Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT.

Happy reading!

This confrontation wasn't going exactly well.

In his Super Saiyan form, Goten managed to put up a good fight, but it wasn't enough. Slowly he began to succumb to the effects of exhaustion, partially because it had been more than a month since his last sparring session with Trunks and half a year for serious fight; the decisions he had made were a bit poor, to say the least. To top that, he was fighting an android whose source of energy was seemingly infinite. Of course it didn't make things any easier.

Neither Goten nor Vanitas had scored a single hit, but in the latter's case it was obviously because he had been holding back all along. Just like the half-Saiyan boy, it looked as though he had a hidden agenda behind this fight, and it was to gauge his capabilities for an unknown end. Every punch and kick thrown by Goten were either dodged or blocked rather easily by the green android, every energy wave deflected, and every Afterimage attempt counter-Afterimaged.

It wasn't going any better when Goten's attack patterns started to get repetitive. Chuckling silently at his foolhardiness, Vanitas finally decided to involve himself in the dirty job; with one well-timed block he managed to swiftly turn the tide of the battle and storm Goten with his mercurial attacks. Despite his size, he was surprisingly agile, and the flawless coordination between his four limbs and ridged, bulky, yet slender tail just served as a testimony to this claim. Seeing how Vanitas had little to no difficulties whatsoever dealing with Goten, it was very clear he was out of his league, and if the youngster kept up with it he wouldn't be coming home in one piece.

Now that his brother was in trouble, Gohan leapt into the fight to his assistance. The past Son immediately transformed into his Super form, charged at his opponent, and threw his fastest blows and strikes, but even they weren't able to create a scratch on the android's exoskeleton—not that it could get damaged easily. Even though Gohan's entrada succeeded in sending Vanitas to go on the defensive again, he stood his ground with the greatest of ease; nimbly he swayed back and forth and only blocked some of the strikes as necessary, showing the two boys how very composed and tactical he was even in the heat of the battle.

Minutes into the fray, Vanitas managed to escape the boys' onslaught by Afterimaging just at the perfect moment, confounding them for a short while with his sheer speed. During that split second, the android delivered a swift but very powerful smash, sending them flying away from him.

"So what happened to all that bravado you exhibited earlier?" Vanitas smirked in sadistic delight, "But that's alright. I've seen quite—"

"Take this!"

Without further warning, immediately after performing an aerial recovery, Gohan and Goten launched a double Kamehameha toward the evil android. The sheer force of the explosion sent dust and debris into all directions, and the smoke bellowing from where Vanitas was standing created a thick veil which obscured their view.

"Did we get him…?" asked Gohan.

"I… can't tell," Goten gulped nervously, "I seriously doubt we did…"

"You're right. I'm still alive and kicking as ever, you see."

To say the very least, the boys were disappointed when Vanitas casually emerged from the smoke, completely unfazed and sustaining no injuries whatsoever. Their combined blast failed to mar his green shell, still not even a scratch. "You have to try harder than that," he smiled creepily.

At this point Goten was brimming with indication. He wasn't at all fond of being patronised like that. "Oh yeah? Let's see how you handle this!"

Once again Goten charged at Vanitas with high speed. In a desperate attempt to harm him, perhaps at least leaving a mark on his seemingly impervious exoskeleton, he conjured a blade on his right arm and swung it fast; however, instead of dodging it, the android received the attack with his neck, and how shocked Goten was when his blade, made of concentrated energy, actually dissipated into thin air after the impact.

"Aw, c'mon! That's the same attack that cut off Frieza's tail, and he didn't even flinch?" Goten gritted his teeth in incredulity and frustration, "How come? That's not fair! It's ridiculous!"

Vanitas just simpered seeing the halfling's reaction. "That's how I handle it. I told you before, didn't I? I know so much about you and your techniques."

"Why, you… everything's not gonna be the same after I transform into—"

"—transform into Super Saiyan 2," Vanitas finished Goten's sentence, "Truth is, you will still be powerless against me even in your Super Saiyan 2 form. My database backs up my words. But let me just spare you the trouble… let's just say I'm done with my warm-up."

