DRAGONBALL Z

Path of a Warrior

Rise

As The Years Go By…

Things basically returned to normal right after the Cell Games. Peace, prosperity and happiness fell onto the planet and its people once again, leaving way for another generation to grow. With no more stress or fights to worry about, the Z-fighters could finally relax, and just in the nick of time too. It has been so long since any member of the Z-Warrior Team ever seen or experienced such a peaceful time. From here on in, there were clear skies ahead for them all the way. The world's armies and people practically threw down their arms of defense to rejoice in this wondrous occasion. Right after the Cell Games, people celebrated, paying their praises and congrats to their supposed hero, Hercule Satan. He took all the credit for Cell's defeat, pissing off the Z-fighters at his boasting and insults towards them. But they needed a puppet to stand in for them anyway to draw attention from them. Plus the group wasn't too fussed about Mr. Satan taking all the credit, since they all knew who the real hero of that fateful day was. However, if Hercule was to push it any further towards Gohan's death, then something bad would come down on him involving Goku, Vegeta and Piccolo. But it never happened, and thus it gave the Z-fighters a clean slate to fill.

As said, things carried on as usual for everyone. In honor of Gohan's sacrifice and of Cell's defeat, the Ox-King held a grand party at his Kingdom, inviting the entire Z-Gang to join in on the festivities. The people who served the Grand King paid tribute to their true savior, a memorial for Gohan built in the centre of the Ox-King's Capital. The Briefs were invited, as well as Krillin, 18#, 16#, Yamcha, Master Roshi and his household of guests, Lime and her family, Erran, Kasia, Anya, Jenny, Piccolo, Dende, Mr. Popo and of course, Goku's family. Everyone under the Ox-King's rule celebrated with a feast and a party that went on for hours on end. The Z-fighters felt guilty though, since Gohan wasn't here to enjoy these celebrations with them. But they knew he was here with them, in spirit. As promised, the young Saiyan watched over his friends and family members from afar, making sure they enjoyed their times of peace. He would be disappointed if they didn't.

Chi-Chi had taken Gohan's supposed death pretty well. After some time of crying, Goku was able to assure her that it would be alright, and it was what their son wanted. Since he was still alive in the Spirit World opposite them, there was still a positive side to it. The Son mother finally came to an understanding and was able to find a light in this new dark time. And yet, in spite of Gohan's absence, she felt he was still with her in her heart. Picking up the pieces, Chi-Chi and Goku were able to renew their lives with the start of a new beginning. A new member had just been born into their family, and it had to be equal to the very day Gohan was born. Chi-Chi gave birth to a new baby son she happily named Goten. It was with his birth she and Goku promised to give him a life Gohan never had, one full of peace and no fighting. Though they would continue on with their usual acts of parenting, the spiky haired child would grow up strong and healthy. Not bothering to change houses, the family remained at the Son residence, growing up in the mountain ranges of Mount Paoz.

Piccolo, feeling that his position in the Z-fighters' group has taken a time out, had taken up a new post on the Lookout. With his place-to-stay problem gone and done away with, the Namekian warrior set forth a new task to serve as a protector for Dende and a second Guardian of Earth if that day was to arrive. For the next many months that passed, he would perform errands for Dende and for most of the time he spent up on the Lookout, would sit in quiet meditation and keep to his thoughts. Dende's duties as the Guardian of Earth would continue from here as well, his eyes cast over the vast landscapes and his mind set firmly on the dealings and doings of the people below him. It would be a long chore that's for sure.

