I don't own Dragon Ball Z.

A/N: this story is mostly like a prequel for the main plot thingy o.O but I have to damn many ideas before that! x_X please understand me. And enjoy!

The Quest for the Divine Dragon

'How much longer are they going to fly?!'

Krillin tiredly thought after several hours of flight, in which they only stopped once for a pit stop. Finally, the boys stopped in mid air. Krillin looked below them. There was nothing there, just water.

'Odd.'

Holding their amulets, Trunks and Goten dived down. Krillin took a deep breath, and dived underneath as well. They dived for above ten minutes.

'I can't take it anymore! AIR!'

But to his amazement, Krillin was able to breath.

'Wow… hey, what's that up ahead?'

There was a cave there. But two mean looking squids glared at him while the boys disappeared in there.

"Oh uh…"

Tentacles covered him from all directions.

'NOT GOOD!'

"What?! Wha, how could they get such power, Dende?!"

Gohan asked, torn between being mad, worried, or downright jealous.

"The dragon can't make the wisher stronger… even if we could make a wish."

Gohan said thoughtfully.

"But how do you know a wish was granted, Gohan?"

"Come on, mom, any other way someone could posses Vegeto in any other way?"

"Let's think about it later. Dende's right. If Trunks and Goten are out there, we should stall. Come on, we better start going. We found where our fused friend it."

Piccolo announced. With doubts and regrets, the gang boarded one of Bulma's extra capsule ships. It'd save them precious Ki. Bulma, Chichi and the Ox King were left behind.

"I don't like it. I can't even find where Krillin is!"

18 complained while on the way. Gohan tried to calm her down.

"Well, let's just hope for the best. I'm sure he's ok, 18."

The tentacles played Krillin as a ping pong ball, then merely went to chose the poor once bald monk.

"I hope so, otherwise he'd be in a lot of trouble!"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Krillin blasted the squids away and swam as quickly as he could.

'I wonder if those amulets were what let Goten and Trunks through.'

"Woah!"

Then he saw the area he was in. An underwater cave, built from crystals in various shapes.

'Hey, I bet 18 and Marron would love those!'

He picked two shards of rainbow colored crystals and pocketed them before going on farther into the cave.

"Wow. This place is quite remarkable. Woah!"

Krillin's eyes widened at the sight in front of him. Trunks and Goten stood, amulets glowing, before a humongous, white dragon. The energy in the room overwhelmed him. It appeared as though the children and the dragon were already in the middle of a conversation. One which Krillin didn't like one bit.

"How much longer, Piccolo?"

Gohan asked, eager to let some of his pent up frustration loose.

"Not far. Land here."

Lame Senin landed the capsule in a clearing in the middle of a dense forest.

"Here. There should be a cave nearby…"

"Why wait?"

The their horror, they found Vegeto waiting for them. He seemed powered up. And he wasn't even SSJ.

"We don't want to fight you! We just want our fathers back!"

The fusion seemed to actually consider it.

"Nah. I happen to like my current position. And once I'm through with you, I could smash those little brats of mine."

"You're not getting them!"

"Funny. I don't really remember asking for your permission."

"So you see why we need your help?"

Goten asked somewhat pleadingly. The dragon eyed Krillin, yet returned to the children.

"I see. But when I came to you before, you turned me down."

Their eyes widened.

"That was you?!"

Exchanging glances, the two remembered their randezvous in the odd, pink place.

"Not quite. A messenger of mine… I'm afraid to say he failed in getting through to you. I give you a second chance. But…"

"I saw that coming."

Trunks whispered. Goten nodded.

"I cannot forgive your refusal of me the first time. There is a price."

Krillin panicked.

'They don't know what they're getting into!'

"Well…"

The dragon looked away for a moment, as though listening to something.

"You must know what even now, as we speak, your friends battle the one you call Vegeto."

"Oh, man!"

"They're gonna get so beat up!"

"AAH!"

Mercilessly, Vegeto swung 18 around by her hair, throwing her towards a cliff. Gohan and Piccolo sent Ki blasts at him, ones which were easily deflected. He then sent two of his own, severely hurting the two.

The sights ran through the crystals all around them as the two sons watched their fathers.

"No, dad, stop it! They're your friends! Your son!"

Goten banged against the nearest crystal, hoping to get Vegeto's attention.

"It is of no use, little one. They cannot hear nor see you."

"Why are you showing this to us?!"

Trunks asked angrily.

"To show you the importance of your decision. "

"Right now, all I see is that we're wasting time here!"

Krillin cringed as once again 18 showed up on the crystals. Goten pulled away from the crystals.

"Let's go, they need us!"

"What makes you think it will end up differently?"

"We got Piccolo now!"

As if on cue, the crystals showed Piccolo charge at Vegeto. And get his arse whipped.

"You need my help."

"Oh, yeah?! What can you do?!"

"The same thing I did the last time you fought against him."

"The reason he was weak… That was you?!"

The dragon nodded.

"Indeed. The anger you felt at your mother's injury, Trunks… it called out to me."

The two Demi Saiyans once again exchanged glances.

"Well, we could use your help…"

"They need us…"

"Please, mister Dragon, sir, we need your help!"

Goten said, a bit more determination in his voice this time.

"Please! Give us strength to save our friends!"

"And our families!"

The beast seemed skeptical.

"Is that what you truly want?"

The two cried out as their eyes glowed white and they gripped their heads.

"Trunks! Goten!"

Krillin shouted. The cave itself changed, blocking Krillin's path.

"Let go of them!"

"They can't hear you."

Goten watched as his brother was beaten ruthless by his father, his mother on the side, terrified. And he couldn't help them.

Trunks was locked in a vision where Bulma was in pain. Vegeto hovering above her, smirking. A baby's cry was heard… before Vegeto ended it all.

"Now, children. What do you want?"

Krillin held his breath.

'I have a bad feeling about this!'

"What we want?..."

"Power…"

Krillin's blood froze. The dragon almost smirked.

"We want power…"

"Enough power…"

Both children smirked.

"To crush Vegeto!"

'No, oh Dende, no!'

Krillin screamed.

"Hold out your amulets, children. Let me grant your wishes."

Doing as told, Goten and Trunks held out their amulets and the dragon roared. Light flashed from him, being reflected by the crystals. Krillin covered his eyes from the light. The last thing he felt before passing out was the hard, cold floor. And two power levels going through the roof.

"Remember. You owe me."

A/N: DUN DUN DUUUUN! So? Was it worth to wait so long to find out what the fic's name was about? :D