Goten squinted his left eye in disbelief. What was brewing in this monster's mind, it was totally beyond him. "Huh? What is it with you? Now that I'm ready to pound you into the ground, don't tell me you're not gonna finish the fight. Are you a coward or something?"

"Why, that's a bit rude, Goten. But just like I said, I have a plan, and finishing you off right now isn't part of it."

"Then tell us! Just what is this 'plan' nonsense you've been talking about?" Gohan demanded.

The green android cast a sharp gaze on Gohan and Goten, smiled, and laughed inwardly. Because there seemed to be a certain pair of children who were extremely curious of his so-called plan, Vanitas decided to just disclose it to them. He first began by asking the two boys the purpose of their departure from West City, to which Gohan replied—being very careful with his choice of words—that they obviously were going to train in order to defeat him.

"Interesting story, just like what I had expected," responded Vanitas, "Especially after seeing you're currently not strong enough to take me on. Yes, knowing you, I'm sure you won't sit still and watch when your family and friends are in danger. Am I not right?"

"You're right about the last part, but just because you have my genetic matter doesn't mean you fully know me. Just continue with your explanation," said Gohan impatiently.

Vanitas just shrugged so very casually and continued. "Well, let me ask you something, then. If I let you train, are you confident of your ability to defeat me once and for all?"

This was totally unexpected. The boys couldn't believe what they had just heard and did a double take, but their ears didn't deceive them. They still noted the use of conditional conjunction, though.

Sensing their doubt, Vanitas repeated his question, this time more slowly than before to ensure them they did hear it right. With cautious confidence Goten assured him that given the time they would not only defeat him, but also kill obliterate him to ensure he wouldn't be coming back ever again. True, it sounded like overkill, but after the Majin Buu incident and out of suspicion that Vanitas might also possess Piccolo's ability to self-regenerate, Goten wouldn't take chances.

The artificial being went completely silent, seemingly weighing the pros and cons of his next decision. After several moments of tense silence, he finally came up with a decision. "That'd be great. It aligns with my plan," he mumbled, "Hmhmhm… this is going to be fun."

"Spill it out. I'm getting tired of this already," Gohan hissed.

Goten concurred with his brother. "He's right. Whatever it is that's in your mind had better be a good one."

"I've decided," exclaimed Vanitas exuberantly, "I'll give you time to train. Where and how many days… you're free to decide. How does it sound to you?"

It went without saying that Gohan and Goten was extremely shocked by the outcome of this negotiation session. They couldn't help but wonder if there was a catch and suspiciously confirmed it to the android; they weren't surprised upon learning that there really was. It was a transaction, after all, and an exchange had to take place. Vanitas demanded they take part in his plan, which he finally revealed to them.

His plan was to execute some kind of a battle tournament where everyone would compete against him, one after another. It was so much like Cell Games back in Goten's timeline, and he decided to do that to have fun and show the entire planet that he was the strongest being ever existed. The reason he let Gohan and Goten train was now clear; he needed an opponent or two whose strength exceeded that of normal humans by a huge margin to really show the extent of his power. Fighting humans, according to Vanitas, brought no fun since they were—as he put it—fragile and easily broken.

"That's not to say humans aren't prohibited from competing, not at all," he continued, "They can, although their chances of winning are close to zero. If, though, there are so many of them, perhaps they can win by sheer number. You might not even have to fight."

Gohan grew indignant hearing this nonsense of a plan. To be completely frank, he didn't see why he should comply with a demented monster's demands. "No way! Keep your hands off the others and leave them out of this. I'd rather we settle this now than let you do it!"

"Oh, but you've seen with your own eyes you're no match for me in your current state," replied Vanitas casually. "I just want to have fun and show the whole world how powerful and fearsome I can really be, that's all. However, if you're too stubborn to carry on with our little scuffle right now, then I won't stop you."

"Then what are you waiting for? It was you who stopped the fight. We're not done yet!"

Vanitas gazed sharply at Gohan with his cold, emotionless blue eyes. "Be reminded that you might end up killing yourself. The tournament will be less challenging without you, and as a Saiyan you surely understand how very boring fighting against weak opponents is."