Bulma, Vegeta and Mirai returned to Capsule Corp right after the celebration at the Ox-Kingdom's Capital, all of them having finally recovered from the shock of Gohan's fate. But their excitement wasn't to end. The day after that, they all learned that Mirai was to return to his time. Bidding farewell to the Z-fighters who gathered to see him off, the time traveling warrior departed in the same time machine he used to arrive here. More hope and happiness was gathered from these moments, as the whole gang wished their friend and family member good luck and good health, and a safe trip for his journey back to his time. Mirai waved his last to everyone as his time machine lifted up into the sky. It was also from his cock-pit he could have sworn he saw a transparent Gohan standing amongst his parents, the young warrior returning for those few seconds to see him off. At the same time as the Saiyan child vanished, Mirai leapt into the future, returning to his time in a flash. After that, everyone returned to their daily duties. Vegeta and Bulma continued their time at Capsule Corp, raising their baby son Trunks. He grew up quickly over the next couple of years, and grew stronger with each passing month. His parents were really proud of him, and continued living happily together. 16# had also taken up residence at CC as an assistant to Bulma and Mr. Briefs. Although he mostly spent his time in the greenhouse where the animals were kept, he did his fair share of work, and never had to eat anything. From here, the android proceeded on with his life of peace and silence, moving to an easy resting period.

As for Krillin's life, it couldn't have gotten any better then it was now. But it did. After a couple of months of dating and going out, Krillin and 18# eventually got married. They invited all their friends, the entire Z-gang attending the ceremony. Along with everything else that had occurred in the time that had passed between the Cell Games and the wedding, this just happened to be one of the most joyous occasions that had happened to the group. Between them all, it was a quiet, private ceremony, set out of the eyes of the public. They didn't want this to be known, as fears of being discovered by those who had given the Cell Games a proper look were too great. And so, after a party and honeymoon, the new couple returned to Kame House, with many plans for the future. Heck, they also thanked the one who really made this all possible for them. A year later, the couple had a daughter they named Marron, and the three together made a family. As for Master Roshi, they didn't let his bad influence get to them, and just carried on. Oolong and Turtle also presided at the house, with enough rooms there to satisfy 30, despite the small size of the place. It was paradise.

Yamcha had finally moved out of Capsule Corp., and settled down in Central City. Giving up on martial arts, the former fighter made it to the top as a professional, world champion base baler. Everyone all around knew him, and he became quite a celebrity. There were also more good times to be had with this as well. Not only did he become a rich celebrity, but he also met the girl of his dreams some time after Krillin's wedding; a girl named Ren. It was within 5 months of dating the two of them got married, having a private ceremony, and only inviting their friends and family to the event. It was safe to say that things were going great for Yamcha.

Tien and Chouzu had taken up old ways and moved into the mountains once more, leaving their friends behind with good wishes for the future. Though they returned for the weddings and those big get-togethers with the gang, the two of them always left. A lot of training was in store for the two, but they also had a kingdom of their own to run. Chouzu resumed his position as Emperor with his body-guard friend, and together ran a prosperous state. A peaceful nation, they formed alliances with the main land and almost every peace going state they met. Things went well. Tien, remarkably, even settled down with a long-gone, supposed girlfriend, Launch, who had given up crime to be with him. It was tough going for a couple of months, but they eventually got along.

For six years time flew on. The planet continued to have its rains of peace with little conflicts raging across the globe. There were no wars, just minor snitches in cities involving robbers, gang members, mafias and other criminals. It should have been considered by the Z-fighters that they'd do something about these problems, but no one took it upon themselves to make any use of their free time for this matter. They left these problems to the law enforcement officers.

As for Hercule, the afro martial artist, he became the most famous man on the planet. Though the Z-fighters heard little about him, they caught on to the fact that he was a real swing in the World Martial Arts Tournaments. He challenged everyone, and won every fight. It was incredible that a man of his stature of strength and intelligence could achieve such a title. So, on the sixth year, a small band of the Z-fighters' group, which consisted of Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin and 18#, all decided they would enter that year's competition. Now that everyone had grown, including 6-year-old Goten and 7-year-old Trunks (who were now old enough to enter the tournament's junior division), they felt confident about entering the tournament and beating the acclaimed savior of the world. It would begin in three months from the day they decided on this. It was going to be fun…

