest from the arena, so that he could finally get to fight the worlds strongest. He almost casually back handed Hercule, sending him flying out of the ring. Now the fun would begin.

The shock of seeing her father so easily beaten by Cell had just floored her! She watched as one of the blonde men wearing an orange gi finished stretching, and calmly walked into the ring. She was too far away to hear what they were saying, but it didn't really matter, as seconds later, the fight began.

They were amazing. She didn't know how they did it, but she was sure that they were flying. The explosions and the lights were just too much for her to handle, and she hid in her Dad's Airbus. When everything had calmed down a little, she looked over, and saw a young boy about her age fighting Cell. She didn't know what surprised her more, the fact that someone so young was fight Cell, or the fact that he was holding his own against the monster. Even better than her dad. As she continued to watch the fight, she was amazed at the skill of the younger fighter. He was good there was no doubt about it. She continued to watch the battle in awe. She watched as the boy screamed in rage when Cell made smaller, blue versions of himself, and sent them to attack the other fighters standing there watching the fight. And the boy changed.

The air around him shimmered. The earth shook as a crater former around the boy. His blonde hair now stood straight up, except for one lock that fell down his face, slightly over the inside of his left eye. His well defined muscles now stood out even more, and the look of rage on his face was enough to make Videl step back, even though she was not the focus of his rage. She then watched as he made Cell vomit up a strange blonde woman, which of course made Videl herself lose her own lunch. He had hit Cell only once!! Cell changed. She didn't know how she knew, but she now knew that Cell was weaker then she was before. She watched as Cell tried to destroy the world by blowing himself up, and she couldn't help the tears as she watched what had to be the boys father disappear along with Cell. But it wasn't long before the monster came back once again in his perfect form, killing one fighter wearing strange clothes.

Once of the other fighters, a short man with tall, blonde hair screamed in rage. His hair, like the young boys changed as well, and now stood up straighter if that was even possible. He vented his rage against the monster, but like her father was easily beaten back. A large light flew from Cells hands, and the shock waves from the explosions knocked her back. She quickly got up and ran out of the Airbus She had to see what was happening.

What she saw shouldn't be possible. Their stood the young boy, panting heavily, his left arm a twisted wreck. A shocking amount of blood poured from the boys arm to soak into the parched earth. Even Videl could see the pain in the boys eyes. She still couldn't hear the words that Cell and the young boy exchanged, but she knew by the boys previous reactions from Cell's antics, that it wouldn't go well for the monster. For the second time that day, the boy changed.

His hair was now longer, almost reaching the ground, and his eyebrows were gone. 'Who are these people? How do they keep changing their hair, make the ground shake? ' She thought to herself. Her personal musing were interrupted by the shout of the boy as a light blue light flew from his hands towards Cell. Then the boy disappear and reappeared behind Cell, sending him towards the blast he was trying to stop with one of his own. Cell barely dodge the blast, but it took his left arm with it. She didn't see the kicks and punches thrown by the boy, but knew he was doing it from the way Cell was reacting. The boy stepped back and once again shouted out, and another light blue light flew from his hands. A smile lit her face as it completely engulfed the monster know as Cell. The boy then fell to his knees, and she got a clear look at his face. His hair had just gone from gold to black, and he passed out. The strange group flew down and picked the boy up, along with their dead friend, and flew away.

The enormity of what happened finally caught up with the young 13 year old, and she fled back to her fathers Airbus and began to cry...

Hercule opened the door to his Airbus, and just stood there, looking at his young daughter. How she had gotten here he didn't know, but his paternal instincts took over immediately, and he rushed to his daughter side and wrapped her in his arms, his own hurts put aside. " Hush now Videl, Daddy's here now. Everything is going to be fine." His words took a while, but they finally reached the heartbroken child. She looked up at her father, but before she could say anything the reporters, had finally arrived. Seeing the group of people standing near the Airbus of the Great Hercule, they quickly swarmed it and shouted out for Hercule to make his appearance to the world, and to tell of how he had defeated Cell.

Hercule was in a dilemma. He looked down at his young daughter, and he just knew that he couldn't do it. He couldn't take the credit, because his daughter had seen the truth, and the one thing he had always taught her, was to tell the truth. With a sad smile, he let go of his Daughter, and stood up. He walked out of the vehicle, and was shocked at all the people who had come to see him, and it hurt to know that he would have to disappoint them all. He raised his hands for silence, looked back at his daughter, and told the story of the Gold Fighters...

The years progressed. After the Cell Games footage had been recovered, hundreds of people went on a manhunt to find out who the mysterious Gold Fighters were. They were never found. Hercule's wife had left him when he had announced that he wasn't the one to defeat Cell. All her dreams of the money they would have had were flushed down the toilet. Hercule found himself training harder and harder every day. Never again would his daughter see him fail at anything. And Videl's heart changed. She vowed she would never let anyone close to her, because she didn't, no couldn't let anyone see her fail. She saw what failing had done to her father, and she made sure never to fail at anything ever again.

For young Gohan, the changes were more profound. Days after the Cell Games, he found out that his mother was pregnant. That same day, he learned of the hunt for the Gold Fighters, when he stumbled on a group lost in the woods near his home. The enormity of Vegeta's announcement was made clear, as Prince Vegeta made sure Gohan new what it meant to be Saiyan. When he wasn't training, or learning his heritage from Vegeta, his mother decided that she would see to it that Gohan would have an education. She also sent him out frequently to the city, on random shopping trips, so that he would remember what his father sacrificed his life for.

For Vegeta, change was difficult. He just didn't know how to change. And so, much to his chagrin, he learned from Gohan what it meant to be human. The irony was not lost on him.

Krillen eventually married Android 18, and moved in with old Master Roshi. At their wedding, Bulma had a surprise for 18, as she proceeded to reintroduce 18 to her brother 17. She told everyone that if 18 got a second chance, why couldn't her brother. With that in mind, she had used the Dragon Balls to wish him back. Yamcha gave up fighting, and became the greatest baseball player ever. No one knew what had happened to Tien.

It was Gohan's 18th birthday, and his mother had a surprise in store for him that would change his life forever. He didn't know it yet, but he was going to High School!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for reading guys I really appreciate it. I hope you guys can find it in your hearts to leave me a review as well. The only way to make a story good, or a good story better, is to let the author know what needs to be changed. Thanks again

-Ta Sen-