"Do you seriously think this is a game? Do you really think you can toy around with people's lives like that? You heartless monster…"

"I can see you're burning with the desire for revenge for everything I've done to your loved ones… but I wouldn't act too soon if I were you. You're valiant, but foolish, Gohan, and someday it'll prove to be your downfall. I think it's safe to say that I'm right, hm?"

"That's enough! You're gonna regret—"

"I'll take it from here, Gohan!"

Before Gohan was able to lunge toward Vanitas, Goten interjected him by yanking at his shirt. He was about to protest, but his brother weakly shook his head and cast a profound gaze deep into his obsidian eyes, urgently beseeching him not to give in to his retaliatory urge. After ensuring Gohan everything was going to be alright, the spiky-haired preteen hovered forward, positioned himself between the other two fighters, and took a deep breath before his mind started to judge the possible consequences of the action he was about to do.

Tense silence hung in the air, and during this time seconds seemed to pass very slowly. Seeing this as an acceptance to his earlier invitation, Vanitas smirked smugly and was about to mock Goten for his foolish determination as well as having been ignorant of the second chance he had so kindly given them. However, before he could even speak a word, the boy relaxed and in no time reverted to his normal form, and this was very much to his as well as Gohan's surprise.

"Uh-huh, I've decided," Goten finally spoke up, "We're gonna join your tournament."

Goten's response came to Gohan as appalling. "Goten! W-what… what are you saying?" he gasped in disbelief. However, the future boy gestured to him to just leave the talking to him, a sign Gohan very reluctantly acknowledged.

"Oh, really? And here I thought you were going to show your brother how fighting me now will only end up with another fatality," Vanitas mocked Goten as he too dropped his fighting stance and relaxed slightly.

"I know when to stop. Sometimes you need to retreat to win, you know. I decided to believe in your claim about us not having any chance to beat you… for now."

Making a remark of how wise Goten seemingly was for a young boy, Vanitas cracked a smile, but took his decision seriously nonetheless. "So, how many days are we looking at here? Three days? Or four? Or—"

"One day," answered Goten with a very resolute tone, "That's all we need. Trust me."

Now that was a surprise, even to Vanitas. They dared hoping to defeat him with just a day's worth of training? It was impossible, it just couldn't be true. "I suggest you think very carefully. The price of losing or being a no-show will be hefty, and I'm sure you both know that."

Crazy as it might sound, Goten would never waver from his resolve. No matter what people say, or even if the world was going to end soon, he was very headstrong in his decision and ensured that he and Gohan would give their opponent a run for his money. Vanitas's effort to convince him to reconsider proved to be in vain; the youngster just shrugged his remarks aside and asked whether he was a coward for trying to push back the deadline.

"I sure hope you know what you're saying. If both of you lose, that means no one is going to be able to stop me from doing whatever I want."

"Well, do you think we're gonna lose that easily? You'd better think again…"

"You're not just brave, but bold, too. I like that about you, and let's just hope you can still back up your word in the ring. In any case, I'll be waiting for you until the clock strikes twelve tomorrow noon."

"We're not dummies. Prove us that you'll be waiting."

"I won't make the first move unless provoked," the android ensured. This time his tone sounded strangely sincere, as though he had no malicious intents whatsoever. "I condemn lies. I'm a creature of my promise, so I expect you to do the same. If you don't show up tomorrow, I believe I don't have to tell you what will befall your family and friends. And that I promise."

Gohan clutched his fists so hard they almost drew blood. "You'd better keep your word, Vanitas. If you hurt my brothers…"

"I won't. I told you I won't go back on my words… unless they by some unfortunate and poor-thought reason decide to attack me first."

Unlike his counterpart from Goten's timeline, Gohan was very distrustful. It took some time for him to condition himself and keep his emotions checked, but eventually he yielded after being ensured by his brother that everything was going to be alright. It was now Goten's time to remind Gohan about their plan, and for it to work he had to believe him. Questions could be saved for later; left with no other choice, he finally untransformed and let his arms hang loose by his side. "You'd better not. I'm telling you, you're gonna regret doing this," he growled.

"Good, then it's settled. I'll see you by tomorrow noon, and then we can have the greatest show of all time."