But don't count out on one other Z-fighter from being there…

Far edge of the planet…

It was cold, cloudy and God-awfully unstable out here in this area of the main land, far beyond the reaches of any city or civilization. Well, what else could you expect? A vast landscape, mostly consisting of snow covered Mountain Ranges that formed high walls, cliffs, treacherous paths and points reaching up into the clouds, was sure to fit the above description. However, it wasn't all that bad. The ranges appeared on the horizon as a magnificent spectacle. Anyone would stop and take a moment to gaze over the unknown, high fields that stretched for miles on end. Even the hillsides, forests and other areas surrounding the ranges were beautiful enough to set your sights upon and awe you. The skies were clear and the air was especially fresh. But strangely enough, these lands had no connection or even the slightest contact with human life. It was unknown to all, as though this place wanted to remain illusive, even if it couldn't move. Under cloud cover it hid itself from planet orbiting satellites, and reaching this place also proved to be a challenge as no roads led off even passed this place. Something must have made sure of this places' invisibility from the eyes of the world…

Anyway, as you moved through the mountains, you were bared the full and utter spectacle of this wonderful place. Although the temperature here was cold enough to freeze you to death in minutes, it was still a grand, natural landmark. The clouds formed rings around the tips of the mountains, and even laid fluffy white blankets across the skies around the area. No wonder the area remained undiscovered. Still, it dragged on, drawing us deeper and deeper into its treacherous mists. The only signs of life were the mountain eagles, dragons and dinosaurs that lived here, who have adapted to this type of atmosphere. The thing air made their lungs fit, and the cold made them durable against the harsh weathers of this world. But passing the areas in which these creatures roamed, you were taken to an empty, wasteland of an area nestled deep within the ranges.

It was all quiet out here, there was barely any noise except for the cool breeze drifting through the mountains. It enveloped this area, creating the site that you saw now. The sub-zero temperatures iced this clearing completely. From a certain point, you could see that the icy valley was made up of vines and crystallized glass as a result of the cold. It was all dead or dying. The clearing was also hilly, the foundations looking quite stable. A dirt path leading from the mountains wove its way into this area, passing an abandoned, run down wind-mill and up a steeper hill to a bombed out, ruined castle standing strong in the middle of the clearing. Rubble and remains lay around it, holes punched all over its exterior with the roof crumbling in. The dead vines that strung the valley and crawled up the walls of the castle went through a mind-boggling change, as they were now green and filled with life. It was as if they were brought back to life as soon as they touched the ruined building; a miracle.

The castle, being the main subject now, had its doors creaked open just slightly. And inside of it, was a similar ruined state as its outside. Only this time, it possessed a special attribute. Diamond strong crystals grew up and out of the grounds inside the castle, clinging to the walls and climbing them like the vines outside. The four support pillars of this building though weakened and under stress, were strengthened by the formation of large crystals. The minerals sparkled brightly in the light that managed to seep in through the various cracks and large holes in the walls of the castle. The main source came from a circular window resting high up on the end wall. The frames of the transparent, glass made and broken piece embedded in the rock refracted the light that poured in, the rays striking the crystals and illuminating them. To add to the beautiful splendor, it was as quiet in hear as it was outside. Under the sound of winds that passed through the structure, the chime of a gentle drip of water from an overhanging crystal onto another sounded. The slow, timed beat came in constantly, creating that constant, never ending tune. All was quiet.

Moving around the inside of the castle, we are drawn to its centre, which the four strengthened pillars surrounded, holding up the roof high above. In the centre of this one, large chamber, you could see a circular platform built up upon by six layers. All the steps leading up to it were cracked and crumbling, crystals growing out of them. Particular, large pieces of the diamond hard minerals surrounded the centre, reflecting anything that passed them, and not just the light. The platform was sort of a highlight of this entire room, and stood out from most of the objects lying around. Circling around it, you could see nothing splendid.

All was the same, and nothing much has changed from the castle's original state. It was just how the previous owner had left it. Run down. Empty. Completely deserted now and with no life to be seen presiding within it. The deafening quietness could make anyone feel uneasy. Instincts would tell them better and how forbidden this place was. If anyone knew any better, whoever would be in this place at the time could feel a presence nearby; watching them and guarding this sacred place. Well…the truth was, they wouldn't believe how right they were.

A speck of blue light suddenly flew in through a hole in the circular window, floating from the high ceiling of the castle and circling the entire room. As it did, it slowly drifted down from the highest levels and moved to the lowest level, weaving past the pillars and large crystals stretching up towards the roof. The very light emitted by this speck reflected off of the surrounding crystals, and lit up the dark areas of wall it passed by. Not guided by wind and under its own influence, it floated over the platform and moved around it. Circling the platform for a moment, it then turned its attention towards a crystal mirror with a silver, metallic frame surrounding it sitting at the back of the castle underneath the window high above. It was situated at the base of steps leading off of the platform, and remained untouched.

The speck of light saw it as now different, and floated towards it. As it approached, it seemed to shine brighter then its previous state. The image of the speck was reflected off of the mirror, not revealing its true form just yet. But then, as the speck hovered in front of the mirror for a moment, it suddenly flew into it, disappearing in a flash. A surprising, rippling formation moved out across the surface of the mirror from the very point the speck of light had used to access it in the centre. Seconds later, the formation died, leaving the mirror in its solid state. Nothing happened for a while, the breeze unchanged as well as the rhythm of the water droplet chime echoing all around. But then, after several moments, something did happen.

A blue light suddenly flashed out of the mirror and faded. It flashed again, and again, growing with more intensity and speed with every flash. It started as a long pulse in the beginning, going on for five seconds before fading. It then picked up the speed some time later, using the same rhythm as the water droplets chiming in the background. Then, the light began to flash at one second intervals, lighting up the whole room standing before it. The crystals themselves seemed to flash and shine under the glow. And they did, but not a blue glow. Their illumination was gold, yet faint and not as intense. It was from here a remarkable ritual began on its own accord.

As this flashing continued on, the winds surrounding the castle intensified. The breezes that seeped into the castle also increased to a high level, and moved through the room in a hurricane rotational direction. Then the gravity suddenly lifted pebbles and small rocks rising off of the hard, cold surface of the castle's floors. The centre of the castle's main chamber especially played a part in this.

The lights and winds grew more and more intense. It threatened to upset the balance made by the supports of the castle. But then, as it seemed to grow worse, it died down. A final, long pulse of blue light glowed brightly from the mirror, and then faded. The surrounding crystals emitting the golden auras also faded in that light, returning to their original coloration. The winds joined in, fading and leaving the place in complete silence. Even through this time, the once constant, droplet chime had stopped. The only thing that remained standing as it was was the lightened gravity. The pebbles and rocks continued to float off of the ground, giving evidence to this loss in normal atmosphere. This was suddenly turning into a very unusual situation.

Something else had changed as well. The platform that once stood empty in the centre of the castle had something new placed upon it. Magically summoned by forces unknown, a boulder made of diamond hard crystal stood in the direct centre of the platform, unmoving. And in it, deeply embedded and firmly placed within its form was a sword. The sword, with a flawless blade that gleamed like the crystals themselves and a handle build of excellent, unique design, stood proudly in its place. It was lit up by the light that poured in through the window above, making it the new, main attraction of the interior of the castle. But it was only to be the foreplay compared to what was coming up next.