And just like that, Vanitas very nonchalantly blasted off toward the west and left the two boys right where they were. In just a few seconds, he managed to create a considerable distance from them. As the aftermath, Gohan and Goten looked at each other wordlessly; anyone could tell by seeing his face that the former had so many questions waiting to be asked in his mind, but the latter just shrugged and suggested they carry on with their journey.

They could talk about it on the way to save time.

"I don't understand… why did you suddenly decide to go with his plan?" asked Gohan.

Goten just shrugged. "It's not like we have any other choice. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. You trust me, dontcha?"

To say Gohan trusted in Goten was an understatement. "Do you even need to ask, Goten? I don't just trust you, I believe in you," he replied, "But still… I feel it's kinda weird trusting a bad guy like him. What if he goes back on his words?"

"I dunno. Call me crazy, but I just know he won't. What is it, gut feeling? Plus, we can't win against him anyway… it's actually a miracle we were let go."

"Gosh, I sure hope you're right, Goten…" Gohan let out a heavy sigh. He didn't know what had compelled his brother to take such a radical decision, but if he later found out Vanitas didn't intend to keep his promise… no, he didn't even want to think about it. He'd just go ballistic.

"I hope so, too… but oh well. Let's not think about it now, okay? See, that's Korin's house."

The boys were too engrossed with their conversation they almost failed to notice they had almost arrived at their destination. There, looming over them on a wide clearing in the middle of a vast forest, was a tower; one couldn't possibly miss it since it really—both figuratively and literally speaking—stood out from its surroundings.

Gohan had met Korin before while being hospitalised after the Vegeta and Nappa skirmish, but never had it occurred to him that the sage actually lived atop this tower. What an uncanny dwelling place! Simply looking up wouldn't reward one with the view of its apex, for it seemed to pierce the heavens above. However, for something that tall, the tower was extremely slim—it measured only about a metre in diameter—and Gohan could only imagine how its integrity could be maintained. Even the slightest breeze would sway this abnormally tall tower. He was bewildered to say the least, and one could tell it was true from the look of his face: mouth wide open and pupils dilated.

"Well, whatcha waiting for? Hurry!"

The wild-haired boy's period of wonder and astonishment was cut short by a shout from his brother. When he looked around, Goten was nowhere to be seen; he was already around five storeys above him. "Uh, yeah. I'm coming…"

As he gained elevation, Gohan marvelled at the sheer height of the tower. Layers and layers of cloud had they pierced, but still their destination was hidden from plain sight. Suddenly he found himself thinking about Yajirobe the samurai; he knew he lived with Korin, but how he had managed to get all the way up here was beyond him since he couldn't fly.

After flying upward for several minutes, a dome-shaped crow's nest, as it were, came into view. Gohan decelerated and prepared to get inside, but Goten kept going and told him it was Korin's dwelling and that it wasn't their destination. The past Son, seeing absolutely nothing else but the clear blue sky—not even clouds—above the abode, could only watch with eyes as wide as plates, but he carried on nonetheless.

And up to the sky they went. Gohan found it amazing that although they were currently so high above the earth, the air was still breathable. In fact, it was very pure and clean, very much like the air back home in the depths of Mount Paozu forest. When he inquired Goten about it, he said he had no idea; all he could say was that perhaps it had something to do with the sacredness of the place they were going to visit. It was, after all, the Lookout, a place where Kami used to reside for hundreds of years.

Finally, after several more minutes of travel, they finally arrived at their destination. It was an enormous hemispherical platform suspended in the air by absolutely nothing, and on it was a palace-like white building in the middle of a garden lined with rows of palm trees. The boys made their landing on the front porch of the palace, and Gohan was immediately captivated by the simplistic grandeur of the white building.

"So, whaddya think?" asked Goten, "This is the place. The Hyperbolic Time Chamber is inside this building."

"This is… awesome! Who lives here?" replied Gohan, himself having quite a number of things to find out. His earlier inquiry was just one of them.

"Piccolo does in my timeline. After everything's over, the Piccolo you know will too! And he's not the only—"

"What's with the commotion here? A visitor?"

Goten was interjected in the middle of his explanation by a voice from behind the open doorway. Gohan knew this voice; around seven years ago, when he and his friends were discussing about the means to go to planet Namek for the first time, the owner of this voice was the one who had come up with the idea of utilising Kami's spaceship. Thanks to him they had been able to leave earth, although unfortunately they couldn't have taken the spaceship back to earth since Frieza's incompetent henchmen had destroyed it.

When Mr. Popo revealed himself, Gohan straightaway dashed toward him and showered his greetings, all while telling him how it had been a long time. At first, the immortal being was surprised to say the least; he didn't know who the boy was and why he was acting like that, but it soon occurred to him that he was talking with the child prodigy who had fought against Frieza many years ago. Now aware of the identity of Gohan, he reciprocated his greetings.

After that little exchange of 'hello's, the divine attendant asked about the reason why Gohan had come here, and who it was that he had brought here. The wild-haired youngster then proceeded to disclose everything Mr. Popo needed to know, including the identity of his brother from the future; he was well aware of the demise of the Z-fighters, but upon learning Goten's knowledge about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, he was startled since only a select few people were supposed to know about the existence of that room. It shouldn't have come as a surprise, though, since after all he was from the future.

"I see," Mr. Popo nodded in understanding, "So you two are willing to train inside the Time Chamber to defeat Vanitas. Is that correct?"

"Uh-huh. We figured it might be the best idea," replied Gohan.

"That's right. I think it's the most feasible course of action, too. But are you really ready to go in there?"

"Huh? What do you mean, 'are you ready'? Of course I am!"

"You do know time flows differently in that space. One year inside is—"

"One day outside," Gohan cut Mr. Popo mid-sentence, "Yeah, I got it. Time passes much more slowly inside, but that's exactly why we wanna train inside. We'll have plenty of time. Please, Mr. Popo."

"What I was trying to tell you is that it's not going to be easy. Goku once entered the room when he was around your age, and he couldn't even last a month."

This came as a total shocker to Gohan. It seemed there was more there was to the chamber than what Goten had told him about. Doubt was present in his eyes, so he stole a glance at his brother for advice. However, the spiky head just shrugged; he encouraged him to man up and take the challenge.

Actually, Goten was right. In this world, Gohan was the strongest person. He had surpassed his own father, thanks to Goten and Trunks's training when he was still a little tyke. He made his first ascension at the tender age of five, and history would record him as the youngest Super Saiyan ever. Yes, for all intents and purposes, he was the most powerful warrior who ever walked the earth…

… and he wouldn't let this be a burden to him. He had to press on; if his father had only spent a short amount of time inside, he'd show everyone he could do much more than that, even more that Goten would be with him. He was stronger than his comrades who had so bravely given their lives, and he knew responsibility and power were just like the two sides of a coin. Now, he would fulfil his responsibility and prove his might to the world.

Finally, without thinking any further, Gohan rallied his courage and stated his resolve, "I'm ready. I'll show you what I'm made of."

"I can't believe it… what is this place?"

"Well, this is where we're gonna train. Just the two of us… one year. Can you handle it?"

Gohan was transfixed by the space they were in now. Almost everything—even the walls, floor, ceiling, and the overtone of the entire place itself—was sinister, clinical white and very bright, casting a frigid nuance although in reality the air was very hot. There really was no denying it; they were in a whole different dimension.

"My hands feel kinda heavy," said Gohan as he adjusted himself to the new world whose physical properties seemed to have been altered, "And it's so hot in here. It's hard to breathe…"

Goten then took his brother by the hand and began showing him around. On their right were two seemingly barely comfortable beds with blue sheet and curtains, and obviously it was where they were going to have rest between their training sessions; it was by the beds where Gohan decapsulised his small armoire containing his and Goten's clothes. Opposite the beds was a brown door leading to the bathroom which they could use to wash themselves and do the laundry, and just next to them was the most important space for any Saiyan regardless of rank and power: the kitchen.

"This is where the food is stored," Goten pointed at some jars in the cupboard. Last time he trained here, there was only enough food for one week and he sure as heck didn't want it to happen again. This time, though, to his delight, the earthen vessels were all full. "Wowee, it seems Mr. Popo has made sure there's enough food for the whole year! We're not gonna starve!"

"Gosh, Goten. With the way we eat, I don't think that'll be enough!"