The gravity slowly returned, and the pebbles and debris that once floated suspended several feet off of the ground, fell back to earth. It was just then attention was drawn back to the mirror standing at the back of the room. The darkness that surrounded it matched that it reflected in its surface. But then, that darkness was filled by a figure that had suddenly appeared as a result of the strange phenomenon's that had occurred. The figure, or more like the unknown person within the crystal placement, walked forward, coming into clear view with his head dipped and eyes overshadowed. Moments later, the figure suddenly stepped out of the mirror and onto the cold floor, as if it were just an archway of some kind. But the mirror returned to its solid, reflective state, and the figure who had stepped out of the mirror, had his reflection shone back at him.

As the young man stepped out of the shadows and into the light, he stopped just in front of the crystal boulder. From here, you could clearly see what state he was in. He was obviously a man, around 17-years-old with black, spiky hair and two bangs handing over his forehead. Like his hair, it was well defined and he was very handsome. To add to this, the young man was completely nude. His ripped body was in plain sight and in the cold, yet he didn't feel any. The light illuminated his form, which was layered with pure muscle. He had a true body of a martial artist, body builder and athlete combined. His flawless skinned held no scars, and the young man looked pretty healthy.

The moment he stepped into the light, everything seemed to fall back into rhythm. The sound of droplets continued, and the breeze picked up, weaving through the interior of the castle and joining the chimes in the background. At the starting moment of these usual sounds the young man, whose head was still dipped, breathed in deeply and then out again. Before long, the spiky haired warrior looked up; revealing his mature, well defined face with teal toned eyes. It was when he looked up another change occurred, as his teal eyes suddenly averted back to their original, black color. And there, he stood, silent and firm like a statue.

After a moment of standing there, he looked down a bit to his right. At the base of the crystal boulder in front of him, he saw a pile of clothes neatly folded before him. They were clean and beautifully preserved, just waiting to be slipped back on. Beside it was also a set of shoes and two small, brown bags. Blinking, the young man stepped and reached over, collecting the clothes and immediately putting them on. When his clothes were finally on and fitting perfectly, he now stood before the world in a handsomely pictured, clad out glory. Over his wonderfully formed and sculpted body, he wore a white, traditional style gi top with long sleeves and strung button threads, black gi pants, a blue sash tied around his waste over his top, blue ankle weights, padded, white lined, black martial arts shoes (which were very comfortable), blue wrist weights and a belt that held his two brown bags. To add to this, he had a brown, furry tail waving happily behind him. Then, to complete his outfit, he wore a sapphire crystal pendant around his neck; the pendant shaped like a heart…

With his clothes set, he then turned to the sword embedded in the boulder in front of him. Without a second thought, he stepped forward and reached out, grabbing the weapon by the handle and sheathing it from its tomb without any effort. In a loud, slicing sound, he drew it and held it up, tip pointing upwards. It flashed and shone brilliantly in the light, as if it were made for him.

Then, after once again marveling at its magnificence, the young warrior gripped the sword in two hands and dropped into a stance. Maneuvering around the platform, he began testing his weapon. Stepping forward, he slashed outwards, bringing it in an upward, diagonal strike that flashed through the air. He then pivoted, spinning around as he moved forward and slashed outwards again. With perfect control, he spun it round him and stabbed out before gripping it firmly and bringing it round in another slash through the air. The sword was equally balanced and was excellent to hold. After pivoting again and bringing his sword into quick X-Z strike, his blade flashing through the air, he then returned to a normal standing position. And with a style no one else could have performed any better; he twirled the weapon in his hand and threw it forward. As it fell, he kicked it into the air, the sword spinning above him. Then, in a all cool style, he caught the handle and sheathed the sword into a newly formed belt and scabbard tied around him. The weapon clicked into place as it slid cleanly into its holder, and when it was firmly secured, the warrior lowered his arm.

After striding around the crystal boulder once, the warrior stopped on the side where the stone steps led down towards the exit. The light that poured in through the crack in the door lit up the young man's face. His eyes shone and wavered and after turning towards the archway, a smile brightened on the young warrior's expression and he spoke.

"Home at last…"

TO BE CONTINUED…