A fit of laughter broke among the boys. True, being half-Saiyans, they had always been hearty trenchermen. Although Chichi—both from this timeline and the future—had succeeded in teaching her sons table manners, it didn't change the fact that they were still food lovers and would indiscriminately devour everything presented before them, provided it was edible.

"This place has everything we need. You don't need to worry… and there's me! You can count on me, little brother," Goten rubbed his nose and his voice was brimming with pride.

"Yeah. I guess everything's up to us now, huh," Gohan cracked a smile, "Thanks, Goten!"

"Oh, by the way… there are some things you have to know about the outside of this place."

Being an inquisitive boy he was, Gohan promptly stepped out from the living quarters upon hearing the word 'outside'… and he was in for a big surprise. He couldn't believe his eyes; all he saw was nothingness. Just plain, simple, and somewhat ominous whiteness extending from where he stood to the horizon and beyond. The design of the chamber made it looked like the main house was floating in the middle of nowhere.

"I don't… believe it… how is this possible?" Gohan mumbled in total incredulity, "There's nothing but empty space! How can it be? This room is so much bigger than the palace itself!"

Goten too stepped out to the porch and stood by his brother's side. "Mm-hmm. It's very huge… it's not a good place to get lost, so don't go too far into the chamber, okay?"

"O-okay…"

According to Goten, if one were to venture too deep into the chamber, he could lose his bearings and die before finding the way back due to the sheer emptiness. The temperature swing could get wild, too; despite the absence of the sun, it could get as high as fifty degrees centigrade at noon, but colder than the freezing point of water during nighttime. The air was very thin, and compounded with the gravity which was ten times that of earth, exhaustion would creep in very quickly and was bound to haunt their training if they didn't adapt themselves to the environment fast. This explained why Gohan had had difficulty breathing and why his hands had felt heavy upon setting his feet inside the chamber.

"This is unbelievable… and you've been here before?" asked Gohan.

"Yup, when I was seven. It was only for one week, though," answered Goten. He was reminded of his time in this chamber several years ago in preparation to fight Majin Buu. "We didn't have much time back then, but I was almost driven crazy by this room. Heck, if Trunks weren't there I might have gone insane!"

"But still… that's kinda scary, if you ask me. After seeing this, I wonder if we can make it through…"

"Whatcha saying? C'mere," Goten seated himself on the marble floor and gestured to Gohan to follow suit, "Of course we can, dummy, especially you. It was you who wanted to avenge everyone the most, right? You know, if you've got the will to try, there will be a way."

"Yeah, I know. I'm just afraid if the vastness of this place gets into me," said Gohan again. However, this time, his voice seemed more relaxed, perhaps thanks to Goten's attempt to ease him.

"Aw, no it won't. I told you, didn't I?" Goten playfully patted Gohan's back, "If anything, you can just tell me, and I'll help you. We're in this together! We gotta support each other, and that's my support for you. I don't know about you, but I don't want you to go crazy here. Hee-hee."

Goten's support was indeed a godsend for Gohan. It really boosted his morale to off-the-chart levels, and as long as he had it other things wouldn't matter one bit. "Thanks, Goten. You sure are an awesome brother!"

"Anything for an awesome brother of mine, too!" Goten grinned sincerely, "So what do you propose we do now?"

"Hmm, start our training?"

"Sounds good! Let's go!"

And so, this marked the point where the Son warriors commenced their intense and gruelling year in this most bizarre of places. They knew it wasn't going to be an easy task; it was a gauntlet, and nobody said it was a walk on the park. However, for their loved ones as well as the world, Gohan and Goten had to accomplish their common objective.

Their list was long. They had to fulfil each and every item on the list, and for that to happen they had to make sure to use the time they currently had in hand efficiently and effectively. That way, when it was time they emerged from the chamber, they would be ready to face Vanitas and destroy him for good.

That was their objective, and they couldn't be readier than they were now. Thoughts aimed straight at the vision of a better future, they promised to give it their all and work hard to bring their intentions into fruition. They wanted to devote this one-year period of training to those who had departed, to Chichi and Bulma, and to little Goten and Trunks.

They had set their sight on a distant dream and goal, but they were surer than anyone else they would succeed.